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nTranslator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

nThe car waited quietly on the side of the street. Dim rays of light shone on the car, making it seem bleak and desolate.

nShen Liangchuan did not know why he had driven to this place.

nThe car’s window was open. His gaze passed through the window and landed on the master bedroom on the second floor.

nThe lights were still switched on there. This meant that Qiao Lian had probably finished working for the day.

nWhat was she doing now?

nIt was already so late and yet, he had not returned home. He had not even provided an explanation for his tardiness. Why had she not called him to check up on him?

nBut this made sense as well.

nShe had always been a cold-blooded person. Why would she care about him?

nThis was just like what happened eight years ago. He had thought that they had already been deeply in love. However, when asked about her first love, she uttered a simple “I forgot” to lightly evade the issue.

nAs he thought about this, his heart started to ache intensely again, like it was being eaten away by acid—a subtle but continuous pain. His eyes darkened. Under the streetlamp, his handsome features were obscured.

nHe puckered his lips and opened the car door. He wanted to walk into the house, but his cell phone suddenly rang.

nHe picked up the phone and answered it. Song Cheng’s voiced emanated from the other end. “Brother Shen, where are you? There are only two more hours before the flight to Shanghai departs. Don’t forget that you have to be on that flight.”

n“I know.”

nAs he hung up his phone, Shen Liangchuan once again looked at the upper floor of the house. He suddenly dropped his gaze, got into the car and drove away.

nQiao Lian and Zhang Hong, who were both inside the mansion, did not know about the incident that had just happened downstairs.

nAt this moment, they were still in the bathroom and still locked in a stalemate.

nQiao Lian was so unsteady that she could hardly stand. She was sitting on the floor, using all of her strength to support herself. She was suffering from a headache and double vision. Her eyelids were so heavy that she could not possibly open her eyes.

nAs she sat in a daze, Zhang Hong suddenly switched on the showerhead. Water splashed onto the carpet, but some water also splattered onto her body.

nQiao Lian was already shivering from the cold, but at this point she felt even colder. Her vision suddenly went black and she immediately fainted.

nWhen she next woke up, it was already the next day.

nShe was laying on the carpet in the bedroom. There was nothing covering her body, so she was trembling from the cold.

nHer limbs were still weak and powerless and she was so hungry that she was no longer conscious of that fact.

nHer eyelids were heavy but she still tried to lift her head, wanting to check her own temperature. However, the temperatures of both her hands and her forehead were practically identical, making it impossible to check.

nShe felt as though a fire was burning inside her throat. With great effort, she supported her body and stood up, walking towards the bedside table. She then picked up a glass of water sitting on top of it and finally drank a couple mouthfuls of cold water. Waves of pain were convulsing through her belly. However, her throat and consciousness had finally both become somewhat clearer.

nShe climbed onto the bed, breathing heavily. She then began to rummage for her cell phone. However, the place where she normally placed her cell phone was completely empty.

nShe froze.

nThe door to the room was opened once again and Zhang Hong entered the room.

nShe stood there arrogantly, asking, “Oh, you’re awake?”

nQiao Lian said feebly, “Where is my cell phone?”

n“Cell phone?” Zhang Hong tilted her head and took out a cell phone from her pocket. “Here it is!”

nQiao Lian frowned and said, “Give it to me.”

n“I refuse to give it to you. What can you do about it?” Zhang Hong smiled coldly and continued, “Are you hungry? Are you cold? Is it comfortable? How about this—if you apologize to me, beg me to stop and obediently follow my commands in this house from now on, I will not only give your cell phone back to you, but I will also cook some food for you. How about it?”

nQiao Lian’s face was deathly pale. However, she turned her head backwards with disdain and refused to look at her.

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