The video threat had already been sent to Ren Yanqing, and now, it was just a matter of waiting for a response.
It was already very late, and even outside the basement, darkness had completely fallen.
However, there were still workers laboring at the construction site outside the building. These were the night shift workers, and the sounds they made while working weren’t quiet, echoing sharply through the night.
But those harsh noises couldn’t reach the remote corner of the basement.
At this moment, there were two figures busy inside the basement—Xu He and Duan Ming were going in and out, setting things up.
Meanwhile, Zhou Jinchen and Yan Lulin stood off to the side, watching, occasionally exchanging a few hushed words.
Their voices were low, making it impossible to discern what they were discussing.
Some were tidying the basement, others were conversing, creating a strangely harmonious atmosphere in the basement that made it hard to tell this was actually the site of a kidnapping.
In fact, it was hard to even tell who had been kidnapped.
After all, the person who had been kidnapped was currently sitting quietly by a heater, stretching out his slender hands, calmly and obediently warming himself like a well-behaved child.
The heater was a warm light lamp, bright and dazzling but casting a gentle yellow glow, enveloping the person with a faint warmth and tenderness.
The kind of tenderness that made it seem as if the whole world had fallen quiet.
Xu He and Duan Ming spent nearly an hour transforming the basement from a cluttered storage area into a more livable space.
However, it was still just a basement—no matter how much they altered it, it remained damp and dark, far from a suitable place for someone to live.
And certainly not a place fit for a pampered young master.
Xu He frowned in dissatisfaction as he looked around the basement, but at the moment, there was no better place to hide someone.
They couldn't afford any risks right now.
After finishing up, Xu He glanced at the person sitting quietly by the lamp warming his hands, his expression softening slightly.
The young man seemed a bit cold, sitting very close to the lamp, almost pressing his pale, delicate hands against it.
But the lamp was scalding hot, and touching it directly would certainly cause burns, so the young man was being careful, which made him look especially endearing and pitiful.
He was like a well-behaved little kitten.
After a brief pause, Xu He slowly walked over. Instead of sitting in the chair next to him, he crouched down right beside Ruan Qing.
He then gently reached out and took Ruan Qing's hand, placing it on his own face, and softly said, "Mm, it's warm now."
After Xu He finished speaking, he let go, his actions still gentle and restrained, as if he were merely testing the warmth of Ruan Qing's hand.
However, that intimate gesture was clearly not something typical between people with an ordinary relationship.
The young man did not resist, nor did he struggle. In fact, he even gave Xu He a smile—a smile with no trace of distance or alienation.
It was evident that he hadn't the slightest awareness that there was anything wrong with Xu He's actions.
With Xu He's constant company and help, the young man had visibly grown closer to him.
That closeness even surpassed what he had with Zhou Jinchen.
The others subconsciously furrowed their brows, a subtle coldness and displeasure flickering in their eyes.
Zhou Jinchen also inexplicably found the scene before him extremely unpleasant, even though he knew that the young man would lose all memory of today as soon as he woke up from sleep.
Zhou Jinchen had looked into the young man’s background and knew very well that this delicate young master, without his notebook to record things, would forget everything every time he lost his memory.
Even his own relatives were no exception.
That’s why he always recorded important people and events in the notebook.
But while the young man was unconscious, they had thrown that notebook away.
So, when he woke up tomorrow morning, his memory would likely be wiped clean again, remembering nothing at all.
Perhaps because he had been sitting by the lamp for too long and it was so warm, Ruan Qing gradually grew sleepy.
Tears welled up in his eyes from the drowsiness, making his already beautiful eyes look even more stunning. He yawned sleepily.
Seeing this, Xu He looked at him and gently said, "Go to sleep. I'll stay here with you."
Ruan Qing obediently nodded at his words, removed his shoes, and climbed onto the makeshift bed that had just been set up nearby.
The bed was right next to the lamp, so even while lying on it, he could still feel a bit of the lamp's warmth, as it was completely bathed in its glow.
The bright and warm light exuded a sense of security, and Ruan Qing slowly closed his eyes.
Zhou Jinchen and Yan Lulin, who had been occasionally chatting, inexplicably fell silent. The few of them just sat quietly, and under the light, the scene appeared somewhat mysterious.
It also seemed a bit eerie and oppressive.
Although several people were involved in the kidnapping, they didn't seem very familiar with each other. The way they sat, the direction they faced, and the distance between them were the kind that only strangers would keep.
They were mutually repelled, and also mutually wary.
After the person on the bed began to breathe steadily, they left the basement.
This included Xu He.
None of them noticed that after they left, the bright lights in the basement grew dimmer.
And dimmer.
Eventually, the light, as if it had burned out like a candle, went out...
Poor Ruan Qing...
ReplyDeleteThank you for the chapter!!