The first thing Zhou Xu thought of was seduction.
There was nothing she could do; besides her body, she seemed to have nothing at all.
If she's after money—what money does she have? How much can the Zhou Family offer her?
There's no need for such a fuss.
Or, wouldn't it be better to kidnap Zhou Fu?
If they want to do that, she can lead the way!
She didn't know what these people's motives were, but the most important thing was to escape.
Zhou Xu never considered sitting idly by and waiting to die, nor did she expect anyone else to save her.
However, it's not easy to seduce someone now; at the very least, she needs to be able to speak.
However, with a handkerchief stuffed in her mouth and tightly bound, she was unable to move and could only bounce back and forth in the bumpy carriage, feeling as if her whole body was about to fall apart.
Who exactly is targeting her?
It definitely wasn't Lady Wang or Zhou Fu; if they wanted to mess with her, they wouldn't need to go to such lengths.
I never imagined she had such great value.
Zhou Xu listened intently to the sounds outside.
The carriage seemed to be gradually heading into a remote and desolate place, and the road seemed to be getting more and more difficult to travel, causing the carriage to bounce more and more violently.
The driver was a man, and the sound of him urging the horse was somewhat hurried.
However, apart from that, they didn't hear anyone chasing after them, nor did they hear any other voices.
Zhou Xu it somewhat strange.
She began to recall the events leading up to and following her arrest.
After serving as a foil to Zhou Fu, she was led outside.
She sat on the outermost edge of the female guests' seats, idly eating snacks, when she suddenly remembered a type of snack that Old Cabbage Stalk had once brought her.
The small, round shortbreads were crispy, sweet, and delicious. When asked where he bought them, he said he made them himself.
However, he said it was time-consuming and laborious, so he only did it that one time.
Why was it that time?
It seems she's turned her back on him and wants to break up...
Where is the real one?
She couldn't bear to break up with him, but he wasn't genuinely good to her.
However, perhaps both were greedy for the benefits the other could bring, so they gave each other a way out, reconciled with a little something, and then continued their shady dealings.
While eating her snacks and thinking about the old man, Zhou Xu suddenly felt everything go black, and she was knocked unconscious.
When I woke up again, I was in a carriage.
Actually, if she hadn't been so lost in thought with that old man, she might not have fallen for this scheme.
That damned Old Cabbage Stalk!
He was in charge of defense again today, and as a result, she was kidnapped.
If they meet again, she'll definitely slap him across the face!
The problem was that, even though it was just outside the main area, there were still a few maids and servants chatting idly.
It's very difficult for a person to take away their own adult without anyone noticing.
However, judging from the current situation, it seems that there are no other thieves besides the coachman.
Where did the other thieves go?
Did they remain silent, or did they try to distract themselves?
Zhou Xu strongly suspected that there was an inside traitor working together.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to be taken away so easily.
What exactly did they want with her after kidnapping her?
With her mind racing, yet unable to do anything, Zhou Xu felt frustrated, but she tried her best to stay clear-headed and excited.
She had to believe she could escape!
About an hour or two passed after she regained consciousness before the carriage finally stopped.
The wind seemed much stronger than where they had gone for a spring outing, and the birdsong was crisp and clear. Combined with the increasingly bumpy road, Zhou Xu suspected that she had been taken up into the mountains.
A moment later, the carriage curtain was lifted, revealing the face of a strange man.
The man looked to be in his thirties, with a fleshy face and a large build. He didn't seem to care that she was awake, and like an eagle snatching a chick, he lifted her down by the rope.
Zhou Xu: "..."
This man is not easy to deal with.
The man carried her for a distance, through the dense forest, and carved a path through the bushes.
Zhou Xu tried her best to face the man's legs—she didn't want to be disfigured; she was counting on this face to attract many men, including Wu Zhenhai.
Wu Zhenhai is only a current issue; she believes there will be others in the future.
The man placed her in a low-lying area, hidden by grass and trees. Zhou Xu lay on the ground, and nothing could be seen.
The man still showed no intention of paying attention to her, instead looking around warily.
If he were alone, that might be alright.
Zhou Xu's eyes darted around, and an idea came to her.
She held her breath until her face turned red, then rolled laboriously on the ground twice.
The man finally noticed her unusual behavior and nervously pulled the handkerchief she was using to cover her mouth. "What's wrong? Don't shout, or I'll have to cover your mouth again!"
Zhou Xu nodded obediently, her eyes glistening with tears.
"Grandpa," she said softly.
The man refused.
"Grandpa?" Zhou Xu called out again.
Although the man still didn't agree, Zhou Xu noticed that his brows were slightly furrowed.
He clearly didn't want to talk to her.
Zhou Xu: "Grandpa, my heart hurts so much."
The man was stunned—no one had told him before that she was ill!
"Grandpa, please massage it for me..."
Before the other word "rub" could be uttered, several strange bird calls suddenly rang out.
Two short sessions, repeated three times.
The man roughly shoved the handkerchief back into Zhou Xu's mouth and snapped, "Don't give me that kind of treatment."
Zhou Xu: Has it malfunctioned?
I might be getting along better and better with Lao Baicaibang lately, but I haven't improved my professional skills, and as a result, I'll be eliminated.
No!
She tried to touch the man with her foot, but he didn't give her another chance.
The strange bird call seemed to be a signal.
The man turned and left, his footsteps fading into the distance.
Zhou Xu gritted her teeth.
She had just tried to struggle to see if the rope could be untied, but she failed.
This man was too ruthless, showing no mercy whatsoever—but thinking about her heavily made-up appearance now, Zhou Xu secretly regretted her actions.
If she had known this would happen, she should have dressed up nicely this morning.
Hindsight is always 20/20.
She no longer cares about motives or purposes.
All she could think about was how to escape.
The man left but returned.
Does he want her?
Zhou Xu looked at her with tears welling up in her eyes, trying her best to appear charming.
However, what she got in return was having her eyes blindfolded by the man.
Zhou Xu:???
The man's footsteps faded into the distance.
After a while, just as Zhou Xu was beginning to despair, footsteps sounded again.
This time, the man squatted down, first pulled the handkerchief covering her mouth, and then squeezed her chest.
Zhou Xu immediately became excited.
Fortunately, it's not flawless.
She softened her voice, making it even more delicate and charming. "Sir, my chest really hurt, but after you rubbed it, it feels much better."
The man suddenly raised his hand and slapped her across the face.
Zhou Xu's head lolled to one side from the blow, but she licked her lips and said, "Don't be angry, sir. I'll apologize. How about I help you calm down? If you're worried, you don't have to untie me."
The man said gruffly, "Shut up!"
The voice was hoarse; it wasn't the man's voice from before.
Zhou Xu thought to herself, "As expected, it wasn't a solo act; it was a gang."
No, she needs to keep trying.
The man was enraged, perhaps because he had already been swayed by his own words.
"Sir, I..."
"Shut up!" The man suddenly grabbed her by the neck.