Two days passed in a flash. At seven in the evening, Qin He sat on the bed, drenched in sweat.
Her hands trembled violently. Qin He took a deep breath, trying to suppress the desire within her body.
For the past two days, Shen Yicong's people had injected her with a dose of "Bing Hai" every night.
Today was the third day, and the person administering the Bing Hai injection hadn't come.
Yet, it felt as if a million ants were crawling and biting her to the bone.
Qin He realized her mind was spiraling out of control, her emotions becoming erratic and frantic.
Moreover, she was freezing all over.
The coldness, from the inside out, made her feel as though she were in unbearable pain. Her mind felt like it was filled with a thousand needles, constantly churning without a moment's rest.
"Mmmph—" Qin He gritted her teeth, letting out a low moan.
Her consciousness was slowly slipping away.
There was a sound at the door. Qin He's head shot up, and she even got up from the bed and took two steps forward.
Immediately, she realized something was wrong. Because she was in so much pain, because her mind was scattered and her reason weakened, she had actually been hoping it was Shen Yicong!
Qin He's vision swam. The pain made her clench her palm tightly.
Until the door actually creaked open, she looked up to see Shen Yicong, hands in his pockets, looking relaxed.
"What's wrong with Miss Qin? Not feeling well?"
Qin He gritted her teeth and spat out one word with difficulty: "Get lost."
Shen Yicong, with a lazy air, leaned against the wall by the door and smiled sinisterly, "Didn't you call me a despicable villain the past two days? I've been reflecting. To correct myself, I won't give Miss Qin that kind of stuff anymore."
The pain was relentless, giving her no time to think.
Qin He's consciousness was gradually peeling away.
In her final moments, she cast a venomous glare at Shen Yicong, then grabbed the desk lamp and smashed it against the back of her own neck.
The struggling, tormented woman fell onto the bed with a thud.
Shen Yicong, who had been by the door, instantly shed his lazy demeanor. His face turned cold and imposing.
He strode to the bedside and lifted Qin He from the bed.
After checking the back of Qin He's neck, he finally relaxed.
Qin He wasn't someone who sought death. She had intended to knock herself out to fight the effects of Bing Hai.
Shen Yicong felt a surge of annoyance. Was it so difficult for her to just give in a little?
He had used Bing Hai, and he hadn't even expected her to beg him. All he wanted was for her to yield!
He hadn't expected this woman to be so cruel to herself!
Seeing Qin He stir on the bed as if about to wake up, Shen Yicong pursed his lips.
Bing Hai was specially formulated and concentrated. Knocking herself out wouldn't alleviate the pain.
Even if she passed out briefly, she would soon wake up, driven by desire.
Shen Yicong glanced at the desk lamp by the bedside.
"Forget it. I'll spare you one more time." He took out a syringe from his pocket and paused, the needle near the carotid artery in her neck.
Shen Yicong hesitated for a few seconds, frowned, and moved the needle to the carotid artery in his own arm, pushing it in bit by bit.
Watching the person who was about to wake up slowly calm down.
Shen Yicong retracted the syringe into his pocket.
"If you're obedient, isn't it better this way?"
The person on the bed, having found relief, seemed to have fallen into some sort of illusion. Even with her eyes closed, her alluring face remained breathtakingly beautiful.
"Gu Qichen—"
A soft call escaped Qin He's lips.
Shen Yicong's expression instantly turned icy. Fury burned in his dark pupils.
He let out a cold laugh, "Your little lover is probably dead in an explosion right now!"
With that, Shen Yicong grabbed the desk lamp and walked out.
The living room was silent. Everyone he passed bowed respectfully, "Strategist."
Shen Yicong, holding the lamp with a stern face, went up to the third floor, returned to his office, and then slammed the lamp violently against the wall.
"Monkey!"
Monkey, who was guarding outside, immediately rushed in, "Strategist, what are your orders?"
"Regarding the auction house, how is Second Aunt's mission progressing?"
Shen Yicong remembered the auction was scheduled for tonight. Judging by the time, it should be nearing its end.
Monkey nervously rubbed his hands, "Second Aunt and I agreed to contact each other at nine, but there's been no word yet."
Shen Yicong frowned, looking at the wall clock. The minute hand had already reached the two.
"It's ten past nine."
"Yes!" Monkey said nervously.
Shen Yicong turned to Monkey and said decisively, "Immediately cut off our communication line with Second Aunt and recall all backup personnel."
Monkey looked up sharply, "Strategist, we don't know yet if Second Aunt succeeded. If she did and there are no backups, she'll be surrounded in Qingcheng!"
Shen Yicong sneered, "Something has already happened to her!"
He had seen Second Aunt's plan. It involved planting bombs around the entire auction venue and detonating them as the auction drew to a close.
At that time, no one from Qingcheng attending the auction would survive.
Second Aunt would then be able to retrieve the book and return with the backup team.
"What does the Strategist mean?" Monkey asked nervously.
Shen Yicong said calmly, "This auction is hosted by the Gu Corporation. The Qin, Xu, and Lu families, as well as the Yan family from Haicheng, are all participating. If the explosion were successful, we would see news online within three minutes. But now, it's already ten minutes past the agreed contact time."
"Second Aunt fell into someone else's trap?! How could she be so easily lured into a trap?" Monkey was anxious.
Shen Yicong, however, was unconcerned. "Do not underestimate the Gu and Qin families. If our organization hadn't been accumulating strength in secret for so many years, we would not have been able to contend with these two families for the past two years! Now, with Qingyan Prefecture lurking in the shadows, recall the backups. Do not lose more people because of Second Aunt."
To Shen Yicong, people were resources. He sought advantage and avoided harm, sacrificing the small to preserve the large.
Monkey walked out, somewhat dazed.
Shen Yicong called him back, "Oh, right. Before you cut off contact, make one last call to Second Aunt. Tell her it's time to prove herself."
Monkey looked at Shen Yicong, then thought of the graceful figure.
After a long while, he finally spoke with a dry voice, "Yes!"
Qingcheng in the dead of night.
Tonight's auction was supposed to be a gathering of the elite. However, by the latter half, the atmosphere suddenly became tense. Everyone was escorted by personnel from the Gu and Qin families through underground passages.
A ten-mile radius around the auction house was cordoned off.
In front of the main entrance of the auction house, Second Aunt looked up at the sky, holding her phone.
"It was my foolishness. Before, when they evacuated the civilians, I truly believed it was for the safety of the auction. Now it seems they had already detected my plan."
Monkey's voice came from the phone, "Second Aunt, the Strategist said it's time for you to prove yourself."