The Abusive Novel System Pleads with Me to Resign

Lu Linwei received the news of Shen Ying's disappearance over an hour after she had left home.

He rushed back from the company immediately, only to find the entire mansion engulfed in an oppressive silence, thick with tension and caution.

Lu Linwei sat with his hands clasped, his demeanor eerily calm. Yet anyone standing close could easily sense the fury, anxiety, and dread radiating from him.

He spoke, his voice low: “Any leads?”

Assistant Fang answered quietly, “Not yet. The other party clearly planned this meticulously—they’re skilled at evading detection. Our team is doing everything to track them down.”

Lu Linwei commanded, “Mobilize every resource we have.”

“Understood.”

“What about the driver?” Lu Linwei asked next.

The butler standing nearby paled, his expression grim. “We just investigated. He recently racked up massive gambling debts.”

“My apologies, Mr. Lu. This is my oversight—I failed to properly vet the staff under my supervision.”

Lu Linwei didn’t even glance at him. “You are indeed blind.”

“You turned a blind eye when employees engaged in systemic bullying, and now you’ve overlooked a critical security breach in a key position.”

“I don’t need a blind man managing my household.”

The butler’s head jerked up at the words, then slumped in defeat as two men escorted him out.

Lu Linwei turned back to Assistant Fang. “If the driver dared betray us, he must have an escape plan. He’ll expect us to monitor official routes—focus on tracking illegal smuggling channels.”

Assistant Fang nodded. “Yes, sir.”

Lu Linwei continued, “What about the high school student who provoked Shen Yao?”

Assistant Fang replied, “We’ve identified him. A delinquent cousin paid him a few hundred to pick a fight today.”

“The middleman has also been apprehended, but he never met the employer directly—they connected through an online game and arranged payment digitally.”

“He jumped at the offer, thinking it was easy money just for harassing a student.”

It was obvious. Even if they traced the contact, it would lead to a stolen account, easily disposable.

The culprit only needed a pretext to lure Shen Ying out—and targeting Shen Yao was the simplest, least suspicious method.

Shen Yao, who had been brought home from school, was now sobbing uncontrollably.

“Brother Lu, what do we do? Is my sister going to be okay? It’s all my fault—I shouldn’t have fallen for that bastard’s taunt.”

“If I hadn’t called her to come to school, she—she wouldn’t have— *sob*—”

Lu Linwei’s agitation deepened, consumed by regret.

He shouldn’t have indulged her confidence, letting her believe she could outmaneuver these threats.

But now that the enemy had resorted to underhanded tactics, their desperation would only escalate.

This wasn’t like before. Shen Ying wasn’t dealing with amateurs—she was up against ruthless criminals with nothing to lose. No quick wit or silver tongue could save her now.

Yet while Lu Linwei drowned in guilt, scouring the city, the atmosphere on Shen Ying’s end was far from the tension he imagined.

They had switched vehicles and were now cruising along an inner-city highway.

Breaking the silence, Shen Ying asked casually, “You guys seem unfamiliar—not part of Mr. Lu’s usual staff, right?”

The man with a scar near his eye, seated to her right, smirked. “Driver had a stomachache. Hired us as substitutes.”

Shen Ying nodded, feigning curiosity. “How’s the pay? Splitting it three ways must cut into your profits.”

Scarface chuckled. “Nah, the boss paid plenty. Besides, getting to chauffeur a beauty like you? Worth taking a pay cut.”

Shen Ying shook her head disapprovingly. “That’s flawed logic. No matter how much you earn, it’s a loss if you don’t live to spend it.”

Scarface scoffed. “What, are you Lu Linwei?”

“Sure, a man like him has power, but even he has limits. If you’re hoping he’ll swoop in to save you, sweetheart, prepare for disappointment.”

The buzzcut to her left grew impatient. “Quit wasting time. Finish the job, get paid, then flee the country. Plenty of girls to chat with later.”

The tattooed driver sneered. “Sharing a woman with the legendary Lu Linwei? That’s a story worth bragging about.”

Their leering gazes fixed on Shen Ying, but the seemingly delicate woman showed no sign of fear. Instead, she continued conversationally, “So, what’s the plan?”

“We’ve been driving for two hours. Haven’t found the right spot yet?”

Scarface shrugged. “Gotta put distance between us and the city. The whole downtown’s crawling with searchers.”

Shen Ying pressed, “Walk me through the process. It’s boring in here—might as well chat.”

Scarface eyed her strangely, impressed by her nerve.

“Fine. Don’t blame us, gorgeous. If that hotel stunt hadn’t gone sideways, we wouldn’t be here today.”

“But since you refused the easy way, we’re doing this the hard way. Don’t worry—we’ll stick to the script. Boss didn’t order anything extra, so we won’t overstep.”

“Find a quiet place, have some fun, then snap a few photos and videos for proof.”

“Oh, and the boss said your face makes him sick. But since we’re getting along, I’ll make it quick—keep the cuts clean. With luck, a surgeon might salvage that pretty face.”

Shen Ying nodded in understanding. “My face disgusts him? So it *is* someone I know.”

Scarface grinned. “Smart girl. Whatever drama you rich folks have, figure it out yourselves. We’re just hired help.”

Just then, the system’s voice echoed in her mind:

**[Apologies. Once the school called, the plot was locked in. Rules prevent me from disrupting fairness by revealing NPC plans, so I couldn’t warn you.]**

**[Your overconfidence doomed you. The protection you relied on isn’t as foolproof as you thought. Analysis confirms the male lead won’t reach you in time.]**

**[Though I regret it, you’ll have to endure this scenario.]**

It was the system’s version of sympathy.

But disappointment lingered—it had expected more from this host.

Then Shen Ying spoke to the kidnappers again: “What if I double your pay? Would you let me go?”

The system inwardly scoffed. *Pathetic. Begging now?*

Scarface laughed. “Tempting offer. If the boss didn’t have leverage over us, I’d take it.”

“But like you said—money’s useless if you’re dead.”

Shen Ying sighed. “Pity.”

Her face showed no trace of regret as she calmly repeated their plan: "So your arrangement is to drive me to a dark room, take turns with me while recording a video, and then disfigure me, right?"

"Actually, I have an arrangement for you too. Would you like to hear my idea?"

The scar-faced man’s expression turned dangerous, but he still raised a hand, signaling Shen Ying to continue.

Shen Ying said, "My arrangement is that within ten minutes, one of you will have his throat slit, another will have his head crushed by a rock, and the last will be cut in half by a truck."

The scar-faced man actually laughed at this. "Not a bad idea. I know a beauty like you must wish we’d suffer a thousand cuts right now. But even if you want Lu Linwei to deal with us like that, you’d have to find him first."

Shen Ying looked baffled. "Why does it have to be Lu Linwei? No matter how rich he is, he can’t get here in under ten minutes, can he?"

"Pay attention to the time limit I mentioned—ten minutes, not a second more. Oh wait, we’ve already wasted thirty seconds talking. Nine minutes and thirty seconds left now."

The scar-faced man burst into laughter. "Well then, either you’re some kind of martial arts master, or the three of us are going to turn on each other."

Shen Ying smiled. "Which possibility do you think is more likely?"

The scar-faced man raised an eyebrow. "Oh? So you really are trained? Doesn’t look like it."

Shen Ying feigned surprise. "Wait, you actually think your brotherhood is so strong that betrayal is impossible?"

"Why? You clearly have blood feuds between you. And yet you’re this confident in your loyalty?"

The buzz-cut man, who had stayed quiet until now, snarled, "Shut up. Gag her." Then he turned to the scar-faced man. "You and your big mouth, always running off."

The scar-faced man looked annoyed but reached for something to stuff into her mouth.

Before he could, the woman turned to the buzz-cut man and said, "Oh, come on. I thought you’d be the one with the biggest grudge."

She glanced at his black-gloved right hand, where the last three fingers were clearly missing. "This tattooed guy here once kept all the stolen money for himself. Not only did you get nothing, but you also lost three fingers."

Then she twisted the knife deeper: "With that kind of betrayal in your history, I’ve been curious since we got in the car—how do you still dare to work with him?"

Someone in the car sucked in a sharp breath, and the rearview mirror reflected the tattooed driver’s darkening expression.

But the buzz-cut man and the scar-faced man both paled.

Especially the buzz-cut man, whose face twisted in fury. "How the hell do you know about that?"

Back then, he and the tattooed man had pulled off a heist, but the money had been switched while in his possession, leaving them empty-handed. Worse, he got caught.

The other side had lost three million, so they took three of his fingers.

Out of guilt, he never ratted out his brother, taking the punishment alone.

And now he was being told his own brother had stolen the money?

Seeing the buzz-cut man’s expression, the scar-faced man quickly said, "Don’t overthink it. She’s just throwing out wild guesses. Even if she knows something, we’ll make her talk later."

The tattooed driver chimed in, "You’re not seriously doubting your own brother over some stranger’s words, are you?"

Shen Ying huffed. "Now that’s just insulting."

She turned to the buzz-cut man. "If you don’t believe me, just call the tattooed guy’s wife and ask. With your relationship, it shouldn’t be hard to get an answer."

The scar-faced man pulled out a knife and pressed it to Shen Ying’s throat. "Keep running your mouth, and I’ll carve you a new one straight to the back of your skull."

But the buzz-cut man was already pulling out his phone.

The scar-faced man panicked, momentarily forgetting Shen Ying. "What are you doing? You can’t seriously—"

The buzz-cut man’s gaze locked onto the tattooed driver. "There’s something I need to ask."

He dialed a number, and the call was picked up immediately.

Without preamble, he demanded, "Back when I lost my fingers, the money you gave me for the hospital—was that from the three million?"

The sudden accusation caught the person on the other end off guard, and their stammering gave them away.

The buzz-cut man let out a bitter laugh. "No wonder you suddenly had money for my hospital bills when you couldn’t even pay the electricity bill the week before."

The person on the line tried to explain, but the buzz-cut man hung up, his eyes burning into the tattooed driver’s back.

Then he lunged forward, punching the driver in the face. The scar-faced man yanked him back—

"Are you insane? We’re on a fucking highway!"

"Remember what we’re doing here? If you want to settle this, do it after we finish the job. Lu Linwei’s people are scouring the city for us. Waste time now, and we’ll all be in prison together."

The tattooed driver added, voice strained, "Yeah, I screwed you over back then. Fine. Take a bigger cut this time as compensation. And we’ll even talk later about why you’re so close to my wife."

He was trying to defuse the situation, but before he could finish—

The woman in the back seat spoke up, sounding genuinely surprised. "Why are you apologizing to him? You didn’t screw him over."

"Your son’s life for 1.5 million and three fingers? Sounds fair to me. Why would you feel guilty, brother?"

The car swerved violently as the tattooed driver whipped his head around, eyes blazing. "What did you just say?"

The scar-faced man moved to gag her again, but the tattooed driver barked, "Don’t touch her. Let her talk."

Shen Ying continued, unfazed. "When they were having their affair, they didn’t keep an eye on your kid, and he died. Let me guess—suffocation?"

The tattooed driver’s mind exploded. His son had died choking on a glass bead while his wife was supposedly napping.

This time, he didn’t need prompting. He immediately dialed his wife.

The second she answered, he roared, "The day our son died—you weren’t napping, were you? You locked him in his room while you fucked this bastard, didn’t you?"

On the other end, the woman, having just received two calls digging up the past, thought the truth was already out.

She rushed to deflect blame. "Honey, I’m sorry! He forced me, he took advantage when you weren’t around—"

The tattooed driver hung up and slammed the brakes, pulling over.

He stormed out, wrenched open the back door, and dragged the buzz-cut man out onto the road.

The two men immediately began brawling. The scar-faced man cursed and quickly bound Shen Ying, slapping duct tape over her mouth before jumping out to intervene.

"Both of you, stop! You want to die? If you’re going to fight, at least pick a better time!"

The tattooed driver snarled mid-grapple, "We either call this whole thing off right now, or you help me kill him. Two of us are enough to handle the job."

The buzz-cut man sneered. "Think carefully, boss. This guy watched me lose three fingers and still stole the money. You really trust him?"

"Besides, what happened to his kid was an accident. I never meant for it to happen—I even felt bad. But he? He chose to betray his own brother."

The scar-faced man bellowed, "You two were supposed to be brothers who’d die for each other! When the hell did it turn into this? If you’re so eager to die, go lie down on the fucking highway. It’d be quicker than this bullshit."

After cursing, he softened his tone to persuade: "No matter how much has happened, it's all in the past. Think about the money we’re about to get—enough to live lavishly for the rest of our lives."

"Once we flee the country, you can settle your grudges however you want. Whether you cut ties or stab each other, I won’t interfere."

"But right now, if anyone still wants that money, get in the damn car."

The two men locked in a standoff began to waver—money, after all, was a powerful motivator.

Just as they were loosening their grip, the car window rolled down, revealing Shen Ying, who had been bound and gagged moments ago, now free-limbed and unrestrained.

She grinned at the scar-faced mediator and said, "Oh, Scarface, still playing peacemaker?"

"Aren’t you the biggest victim here? Calming down two scheming perpetrators—doesn’t that feel a little backwards?"

"These two are the ones who raped and murdered your sister, then framed you for the crime and forced you to flee your hometown."

The two men stiffened, their expressions twisting in horror.

The tattooed man’s face contorted with unprecedented rage as he shrieked at Shen Ying, "Bullshit!"

He then turned to Scarface and said, "She’s just trying to drive a wedge between us. I’ve had enough—I’ll deal with her right here."

Shen Ying feigned fear. "What’s wrong? Weren’t you just encouraging me to speak earlier?"

"Oh, I get it. You fled after the murders, but the local police must have investigation records for both homicides. All Scarface has to do is compare the DNA extracted from your sister’s body with yours—"

"Not that you three fugitives could manage it, but your backers could pull some strings to get the results, right?"

The two men paled, their fury boiling over. "Compare your mother’s—"

Before they could finish, Scarface held up a hand to stop them.

Unlike the other two, he didn’t immediately lose his temper at Shen Ying’s words.

Instead, he said calmly, "I won’t turn on my brothers just because of some stranger’s claims. If there’s doubt, we’ll find proof first."

The two men nodded slightly, exhaling in relief.

Scarface barked orders: "Second Brother, keep driving. Third Brother, get in the car."

They obeyed instantly. But as the tattooed man turned his back to Scarface and bent to enter the driver’s seat—

A thin blade flashed without warning, slashing ruthlessly across his throat.

His carotid artery severed, his windpipe split open, blood gushing.

The tattooed man struggled to turn around, unable to make a sound before collapsing in a lifeless heap.

The other man, a buzz-cut, had just entered the car when he saw the scene. He scrambled out and bolted.

Scarface was the strongest among them, armed with a knife—he stood no chance.

But Scarface had anticipated this. He swung his leg, kicking the back of the fleeing man’s knee.

Buzz-cut reacted fast, grabbing the knife as it came down—his thick leather gloves briefly blocking the blade.

But Scarface wasn’t deterred. With his free hand, he snatched a rock the size of an ashtray from the roadside and smashed it into Buzz-cut’s face—

Screaming through gritted teeth: "She was my fucking sister! Did you smash her face because you couldn’t bear to look her in the eyes either?"

He kept slamming the rock down, over and over, long after Buzz-cut was dead—mechanically venting his rage.

When he finally stopped, his upper body was drenched in blood and brain matter, his face a mask of gore.

A nightmarish sight.

Slowly, he stood and returned to the car, locking eyes with Shen Ying in the backseat.

He gave her a bloody grin. "Still, thanks for the heads-up. I’ll make sure your end is quick."

No matter how this eerie woman knew so much—or what else she might know—she’d already doomed him.

She had to die.

Yet the woman showed no fear, which only sharpened his wariness.

She merely smiled back. "No, this is your reward for helping me escape. I’ll make sure *your* end is quick."

With that, she shoved the car door open.

Scarface, already on guard, leapt back—expecting a trick.

But that single step landed on the blood-slicked rock he’d used to kill Buzz-cut.

His ankle twisted, his balance already unsteady from the sudden movement. Momentum sent him stumbling backward until he crashed to the ground several meters away.

Just as he caught his breath—

A speeding truck plowed over him.

The driver saw him too late to stop.

Scarface was torn in half.

Shen Ying leisurely stepped out of the car, pulling a handkerchief from her pocket.

She wiped the blood—spattered by the tattooed man—from the door handle before sliding into the driver’s seat.

Without a backward glance, she drove away from the scene.

She even checked her watch. "Ten minutes, right on schedule."

"Glad my skills haven’t rusted."

Meanwhile, her system was in meltdown. Even with its vast processing power, it couldn’t comprehend what had just happened.

On the verge of a digital seizure, it abandoned logic and croaked: **[Host, are—are you a superhuman?]**

**[Mind-reading? Reality-warping? Clairvoyance?]**

Shen Ying chuckled. "Don’t be ridiculous. Superpowers don’t exist—well, except in-game, right? I saw an ‘unlocked abilities’ section with superpowers listed."

The system wailed: **[Then what the hell was that?! Explain! And don’t feed me another ‘coincidence’ excuse. Who are you, really?]**

Shen Ying: "You can access my employee profile anytime."

The system: **[It says your expertise is ancient astrology, natural sciences, and social psychology!]**

Shen Ying: "Exactly. I just used that knowledge to escape."

The system: **[Then explain how archaeology skills pulled that off!]**

Shen Ying: "Hah. It’s a long explanation, and I haven’t even had water after all that talking."

The system nearly screeched: **[SPEAK—]**

Not wanting to fry her partner’s circuits, Shen Ying sighed and relented—

"Because I know these men inside out—their backgrounds, lives, personalities, habits."

"Take our dear Scarface, for example. To deduce his fate, I first pinpointed his exact birth time."

"Age is easy—appearance, bone structure, facial features, teeth condition (factoring in oral hygiene, smoking, drinking, tea habits, all inferred from clothing, scent, and hands)."

"A tedious process, but step one narrows his age to within two years."

"Step two: analyzing his major life events. Scarface is 36, with three defining moments—his facial scar and a left knee injury (deduced from shoe wear, gait, and posture asymmetry)."

“By examining the mole on his face, his height, his predisposition to weight gain, and most crucially, the dominant traits of his behavior, we can determine his Destiny Palace’s ruling star.”

“With so many traces of fate intersecting, it’s easy to reverse-engineer his birth time—born at the hour of the Dragon on the fourteenth day of the sixth month in the Year of the Fire Tiger.”

“This individual is afflicted by the ‘Severed Angle’ hex, destined to bring misfortune upon his kin. At age eight, the annual transit struck his Parents’ Palace, with the Void, Calamity, Blade, and Hardship stars converging—resulting in the death of both parents.”

“His Siblings’ Palace holds the Moon Star and the Right Supporter, indicating a younger sister three years his junior. They were deeply attached, relying on each other to survive.”

“Yet, the natal ‘Taboo’ star enters the Siblings’ Palace, compounded by the Mourning and Emptiness stars—dooming his greatest sorrow to reside there. At 27, the annual transit triggered the Lustful Pool star, a sign of carnal desire, leading to his sister’s violation and death.”

“Almost simultaneously, the Blade and Execution stars stirred in his own chart, marking bloodshed. Coinciding with the Heavenly Horse star in his annual forecast, he fled his homeland.”

“With that, the entire sequence of events becomes clear.”

“But the tragedy is—he killed the wrong man. As for his two companions, their charts at that same moment showed the Temptation star empowered, combined with the Blade star—signifying violent indulgence of base desires. Of course, not everyone with such configurations acts criminally, but judging by their charts, those two lacked any restraint or virtue.”

“The fates of these three men were intertwined. Outwardly, it might seem coincidental, but in the tapestry of destiny, there are no coincidences.”

“Moreover, the Temptation star inherently implies a trio—so what transpired is obvious.”

As Shen Ying spoke, the car exited the highway.

She continued, “The other two—their charts can be deduced by the same logic. Their destinies are knotted together.”

“Tattoo Guy’s Spouse Palace is conjoined but unyielding, with lustful stars flickering—his wife was unfaithful with his friend.”

“The other has both the Lustful Pool and Temptation stars seated in his Destiny Palace, obsessed with carnal thrill—hardly one to refuse temptation.”

“The same principle applies to their earlier betrayal. One suffered financial ruin and bodily harm, while the other profited, with the Taboo star entering the Siblings’ Palace—a clear act of treachery.”

“Add to that, Tattoo Guy’s Treasury star fell into his Spouse Palace, and with the Moon star empowered that day—of course his money went to his wife.”

“And on the day Tattoo Guy lost his child, Bald Guy’s forecast showed the Taboo star entering the Siblings’ Palace—he wronged his brother again. To claim the child’s death was unrelated? Even ghosts wouldn’t believe that.”

Having said this, Shen Ying passed a convenience store and stopped the car to buy water.

After talking so much, her throat was parched. She unscrewed the cap and chugged half the bottle in one go.

Then, she recapped it and resumed driving.

After a long silence, the system’s weak voice finally spoke—

**[Host… you’re actually a fortune-teller?]**

Shen Ying scowled. “Tch, that’s an ugly way to put it. ‘Fortune-teller’—you’re underselling my skills.”

Her expression darkened briefly. “My profession is Fate Weaver.”

The system was stunned. **[F-Fate Weaver?!]**

Shen Ying didn’t understand its shock. “I can see a person’s past, their future, how their character has been shaped by fate, and how it will evolve.”

“Naturally, I can also pluck the strings of their destiny, guiding them toward the outcome I desire.”

The system fell silent, barely daring to breathe.

Then Shen Ying chuckled lightly. “But don’t overestimate us. Fate is resilient, full of infinite possibilities.”

“My abilities have limits. I merely align with their current fortunes, helping them avoid misfortune—while steering them toward outcomes beneficial to me.”

The system’s mechanical voice sounded hoarse.

It asked, **[L-like what?]**

Shen Ying: “Like? Like those three committing a kidnapping today. While they’re doing evil, their fortunes are wildly volatile.”

This made sense—they were being hunted city-wide, facing at least twenty years if caught. Naturally, they were at a critical juncture.

“Tattoo Guy’s greatest peril today is the ‘Blade Among Brethren’—his own kin turning against him. So I gave fate a nudge.”

“I didn’t even need to intervene much. Given Scarface’s ruthless nature, he wouldn’t hesitate.”

“Bald Guy’s Heavenly Punishment star was active. Normally, his low fortune might’ve just meant a dog bite. But amplified? He endured the suffering he once inflicted.”

“As for Scarface—he was actually the safest today. But the ‘Heavenly Execution’ star was in play: ‘a traveler must meet death on the road.’ He got out of the car—why wouldn’t I send him on his way?”

The system was sweating bullets, grateful it lacked a physical form.

Internally, it screamed—

*This isn’t godlike?! This is deadlier than most superhumans I’ve seen!*

It had misunderstood, thinking she was just lazy and greedy.

Now it realized—she really *was* slacking off.

*How the hell did HR recruit this monster?!*

The system spoke cautiously: **[You—how did someone like you end up in our little ‘Tragic Romance System’?]**

At this, the light faded from Shen Ying’s eyes.

She seemed lost in memory before sighing deeply—

“System, no need for formalities. I’m a complete failure now. Years of effort were a joke, my life’s purpose vanished. I’ve got nothing left to live for.”

“All I want now is to enjoy what little life I have left.”

Her tone turned earnest. “Back then, I just wanted a place to rot. Then the game found me—gave me stable work, generous benefits, and took me far from my sorrows.”

“I truly… no words can express my gratitude. I, Shen Ying, am the Tragic Romance System’s most loyal employee, its staunchest supporter.”

As she showered the system with praise, it could only scream internally.

*

Night had fallen, and still, there was no trace of Shen Ying.

Lu Linwei was shattered by helplessness and guilt. Right now, he didn’t care about anything else—just that she was alive.

He demanded again, “No leads at all? Has the Lu family’s influence decayed so badly?”

Assistant Fang struggled to reply. “We tracked a few vehicles, but the kidnappers were too prepared. Every chase led to dead ends.”

Lu Linwei closed his eyes. “No good news at all?”

Just then, an underling entered. “We caught the driver.”

Lu Linwei shot to his feet and strode outside, followed by a tear-drained Shen Yao.

In the courtyard knelt a man, who paled at the sight of Lu Linwei and begged—

“Mr. Lu, I’m sorry! I didn’t want to do it, please!”

“If I don’t do as they say, they’ll chop off one of my hands.”

Lu Linwei sneered, “Losing a hand, and yet you still think facing me is worse.”

The man trembled violently at his words.

Lu Linwei couldn’t be bothered to spare him another glance and instead turned to the subordinate who had captured him.

The man in the black suit reported, “This guy was trying to sneak onto a boat headed for Myanmar. Pretty clever—he kept switching vehicles to throw us off.”

“But luck wasn’t on his side. Two flat tires in a row slowed him down, and we caught up.”

Hearing this, the driver’s face, once numb with despair, twisted in bitter frustration.

He’d been driving for years, and only the best got to work for the Lu family.

Yet today, it was as if fate itself had turned against him—cars stalling, tires bursting, one problem after another. If not for that, he’d already be on a ship to Myanmar by now.

Lu Linwei had no interest in the details. His gaze fell on the driver like he was already a dead man.

“Since he wants to go to Myanmar, send him. But before that, make him talk.”

The driver begged in terror. Going to Myanmar on his own meant beachside villas and beautiful women. Being sent by Mr. Lu? That meant the infamous lifelong tour of northern Myanmar.

The man had no spine to begin with. No torture was needed—he spilled everything instantly:

“We handed over the car at XX Road. They drove off right away, and Miss Shen didn’t even seem panicked…”

He spewed every detail he knew, but he had no clue about the planned route. Everything he revealed had already been uncovered the moment Shen Ying went missing.

Now, aside from digging up the mastermind behind this, his confession was useless for finding Shen Ying.

Lu Linwei was drowning in despair when Shen Yao started sobbing beside him—

“Brother Lu, will my sister come back? Who are these people? First poison, now kidnapping—why does she keep suffering?”

The words struck Lu Linwei like a physical blow. Self-reproach and shame overwhelmed him.

He had always prided himself on being untouchable, yet now he couldn’t even promise Shen Yao that his sister would be safe.

Just as the entire household stood frozen in helplessness, a crackling voice came through the security team’s walkie-talkie—

“M-Mr. Lu.”

Lu Linwei snapped, “Speak.”

The voice on the other end sounded dazed. “Miss Shen… she’s back.”

For a moment, Lu Linwei doubted his ears. Then, a flicker of fear took hold.

He didn’t dare ask in what state she had returned.

If she’d been hurt—if he hadn’t even been the one to bring her back—

Before he could spiral further, a car rolled leisurely through the estate gates, circled the fountain, and came to a stop before the crowd.

The car’s door was smeared with blood, sending a chill through everyone’s hearts.

Then the door opened, and out stepped Shen Ying—unharmed, calm, as if she’d just returned from a picnic.

Her first words? “Is dinner ready? I’m starving.”

Everyone: “…”

Seriously? You were kidnapped by three grown men, and you’re just… casually back like nothing happened?