Bowing to Arranged Marriage [Rebirth] - Chapter 8

The only thing Zheng Xiyun was grateful for was that the hands holding her weren’t covered in any drug-laced cloth. She could still maintain some clarity. Her mind raced at this moment. No matter how hard she struggled, she couldn’t overpower the man behind her. She forced herself to stay calm and temporarily yielded to his movements, retreating further into the darkness.

But this was still Shanghai. For criminals to find a deserted road with no streetlights was already a stroke of luck. How long could such a road possibly be?

Once Zheng Xiyun calmed down, she struggled slightly. Being too compliant might arouse the attacker’s suspicion. In the darkness where he couldn’t see, her eyes locked onto the brightly lit intersection in the distance. If she could just reach it, she might be safe.

“Hurry up!” Another voice rang out. Zheng Xiyun’s heart turned cold as she glanced to the side. The masked taxi driver stood by the car, his voice low as he said, “Just knock her out! As long as we get her hands!”

Zheng Xiyun memorized those words, but she didn’t have the time or energy to analyze them now. She had to escape before the two men knocked her out and shoved her into the taxi.

The attacker behind her wasn’t very experienced. He had one arm locked around her waist while the other covered her mouth and nose. Zheng Xiyun’s hands gripped his tightly, creating the illusion that she was restrained but in reality, her hands were free.

The man by the taxi didn’t approach either. Zheng Xiyun guessed he was afraid, perhaps too scared to act against her.

She had to take the gamble.

Trembling with tension, Zheng Xiyun clenched her teeth, forcing herself to stay calm. Then, seizing the moment, she suddenly jerked her elbow backward with full force!

The self-defense moves she’d once seen on TV proved effective. The man behind her let out a sharp cry and instinctively released her! Before either man could react, Zheng Xiyun kicked off her high heels and sprinted toward the intersection.

She could hear the wind whistling past her ears, the furious curses of the two men, and then the sound of footsteps chasing after her! She ran with all her might, barely feeling the pain in her bare feet. As she ran, she screamed for help at the top of her lungs!

The road ahead was filled with traffic. No one might hear her cries but the cowardly men behind her were startled by her piercing screams.

Zheng Xiyun dashed past the intersection but didn’t dare stop. Back under the bright city lights, she stood beneath the brightest streetlamp and turned to look behind her. The attackers were nowhere in sight. Only then did she slow to a stop, feeling the stinging pain in her feet and the frantic pounding of her heart.

She felt like she had brushed with death once again.

They want my hands. She remembered those words. Why would they want her hands? Her handbag and phone had already been lost somewhere on that dark road.

A car suddenly pulled up beside her. Zheng Xiyun flinched and stepped back in alarm.

The window rolled down, revealing Mu Qing’s face in the backseat. Zheng Xiyun’s face was pale, her appearance disheveled. Mu Qing asked urgently, “What happened to you?”

Zheng Xiyun shook her head, watching as Mu Qing opened the car door and stepped out. At this moment, she realized she’d rather trust this stranger who kept crossing paths with her.

Mu Qing’s gaze fell on Zheng Xiyun’s feet, and she exclaimed angrily, “Were you robbed? Why are you in such a state?”

“Can I borrow your phone?” Zheng Xiyun asked. Just then, the driver parked by the roadside rolled down his window and called out to them, “Hey, you two! Can you get in the car first? Parking isn’t allowed here!”

Mu Qing tugged at Zheng Xiyun. “Let’s get in first.”

Instead of returning to the hotel she had booked, Zheng Xiyun ended up staying in the room Mu Qing had reserved.

Once she felt safe, Zheng Xiyun immediately called Zhang Yi, recounting everything that had happened. She added, “They wanted my hand. I think someone is trying to rewrite the will. They needed my fingerprint.”

Zhang Yi’s voice was laced with urgency and lingering fear. “Then they probably won’t try to kill you for now. It would be too obvious, and any altered will would be invalid if discovered.”

“I need to know who wants my hand,” Zheng Xiyun said coldly, her heart now numb.

Zhang Yi asked, “Should we report this to the police or investigate privately?”

“Privately,” Zheng Xiyun replied. While reporting to the police might solve some issues, a private investigation would better serve her needs. After all, the police dealt with numerous cases daily, and her attempted kidnapping might not stand out as particularly significant among them.

After hanging up, Zheng Xiyun noticed Mu Qing sitting across from her, watching her with a complicated expression. Only then did Mu Qing speak up, “I had no idea you were kidnapped! I thought you were just robbed!”

Zheng Xiyun rubbed her temples, realizing now that her will might deter some from attempting to kill her, but it also made her hand a target. She couldn’t afford to let her guard down.

Mu Qing was essentially a stranger, and Zheng Xiyun didn’t want to share too much with her. Mu Qing didn’t press further, only offering, “If you need anything, let me know. I’ll help however I can.”

Zheng Xiyun didn’t take her words to heart. After all, someone who frequently borrowed money could hardly take care of herself. How much help could she really offer?

When Zhang Yi arrived in Shanghai, Zheng Xiyun bid farewell to Mu Qing, thanking her sincerely. Mu Qing brushed it off casually, simply advising her to be careful. Neither of them expected they would meet again so soon.

Once in Zhang Yi’s car, Zheng Xiyun retrieved her lost handbag and phone. As Zhang Yi drove, she explained, “Your phone and wallet weren’t taken by them, they were still on that road. The car was there too, but it was a replica.”

“A replica?” Zheng Xiyun vaguely recalled the term.

Zhang Yi nodded. “Yes. There are three taxis in Shanghai with this license plate number. This particular one wasn’t even registered with the traffic police. All its documents were forged. The surveillance footage and photos from that day didn’t capture the man’s features clearly. He wore a mask and used the sun visor to cover part of his forehead. As for the other man, there’s no trace of him. That road had no cameras, and aside from the car, nothing else was left behind.”

Zheng Xiyun frowned. “So, there’s no way to find out who wants my hand?”

Instead of answering, Zhang Yi glanced at the rearview mirror and said, “I think we’re being followed.”

Zheng Xiyun’s pupils dilated instantly as she turned and saw a car tailing them closely. “What do we do?” She hadn’t expected them to strike again so soon.

Who is it? Zheng Xiyun’s heart was filled with confusion and frustration! She couldn’t afford to stay exposed under these people’s surveillance. It was far too dangerous! Sitting in the car, she pondered for a while before asking Zhang Yi, who was desperately trying to shake off the trailing vehicle, “How can I ‘disappear’ for a while?”

Zhang Yi skillfully weaved through traffic to conceal their movements. “It’s tough. In today’s society, it’s nearly impossible to move around without any form of identification. Plus, the people following you must know me otherwise, how could they have appeared behind my car so quickly?”

Zheng Xiyun needed to vanish for a while, then work with Zhang Yi to uncover the mastermind behind the threats. If she remained in plain sight, she had no idea when danger might strike again. But how could she disappear? She realized with frustration that she had no experience or strategy for such a situation.

Eventually, Zhang Yi managed to lose the pursuers in the chaotic traffic and drove into a villa district in Shanghai.

Finally, safe for now Zheng Xiyun shared her concerns with Zhang Yi. The two sat on the living room sofa, deep in thought, until Zhang Yi suddenly exclaimed, “A self-drive road trip!”

Zheng Xiyun’s eyes lit up as she immediately grasped the idea. Renting a car under someone else’s ID meant she could avoid exposing her identity especially in remote areas where hotels might not even check IDs.

Placing her powered-off phone on the coffee table, Zheng Xiyun said, “You’ll have to arrange this for me. If I turn my phone on, it’ll be bombarded with calls.”

Zhang Yi pulled out her phone to research, and soon, the two had a solid plan in place.

Coastal regions were too regulated, so Zheng Xiyun would have to head west. She ultimately chose the Sichuan-Tibet route, a popular road trip destination where she could blend in with the crowds and seek help if needed. The route was dotted with minority-run lodgings and restaurants, minimizing the need for ID checks.

“I found you a guide. Two women who regularly lead road trip groups. Traveling with others will make things easier, reduce ID usage, and keep you safer.” Zhang Yi glanced at Zheng Xiyun. “They’re quite pretty, so you can keep a low profile among them.”

Zheng Xiyun knew having a guide was ideal, but she had one concern. “Won’t a whole car of attractive people stand out more?”

Zhang Yi frowned. “But wouldn’t you stand out even more if you were the only good-looking one in an otherwise plain group?”

Zheng Xiyun sighed. Never before had she worried about her appearance, but now, the thought left her feeling strangely unsettled.

Once the plan was set, Zheng Xiyun exhaled deeply. Her rebirth had been like a butterfly’s wings, altering many events from her past life. Now, aside from having an edge in certain business ventures, she was acutely aware of the danger she was in. Something she had never imagined before her death in her previous life.

Yet she would never give up. Heaven had given her another chance, not to surrender! She just needed to be cautious, then more cautious; brave, then braver until she achieved her goal and could finally savor the beauty of life.