The man wore a mask that covered two-thirds of his face, and sunglasses over his eyes, almost completely obscuring his features.
Lin Xingwan stared at him, bewildered. Who was this man? Why was he suddenly appearing here?
The man took Lin Xingwan's hand and then hailed a car. "Open the door."
That voice...
Lin Xingwan's expression grew even more shocked. Even without seeing his face, she recognized him instantly.
It was Cheng Yanzhe!
The Cheng Yanzhe who had escaped from prison!
Why was he here?
Lin Xingwan's mind was filled with questions, but Cheng Yanzhe's attention was solely focused on the car owner.
The car owner, blocked by the man, looked annoyed and was about to question why he should open his door when, with a 'bang', his car window shattered by a bullet.
The owner, terrified, quickly opened the door.
Lin Xingwan and the man then got into the car, which sped away.
Meanwhile, Meng Chuzheng and the others were still trapped in their car, unable to move.
Meng Chuzheng, in particular, had hit her head directly on the windshield and was still dazed.
Jia Yansong and Jia Yankang, the brothers, stared intently at the departing car carrying Lin Xingwan, their eyes filled with immense unwillingness.
The prize they had almost captured had slipped through their fingers, and the brothers felt utterly miserable.
"Big brother, let's chase them quickly! We can't let Lin Xingwan escape, or how will we humiliate Zhou Jinbai?"
Jia Yankang tried to help Jia Yansong up from the ground, but Jia Yansong was too heavy, and he ended up falling to the ground as well.
"You two useless brats, still thinking about women at a time like this? Don't you see your mother and me?" Jia Huaixu yelled at his two useless sons outside the window. Jia Yankang and Jia Yansong then shifted their attention to their parents.
Despite their best efforts, they couldn't open the deformed car door. Finally, the police arrived and rescued Jia Huaixu and Meng Chuzheng.
However, Jia Huaixu's leg was crushed, and Meng Chuzheng's arm had a large gash.
"Dad, Mom, what about Lin Xingwan? Are we just going to let her run away like this?" Jia Yansong was so anxious he wished he could immediately recapture the escaped Lin Xingwan.
Jia Yankang chimed in, "She hasn't gotten far yet. Check the surveillance, pinpoint her location, and my brother and I will personally teach her a lesson."
Meng Chuzheng's face, still alluring despite her age, was filled with fury, her voice even colder than usual. "She can escape the first day, but not the fifteenth. She's lucky this time. Next time, I'll make sure she has no way to fly."
There were many women in this world who would try to seduce her son!
Countless women aspired to become the young madam of the Dongfang family!
As long as it wasn't Lin Xingwan, she would accept any woman as her daughter-in-law.
But it would absolutely not be Lin Xingwan!
Her existence was the only weakness, the only fatal flaw in her son's life.
The Dongfang family, through generations of Dongfang Junze, had to live a rational and lonely life.
Otherwise, those who fell in love would be hurt; those who were devoted would die!
Inside the car.
The man beside Lin Xingwan still held her hand tightly.
The car owner dared not say a word, as the man behind him held a real gun!
"Cheng Yanzhe, it's you, right?" Lin Xingwan looked intently at the man beside her. Although she appeared disheveled, her eyes were filled with joy.
She hadn't expected to meet this man under such circumstances. Perhaps she could use this opportunity to persuade him to surrender to the police.
After all, Hao Manqing was responsible for all the harmful actions, and the truth had come to light. If Cheng Yanzhe could clarify things, Lin Xingwan believed that with his abilities, his life could still be brilliant.
The man beside Lin Xingwan ignored her, his gun still pointed at the car owner.
Lin Xingwan knew Cheng Yanzhe didn't want to talk to her, and he had to keep an eye on the car owner, so she didn't say anything further.
The car soon arrived at Yanjing Airport.
The man pulled Lin Xingwan out of the car. To avoid causing panic, he had already put away his gun.
The car owner quickly drove away.
"Go to boarding gate D32 at the airport and tell the staff you are Lin Xingwan. They will tell you what to do. After you return to Rongcheng, no matter what happens, do not come back to Yanjing. This is not a place for you. Also, stay away from Zhou Jinbai. There is no future for you two. Otherwise, you will both die."
As the man spoke, he took out a few hundred-yuan bills from his wallet and pressed them into Lin Xingwan's hand.
After doing all this, he turned and left.
This was the first time Lin Xingwan had seen Cheng Yanzhe since the Cheng family incident. She couldn't just let him leave like this.
Lin Xingwan chased after Cheng Yanzhe. "Cheng Yanzhe, since you can get me a plane ticket, come with me. Let's go back to Rongcheng together. If you keep running like this, you'll be caught eventually. If you trust me, come back with me. I promise you, I won't let anyone slander you for things you haven't done."
Lin Xingwan grabbed Cheng Yanzhe's hand, but he flung her away forcefully, and she hit the wall.
The pain in her back made her gasp. Then, the man's tall figure loomed over her. "I am not Cheng Yanzhe. You've mistaken me!"
At this point, for Lin Xingwan, his words were as good as admitting guilt.
"You are Cheng Yanzhe. Otherwise, how would you know I am Lin Xingwan? We've known each other for so many years, do you think I can't even recognize your voice? Come back with me, Cheng Yanzhe, won't you come back with me?" Lin Xingwan looked at the man before her, even raising her hand to remove his sunglasses.
Lin Xingwan would never forget the sight she saw at that moment!
This man was Cheng Yanzhe!
But his handsome face bore a recently healed scar, which made his left cheek slightly swollen.
The scar was at least five centimeters long. Even though it had healed, it still caught Lin Xingwan completely off guard.
Such a handsome face, with its rebellious charm, shouldn't have such a scar.
No, this wasn't just a scar; it was as if it had severed all her past with Cheng Yanzhe.
The man before her, the memory of him, the stranger in his eyes.
"Your face..." Lin Xingwan felt immense heartache, not because she liked Cheng Yanzhe, but because she considered him a friend of over ten years.
Cheng Yanzhe's bloodshot eyes were filled with amusement. "What's wrong with my face? It was just cut by someone. But it's fine now. I've already killed the person who cut my face. I killed him with my own hands. I'm a murderer now, so do you still want me to go back with you? Lin Xingwan, do you really want me to spend my life in prison? You killed my parents, you ruined my family, and now you want to send me to jail?"
"No, it's not like that, Cheng Yanzhe, I didn't kill your parents, I..."
Cheng Yanzhe grabbed Lin Xingwan's shoulders, his emotions extremely volatile. "I saved you because we've known each other for over ten years. If you don't leave now, I'll kill you immediately, and it will be revenge for my parents! Lin Xingwan, don't think I won't kill you just because I like you. Remember my words, don't come to Yanjing, don't be with Zhou Jinbai. Live an ordinary life! Get out! Get out of here immediately! As far away as possible!"
After speaking, Cheng Yanzhe forcefully pushed Lin Xingwan away.
Then he quickly walked into the crowd. Lin Xingwan wanted to chase him, but he had disappeared.
She stood in this city that didn't belong to her, feeling desperate and helpless, like a lost child.
She didn't want to go to the airport at all. She wanted to go to the hospital to find Zhou Jinbai. He was the only person she could rely on now.
But Lin Xingwan understood even more clearly what Cheng Yanzhe had told her.
She couldn't stay in Yanjing and could die at any moment. Perhaps the area around the hospital was already full of Jia Huaixu and Meng Chuzheng's people. If she went to the hospital to find Zhou Jinbai, she might be captured before she even saw him.
Just thinking about Jia Yansong and Jia Yankang's hands on her in the car made Lin Xingwan feel nauseous.
She had no choice but to go to the airport.
However, neither Lin Xingwan nor Cheng Yanzhe knew that the scene of Cheng Yanzhe pushing Lin Xingwan against the wall had just been filmed.
The person taking the photo left with a sinister and meaningful smile before departing.
Lin Xingwan reached the boarding gate Cheng Yanzhe had mentioned. After speaking to the staff, she was personally escorted to the first-class cabin of the plane.
A few minutes after Lin Xingwan sat in the first-class cabin, the warmth slowly began to soothe her.
Just then, Lu Shiyan's call came in.
Lin Xingwan quickly answered, "Hello? Lu Shiyan? How is Jinbai?"
"Regarding Brother Zhou's condition, I don't know how to describe it. All his physical indicators are normal, but he won't wake up. We can only wait. The international medical team will arrive at Yanjing Hospital tonight. I'll let you know if there are any developments, Sister-in-law."
After speaking, Lu Shiyan continued, "On the contrary, Sister-in-law, where are you now? Did Jia Yankang and Jia Yansong do anything to you?"
"I'm fine. They wanted to sleep with me and humiliate Jinbai. Then I escaped, and now I'm on the plane, preparing to return to Rongcheng." Lin Xingwan briefly recounted the thrilling events that had just transpired, not wanting to relive the uncomfortable details and torture herself.
"Yes, I was just about to tell you this, Sister-in-law. Hurry back to Rongcheng and don't come to the hospital. Jia Huaixu has sent many people to lurk outside the hospital, clearly waiting for you to appear. If you come to the hospital, you'll be walking right into his trap. As for Brother Zhou, I'll take good care of him."
"Okay, I understand."
Lin Xingwan was now very grateful for her decision to return to Rongcheng. If she had gone to find Zhou Jinbai, the consequences would have been even more dire than today.
After hanging up, Lin Xingwan took a deep breath.
However, when she looked out the window, a tall figure appeared before her, looking at her with extreme displeasure.
Lin Xingwan recognized this woman: Qu Nanzhi, a subordinate of Duan Muxing.
The way Qu Nanzhi looked at Lin Xingwan, an outsider would think they had an irreconcilable feud.
"My young master wants to see you." Qu Nanzhi looked at Lin Xingwan. The woman's hair was messy, her clothes wrinkled, and her eyes were red as if she had just been crying, giving her a pitiable appearance. Qu Nanzhi hated this type of woman the most.
"Duan Muxing wants to see me?" Lin Xingwan's beautiful eyes widened. Her mind immediately went to the promise she had made, and she felt guilty.
But now that they were on the same flight, she couldn't avoid him.
Finally, Lin Xingwan followed Qu Nanzhi to the front of the first-class cabin.
It was a small, private room, about seven or eight square meters.
Lin Xingwan had never seen such a private space on a plane before.
The space had a sofa, a TV, a coffee table, and a refrigerator. Duan Muxing, sitting in a wheelchair, had his back to them, gazing into the distance.
For some reason, looking at Duan Muxing in this state, Lin Xingwan felt an overwhelming sense of loneliness.
He was right in front of her, yet he seemed as lonely as if he had lived for hundreds of years.
Living in this world, yet abandoned by it.
Beside the wheelchair, a blood-stained handkerchief was ruthlessly discarded.
"Long time no see," Duan Muxing's voice was very soft, but Lin Xingwan didn't know how to respond.
"You went to Anlong Village. Did you get to the bottom of your mother's affairs?" Duan Muxing asked.
It was better for him not to mention it. The moment he did, the anger that Lin Xingwan had suppressed surged.
Those photos, the humiliation, and the torture—she would never forget them.
"Are you mute? Our young master is talking to you, why are you acting so aloof?"
Qu Nanzhi, seeing Lin Xingwan's indifferent response to her young master, immediately began to scold her.
Some people were inherently unlikable, like this woman Lin Xingwan!
Qu Nanzhi felt disgusted every time she saw her and wished she would disappear.
"Nanzhi, don't be rude." Duan Muxing's tone held a hint of displeasure, and he began to cough uncontrollably as he exerted himself slightly.
Qu Nanzhi immediately handed Duan Muxing a clean handkerchief. After coughing for a long time, he threw the blood-stained handkerchief on the ground.
The blood on the handkerchief turned black-red at a visible rate.
Lin Xingwan frowned. Coughing up so much blood in such a short time explained why the man looked so frail.
What illness did Duan Muxing have? It was a miracle that he was still alive!
"Those who tormented my mother are all dead."
Lin Xingwan said this, but to her surprise, Duan Muxing chuckled. "They only tormented your mother for a few days, and you wanted them all dead. So, if I told you that your experience in Anlong Village was just a small interlude in your mother's tragic life, what would you think?"
Lin Xingwan's heart was stirred by a tempestuous wave, and her mood instantly tensed. She pressed, "What do you mean?"