A dowry of one billion, and I'll marry him!

As the old man spoke, his eyes reddened, his voice choked with emotion, and he gripped Shi Yanxia's wrist tightly, patting it gently as he said, "If something really happens, remember to stay alive."

"Come back alive, save your life. As long as you're alive, you can always make a comeback. Don't do what you did before, thinking of taking everyone down with you."

"If something happens to you, the Shi family and the Shen family will both be without successors," the old man said.

Shi Yanxia felt as if something was blocking her heart. This was the first time someone had told her that she was someone else's hope. From childhood to adulthood, she seemed to have always been someone no one cared about.

“So, I am a child of the Shi family,” Shi Yanxia said softly.

Shi Yannan didn't explain it clearly, but she understood. However, the old man was now telling her very clearly that the Shi family bloodline had been completely severed, and only she remained.

"Yes," the old man replied in a low voice.

"The Shi family was almost wiped out back then. Although they had connections in both the legitimate and underworld circles and their power was no less than that of our Zhan family, they were still targeted, and the Shi family members were brutally murdered overnight."

"Although those elders all protect the head of the Shi family, people's hearts are not what they used to be, and they will always have some improper thoughts. Shi Yannan's life back then was exchanged by Shen Guishi."

"She risked her life to save you, but also to save Shi Yannan," the old man said.

At this moment, Shi Yanxia's tears welled up again. She raised her hand to wipe them away, but no matter how she wiped, she couldn't wipe them clean. She didn't want to cry, but the tears wouldn't stop.

“She, she.” Shi Yanxia’s voice became hoarse.

She wanted to ask about Shen Guishi, she wanted to know, but she couldn't get any information out of him.

"Go ahead," the old man said.

He didn't say anything more. He dared not recall the past. It was a past that many people dared not remember. No one dared to mention what happened back then. It was too painful. That night when blood flowed like a river.

"Remember to come back alive." The old man said, then waved his hand, signaling her to leave.

Shi Yanxia looked down at the bracelet on her wrist, then at the bangle. These things, though seemingly ordinary, felt incredibly heavy. Their existence symbolized that some people had paid for them with their blood.

"Grandpa, wait for me to come back," Shi Yanxia said.

The old man didn't say anything; he just stood there, stunned.

Shi Yanxia turned around and walked outside with heavy steps, each step she took was extremely difficult.

Zhan Jinglin stood guard outside the door.

Hearing the door open, the man quickly turned around and saw her walk out with a serious expression, wearing a bracelet on her wrist. His thin lips moved, but he said nothing.

"Let's go, time waits for no one," Shi Yanxia said.

Zhan Jinglin wanted to ask her if she needed to rest, but seeing that she was determined to leave, he didn't ask any further questions.

He knew her too well; once she made a decision, no one could sway her—that was her strength.

"We received news that after we left, Shen Lianchu went into that alley, picked up the half of the love charm you left behind, and took it back to the Shen residence."

"I don't know what happened at the Shen family home. There was an argument inside, and then she, Shen Ming, and Shen Qinghong drove away together," Zhan Jinglin said.

Shi Yanxia listened and said, "Let's go to the Shen residence first and bring the stone with us."

“Yes, I’ve already sent Gu Qing and Leng Ziming to pick them up first,” Zhan Jinglin said.

Just as he finished speaking, his phone vibrated. Zhan Jinglin was puzzled and quickly answered the phone, asking, "Zhimo, what's wrong?"

“We searched the area your sister-in-law just mentioned, but we didn’t see the stone in the photo,” Leng Zhiming said.

He also sent over a video call, showing Zhan Jinglin and Shi Yanxia every corner of the Shen residence, and said, "Look, we've searched the whole place, but there's nothing there. Could it have been taken?"

Shi Yanxia glanced at it and said, "Check the surveillance footage to see if Shen Lianchu and the others took anything with them when they left."

“Yes, I almost forgot there were security cameras,” Leng Ziming said.

After hanging up the video, he immediately retrieved the surveillance footage.

A short while later, Zhan Jinglin's phone received a surveillance video. Shen Lianchu went to the backyard of the Shen residence, and the stone landed in her hand. She looked up at the surveillance camera with a smug expression.

It seems she anticipated someone would come to check the surveillance footage, and thus handed the item to the monitor.

"I took the stuff, hahaha," she said, laughing smugly.

The scene ended there. Shi Yanxia and Zhan Jinglin exchanged a glance, then quickly went downstairs. The bodyguards prepared the car, and Officer Huang also came over and said, "I have already applied to my superiors."

"We've already deployed special forces to surround the Gu and Huo families. None of the powerful figures from those wealthy families can get out, and we're ensuring no one can get close to them."

“We’ll send another hundred special forces soldiers with us. The roads over there are completely blocked off; no other vehicles are allowed to enter. If it involves blasting the mountain, the higher-ups have given permission,” Officer Huang said.

He was always decisive and efficient in his work. Having spent a long time with Shi Yanxia, ​​he seemed to be very familiar with her procedures, so he directly applied for arrangements.

"Thank you," Shi Yanxia said with some emotion.

After spending more time with Officer Huang, our relationship seemed to have evolved beyond mere cooperation; it felt more like that of old friends.

“Come on, I’ll go with you,” Officer Huang said.

He had just called home to make sure his wife and daughter were safe before he felt relieved. He also heard them say that Shi Yanxia had left them a talisman and they talked about other things.

Officer Huang didn't say it, but he was very grateful.

Shi Yanxia said nothing, but did everything for him. The fact that she left the talisman was very clear. She was protecting his wife and children. If something really happened, then that talisman would be his last resort to save his life.

Having done this job for so long, he's offended too many people. His biggest concern is the safety of his wife and children.

“Let’s go,” Shi Yanxia said.

After everyone got into the car, Officer Huang drove away. Leng Ziming and Gu Qing also drove away from the Shen residence. Before leaving, they followed Yan Xia's instructions and pasted the talismans she had drawn in several corners of the Shen residence.

“We’ll go around to the western suburbs,” Shi Yanxia said.

Officer Huang was somewhat surprised. He glanced at the rearview mirror and said, "Yan Yan, the western suburbs are wooded and have a narrow path. It might take half an hour."

If you don't go from the western suburbs, you can get there half an hour earlier, since this is the main road.

"Is the little one coming back?" Zhan Jinglin asked.

Shi Yanxia never does anything useless. Since she made this request, she must have her reasons. And since the western suburbs pass through a forest, it is possible that the snakes left on the mountain are coming back.

“Okay, go get it,” Shi Yanxia said.

Officer Huang was taken aback when he heard the words "little thing".

"That snake?" Officer Huang asked, somewhat surprised.

He hadn't seen the snake that was with Shi Yanxia lately, and he thought it had been released. It seemed the snake had gone off to do something important.

No wonder Shi Yanxia wanted to take a detour; the snake might be on its way back from the other side of the woods.

"Don't make it wait too long, or it will bite," Shi Yanxia teased.