When Shao Yibai received Yuan Xuan’s call through the satellite phone, he learnt that Mu Chenwu was dead while Yuan Xuan was stranded in the South China Sea because of the storm.

Yuan Xuan asked Shao Yibai for help because he was worried about Mu Chenyan. Unfortunately, Shao Yibai was in Capital City. Currently, Su Qingcheng was the only person that he trusted in Luo Hai.

Su Qingcheng’s mind was fraught with anxiety when Shao Yibai told her to rush over to Hibiscus Garden to check on Mu Chenyan.

Shao Yibai had only recently returned to the Capital City. Before he left, he asked her to take care of Mu Chenyan while he was gone.

Mu Chenyan did not go to work for a long time after the incidents in the Yuan household, but Su Qingcheng called her every day to ask if she was alright. Su Qingcheng knew that the Yuan Family Mansion’s security was extremely tight. It was unlikely that they would face any problems defending Mu Chenyan.

This afternoon, both Mu Chenyan’s cell phone and the landline at Hibiscus Garden were dead. Shao Yibai’s frantic calls from Capital City instantly sent panic through Su Qingcheng’s mind as well.

“Did something happen to Mu Chenyan?”

“I can’t give you details through the phone. Everything will be fine as long as she hasn’t left Hibiscus Garden. Our men are stationed around the periphery, so she’ll be safe! However, Yuan Xuan wants you to hurry over to Hibiscus Garden to check out the situation. Remember to protect Mu Chenyan!”

Shao Yibai was an optimist by nature, but he could sense that something was amiss now.

The man who was stranded in the South China Sea had been immensely troubled when he spoke to Shao Yibai over the phone. That was not the Yuan Xuan that Shao Yibai remembered.

*

Su Qingcheng’s car raced across the slippery road, forming splashes that were half a meter high. The other drivers spat a series of curses at her as they drove past.

Her car accelerated. Su Qingcheng only breathed a long sigh of relief when she drew close to the cluster of villas in the wealthy suburb near Autumn View Mountain. She gently stepped on the brakes. She thought to herself, ‘Mu Chenyan, please be alright.’

A red-colored BMW drove away from the direction of the Yuan Family Mansion. Its speed was neither fast nor slow. Through the mist, Su Qingcheng realized that the driver looked familiar. However, she failed to get a good look when their cars passed each other…

Su Qingcheng simply distractedly stepped on the accelerator and continued moving forward.

Fifteen minutes later, the mansion’s front door appeared before her.

She noticed that the security here was very tight when she attempted to enter the Yuan Family Mansion. The head of security was an imposing man carrying a walkie-talkie. He only allowed Su Qingcheng’s white-colored Mazda to enter once he received an order from the other side.

Su Qingcheng could instantly tell that the head of security was a special forces soldier who was transferred from Capital City. His vigilance and the way he carried himself was different from that of a civilian.

Hibiscus Garden

Ah Fu frantically paced up and down the house. She was too afraid to inform the Old Mistress that Yuan Xuan was uncontactable. She anxiously threw herself at Su Qingcheng when the older woman hastily rushed inside. “Miss Su… The Mistress…”

“Where is the Mistress?”

Su Qingcheng became agitated when she noticed that the servant was terrified. Her tone changed.

“The Mistress was packing her things earlier before she left with Miss Zhao… Before he left, the Master instructed me not to let the Mistress take a single step out of Hibiscus Garden. But I couldn’t stop her…”

Ah Fu began to sob as she explained.

“Why didn’t you answer the phone?” Su Qingcheng demanded angrily. She realized that she had failed when she heard this.

“The Mistress disconnected the phone line…”

Ah Fu’s heart continued to tremble with fear when she recalled the completely disillusioned look on Mu Chenyan’s face.

“She spoke to Miss Zhao for some time. I don’t know what Miss Zhao said, but the Mistress suddenly started crying. After that, she went upstairs and changed her clothes. When I came outside, I only saw Miss Zhao driving her car to the entrance before the Mistress got in without even turning back…”

Ah Fu took a deep breath after she spoke. She wiped away her snot and tears as she cried.

How would she face the Young Master if anything happened to Mu Chenyan because of this?

“Is Zhao Ruoxin’s car a red BMW?”

Su Qingcheng recalled the familiar driver whom she had encountered halfway when she slowed down.

“Yes, it’s a red car…”

“Damn!” Su Qingcheng was so angry that she wanted to slap herself several times. The car that she had passed earlier on the way here…

“Mu Chenyan, you idiot. How could you leave with her? What did she say to you?”

Su Qingcheng cursed when she realized that disaster was imminent. She contacted Wu Huai. “Captain, I’m requesting for backup. Mu Chenyan may have been kidnapped!”

Su Qingcheng was left with no choice but to make the situation sound slightly more severe. She needed to force Wu Huai to send the police.

Wu Huai was shocked when he heard this. “The Yuan Family must have done many evil deeds this year. They’ve given us a slew of cases. Don’t panic. Tell me the vehicle’s registration plate number and I’ll instruct someone over here to…”

Su Qingcheng contacted Shao Yibai. “Tell your men to come with me. Yuan Xuan’s own men can hold down the fort at the Yuan Family Mansion on their own. I’m afraid that Shu Qinger may have kidnapped Mu Chenyan!”

Shao Yibai’s hair stood on end when he heard this. They were in a sticky situation now. If anything happened to Mu Chenyan, Yuan Xuan would cause a ruckus when he returned to Luo Hai!

When the “head of security” at the entrance received Shao Yibai’s orders, he gathered the 150 elite soldiers from Capital City. While they were mostly dressed in casual clothes, a group of them had changed into the security guards’ uniforms as a disguise.

Su Qingcheng glanced at these well-trained troops before she arranged them in a simple manner.

She hurriedly created a chat group in order to ease communication. She sent Mu Chenyan and Shu Qinger’s photos and a picture of Shu Qinger’s car to the group.

“A few of you can go to various large petrol stations on your own to search for them using these photos.

“You guys will go to Luo Hai’s six high-speed intersections and intercept them.

“This group will investigate the nearby harbors and airports. The rest of you will do a thorough search using the transport department’s surveillance cameras.”

Su Qingcheng sighed deeply once she had finished assigning tasks. She ordered, “Inform the group if you discover even the slightest activity! Hurry up and move out! Also, Mrs Yuan is pregnant, so don’t frighten her or she may vomit.”

Mu Chenyan was unaware that Luo Hai had descended into chaos after she left. The transport department, major crimes department, and the special forces from Capital City turned Luo Hai upside down in the short span of several hours in an effort to find her…

*

At night

The raging storm that lasted throughout the day finally stopped.

The thunderous roar of massive propellers echoed from afar as it approached the landing pad on the port.

The cold wind on this rainy night was not enough to chill people’s bodies. The man who came down from the helicopter scanned his surroundings with a stern gaze. However, the people waiting for him at the airport wrapped their clothes tighter around their bodies.

“Third Young Master, I’m sorry… The Mistress…”

Zhou Tian, the captain responsible for guard duties, was one of Shao Yibai’s men. He felt extremely guilty about his dereliction of duty.

Yuan Xuan glanced at Zhou Tian. Although he was burning with rage, he knew that it was inappropriate to lash out at him. He calmly said, “Zhou Tian, you don’t have to explain. I still need your help to continue searching for the next few days.”

The expression on Yuan Xuan’s face darkened. There were no signs of a smile at all. He wrapped the black windbreaker tighter around his body as his long legs entered the Maybach.

They travelled west.

The Yuan Family Mansion was halfway up Autumn View Mountain. The old mansion gave off a strange dim light under the pitch-black autumn night.

The inside of Hibiscus Garden now lacked that woman’s gentle and beautiful silhouette. Yuan Xuan felt a heavy blow strike his heart at the second he entered. He had some trouble breathing.

Mu Chenyan had disappeared with Shu Qinger fourteen hours ago.

Ah Fu trembled with fear when she saw Yuan Xuan returning in the middle of the night. The girl was bundled up in cotton-padded clothes, but she shivered as she stood in the doorway.

“Young Master…”

Ah Fu pouted and nearly cried, but she determinedly restrained herself when she saw Yuan Xuan’s stern face.

However, Yuan Xuan could not blame anyone now.

Mu Chenyan left on purpose. Nobody could stop her if she wanted to leave.

“Ah Fu, bring Little Ginger Fur Ball and Briquet home tomorrow…”

A gleaming reflection flickered in Yuan Xuan’s dark eyes as the sense of loneliness suddenly swelled in his heart.

Everything was settled, but he could not make that woman stay in the end…

The thorough search lasted a week. It seemed as though Mu Chenyan had disappeared off the face of the earth. There was no news about her ever since.

Yuan Xuan’s initial fury turned into anxiety before it finally became prayers to god!

*

One month later

One morning in winter, Ah Fu woke up early as usual and busied herself in the kitchen.

In the month since the Mistress disappeared, The Young Master barely ate anything during meals. However, Ah Fu continued to cook the usual amount of food. She silently watched as Yuan Xuan laid out Mu Chenyan’s cutlery…

In this house, Yuan Xuan never seemed to admit that Mu Chenyan had left.

Today was no exception. Yuan Xuan instructed Ah Fu beforehand to cook the rice wine steamed eggs that the Mistress liked.

When Ah Fu came out of the kitchen, she was shocked to see the group of people who had suddenly appeared before her.

“Miss… Miss Zhao…”

The plate of steamed eggs that Ah Fu had just brought out clattered on the floor and broke into pieces while the girl shrieked.

Yuan Xuan came out of the bedroom when he heard the commotion.

He saw Yan Jun, Tian Qi, and a group of other people. They angrily burst into Hibiscus Garden while dragging a woman along.

That woman was none other than Shu Qinger who had disappeared with Mu Chenyan for a long time.

“Young Master, we caught this woman earlier at the entry point to Luo Hai’s highway.” Yan Jun shoved Shu Qinger inside.

Shu Qinger had replaced her red BMW with a white Hyundai long ago. It was not surprising that they were unable to find surveillance footage of that car entering and leaving the area during their previous investigations.

Shu Qinger’s gaze fell on the stern and gloomy man who was leaning against the handrails on the second floor. Her exquisite little face broke out into a smile.

“Third Young Master, I’m here to give you a letter!”

Yuan Xuan’s expression remained calm. His dark eyes never stirred as he was unperturbed. He said indifferently, “You were brave enough to return, so you should already know the consequences!”

Shu Qinger lifted her head and giggled when he said that.

“If you’re planning to ask me about Mu Chenyan’s whereabouts, you can rest assured that I won’t tell you.”

As she spoke, Shu Qinger attempted to cast off Tian Qi’s grip. Yuan Xuan signalled Tian Qi to release her.

Shu Qinger shook her arm once she was freed. It hurt from being gripped so tightly. She stepped forward and walked upstairs to the second floor. She anchored her feet there and met the man’s gaze.

She had previously loved him so much that she had suffered terribly for him. His face was currently filled with intense hatred. Shu Qinger believed that Yuan Xuan would tear her to shreds with his own hands. The only thing that stopped him was his desire to learn Mu Chenyan’s whereabouts from her.

Mu Chenyan left Luo Hai and followed Shu Qinger to City C. She wrote this letter a month ago.

She had initially planned to get rid of Mu Chenyan. It would be best if she sold her off in Africa.

She never expected that Mu Chenyan would merely use her to escape from Luo Hai. A short while after they left Autumn View Mountain, Mu Chenyan forced Shu Qinger to exchange her BMW for a white Hyundai at a car retailer.

The vehicle permits were complete, and she even had the proper identification to prove that this car was obviously not stolen.

The owner of the Hyundai could not believe that he had gotten so lucky…

Mu Chenyan promised that they would transfer ownership of the BMW to him and finalize everything in a few days. She also reminded the car owner to remove the vehicle’s registration plate immediately and drive the car home. He could not appear in public for the next three days at any cost.

The owner of the Hyundai obediently followed her instructions. He only realized that he had gotten himself into a huge mess when he heard that the Third Young Mistress of the Yuan Family was on the run.

The man was so terrified that he sought out his uncle that very night and painted the red BMW white… It resulted in a horrible paint job.

Mu Chenyan still possessed the wig and tools that she previously used to crack cases. It was not difficult for her to disguise herself and deceive surveillance.

Yuan Xuan had forgotten that Shu Qinger’s name had already vanished. They used Zhao Ruoxin’s identification throughout their journey…

Mu Chenyan abandoned her three days after they arrived in City C. The only thing that she left behind in the hotel was this letter.

In actuality, Shu Qinger was completely unaware of Mu Chenyan’s current whereabouts.

Shu Qinger had to admit that she was no match for Mu Chenyan when it came to deceiving others.

She had lost sight of Mu Chenyan, but Yuan Xuan was still frantically looking for his wife.

Shu Qinger found a remote place in City C and hid there because she was too afraid to return to Luo Hai.

Mu Chenyan had taken her identification card and the money inside her bank cards. It was impossible for a person such as Shu Qinger, who had always been fragile and egotistical, to suffer living a life on the run.

She realized that she still had Mu Chenyan’s handwritten letter. That man would probably give up once he saw the conclusion. Shu Qinger assumed that Yuan Xuan would not hurt her on account of the Old Mistress’ feelings. Moreover, that man was previously “indebted” to her as well.

Shu Qinger attempted to return to Luo Hai to find a way out.

As expected, she was immediately seized by Yuan Xuan’s men the moment she stepped foot into Luo Hai.

“Mu Chenyan wrote a letter and told me to give it to you!”

Shu Qinger took an envelope out of her pocket as she said this. It was pale pink and slightly crumpled after Shu Qinger rubbed against it.

Yuan Xuan’s palms were dry and warm. He felt strangely hurt when he looked at that pale pink envelope. It contained news from Mu Chenyan, but he was too afraid to take it…

Fear was a feeling that Yuan Xuan had not experienced since he was five years old. This was his first time experiencing this emotion ever since he lost his parents.

“Third Young Master Yuan, you don’t believe that Mu Chenyan wrote this letter for you?”

The corners of Shu Qinger’s lips curled upward when she noticed the hesitation that flashed across Yuan Xuan’s arrogant gaze. Her smile was intentionally sinister. “Mu Chenyan left you this letter because she knew that you refused to give up on her. She doesn’t want you to look for her anymore. If you don’t read it…”

Yuan Xuan refused to be threatened by this woman. He reached out and snatched the envelope. His large warm hands stroked it while he held it in his palm for some time.

Mu Chenyan chose this method as she was afraid that he would find her. She avoided all modern forms of communication and instead chose the primitive method of writing a letter…

Her delicate and familiar handwriting appeared before him when he opened the envelope. He recognized Mu Chenyan’s writing.

“Brother Xuan, I wrote you this letter because I couldn’t meet you. This is the last time I’ll ever call you ‘Brother Xuan’. I know that your heart will be filled with love and hatred when you read this letter.

“I’m sorry.

“You know that it was the best choice for me to leave. I can never face you again, and there’s no way for me to pretend that nothing happened. I can’t act like a spoiled child or fool around with you like we did in the past anymore…

“You protected me for so many years by refusing to expose my real past to me. I’ve loved and hated you, but I never realized that your love for me was so deep and sincere…

“You carried this burden alone in the past, but I repaid the favor. Please let me do something for you now.

“I’m Ze Da’s daughter…

“I have evil blood flowing through my veins as he was the leader of the rebel forces. I can’t even face myself because I’ve been tainted…

“3928 heroes lost their lives during the long-standing battle. The departed spirit of the brave General Yuan Tangbai would never allow me to stay here.

“Please forget me. You shouldn’t blame yourself for feeling conflicted because you love me. I don’t deserve your love at all.

“I was never given the right to choose, just like my mother who wasn’t allowed to decide whether she wanted to give birth to me in the first place.

“I stupidly allowed so many years to pass. Worse still, I made another unimaginably stupid decision when I discovered this the first time. How dare I assume that I was worthy enough to nurture the flesh and blood of the Yuan Family in my womb?

“Don’t come looking for me anymore. Just let me live out my days in misery as a form of repentance…

“You should find a better woman who will love you for the rest of your life. A woman like me doesn’t deserve you at all!

“I’ve aborted the baby…”

Yuan Xuan read the whole letter. He gripped the railing to calm down. He noticed that the envelope contained a document from the hospital confirming that her pregnancy was terminated!

Yuan Xuan murmured, “Mu Chenyan, how could you…”

He felt his vision darken before his entire body fell headfirst with a thud!

“Young Master!” Tian Qi and Yan Jun yelled simultaneously.

Ah Fu had no idea what happened. She merely shrieked when she saw Yuan Xuan’s tall figure tumbling down the stairs…