Chapter 19

On the highway, inside a steadily moving black SUV.

Qin Tang slowly opened her eyes. Her hands and feet weren’t tied, and there was no tape on her mouth. Her camera, phone, and bag were still with her, and she seemed unharmed.

More than an hour ago, someone suddenly covered her mouth from behind. In just a few seconds, she lost consciousness. The last few seconds of awareness were filled with overwhelming fear.

She looked at the man sitting beside her, a scar on his brow and a vicious aura emanating from him.

Qin Tang clenched her fingers, pressing her legs together towards the window to create more distance for safety. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to speak calmly, “What do you want?”

If it was a kidnapping for ransom, then she should be fine. However, if it was to use her to threaten Jiang Chuan, things could be different. The other party had obviously come prepared. Jiang Chuan and she were not close enough for him to risk everything for her, and both of them might not escape unscathed.

Zhao Qianhe leaned back in his seat, crossing his legs, and smiled ambiguously, “Miss Qin, don’t worry. If Jiang Chuan arrives within two hours, you’ll be fine.”

“If he doesn’t come?” Qin Tang asked softly, tightening her fingers to hide her fear. “He has a feud with you. Knowing you’re setting a trap to lure him in, he’s not stupid. How could he possibly come?”

Zhao Qianhe turned his phone in his hand and smiled faintly, “His car is following us.”

Qin Tang’s eyes brightened slightly, and Zhao Qianhe added, “Maybe it’s already ahead of us.”

Qin Tang smiled, “That just means it’s a coincidence. After all, if he’s heading to Yulin, he must pass this highway.”

“You paid the 870,000, didn’t you?” Zhao Qianhe sneered. “For that alone, he will come. Just wait.”

Sure enough, that 870,000 had caused trouble.

Qin Tang looked out the window, thinking for a long time, but couldn’t figure out what could be done on this highway.

As they neared the exit, Zhao Qianhe’s phone rang.

He raised the phone to Qin Tang and smiled, “He’s here.”

Qin Tang stared at his phone. She didn’t know what Jiang Chuan would do. Zhao Qianhe had come prepared. If he wasn’t confident, he wouldn’t have recklessly kidnapped her. Jiang Chuan might not have called the police.

“Jiang Chuan, you don’t have to hurry, I’m not off the highway yet.”

Jiang Chuan’s car sped along. As soon as he exited the highway, he stopped at a nearby gas station. Tapping his finger on the steering wheel, he asked, “Where do we meet?”

Zhao Qianhe replied, “Go to the usual place and wait. I’ll send someone to you. Don’t try anything funny. If you call the police, you know the consequences.”

“And her?”

“You’ll see her in a bit.”

Zhao Qianhe hung up, tossed an eye mask to Qin Tang, and said, “Put it on, don’t force me to take action.”

Qin Tang bit her lip and put on the eye mask. Soon, her hands were tied, and her mouth sealed.

The fear spread from her feet up to her hair.

Jiang Chuan filled up his car with gas and left the station.

When he arrived at Zhao Qianhe’s base, a car was already waiting for him.

He slammed the door shut and walked over.

As soon as he got in, someone tossed him an eye mask. “Put it on.”

Someone else reached into his pocket, “Where’s your phone?”

Jiang Chuan glanced at him, “Back pocket.”

The man quickly found his phone, then punched him hard in the stomach. “Stop playing tricks.”

Jiang Chuan clenched his jaw, silent. His dark eyes were hidden under the night, revealing no emotion.

Half an hour later—

A tall, dark figure approached the black jeep, smashing the car window open.

The phone left on the driver’s seat was taken.

Qin Tang was shoved into a room. Her hands were freed, and she immediately tore off the eye mask and tape.

The room looked decent but had no windows.

Zhao Qianhe sat casually on a single chair, smoking a cigarette, blowing out smoke that immediately filled the air. For the first time, Qin Tang found the smell of smoke suffocating.

She looked at him and said calmly, “If you want money, I can give it to you.”

Zhao Qianhe looked at her calm face, flicked the ash from his cigarette, and sneered, “You’re a brave girl. But money—I can earn it myself. I’m not so desperate that I need to kidnap a woman for ransom.”

Qin Tang’s heart sank.

The door opened.

A woman with a graceful, mature, and sexy figure entered. She glanced at Qin Tang indifferently, then walked over to Zhao Qianhe, resting her hand on his shoulder and lightly laughing, “Qianhe, where did you find this young and beautiful girl?”

Zhao Qianhe stroked her hand, pulling her into his arms. The woman immediately fell into his embrace, smiling coquettishly.

Qin Tang bit her lip and stood there.

Zhao Qianhe said, “Are you in charge of the Anyi Foundation?”

“How do you know?” Qin Tang was surprised. She hadn’t told anyone at the charity station about this. The person who contacted Lü An was Old Yuan. She had always participated in the Anyi Foundation’s charity work as a volunteer and never appeared in public. Over the years, most of the people she met were simple and kind, and no one dug into her identity.

The Anyi Foundation had indeed been under her management for the past two years.

Zhao Qianhe seemed to see through her thoughts and said, “Jiang Chuan told me.”

How did Jiang Chuan know? Qin Tang thought for a while but couldn’t recall when she had disclosed it. Since he knew, why had he never mentioned it?

After thinking for a few seconds, she simply admitted, “Yes, the Anyi Foundation was established by my parents.”

Zhao Qianhe had also established a charity foundation years ago. The Anyi Foundation had been around for twenty years, and he would certainly know about it.

As soon as Qin Tang thought of the dirty things Zhao Qianhe had done with his charity foundation, she couldn’t help but grit her teeth. Scum.

Knock on the door.

Zhao Qianhe said, “He’s here.”

The door was pushed open, and the tall and sturdy Jiang Chuan was pushed in, his eyes still covered by a blindfold, his face calm.

The moment the blindfold was pulled off—

Their eyes met. Qin Tang’s mouth twisted downward, and he gave her an endless reassuring smile.

Jiang Chuan walked towards her and quietly asked, “Are you scared?”

Qin Tang’s eyes reddened slightly, and she lowered her head, shaking it. “No.”

In truth, she had been terrified earlier.

She had been kidnapped for no reason, and the person who did it was a scoundrel who had just been released from prison.

Now she was still scared, not knowing what to expect next.

Jiang Chuan gently patted her head, said no more, and looked at Zhao Qianhe. “I’ve come, can she leave now?”

Zhao Qianhe patted the thigh of the beautiful woman beside him. She stood up.

Zhao Qianhe walked towards Jiang Chuan, circled behind him, and suddenly kicked him viciously in the thigh. Jiang Chuan staggered, his knee bending slightly, and he almost fell to the ground but quickly reached out to support himself, clenching his jaw tightly.

Qin Tang’s eyes widened, and she quickly moved forward.

But she stopped right in front of him, straightening her back and clutching her palms tightly.

Jiang Chuan stood up, and Zhao Qianhe grabbed his collar, delivering a punch to his face.

Qin Tang’s chest rose and fell with anger, but she dared not speak.

Jiang Chuan didn’t resist. Zhao Qianhe ruthlessly punched him in the abdomen, laughing coldly, then landed four more punches. Jiang Chuan gritted his teeth, not uttering a sound. Zhao Qianhe held onto his collar and shoved him out, saying, “Six years in prison, six punches for a woman.”

Qin Tang couldn’t hold back and quickly went over to support Jiang Chuan.

Probably due to the pain, Jiang Chuan’s forehead veins bulged as he grasped her hand tightly, his palm sweating.

He looked down and saw her eyes slightly red, staring at him.

He looked at her.

Zhao Qianhe sat back down on the single sofa, crossed his legs, and lit a cigarette. “Miss Qin.”

Qin Tang looked at him. “Can we go now?”

Zhao Qianhe laughed. “I said six punches for a woman, not that he gets to leave.”

Qin Tang bit her lip, struggling to contain her anger. Zhao Qianhe pointed the cigarette at her, “You can take only one thing: your bag, phone, or camera.”

Jiang Chuan held her hand, his voice hoarse. “Take the camera.”

The camera was a photographer’s life.

All the photos she had taken these past few days were on that camera.

Qin Tang tossed the bag aside and looked down at the camera hanging on her chest, feeling reluctant and distressed.

In the end, she pulled off the camera, slowly bent down, and placed it in the bag.

She left the phone.

Zhao Qianhe walked over with the cigarette in his mouth, grabbed the expensive camera, and wickedly smiled before smashing it to the ground.

Crash—

The camera shattered into pieces.

Qin Tang’s heart felt like it was breaking, and her eyes immediately reddened. She could no longer control her emotions, staring at him with fury.

Jiang Chuan’s gaze turned cold, and he held her tightly.

Zhao Qianhe found it extremely exciting. He snatched the phone from her hand, and the next second, the phone was shattered as well.

Jiang Chuan narrowed his eyes, his lips pressed tightly together.

Qin Tang furiously glared at him. “You bastard! You’re not keeping your word!”

Zhao Qianhe never intended to let her take the phone. She should have chosen the camera if she had known this.

Zhao Qianhe chuckled, bent down, and hooked his finger on her bag, tossing it over.

Jiang Chuan caught it, draped it over her shoulder, and looked at Zhao Qianhe. “Can she leave now?”

Zhao Qianhe smiled. “Of course.”

“Let her drive herself out.”

“Why?”

“She doesn’t have her phone, she won’t be able to call the police for a while, and she doesn’t know where this place is. She doesn’t pose a threat to you, so just send someone to follow her. As for me, I can’t run.”

Zhao Qianhe chuckled and spread his hands.

Jiang Chuan took the car keys from his pocket and handed them to her.

Qin Tang bit her lip, looked up at him with red eyes, as if the next moment, tears would fall.

But she held back, refusing to shed a single tear.

With both hands clasped, he pressed the keys into her palm. “Do you know how to use the navigation?”

“Yes...” she muttered softly, clutching the car keys.

“Good.” He looked down at her, his gaze deep, “Can you drive back to Xi’an?”

Qin Tang sniffled and nodded. “I can.”

Jiang Chuan said, “Alright, drive back yourself.”

She raised her head. “What about you?”

Jiang Chuan smiled slightly, gently squeezing her hand, his voice hoarse. “I’m fine.”

Zhao Qianhe coldly watched them. “Someone, escort Miss Qin out.”

Jiang Chuan ruffled her hair and whispered, “Go ahead.”

She stood still, her eyes red, as if on the verge of crying but holding back.

“Jiang Chuan, will you come back?”

“Mm.”

Qin Tang didn’t know why she felt so anxious, her mouth tightening. She whispered, “Then keep your word.”