Xing Zheng saw on the screen that the man raised his fist and struck Lin Mei. The burly man's punch made Lin Mei's nose bleed, and she choked back a sob from the pain, a sound that felt like flesh being gouged from Xing Zheng's body.
He stopped, his eyes already moist at the corners. He had never felt so disheveled even when he was in pain himself. The man did not pause and began to kick Lin Mei in the stomach, as if intending to kill her.
Xing Zheng could no longer bear it. "Enough! Make him stop!"
The man stopped after five blows. In the basement, Lin Mei was on the verge of death.
Since the night before last, she had been enduring wave after wave of torment, not having had a drop to drink, her ropes never loosened, and if she fell asleep, she would be beaten awake.
After suffering a miscarriage, her body was no longer as strong as before. A little lack of rest would leave her exhausted. Enduring such torment for two consecutive days had completely shattered her will, and she no longer knew what she was doing.
She had vaguely heard Xing Zheng's voice earlier, and she forced herself to say, "Save me..."
However, her voice was so weak that Xing Zheng could not hear it. Lin Mei tilted her head, trying to look at the camera, but the man in front of her blocked her view. She could see nothing.
At this moment, Xie Qin Jia, who had been sleeping on a nearby bed, woke up. She opened her eyes and found herself in a completely unfamiliar environment. The air seemed to carry the scent of blood, and she immediately became alert, looking around.
Unexpectedly, she saw Lin Mei tied to a cross. Lin Mei was in tatters, her face covered in blood, her hair disheveled, completely unlike her usual refined and glamorous appearance.
And the few men in the room...
Xie Qin Jia was certain that they had been kidnapped, and that she and Lin Mei had been kidnapped together could only mean one thing: their target was the Xing family. Her last memory was of meeting the man from the cemetery for tea.
So... he had kidnapped her and Lin Mei?
Lin Mei's shocking wounds were heartbreaking. Xie Qin Jia wanted to go to her, but was stopped. "Mr. Zhao ordered that you cannot have contact with her."
"Who is Mr. Zhao?" Xie Qin Jia asked deliberately. "Have your Mr. Zhao come and speak to me personally!"
Her imperious tone added a touch of aggression to her words, but the other party was not intimidated. Zhao Rong, who was watching the surveillance in the living room, heard her voice and spoke to her through the monitor, "If you have something to say, you can say it here."
Xie Qin Jia immediately recognized the voice and questioned him, "What is your purpose? Why did you capture her?"
Zhao Rong had not expected Xie Qin Jia to be concerned about Lin Mei. Lin Mei's position in the Xing family seemed to be quite important. "Rest well, and don't ask about things you shouldn't."
With that, Zhao Rong cut off the surveillance. No matter how much Xie Qin Jia shouted, there was no response from the other end.
Xie Qin Jia tried to walk towards Lin Mei again but was stopped once more. She could only watch Lin Mei from afar, while Lin Mei, tormented to the brink of death, had no energy to look at Xie Qin Jia.
Meanwhile, in the living room, the three men were still confronting each other. Without the surveillance screen, Xing Zheng became increasingly worried about Lin Mei's condition. He asked Zhao Rong again, "What exactly do you want?"
"It seems this woman is truly important to you..." Zhao Rong chuckled mockingly, as if watching a joke. "You have a day like this."
Zhao Rong, lost in thought, personally led Xing Zheng and Xing Sha to the basement. As soon as they entered, they were hit by a pungent smell of blood.
When Xie Qin Jia was confronting the bodyguard, she saw Xing Sha and immediately stopped, looking at him. "Xing Sha!"
Her eyes were filled with intense affection, something that could not be faked. Zhao Rong watched from the side, finding it incredibly jarring. He had done so much for her, yet it couldn't earn her a single glance. Xing Sha's mere appearance was enough to capture all her attention.
Zhao Rong, displeased, walked towards Xie Qin Jia. He placed his hands on her shoulders, gazing into her eyes. Xie Qin Jia couldn't understand the complex emotions in his eyes, but she didn't forget to question him, "You have a grievance with the Xing family, so target the Xing family members. Lin Mei is not one of us Xing family, let her go."
Her words were met with Zhao Rong's laughter. He suddenly asked her, "Do you know what you owe me?"
Xie Qin Jia was bewildered. She couldn't remember what happened back then, so how could she answer this question? This attitude undoubtedly provoked Zhao Rong. Zhao Rong gripped her shoulders with both hands. "Back then, you said you were very grateful to me and willing to marry me. You said you hated Xing Sha for leaving you there alone, but in the end, you still left with him. I've liked you since university, when did you ever have me in your eyes!"
Zhao Rong almost shouted. The basement was very quiet, and everyone present heard his words clearly. Xing Sha immediately looked at Xie Qin Jia.
Xie Qin Jia's body stiffened, her gaze fixed on Zhao Rong's face, her complexion as pale as paper. The surroundings were deathly quiet, yet inside Xing Sha's heart, a storm was raging. Xie Qin Jia's eyes... seemed to recall something.
"Zhao Rong," Xie Qin Jia slowly uttered the name after a long pause, the two words carrying extremely complex emotions.
Xing Sha's heart sank bit by bit. What was bound to come, had finally come. The secret he had tried to protect at all costs, she had finally uncovered.
Now, all the decisions he had made to conceal it had become a joke. If he hadn't been so selfish, Lin Mei wouldn't have to suffer like this.
Zhao Rong gazed at Xie Qin Jia, saying nothing more. Xie Qin Jia looked towards Lin Mei, and when she withdrew her gaze, she met Xing Zheng's eyes again. "I was the one who broke my promise back then. If you want revenge, you can target me alone. Let Lin Mei go."
"Heh, do you think I would still believe you now?" Zhao Rong laughed wildly and distortedly. He found a knife from somewhere and pointed it at Xie Qin Jia's carotid artery.
Xie Qin Jia felt a chill on her neck and couldn't help but flinch. Zhao Rong moved closer.
"Let her go," Xing Zheng said, his eyes red. The dagger gleamed, stinging people's eyes.
In a daze, Lin Mei saw Xing Zheng confronting Zhao Rong. She moved her lips, wanting to speak, but she had no strength. She couldn't even open her eyes.
At this moment, she felt a slap on her face. The pain made her open her eyes, and a dagger was pressed against her left ventricle. With just a slight force, it could pierce her heart. In that instant, she smelled despair.
Her life was probably over.
Lin Mei looked at Xing Zheng and, with her last bit of strength, pleaded for help, "Save me, take me away..." She put 120% of her effort into each word.
Xing Sha was also moved. Before Xing Zheng could respond, he said to Lin Mei, "Xing Zheng will definitely take you out and won't let anything happen to you!"
Zhao Rong, however, laughed. "I'll give you five minutes. Choose one, and I'll take the life of the other."