"Wanwan!"
Lu Shiyan woke with a hoarse cry from his nightmare.
Dawn was just breaking. Lu Shiyan looked in my direction, his eyes lighting up with joy as he lunged towards me. "Wanwan, you're finally back!"
Obviously, he lunged straight through empty air, his body crashing heavily onto the floor.
It was a hard fall, jolting away any remaining drowsiness instantly.
He rubbed his head. I was standing right in front of him, looking down at him, yet his pupils only reflected the fluttering sheer curtains, not my figure.
I thought he could see me for a moment and got a fright.
Lu Shiyan also laughed at himself mockingly. "Wanwan is still overseas. How could she be here?"
He checked the time. He had only slept for two hours the entire night.
His head was throbbing badly. Rubbing his temples, he dialed Assistant Lin's number.
Assistant Lin should have some news by now.
Beep... Beep... Beep...
The call didn't connect, making Lu Shiyan's frown deepen.
Just before it was about to disconnect, the call finally went through.
"Assistant Lin, what's the situation now?"
"Mr. Lu, something big has happened! Before we even reached the compound, we encountered crossfire between local factions. Now... BOOM!"
A deafening explosion came from the other end of the line.
After the sound, there was only silence. "Assistant Lin! Are you still there?!"
No response came for a long time. Lu Shiyan's mind was in turmoil. He immediately ordered someone to investigate.
It was better not to have investigated. The findings showed that the situation overseas had descended into chaos.
Jindian was never unified to begin with, carved up by various warlord factions.
Surrounded by sea on three sides and situated at a river mouth, its convenient transportation made it a haven for criminal elements from all over the world.
Not a single day passed without chaos. Any profitable venture was 100% based on breaking the law.
It was also known as the "City of Sin." To make money, unscrupulous bosses wouldn't hesitate to trade in human beings. Human life was the cheapest commodity here.
Lu Shiyan originally thought that paying a sufficient ransom would easily secure my release. Now, problems arose right from the start.
He paced anxiously around the room. Soon, Boss Gao brought him news.
"Mr. Lu, Assistant Lin had very bad luck. He arrived just as two factions started exchanging fire. That area is currently blockaded. We can't reach him for now. And this fire seems to be spreading. If we can't get the person out quickly, I'm afraid delays will breed trouble!"
"I understand."
After hanging up, Lu Shiyan was deeply conflicted. On one hand, he couldn't let go of his power and status; on the other, he couldn't sever the memories of our time together.
So, what would he choose?
Lu Shiyan went to the Su family.
He arrived while the family was having a meal. Watching my parents hold bowls containing my ashes, even though they were unaware, was still deeply unsettling.
"Shiyan's here? Steward, set another place. Join us for a meal."
Compared to Lu Shiyan's haggard appearance, my parents looked much better. It was the weekend, so both my brothers were home. They were very friendly towards Lu Shiyan.
"Brother-in-law, why do you look so down? Has my sister still not been found?"
"That girl was spoiled by us since she was little. Please bear with her. Actually, there's no need to worry too much. She's a grown woman; how could she just vanish into thin air? Most likely, she's hiding somewhere, sulking with you. She's just like a child, clearly trying to create a stir to get everyone's attention. If no one pays her any mind, she'll naturally quiet down."
Smack.
Lu Shiyan slammed the chopsticks he had just picked up onto the table.
The Su family was, after all, not as powerful as the Lu family, so everyone had to tread carefully around Lu Shiyan.
Seeing his anger, everyone stopped eating and looked at him. "Brother-in-law, what's wrong?"
Lu Shiyan's eyes were slightly red. His voice trembled as he said, "Wanwan... might be in serious trouble."
"Trouble? What kind of trouble could she possibly be in? Don't worry, she's definitely at a friend's place."
"I've searched everywhere and found no trace of Wanwan. Mom, recently, many women have gone missing. Before she disappeared, Wanwan mentioned someone was following her. Her last phone call to me was begging me to save her. At the time, I thought it was one of her pranks and ignored it. But then she..."
My mother also lost her initial composure. "What happened to Su Wan?"
"She was kidnapped, transported by sea, and sold to Jindian."
Clatter!
This time, the chopsticks fell from my mother's hand. "What? Su Wan, the eldest daughter of the Su family... how could she...? Shiyan, are you mistaken?"
"Mom, I wish I were mistaken. But it's been over twenty days. There's not a single clue about Wanwan. If something had happened to her, the police would have notified us to identify a body long ago. If she's alive, it's impossible to leave no trace in this information age. So, there's only one answer: she was taken. I felt I needed to tell you."
I stared unblinkingly at my family. How would they react knowing what happened to me?
My mother stood up and paced around the dining room, muttering under her breath, "It's all that wretched girl's fault! What was she thinking, running off for no reason? Now she's been kidnapped, I hope she's happy! What kind of place is Jindian? A woman entering a place like that... would she even survive..."
She started by scolding me, but eventually, she squatted down, her voice breaking with sobs. "Heavens, what should we do?"
My father helped her up. "Calm down first. We can't be sure yet if Su Wan is really there. Shiyan, is your information reliable?"
"Because Jindian is very chaotic lately, I negotiated through an intermediary. Although I didn't see Wanwan directly, the intermediary said one of the women strongly resembles her. Combined with the timing of her capture, her waist injury, and the location of the cut on the wedding dress... it all matches. It's almost certainly Wanwan."
"My poor daughter... Honey, we're going to Jindian. Right now."
"Calm down first. From what I know, the situation in Jindian is very unstable lately. If we go, we need to prepare in advance."
My father seemed very composed. "I have an acquaintance over there. I'll contact my friend first to hire mercenaries in advance." He looked at Lu Shiyan. "Shiyan, you come with me."
A flicker of hesitation passed over Lu Shiyan's face. "Dad, I..."
"I know what you're worried about. If the news is true and Su Wan was taken to Jindian, if it gets out, it would greatly damage the Lu family's reputation. I've also heard your uncle has been very active lately. But you need to remember one thing: Grandfather's favorite granddaughter-in-law is Su Wan. If you don't go, how will he view you then?"
"If this really gets exposed, do you want people to call you a cowardly, treacherous scumbag who betrays his wife?"
"Dad, I'll go!"
"Good. Everyone, get ready. We leave for Jindian tonight to bring Su Wan home."