"Madam, all toiletries, everyday wear, and jewelry have been prepared for you. If there is anything you are not satisfied with, just let the housekeeper know."
Wen Xuyu smiled and nodded. "Thank you for the trouble."
Lu Zhao was somewhat flattered. "Madam, you are too polite!"
"How about we exchange contact information? That way, if anything comes up, I can reach out to you easily." Wen Xuyu proactively took out her phone.
"Alright, let me scan your code!"
As soon as they added each other, before Lu Zhao even had a chance to look at his phone, a hearty shout came from the study on the second floor.
"Lu Zhao!"
"Sir, I'm coming!" He nodded apologetically at Wen Xuyu.
"Sigh, life under the control of that big demon king is truly miserable!" Watching him walk away, Wen Xuyu sighed with emotion.
Before she knew it, the housekeeper and two maids had walked up behind her.
"Madam, Xiaoyun and Xiaoxin will be responsible for taking care of you from now on. You can go have a look at your room now!"
Wen Xuyu pressed her lips together. Xiaoyun and Xiaoxin were the two who had taken care of her earlier and helped her move the wardrobe.
Thinking back to how she had used them to escape, she actually felt a little guilty toward them now.
"Mn," she nodded, considering it a reply to the housekeeper's question.
The four of them took the elevator upstairs. Just as they stepped into the room, before the housekeeper could say anything, Wen Xuyu's phone rang. She glanced down at the screen, a flash of disgust crossing her eyes.
"Excuse me, I need to take a call."
Wen Xuyu walked to the end of the corridor, took a deep breath, and answered the phone.
"Wen Xuyu, you really have quite the knack for things."
There was unmistakable mockery woven into Wen Yuqin's tone, along with a twisted sense of pride.
He had truly underestimated the value of this biological daughter of his.
"Hah," Wen Xuyu let out a cold laugh. "It seems Bian Xunzhou didn't lie to me. He really did give you one billion."
Unwilling to bicker with her over these details, Wen Yuqin cut straight to the point and stated his purpose.
His tone was hard, devoid of the slightest warmth. "You don't need to worry about that. The only thing you have to do now is make the Lu Family willingly call off the engagement, and you must not reveal anything to them about that one billion."
"You think too highly of yourself." Wen Xuyu's hands curled tightly into fists at her sides, a fierce hostility flashing through her eyes.
She had already sold herself out, and now she was expected to help them count the money too?
"Hmph, I don't care what method you use, you had better make the Third Young Master of the Lu Family call off the engagement himself. Otherwise, you know the consequences," Wen Yuqin threatened coldly. "The hospital has already informed me that they recently found a matching organ donor."
Wen Xuyu felt a stifling tightness in her chest and a chill sweep through her body. She let out an angry shout, "Enough!"
After a moment of silence, she closed her eyes, as if giving in to compromise. "I'll go."
"I'll give you three days," Wen Yuqin said in an unquestionable tone. "If Lu Baiqian hasn't proactively called off the engagement within three days, don't blame me for being ruthless."
The call disconnected. Wen Xuyu held the phone, trembling all over.
She had long understood that in Wen Yuqin's eyes, she would always just be a tool that could be manipulated at will. For the sake of his own interests, he could humble himself to beg others, and he could sacrifice her happiness without a moment's hesitation.
Yet one day, she would take her adoptive parents and escape the Wen Family!
***
Study.
Bian Xunzhou suddenly reached out to cover his chest, his sword-like brows slightly furrowing, though the sensation vanished almost as quickly as it had appeared.
Noticing this, Lu Zhao, who was in the middle of reporting work nearby, grew somewhat nervous. "Sir, are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Bian Xunzhou replied indifferently, his sharply jointed fingers interlocked on the desk as he asked, "How is Yulin Entertainment under the Shang Group doing right now?"
Lu Zhao handed over a document he was holding. "Yulin Entertainment is currently under Chen Lirong's name. Most of the artists in the company lack experience, and there are loopholes in the management methods."
He paused, cautiously lifting his gaze to gauge the expression on the man's face opposite him, before continuing, "Moreover, based on my investigation, Chen Lirong's younger brother Chen Lie has been constantly cashing out the company's shares. It probably won't last much longer..."
As Lu Zhao finished speaking, an eerie silence settled over the study. Undercurrents surged in the air, thick with a hint of hostility.
Bian Xunzhou finished reading the document and half-leaned back in his chair. The index finger of his right hand tapped rhythmically against the back of his hand as he lost himself in thought.
After a long while, he finally spoke. "I know. You can leave for now!"
Lu Zhao had no choice but to turn and leave.
The study door opened and then closed.
Leaning back in his chair, Bian Xunzhou lit a cigarette. He closed his eyes, and his thoughts drifted back to that night.
***
In the cold, damp warehouse, the air was thick with the stench of rust and mold, nauseatingly pungent.
A young boy was curled up in the corner, his hands and feet tightly bound with coarse hemp rope that dug into his skin, leaving it red. His face was streaked with tears and his lips were bitten white, yet he didn't dare make a single sound.
His mother knelt right in front of him. Her hands were tied behind her back, her hair fell in disarray around her shoulders, blood seeped from the corner of her mouth, but her gaze remained gentle and resolute.
"Don't be afraid, child..." The woman's voice was very faint, as if trying to banish his terror.
Yet her face was full of pain, and cold sweat rolled down her temples one drop at a time, mixing with the blood and staining the front of her clothes.
A kidnapper stood nearby, holding a video camera with the lens aimed straight at them.
The glaring light struck the mother's pale face. She squinted slightly against the intense illumination, yet she still forced herself to straighten her back and shield him from the view.
"Speak into the camera! Tell them how much pain you're in, and tell your husband to bring the money to ransom you both!"
The kidnapper's voice was hoarse and vicious as he kicked the mother hard in the back.
She let out a muffled groan and crashed heavily to the ground, yet she stubbornly refused to let out a single scream of agony.
The young boy's tears fell uncontrollably. He wanted to rush forward and hug his mother, but the ropes trapped him mercilessly in place.
He could only watch helplessly as those men beat his mother mercilessly with clubs, watch as her clothes were stained red with blood, watch as she curled up on the ground in agony while still looking at him with those gentle eyes, wordlessly telling him, "Don't be afraid..."
"Mom... Mom..." He finally couldn't hold back his cries, his voice so hoarse it sounded squeezed from the depths of his throat.
Yet the kidnapper only grinned savagely, stepping onto the mother's back and grinding his foot down hard. Her body jerked violently, and a mouthful of blood spewed from her lips, staining the floor red.
"If you don't speak up, I'll make your son taste this too!" The kidnapper's voice was icy and cruel.
The mother's body stiffened abruptly, and her expression suddenly turned resolute. Gathering the last of her remaining strength, she raised her head and shouted hoarsely into the camera.
"Shang Rongyuan, if you still have a shred of conscience left, don't push things to this extreme! Otherwise, even as a ghost, I won't let you go!"
Before her words could even fade, the kidnapper's club came down once more, landing heavily on her head.
Her body shuddered violently, and then she slumped limply to the ground, never to stand again.
"Mom—!" The young boy cried out in a heart-wrenching shriek, but his mother's eyes were already closed, never to open again.
The savage laughter of the kidnappers, the shutter clicks of the camera, and the desperate weeping all blended together.
***
"Mom—!"
In the quiet room, Bian Xunzhou snapped his eyes open. He grabbed the armrests of his chair, his five fingers trembling slightly.
He had no idea how long he had slept; the study was pitch black, and the cigarette he had lit earlier had burned down to mere ashes on the floor.
Bian Xunzhou pinched his aching brow. It had been a very long time since he last had that dream.
"Mom..." he murmured softly, his voice so hoarse it was barely audible, his eyes dark and shadowed. "Just wait a little longer. I will definitely make them pay the price."
***
Wen Xuyu lay on the sofa, trying her best to ignore the lingering discomfort in her chest.
She had just finished taking a bath, changed out of that red qipao, and picked a sky-blue long dress from the wardrobe.
After a long moment of contemplation, she finally dialed that phone call.