Unwilling!
Song Junhan gritted his teeth.
His career had just begun to take off!
Damn Xia Qingtian!
It must have been her who orchestrated all of this, just like she had schemed to break his leg back then!
Qiu Xinxue must have fallen into Xia Qingtian’s trap!
That idiot, he had warned her long ago that Xia Qingtian was cunning and treacherous!
Now that things had turned out this way, not only was Qiu Xinxue, his pawn, completely useless, but he couldn’t even recover any of the money he had invested in her.
Damn it! It was truly damnable!
Just then, Song Junhan’s phone rang. Glancing at the caller ID, Song Junhan’s body jolted. He swallowed a gulp and then answered the call, "Hello."
"I am very dissatisfied with this matter," came an electronic synthesized voice from the other end of the phone.
"I'm truly sorry!" Song Junhan apologized immediately. "I will have Qiu Xinxue provide an explanation for this."
"No need. You won't get her explanation," the person on the other end said as if it were the most natural thing in the world, yet it sent a chill down Song Junhan’s spine.
"Qiu Xinxue… she…" died?
"Consider this a warning. My patience is limited. If you cannot prove your worth, you will share the same fate as Qiu Xinxue."
"No! I…" Cold sweat broke out on Song Junhan’s back. "I will do my utmost to complete all tasks flawlessly!"
"Remember, I only care about results." After delivering this final admonition, the person on the other end continued, "You don't need to worry about Xia Qingtian. There is something else that requires your assistance now."
"What is it?" Song Junhan asked immediately.
"Next week, we need to take someone away from City Z. When passing through City L, you will be responsible for the intermediate process. Listen carefully, this person is very important. Not the slightest mistake can be made."
"Yes." Song Junhan solemnly agreed, then hesitantly asked, "May I ask who this person is…"
"Just a female student. Don't ask about things that don't concern you," the person on the other end said with a cold snort before hanging up.
After the call ended, a fair, slender hand pressed the power button on the voice changer. Then, she picked up a document from the table. "Li Xiaoxiao… I didn't expect you to be the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Li…"
A hint of cruelty flickered in her emerald eyes, and the smile on her lips became increasingly sinister.
If Li Xiaoxiao were present, she would immediately recognize this person as Freya, the great beauty who had completely disappeared after a mortifying experience during her internship at Gu’s Entertainment.
Meanwhile, Li Xiaoxiao, who was watching the latest episode of "First Step to Love" and diligently leaving encouraging messages for Xia Qingtian, was unaware that a kidnapping plot targeting her was quietly unfolding.
On the other side, after everyone at the Heartbeat Villa had watched the latest episode of "First Step to Love" together, they left Xia Qingtian’s coffin room and returned to their respective accommodations to rest.
Xia Qingtian, however, went directly to Ling Feng Han’s flower room. While sipping the fruit tea Ling Feng Han had brewed, Xia Qingtian intended to discuss Li Mengxiao’s future with him.
Before Xia Qingtian could speak, Ling Feng Han brought it up first.
Hearing that Ling Feng Han intended to recruit Li Mengxiao, Xia Qingtian was naturally delighted. Once they finalized this matter, Xia Qingtian happily held her phone, communicating with Wen Ning, as she walked back to her coffin room.
She had gained a lot today, and Xia Qingtian felt she would sleep soundly tonight.
However, the moment she opened the door, Xia Qingtian heard what sounded like someone gasping heavily in her room.
"Who's there!" Xia Qingtian immediately turned on the lights in the room.
The coffin room had originally been designed with a horror theme. Even with the lights on, it wasn't particularly bright, but it was enough to see everything clearly inside.
Before Xia Qingtian’s eyes, on the wooden floor, Qiu Xinxue, who was supposed to have been driven away, was sprawled not far from her.
Qiu Xinxue appeared to be in great pain, her hands gripping the floor and leaving bloody streaks. Her eyes were wide open, her eyeballs slightly protruding, her entire face pale. She seemed to be gasping for air, but ultimately could only take in less air than she exhaled.
She had lost all her usual beauty, her face turned towards Xia Qingtian as her mouth gaped open. Her complexion had shifted from deathly pale to ashen. Her eyes stared fixedly at Xia Qingtian until she could no longer breathe, her entire body stiffening and contorting before she breathed her last.
The entire ordeal lasted no more than ten seconds.
A person had died right before Xia Qingtian’s eyes.
Her mind went blank, and Xia Qingtian was too stunned to react.
Just then, a knock came from behind the door. "Teacher Xia, are you resting?"
It was the director, sending staff to check on Xia Qingtian. After all, the show was responsible for the theft that occurred during filming. Since Xia Qingtian hadn't called the police, the production team should at least show some concern.
A fruit basket and a polite inquiry were in order.
"I… I've already changed into my pajamas, it's inconvenient to open the door…" Xia Qingtian had finally come to her senses, and she couldn't stop trembling.
At this moment, she absolutely could not open the door, nor could she let anyone see this scene.
Whether someone had intentionally brought Qiu Xinxue to her room or for any other reason, it would be extremely disadvantageous for Xia Qingtian.
"Alright, then I'll leave the fruit basket at your door. I'm truly sorry, Teacher Xia. Please get some rest early." The person outside the door didn't seem insistent on Xia Qingtian opening the door. After leaving this message, they departed.
The entire coffin room was left with only Xia Qingtian and a stiff, contorted corpse. The familiar furnishings of the room now took on a different, more sinister meaning.
"Phone… phone…" Xia Qingtian’s hands trembled as she took out her phone and dialed Mobius’s number. "Pick up quickly… pick up quickly…"
Soon, the call was connected. A reassuring voice came from the other end. "Hello? Qingtian?"
"Someone's dead." Xia Qingtian’s lips trembled. She lowered her voice, her voice quivering. "Qiu Xinxue, she died in my room."
"I'll be there immediately!"
…
Qiu Xinxue's body was disposed of by people Mobius brought. Xia Qingtian didn't ask what would happen to the corpse, nor did she ask what she should do.
Those people worked swiftly and professionally, without alerting anyone else. Even the filming equipment in the villa was accessed by Mobius through the main system, and the footage was deleted.
"No footage of Qiu Xinxue entering the villa was found," Mobius stated. "The other party was also very professional."
"It seems now…" Mobius paused, then shifted his gaze from the computer screen to Xia Qingtian. "They want to use Qiu Xinxue to warn you."