However, Zhou Jinbai's perfect plan fell apart upon arriving at the hotel.
He stood outside the room where Lin Xingwan was staying, but no matter how many times he knocked, there was no response.
Zhou Jinbai called Lin Xingwan again, but just like before, the call connected but no one answered.
Zhou Jinbai's brows furrowed deeply. He immediately called the hotel manager and asked him to open the door with the spare key card.
A strong scent of milk permeated the air. Zhou Jinbai saw a shattered glass cup on the floor, along with milk splashed everywhere.
He quickly walked into the room but couldn't find any trace of Lin Xingwan.
"Where is the person in the room?" Zhou Jinbai roared, fixing his cold, questioning gaze on the hotel manager.
Zhou Jinbai's mood was extremely foul. He had come with great anticipation, intending to apologize to his wife, only to end up not even knowing where she was.
It felt as if fate was deliberately working against him.
"Sir, please calm your anger. The guest in the room must have gone out and will return soon. Please don't worry, I will have someone retrieve the surveillance footage and locate the guest's whereabouts."
The hotel manager dared not meet Zhou Jinbai's gaze. He lowered his head in fear, his voice trembling.
Zhou Jinbai said nothing. The hotel manager, under immense pressure, called his subordinate in charge of surveillance.
In a mere ten-plus seconds, as soon as the hotel manager received the surveillance video, he respectfully handed it over to Zhou Jinbai.
Zhou Jinbai took the phone and opened the video, watching it intently.
According to the surveillance footage, Lin Xingwan had remained in the room since entering and had not left.
Instead, Su Mo Yao had entered once, along with a hotel staff member.
When Su Mo Yao left, he took Xue Manting with him.
When the hotel staff member left, they took nothing.
From the surveillance, it appeared that Lin Xingwan should still be in the room, as she had not left.
The hotel manager, peeking from the side, was completely dumbfounded.
His mind was filled with questions. The person hadn't left, so where had she gone?
This was simply a supernatural event!
"Go and check the hotel staff's meal carts," Zhou Jinbai commanded the hotel manager.
At his words, the hotel manager seemed to recall something. "Sir, you mean..."
Zhou Jinbai's gaze, filled with authority and anger, fixed on the hotel manager. The manager no longer had the courage to speak and immediately turned to run.
Five minutes later, the hotel manager reported the latest findings to the 'monarch' seated on the sofa.
"Sir... Sir, although our hotel does deliver milk to guests, the woman who delivered milk to Miss Lin was not our hotel staff at all. I have verified this. This woman pushed the meal cart and left our hotel."
The hotel manager wished he could die. Why did such a terrible thing happen to him?
He even felt that his head might not be on his neck the next morning.
Zhou Jinbai listened quietly to the hotel manager's report. His handsome face, like that of a deity, revealed no emotion, yet the terrifying aura emanating from him silently placed immense pressure on everyone present.
"So, the hotel I pour money into every year has this kind of work attitude? Outsiders can impersonately pose as staff and leave so brazenly without anyone noticing?"
Zhou Jinbai sneered. He felt his lungs were about to explode.
He had come with great joy to find his wife, only to receive such devastating news. He wished he could bloodbath the entire hotel.
These useless fools!
The hotel manager was sweating profusely. Despite the low temperature in the room, he broke out in a cold sweat. "Sir... I have already sent people... sent people to track down that vehicle. We will find Miss Lin soon..."
"Get out—" Zhou Jinbai kicked him, then rose from the sofa and strode out.
He never placed his hope in this group of incompetents.
Meanwhile, Zhou Jinbai had issued orders to find Lin Xingwan regardless of the consequences.
As for the missing Lin Xingwan, she had just woken up from unconsciousness.
She struggled to open her eyes and found herself suspended in mid-air.
The night wind was cold, and coupled with Lin Xingwan being drenched in icy water, she felt as if her blood had frozen.
Her teeth chattered uncontrollably, and her entire body trembled.
A large spotlight shone from a distance, and Lin Xingwan saw Ye Qingning standing below.
Yes!
That was right!
It was Ye Qingning.
This woman looked up at Lin Xingwan with arrogance and a gleeful look of revenge in her eyes.
"Ye Qingning... Didn't you die?" Lin Xingwan felt as if she were dreaming.
News reports stated that Ye Qingning had committed suicide the night she was arrested.
Furthermore, the official announcement had come directly from the Rongcheng Police Department.
Lin Xingwan had no reason to doubt it.
She couldn't comprehend what had happened, seeing someone she believed to be dead standing before her alive and well.
"Die? Hahaha, Lin Xingwan, you wretched woman are not dead, so why should I die? I'm telling you, tonight is your death anniversary. I will make you die a very painful death."
Ye Qingning's laughter was wild, and with every word she spoke, the smile on her face grew wider.
She had finally waited for this day!
"Then you had better pray that I can die before you this time, otherwise your fate will be even worse than mine." Lin Xingwan, though a fish on a chopping block, her eyes were filled with disdain as she spoke these words.
"You're on the brink of death, yet you dare to be so arrogant in front of me. Lin Xingwan, you truly are someone who won't shed a tear until they see their coffin."
With that, Ye Qingning picked up a water hose and sprayed water onto Lin Xingwan.
The water pressure was immense, the stream fierce and rapid. Lin Xingwan felt as if a hole was being punched through her.
Ye Qingning seemed to do it deliberately, constantly spraying water directly at Lin Xingwan's face.
A large amount of water hit Lin Xingwan's face, making it difficult for her to breathe.
The suffocating sensation made Lin Xingwan's already hazy consciousness even more blurred. Each passing second was agonizing, like an eternity.
"Lin Xingwan, I could have killed you instantly, but do you know why I'm hanging you up and delaying your death?"
Ye Qingning, having tormented her enough, finally put down the water hose.
Lin Xingwan's complexion turned even paler. "I don't want to know the answer. Since I've fallen into your hands today, kill me or torture me as you please. I will never beg you."
Lin Xingwan nearly choked to death. After saying this, she began to cough violently.
Ye Qingning, however, began to talk to herself. "This is an abandoned warehouse. I've buried a lot of explosives around it. If anyone comes to rescue you, with a flick of my finger, you will all turn into ashes. The thought of that beautiful scene makes me exceptionally happy."
Lin Xingwan's heart skipped a beat at Ye Qingning's words. "Ye Qingning, no one will come to rescue me. This is a private matter between you and me. If you have something against someone, come at me. Don't hurt innocent people."
For some reason, Zhou Jinbai's image immediately flashed in Lin Xingwan's mind.
"If no one comes to rescue you, I'll wait until someone does. Don't worry, I will definitely wait. For example... Dongfang Junze." Ye Qingning's smile turned cold. "If it weren't for this man, I wouldn't be in this state. My family wouldn't have fallen into decline. It's all my fault, I ruined our Ye family. I will avenge myself and the Ye family."
"Our grievances have nothing to do with Dongfang Junze!"
Lin Xingwan immediately denied it. Seeing Lin Xingwan's anxious look, Ye Qingning slowly explained, "If this man hadn't helped you time and time again, how could I have lost so miserably? I was blind to recognize that Dongfang Junze was your useless husband, Zhou Jinbai. Lin Xingwan, you wretched woman, your methods of seducing men are quite skillful. You can even hook up with Dongfang Junze. But you shouldn't have messed with my man."
As Ye Qingning spoke, she tightened the rope binding Lin Xingwan. Lin Xingwan's body was lifted higher and higher. Finally, Ye Qingning turned in another direction, and Lin Xingwan was suspended over a flaming opening.
Even though Lin Xingwan was more than ten meters above the ground, she could still feel the burning pain from the heat of the flames on her skin.
The sensation was excruciating.
"Comfortable? The flames in this hole are used for melting iron. If I loosen this rope, you'll fall directly into this hole. It will only take two or three seconds for you to turn into a wisp of white smoke, with not even a bone left in this world. Hahaha."
Ye Qingning watched as Lin Xingwan's pale face turned red from the scorching heat of the flames. Seeing Lin Xingwan in such agony, she felt a great sense of vindication.
Lin Xingwan lifted her head to look at the sky, trying to lessen the burning sensation on her face.
Just then, Zhou Jinbai's voice reached her ears.
"Wife—"
Both Ye Qingning and Lin Xingwan turned their gazes towards Zhou Jinbai, who was running towards them.
Ye Qingning's face showed a smug expression. As for Lin Xingwan, she ignored the terrifying heat and shouted at Zhou Jinbai, "Zhou Jinbai, don't come over! Ye Qingning has planted a lot of bombs here. We're divorced, why are you coming here!"
Lin Xingwan had never expected Zhou Jinbai to arrive so quickly.
"Don't come closer, or I'll immediately loosen the rope. This wretched woman, Lin Xingwan, will immediately turn into a puff of white smoke." Ye Qingning commanded Zhou Jinbai. Zhou Jinbai indeed stopped.
In his usually calm eyes, two emotions of anxiety and panic appeared. He spoke to Ye Qingning, "Let Xingwan go, and I'll spare your life."
This was already the greatest concession Zhou Jinbai could offer Ye Qingning.
This woman had faked her death. Most absurdly, they had all been deceived by Ye Qingning.
This feeling made Zhou Jinbai extremely displeased.
"Spare my life? Hahaha, Zhou Jinbai... No, that's not right, I should call you Dongfang Junze. Do you think I care about living or dying after what I've done tonight?" Ye Qingning looked at Zhou Jinbai with anger and hatred in her eyes. "My pride, my job, my family, everything I had is gone. My life has no meaning. Tonight, I will die with you all!"
Ye Qingning finally roared out her words.
"How dare you threaten our boss!"
"You'd better release Miss Lin, or we will make you wish you were never born."
The hotel manager, standing behind Zhou Jinbai, glared at Ye Qingning with hatred. This woman was simply insane!
If she didn't want to live a normal life, fine, but why drag innocent people like them into it?
"Shut up!" Ye Qingning's eyes widened, the red veins in them looking ferocious. "You are not qualified to speak to me!"
The hotel manager was about to say something else, but Zhou Jinbai's warning gaze made him immediately close his eyes.
"You want honor, I will have someone return all the pride that belongs to you; what the Ye family was like, I promise you it will be the same in the future. As long as you let Lin Xingwan go, I can give you anything."
Zhou Jinbai tried to placate Ye Qingning's emotions. If it were anyone else, Zhou Jinbai would never have been so subservient.
But Ye Qingning held Lin Xingwan as leverage, and Zhou Jinbai didn't dare to take the risk.
Lin Xingwan listened to Zhou Jinbai's words, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
Was she just a plaything that this man had whimsically acquired? But if she were just a toy, why would this man care so much about her?
"Tsk tsk tsk, I really don't know what kind of spell Lin Xingwan has cast on you to make you protect and care about her so much. I can not kill Lin Xingwan, but you have to kneel down for me and bark like a dog. If your barking satisfies me, I'll let Lin Xingwan go, okay?"
Ye Qingning hadn't forgotten the humiliation she had suffered from these people not long ago. Now that she had found an opportunity, she naturally wanted to repay it a hundredfold.
"Zhou Jinbai, don't believe Ye Qingning. Even if you kneel, this woman won't let me go. Her goal tonight is to perish with us."
Lin Xingwan shouted loudly at Zhou Jinbai, her face, already reddened by the flames, filled with pain.
Ye Qingning slightly loosened the rope, and Lin Xingwan, hanging in mid-air, dropped down.
The burning pain from the flames intensified. Lin Xingwan let out a scream.
The smell of burning hair filled the air. Zhou Jinbai's heart tightened, as if it had been struck fiercely. "I'll kneel!"