A bottle of red wine was knocked to the floor. With a crisp crack, the floor was covered in red liquid. Ruan Zhan frowned, not knowing where the uneasy feeling was coming from.
“Boss, I’ll clean it up.” Liu Tie walked over impishly.
Ruan Zhan nodded and moved to the side. His swinging arm knocked over a wine glass which also shattered, but he didn’t even notice. He merely walked silently to the stairs and sat down.
Something must have happened!
He felt as if weeds were growing in his heart, gradually invading his limbs and making his hairs stand on end.
Normally, only those closest to him would give him such a strong reaction: Wan Li, Xiao Xia, maybe Bao Da Tong or even his father.
The world treated him indifferently, so he treated the world indifferently. However, there was still warmth in his life. Although it was weak, he could go against anything for the sake of this warmth. Therefore, despite not wanting to get involved with the supernatural, he still went through case after case. Now, when he found out that fiends were harming mortals, a detached person like him actually wanted to help!
Had the warmth changed him? Besides, Xiao Xia had already slowly melted the ice in his heart! He now understood he couldn’t lose his most precious thing, no matter what!
But what made him feel so antsy?
The feeling had started an hour ago, but this time it felt very strange. It was as if two things were nagging at his heart, making him feel chaotic. He didn’t know which signal to follow, or who was currently in danger.
Due to their strong feelings for each other, he and Xiao Xia previously had an extremely clear connection. However, because she had forgotten everything in Hongqing Town after he forcibly erased her memories, her body had weakened but even their connection had become blurry. He thought it would recover over time, but only he himself knew how much he currently regretted it. If Xiao Xia got hurt because of this, he could never forgive himself!
He had tried calling, but neither Wan Li nor Xiao Xia picked up. Right as he was about to run out and start searching, both signals cut off one after the other! But this didn’t make him feel any better. Instead, it made him feel like something was happening without his knowledge, making him feel even more at a loss.
Bao Da Tong was extremely surprised at seeing Ruan Zhan’s state.
They couldn’t be described as close, but they weren’t distant either. Ruan Zhan had always been cold and unhurried on the inside. Even when faced with serious danger, he had never seen him flustered before. What could be affecting him like this?
Bao Da Tong had rested the entire day before coming downstairs when the bar opened. He knew that Ruan Zhan had damaged his essence and spirit in order to save him, so he had come to help tend the bar. Those who didn’t work didn’t get fed, right? But Ruan Zhan had been preoccupied for a while now, not speaking or looking up, as if lost in thought.
“Ah Zhan! Hello, hello!” He adroitly extricated himself from the customers and approached Ruan Zhan, patting him on the shoulder.
Ruan Zhan didn’t react, as if he hadn’t heard anything.
Bao Da Tong was extremely confused. He was about to call out again when Ruan Zhan suddenly stood up and walked swiftly to the bar.
It turned out that the phone was ringing, but no one had heard it over the classy music that played in the bar. Ruan Zhan had been furthest away, but he had actually heard it. He was clearly vigilant despite his sluggish appearance.
Bao Da Tong watched Ruan Zhan listen carefully and then say a few words, seeming a little confused. Then, he returned to sit on the stairs again.
“What happened?” Bao Da Tong asked seriously.
“The villagers at Creek’s Head Inn called.”
“What?” Ruan Zhan spoke quietly and Bao Da Tong assumed he had misheard.
“When I left, I gave the mayor some money. I also told him I would find a Daoist to purify and ward their village from evil. In exchange, I left my number and asked him to have someone get in touch if anything unusual happened.”
“How meticulous, that’s pretty smart. Who knows if those fiends come up with anything new?” Bao Da Tong marveled at Ruan Zhan’s thoroughness. “So what was the news? Was it good or bad?”
Ruan Zhan shook his head. “I don’t know. They said there was a storm a few days ago. Since Creek’s Head Inn is always dry, everyone was pleased with the rain, especially the children. Some of the kids didn’t listen to their parents and went out to play in the rain at the foot of the mountain. In the end, they discovered a corpse that had washed down the mountain due to the rain.”
“They should just call the police for this matter. Why tell you?” Bao Da Tong shrugged.
“The villagers are superstitious. With so many things happening a few year ago, they were afraid this was related.” Ruan Zhan rubbed his forehead restlessly. “Besides, the corpse was wearing Daoist clothing.”
“Oh? That complicates things!” Bao Da Tong said in surprise.
“I have to go take a look.” Ruan Zhan said and checked his watch. “However, I don’t feel at ease about the situation here. Xiao Xia should have long since gotten off work but she’s nowhere to be seen. I can’t reach her by phone and no one is picking up her work phone either. It’s the same with that fellow, Wan Li!”
“Maybe the two eloped.” Bao Da Tong joked, but he also felt something wasn’t right. “How about you keep an eye on things here and I’ll go look around.”
But he had just spoken when the door opened and an exhausted Wan Li walked in.
He looked around, seeing Ruan Zhan and Bao Da Tong looking at him from the stairs, but there was no sign of Xiao Xia.
“Has Xiao Xia returned yet?” Wan Li asked.
“Who are you asking? I should be the one asking you!” Bao Da Tong said.
Ruan Zhan didn’t speak, but his heart sank.
“One of my patients had some issues.” Wan Li sighed. “It was just a mild case of depression and there hadn’t been any issues. He had been clearly getting better but today he ended up threatening to commit suicide. I was urgently called over, and after struggling for three hours he finally thought things through and no longer wanted to do it.” He looked around as he spoke. “Xiao Xia really didn’t come back yet?”
“Why would I lie to you?”
“But I stopped by the firm on the way back from the patient’s house. The office was already empty.” Wan Li was a little shocked. “She wouldn’t have run off randomly at such a time! Let me try calling her.”
“I’ve already called. No one answered.” Bao Da Tong stopped him. He looked at Ruan Zhan and saw that his face was pale.
Had something really happened to her? Why couldn’t he sense that she was in danger anymore?
Ring…
The phone rang again. The three looked at each other, but Ruan Zhan was the first reach it. The other two watched as he nodded, his face turning paler.
“Something happened to Xiao Xia!” Wan Li understood, walking over first. “What happened?”
“An hour ago, a department store clerk found a purse left behind in the changing room of the lingerie section. There were also signs of a struggle in the nearby children’s clothing section.” Ruan Zhan’s expression was worried. “Afterwards, they found two child mannequins in the hallway of the fire exit with blood on their hands.”
“Children’s clothing?” Bao Da Tong’s heart thumped. “Then, that purse…?”
“It’s Xiao Xia’s.” When Ruan Zhan spoke those words, his heart felt like it was being cut by a sharp knife. He couldn’t find the wound but the blood wouldn’t stop flowing. The other two had already guessed the response, but they still froze for a moment.
“Was that the police calling?” Wan Li asked.
“Yes. The police found Xiao Xia’s notebook in her purse. It contained the bar’s phone number.”
“Then let’s go save her!” Bao Da Tong rolled up his sleeves. “Let’s go duke it out with Lu Yan and her son right now. They must have something to do with this.”
“Slow down!” Wan Li stopped him. “Haste makes waste. We should at least come up with a plan. Ah Zhan, what do you think we should do?”
Ruan Zhan was silent for a few seconds, forcing himself to remain calm. The moment he found out Xiao Xia had been kidnapped, his thoughts were in a whirl and he couldn’t think straight. She was his weakness. While he was usually so calm and collected, he couldn’t maintain that state whenever she was involved. In other words, care causes chaos!
“Do we group up or split up?” Bao Da Tong was impatient and couldn’t help but speak. “Do you think what happened at Creek’s Head Inn is a coincidence? If so, we should go save Xiao Xia together. If not, what should we do about the situation there?”
“Creek’s Head Inn?” Wan Li was very surprised. “Did something happen over there again?”
Bao Da Tong repeated what had happened. Ruan Zhan remained silent, desperately suppressing his panic while he pondered over strategies.
“For the sake of caution, we should all split up.” Ruan Zhan said heavily. “Creek’s Head Inn might be unrelated, but we cannot take that risk. Therefore, someone must go investigate. The police calling earlier was to have one of us go in to answer questions. The last person has to go find Xiao Xia. Give me your phone numbers, remember to keep in contact.”
He never used cell phones, but Xiao Xia had gifted him one. He only had her number stored so she could summon him at any time. He really liked that feeling. It was as if she only belonged to him. It was like a secret only shared between the two of them. Although such thoughts were extremely foolish, he had kept things that way. Now for the sake of convenience, he had no choice but to add Wan Li and Bao Da Tong as contacts.
“How should we divide the roles?” Bao Da Tong asked.
“Obviously, based on our strengths.” Wan Li said. “I have connections and am good at talking. I will go cooperate with the police investigation. You are familiar with Daoism so you should investigate the deceased old Daoist in Creek’s Head Inn. Ah Zhan and Xiao Xia have a mental connection and his powers are the strongest. He will go save Xiao Xia!”
With their roles set, they each set off. “Xiao Xia…Xiao Xia…”
In the dark, Xiao Xia heard someone calling her. The voice was so familiar that it made her immediately stand up.
Was it Ruan Zhan?
She listened carefully, her thoughts conflicted. On one hand she hoped he would come save her, longing for his safe embrace. On the other hand, she didn’t want him to come, afraid he would encounter danger! The situation was currently uncertain.
She didn’t know where she was. After walking along the dark corridor, she was locked in this pitch-black place. This should be a room around four or five square meters in size. She knew this despite being unable to see because when she was shoved inside, she staggered around five or six steps before hitting a wall. Based on the shape of the room, she shouldn’t be mistaken.
Furthermore, based on the faint echoes in the room, it should be completely empty.
Not long after being shoved inside, she had investigated the room’s layout based on touch so she would have a better chance to escape. However, she ultimately didn’t act and remained seated in the dark, damp corner.
It was better to stay put while in a foreign environment. She had to carefully consider what possibilities she had of escape.
This was what Ruan Zhan had told her, and she decided to follow his words. The room was too silent. She could clearly hear her breathing as well as her clothes rubbing when she moved. It felt very disturbing.
It was difficult for her to think properly. She knew if she let a thought linger for too long, Zhang Jia Lin would sense it. Therefore, whenever she thought about escape, she would immediately turn her thoughts to something else. It was either the plot of some movie or the lyrics of a song. Although she was successful in preventing Zhang Jia Lin from coming to harass her, this method meant her mind was a mess.
Yet she gradually realized that her thoughts dwelled more and more on her interactions with Ruan Zhan. She knew this wouldn’t do! Zhang Jia Lin would realize how important Ruan Zhan was to her. Perhaps it would bring him trouble. Therefore, she did her best not to think about him. However, his voice kept appearing in her mind at the moment.
Perhaps it was an illusion because she missed him too much? That was what she initially thought, but his calls became clearer and clearer. She realized it was real. He must have figured out she had been kidnapped, and was trying to find her!
She anxiously leaned against the wall, unable to control her thoughts temporarily. She was terrified Zhang Jia Lin would realize something, even though neither she nor anything else appeared after Xiao Xia was thrown in the small dark room.
She suddenly recalled her amulet. That amulet had innate protective powers, and Ruan Zhan had strengthened it before. Therefore, her vitals were protected and no one could take it off apart from her.
If it weren’t for this amulet, Zhang Jia Lin might have long since killed her. Xiao Xia knew she hated her for some reason. She must be trying to come up with a way to kill her at the moment. Perhaps this amulet could prevent the fiend child from spying on her thoughts.
But how should she use it to shield her mind? Did thoughts pass through the brain, or did emotions pass through the heart?
Xiao Xia hesitated for a while. When the voice calling her name once again caused her heart to palpitate, she resolutely pressed the amulet against her heart. The brain was the scientific answer, but since this case was supernatural, the heart must be more important!
Ruan Zhan…don’t come!
