Chapter 46: A Little Twisted

Chapter 46: Chapter 46: A Little Twisted

The incident at the Fu Family’s villa had only happened that afternoon. The police had cordoned it off, barring entry. Now, the police tape was still there, merely dropped to the ground.

The villa was pitch-black within, as if it hid countless monsters waiting for their prey to walk into the trap before swarming.

With a cold and indifferent expression, Gu Qingyin pushed open the courtyard gate without hesitation, stepped over the police tape on the ground, and moved to shove open the villa’s main door.

A foul stench assailed her instantly, rushing straight for Gu Qingyin’s face.

Gu Qingyin’s eyes narrowed. In a flash, she saw what was coming at her. With a subtle shift of her feet, she dodged to the side, simultaneously reaching out to grab her attacker’s wrist.

The person in the shadows hadn’t expected her to be so fast. Caught completely off guard, she instinctively tried to yank free, but the hand clamped around her wrist was unyielding.

"You’ve certainly mastered the art of hiding in plain sight. The police have been searching for you all night, yet you dared to come back. If you’d just laid low, you might have found a chance to escape, but..." Gu Qingyin’s voice grew heavy, her rage spilling out. "You should not have touched my son."

The moment she finished speaking, her grip tightened abruptly. A sharp CRACK echoed, followed by the woman’s scream as the knife in her hand clattered to the floor.

Gu Qingyin frowned in annoyance and lashed out with a kick, catching Feng Xia square in the abdomen and sending her flying back into the room.

She followed her inside, closing the villa’s main door behind her. "The night is still young," she said softly. "We can take our time."

The kick must have been a bit too vicious. Feng Xia, who had been screaming moments ago, was now sprawled on the floor, her pained groans barely audible.

Gu Qingyin, however, was quite satisfied. "Now that’s better. Why be so loud so late at night? What if you scare the neighbors?"

Besides the physical pain, Feng Xia was utterly terrified. ’Gu Qingyin is so ruthless! She’s definitely not a normal person!’

Feng Xia was filled with regret. It wasn’t that she regretted kidnapping Huo Xinghai, but she regretted not devising a more meticulous plan. She had gravely underestimated Gu Qingyin.

Gu Qingyin’s speed in finding her, her combat prowess, even her slightly deranged aura at this moment—all of it had completely blindsided Feng Xia.

’What do I do now?’ Feng Xia was at a complete loss.

"Where is my son?" Gu Qingyin walked over and stood before Feng Xia, asking softly, "You didn’t hurt him, did you?"

Though her tone was gentle and calm, to Feng Xia’s ears it sounded like the whisper of a demon, making her blood run cold.

Feng Xia gasped for breath, enduring the pain in her abdomen. "No," she managed to reply between breaths, "I... just... brought him here..."

"Good." Gu Qingyin let out a soft laugh. "As long as my son is unharmed, we can talk about anything."

Seeing her seem so reasonable, Feng Xia didn’t relax in the slightest; she only grew more tense. She volunteered, "I put him in the cellar. He should still be unconscious."

Gu Qingyin hummed in acknowledgment, then made a polite request. "I don’t know where the entrance is. Be a dear and take me there."

"I don’t think... I can move..." It hurt for Feng Xia to speak. She suspected she had broken a rib—maybe more than one.

"Oh?" Gu Qingyin tilted her head, feigning confusion. "Do you need my help?"

Feng Xia fell silent. She knew she had no choice. If she refused, there was no telling what Gu Qingyin might do to her.

"No, I’ll manage." Feng Xia didn’t dare stall, terrified that an impatient Gu Qingyin would give her another kick. She tried to sit up, but the moment she moved, a searing pain shot through her right ribs. Her vision went black, and she nearly passed out.

"You’re sure you don’t need my help?" Gu Qingyin’s voice drifted down from the darkness above, laced with a sinister temptation. "You look like you’re in agony."

Feng Xia shuddered involuntarily. Riding the wave of fear that momentarily eclipsed the pain, she scrambled to her feet. "This way," she said weakly.

Feng Xia shuffled forward one agonizing step at a time. Gu Qingyin followed quietly, never rushing her, yet Feng Xia’s anxiety mounted with every moment, terrified that Gu Qingyin would lash out at any second.

In her current state, it wouldn’t take much—just one more blow would be enough to finish her completely.

The walk was short, but for Feng Xia, it was an eternity of torment. By the time they reached the cellar entrance, she was soaked in a cold sweat—partly from the psychological anguish, partly from the physical pain.

"It’s down there," Feng Xia rasped, leaning against the wall for support.

"I see. Then let’s keep going."

Gu Qingyin clearly had no intention of letting her rest. Feng Xia held her breath and, spurred on by her will to survive, forced her legs to move once more.

When they reached the cellar door, Feng Xia pulled a key from her pocket and laboriously unlocked it.

Gu Qingyin watched her, feigning surprise. "Oh, you locked it? Why didn’t you mention that earlier? Did you forget?"

Of course, Feng Xia hadn’t forgotten. She was just trying to create an opportunity to strike back. The chance of success was slim, but what if it worked? The tables would be turned in an instant.

"No, the pain... I just forgot for a moment," Feng Xia said, her voice sounding even weaker.

"You’ve been through a lot," Gu Qingyin said with mock consideration. "Once I find my son, you can rest. There should be a first-aid kit in the villa. You can take some painkillers and then call an ambulance."

The corner of Feng Xia’s mouth twitched. "...Okay."

The cellar door swung open. Feng Xia reached inside the frame, fumbled for the light switch, then stepped through and started down the stairs.

With every step she took down the stairs, Feng Xia let out a muffled groan of pain.

Descending the stairs was far more painful than walking on level ground.

Gu Qingyin followed leisurely, savoring Feng Xia’s suffering while also observing the Evil Qi clinging to her.

The Evil Qi was stronger than the last time they’d met, and it had now fully embedded itself in Feng Xia’s soul. This Evil Qi was like a key, unlocking the desires Feng Xia had long suppressed.

That afternoon, after her emotional breakdown, her desires had burst forth, leading her to injure Fu Zimo.

The root cause was the resentment toward Fu Zimo that Feng Xia had always suppressed; stimulated by the Evil Qi, it had festered into malevolence.

And her decision to kidnap Huo Xinghai was also because of Fu Zimo.

Because alongside her resentment, Feng Xia still harbored love for Fu Zimo. She wanted him to treat her better, so she had decided to eliminate his mortal enemy.

This, too, was a malicious impulse amplified by the Evil Qi.

In short, once a person is afflicted with Evil Qi, hostility takes root in their heart, making them increasingly vicious and capable of anything.

At the bottom of the stairs was an open space. Huo Xinghai was tied to a chair in the center of it—hands and feet bound, eyes blindfolded, and mouth gagged with a cloth.

Gu Qingyin let out a humorless laugh. "You’re quite the professional kidnapper."

Feng Xia’s heart leaped into her throat. "I’ll untie him right now." She started forward, but after just two steps, Gu Qingyin kicked her squarely in the back, sending her sprawling stiffly onto the floor.

The impact on her broken ribs sent a wave of excruciating pain through her, and Feng Xia’s consciousness finally gave out.

Gu Qingyin sneered. "One little scheme after another. Do you take me for a fool?"

She walked over and untied Huo Xinghai. Seeing he was still unconscious, she simply scooped him into her arms. On her way out of the villa, she also took a moment to call the police.

A short while later, the police arrived, sealed off the villa, and took Feng Xia into custody.