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Sitting on the floor, against the far wall, was Li Yan.
Her familiar clothes. Her face. The same woman they had seen in the footage.
But—
She wasn't screaming. She wasn't crying. She wasn't even acknowledging them.
She was sitting perfectly still. Very still.
Her hair hung loosely around her shoulders.
Her hands rested limply on her knees.
Her body was untouched—at least not a single wound visible.
Her eyes—
Her eyes… were fixed on the ground.
Blank. Empty.
As if she hadn't heard the commotion of a door being kicked in.
As if she hadn't noticed her husband calling her name in desperation.
—
"Yan'er… Yan'er!" Su Zhenghao ran to her side, dropped to his knees beside her, heedless of the sticky blood soaking his trousers.
He clutched her shoulders, shaking her. "Why are you here? What are you doing? Talk to me!"
Li Yan slowly turned her head. Her gaze landed on him—yet it didn't. Her pupils were glassy, unfocused, as if staring through him at something far away.
"Li Yan!" His voice rose louder, almost frantic. "Answer me!"
No response.
"Aunt Su." Liang Yexuan's voice was calm, measured, as he stepped closer. "It's me."
Still nothing.
Su Zhenghao's panic curdled into fury.
He stood abruptly, towering over her. His chest heaved as he shouted, "Enough of this nonsense! What is this? What are you playing at?!"
His roar echoed off the small room's walls.
However, she didn't flinch.
Her gaze dropped back to the floor.
—
Then slowly, she moved—her body stiff, her movements unnerving.
She stood, then shuffled toward the far corner and squatted down, hugging her knees, her head bowed.
Su Zhenghao's heart stuttered.
Fear seeped into his bones. "What's wrong with you…?"
The bodyguards exchanged uneasy looks—horrified.
This wasn't right.
This wasn't Madam Su. At least, not the Madam they knew.
"Master Su… Madam is…"
"What's wrong with her…"
"She's… not normal…"
Their voices trembled.
Madam had been fine only hours ago. What had happened in this room?
Then—
She dipped her fingers into the blood on the floor.
And licked it.
Everyone froze.
"Yan!" Su Zhenghao's roar thundered, shaking the walls, but she didn't even flinch.
Instead, her lips parted, and in a chilling whisper, she muttered:
"They took my friends…"
A cold shiver ran down every man's spine.
"Friends?" Liang Yexuan's brows furrowed as he stepped closer. "Who?"
But Su Zhenghao snapped, his face thunderous. "What the hell are you talking about, Yan?! What friends?! What is this madness?!"
He stared into her eyes—and his breath caught.
Blank. Empty. Lifeless.
As if she no longer recognized him.
Crazy. She looked… crazy.
He stumbled back, fear gnawing at him.
"Call Meilin!" he barked at a guard.
The man hurriedly dialed.
—
Meanwhile, Liang Yexuan scanned the room with sharp eyes. Something wasn't adding up.
Then, in the corner near the ceiling, he spotted it—a small camera.
A handheld device, deliberately placed to record.
His blood ran cold.
He strode over, ripped it from its position, and turned it over in his hand.
His expression hardened further, his jaw clenching tight.
Behind him, Li Yan began to wail.
Her voice cracked and rose, shrill and haunting, like a banshee shrieking in the depths of the room. "They took my friends… they took my friends…!"
The sound drilled into their skulls, making even the trained bodyguards flinch.
Su Zhenghao pressed his palms into his temples, nearly breaking down.
He staggered back, clutching his head.
"She's gone… She's completely gone insane…"
Liang Yexuan stood still, his back to them, staring at the camera.
His expression was so cold, it made the room's temperature drop.
When he finally spoke, his voice was like ice shards, sharp enough to pierce skin.
"Uncle Su."
Everyone froze at the tone.
Well—
Except Li Yan who was still screaming on the floor, her lips smeared crimson repeating the same phrase like a curse:
"They took my friends… They took them… They took my friends!!!"
Liang Yexuan turned, his eyes dark and merciless. He raised the camera slightly.
"You need to see this."
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