Someone kidnapped her

Xinyi Qu arrived at the Zhou family mansion. It had been a week since she last saw Lin Wanwan, and she was filled with concern.

"Miss, Miss Qu is here to see you," the butler announced respectfully.

Hearing this, Lin Wanwan rushed out of her room and embraced Xinyi tightly.

"Xinyi, you're finally here. I've missed you so much!" Lin Wanwan said with teary eyes.

"Wanwan, what's been happening? Why haven't you been to school?" Xinyi asked with concern.

They went back to the room, and Lin Wanwan shared everything that had happened recently, including her worries about the senior's injuries.

"Xinyi, I'm really worried about his injuries... Can you think of a way to get me out?" Lin Wanwan sobbed.

Xinyi furrowed her brows, pondering possible plans. As she paced the room, her eyes landed on Lin Wanwan's wardrobe.

"Van, is your suitcase big enough?" Xinyi asked.

"What? A suitcase?" Lin Wanwan was puzzled.

"Yes, you get inside the suitcase, and I'll take you out, saying you asked me to take some things back." Xinyi's eyes lit up, excited by the idea.

Lin Wanwan thought for a moment, and despite some unsafety, agreed.

She found the largest suitcase and with Xinyi's help, slowly climbed inside.

"Are you okay? Can you breathe?" Xinyi asked worriedly.

"It's a bit stuffy, but manageable," Lin Wanwan's voice came from inside the suitcase.

Xinyi took a deep breath, zipped up the suitcase, and started dragging the heavy luggage outside.

"Miss Qu, what is this...?" the butler asked, seeing Xinyi with the suitcase.

"Oh, Wanwan asked me to take some things back for her. She said she wants to rest and asked you not to be disturbed," Xinyi replied, pushing the suitcase towards the gate.

The butler glanced suspiciously at the suitcase but, recalling that Lin Wanwan had sent things to Xinyi before, didn't say more.

"Well... take care, Miss Qu."

Xinyi smiled politely and hastened to the gate.

With every step, her heart raced, fearing discovery at any second.

Finally outside, she saw her car parked nearby. She quickly dragged the suitcase over, opened it, and let Lin Wanwan out.

As soon as the suitcase was opened, Lin Wanwan leapt out, eagerly breathing in the long-missed fresh air.

However, before she could stabilize herself, a van suddenly rushed over. Several burly men jumped out, grabbed Lin Wanwan without a word, and sped away. 

Xinyi Qu screamed trying to stop them but was powerless. 

Lin Wanwan was taken to an abandoned warehouse surrounded by rusty metal and broken glass, emitting an aura of death.

"Didn't expect to see me again, did you, Lin Wanwan?" a chilling voice sounded.

Lin Wanwan looked up in shock to see Zhang Xuefei standing before her, her face filled with disbelief. 

It turned out, all this was masterminded by Zhang's father. Zhou Shen, to avenge Lin Wanwan, had ruined Zhang's family business, driving them to desperation. 

Kidnapping Lin Wanwan was Zhang father's last desperate attempt.

"Zhang... Zhang Xuefei, what are you want to do?" Lin Wanwan's voice trembled.

"It's because of your uncle, he drove our family to this," Zhang Xuefei viciously grabbed her hair, and slapped her face several times, the sound chilling to the bone.

Lin Wanwan's cheeks swelled rapidly, turning from white to red, then from red to purple. Her face felt alien to her, numb and burning like a branding iron.

 A metallic taste filled her mouth; she knew her lips were split and bleeding. Tears uncontrollably streamed down, stinging her scarred face.

"Stop..." Lin Wanwan pleaded weakly, her voice hoarse, "I beg you..."

Just as Zhang Xuefei was about to continue, Zhang's father intervened. "Enough!" he commanded, "Don't ruin our bargaining chip."

 He took Lin Wanwan's phone from her pocket, handed it to an accomplice. "Call Zhou Shen, tell him we have his niece and demand One hundred million yuan ransom, plus a boat at Feiyang Dock for the handoff, or else we kill her."

 The guy dialed Zhou Shen's number and put the phone on speaker.

At that moment, Zhou Shen was in his study. Receiving the call, he heard Lin Wanwan's faint sobs and his face darkened instantly.

"Who are you? Where is Wanwan?" he asked coldly, his tone detached but his gaze frighteningly sharp.

"Mr. Zhou, your niece is in my hands," Zhang's father stated bluntly. "If you want her to live, do as I say. One hundred million in cash, plus a boat, tonight at 9 at Feiyang Dock."

"Do you think you're in a position to negotiate with me?" Zhou Shen sneered. "If Wanwan is harmed, I'll make sure your entire family pays."

"Cut the crap!" Zhang's father interrupted impatiently. "The money and the boat, 9 o'clock at Feiyang Dock. Otherwise, I'm not responsible for your niece's life or death."

With that, he hung up the phone.

Zhou Shen gripped his phone, his expression dark and terrifying. However, he quickly regained his composure, instructed his assistant to prepare the ransom and the boat, and secretly contacted the police to plan a rescue.

At 9 o'clock sharp, Feiyang Dock.

Zhou Shen arrived as promised, with his men. Zhang's father also appeared at the other end of the dock with Lan Wanwan.

"Where is she?" Zhou Shen asked directly.

Zhang's father waved his hand, and his men brought Lin Wanwan forward.

Seeing Lin Wanwan's battered face, a flicker of pain crossed Zhou Shen's eyes, but he quickly returned to his impassive demeanor.

"Did you bring the money?" Zhang's father asked.

Zhou Shen nodded slightly, and his assistant understood, opening the suitcase behind him filled with cash.

Zhang's father nodded in satisfaction. "And the boat?"

"It's at another dock. Release her, and we'll go together," Zhou Shen stated gravely.

Zhang's father hesitated, then finally had his men push Lin Wanwan forward.

Just then, a group of police officers suddenly burst onto the dock!

"Police! Don't move!"

"Damn it! You tricked me!" Zhang's father exclaimed in anger.

He grabbed Lin Wanwan and held a gun to her head.

"Everyone back off! Move one more step and I'll shoot!" Zhou Shen's face changed drastically as he urgently halted the police. Amid the standoff, a figure suddenly charged forward. It was Zhang Xuefei!

Her eyes red, she screamed hysterically, "It's all your fault! You wretch! If it weren't for you, our family wouldn't have ended up like this!" With that, she violently pushed Lin Wanwan towards the edge of the dock.

"No—" Zhou Shen cried out in agony.

But it was too late. Lin Wanwan's figure disappeared into the raging waves. Since then, Zhou Shen became a changed man. He directed the search relentlessly, almost wishing he could dive into the sea himself to find Wanwan. But as the sky grew darker, the familiar figure never appeared on the sea's surface.

"It's all my fault..." he murmured, his voice hoarse and broken, "If I hadn't been so harsh on the Zhang family, Wanwan wouldn't have suffered all this..."

Consumed by immense guilt and regret, Zhou Shen was nearly crushed. He appeared haggard, with sunken eyes and a beard that made him look a decade older. 

But he was oblivious to his condition, focusing solely on watching the sea, fearing he might miss any clue. Even though everyone thought she was hopeless, he refused to give up.

Because he knew he had lost the most precious thing: the girl who would smile at him and act coy could never return.