"Zhou Jinnbai must already know about this, that's why he called me. Otherwise, would this man ever call me? Are you not even listening to Zhou Jinnbai now?"
Duan Muxing didn't understand why, seeing Lin Xingwan and Helian Diejin clash was exactly the outcome he desired. Because when he used Lin Xingwan as a pawn, Duan Muxing knew that Lin Xingwan's role was to at least severely injure Helian Diejin, even if she couldn't defeat her. Tonight was a perfect opportunity! But Duan Muxing was afraid. His feelings for this woman were beyond his control; he didn't want Lin Xingwan to die! Duan Muxing felt a voice within him constantly telling him that even if revenge was not achieved, as long as Lin Xingwan was safe, that would be enough. The moment this thought appeared, Duan Muxing began to feel a sense of dread. Why had he become this way?
"I understand Zhou Jinnbai too well, which is why I know why he called me. But today, no matter who calls me or tries to persuade me, I will go to see Helian Diejin." Lin Xingwan's tone was filled with determination. The reason for Lin Xingwan's decision was a phone call three minutes prior. The caller was Liu Mengqin, and Lin Xingwan remembered Liu Mengqin's number. When Lin Xingwan saw Liu Mengqin's caller ID, even without a contact name, she immediately sensed something was wrong. After using Xu Qingdai's identity, all her previous contact methods were gone. Yet, Liu Mengqin had managed to call. When Lin Xingwan answered, she indeed heard Liu Mengqin's terrified scream. However… the phone was in Helian Diejin's hand. Helian Diejin even spoke with a voice that revealed she knew everything, "Xu Qingdai… no, I should call you Lin Xingwan. I never expected to be so thoroughly deceived by you, to suffer at your hands. You are even more cunning than your mother. But you won't be happy for long, because your mother will die by my hand, and so will you." Although the call had ended not long ago, Lin Xingwan could not forget Helian Diejin's confident and arrogant voice.
Lin Xingwan looked at Duan Muxing, who still seemed hesitant and conflicted. She said, "I'll take responsibility for my own actions. I can't let Sister Qin get implicated because of my problem. Sister Qin is innocent. And since Helian Diejin already knows my identity, even if I don't go, my friends will still be captured by this woman to threaten me. The one who tied the bell must untie it. I must go see Helian Diejin. Duan Muxing, I am just your chess piece. And this time, going to see her might not be a loss. What are you afraid of? Did your parents and relatives die in vain all those years ago?" Lin Xingwan's final words made Duan Muxing's expression turn cold instantly. Yes, this was the day he had been planning for with all his schemes! Helian Diejin couldn't remain unaware of Lin Xingwan's existence forever, and at this moment, he had to meticulously plan everything! With this thought, Duan Muxing closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, there was no trace of emotion in his gaze. "Alright, I'll take you there." Duan Muxing's words finally brought a glimmer of hope to Lin Xingwan's despairing face.
Ten minutes later, a black car stopped in front of a private manor. The originally moonlit night turned crimson within minutes, as if a storm was about to break. As Lin Xingwan prepared to get out of the car, Duan Muxing suddenly leaned in close. Completely unprepared, Lin Xingwan was startled by the suddenly enlarged face and instinctively leaned back. Duan Muxing took in Lin Xingwan's reaction. Despite her gentle demeanor, he knew she had her own reservations. Even though they were now in the same boat, Lin Xingwan was still wary of him. "If you have no other choice later, smash this thing." Duan Muxing took out a small bottle from his pocket. Because the bottle was so exquisite, under the car's headlights, it looked like an ordinary necklace. As Duan Muxing spoke, he placed the bottle-like necklace around Lin Xingwan's neck. 'What is this?' Lin Xingwan looked down at the necklace. The small bottle served as a pendant, resting against her chest, feeling incredibly cold, as if she were wearing a piece of profound ice. "You don't need to know what it is. You just need to know that when your life is in danger, pull this necklace off and break the bottle." Duan Muxing's words made Lin Xingwan immediately stop asking. She knew that no matter how desperately she wanted to know the answer, this man wouldn't tell her.
After Lin Xingwan got out of the car, Duan Muxing called out to her again. "What is it?" Lin Xingwan felt Duan Muxing was acting like a little girl. "Good luck. Remember my promise to you, survive at all costs. Then you can live a shameless life with Zhou Jinnbai." Duan Muxing said this in a joking tone, and Lin Xingwan gave a faint smile. "Thank you." With that, she walked into the manor without looking back. As Lin Xingwan disappeared into the manor, the guards closed the gate. It was as if once one entered through this gate, there was no turning back.
After Lin Xingwan's figure vanished from Duan Muxing's sight, the screeching sound of tires against the ground immediately caught his attention. A white sedan was speeding towards them and, due to its excessive speed, directly collided with Duan Muxing's car. It was fortunate that Duan Muxing's car was of good quality; otherwise, it would have been totaled by such an impact. Qing Luan, sitting in the passenger seat, turned deathly pale. She had faced death many times over the years, but this was the closest she felt to it. And to die like this, she would die with regrets! Jia Yanzhen and the others in another car were also startled by Zhou Jinnbai's actions. "Damn, this is the first time I've seen Big Brother drive like a maniac. I know my life isn't worth much, and Big Brother probably doesn't care about my life, but Big Brother, there are other people in the car! Don't their lives matter?" After Jia Yanzhen finished speaking, he glanced at Meng Chuzheng and the old lady sitting beside him. Their faces still showed signs of shock. But Zhou Jinnbai ignored Jia Yanzhen's words and directly opened the car door and got out. He walked to Duan Muxing's car and punched the car window. The supposedly high-quality car window immediately cracked. Of course, Duan Muxing wasn't afraid of Zhou Jinnbai and even rolled down the window. The next second, Zhou Jinnbai's hand reached in through the window and grabbed Duan Muxing by the collar. "Where's Xingwan? Where's Xingwan!" Zhou Jinnbai's voice was like a beast's guttural roar, sounding terrifying.
"You already know where she is, so isn't it hypocritical of you to ask me now?" Duan Muxing laughed instead of getting angry, even fixing a mocking gaze on Zhou Jinnbai. "You can't even protect yourself, and you still want to protect others? Zhou Jinnbai, you really don't know your own limits. The reason Lin Xingwan left you is because you couldn't protect her." Duan Muxing never considered himself twisted or pathological, but the words he spoke today made him feel like someone who couldn't stand to see others happy, someone deeply disturbed. Yet, thinking that Lin Xingwan wouldn't listen to him or Zhou Jinnbai, Duan Muxing felt that perhaps, in Lin Xingwan's heart, no one was truly special. Zhou Jinnbai's eyes showed killing intent, and he tightened his grip. At this moment, Duan Muxing was struggling to breathe due to lack of oxygen. But Duan Muxing maintained the same expression, giving Zhou Jinnbai the feeling of hitting cotton. Finally, Zhou Jinnbai released Duan Muxing's collar and walked towards the manor without looking back.
However, while Lin Xingwan had entered unimpeded, for Zhou Jinnbai, over thirty bodyguards suddenly appeared from the shadows. Upon seeing Zhou Jinnbai, they said in a very polite tone, "Mr. Dongfang, this is a private family matter for our Helian family. We hope you will not interfere, lest it damage the harmony between our two families." One of the men said this to Zhou Jinnbai, but Zhou Jinnbai directly punched him in the face. Harmony, my foot! They were about to kill his woman, and he was talking about harmony? He would level this place tonight! The man who was punched looked furious, but he still said, "Mr. Dongfang, we are also acting under orders. We hope you won't make things difficult for us. Otherwise, we will have to be impolite." After the man finished speaking, the bodyguards behind him simultaneously placed their hands on their waists. This formation was far more intimidating than the one in the prison not long ago. In prison, there were at most two people, and they were two fools who didn't know their place. The others had already been dealt with by Xuan Yin and Xuan Zhu. But these people in front of him were the elite of the elite.
"What if I insist on going in today? I'd like to see which of you useless people dares to stop me!" Zhou Jinnbai seemed to have lost his mind, wanting only to rush in and rescue Lin Xingwan quickly. It was only a matter of minutes, why couldn't this woman wait for him? "Big Brother, calm down, calm down. Even if we're going to fight, we need to wait for our people to arrive. Otherwise, if we fight these people, we'll be outnumbered and we'll be the ones at a disadvantage. I know you're not afraid of death, but you need to consider who came with you today." After Jia Yanzhen finished speaking, he turned to look, and Zhou Jinnbai couldn't help but look too. Meng Chuzheng and the old lady had anxious expressions on their faces. Seeing them like this, Zhou Jinnbai felt his lost reason return slightly. Right! No matter how reckless he was, he couldn't let Meng Chuzheng and his grandmother get hurt. Zhou Jinnbai could only cast a reluctant gaze towards the manor. Although Lin Xingwan was no longer visible, to Zhou Jinnbai, it felt like he was looking through endless autumn waters.
Meanwhile, in the manor's main hall, a scene was unfolding. When Lin Xingwan entered, she saw Helian Diejin already sitting on the sofa in the hall, trimming roses on the coffee table. The roses in the vase were broken, and the blooming roses were casually discarded on the floor by Helian Diejin. Red roses were everywhere, looking like a pool of blood. For the first time, Lin Xingwan felt that romantic roses could also be so dazzling. "It's a pleasure to see you, my niece." Helian Diejin slowly raised her head, her snake-like eyes fixed on Lin Xingwan. Although she said she was pleased, hatred welled up in her eyes, as if she wanted to tear Lin Xingwan to shreds. Lin Xingwan calmly said, "Since I'm here, can my friend be released?" Helian Diejin's face showed a sinister smile. "If you do as I ask, I will naturally release your friend." If the person in front of her were Xu Qingdai, Helian Diejin's intention would be to have her die quickly! But the person before her was her sister's daughter, the child of the woman she had hated her entire life. Naturally, she wouldn't let her die so easily; that would be a release for her! They had used trickery to scare her and even made her lose so much money. Helian Diejin would never let Lin Xingwan die so easily.
"Helian Diejin, although I am here under duress, you need to understand. If you don't uphold your end of the bargain, I would rather shatter than be preserved!" Lin Xingwan knew that the softer her attitude, the more Helian Diejin would threaten her. And she had to ensure Sister Qin's safety first. Otherwise, continuing to stall with Helian Diejin would be meaningless.