Chen Shi'an looked calmly at the young woman without speaking.
Liu Qingyi said softly, "Don't be afraid. Your child is safe now. We won't hurt him."
The young woman calmed down slightly and asked urgently, "Where is he now?"
Liu Qingyi answered, "In the room next door, sleeping."
Hearing this, the young woman moved to get out of bed.
Chen Shi'an spoke. "If you really want your child to be safe, you'd better stay still and follow my arrangements."
The young woman froze. After a brief silence, she asked timidly, "What do you want me to do?"
Chen Shi'an asked expressionlessly, "Is your child Liu Sanyuan's?"
The young woman hesitated briefly, then nodded.
Chen Shi'an continued, "Has Liu Sanyuan given you any token?"
The young woman thought for a moment, then slipped a blue-green bracelet off her wrist. "Does this count? He bought it for me last month."
Chen Shi'an took the bracelet and examined it. The jade was fine and dense, smooth and lustrous to the touch, with an even, pure color. It was a rare piece of quality jade.
He nodded and said quietly, "This will do. Let me borrow the bracelet. You don't need to do anything. Just stay here at ease. In a few days, you and your son will return safe and sound."
The young woman was about to speak again when Liu Qingyi said softly, "Rest assured. My master's word has always been worth a thousand pieces of gold."
The young woman looked at Liu Qingyi and said nothing more.
Chen Shi'an glanced at Liu Qingyi. "Keep an eye on them. I'm going to the Registrar's Residence."
Liu Qingyi added, "Master, it's already so late. Why not wait until tomorrow?"
Chen Shi'an shook his head. "We've already wasted quite a bit of time. We