NOVPUB
Chapter 165: Chapter 165: Imprisonment
"Han Ge..." Xiao Jian looked at Han Yi with concern. Not removing the root of the problem when cutting the grass is a taboo; they couldn’t allow Qin Wenhao to return to Yunan alive.
"It’s already too late," Lu Changyuan said indifferently, "If he left overnight, it’s now too late to catch up. However, whether he’s alive or dead is still uncertain; whether he can make it back to Yunan alive is another question. There’s no need for us to stir up trouble unnecessarily."
"But... why would Jiaojiao want to kill Qin Wenhao?" Yan Xiao finally couldn’t hold back and asked.
Everyone was silent, Lu Changyuan spoke after a moment, "It’s better that he’s dead. Given the recent movements of the Qin Family at the base, it would only be a matter of time before they clash with us."
Yan Xiao felt a knot in his heart, "I know, but why suddenly kill him?... I’m worried that Jiaojiao has suffered at the hands of that kid without our knowledge, otherwise why would she—"
The rest of his words were swallowed back down his throat under Han Yi’s grim gaze...
Han Jiaojiao’s sudden extreme action indeed easily led to misunderstandings, especially with Qin Wenhao’s reputation as a ladies’ man.
Lu Changyuan changed the subject, "Duan Shuhua and Qin Nanyi, how do you plan to deal with them? I don’t believe that they hadn’t meddled in this affair. Just finding an opportunity to speak with Jiaojiao alone is not easy, let alone arranging a meeting outside."
Zhou Xiaoliang suddenly spoke up, "Recently... a few youngsters from the ability team who have been in close contact with the Research Institute have been asked by Qin Nanyi whether they had girlfriends." Being summoned by the Qin Family’s young miss to inquire about personal matters could be seen as quite a privilege, which is why word spread quickly.
Lu Changyuan looked at Han Yi and scoffed, "Such effort... It looks like she really sees you as her future son-in-law."
Yan Xiao shivered, saying, "Is Qin Nanyi that desperate for a man?!" Playing schemes even when recruiting a son-in-law?
Han Yi’s voice was cold, void of any warmth, "Since she’s in such need, let’s send her one."
Everyone looked at Han Yi.
"Isn’t Du Wenbo always circling around her? Find an opportunity to set the two of them up and grant them a night of passion," Han Yi said coldly.
Yang Qi, Shao Hai, and Zhou Xiaoliang exchanged glances, asking, "Han Ge, should we drug them?"
"Drug them?" Han Yi scoffed, "Wouldn’t that be letting her off easy? I want both of them to be completely sober."
"...Understood, we know what to do," they said.
The three gradually left the hall. Zhou Xiaoliang hesitated for a moment at the end, then turned to Han Yi and said, "Han Ge, that Su Xue you asked us to keep an eye on... she’s gone."
Han Yi’s frown deepened as he looked at Zhou Xiaoliang.
Zhou Xiaoliang was somewhat embarrassed. Han Ge had tasked them with tailing someone, and yet, under their watch, a living person had just disappeared.
"She’s vanished. The last time she was seen, she was taken away by Qin Nanyi’s people, and after that, she was nowhere to be found."
Han Yi nodded slightly to acknowledge the information, and Zhou Xiaoliang bowed his head and left.
A not insignificant number of women had recently gone missing from the base, mostly attractive young girls. Su Xue’s disappearance at such a critical time wasn’t unusual.
In an apocalyptic world, everyone is self-reliant. Missing one or two people wouldn’t compel others to search.
Even if they were found, what could be done? Those who have the power to abduct others at this time are certainly not benevolent, and finding them doesn’t necessarily mean you can bring them back.
The higher-ups of the base turned a deaf ear to the disappearances, and Han Yi and his group couldn’t be bothered to worry about Su Xue.
The hall was silent.
Yu Wanxi carried the dishes with a nervous feeling, emerging from the kitchen. She carefully placed the dishes on the table, trying not to make too much noise.
Han Jiaojiao’s cries from the morning had almost spread through the entire building, causing even the usually lazy Cotton Candy to peer out of the window. Not to mention the several adults inside—everyone knew that the siblings had fought again, and clearly, Han Yi was in an exceptionally bad mood.
"Is the meal ready? Sister Yu, you’ve worked hard." Lu Changyuan defused the situation for Yu Wanxi, saying, "Let’s eat first."
The meal was eaten in utter silence.
Yu Wanxi started to speak several times but stopped herself. When she saw Han Yi taking an extra bowl to serve Han Jiaojiao, she held her tongue.
By evening, Han Jiaojiao was still locked in her room and hadn’t come out for her meal. Even for toilet needs, it was Han Yi who carried a spittoon to her room to take care of it, and for bathing, it was him bringing water in for her to wash.
The others in the house felt uneasy seeing Han Jiaojiao under house arrest, yet they didn’t know how to intervene.
The next day at lunch, Yan Xiao didn’t see Han Jiaojiao coming downstairs. Seeing Han Yi preparing to take food up again, he finally couldn’t hold back and spoke up.
"Brother Han, Jiaojiao... She..."
"Yan Xiao." Lu Changyuan suddenly called out, stopping him.
Han Yi gave Yan Xiao a cold glance and then silently carried the meal upstairs.
Feeling aggrieved, Yan Xiao looked at Lu Changyuan with restless eyes, "Brother Lu! You have to persuade Brother Han too."
"Don’t meddle in the affairs between those two siblings," Lu Changyuan warned Yan Xiao with an uncharacteristic stern face, "You know what kind of temper he has; don’t add fuel to the fire."
"But!"
"Enough, he knows what he is doing!" Lu Changyuan said sharply.
Normally, Lu Changyuan’s face always wore a faint smile, neither deep nor shallow, neutral without commitment, his smile seeming somewhat cynical. Today, however, his face was solemn in public.
When Han Yi got angry, it could send chills down someone’s spine, but when Lu Changyuan got angry, it made people instinctively bow their heads and back off. Because everyone respected him, they trusted and accepted any decision he made.
Yan Xiao could only suppress the injustice he felt, forlornly pushing the grains of rice around in his bowl.
He truly didn’t understand. Brother Han clearly loved her like anything, so why could he be so ruthless, locking her in the room for two days straight, not even allowing her to leave her room to use the toilet? How distressed Jiaojiao must be now?
...
Han Yi opened the door. Han Jiaojiao was sitting on the bed hugging her knees, lost in thought.
She looked pale, her eyes red and swollen. Upon seeing Han Yi enter, she softly called out "Brother" in a hoarse voice that scraped against her throat. She coughed a few times uncomfortably and fell silent.
Han Yi first handed her some soup. Han Jiaojiao took the bowl with both hands, the purple bruises crisscrossing her wrists starkly visible.
Han Yi silently waited for her to drink about half the bowl of soup to soothe her throat before bringing the food to her. Han Jiaojiao ate in silence without a word.
She didn’t make things hard for herself. No matter what happened, she had to eat her fill; she wouldn’t take things out on her own body. She believed she needed to be well-fed to have the strength to deal with anything.
Having finished her meal, Han Jiaojiao cautiously glanced at Han Yi’s expression and said with a raspy voice, "Brother, when will you let me out..." She knew his temperament all too well, he never responded to toughness, only tenderness; every time she acted pitiful, it would distress him immensely, and then he wouldn’t punish her any longer.
When Han Yi heard her ask this, his face remained expressionless as he asked lightly, "Do you realize your mistake?"
Han Jiaojiao nodded, "Brother, I was wrong, I will not do it again... Please stop locking me up, okay..."
"So you know what you did wrong?"
Han Jiaojiao looked at him blankly.
—Where had she gone wrong? Was it in attempting to kill Qin Wenhao, or was it in sneaking out on her own? Or perhaps, was her mistake in failing to successfully kill Qin Wenhao?
