After being reborn, I became the apple of my enemy's eye.

"Do you think I'm an idiot?"

Someone nearby called out to him, "That's enough, don't do it."

Yan Yun was slapped to the ground. The person used force, and the slap alone made her ears ring.

The man who hit the other person gave instructions.

“Go and keep watch at the Zheng residence. If there’s no movement, throw this girl off the cliff. If there is movement, then we haven’t arrested the wrong person, and our chance to turn things around will come.”

After he finished speaking, he grabbed Yan Yun and twisted him up, then put a sack over Yan Yun's hands and feet, tightening it as if he were binding firewood.

Knowing that Yan Yun was not mute, they even stuffed a rope into his mouth.

Yan Yun was in a lot of pain. When she looked at the two people in front of her, her feelings went from fear to terror, and now to resentment. She thought that the reason they captured her was because she was the daughter of the Zheng family. They wanted to use her to exchange for money at the Zheng family, so they captured her.

Yan Yun blamed herself for being careless. She never imagined that so many people were watching her from the shadows. She could foresee the outcome. Even if Zheng Jihua agreed to their demands, the two people in front of her clearly wouldn't let her go.

As agreed, the person who went to the Zheng residence to keep watch was left, leaving only the person who had attacked Yan Yun.

He stared at Yan Yun and said, "You'd better be that young lady from the Zheng family, otherwise, maids have lowly lives and won't live long."

Lu Yan and Lu Yuan, who had gotten separated from Yan Yun, could not find any trace of her.

Lu Yan suddenly felt everything go black.

Lu Yuan was also uneasy. "Third Young Master, what should we do? If the person goes missing, how will we explain it when we get back?"

Lu Yan was also a little flustered, but he made up his mind in just a few seconds.

"Keep searching. If we can't find it, I'll give my life for it."

Lu Yuan was afraid that the young master was thinking this way.

The young master has already left his hometown and come here, and his days of living under someone else's roof seem far off. Miss Zheng is not an obedient person and is not a good match for the young master at all.

Lu Yuan absolutely refused the young master's offer to exchange one life for another. "Young master, let's go back to Yuanjing."

Lu Yuan mustered up his courage and spoke his mind.

Lu Yan ignored him and instructed Lu Yuan to wait.

"Go back to the Zheng residence. If Ning'er goes back, you wait here until I return."

Lu Yuan still tried to persuade him.

“That young lady is running around everywhere. I saw her running away on purpose. How could she possibly go back? Young master, just listen to me, let’s go.”

Although Lu Yuan was wholeheartedly devoted to Lu Yan, he did not sway Lu Yan.

Lu Yan is not the kind of person who would run away. If he ran away, it would only bring shame to the General's Mansion. "I will pretend I didn't hear what you just said. I will not leave. I will find my cousin Ning'er before the Lantern Festival ends."

Lu Yan hadn't thought much about it yet. He just felt that his cousin Ning'er didn't want to stay with him. The lantern festival was indeed fun and would distract her, so it wasn't surprising that she left alone.

If it were just simple playfulness, that would be the best, but he always felt uneasy, and that unease was getting worse and worse.

He gripped Yan Yun's bamboo hat tightly: "Lu Yuan, you go back first."

Lu Yuan dared not go back. "Third Young Master, let's search together."

If he couldn't hide it when he got back and the people in the manor found out that the young lady had abandoned them and disappeared, he would feel like he couldn't breathe.

Lu Yan decided not to waste any more time.

"Then let's part ways. See you at the end of the street."

After Lu Yan and Lu Yuan parted ways, Lu Yan stopped someone and asked if they had seen a little girl wearing a green jacket.

Everyone was busy with the lantern festival and had no idea who the little girl in the green jacket was; they all said they'd never seen her before.

Lu Yan could only continue searching. He asked the vendors, and one of them gave him directions.

"I do remember a little girl going into the alley alone."

Lu Yan turned to look at the alley. Without confirming anything further, he walked straight into the alley. But when he reached a place where he could choose any direction, he naturally didn't know which way to go.

He closed his eyes and imagined himself as his cousin Ning'er.

If it were her, where would she go?

The person guarding Yan Yun didn't expect to wait there until dawn. He wrapped Yan Yun up and tied him tightly with wooden sticks several times over.

He grabbed Yan Yun, pushed open the door, and disappeared into the night.

Yan Yun's body was placed under the concealing firewood. Because the firewood couldn't see her surroundings, she only knew that she was moving forward. She wanted to struggle, but it was difficult because of the layers of firewood.

Where do we go after leaving here? What if we go to an even more remote place?

She was so startled that she stammered out a cry.

Upon hearing the sound, the man threw her to the ground.

A wooden stick pierced Yan Yun's body.

The man warned her in a low voice.

"You little brat, do you think you've got too much life ahead of you and want to die now?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the surroundings became quiet again.

Yan Yun also felt scared and tried to move forward, but in an instant he felt dizzy. The wooden sticks pierced his body and caused pain. The firewood binding his body stumbled and fell down, unable to move anymore.

Yan Yun's heart stopped when he saw the wooden stick that was almost piercing his eye.

If she hadn't died once before, the current situation would have been enough to terrify her to tears.

The man said without any mercy, "If you keep causing trouble, I'll kill you right now."

He bent down to lift Yan Yun up.

Just as he was about to leave.

Someone spoke up from behind.

"Wearing such clothes while carrying firewood is quite unique."

The man was startled and turned around to see someone coming out of the alley. He was a little panicked because he remembered that there was no one here.

He replied somewhat flusteredly, "I have smallpox on my face, I can't be seen by anyone."

Ordinary people would avoid smallpox at the mere mention of it.

But the person not only didn't dodge, but also took a few steps forward.

This made the person who had captured Yan Yun even more flustered, and he called out to stop him: "Wait, don't go any further."

He called out urgently to those who were approaching, then picked up the firewood from the ground and prepared to leave.

"Don't come near me. Wait until I leave before you go."

However, the newcomer did not listen to him. He stepped forward, and the moment his eyes met the man's, the man who had kidnapped Yan Yun panicked.

He abandoned the firewood where Yan Yun was hiding, and pulled out a knife from behind him, ready to stab the meddlesome man.

Just as he was about to stab that person.

A flash of cold light, and the person about to harm cried out in pain, "Ah!!"

The pitiful screams were especially piercing in the night.

Yan Yun also heard the screams, but this time she didn't make a sound. She didn't know who the other person was, or whether they were there for her, so she didn't dare to make a sound.

The other person sighed, "If you want to lie to me, you'd better come up with a better excuse. I know better than you what's hidden in that bundle of firewood."

As soon as he finished speaking, another scream reached Yan Yun's ears.

The scream sent chills down Yan Yun's spine. She dared not move, afraid that this person who had suddenly appeared was also there because of her, just like the other two.

Her heart instantly tightened again, and the fear and trepidation made her feel completely helpless. The only thing she could feel was her heart pounding in her chest.

She dared not make a sound, and while waiting, she felt uncomfortable all over.

The knife, falling at any moment, constantly pierces the nerves.

But there was no movement outside, not even the firewood he was hiding inside.

Yan Yun held his breath.

The voice sounded as if it were right next to my ear.

“This is the second time.”

the second time?

Before Yan Yun could even process the meaning behind those words, he felt the firewood binding him loosen, scattering freely all around him.

In the darkness, the man stood before her against the light, looking down at her with a cold glint in his eyes, the blade pointed at her face.

"Close your eyes."

Yan Yun didn't dare to look up; she found it difficult enough just to stay still.

"stop."

Just then, Lu Yan shouted out loud.

Yan Yun, who was on the ground, immediately looked up at him. In the darkness, she met Lu Yan's gaze. Both of them panicked and said, "Cousin Ning'er."

Lu Yan ran over quickly.

The man had already sheathed his sword and used the eaves of the house to push himself up.

Seeing that the man showed no intention of harming him, Lu Yan immediately stepped forward and untied the tattered ropes binding Yan Yun.

His eyes fell on Yan Yun's injured face, and he felt that he had not protected her well.

Yan Yun had no time to be sad. After Lu Yan let go of her, she staggered to her feet and looked at the person on the ground.

When she saw the neatly severed hand and the bloody cut on her face, she couldn't help but vomit instantly. But her stomach, which hadn't eaten much, could only spew out bile.

Her legs buckled and she was about to fall.