---
Li Yan walked briskly down the white corridor, her heels tapping softly against the glossy tiles as she held the neatly folded discharge papers.
She had just completed the final signatures for her father-in-law's release.
Her mind wandered briefly, thinking about how exhausting this entire week had been.
Just then, she froze.
That feeling.
Like eyes crawling across her back.
She slowed her pace, clutching the papers tighter. Slowly, she turned her head, her sharp eyes scanning the corridor.
At first glance, nothing seemed unusual—just two young nurses giggling as they walked past, chatting in low voices, paying her no mind.
Her brows furrowed.
Was I imagining things?
She exhaled sharply, shaking her head. Perhaps she was simply paranoid after everything that had been happening with the Su family.
Still… the prickling sensation on her skin didn't leave.
Her fingers hovered nervously over the elevator button. The light dinged as the doors slid open with a quiet swoosh.
She stepped forward—
A damp cloth pressed hard over her nose and mouth.
"Mmff—!"
Her muffled scream never reached the air.
She thrashed, fingernails clawing desperately at the arm holding her, but the sickly-sweet scent filled her nose, her throat.
Her strength drained away in seconds.
Darkness swallowed her whole.
---
Old man Su sat on the edge of his bed, his brows drawn together, his cane tapping impatiently against the floor.
The minutes ticked by painfully slow.
He shifted again, glaring at the door.
"What's taking her so long?" he muttered irritably.
His sharp gaze landed on his son. "Zhenghao, isn't it just a discharge? Why does she need half an hour? Ladies… always slow and careless. You should've sent one of the men."
Su Zhenghao sighed, glancing at his father's restless figure. "Father, I'll go check—"
The ward door creaked open before he could move.
A bodyguard entered with a tense look, his eyes darting between the three elders.
All three turned to him in unison.
"What is it?" Su Zhenghao asked, his tone already wary.
The guard hesitated, eyes flickering toward Old Man Su. "A… a message for Old Master."
Su Zhenghao's brows knitted. "What message? Can't you see his condition? Speak clearly."
The man hesitated, shifting his weight. His lips pressed into a thin line as he glanced briefly at old man Su—who was frowning.
Old Master Liang's voice cut through the tension. "Well? Spit it out!"
The man shifted more uneasily. Old Man Su's eyes narrowed, then he gave a small, deliberate wink.
The guard caught it.
He straightened, nodded once, and said, "Su Xiao has been arrested."
The air in the ward froze.
Old Man Su's pupils shrank.
For a brief second, his heart clenched painfully in his chest—but he forced his breathing steady, clutching the bedsheet beneath the blanket.
Not now.
I cannot afford another attack.
Breathe. Calm.
Su Zhenghao furrowed his brows. "Su Xiao? Arrested? What does that have to do with our family? He's a distant branch at best."
"Yes, Master," the guard said quickly, again glancing at Old Man Su. "Nothing to do with the main Su family."
Old Master Liang snorted, arms crossed. "Hmph. I told you that boy was trouble. Never liked the look in his eyes. Look what he's done now. Zhenghao, check what's being reported. As a public figure, it will be news by now."
Su Zhenghao frowned nodding, and pulled out his phone. But before he could scroll, old man Su's voice cut in sharply, too quickly:
"There's no need. That boy isn't close to us. Why should we care?"
"Still," Old Master Liang countered, "I want to know what kind of filth he's dragged your Su family name into. Check!"
With a sigh, Su Zhenghao opened a browser. His eyes widened almost instantly. "Father… Su Xiao, Fang Zemin, and Gu Yanchuan have all been arrested. Netizens are speculating it's linked to the death of an actress called... Yan Qingsi—and maybe others."
Liang shook his head. "That boy. A disgrace."
Neither noticed the paleness creeping into Old Man Su's face.
Inside, fury and dread churned like a storm.
That fool! Didn't I warn him? How careless could he be? If this leaks any further…
He clenched his jaw.
He will pay for dragging me into this mess. I'll make sure of it.
Su Zhenghao blinked, startled by the sudden change in subject, but nodded quickly.
"Yes, Father."
He put his phone away and left.
—
Old Master Liang raised a brow, studying his old friend. That tone… so urgent, so out of place. "Why so suddenly? You didn't want him to continue?"
Caught under the weight of his gaze, Old Man Su forced a dry chuckle. "I… I simply wish to go home soon. Why keep reading and delay things further? Besides, why trouble someone who isn't that familiar with us?"
Old Master Liang frowned. "Not familiar? Isn't Su Xiao your cousin Su Mingrui's son? Weren't you and Mingrui close? How is that unfamiliar?"
For a split second, something flickered in Old Man Su's eyes—too quick to catch.
Then came another laugh, thinner, more brittle. "It's been a long time since we last spoke. We can't be called close anymore."
Old Master Liang studied him in silence.
The longer he looked, the deeper his unease grew.
His old friend was changing—becoming strange, evasive, hiding something behind those hollow smiles.
And for the first time, a quiet chill settled in Liang's heart.
—
Before he could probe, the door burst open again. Zhenghao returned, two more bodyguards trailing behind.
His expression was grim.
"Father, something's wrong. Li Yan is missing."
"What?!" Liang shot to his feet.
"Director, doctor, head nurse—all confirm she left fifteen minutes ago. But she hasn't returned. CCTV footage is being checked."
Cold dread sliced through the room.
Old Man Su's brows furrowed deeply. "Why is it every time I'm discharged, something happens?"
"Search the entire hospital!" Zhenghao barked at the men. "Every corner. Every hallway. Check the cameras!"
"Yes, Master!" They rushed out.
Su Zhenghao followed, muttering, "Maybe she went to the restroom…" though even he didn't believe it.
---
Somewhere in the hospital, in a single dim lightbulb swayed above a damp, concrete room.
Li Yan sat bound tightly to a chair, wrists and ankles lashed with coarse rope that bit into her skin.
A strip of cloth blinded her eyes, scratching against her skin.
Panic surged.
Her last memory was the cloth pressed against her face, the suffocating fumes, then nothing.
"Help! Somebody—help me!"
She struggled wildly, ropes biting deeper. "Let me go! Who's there?!"
Suddenly, a hand struck her cheek with brutal force.
The sting silenced her instantly.
SLAP!!
Then came the voice.
Low. Cold. Foreign.
The words slid over her ears like a snake's hiss:
"Bikka mumaso oba nkulese mu buzibu obutaddaawo."
("Stay still and quiet, or I'll silence you forever.")
She didn't understand the language, but terror made meaning unnecessary.
She shivered violently, "What do you want? Money? I'll give you anything—just let me go! Please!"
Another voice answered, mocking, in the same tongue:
"Omukyala ono talina kye tumwetaaga. Tekimala. Asooka kubulila Miss waffe."
("This woman has nothing we want. It's enough that she offended our Miss.")
They laughed.
The sound was cruel, merciless.
Her skin prickled though she couldn't understand the words.
The way they laughed afterward, low and cruel, made her heart slam against her ribs.
Tears welled as her mind whirled.
What were they saying? Who were these people?
Her breathing grew shallow.
Zhenghao… Father-in-law… find me. Please, find me before they—
Then, in harsh Lianhai dialect, a voice hissed into her ear:
"Enjoy this gift from our Young Miss."
Her blood turned to ice.
Gift? What gift? What Young Miss?
Something cold brushed against her leg.
Smooth. Sliding. Alive.
Her breath hitched.
Then came another faint slithering sound, from the far corner of the room.
Then another.
Louder. Closer.
No… no no no no!
What was that?!?
A... A...
Her head jerked down instinctively.
Another cold thing brushed against her ankle, smooth, alive.
She bit back a scream, her whole body trembling.
She then shook her head violently, shrieking, "Stop! Don't you dare! Do you know who my husband is? You'll regret this! STOP!"
The men only laughed.
One leaned close, whispering against her ear:
"Bye bye."
Their footsteps receded, the heavy door groaning shut behind them.
Li Yan screamed, voice hoarse, thrashing against the ropes. "Come back! Don't leave me! Please!"
But the only answer was the chorus of slithering sounds drawing closer.
"No! No! Get them away from me! PLEASE!"
Another cold, muscular body slid over her ankle. Then another across her arm.
Her mind fractured.
Snakes!!
SNAKES!!!????!!!
—
Outside, one of the men chuckled, his boots scraping against the floor.
In their tongue again, he said to his partner, "Kiba kisinga okusanyusa bwe mulaba."
"It will be more fun if she sees."
The other replied eagerly, "Definitely."
—
Suddenly, the blindfold ripped away suddenly.
She blinked against the dim light—and froze.
What she saw made her blood run cold.
The floor moved.
Black, scaled bodies writhed and slithered across every inch of the concrete, tongues flicking, eyes glinting.
Dozens.
Maybe hundreds.
The scream that tore from her throat rattled the very walls.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!????!!!!?"
---