Fang Lin’s fingers trembled as she picked up the phone call. "Hello? Hello..."
There was a crackle, and then...
"Lin..."
"Lin.... Lin...."
Fang Lin’s knees nearly gave out. Her hand clutched the edge of the table for support, her voice breaking as she whispered, "Yueyao?!"
"It’s ," Yueyao said softly, the sound of her voice was dry and faint, but unmistakably hers.
The man sitting on the couch signaled Fang Lin to press the phone into loudspeaker.
"Lin Lin...."
"Please help ...."
"I’m not crazy...."
"Please help , I’m dying..."
"Lin Lin... Help ...." You could hear that broken and lost hope voice coming from her, even if she called her, she knew she didn’t have any ans to help her, but she still wanted to call.
"They think I have gone crazy, but I haven’t, they have locked up like a crazy mad woman, but I’m not.... I want to die Lin Lin... I want to die...." The voice from the other end was exhausted and hopeless.
Fang Lin stood frozen, one hand over her mouth, the other trembling as she held the phone. Her eyes filled with tears.
The man beside her, tall, dark-eyed, and composed, leaned in. The mont he heard Yueyao’s voice, a faint crack appeared in his usually unreadable expression.
"Trace the call," he said to the assistant silently stationed at the desk. "Now."
Fang Lin choked back a sob. "Yueyao, where are you? Tell where you are. I will co. I will co right now."
Yueyao’s voice cracked over the speaker, whisper-thin, already fading, "No don’t... Don’t co here... Don’t co here..." She couldn’t want her to get hurt even the slightest bit. She knew the current Shen Xiao wouldn’t let her get any closer to her.
"Fang Lin, I’m sorry...."
"Fang Lin, I’m sorry...." She broke down apologizing.
The man snatched the phone away from Fang Lin who couldn’t say a word anymore.
"Tell where you are and I will co to you... Yueyao my girl, talk to ." That voice, sounded calming and held so much authority and hope.
"Where are you? You left behind when I chose you? Where are you, why can’t I see you?" She was now having hallucinations because this sa voice was the one she heard in her nightmare calling her over, it was him she had chosen but still woke up in the sa place and he was gone.
"Shhhh... Calm down... Yueyao, you have to tell where you are so that I can save you out."
"No... No... Don’t co here... Don’t co here..." She knew Shen Xiao was powerful and could hurt the two of them. Hle could she allow that?
"Yueyao, tell ... I will save you."
"No... No... You don’t exist, you are a devil! A ghost, haha... My baby is a ghost too...."
"She was so tiny, beautiful and sweet..."
"She couldn’t even see life! I didn’t protect her... I failed her..."
"Shhh... I know where your baby is, you just need to tell where you are so that I can bring her over, she is beautiful." The man could tell her mind was off, and only word manipulation could work at the mont.
"You have my baby? You have my baby, my little one.."
"What do I have to do in return after saving ? I know there’s nothing for free... I know it.. I know it, but I need to see my baby even if I have to make a deal with the devil...."
"Just be my wife, nothing much I would ask of you... Just be mine... I don’t have much...." Yes, he didn’t want anything from her and Yueyao imdiately knew she was running from one ho to another! Did she have a choice?
There was silence on the line, long, fragile silence.
Then a shaky breath ca through.
"You... you’re real?" she whispered, like a frightened child clinging to a dream.
"Yes, I’m real," his voice remained steady, but his eyes were wild with urgency now. "I have always been real. And I’m coming. Just tell where."
She knew she was trapped, but it was better with soone else rather than Shen Xiao, she didn’t want to stay in that mansion a minute longer.
There was another pause. Then, faintly...
"...East wing... first floor... locked from the outside... white walls..."
The line went dead.
"Damn it!" he barked, rising to his full height.
"Sir, we got it," the assistant said imdiately, tapping furiously on his laptop. "Signal ca from Shen Mansion. East wing, like she said. She must be in one of the unused secret rooms. We will need a floor plan."
"We don’t need a floor plan," the man snapped, already grabbing his coat. "That mansion is so small to waste ti on that... Just arrange more ard n and her."
He turned to Fang Lin, who was still standing in shocked silence, tears glistening in her lashes.
"Don’t open the door for anyone tonight. No one. Do you understand?"
Fang Lin nodded weakly. "Is she going to be okay?"
"I don’t know," he said grimly. "But if she isn’t, soone’s going to burn for it."
— — — —
"Ti’s up," Xiao Ning said softly, stepping back into the room with a tray in hand.
Yueyao had already ended the call. The phone was turned off and resting face-down on the sheets.
She looked up and gave the maid a faint, grateful smile.
"Thank you, Xiao Ning. I’ll eat now."
The maid glanced at the phone, seemingly relieved that all was well, and walked over to set the tray on the table.
She heard nothing. She saw nothing.
Just a fragile girl reaching for congee with shaking hands.
And outside, the storm had only just begun.
— — — — — —
The door to Fang Lin’s apartnt slamd shut behind him, the echo lingering like a war drum. Rain pounded against the windows as the man strode into the hallway, his black coat already draped over his broad shoulders.
A fleet of black SUVs waited below.
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