Stirring up emotions

As Bai Ze spoke, he caught sight of Lin Yuxi's ears turning visibly red.

He heard her voice, carrying a hint of panic, blurt out, "No!"

Bai Ze's lips curved into a slight smile, his eyes narrowing into a pleasant arc. His tone was calm, with a trace of relief.

"No is good... I have no plans of getting a girlfriend."

At first, Lin Yuxi's head-patting gesture was purely out of habit, without any other intentions. The reason she felt embarrassed was simply because Bai Ze's words were too straightforward, coupled with the fact that her own actions were indeed a little out of line.

But when she heard Bai Ze say—

"No is good."

"I have no plans of getting a girlfriend."

Lin Yuxi froze for a moment, replaying his words in her mind.

What does that mean?

He... doesn't fancy her?

What was with that relieved tone in his voice?

Was he giving her a heads-up in advance not to have any ideas about him?

Hah, how self-absorbed can he get!

Lin Yuxi's impression of him was good, but that was just because she felt they could be friends — she didn't like him.

Her boyfriend was perfectly fine, thank you very much.

If she hadn't been kidnapped today, she would've been engaged by now!

Bai Ze watched the subtle shifts on her face — green one moment, pale the next — and nearly burst out laughing.

The proud little heiress... got triggered, huh?

No surprise there.

Plenty of guys chased after Lin Yuxi — the top beauty of Luo Chuan University's Acting Department — and now she got handed a good person card out of nowhere. How could she possibly take that well?

Lin Yuxi's tone was indifferent.

"My cousin is about your age. I pat his head all the time... I must have mistaken you for him. Don't get the wrong idea."

"I have a boyfriend. If I hadn't been kidnapped, I'd be engaged by now."

Cousin? Oh, what a cousin.

Bai Ze nearly laughed out loud.

As a transmigrator with full knowledge of the novel's plot, he could recite the Lin family tree backwards.

Lin Yuxi was the youngest of her generation — where would she get a cousin younger than her?

Her acting was top-notch.

Bai Ze almost believed her.

With a bright smile, he revealed a set of pearly white teeth — his innocent expression clashing with the dark-toned suit he was wearing, creating a stark visual contrast.

"Sister is so lucky... already engaged to your boyfriend. I misunderstood."

"I haven't had much contact with girls, so I don't really understand... I see, you were just treating me like a little brother."

He paused for a few seconds, letting his eyes droop slightly, as if a hint of loneliness flickered across his face.

"I don't have an older sister at home... That feeling of being doted on just now was actually pretty nice."

Lin Yuxi frowned slightly.

A rich, good-looking, well-mannered guy like him... already in university... never had much contact with girls?

No romantic plans?

No interest in anyone?

Was his taste too high?

High enough to not even consider someone like her?

Propping her head lazily on one hand, elbow resting against the sofa's backrest, Lin Yuxi looked as if she were gossiping with a younger brother at home.

"Hmm... I know quite a few girls. What type do you like? When we get out of here, I'll introduce you to someone."

"Gentle girl-next-door? Cute and clingy? Cold and elegant? Or... fiery and sexy?"

Hah?

Is there such a good deal?

Bai Ze scratched his head, pretending to think seriously.

"Type, huh... Tall, fair-skinned, pretty... not too dramatic, with a kind heart... a little gentle..."

Noticing Lin Yuxi's slightly surprised expression, he almost wanted to tell her —

Relax, I was just describing you.

Halfway through his sentence, Bai Ze's long lashes lowered, a faint hint of melancholy flickering in his eyes.

"Just kidding, sister."

"You don't have to introduce anyone to me... I don't plan on falling in love or getting married. I don't want to ruin anyone's life."

Lin Yuxi was taken aback, then chuckled softly.

"How would that be ruining someone's life? You seem like a nice guy — all-around good conditions too..."

She trailed off abruptly, realizing something was off.

Wait a minute —

Wasn't that just one of those polite rejection lines?

Why was she helping him compliment himself?

Suddenly, she felt a little irritated.

Despite knowing each other for such a short time, she'd already mentally included Bai Ze in her circle of friends — someone she found unexpectedly pleasant.

And now...

He had the nerve to shut her down.

As expected of a young master — that distant, untouchable attitude was probably ingrained in his bones.

Crossing her arms, Lin Yuxi shot Bai Ze a mocking glance, her voice teasing.

"True, the Su family runs entertainment businesses — surrounded by celebrities all the time."

"With so many options, it's only natural for your standards to be higher."

Finishing her sentence, she uncrossed her legs, stood up, and walked away.

Bai Ze's gaze lingered on her retreating figure —

She really got pissed off.

He called out nonchalantly behind her,

"Sister, where are you going?"

As expected, the reply came back cold and curt —

"Looking for tools! We're not just going to sit here and wait for death!"

Yep, definitely angry.

After that, Lin Yuxi rummaged through the mansion for tools without sparing him another glance.

Bai Ze had no intention of coaxing her.

The longer you pull back, the better the payoff.

He'd already come up with the perfect plan.

Lin Yuxi was desperate to find tools and break out —

While he lounged around doing nothing.

Wouldn't that piss her off even more?

A wicked grin tugged at Bai Ze's lips as he leisurely headed to the second-floor bedroom.

With a lazy stretch, he flopped onto the plush bed, sinking into its softness —

And fell soundly asleep within minutes.

---

Lin Family Residence

Reception Hall

Chu Cheng paced restlessly.

It had been seven or eight hours since they started tracking the unmarked van.

He hadn't slept a wink.

The Lin family estate's security cameras had been deliberately sabotaged, leaving only the van's silhouette to identify the model.

But that particular style of old van —

There were at least 80,000 to 100,000 of them in Luo Chuan City alone.

Without more clues, it was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

All they could do was comb through every street camera, trying to trace suspicious vehicles.

With Chu Cheng's extensive connections and Lin Haoyang lending manpower, the search should have been simple.

The real complication was that the Lin family estate was located along the coastal outskirts, not within the city.

The only road to the city passed through a three-way fork —

The middle road led to Luo Chuan's downtown,

The left led to Longcheng,

And the right — with winding paths and hidden sea routes — could reach either Luo Chuan or Luo Xi City.

Each route fell under different jurisdictions, with separate surveillance systems.

All they could do was wait.

Half an hour later, the phone on the sofa finally rang.

Chu Cheng snatched it up.

"Hello, did you find Yuxi's location?"

"...Alright, send me the coordinates."

"Mm, send me every stop they've made — they might have more than one hideout."

It was already late at night, but Chu Cheng didn't want to disturb Lin Haoyang with the news. He went straight to the living room on the first floor.

Chu Cheng announced, "We've found the location, let's move out."

His voice was firm, and his expression carried authority.

Although it was the middle of the night, the large mahogany sofas in the living room were filled with about twelve or thirteen men. The room was not crowded despite the numbers.

They were all dressed in black suits, sitting upright with no sign of fatigue on their faces.

However, they seemed to automatically filter out Chu Cheng's words — no one responded.

Chu Cheng froze for a moment, adjusted his emotions, and stepped forward a few paces. He nodded slightly towards the two men sitting in the middle.

"Brother Lin Yi, Brother Lin Er, I've tracked down the stopover locations of the van that took Xier. We can move out now."

Mercenaries often have average builds — neither too tall nor too muscular — to avoid drawing attention and to ensure agility. Lin Yi and Lin Er were prime examples of this. Both were under 1.6 meters tall, with cold faces, resolute eyes, and around twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old.

Their appearance was entirely forgettable, but their skills were top-notch. Having followed Lin Haoyang for years, they were ruthless, intelligent, and ranked second only to Lin Haoyang within the Lin Security Group.

They also shared one common trait — they didn't think much of Chu Cheng.

The brothers owed their lives to Lin Haoyang, who had once saved them during an operation. Their loyalty to the Lin family was unwavering. Sharp-eyed and shrewd, they had long seen through Chu Cheng's fawning attitude over the past ten years.

However, since the young miss favored this man, and Lin Haoyang appreciated him as well, the brothers — bound by duty — kept their opinions to themselves.

Lin Yi and Lin Er glanced coldly at Chu Cheng, then stood up. Lin Yi turned to the other men seated on the sofas and ordered,

"Move out!"

The dozen men immediately stood up.

"Yes, sir!"

Chu Cheng's smile remained, but he was inwardly seething. Lin Haoyang had clearly given him authority to deploy personnel, yet these men still only followed Lin Yi and Lin Er's orders, treating his words like air.

He clenched his fists silently.

Once he married Lin Yuxi and took over the Lin family business, the first thing he'd do would be to get rid of these people.

Four or five black SUVs lined up at the Lin family entrance. The group boarded the cars and set off, checking each stopover point one by one.

Chu Cheng's list of locations had more than ten entries. The kidnappers displayed excellent counter-surveillance skills, leaving five stopovers alone in the maze-like roads near the three-way junction.

It was as if they were playing a game of cat and mouse, deliberately toying with them.

By the time they finished checking the locations near the Lin family's property, more than two hours had passed.

Chu Cheng was getting anxious.

Lin Yi and Lin Er, sitting in the back seat, were equally restless.

Lin Yi glanced at Chu Cheng coldly.

"Stop wasting time. Every extra minute puts the young miss in greater danger."

Chu Cheng looked at the coordinates in his hand and quickly said,

"Brother Lin Yi, the remaining stops all lead south — it's a straight line now. We're almost there."

"I'll give you two more hours. If we don't find her by then, I'll activate the Lin family's SkyNet surveillance system."

Chu Cheng responded,

"Understood."

But inwardly, he knew — that was the last thing he wanted.

Once SkyNet was activated, the Lin family could pinpoint anything in Luochuan down to a single fly. It meant their search would be rendered pointless, and all the credit would slip from his grasp.

Fortunately, SkyNet was a formidable system that even the authorities in Luochuan feared. Its activation required a fully transparent process, with every step documented and made public.

Chu Cheng was certain that Lin Haoyang hadn't used it yet because he didn't want the news of Lin Yuxi's kidnapping to spread.

Even if Lin Yi and Lin Er wanted to activate it, they might not get Lin Haoyang's approval.

As dawn broke, the convoy finally narrowed the search down to the southern district after countless dead ends.

"Brother Lin Yi, Brother Lin Er, only two stops left."

Lin Yi nodded slightly.

"Let's go."

—

In the dreamscape, Bai Ze suddenly felt a sharp pain in his arm, as if something was tugging at him.

He swatted at the source of the discomfort and mumbled groggily,

"Stop it, Amy... I'm sleeping."

His voice was weak, without any real resistance. Under the relentless tugging, Bai Ze half-opened his eyes, barely conscious, and was pulled upright.

Still in a daze, his mood was terrible.

But as his mind cleared, he realized who the culprit was — Lin Yuxi.

"Sister..." Bai Ze rubbed his eyes, stealing a glance at her.

His half-lidded eyes widened instantly. He propped himself on his elbows, inching back on the bed, blurting out,

"Holy shit... what are you doing?!"

Earlier, Bai Ze had turned off the main lights, leaving only the warm yellow ambient lights embedded in the walls. In the dim glow, he couldn't see Lin Yuxi's face clearly — but the two sharp weapons flashing in her hands were unmistakable.

Scissors in one hand.

A kitchen knife in the other.

Bai Ze's dry throat bobbed nervously. He had backed up to the edge of the bed, nowhere left to retreat.

For the first time, he regretted handing out that good person card. He thought she'd just give him the cold shoulder — not go full-on murder mode.

Bai Ze waved his hands frantically, panic written all over his face.

"Sister... you're my real sister... let's talk this out, don't get violent."

"You..." Lin Yuxi almost burst out laughing.

She walked to the wall and flicked on the main light. The room instantly lit up.

Lin Yuxi raised the "weapons" in her hands and said flatly,

"I found a pair of scissors and a kitchen knife. Which one do you want?"

Bai Ze blinked, pointing at himself in disbelief.

"You're... letting me pick a weapon for a duel?"

He had always thought martial artists liked settling things with fights — maybe she wanted to assert her dominance.

Seeing her puzzled expression, Bai Ze quickly waved his hands.

"I can't beat you — you win. I surrender."

To emphasize, he even grabbed a pillow and waved it like a white flag.

This time, Lin Yuxi couldn't hold back and burst into laughter. Her expression softened considerably.

"What are you thinking? Do I look that violent?

I found tools — we're going to cut the bars on the window upstairs. I checked earlier — one of the rooms only has four metal bars. We should be able to squeeze out."

Bai Ze chuckled helplessly and stood up.

"I'm fine with either — give me whatever."

Lin Yuxi handed him the sharper, more convenient kitchen knife without any hesitation.