Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
The next night, Tan Ron and her aunt carried their luggage over. They wore thick jackets and were prepared to be exposed to the cold wind for the entire night.
However, they didnât have to wait for long. About half an hour later, a man wearing a mask appeared beside Tan Rou and the others. He pretended to be looking at the billboard by the roadside, but in fact, he was talking to Tan Rou and the others.
âHave you prepared the money I asked for?â Zhu Ren asked in a low voice.
Aunt Tao was more nervous. Her voice was trembling when she spoke. âWe⦠Weâve already prepared the money. Itâs all in these two boxes. After you take the money, let our children go.â
Zhu Ren smiled. âSure. As long as you do as I ask, I will definitely send that little girl back.â
âCan we meet Tiantian?â Tan Rou asked. Her voice was trembling as if she was very afraid.
Zhu Ren noticed her as soon as she spoke. Seeing that she was very young, he immediately knew who Tan Rou was. âOh, you must be Tao Zhiâs sister. Youâre really pretty!â
His greedy gaze lingered on Tan Rou as if he wanted to eat her up.
Tan Rou immediately bit her lip and hid behind Aunt Tao. âYou⦠Are you going to let Tiantian go or not?â
Zhu Ren liked girls who were very beautiful but timid. The moment he heard Tan Rou speak, his heart was attracted to her.
âSince youâre worried about her safety, why donât you come back with me to take a look? Donât worry, I will never hurt you.â
âNo, Iâm not going with you. Mom and Dad say youâre a bad person.â Tan Rou deliberately avoided Zhu Renâs gaze and appeared very nervous.
âI changed my mind. There are two boxes here,â Zhu Ren suddenly said. âI canât carry them all by myself, so I need someone to accompany me back. I think you would be a good fit. Wiry donât you come along with me?â
Aunt Tao would definitely not agree. She stood in front of Tan Rou and pretended to be calm. âMy child is timid and weak. He wonât be able to handle it. So, Iâll go with you. Donât worry, I donât have any weapons on me. I wonât hurt you.â
Tan Rou could feel Aunt Tao trembling. She was a very timid woman. Even when her in-laws bullied her in the past, she did not dare to resist. How could she not be afraid when facing kidnappers? However, to protect her niece, Aunt Tao still stood up against this terrifying man.
Tan Rou tugged at Aunt Taoâs down jacket from behind and whispered into her ear, âAunt, donât worry. I can protect myself. We donât know how Tian Tianâs condition is right now, so I have to go and see her. I will go with him later. You must pretend to be very nervous and not let him take me away. I will also cooperate with you to act.â
Aunt Tao knew that Tan Rou was skilled at fighting. She was there when Tan Rou used silver needles to fight the armed thugs at the engagement party. Aunt Tao knew very well that Tan Rou was a smart child. However, Tan Rou was her niece. How could she watch her niece take the risk?
âNo, I canât let you take the risk,â Aunt Tao replied in a low voice.
Zhuang Liuâs voice came from Tan Ronâs earpiece. âRourou, think about this again. We donât know what Zhu Ren has been doing these past few years, and we donât know how good he is. If you go over rashly and get injured, we wonât be able to save you immediately.â
âYou donât believe in my ability?â Tan Rou asked.
Before Zhuang Liu could answer, Zhu Ren saw that their mouths were moving and said impatiently, âYou two donât have to discuss anymore. Iâll only take the little girl with me. If you donât agree, Iâll shoot you right now.â
As he spoke, he took out a pocket-sized pistol from his pocket. The gun was completely black, completely blending into the night. If Tan Rou and the others werenât close, they wouldnât have been able to tell that there was a gun.
Tan Rou seemed to have mustered up a lot of courage. âI can go with you, but you have to promise not to hurt me or Tiantian.â