Qiao An was held in the ruins by the kidnappers and starved for three days. She was still convinced that her most beloved man, Li Zecheng, would definitely come to save her.

On the sixth day, the kidnapper cursed, “Li Zecheng is really patient. His woman has been locked up by us for so many days, but he’s still unwilling to pay the ransom.”

Qiao An sneered. “Because he despises you for being freeloaders. He won’t let you have your way.”

The kidnapper swung his shoe at Qiao An’s face, causing her to spit blood.

The kidnapper vented all his frustration on Qiao An. “Damn, your man doesn’t love you at all. That’s why he doesn’t care if you live or die.”

The kidnappers sent the photo of Qiao An covered in blood to Li Zecheng, but it was as if a stone had sunk into the sea. Not a single bubble appeared.

It was as if Li Zecheng had not received this message.

Seeing that they could not gain anything from Qiao An, the kidnappers changed their target the next day and captured Wei Xin, who was Li Zecheng’s cherished ex-lover.

On the second day after Wei Xin disappeared, Li Zecheng appeared in the ruins.

His handsome face was covered in thin ice as he negotiated angrily with the kidnappers.

“Tell me, what will it take to free them?”

The kidnapper said, “Ten million. Choose one and take her away. As for the remaining one, since Young Master Li doesn’t care for her, leave her behind for me to enjoy.”

Li Zecheng’s gaze lingered on Qiao An before finally settling on Wei Xin.

Qiao An had a bad feeling, but she tried to convince herself. Li Zecheng must love her. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have married her back then.

However, Li Zecheng’s next words sent her into an ice cave.

“Let Wei Xin go.”

Qiao An went deathly pale.

Li Zecheng had chosen to save his first love, Wei Xin, and left her for the kidnappers to enjoy?

The kidnapper looked at Qiao An and mocked her wantonly. “I should have guessed that you weren’t Young Master Li’s favorite at all. To think I spent so much effort kidnapping you. Alright, serve me well tonight. I can let bygones be bygones.”

The blood around Qiao An cooled and froze.

She looked at Li Zecheng numbly, her gaze filled with condemnation and interrogation. But in the end, she did not say a word.

If even the kidnappers could see the logic, why should she lie to herself?

Li Zecheng did not love her.

After the kidnappers released Wei Xin, she cried and threw herself into Li Zecheng’s arms to seek comfort.

“Brother Zecheng, I’m so scared.”

Li Zecheng comforted her very gently. “Don’t be afraid. I’m here.”

Those words made Wei Xin feel at ease, but they nailed Qiao An to the cross like countless soul-locking nails.

Qiao An suddenly lost her strength.

As gentle as Li Zecheng was to Wei Xin, he was as cruel to Qiao An.

Qiao An looked at Li Zecheng with eyes that had gone from hope to disillusionment. Those eyes that were as innocent as a deer’s seemed to have experienced everything in an instant.

Li Zecheng felt anxious.

It wasn’t like he didn’t want to save her. He just wanted to save Wei Xin first.

He was already here. There was no reason not to save her.

Despite his thoughts, Qiao An’s eyes made him strangely uneasy.

After a long time, Qiao An looked away from Li Zecheng indifferently.

She looked up at the kidnapper. “You’re right. I was blind and in love with the wrong person. I promise I’ll stay with you tonight. But can you let me go now? I want to say goodbye to him.”

After a moment’s thought, the kidnapper released Qiao An.

“You’ve seen how cold he is to you these past few days. I don’t think you’ll foolishly cling to him again.” The kidnapper had also seen how cold Li Zecheng was to Qiao An. He didn’t believe that Li Zecheng would want Qiao An.

After Qiao An was untied, she stumbled toward Li Zecheng.

A look of relief appeared in Li Zecheng’s eyes. He knew that Qiao An was smart. Even without him, she could get away. As long as Qiao An walked up to him, she would be out of danger.

Qiao An walked steadily towards him and suddenly stopped a meter away from him.

Li Zecheng waved at her. “Qiao An, come here.”

Much to his surprise, Qiao An didn’t approach him. Instead, she turned and dashed resolutely toward the side window.

The ruined factory had a total of five floors. Qiao An would die if she jumped from there.

Li Zecheng’s eyes were filled with disbelief and panic.

He never wanted to believe Qiao An would choose suicide. Without looking back, she jumped.

“Qiao An…” Li Zecheng’s pupils were constricted.

He shouted at the top of his lungs.

Then he sprinted over, but Qiao An was too determined. When he ran over, he only touched the corner of her shirt.

Then he heard a loud crash on the ground.

Qiao An sprawled on the floor, blood spurting.

Li Zecheng looked at Qiao An, who was lying motionless in a pool of blood, and felt his body go limp.

He found it hard to believe that Qiao An would protest her injustice in such a way?

Just because he saved Wei Xin first?

The police quickly took away all the kidnappers. The contest between Li and the kidnappers was won beautifully.

Except he’d lost Qiao An.

… .

Her aching body felt like it was being dismembered. Every muscle tore and twisted savagely. Slowly, Qiao An opened her eyes and saw the white latex-painted ceiling. Smelling the pungent disinfectant, confusion filled her eyes.

Was she not dead?

A warm voice whispered in her ear, “Are you awake?”

Qiao An’s eyes turned to the direction of the voice with difficulty. She was a little surprised to see her uncle-in-law, Li Xiaoran, in a white coat.

Unexpectedly, the good-for-nothing young master looked like a pure and harmless youth in his white coat. However, she knew that the more beautiful the Li family’s top-notch demons were, the more poisonous they were.

“Go away.” She forced a hoarse breath from her throat.

Li Xiaoran curled his sexy and charming lips. “Qiao An, the person who offended you is my nephew, Li Zecheng. You don’t have to take your anger out on me. I’m your savior. In order to save you, I haven’t slept for seven days and seven nights. Logically speaking, you should repay me with your life. But since you’re a married woman, that’s a different story. At least cook me a bowl of Yang Chun Snow Noodles, right?”

Qiao An closed her eyes in panic. She thought she would die if she jumped from the fifth floor. Unexpectedly, there was a crooked tree outside the window. She hung from it and came back alive.

She would probably be crippled for life.

“I don’t want you to save me.”

It would be better to die to absolve herself of all her pain.

To be continued....

Li Xiaoran leaned down and placed his hands on both sides of the cramped bed. He looked at Qiao An teasingly and smiled. “Qiao An, look at my eyes. When have you seen me so haggard and disheveled?”

Qiao An’s eyelids rolled up with difficulty. He saw that Li Xiaoran’s beautiful eyes were filled with a circle of green, but it still did stop him from flirting.

Her lips curled into a mocking smile. It seemed that this player had been exhausted recently.

Li Xiaoran realized that Qiao An might have misunderstood and his handsome face instantly turned green.

“It wasn’t easy for me to snatch you back from the throes of Death. Qiao An, I’ve invested in your life for seven days and seven nights. No matter what, I’m one of your shareholders. If you want to die in the future, please ask for my opinion,” Li Xiaoran said arrogantly.

Qiao An was dumbfounded.

Li Xiaoran’s words made her feel ashamed.

Her life was given to her by her parents, but she had jumped off a building for a scumbag like Li Zecheng. Now that she thought about it, she had really let her parents down.

Qiao An suddenly felt a desire to live. She looked at Li Xiaoran and begged, “I don’t want to be disabled.”

She knew that although Li Xiaoran had a bad reputation, the scalpel in his hand was world famous. She was afraid that he would use his power to his advantage to benefit Li Zecheng.

Li Xiaoran’s smile froze on his lips. It seemed that she didn’t believe that he would do his best to save her. In that case, he had to prove it to her.

With his free hand, he gently undressed Qiao An.

It was extremely easy to undo a patient’s clothes, not to mention that he was a doctor. With ease, he pulled off Jo Ann’s belt. She felt a chill on her chest, embarrassed and annoyed.

“Li… Xiaoran, I’m… your niece-in-law. How dare you… take advantage of me?”

Li Xiaoran did not stop what he was doing. He teased Qiao An cynically, “Since you already know that I’m a womanizer, why should I hide it from you?”

Qiao An was so angry she couldn’t breathe.

Li Xiaoran looked at Qiao An, whose ears were so red that she was crying. He felt that she was extremely cute. However, considering that she was a patient and he was afraid that she would be upset, all his efforts in the past few days would be in vain. He restrained his unruly attitude and explained to her seriously.

“Qiao An, I’m just checking your wound. What are you thinking?”

Qiao An was shy and always felt that men and women should not touch each other, not to mention that this person was her unrestrained uncle-in-law. She immediately resisted. “I don’t want you to… check. Go… call the female doctor.”

Li Xiaoran said solemnly, “Qiao An, in the entire capital and even the entire world, I’m the only one who can save you. If you don’t want to live with a urine bag for the rest of your life, you have to overcome your shame now. Because in the next few months, I’ll be with you day and night and check every inch of your skin every day…”

Qiao An fell silent when she heard that she might be living on a piss bag.

Li Xiaoran’s lips curled into a smug smile.

He very gently gave Qiao An a full-body examination and applied the medicine very carefully. When he was done, he put on her clothes and pants again.

At this moment, Qiao An’s face was as red as a tomato. She turned his head and did not dare to look at Li Xiaoran.

Li Xiaoran stuffed his hands into the pockets of his white coat. With his languid temperament and excellent looks, he exuded an aura that was superior to all the men in the Li family.

“Li Zecheng waited for you outside for seven days and seven nights. If you’re willing to see him, I’ll call him in.”

Qiao An’s hands gripped the sheets so tightly that the color drained from her ruddy fingernails.

Li Xiaoran saw her reaction and his eyes darkened. “I’ll help you get rid of him.”

Qiao An’s thoughts calmed in a flash.

“Call him in,” she said.

Li Xiaoran frowned and turned to walk out the door.

“Zecheng, come in.”

As soon as Li Xiaoran finished speaking, Li Zecheng barged in.

“An’an.”

He came to the bed and looked at Qiao An, who was as thin as a skeleton. Only his eyes were like stars in the night, bright and flickering. Li Zecheng was clearly put off by Qiao An’s ugly appearance.

In the end, he mustered his courage and grabbed Qiao An’s hand. He complained helplessly, “An’an, why did you jump off the building? I didn’t say I wouldn’t save you. I only saved Wei Xin first. You know that Wei Xin is weaker than you. You’ve always been strong and brave. That’s why I chose to save her first. Sigh, you women are so petty.”

Qiao An’s cold hand pulled weakly from Li Zecheng’s palm.

Li Zecheng was stunned. “An’an, are you still blaming me? Did you misunderstand my relationship with Wei Xin? There’s really nothing between us! You also know that the Wei family and the Li family are business partners. Her father has always been very supportive of me. I’m grateful for Uncle Wei’s support, so I treat Wei Xin as my biological sister and take care of her. That’s all.”

Jo Ann closed her eyes as tears filled them.

Li Zecheng clearly did not love her, but he had to pretend to be a loyal husband. It was obvious that he was trying to protect his image. His behavior disgusted her.

“Divorce,” Qiao An said softly.

She knew that Li Zecheng had stayed in the marriage because many of his assets had grown rapidly after he married her. They belonged to the common property of the marriage. If they divorced and she wanted to take half of his assets, Li Zecheng’s strength would be halved. This was a fatal blow to him.

“Divorce?” Li Zecheng seemed to have been stung by a wasp and became fearful.

He couldn’t divorce Qiao An. Even if he didn’t love her, he couldn’t leave her.

Speaking of which, it was strange. After he and Qiao An got married, his life seemed to have become a breeze. The old man also treated him differently and even wanted to hand over the Li family’s assets to him.

If Qiao An divorced him now, the old man would definitely retract his will.

“An’an, we can’t get a divorce. You’re in a difficult time now. If I leave you at this time, will I still be human? I know that I didn’t save you in time and that made you upset. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely treat you well in the future and let you see my sincerity. If I still can’t move you after a year, then I agree to the divorce.”

Li Zecheng thought that Qiao An was still innocent and easy to coax. As long as he coaxed her and acted pitiful, Qiao An would be obedient to him.

Qiao An smiled.

Li Zecheng’s calculations were very quick. A year later, he would already have established himself in the Li family. Naturally, he would be able to kick out his wife by then.

“My mind is made up.”

To be continued....

Li Zecheng was stunned. “An’an, you need a large amount of medical fees every day now. How will you pay for the medical fees if you divorce me?”

Qiao An looked at Li Zecheng. He actually had the idea of letting her leave with nothing?

“Li Zecheng, if there’s something wrong with your head… go to the psychiatric department. I’ll… divorce you. The assets… will be split equally.”

Li Zecheng immediately flew into a rage out of humiliation. “Qiao An, I always thought you were not a materialistic girl. I thought you married me because you loved me. It turns out that you’re as vain as other women. You use marriage as a springboard. Let me tell you, there’s no way I would agree to a divorce.”

Qiao An also knew that she would not be able to gain anything from arguing with Li Zecheng while lying on the hospital bed. She simply shut her mouth.

Li Zecheng thought that she had changed her mind and secretly heaved a sigh of relief.

“Rest well. I’ll visit you again tomorrow.” Li Zecheng left decisively.

When he was gone, tears trickled from the corners of Jo Ann’s eyes.

Li Zecheng had said that he would come to visit her tomorrow… In the past, she would have stood outside her house and waited for Li Zecheng to return. Now, when she heard that he would come to visit her, she felt extremely terrified.

Thinking of how much Li Zecheng cared for Wei Xin, Qiao An felt like a fishbone was stuck in her throat.

Her intuition told her that the relationship between Li Zecheng and Wei Xin was not as simple as it seemed. She had to find evidence of Li Zecheng betraying her and obtain the lead in the divorce.

Qiao An looked at the phone on the bedside table and struggled to reach for it. Then, with difficulty, she found her good sister Loco’s number and called her.

When the call went through, Loco’s choked voice sounded. “An’an, is that you? They all said that you jumped off a building and had no chance of survival. Do you know that you scared me to death?”

“Locke…” Qiao An managed.

The telepathic Loco realized that there must be an unusual motive behind Qiao An’s difficult call. She became unusually quiet.

“An’an, tell me.”

“Help me investigate… Wei Xin and Li Zecheng.”

Loco became furious. “An’an, are you suspecting that Li Zecheng cheated on you with Wei Xin?”

“Mm. Gather evidence for me, I want a divorce.”

Locke was silent for a moment, as if thinking about how to catch the adulterers. In the end, she thought of something and said excitedly to Qiao An, “An’an, while you’re hospitalized, Li Zecheng is very likely to bring Wei Xin home to play guerrilla warfare. I have to install a monitor at your house.”

Qiao An found a legitimate reason for Loco’s visit. “Then go to my house and pack some clothes for me.”

Locke said, “Not a bad idea. When the time comes, I’ll install the camera in a hidden corner without anyone knowing.”

“Yeah.”

Loco immediately bought the most advanced cameras online. The next day, after the cameras arrived, she rushed to Li Zecheng and Qiao An’s love nest—Star Palace.

Loco knocked first. When no one answered, she entered the fingerprint lock code Qiao An had told her about.

When the door opened, Loco was embarrassed because Li Zecheng and Wei Xin were sitting on the sofa. The two of them looked a little flustered.

Li Zecheng looked at Loco coldly and said unhappily, “You’re good at breaking into houses. Aren’t you going to explain to me?”

Loco played it by ear. “I knocked on the door earlier. You guys didn’t hear me, so I pressed the code to get in. Oh, don’t get me wrong. I’m here on Qiao An’s request to fetch some clothes and supplies to the hospital for her.”

Li Zecheng’s expression was very ugly. “Why didn’t she let me help her with these things? Would she rather trouble an outsider?”

Locke was indignant. “You have the nerve to say that.”

“Then I’ll go in?” Loco didn’t care if Li Zecheng looked good or not. She walked straight towards the master bedroom.

Wei Xin and Li Zecheng looked at each other speechlessly.

After Loco entered the room, she quietly locked the door from the inside. Then, she quickly took out the camera and installed it in a hidden flower pot. Then, she quickly packed a few clothes and prepared to leave.

When she opened the door, she saw Li Zecheng looking at her warily. “Why did you close the door?”

Loco was quick to react. She glanced at Wei Xin and said, “I’m afraid I’ll see something I shouldn’t and cause unnecessary trouble.” Then she fled.

Li Zecheng frowned and walked into the bedroom. His sharp gaze carefully searched every place. Finally, he pulled out the camera from the flower pot. Li Zecheng’s face was very gray.

It was obvious that Loco must have been instructed to do so by Qiao An, who clearly didn’t trust him anymore.

Thinking that Qiao An, who had once trusted him unconditionally, had actually learned these tricks to monitor him, Li Zecheng felt inexplicably disappointed.

Loco remotely directed Qiao An to install the surveillance software.

She told Qiao An, “I’m on the stairs of your house. There are cameras in the master bedroom, but Li may suspect I’ve tampered with them. He’ll probably clear the master bedroom. He’ll never expect cameras in the stairwell. Once you’ve installed the surveillance software, you should be able to eavesdrop on some of his secrets.”

After Qiao An installed the software, she stared at the phone screen in a daze from time to time.

Li Zecheng might have indeed become vigilant. Not only did he not invite Wei Xin to his house again, but he also placed some flowers that Qiao An liked at home from time to time.

Occasionally, he would mutter to himself, “An’an, when you come back and see these gardenias, you’ll definitely be happy.”

Qiao An’s eyes, however, were fixed on his tie clip.

Li Zecheng had made a mistake.

She’d always helped him with his tie clips. She’d bought all his tie clips for him.

But his tie clip today was new. Clearly someone else had bought it for him.

Qiao An sent a screenshot of the tie to Loco. She was sure that Loco, who knew a lot about fashion, would soon be able to find out who had purchased the tie clip.

Qiao An’s recent frequent use of her phone was discovered by her attending physician, Li Xiaoran. Li Xiaoran very seriously ordered her to hand over her phone.

“Qiao An, hand over the phone.”

Qiao An was very reluctant to hand over the phone. She glared at Li Xiaoran with pleading eyes.

Li Xiaoran said helplessly, “You look at your phone during the day and use your eyes too much. When you look at your phone at night, it affects your sleep. Don’t forget that you’re a critical patient.”

Qiao An was afraid that Li Xiaoran would discover her secret, so she turned off her phone and handed it to Li Xiaoran.

“What secrets are in the phone?” Li Xiaoran looked at the black screen and laughed teasingly.

Qiao An said nothing.

Silence was golden.

Li Xiaoran put her phone in his pocket and asked her, “You haven’t showered in a long time. To be honest, you stink a little.”

To be continued....