At nine in the evening, Ah Zhong had just finished helping his girlfriend hang the washed clothes when he received a call from his informant.
Tang Xueying, whom he had been searching for for several days, had finally appeared.
She had very discreetly taken some things and fled back to her grandmother's house in the countryside.
She was currently inside the house, and Ah Zhong was urged to go over quickly.
Without further ado, Ah Zhong told the informant to keep an eye on Tang Xueying, hung up the phone, and grabbed his car keys to leave.
His girlfriend, with a face mask on, emerged from the room.
Seeing him about to leave, she hurriedly asked,
"Where are you going so late?"
Ah Zhong, rushing to put on his shoes, explained to her.
"The company has an urgent matter that requires me to go out immediately."
"So late, and they need you again? Is your boss crazy?"
"Can't stand to see you rest, can't stand to see you spend time with me, does he like you?"
Ah Zhong's job was special. Although he was able to buy a house and settle down in Nancheng thanks to Zhan Bei Jue, it was generally very demanding.
He couldn't turn off his phone for 24 hours.
Zhan Bei Jue could message him anytime, and he had to be ready to work.
He couldn't dedicate much time to his girlfriend, and he always felt guilty about it.
Especially since his girlfriend was so beautiful. They had been together for four years, and Ah Zhong doted on her.
"What are you talking about? Our boss is straight."
"He has a wife and children, I've told you before, haven't I? Alright, stop joking around. Go back inside and rest. I'll be back as soon as I'm done."
His girlfriend was clearly displeased.
"You always use these excuses to fob me off. I don't know if it's really your boss looking for you, or if you're going out to meet some woman."
"Hmph. If you want to go out today, you have to give me your phone. Let me see if there are any random women messaging you."
Ah Zhong was in a hurry to leave and didn't have time for her to check his phone.
He slipped on his shoes and said with a smile,
"Baby, don't be like this. How could there be any random women messaging me? I'm really just going to work."
"You don't dare let me see, are you feeling guilty?"
His girlfriend pouted and trotted over to him, tugging his arm.
"I don't care. I want to check up on you. Take out your phone and let me see."
"If you don't take it out, it means you have something to hide, and I'll break up with you!"
Ah Zhong was open and honest. Seeing his girlfriend being so insistent, he could only take it out for her to see.
"Alright, alright, look, look. Hurry up. I'm really running out of time."
"What's with that attitude? Zhong Jiaming, you think me checking your phone is unreasonable and you're starting to get impatient with me, aren't you?"
"No, I'm just in a hurry..."
His girlfriend threw the phone back into his arms and turned away angrily.
"Go, go, I'm not looking anymore. You're just impatient with me, you don't love me anymore, and you're eager to go out on a date with someone else!"
"Go, go, we'll break up if that's the case. Once you leave this door, don't come back!"
His girlfriend threw tantrums occasionally. Normally, when Ah Zhong had time, he would appease her.
But today, he really didn't have the time.
"Okay, okay, don't be angry. I'll explain when I get back. Stay home obediently, I'm leaving."
Ah Zhong frantically drove towards the address the informant had sent.
Little did he know, a van quietly followed him after he left.
Tang Xueying's grandmother lived in a small mountain village more than 40 kilometers from the city.
After leaving the city, the road was bumpy, and it took nearly an hour to reach the destination.
Ah Zhong met the informant on a dirt road in the village. They stood by the car and talked for a while, exchanging basic information.
After the informant handed over all the information he had gathered, he left first.
Seeing that the information was complete, Ah Zhong assumed Tang Xueying had truly been located. He took out his phone to report to Zhan Bei Jue.
He intended to ask him to send bodyguards.
However, as soon as he took out his phone, a blinding light flashed towards him.
He instinctively looked up in the direction of the light.
The next second, he was attacked from behind his head.
He felt his head go numb and lost consciousness.
When he woke up, it was already daylight.
His head hurt, his eyes hurt, and his body hurt all over.
Every part of him felt as if he had been beaten, aching unbearably.
He didn't know where he was.
Ah Zhong rubbed his eyelids, waited a moment, and then slowly sat up, propping himself up with his arms.
He looked around and was stunned.
It seemed to be a lounge in some kind of club.
The window was wide open, the curtains were not drawn, and bright lights filled the room.
The television was on, silently playing rock hits from a KTV.
On the coffee table in front of him were scattered wine bottles and cigarette butts.
He was currently sitting on the sofa, and various pieces of clothing, both male and female, were scattered on the floor.
The white shirt and pants seemed to be his.
He quickly looked down at himself.
Only then did he realize that he was actually not wearing any clothes.
He clearly remembered receiving the call last night and then rushing to the countryside to find Tang Xueying.
How did he suddenly appear here, and in such a state?
Where had his clothes gone?
Where was his phone? Where was the information he had obtained yesterday? What exactly happened last night?
As Ah Zhong was pounding his head in confusion and frustration, the bathroom door in the room suddenly opened.
A young girl with dyed blonde hair and heavy makeup emerged from inside, wrapped in a bath towel.
Seeing him awake, the girl said directly,
"You're awake? Please settle the bill. It's about time, and I need to leave."
Seeing such a girl suddenly, and both of them being disheveled, Ah Zhong felt awkward.
He instinctively grabbed a nearby cushion and placed it on himself.
"Settle the bill for what? Where is this? Who are you? Why are you here? Do we know each other?"
"Are you drunk and forgetful, or did you hit your head and are pretending to have amnesia?"
Seeing him say this, the girl sneered mockingly.
"You're young, good-looking, and dressed well. I thought you were a high-quality male client. Could it be that you're all an act?"
"You don't have money in your pocket but you're acting like a big shot? Do you think I'm easy to bully and want to get a free meal?"
Ah Zhong didn't know what she was talking about.
But seeing her like this, he was sure he didn't want to get too involved with this woman.
"So, I came here voluntarily last night and booked this room, and asked you to accompany me? How much did it cost in total?"
He covered himself with the cushion and bent down to pick up the scattered clothes on the floor.
The girl looked at his comical appearance, smiled contemptuously, and blew on her nails, saying,
"I don't know how much you drank or how much the room cost. Anyway, I charge 5,000 yuan for the night. Give me my money. I'm running out of time, I have to go, hurry up."
Why was the money calculated separately?
Was she not from this place?
5,000 yuan for one night?
What did this woman do to charge so much for a night?