Deep within Yan Xi, a question lingered: why was Old Mr. Yao insisting she marry Mu Jing Chen? What role did Mu Jing Chen play in this conspiracy? Yan Xi dared not delve deeper.
She had known Mu Jing Chen for five years. He had always presented himself as a warm, kind man. Yan Xi knew he was the illegitimate son of the Mu family and had a difficult life there, which was why she had invited him to co-found YC Group back then. Over the years, under the joint efforts of Yan Xi and Mu Jing Chen, YC Group had prospered. Yan Xi and Mu Jing Chen had evolved from friends to business partners, and then to something akin to family, though not by blood.
To Yan Xi, Mu Jing Chen was like a member of the family. Although she didn't love Mu Jing Chen, his significance in her heart was immeasurable. Yet, it was only now that Yan Xi realized she had never truly understood Mu Jing Chen, never known what kind of person he really was.
"Take good care of the young lady for these next two days. Not a single slip-up, understand?" Old Mr. Yao glanced at the dark room, then at Yan Xi, before instructing the bodyguards behind him. The bodyguards nodded, and Old Mr. Yao left the dark room with satisfaction.
After Old Mr. Yao's departure, the dark room returned to its former quiet. Yan Xi's heart, however, raced. She was terrified that if Old Mr. Yao had come any closer, he would have discovered the diary on her person. Yan Xi frowned; she needed to find a safe place to stash this diary.
Yao Wan Qi was quite clever. She likely anticipated that Old Mr. Yao wouldn't think to check the floor tiles, which was why she had hidden the diary there. Yan Xi knew she had to leave this place now, and she had to take the diary with her. Yan Xi scanned the room but couldn't find an exit.
Suddenly, the door of the dark room creaked open again. Yan Xi, startled, quickly hid the diary. This time, it wasn't Old Mr. Yao who entered, but a housekeeper from the Yao family. The housekeeper's expression was stern. She looked at Yan Xi coldly and said, "You truly are the girl the young lady chose. You are indeed clever. Even the diary the young lady hid so well, you managed to find."
Yan Xi pursed her lips, remaining silent, but fear gnawed at her. She didn't know who this person was or what her purpose was for coming here. The housekeeper let out a cold snort and said impatiently, "However, compared to the young lady, your intelligence is still far behind. The young lady even dared to poison herself to escape the Yao family. You lack that kind of courage."
Yan Xi looked up in shock, unable to believe that Yao Wan Qi had poisoned herself. But if Yao Wan Qi wanted to get this secret out, why would she resort to such a severe method of poisoning herself? And why hadn't she kept the diary on her person? Yan Xi suddenly felt that she understood Yao Wan Qi less and less.
The housekeeper handed Yan Xi a human skin mask and said with a cold snort, "Come with me." Yan Xi put on the mask, carefully concealed the diary, and then rose to follow the housekeeper out.
As she walked out of the dark room, Yan Xi's heart pounded. She worried about being discovered, fearing that not only would she be unable to escape, but the diary would also be revealed. This diary contained too many secrets, secrets that even endangered the lives of many people. Yan Xi couldn't afford to take any risks. This was her first time doing something like this; she was too afraid to expose herself, so she walked cautiously, keeping her head down the entire way, not daring to look up.
Upon reaching the entrance, the housekeeper glanced at Yan Xi with a look of exasperated disappointment. Yan Xi's cautious demeanor, which should have allowed her to pass unnoticed, was almost revealing.
Once outside, the housekeeper looked at Yan Xi and handed her a letter, instructing, "If the young lady is out of danger, deliver this letter to her." With that, the housekeeper turned and left without looking back, leaving Yan Xi standing alone, bewildered.
The housekeeper knew nothing about her, yet she entrusted her with such an important letter. Was this not placing too much trust in her? Without further thought, Yan Xi fled the Yao family residence, running forward relentlessly. Even when cars appeared, Yan Xi didn't dare to stop, fearing that stopping would mean being recaptured by the Yao family.
Suddenly, a car stopped in front of Yan Xi. Xiang Jing Chen, seeing Yan Xi's panicked state, couldn't help but ask, "Sister, why are you in such a hurry? Did something happen?"
Yan Xi couldn't spare him an explanation. She grabbed Xiang Jing Chen's hand as if he were a life-saving straw, her voice trembling with fear. "Jing Chen, let's go, quickly, let's get out of here." Although Xiang Jing Chen didn't know what had happened to Yan Xi, he followed her instructions and drove her away.
Even after getting into Xiang Jing Chen's car, Yan Xi found it hard to believe she had truly escaped the Yao family. Xiang Jing Chen furrowed his brow. What had happened to Yan Xi? He had intended to return to the Yao family to confront Old Mr. Yao about his unfair treatment of Yao Wan Qi, but seeing Yan Xi's current state, it was clear something major had occurred. Xiang Jing Chen wanted to ask, but seeing how terrified Yan Xi was, he held back. He waited for Yan Xi to explain on her own.
The car arrived at the hospital. Yan Xi didn't rush to get out. She looked at Xiang Jing Chen and asked softly, "Jing Chen, you must be very curious about what happened to me, what made me so panicked, right?" Yan Xi's voice gradually steadied, perhaps because she knew she was safe now, and the unease within her began to fade.
Yan Xi said softly, "I discovered a shocking secret at the Yao family's residence. If it weren't for this secret, I wouldn't have been able to escape." Xiang Jing Chen sat there, listening quietly.
Suddenly, Yan Xi's gaze met Xiang Jing Chen's. She asked softly, "You spent so much time with my mother, do you know her well? Do you know what kind of person she is?" Xiang Jing Chen looked at Yan Xi in surprise. He didn't understand why Yan Xi had suddenly shifted the topic to Yao Wan Qi. Could Yan Xi's terror at the Yao family be related to Yao Wan Qi?