Even though she couldn’t see behind her, she could sense a pair of eyes staring at her.

That person was hiding in a position difficult to detect, watching her enter her home, turn on the lights, and then quietly, step by step, approach her.

With invisible malice.

Perhaps she often felt that someone wanted to harm her. But when danger truly arrived, that feeling became so intense it could not be ignored—no longer a misconception, but an extremely clear sensation.

Shu Nian’s mind went blank, her breathing rapid and labored as she instinctively fumbled for her phone in her pocket.

At the same time, just as she expected.

Something cold pressed against her neck.

“Miss, don’t move,” a strange man’s voice sounded from behind, coarse and unpleasant. “Why’d you come back so early? I was about to leave. This dump doesn’t have many valuable things.”

Shu Nian’s eyes instantly reddened, involuntarily letting out a faint sobbing sound, like a pitiful little animal. Her body trembled violently, the blade making a shallow cut on her neck.

She wanted to cry out for help, but her throat felt constricted, unable to utter a single word.

“But it’s not a total loss.” Looking at her face, the man let out a vulgar laugh. “The miss is very pretty.”

After saying this, the man withdrew his knife and without hesitation grabbed Shu Nian’s wrist, dragging her into the room.

Guessing what might happen next, Shu Nian screamed and struggled with all her might, crying and begging: “Let me go, let me go… I have money in my bag… I’ll give it to you…”

But the physical disparity between men and women was too great; her struggles were utterly useless.

The man immediately covered her mouth with his hand, saying harshly: “Be quiet.”

It was an extremely unbearable proximity.

The man was dressed shabbily, emitting a foul stench, his eyes lifeless, without a shred of humanity. His fingers brushed against Shu Nian’s face, and he revealed another ambiguous smile: “We’ll get the money later.”

Shu Nian’s consciousness began to scatter, feeling as if someone was gripping her throat, a sense of suffocating death washing over her.

Another scene floated into her mind.

She lay helplessly on the ground, her entire body in pain, without any strength. Her nostrils filled with the smell of decay, her eyes seeing only dim light, her ears hearing only the sound of a dripping faucet that hadn’t been turned off properly.

Drip—drip—

That man’s footsteps always appeared under this sound, his face wearing a gentle smile, dressed neatly and elegantly. If Shu Nian had met such a person on the street, she would never have imagined he could be someone so terrifying.

He walked over, whistling softly, crouched beside her, and gleefully tore off the scab that had formed on her wound. Hearing her painful cries, the man let out an admiring laugh and asked: “Little girl, do you want to die?”

…

Just as those words faded, Shu Nian’s phone rang.

The man paused and took the phone from her pocket. Seeing “Xie Ruhe” on the caller ID, he didn’t hang up but instead muted it.

Then he simply threw it to the ground.

Somehow, the answer button was touched, and the call was successfully connected. Shu Nian’s call volume was set very high, and with the room being extremely quiet, Xie Ruhe’s voice could be heard clearly.

“Shu Nian.” He paused, then continued, “You left something at my place, I’m bringing it back to you. I’ll be there soon.”

Hearing this, the man sensed danger and pressed the knife against Shu Nian’s neck again, lowering his voice: “You know what to say, right?”

Xie Ruhe was still speaking on the other end: “Shu Nian?”

Tears streamed down Shu Nian’s face. Behind her was a vicious criminal, at her throat a sharp blade—one wrong word and it would immediately slice open her flesh and major artery.

And outside was Xie Ruhe.

This almost completely overturned Shu Nian’s perception.

She had always thought that the safest place in the world was her home. As long as she didn’t go out, she would certainly not be harmed, she would be able to safely pass the coming days.

But now, someone else had broken into her little house.

The outside world, which she had once considered most frightening, had in this moment become the place she wanted to go.

Perhaps Xie Ruhe was already standing outside her door. Out of respect, even if he had a key, he would still call her first to let her know, rather than barging in unannounced.

The criminal controlling her from behind picked up the phone. He seemed a bit nervous too, threatening: “Tell him you’re very tired and were about to go to sleep.”

Shu Nian’s breathing grew heavier, and she stiffly repeated his words, her voice trembling: “I’m very tired, I was about to go to sleep.”

Xie Ruhe was waiting for her outside.

She had just told him that she would accompany him to visit Auntie Ji in the future.

They had both said to each other:

See you tomorrow.

Xie Ruhe was silent for a few seconds, his voice becoming very soft: “I understand.”

This response suggested he was about to hang up.

He didn’t know she was in danger.

And even if she preserved her safety for the moment, she would still suffer torture afterward, perhaps even lose her life.

Then she would never see him again.

Thinking of this possibility, Shu Nian completely lost her rationality. No longer concerned about the blade at her neck, no longer worried about life or death, she cried like a child, saying chaotically: “No… Xie Ruhe, I’m not safe, you need to come in… you need to save me…”

Before she could finish, the door at the entrance was opened.

The man hadn’t anticipated this turn of events, but he also didn’t dare to kill someone. He slapped her hard: “Fuck you! Bitch!”

Upon entering, Xie Ruhe witnessed this scene.

His girl’s face was covered in tears, her neck bleeding. The person he cherished in his heart was being beaten and tortured by another man without restraint.

Xie Ruhe’s eyes immediately reddened as he strode over and pulled Shu Nian behind him.

Her entire body was limp, as if drained of strength.

Xie Ruhe turned around, his expression tense, lowering his head to check the wound on her neck. Because of his arrival, Shu Nian’s spirit instantly relaxed, and she clutched his clothes, sobbing uncontrollably.

The man didn’t dare linger, fearing arrest. Just as he was about to run toward the main door, Xie Ruhe suddenly grabbed him by the throat, forcefully lifting him. His feet gradually left the ground.

Xie Ruhe’s eyes darkened, glinting with bloodlust. The muscles on his face twitched, veins bulging, as if hatred had reached its peak, exuding an uncontrollable murderous intent.

He had no trace of rationality.

He only wanted to kill this man, even if it meant going to prison.

At that moment, that was truly what he thought.

But Shu Nian in his arms was trembling all over, her eyes vacant, as if she had lost consciousness. She still made extremely desperate whimpering sounds, occasionally uttering a few indistinct words.

She was calling for him.

Calling for Xie Ruhe.

Just as the man was about to suffocate, Xie Ruhe forcibly regained his senses and released his grip. He closed his eyes briefly and lowered his head to kiss her forehead, his voice trembling at the end, apologizing to her word by word: “I’m sorry.”

Xie Ruhe called the police and contacted Fang Wencheng. He found a rope in the toolbox and tied up the man. He located the first aid kit and began treating Shu Nian’s wounds.

The neck injury was only a flesh wound, fortunately not cutting any major arteries; but the injury on her face appeared more serious, already swollen, looking alarmingly painful.

Shu Nian had stopped crying and sat quietly, neither speaking nor fussing. She kept clutching his clothes without letting go, appearing both obedient and fearful.

Xie Ruhe asked: “Does it hurt?”

Her demeanor was sluggish and numb. After about ten seconds of silence, she finally answered: “It hurts…”

Xie Ruhe lightened his touch, carefully placing a bandage on her neck.

But Shu Nian still cried out in pain, and after a while even began to show resistance. Her appearance was terrified, her gaze scattered, seeing something unknown, her entire body covered in a cold sweat, her face deathly pale.

Xie Ruhe was at a loss, holding her hand: “Shu Nian, what’s wrong?”

The next moment, Shu Nian broke down in tears, struggling violently, screaming as if insane, her mouth emitting pleas for mercy and cries for help. She seemed to have seen some demon, wanting to stand up, wanting to escape this place.

Xie Ruhe didn’t know where she wanted to go.

He held her arms, afraid of hurting her, not using too much force, not minding when she hit him. He stumbled over his words: “You don’t want to stay here, is that it?”

On the day they got together, she kept telling herself that she was sick, asking him to think carefully. She had always been in a very timid state, afraid to step forward, yet not wanting him to leave.

Finally, she mustered the courage to hold his hand.

They both thought everything would get better in the future.

At least an hour ago, they both still thought so.

Xie Ruhe had never seen her like this before.

Despite her emphasis, she had always been normal, perhaps a bit fearful of some things, but still upbeat. Encountering many situations, she could even comfort him, guiding him to the right mindset.

She had once loved this world so much.

But now, she seemed to be in the midst of hell.

Wanting to leave hell, only to find that hell was everywhere.

After a long time, Shu Nian exhausted all her energy and gradually calmed down. Her eyes were vacant, staring at Xie Ruhe’s face, as if she had regained clarity, calling out to him in a hoarse voice: “Xie Ruhe?”

Xie Ruhe lowered his voice, with a coaxing tone: “I’m here.”

“I was captured by Zeng Yuanxue.” Shu Nian blankly blurted out, her eyes too dry for tears, hiccupping as she spoke, “Right next to that empty lot where we used to go often.”

Xie Ruhe’s body instantly froze, unable to believe his ears.

“What?”

“I was in that house next to the empty lot.” Shu Nian gripped his hand, her round eyes fixed on him as if she were pleading for help across time, stubbornly begging him, “Come save me, come save me…”

The police arrived at this moment.

There was a knock at the door.

Xie Ruhe didn’t go to open it, just stared at her, asking with difficulty: “What are you saying?”

The name Zeng Yuanxue was one Xie Ruhe knew.

Two years ago when he woke from a car accident, Ji Xinghuai told him good news, saying that the murderer who killed Ji Xiangning had been caught, named Zeng Yuanxue, and sentenced to death.

He had committed a new crime, capturing a twenty-year-old girl.

Xie Ruhe knew the criminal was called Zeng Yuanxue, knew he had captured a twenty-year-old girl, knew this girl had been tortured for a week before being rescued, and knew she had become the only survivor.

But he didn’t know.

Ji Xinghuai had concealed bad news from him.

This girl who had suffered countless tortures, who had escaped from hell.

Her name was Shu Nian.