Falling For The Contract Bride

Chapter 130

Chapter 130 He Gave Her Courage

It was a rainy night, which was a rare sight in the recent years.

The roads were dark, combined with the fact that it was a considerable drive between the two cities, the journey felt like a torment to Mu Zhi.

Mu Zhi kept mum since getting into the car. Lu Jinye could feel the tenseness in her body. He hesitated before reaching out to hold her hand.

She subconsciously retracted her fingers the second she felt his warmth. Then, she raised her eyes to meet Lu Jinye’s tender gaze.

Mu Zhi bit her lip, desperate to stop her tears from streaming down.

Knowing that Mu Zhi needed company, Xu Se offered to give the both of them a ride, instead of letting Lu Jinye drive.

Xu Se glanced at Mu Zhi through the rearview mirror, and said reluctantly, “Isn’t Mu Xiaomu Jian Xiaoning’s daughter? Should we inform her? I think she’s in City S too.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

Mu Zhi promptly stopped him. Realizing that she might have overreacted, she hurriedly explained, “She’s currently fighting an outbreak at the hospital. Let’s not distract her. I can find the child.”

She did not wish for Jian Xiaoning to be concerned.

Upon hearing Mu Zhi’s cracked voice, Lu Jinye involuntarily squeezed her hand with his fingers out of grief.

A few moments later, Lu Jinye’s phone rang. He picked up the call, and said indifferently, “Hello?”

From the other end of the phone came the hoarse voice of the man Lu Jinye sent. “Mr. Lu, I was informed by the security guard that a man who resembled the one in the photo you sent went in an hour ago. He hasn’t left.”

“Go in and search for him.”

Lu Jinye sent his order right away.

Since hearing news of the abduction, Lu Jinye had been following up with Zhang Baiyan’s whereabouts closely.

Mu Zhi could hear that there was frustration in his tone. She trembled internally and looked at him with gratitude.

“Thank you.”

Mu Zhi seemed to have collected herself from the courage Lu Jinye gave her through the warmth of his palm.

She thanked him softly.

“Never say those two words to me again.”

Lu Jinye’s gaze was locked on the road ahead, obscured by the downpour. His voice was calm as usual.

Mu Zhi did not respond to him. She was secretly urging herself that what she felt was purely gratefulness for Lu Jinye, and consciously telling herself that affection was nonexistent between them.

The fleet of cars was making headway rapidly, unshaken by the rainy night.

Due to Lu Jinye’s presence, what terror Mu Zhi initially had within her disappeared. It suddenly occurred to her that life was full of hope.

…

Xiao Qingqing had been sitting on the couch, staring down at the kneeling Zhang Baiyan for a long while now. She refused to let him see his woman – Rose. In this instance, the receptionist suddenly came in, reporting to Shen Mobo, “Mr. Shen, there’re a few men at the front desk asking for you. They mentioned that they’re here to investigate a man. Their leader introduced himself as Lu Jinye, citing that you know him. He told me to ring you, he doesn’t seem to be aware that you’re around. What do I do?” Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.

Shen Mobo glanced at Xiao Qingqing. After listening to the report, Xiao Qingqing started shuddering in rage!

She clenched her fists fiercely, and said, “Tell Lu Jinye to come in and search the place!”

She squeezed the words through gritted teeth.

Following that, she gave Shen Mobo a look, “Bring him away, you can’t let Lu Jinye see you here. I need to go with you too.”

Shen Mobo promptly nodded. He hurled Zhang Baiyan into his car, and took off into the dense and heavy rain.

Xiao Qingqing devised her next move only when she got into the car.

Since Lu Jinye was here to look for Mu Zhi’s kid, she was curious to see who he would choose between the child and herself. Xiao Qingqing wanted to make it known to Mu Zhi that her child wouldn’t be abducted if she had kept a distance with Lu Jinye!

At that thought, Xiao Qingqing said to Zhang Baiyan, “Bring the kid here, record a video, and send it to Mu Zhi. Have her ransom the kid alone. If she informs anyone, especially Lu Jinye, the kid will not see the next sunlight!”

“Ok.”

Following that, Xiao Qingqing diverted her attention to Shen Mobo, “Mobo, where’s the location of your place in City S? Bring me there, I’m tired, can you please see to the rest of the matter for me?”

She was referring to Zhang Baiyan.

“Sure.”

Shen Mobo made a U-turn, dropped off Xiao Qingqing at his villa in City S, then drove off into the rain once again. Zhang Baiyan led him to where Mu Xiaomu was. He put on a mask to prevent getting recognized, and made Mu Xiaomu record an excruciating video with Zhang Baiyan.

Mu Xiaomu had always been a timid girl. She had cried her voice hoarse at this point, after starving for the whole day. She was scared like a little rabbit when Shen Mobo and Zhang Baiyan showed up at the rented house.

Mu Xiaomu would start wailing fearfully as long as Zhang Baiyan shouted at her.

Thus, the resulting video was convincing and heart-wrenching to watch.

At the Wanhui Casino, while Lu Jinye and the rest had failed to gather any clues, Mu Zhi suddenly received a call.

Before she could say a word, the man commanded, “Get away from the guys next to you, bring the phone with you to the ladies’ toilet.”

Mu Zhi could only comply and head to the washroom.

When she received a video of Mu Xiaomu heavily tied up, eyes as lifeless as an extinguished bonfire, Mu Zhi could no longer hold control over her emotions.

She immediately made a return call and yelled at the man, “What do you want exactly?”

“I’m not the man who had a one-night stand with you. I’m just a simple man who wants to play a game! Listen, break off from the group and leave the casino. Come to the address I’m about to send you, using the exact routes, to save your daughter. Do not inform anyone, if you do, especially Lu Jinye, then in the next video, you will see your little girl cut up into many little pieces.”

Mu Zhi held a hand over her mouth firmly to muffle her crying sound.

She had no idea what else she could do at this point. All she could do was succumbing to the man’s instructions.

She headed straight towards the exit when she left the ladies’ washroom, into the dark, rainy night. The route flawlessly avoided every surveillance camera that might catch a glimpse of her. Eventually, she disappeared into the downpour, and ended up at an abandoned warehouse.