Chapter 4: Kidnapping (Part 2)

  The abandoned factory building was cold and damp, with dim light filtering through the blurred windows that had been eroded by time, shining on Gu Huanli's face. The dusty floor, the cobweb-filled corners, everything looked so dilapidated and desolate. A wave of chilliness swept in, and after an unknown amount of time, Gu Huanli's eyelids trembled slightly, as if she wanted to open her eyes but didn't have the strength. She continued to be unconscious, muttering anxiously and faintly, with fine sweat seeping from her forehead.

  "Don't hurt my brother..."

  "Older brother..."

  Willow leaf-like delicate eyebrows were wet and fragile, Gu Huanli's whole body was cold and trembling, convulsing in waves, with virtual sweat bursting on her forehead. The nightmare was like a huge palm tightly clasped around her neck, the suffocating feeling made her as fragile as a crystal doll.

  "I really didn't expect that the eldest daughter of the Gu family would be like this. I heard you're taking advantage of kindness and plotting against others, which is why Ye Chen married you! How despicable!" A wave of contemptuous voices kept echoing in her mind, almost destroying what little sanity she had left.

  Gu Huanli's eyes were tightly closed as she shook her head desperately. She didn't care about the rumors, but being accused of taking advantage of his kindness and repaying him with her body made her feel wronged and hurt. "No... it's not like that... I just subconsciously protected him, I never thought about repaying him or offering my body."

  "But it's just a purely profitable and compulsory transaction, without any human touch. You still think that the nobleman truly loves you? Go dream on!"

  Another mocking voice emerged from Gu Huanli's dream, and she whispered softly, "I know... that was just my dream..."

  "Gu Huanli, you're finished now. Without the Gu family's background and support, who would want you? Ha! You're just a jinx, a star of misfortune, not only did you bring disaster to your own family, but now you're coming after Yue Chen too. If you have any sense of shame, then pack up and get out... it'd be best if you and your brother went to rot in prison together..."

  "No!" Gu Huanli suddenly woke up from her nightmare, suppressing the sharp pain in her chest. She was panting heavily, but the unfamiliar and dark surroundings made her feel even more terrified.

  Her entire body felt heavy as lead, without any strength, even the energy to open her eyes was so weak. Suddenly, she felt a chill from the concrete floor creeping up, and she couldn't help but shiver like a cold cicada. She struggled desperately to sit up, only to discover that her hands were tied behind her back, her mouth was sealed with tape, and her ankles were bound by hemp rope, completely unable to move.

  What is this place?

  Why is she appearing here?

  Gu Huan Lian Yi vaguely remembered that at that time she was still on the phone with her brother, only saying "sorry", and then...

  A hand suddenly reached out from behind and dragged her away from the phone booth!

  There is still...

  A handkerchief with a strange smell quickly covered her mouth and nose!

  Then she lost consciousness and when she woke up again, she was already here.

  So she was actually kidnapped?!

  Gu Huanli suddenly found it quite amusing that she hadn't gone to practice piano, only to be kidnapped! In her memory, it was Chu Liangyu who had been kidnapped by the thugs back then. How interesting, did the fates of these two cousins have to be so tightly intertwined? However, being kidnapped herself was still better than Chu Liangyu being kidnapped, after all, she was just a little kid, while Gu Huanli's soul was at least that of an adult. Perhaps this would allow Chu Liangyu to maintain her cheerful and optimistic personality.

  At least don't ruin another child's childhood.

  However, before her rebirth, she was also a naive child when Chu Lianyou was kidnapped, only knowing how to worry and cry. Whether the kidnapper was after ransom or threatening her aunt and uncle, she couldn't remember at all. Thinking of this, Gu Huanlin's mind cleared up a lot, but her whole body was soft and weak, making it hard for her to exert any strength, so she had to use a lot of effort to lean her entire body against the cold wall.

  "What's taking that idiot so long?!" came a complaint from somewhere in the distance.

  It seems that at least two people are involved in this matter. Gu Huan Lian slightly furrowed her brow, wanting to escape was not an easy thing, but sitting and waiting for death might really be a dead end. Moreover, her aunt and uncle would definitely worry about her since she hadn't returned home for so long! And the phone call she made to her brother only got halfway through...

  Big brother! In an instant, Gu Huanli felt a surge of hot blood in her body. She couldn't sit here waiting for death, she absolutely couldn't become a burden to her brother again.

  She tried to shake off the restraints on her hands, but the kidnapper not only tied her wrists tightly with sturdy hemp rope, but also used a clever knotting method that made it difficult for her to untie herself. How could this be!

  Gu Huanli, Gu Huanli, you're an adult after all. At this time, use your brain a bit and there must be a way!

  Her hand touched something behind her back, and suddenly the tip of her finger felt a sharp pain, as if it had been scratched by something. Gu Huan Lian was completely relying on her senses to feel around, the surface was smooth and flat, but the edges were very sharp... shattered glass! Gu Huan Lian stared intently at the entrance, where the dim light cast long shadows, carefully lay down on the concrete floor again, with the tip of her finger holding onto a shard of glass, slowly cutting through the rope binding her wrists, trying not to make any noise.

  The tape stuck on her mouth made her extremely uncomfortable, Gu Huanli struggled to move her face, hoping to tear off the tape, but no matter what she did, it was all in vain. Forget it, if the rope on her hands is untied, whether it's the tape or the restraints on her feet can be removed.

  Focus your mind, you must focus your mind! Gu Huanli used the tip of her tongue to pry open her teeth, and with a bit of force, her teeth clamped down on the tip of her tongue. In an instant, fine beads of sweat seeped out from her forehead, the pain stimulating her brain continuously, she used all her strength to hold back tears. Until her tongue was numb from being bitten, the intense pain finally made her cloudy mind clear up bit by bit, and her limbs gradually regained a hint of strength.

  The sunlight that had been refracted through the glass window was growing increasingly dim, it should be dusk by now! Gu Huanli struggled to suppress the fear that was spreading within her heart, but the ominous and chilling sensation that seemed to permeate every pore of her being was like a rising tide that threatened to engulf her.

  But then she thought, suicide and death, these two things she had already experienced, what else was there to be afraid of? Only, she still had many things she hadn't done, she still had many words she hadn't said.

  Dad, Mom, and brother...

  Gu Huanli closed her eyes as if to endure the intense pain that was about to hit her brain, she was certain that those people must have given her some kind of drug, otherwise, why had her consciousness fully recovered but her body's strength still hadn't?

  The pain in his heart grew clearer and more intense, the suppressed bitterness and sorrow surged up to his head.

  She wants to go home! She's not an unwanted child, at least she has a brother, and she has a brother who will shed tears for her even if she is reckless and impulsive.

  Brother, don't worry about me, I will definitely come back!

  Gu Huanli gritted her teeth, struggling to cut the hemp rope on her wrist with shattered glass. Beads of sweat the size of beans rolled down from her pale forehead, and a faint smell of blood wafted around her. She couldn't care about any of this; if she hesitated for even a moment, she might face an even greater danger. Although progress was extremely slow, her heart was filled with hope. She even thought optimistically that the pain from her abraded skin had stimulated her, making her more alert despite her groggy brain.

  She was rubbing the rope hard, her ears perked up to listen for any movement outside. Her nerves were stretched taut, and at the slightest sound, she would hastily gather the broken glass into her palm, repeating this process several times, not just cutting her fingers but also her tender palms.

  "What the hell are you doing! Why is it taking so long!" The man's loud rebuke from afar made Gu Huanli's heart skip a beat, and in her panic, the shattered glass pierced deep into her palm, sending pain surging through her entire body. Gu Huanli's inner self let out a wry smile, luckily her lips were sealed with tape, even if she wanted to cry out, no sound could escape. Her heart was racing violently, but she still kept her eyes closed, pretending she hadn't woken up yet.

  "Are you annoyed?!" A low, hoarse voice suddenly sounded, accompanied by the rustling of plastic bags. "Can't I go to the company to take a look, can't I observe outside Chu's house? Moreover, we still don't know how many days we'll be stuck in this broken place, do we not need to eat?"

  "All they know is eating, have you called them? How much money did they ask for?"

  "Don't worry, it's just as we previously agreed, 30 million. Not a single cent less."

  The words had barely fallen when the door creaked open with a loud noise.

  A hoarse voice asked, "Is that kid awake?"

  "What's the use of waking up!" Another person said impatiently in a loud voice, "Her mouth is sealed, her hands and feet are tied up, besides, a 7 or 8 year old little girl, she's already scared to death, do you think she still has the guts to run away?"

  "Go wake her up and get her to eat something, or she'll starve to death."

  "Starving for three or two days won't kill her, besides, if she wakes up and cries, what's the point! How annoying! What if she's like that dead girl from our family, all she knows is crying, I'll definitely stab her to death with a knife, at least it will be quiet."

  "Alright, stop talking nonsense! Your Yingzi is still young, and besides, her mother just passed away. The child misses her mother, and with a clumsy father like you, how can she not cry?!"

  "Hmph, if it weren't for Chu Lintao, our Ah Fang would be dead!" The man's voice was slightly louder, his face filled with resentment as he gritted his teeth and cursed, "Ah Fang just took some scrap metal from the company to sell, but to Chu Lintao, that little bit of money was nothing. Yet he went to the police station and reported it, framing our Ah Fang as a thief! All for those worthless scraps of metal, Ah Fang... actually jumped off the rooftop!" He said this as he stormed over to Gu Huanli, grabbing her collar and lifting her up.

  "What are you doing?!" A man with a hoarse voice hastily stopped him.

  "Blood debt must be repaid in blood!" The man with a slightly higher voice sneered, holding Gu Huanli up high, "I want to let Chu Lintao know what it's like to lose a loved one and feel the pain!"