Lu Jingchen! Get your sorry self out here right now!

The burly men felt an intense urge to flee as they watched the old woman grin at them hideously, like the man-eating hag from a folk tale or the Granny of Black Mountain from "A Chinese Ghost Story." Her face was etched with deep lines of age, each one radiating malice. To their horror, they even saw the wrinkles beginning to peel away, hanging loosely on her face to reveal a layer of new "skin" beneath that seemed to possess an eerie vitality—smooth and delicate, like that of a newborn infant.

"Help! The old hag is eating people!"

The men abandoned the young landlord and bolted.

The young landlord, who had been tossed onto the floor like a rag, was left stunned: "..."

Where am I? Who am I? What just happened?

Still shaken, he clutched his legs. When he looked up at Jiang Wanning, he couldn't help but freeze.

"Your face..."

Jiang Wanning peeled off her disguise and laughed. "Fake. As you can see, someone has been hunting me down, so... I had to use a disguise. Sorry you got caught in the crossfire."

"Then, what about now...?"

Jiang Wanning threw up her hands. She was done pretending.

The cards were on the table.

She possessed a skill that hit exactly where she aimed; who was afraid of whom?

The young landlord stared at her for a long time. For some reason, his face flushed, and even the tips of his ears turned a soft shade of pink.

"Are... are you the girl from the news the other day?" He recalled the report they had watched together.

"You said you were being hunted, Lin Xiaoting is a police officer, you were looking for her, and there was a group of people who looked like gangsters... Oh, I get it now." The young landlord’s expression turned solemn and grave.

*You don't get anything,* she thought.

Just as Jiang Wanning was about to speak, he added, "I understand. This is all highly classified; you can't tell outsiders. I get it. I haven't left the house today, and I don't know a thing."

Jiang Wanning: "..."

*Whatever makes you happy.*

Upon returning to the rental apartment, the young landlord discovered their home had been ransacked. The room was in chaos, but the table was spotless, save for a large, red handprint. A finger protruded from the print, pointing toward a tablet computer nearby.

It was almost... cute.

Based on his usual style, Jiang Wanning was certain it was Gu Qiyu; only he would be that childish.

She opened the tablet, and a video popped up instantly.

In the footage, Lin Xiaoting was tied to a chair. Rough ropes bit deep into her wrists and ankles, and a large, worn-out rag was stuffed into her mouth. She seemed to want to say something, but could only let out muffled whimpers. Her eyes were wide with terror and despair, her hair plastered to her face by sweat, and her clothes were crumpled and damp—whether from sweat or tears, it was hard to tell.

A man wearing a fox mask appeared in the frame. He crudely grabbed Lin Xiaoting’s hand and drew a knife across it. Blood surged forth, then slowed to a steady, rhythmic drip.

He even placed a basin underneath to catch the blood, keeping it out of her sight but forcing her to listen to the sound of her own life draining away.

Sometimes, psychological torture is harder to endure than physical pain. The sound of blood hitting the basin was amplified in the deathly silence of the room, drip by drip, like heavy hammers striking her soul. Each "drip" felt like a countdown to her end, filling every second with dread.

Lin Xiaoting’s body trembled uncontrollably as she struggled to break free, but the chair remained immovable, as if bolted to the floor. Her eyes were filled with helplessness and despair.

The fox-masked man spoke: "Jiang Wanning, her fate is in your hands. You’d better hurry, or she’ll bleed out."

The screen went black, the power cut off, and the device died.

Despicable. Shameless. Scum!

Jiang Wanning stood in front of Lu Jingchen’s villa, hands on her hips, her hair a mess, strands sticking to her skin from sweat—she looked like a madwoman.

Of course, it was a madwoman look; the villa was far from the city, tucked away on a mountainside. Even with extra pay, the driver refused to take her all the way, and she hadn't seen a living soul on the entire mountain. The male leads must have done this on purpose to torment her.

They wouldn't let Lin Xiaoting die before she arrived, but the torture was inevitable, so she had to be faster.

She had trudged under the blazing sun for two full hours. Who wouldn't be insane? If not for her sheer force of will, she never would have made it.

Her resentment was deep—sky-high. If this were a fantasy world, she would have turned dark on the spot.

The vendetta for the kidney-stealing, the agony of the climb—she was going to settle it all today.

Die! They could all just die!

*The wind blows cold, the Yi River is freezing; the hero goes forth and never returns.* Jiang Wanning felt she had the air of a lone swordswoman, ready to charge into the lion's den and cut down all evil.

Through the security cameras, Lu Jingchen and Gu Qiyu watched Jiang Wanning laughing maniacally at their front gate.

"Lu Jingchen!"

"Lu Jingchen! Get out here, you coward!"

"Don't hide inside and stay quiet; I know you're home."

"Come out!"

Look at what they were seeing.

A large head was pressed into the gap of the gate, peeking in lecherously while she hammered on the metal, shouting at the top of her lungs as if she wanted the whole world to know.

She was pounding on the master-crafted embossed iron gate so hard it was wobbling, and she even spat on it.

This gate was ruined! No, the whole wall had to be torn down.

Lu Jingchen and Gu Qiyu exchanged a look.

*This* was the "gentle, kind, elegant, and refined" woman Ji Chen had described?

Ha. Ji Chen’s capacity for understanding was truly unique. To them, Jiang Wanning was nothing but a complete lunatic.

The iron gate slowly creaked open.

The servant ushered her in, trembling. She had the persistent feeling that this girl might snap at any moment and stab her; the murderous aura radiating from her made the servant want to recite a mantra of purification.

Jiang Wanning finally saw the legendary male lead, Lu Jingchen. His chiseled features were cold and resolute, his jawline sharp and defined, reflecting his ruthless style of conduct. His eyes were bottomless, and the occasional cold glint that flickered within them was enough to command fear with a single glance.

He sat on the sofa, scrutinizing her.

Gu Qiyu glared at her with hatred, itching to rush forward and tear a piece of flesh from her. If he weren't being restrained by Lu Jingchen, he would have chopped her into eight pieces already.

Never. No one had ever dared to treat him like this.

After they took her kidney, he would cut off her hands and feet and tear her limb from limb.

Gu Qiyu’s intense, piercing gaze was hard to ignore.

But who was Jiang Wanning? Her spirit had been tempered to a state of ironclad resilience; she automatically filtered out all trivial nuisances.

"Where is Lin Xiaoting? Hand her over!" she declared with an air of dominance, looking down at them with contempt.

*If it comes to posturing, who can't do that?*

Lu Jingchen was curious where she got the courage.

"You can barely look after yourself, yet you’re worried about others. I admire your courage. Once I get what I want, she will be fine." Lu Jingchen leaned lazily against the luxurious leather sofa, his long legs crossed casually, wearing a bespoke suit that he carried with an air of noble arrogance and authority.

"Hmph," Jiang Wanning sneered. "So, there's nothing to negotiate?"