Proofreader & Editor: Lotas
Lin Jingzhi and Bai Bing were taken aback, clueless about what had happened to Ye Qiu.
By the time Bai Bing caught up, she saw Ye Qiu dashing down the stairs at breakneck speed.
"Ye Qiu, Ye Qiu…" Bai Bing called out loudly from behind.
However, Ye Qiu paid no heed, sprinting straight to another floor of the inpatient department.
"Not good, Guo Shaocong is staying on this floor." Bai Bing's face paled as she realized Ye Qiu was after Guo Shaocong, chasing and shouting, "Ye Qiu, don't do anything rash."
But it was too late.
"Bang!"
With a forceful kick, Ye Qiu burst through the door of the ward, only to find no sign of Guo Shaocong, just Zhang Lili sitting on the sofa, playing with her phone.
"Where's Guo Shaocong?" Ye Qiu demanded.
Startled by the sudden intrusion, Zhang Lili jumped. Recognizing Ye Qiu, she sneered with disdain, "What are you doing here? Are you here to apologize to Shaocong?"
"Where is Guo Shaocong?" Ye Qiu pressed.
"I have nothing to tell you," Zhang Lili pointed to the floor, "If you're here to apologize to Shaocong, then kneel down right here!"
Crack!
Ye Qiu stepped forward, gripping Zhang Lili's throat and lifting her off the ground.
"What are you doing? Let go of me, let go…" Zhang Lili struggled desperately.
When Bai Bing entered the ward, she witnessed this scene and quickly said, "Ye Qiu, let her go."
"Tell me, where is Guo Shaocong?" Ye Qiu's eyes were icy, his brow filled with ferocity.
"Let me go… someone help… murder…" Zhang Lili screamed.
Crack—
Ye Qiu's grip tightened, and in an instant, Zhang Lili's breathing became labored, her eyes rolling back.
"I'll ask you one last time, where is Guo Shaocong? If you don't tell me, I'll kill you!"
Ye Qiu looked menacing, clearly not joking.
Bai Bing also realized something was seriously wrong with Ye Qiu and quickly said, "Zhang Lili, where is Guo Shaocong?"
"He, he went out."
"Where to?"
"Shaocong said he felt suffocated in the room and asked a nurse to take him to the garden for a stroll."
Ye Qiu didn't believe Zhang Lili's words and asked, "Why didn't you accompany Guo Shaocong?"
"Shaocong didn't want me to." Zhang Lili sounded pitiful.
In the morning, Guo Shaocong wanted to visit the garden, and Zhang Lili offered to accompany him, but he suddenly lost his temper and scolded her.
Then, Guo Shaocong insisted on having a nurse take him to the garden instead of Zhang Lili, who, feeling aggrieved, had no choice but to sit on the sofa playing with her phone. Little did she know, Ye Qiu would burst in and bully her.
Unable to hold back any longer, Zhang Lili burst into tears.
"Bang!"
Ye Qiu threw Zhang Lili to the ground and stormed out.
"Ye Qiu, Ye Qiu… Ye Qiu, stop right there!" Bai Bing intercepted Ye Qiu in the corridor, her face stern, "What on earth happened?"
"My mother has been kidnapped."
"What?" Bai Bing was shocked, finally understanding why Ye Qiu was so agitated—it was because his mother was in trouble.
"Do you suspect Guo Shaocong is behind this?" Bai Bing continued.
"He's the only enemy I have," Ye Qiu affirmed, certain that Qian Jinglan's kidnapping was connected to Guo Shaocong.
"Let's go find Guo Shaocong." Bai Bing and Ye Qiu headed straight for the garden.
In the garden, many patients were moving around, but Guo Shaocong was nowhere to be seen.
"That bastard must have kidnapped my mom," Ye Qiu cursed furiously.
"Ye Qiu, should we call the police?" Bai Bing suggested.
"If it really is Guo Shaocong, he's after me. As long as he sees me, he won't harm my mom. If we call the police, he might do something desperate, which could be bad for my mom," Ye Qiu explained to Bai Bing, "Director Bai, please help me explain to Sister Lin. I'm going to save my mom now."
"Do you know where your mom is?"
"I know, she's at…"
Beep beep beep—
Before Ye Qiu could finish, his phone rang again. He quickly pulled it out of his pocket to see it was the same number as before.
He answered.
The raspy voice on the other end said, "Ye Qiu, where are you?"
"What do you want?" Ye Qiu snapped, "Come at me if you dare, but leave my mom out of this."
"Would you listen to me if I didn't take your mom? I warn you, no tricks. If you call the police, I'll kill your mom right away."
The raspy voice continued, "You have fifteen minutes to get to the unfinished building next to Zhongbei Road. If I don't see you in fifteen minutes, heh, today will become the anniversary of your mom's death."
"Are you Guo Shaocong?" Ye Qiu asked fiercely.
"Heh, want to know who I am? You'll find out when you get here," the voice sneered.
"Whether you're Guo Shaocong or not, I'm telling you, if you touch my mom, you're dead."
Click!
Ye Qiu hung up.
Bai Bing, who had heard the entire conversation, said, "It's hard to get a taxi at this time. I'll take you there."
"Okay."
Saving someone was urgent, and Ye Qiu wasn't about to be fussy.
Bai Bing drove him straight to Zhongbei Road.
On the way, Ye Qiu called Zhao Yun. As soon as the call connected, Ye Qiu got straight to the point, "Brother Zhao, I'm in trouble and need your help."
Ye Qiu guessed that whoever was responsible had already set a trap for him, and he was seeking Zhao Yun's help as a precaution.
"What happened?" Zhao Yun asked.
"My mom's been kidnapped."
"What?" Zhao Yun was also surprised and asked, "The address?"
"It's the unfinished building next to Zhongbei Road. The kidnapper told me to get there in fifteen minutes, and I'm on my way," Ye Qiu said.
Zhao Yun replied, "Bro, keep them steady, I'll be there soon."
"Okay."
After hanging up, Ye Qiu said to Bai Bing, "Director Bai, once I get out of the car at the destination, you should leave immediately."
"Why?"
"I'm afraid it might be dangerous."
"Then I can't leave you," Bai Bing insisted, "I'll go with you to meet the kidnappers. Maybe I can help."
Ye Qiu glanced at Bai Bing, her professional attire accentuating her figure perfectly, especially with the seatbelt on, like a mountain road winding through towering canyons, breathtaking.
Such a beautiful woman could attract unwanted attention from the kidnappers.
"Director Bai, listen to me, don't go inside," Ye Qiu said, "I don't want you to be in danger. If you really can't rest easy, then wait outside for me."
"Fine, I'll wait outside for you. But Ye Qiu, you must be careful and come out quickly after you save your mom," Bai Bing instructed.
"Don't worry, I'll be careful."
Twelve minutes later, the car arrived at Zhongbei Road and stopped in front of a towering unfinished building.