The Counterattack of a Wealthy Family's Substitute

Thinking about it carefully now, she can't help but feel a sense of lingering fear.

Xiu Yan frowned: "Kidnapping?" He was somewhat incredulous. Although he was familiar with the word since childhood, he was still shocked when he heard Yao Yingxi say it.

Yao Yingxi smiled faintly, her eyes filled with tears: "Isn't it incredible that I was able to escape from the kidnappers?" Thinking back carefully, Yao Yingxi was also surprised that she was able to escape from the kidnappers and walk here alone for so long.

"By the way, Xiuyan, what time is it now?" She only knew that she had been walking for a long time, but she hadn't paid attention to the time.

Xiu Yan gave Yao Yingxi a deep look, then glanced at his watch: "It's already 1:20."

"Xiao Xi, you really..." He couldn't express his feelings at that moment. He felt sorry for Yao Yingxi, but he couldn't help but admire her.

He didn't know how long Yao Yingxi had been gone, but this place was deserted. If it were any other woman, let alone escaping from the kidnappers, she would probably faint from fright just walking on such a dark road.

Yao Yingxi looked up and stared at him.

Xiu Yan smiled and shook his head: "Are you scared? Do you want to take a nap? We still have more than an hour to go before we reach the city center."

As soon as he finished speaking, Yao Yingxi yawned. She was exhausted and looked very tired.

"Okay, wake me up when we get there," Yao Yingxi said while drinking water. She was very hungry, there was no food on the bus, and she felt uncomfortable in her stomach and her legs were sore.

Xiu Yan nodded, and Yao Yingxi leaned back in the seat. She was exhausted and fell into a deep sleep within a few minutes.

Meanwhile, Xi Yuanchen was not having a good time. A person had disappeared into the mall without any warning, witnesses, or suspicious vehicles.

Xi Yuanchen slumped over the steering wheel when his phone rang. He answered it anxiously.

"Any news?"

“Boss…” Anan didn’t know what to say. Six hours had passed and there was still no clue.

Liang Pingyin's whereabouts are unknown. She still owns a property but has no intention of selling it. As for Liu Hui, she hasn't been in contact with many people lately, and she went to Haicheng today. Xi Zhishen has been staying in the villa recently, and there are no suspicious people in his call records.

Xi Yuanchen's eyes reddened. The first time was when Yao Yingxi broke up with him, and he felt helpless and at a loss.

The second time was today. He knew in his heart that after several hours without any news, the person who kidnapped Yao Yingxi didn't want money; they wanted her life.

The prognosis is now likely grim.

Images of him and Yao Yingxi flashed through his mind, along with the footage from the surveillance camera. Suddenly, he lifted his head from the steering wheel and said, "Check immediately to see if there are any suspicious deposits into the parents' accounts shown in the surveillance footage, and have those two people come to see me right away."

People vanish into thin air. Although there is a safety exit near the restroom, very few people have passed by on the surveillance cameras, and they are all alone, except for the cleaning truck. The truck has buckets on top and a large compartment underneath with brooms and water, but it is not impossible to put an adult inside.

There were no suspicious vehicles around, but the garbage truck was deliberately pushed out, and it's not impossible that it would be taken somewhere and given to someone at that time.

Thinking of this, Xi Yuanchen's breathing became heavy, a chill ran down his spine and seeped into his bones, making his heart race and causing him to feel fear.

After hanging up the phone, silence fell over the surroundings. Xi Yuanchen started the car, intending to go back to the apartment to check on things.

He sent all his men to find Yao Yingxi, and even Zhong Enming, worried that something might happen after he learned that Yao Yingxi had made the call, arranged for his own men to follow her.

It was as if these people were determined to turn Yuncheng upside down.

The car pulled up downstairs, and Xi Yuanchen returned to his apartment. His aunt was sitting in the living room.

Xi Yuanchen was somewhat surprised when he saw the person.

Hearing the noise, the auntie was startled awake. She looked tired, but when she saw Xi Yuanchen, her mind cleared. Because she was worried, she didn't dare go home after get off work and planned to wait here.

"Sir, how is it? Any news?"

Hearing his aunt ask this, Xi Yuanchen knew that Yao Yingxi still hadn't returned. He shook his head and said, "Auntie, it's so late. Why don't you prepare a guest room to sleep in? Don't wait for her." He knew what his aunt was thinking, and it wasn't convenient for her to go back now.

"It's alright, I'm not sleepy. I'll wait for Miss to come back. I've been keeping the porridge warm in the pot, so I can have a bowl if I get hungry." The aunt comforted him, "Sir, don't worry. No news doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad thing. Maybe Miss went out to play and her phone just happened to run out of battery and turned off. She'll probably be back during the day."

Xi Yuanchen nodded. With no news, he'd rather Yao Yingxi be out having fun than be kidnapped.

He turned and walked out, closing the door behind him. The aunt watched Xi Yuanchen's retreating figure, her heart filled with even greater worry.

At three o'clock in the morning, Xiu Yan's car finally arrived in Yuncheng. Along the way, apart from convenience stores, most of the night market stalls were closed. Seeing that Yao Yingxi was still asleep, Xiu Yan's driver parked the car on the side of the road, and he got out of the car and went into a convenience store to buy a few cups of yogurt, hot oden, and bread.

When he returned, he saw that Yao Yingxi had already woken up. He paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "I was just about to wake you up." As he spoke, he handed the oden in his hand to Yao Yingxi, saying, "Most of the barbecue stalls are closed now. Eat this first to warm your stomach."

Yao Yingxi nodded. Although she was very hungry, she still ate according to her own habits and did not wolf down her food.

"Are you hungry?" she asked Xiu Yan. "How about some bread?" Yao Yingxi drank her yogurt and held out the bread that Xiu Yan had just handed her.

He wasn't actually very hungry, but he took the food Yao Yingxi offered. He only opened one portion, broke it in half, and handed it to Yao Yingxi: "Eating too much too late will keep you from sleeping."

Yao Yingxi nodded. The car was still driving and they hadn't reached the city center yet. It was estimated that they would arrive at the apartment in about an hour.

"Xiaoxi, are you tired? How about I book a hotel for you? You can use the hotel phone to call Xi Yuanchen?" Xiu Yan asked her with a worried expression. Seeing Yao Yingxi's tired face and pale complexion, his heart ached.

Throughout the journey, he kept thinking about what it was like when Yao Yingxi was kidnapped.

How much strength and willpower did she use to run out and walk for so long?

Xiu Yan dared not ask where Yao Yingxi had come from. He was afraid that if he knew what had happened to Yao Yingxi, he would lose control of his desire to possess her, protect her under his wing, and prevent her from getting hurt, let alone being kidnapped or having her life in danger.

Upon hearing this, Yao Yingxi quickly nodded, "No need, Xiuyan. Thank you for tonight. If I hadn't met you, I don't know how long it would have taken me to get back to Yuncheng, or what I would have encountered." She chuckled, "Thank you so much for troubling you tonight."