Chapter 20: A Narrow Escape from Death

Qing’er involuntarily gasped, a chill running through her. Despair clouded her eyes once more as she quietly retreated, glancing anxiously from side to side. Turning, she tiptoed toward the door, each step measured and cautious, fearful of disturbing anyone inside. The doorway lay shrouded in darkness—the sole path to salvation.

Suddenly, a puzzled voice called from behind. Quanduoduo stood there, pointing at Qing’er and asking, “Have we met somewhere before?”

Qing’er’s nerves tightened once again; she dared not turn around. Stammering, she replied, “N-no.” Then she resumed inching toward the exit.

Quanduoduo’s suspicion remained. She scrutinized Qing’er carefully before speaking again, “Aren’t you the servant who attends to Wen Wan’er? What are you doing here?” Her petal-like lips parted and closed, revealing porcelain-white teeth.

Afterward, she looked bewildered at the people behind her, and a heavy silence settled over the room.

Qing’er held her breath, her body trembling uncontrollably. At that moment, a chilling command rang out behind her: “Grab her!”

Simultaneously, the voice of He Lingfeng, the driver, echoed.

Qing’er had no time to hesitate. She bolted with all her might, each step teetering on the razor’s edge between life and death. The earlier ordeal had drained her strength; her legs no longer obeyed her will.

Outside, the darkness yawned like a vast maw, swallowing her fears and hopes alike.

“Help...!” she cried desperately, unwilling to stop or be caught, knowing that capture meant endless darkness and despair.

Yet, how could a frail woman outrun four burly men?

The warehouse’s iron door slammed shut with a dull thud, reverberating through the empty space.

Two strong men seized Qing’er by the ankles, dragging her like a lifeless doll back into that desolate, shadowed place.

Her hands clawed wildly at the floor, leaving two deep, bloody scratches.

The mere five meters from the doorway to the warehouse’s interior stretched into a torturous path of hell.

Her fingers were raw and bleeding, the pain nearly making her faint.

Still, she refused to cease struggling, eyes blazing with terror and defiance.

When she was ruthlessly thrown back onto the ground, lying flat and gazing at the unreachable light above, silent tears traced down her cheeks.

Her rapid breathing slowly steadied.

A faint smile curved at the corners of her lips.

At that moment, He Lingfeng forcefully pulled Quanduoduo into his embrace, a triumphant grin spreading across his face.

Leaning close to whisper intimately into her ear, he murmured, “Darling, you arrived just in time. If not for you, that little wretch would have escaped.” His words dripped with affection.

Quanduoduo placed her hand on his chest, fingers lightly tapping a rhythm as she smiled seductively, eyes gleaming with cunning. “Is that so? Then how will you repay me this time?” Her voice was as sweet as honey.

He Lingfeng’s smile deepened, charm oozing from every gesture. He patted her shoulder gently. “Once we deal with these two, I’ll make sure to reward you handsomely.”

Then, his tone shifted to seriousness. “Why did you come without giving me a heads-up?”

“Because I missed you,” Quanduoduo replied softly, a touch of anxiety woven through her tender voice. “I felt uneasy with the security issue unresolved.”

He Lingfeng gestured to the man lying on the ground. “He’s right here. You decide what to do with her.”

The security guard on the floor listened as they spoke, his fury growing ever fiercer.

He glared at Qing’er, eyes bloodshot.

Enraged beyond control, he charged forward and kicked her savagely, each blow seeming to vent a torrent of rage and resentment.

“It’s all your fault that I’m like this now!” he roared. “You’re the servant of Miss Wen, no wonder I was suddenly dragged here! It was your trap all along, making Mr. He misunderstand me deliberately!” His furious voice echoed throughout the empty room.

Qing’er curled into a ball, enduring the guard’s fists and kicks in silence.

“Miss, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, Miss...”

Clutching her abdomen in pain, she whispered to herself. A bruise blossomed swiftly, deep purple and swollen; blood began to trickle from the corner of her mouth.