The driver's words were like a bucket of cold water, poured directly over Lu Shiyan's head.
Seeing Lu Shiyan's face turn extremely grim, he added, "But there are exceptions to everything. Maybe the person you're looking for is fine."
Anyone could tell how that sounded.
I wasn't concerned with Lu Shiyan's expression. I wanted to know if my father would feel even a twinge of heartache knowing I was in such a plight.
The vehicle's interior was pitch black. My father leaned back in his seat, eyes closed, resting. I could only see his thin lips pressed tightly together, his fists clenched on the armrests.
I remembered how gentle my father used to be with me. Back when Su Ning'an was missing, he cherished me, held me in the palm of his hand, called me the apple of his eye.
But after Su Ning'an's schemes, my family gradually lost trust in me. Coupled with my father's excessive deference to my mother at home, he gradually grew distant from me.
He hadn't smiled at me in a long, long time.
Just then, his phone rang.
My mother informed him about Grandma. After hanging up, he seemed restless.
I knew he was worried about Grandma. Despite being a man of few words, he was the most filial.
He raised his hand and rubbed the space between his eyebrows. Lu Shiyan offered a few words of comfort, then fell silent.
The vehicle was filled with a suffocating silence.
They drove non-stop through the night, finally arriving at one of the compounds just before dawn.
Streetlights gradually appeared outside, but the dim lights only illuminated a very small area. Beyond the weak glow, darkness still reigned.
I seemed to hear wails—men, women alike.
Those piercing screams shot straight into the sky, chilling to the bone just to listen.
Lu Shiyan twisted the prayer beads on his wrist, as if seeking some comfort.
"Wanwan... is she really here?" Lu Shiyan's voice was hoarse.
My father's face was stern, his expression conflicted.
His feelings were contradictory. He both hoped I was here and hoped I wasn't.
As the driver said, who remained whole after falling into a place like this? It was just self-deception.
Even if they found me, could a "soiled" me still be Mrs. Lu or the young lady of the Su family?
I would just be a joke.
Little did they know, I wasn't even a joke anymore. I was already utterly destroyed.
A black off-road vehicle passed by. The driver happened to be smoking, the window half-down. He had just stretched his hand out to flick the cigarette butt away.
The driver looked like a typical local—dark skin, wearing a floral shirt, his thin face showing some dissatisfaction.
I was about to look away when I suddenly noticed someone in the back seat.
The off-roader passed under a streetlight. In that fleeting moment, a cold, handsome face came into view.
It was him—Lu Yanchen.
Assistant Lin had mentioned he also flew to Jindian. But why was he appearing at this compound?
Was he also here to look for me?
The thought crossed my mind, but I quickly shook my head, dismissing it.
What am I to him? Even Lu Shiyan hesitated repeatedly. With Lu Yanchen's leg不便, how could he possibly come looking for me, risking such danger?
The car window rolled up quickly, obscuring Lu Yanchen's cold, impassive face.
And Lu Shiyan, preoccupied with his own thoughts, hadn't noticed this detail at all.
The car stopped. Arrangements had been made in advance. The moment Lu Shiyan got out, a man in flip-flops came over to guide them.
Entering the building, this was the real hell.
Even through the rooms, you could hear women's screams, occasionally accompanied by the sound of slaps.
"Stop hitting me, stop! I'll do it, I'll do anything!" a woman's weeping voice pleaded.
Lu Shiyan's fists were clenched. Perhaps he was imagining my fate.
He couldn't wait any longer. "Where is the person I'm looking for?"