After saying those words, as though she thought of something, a hint of desolation flashed in Xu Youyou’s eyes.

It did not escape Mo Shenbai’s notice, but he did not ask any questions. He could not bear to force her to speak.

Just as he thought of something, a flash of desolation appeared in his eyes.

Mo Shenbai caught it, but he didn’t ask any more questions. Even if he used the most extreme method to let her make a choice later on, he would still bear the pain.

…

Three days later.

The moon shone down on Moon Pavilion. It hung prettily among the stars in the dark sky.

Xu Youyou suddenly opened her eyes. She sat up before she picked up her phone and checked her WeChat. She read the message that Xu Jialu sent her in the afternoon again.

The police had yet to find Lin Zhihuan.

Three days ago, Lin Zhihuan’s phone had been turned off after she left the Lin family home. Hence, the police could not track her using her phone. Apart from that, the car she had driven out from the Lin family home was found abandoned in the outskirts of the city where there was no surveillance camera. It was obvious that Lin Zhihuan had gone into hiding.

With Lin Zhihuan’s disappearance, the matter became rather serious.

The police were still searching for her, but there were millions of people in Mo City. Trying to find someone who was deliberately hiding was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

Xu Youyou took a deep breath before she got out of bed. She changed into a simple white dress with a red bow and tied her hair into a bun. She looked cute and charming.

It was two in the morning so everyone had fallen asleep. Moon Pavilion was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.

Xu Youyou tiptoed down the stairs. However, when she arrived downstairs, she saw a tall figure standing by the French window.

The lights in the living room were not switched in.

The sliver of moonlight shone through the window, illuminating the tall and upright figure. It also gave the figure an otherworldly appearance.

As though sensing something, Mo Shenbai turned around. When he saw Xu Youyou had changed out of her pajamas, he asked with a frown, “Are you going out?”

Xu Youyou did not reply to the question. Instead, she asked, “Why aren’t you sleeping?”

“I’m not sleepy.”

Over the past few days, Mo Shenbai did not dare to sleep. Every time he fell asleep, he would dream of her lying in a bathtub. The water in the tub was dyed red with her blood. It was a chilling and terrifying scene.

“Oh.”

Xu Youyou did not know what to say for a moment.

For a moment, awkward silence permeated the living room.

Mo Shenbai lowered his gaze. As though he understood something, he walked over and asked, “Where are you going? I’ll send you.”

When Xu Youyou met his dark gaze, she swallowed the words that were about to come out of her mouth and nodded.

…

Cang Ming drove the car.

A bodyguard drove another car and followed from behind.

Xu Youyou watched as the car pulled away from the beautiful neighborhood, speeding past high-rise buildings before turning into a quiet and dilapidated street.

Cang Ming had to slow down. The road was old, and there were many potholes and bumps.

Mo Shenbai pulled Xu Youyou into his arms.

Xu Youyou could smell his woodsy scent. She raised her head slightly and looked at his chin. Every time the car rolled over a bump or pothole, she would bump against his warm and hard chest. It made her heart soften immediately.

After pulling to a stop, Cang Ming asked, “Madam, is this the place?”

Xu Youyou regained her senses and looked at the dilapidated alley and buildings. When she saw a familiar sign, she responded with an, “Mmm…”

The couple got out of the car and walked hand in hand into a narrow alley as Cang Ming and the bodyguard walked a certain distance behind them.

This old residential area was going to be demolished soon. Most of the residents had already moved out. There were only a few families who stubbornly refused to move out.

The alley was dark, and the summer night wind carried a stench.

Finally, Mo Shenbai asked, “What’s this place?”

“Our old home,” Xu Youyou replied as she pointed ahead, “Back then, my family and the Lin family both lived here. The Lin family moved away first. Later, when Dad’s business took off, we moved away as well.”

Mo Shenbai did not ask any more questions. Instead, he paid attention to where they were walking, making sure Xu Youyou did not trip and hurt herself. In the end, he thought it would be easier to carry her so he reached out and picked her up. It was just like lifting a rabbit.

Xu Youyou: “…”

For a moment, Xu Youyu did not know if she should feel happy or angry. It was a bit humiliating, but not really.

After walking around for more than ten minutes, Xu Youyou came to a stop in front of a door that had mottled with time. Her eyes swept across the pile of trash at the door.

Mo Shenbai followed her gaze before he turned to look at Cang Ming meaningfully.

Cang Ming understood Mo Shenbai’s intention so he stepped forward.

Mo Shenbai pulled Xu Youyou to the side.

Bang!

Cang Ming raised his leg and easily kicked the door open.

Xu Youyou’s eyes were about to pop out of their sockets as she watched Cang Ming calmly and expressionlessly patting the dust off his pants after kicking the door open.

Cang Ming bowed slightly and stepped backward.

After that, the bodyguard went into the house first and turned on the lights.

After determining everything was okay, Mo Shenbai and Xu Youyou walked into the house.

The house had been empty for a long time so it was incredibly dusty. A musty smell lingered in the air. The strange thing was that there was no dust on the table.

Mo Shenbai pulled Xu Youyou with him. After he sat on a chair, he patted his lap and said, “Sit.”

Xu Youyou glanced at the bodyguard, who was standing at the entrance, and lowered her head in embarrassment.

Mo Shenbai reached out for her and pulled her to sit on his lap. Then, he said to the bodyguard, “Search.”

The bodyguard went to work immediately.

The house was not big. There were only three small rooms. In less than three minutes, the bodyguard dragged Lin Zhihuan to the living room as he covered her mouth. Then, he threw her onto the floor in the living room as though he was throwing trash.

Lin Zhihuan’s clothes were dirty, and her hair was disheveled. Her pale face turned paler when she saw Xu Youyou. Her almond-shaped eyes revealed her fear.

Xu Youyou wanted to stand up, but she felt the iron grip on her waist. She said with a hint of helplessness, “Let go for a moment…”

Mo Shenbai hesitated for a few moments before he let go of her.

Xu Youyou rose to her feet and moved to stand in front of Lin Zhihuan. She raised her hand and slapped Lin Zhihuan.

Lin Zhihuan’s face turned to the side. A hand print could be clearly seen on her pale face. She turned back to glare at Xu Youyou. Anger burned in her eyes as she said, “You dare to hit me!”

“Why not?” Xu Youyou smiled. However, the smile did not reach her eyes.

Lin Zhihuan bit her lip and did not retort.

Xu Youyou raised her hand and slapped Lin Zhihuan again. This time, she slapped Lin Zhihuan’s right side. The hand prints on both sides of Lin Zhihuan’s face were symmetrical, dispelling the symptoms of her obsessive-compulsive disorder.

“You!” Lin Zhihuan shouted. However, when she met Mo Shenbai’s cold gaze, she forcefully swallowed her words.

Xu Youyou smiled. “What about me? Don’t you know I slapped you?”

Lin Zhihuan naturally knew the reason very well. She wanted to expose Xu Youyou’s past to Mo Shenbai, and she also wanted to make Xu Youyou retreat. However, she did not expect things to escalate to this point. She did not expect to be discovered by Xu Youyou and the others nor did she expect the police to get involved. She was afraid of being detained. Hence, she could only hide like a rat that could not see the light, hiding in a pile of smelly garbage. She was on tenterhooks all the time. Who knew that it was not the police who found her first, but Xu Youyou.

Lin Zhihuan was unwilling to give up. She looked at the man sitting on the chair with barely concealed admiration in her eyes. Then, she said, “Do you know that she’s a monster? She can speak from birth, and she did not cry or laugh. She was bullied by others and even had her pictures taken! Who knows how many men have seen her pictures? Don’t you think she’s very filthy?”