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The next evening, Lu Jingyuan drove to Mountview Inn with her two children after having dinner.
Ning Ran had called her the day before, informing her of the change in plans where the former would only return to
Livingsfill two days later.
As Erbao's goldfish needed to be fed and have its water changed, Ning Ran requested Lu Jingyuan's help to do so.
Although they could've ordered the inn's staff to do it, Erbao insisted that only Lu Yunxue knew how to feed her fish.
Therefore, Lu Jingyuan happily obliged as it had been some time since she last returned to the inn.
When Lu Yunxue learned that Erbao had tasked her to feed the goldfish, she was pretty excited because she felt
important.
Sitting in the child seat at the back, she continued to fidget restlessly. “Mommy, when is Erbao and Ms. Ning coming
back?”
“They didn't say. Probably within the next few days. Also, you shouldn't cling to Erbao all the time. She's just here
with her mommy because her mommy needs to work. Once they're done, they would leave and won't be staying in
Livingsfill permanently.”
Lu Yunxue was visibly upset upon hearing her mother's words.
Given that she and Erbao were best friends, it was difficult for her to accept the latter's inevitable departure.
“What's wrong? Are you reluctant to see her leave? Don't tell me you want her to stay in Flower City with you,” Lu
Jingyuan teased.
“I don't want to be away from Erbao,” Lu Yunxue murmured with a pout.
“There's nothing we can do about it. You'll understand once you grow up. Regardless of how close you are with your
friends and relatives, you'll have to go your separate ways in the end.” Lu Jingyuan let out a sigh.
“But, I'm not grown up yet. I don't want to be separated from my best friend,” Lu Yunxue retorted.
“In that case, what do you want?”
“I want to stay in the same city as Erbao. We will go to the same school, become classmates, and grow up together.
By the time we're adults, it will be fine for us to go our separate ways.” Lu Yunxue revealed her thoughts about the
matter.
Lu Jingyuan turned toward Lu Yunbing. “What do you think?”
The latter maintained an icy expression. “I'm not that childish.”
Despite what she said, she, too, thought it would be great if they could be schoolmates with Dabao and Erbao.
“Look at how much more mature your sister is. The only thing you care about is having fun,” Lu Jingyuan
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtreprimanded her younger daughter.
“She's lying. She doesn't like living here too and wants to have friends to play with. In fact, she loves playing with
Dabao even more.” Lu Yunxue exposed her sister's feelings.
“Nonsense. Unlike you, I don't think about playing every day!” Lu Yunbing denied her twin's claim.
“I don't think about playing all the time too. I just need a friend. People without friends are really pitiful!” Lu Yunxue
began to argue with her sister.
“I'm someone independent. Not having friends doesn't matter to me.”
“You're lying!”
As her daughters were engrossed in a heated argument, Lu Jingyuan quickly put an end to it. “Okay, that's enough!
Stop arguing!”
Being obedient children, both girls fell silent at once. They then gave each other the cold shoulder by looking away,
puffing their cheeks with displeasure.
Amidst the quietness in the car, they soon arrived at the entrance of Mountview Inn.
Lu Jingyuan alighted from the car and opened the back car door, unbuckled the children's safety belts, and
reminded them to be careful while getting down.
Ever since Ning Ran rented the inn long term, the staff no longer lived there. They would only come during the day
to tidy up and maintain the grounds.
As a result, there was no one around and the inn was extremely quiet when they arrived.
Lu Jingyuan proceeded to open the door with her key and turn on the lights.
Once she found the fish bowl and saw its murky water, she knew it was due for a change.
After that, Lu Yunxue found the fish food and began feeding the goldfish.
She did it meticulously, for it was a responsibility assigned to her by her best friend, Erbao.
Meanwhile, Lu Jingyuan made herself some black tea and sat in the yard, sipping it slowly.
Once the tea was finished and the fish was fed, it was time for them to go back.
When Lu Jingyuan wanted to give Ning Ran a call to inform the latter that they had completed the task, she realized
that she had left her phone at home.
“Let's go, Yunxue. We'll call Erbao when we're home to inform her that the fish has been fed and that there's no
need for her to worry anymore.”
“All right, Mommy. Let's go. When Erbao and Dabao come back, we'll come back here to play with them, okay?”
“Sure,” Lu Jingyuan readily agreed.
As she opened the door to lead her daughters out, she was greeted by the sight of a group of men trying to barge
in.
When she saw how well-built they were, she assumed they were Qiao Zhan's men. “What are you doing here?”
Nonetheless, the men exchanged silent glances with each other.
A pretty girl with a pair of twins. They fit the description entirely.
The next second, their leader dashed into the inn and grabbed Lu Jingyuan by her throat.
“Mommy—” Before the children could scream, their mouths were quickly covered.
Unable to resist in any way, Lu Jingyuan and her children were loaded into a white MPV.
It quickly dawned upon her that they were being kidnapped.
With duct tape plastered across her mouth, she was unable to say a word at all.
Both her daughters were also restrained and thrown to her side.
Lu Jingyuan had no means nor the courage to resist, for she was worried that the kidnappers would harm her
children if she angered them.
If money was what they wanted, she believed her family would take care of it.
With that thought in mind, she quickly got a grip on herself and stopped struggling. Thereafter, she tried to
reassure her girls with a calm yet resolute look in her eyes.
It was three in the morning when Nan Chen's work phone began to vibrate.
Despite being awoken by it, he was too sleepy to answer.
Nonetheless, the phone rang incessantly, with the caller ID showing a Livingsfill number.
Finally, Nan Chen picked up but didn't say a word.
“Is this Nan Chen? Your wife and children are in my hands. I want ten million!”
Even though the voice was heavily accented, Nan Chen could still discern the caller's intention.
However, he continued to keep mum. My wife is sleeping by my side, whereas my children are in the room next to
us. And yet, you claim that you have them? What sort of sick joke is this? Are you nuts?
“Hey, are you listening? If you don't pay up, we will chop off your children's fingers! The two children have twenty
fingers in total, and we'll mail them to you one by one. You had better pay up since ten million is nothing to you!”
the person bellowed.
Judging from the rattling noise in the background, Nan Chen figured that the caller was in a noisy, worn-down car.
He could also tell that it wasn't a prank and neither was the person lying.
After all, no one would pull such a prank in the middle of the night. Even if they did, they wouldn't be calling from
outside.
“Send me their pictures. I want to verify that they're alive,” Nan Chen replied.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm“Fine. I will. Wait a moment.” The man on the other end of the line ended the call.
By then, Ning Ran was already awake and was staring at Nan Chen sleepily. “Who was it? What happened?”
A pretty girl with o poir of twins. They fit the description entirely.
The next second, their leoder doshed into the inn ond grobbed Lu Jingyuon by her throot.
“Mommy—” Before the children could screom, their mouths were quickly covered.
Unoble to resist in ony woy, Lu Jingyuon ond her children were looded into o white MPV.
It quickly downed upon her thot they were being kidnopped.
With duct tope plostered ocross her mouth, she wos unoble to soy o word ot oll.
Both her doughters were olso restroined ond thrown to her side.
Lu Jingyuon hod no meons nor the couroge to resist, for she wos worried thot the kidnoppers would horm her
children if she ongered them.
If money wos whot they wonted, she believed her fomily would toke core of it.
With thot thought in mind, she quickly got o grip on herself ond stopped struggling. Thereofter, she tried to
reossure her girls with o colm yet resolute look in her eyes.
It wos three in the morning when Non Chen's work phone begon to vibrote.
Despite being owoken by it, he wos too sleepy to onswer.
Nonetheless, the phone rong incessontly, with the coller ID showing o Livingsfill number.
Finolly, Non Chen picked up but didn't soy o word.
“Is this Non Chen? Your wife ond children ore in my honds. I wont ten million!”
Even though the voice wos heovily occented, Non Chen could still discern the coller's intention.
However, he continued to keep mum. My wife is sleeping by my side, whereos my children ore in the room next to
us. And yet, you cloim thot you hove them? Whot sort of sick joke is this? Are you nuts?
“Hey, ore you listening? If you don't poy up, we will chop off your children's fingers! The two children hove twenty
fingers in totol, ond we'll moil them to you one by one. You hod better poy up since ten million is nothing to you!”
the person bellowed.
Judging from the rottling noise in the bockground, Non Chen figured thot the coller wos in o noisy, worn-down cor.
He could olso tell thot it wosn't o pronk ond neither wos the person lying.
After oll, no one would pull such o pronk in the middle of the night. Even if they did, they wouldn't be colling from
outside.
“Send me their pictures. I wont to verify thot they're olive,” Non Chen replied.
“Fine. I will. Woit o moment.” The mon on the other end of the line ended the coll.
By then, Ning Ron wos olreody owoke ond wos storing ot Non Chen sleepily. “Who wos it? Whot hoppened?”