"I’m sorry, sister. This is all my fault. If it weren't for my poor health, you wouldn't have… It’s just that Brother Xu Zeyan and I have known each other since childhood; our love is true. I know I’ve let you down, it’s all my fault…"
"What are you saying, child?" Jiang Lihua was overcome with heartache. She pulled the girl into her arms and shot a condemning look at Wen Xuyu, as if everything were her fault.
"Mother, the Wen Family has raised me for over twenty years. I grew up by your and Father's side. Now that the family is in trouble, I should repay you. Just let me go. In the future, let my brother and sister take care of you in your old age!"
These words were spoken with such sincerity and moving sentiment.
Wen Xuyu watched her performance with icy indifference; if she weren't one of the protagonists in this situation, she might have even applauded.
"Qianxue, say no more." Xu Zeyan knelt on one knee, gripping Wen Qianxue’s hands tightly as he made a solemn promise. "Rest assured, I, Xu Zeyan, only have eyes for you in this life. You are a kind and considerate girl, and my parents are very fond of you. I won't let anyone hurt you!"
Tears streamed down Wen Qianxue’s face, deeply moved.
In a corner no one noticed, Wen Qianyu watched this scene, a hint of bitterness surfacing in his eyes.
"You really are a perfect match for each other," Wen Xuyu sighed to herself, having no desire to continue watching this display of tortured, tragic romance.
To be honest, she had no interest in Xu Zeyan.
Ever since she returned, even though she saw him with Wen Qianxue every time, she felt nothing in her heart—she hadn't even realized at first that he was supposed to be her fiancé.
"Enough! Are you not ashamed enough already?" Wen Yuqin, who had remained silent, suddenly barked. He then turned to look at the daughter who bore a striking resemblance to his wife in her youth, his brow furrowing slightly.
"Wen Xuyu, you caused this mess, but fortunately, the third young master of the Lu Family is quite satisfied with you. I’ve already negotiated with the Lu Family; you are to enter their house first thing tomorrow morning. Do you hear me?"
Wen Xuyu clenched her fists, her gaze sharp. "It is impossible for me to marry into the Lu Family!"
"Impossible?" Wen Yuqin sneered, his lofty posture that of someone looking down at an ant he could crush with a single step.
"Do you think you have a choice? Only the Wen Family can afford the medical expenses for your foster father. Do you intend to stand by and watch him die?"
Wen Xuyu trembled uncontrollably. "What have you done to them?"
Before she ran away, she had discussed with her close friend, Shen Mo, for him to find a chance to get the elderly couple out.
But judging by the current situation, he must have failed!
As the head of the family, Wen Yuqin was a man of his word; no one dared to defy him, and she was already several days past the agreed-upon time... She was deeply worried for her foster parents and Shen Mo.
"Enough of this nonsense." Wen Yuqin waved his hand, his face full of impatience. "Tomorrow morning, the Lu Family will come to collect you. If you dare to run again… I will immediately cut off the medical funding. As for that friend of yours, I will see to it that he rots in prison."
The couple who had raised her were Wen Xuyu’s Achilles' heel; how could he possibly let them die so easily?
Wen Yuqin knew that his biological daughter could provide him with far more than just this. After all, he had heard personally from the head of the Lu Family that the third young master of the Lu Family had requested this girl himself and didn't care at all about her fleeing the engagement.
Hearing these indisputable words, Wen Xuyu knew there was no room for negotiation.
She was subsequently locked in her room. Fearing she might attempt to escape again, Wen Yuqin had people watch her and had the doors and windows boarded up.
Wen Xuyu lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Judging by Wen Yuqin’s words, her foster parents and Shen Mo were likely safe, which eased her mind somewhat.
As for the third young master of the Lu Family… Wen Xuyu raised her arm. The spot where Wen Qianxue had scratched her earlier was still oozing blood.
She seemed to have forgotten there was someone else involved…
*Forget it, forget it,* Wen Xuyu closed her eyes, exhausted. She needed to think of a way out.
...
At Xuanshuiwan Villa.
A maid brought dinner to the table and then retreated to the side.
Bian Xunzhou sat at the head of the table. Just as the man picked up his chopsticks, two bloodstains appeared on the back of his hand, followed by a sharp pain in his shoulder.
Lu Zhao, standing to the side, saw this and immediately grew anxious. "Sir, are you alright?"
Bian Xunzhou’s dark eyes flickered. He stared at the wound for a few seconds before waving the maid over.
"Go see what she is doing."
It went without saying who "she" was.
The maid moved quickly. She knocked on the bathroom door and called out, "Miss, are you still in the bath, Miss?"
There was no response from inside the bathroom. The maid hesitated for a moment, then opened the door and walked in, only to find it empty. She scrambled back downstairs.
"This is bad, Sir! The young lady is gone!"
Hearing this, Bian Xunzhou’s expression turned sinister. A distorted smile curled at the corner of the man’s mouth. He wiped the blood from his pale skin and spoke in a cold, hard tone.
"Lu Zhao, go find out where she is."
"Understood, Sir."
"Running away—so she took my words as wind passing by?" he muttered, his voice raspy and dangerous.
His knuckles whitened as he clenched his hand, crumpling the snow-white napkin in his palm.
"Bring the two maids who moved the cabinets today," Bian Xunzhou ordered coldly, returning to his usual calm, composed demeanor.
"Yes."
Soon, the two maids stood before him.
Bian Xunzhou leaned back lazily on the sofa, his long legs crossed casually, fiddling with a silver lighter.
The flame flickered at his fingertips, illuminating his sharp profile and those deep, bottomless eyes. Every "click" sounded like a heavy hammer striking one's heart, chilling the bone.
"Tell me," he began, his voice low and slow, carrying an irresistible sense of oppression. "How did she fool you today?"
A smirk played on the man’s lips.
The maids kept their eyes down, their hands twisting together. Fine beads of sweat rolled down their temples. They had only just found out the young lady was missing.
"When I went to deliver the young lady's dinner, she seemed to have just woken up. She said she didn't like that cabinet and told me to move it away on the serving cart."
The other maid added, "We worked together to move the cabinet onto the cart. The young lady said she wanted to take a bath with flower petals and told us to get some and leave them outside the bathroom."
"When we returned, the young lady was no longer in the room. I saw mist and heard the sound of running water in the bathroom, so I assumed the lady had gone to bathe. That’s why we took the elevator down with the cart, and then we ran into you..."
Bian Xunzhou could guess the rest without them saying it.
He had truly underestimated her!
"Deduct half a month's wages from each of you. Get out."
The maids scrambled away as if fleeing a catastrophe.
Only Bian Xunzhou remained in the living room. The man pulled a cigarette from its pack, his knuckles shielding it as a pale blue flame danced.
He exhaled a puff of smoke, which swirled around him.
Lu Zhao soon uncovered Wen Xuyu’s location.
"Sir, Miss Wen is currently at the Wen Family home. Tomorrow morning, the Lu Family will send people to pick her up, and the five-hundred-million-yuan funding from the Lu Family will be transferred immediately."
"Five hundred million?" Bian Xunzhou sneered. "She’s quite valuable."
Lu Zhao suddenly found it hard to read his master’s mind. He hesitated.
"Sir, do we need to prepare to rescue Miss Wen?"
"Rescue her for what? She’s so good at running away, she’s probably already thought of a plan. Why would she need us to save her?" Bian Xunzhou narrowed his eyes, his tone dismissive.
"But, aren't you and she currently linked by synesthesia? If she is in danger, wouldn't you also..." Lu Zhao carefully chose his words.
Although this was unbelievable, as a competent executive assistant, he had already fully digested the fact.
Over the past three days, they had even traveled abroad to investigate the cause of this condition.
The most reliable theory was that the Master and Miss Wen had been under the same conditions and exposed to the same stimuli, leading to a cross-activation of their senses—a neurological phenomenon known as synesthesia.
The solution might depend on fate; perhaps it would be gone after a night’s sleep, or perhaps it would never go away in decades.
"Lu Zhao, you’ve been talking too much today!" Bian Xunzhou said coldly, his slender brows lifting with overwhelming pressure.
"I’m sorry, Sir, it won't happen again!" Lu Zhao felt the heavy pressure immediately. "This is Miss Wen’s phone."
Lu Zhao set the item down and retreated.
Bian Xunzhou drifted off into deep thought, his mind elsewhere, until a phone rang.
"What is it?" Bian Xunzhou swiped to answer, his tone ice-cold, laced with hidden revulsion.