Chapter 5: Kidnapped at the Same Time as My Boyfriend’s White Moonlight

◎Your boyfriend doesn’t want you anymore◎

“He’s asking for the exact time and place.”

A cold, grim curve tugged at the corner of Lu Fei’s mouth. “Tell him the time first.”

The tattoo-faced man grunted in acknowledgment and lowered his head to type.

Soon, a text-message chime echoed through the factory.

The tattoo-faced man spoke again. “Third Master, Xie You says he wants to confirm the hostages are safe.”

Lu Fei tilted his head, looking straight at Wen Tong.

Wen Tong had just woken up. Fine black hair stuck out every which way, a smudge of gray dirt stained the tip of his chin, and his eyes were still dazed. He looked pitiful and somehow adorable.

Lu Fei glanced at Bai Yue beside him—face mottled black and blue—then said to the tattoo-faced man, “Agree to it.”

“Yes.” The tattoo-faced man obeyed.

They hadn’t bothered to lower their voices, so Wen Tong heard every word. He cocked his head and murmured to Bai Yue, “Xie You’s coming right away. Just hold on a little longer—your hand will be fine.”

Bai Yue answered with a soft “mm,” his gaze not on Wen Tong but past the top of his head, fixed on something behind him.

Wen Tong turned around. Lu Fei was walking over with several other kidnappers.

Lu Fei gave the order. “Tape the Bai kid’s mouth shut.”

The moment the words landed, one of the underlings stepped up to Bai Yue, peeled off a strip of duct tape, and wound it around his face a few times, sealing his mouth tight.

Wen Tong couldn’t help flexing his fingers, scratching at the ground.

Just when he thought it was his turn next, Lu Fei suddenly stepped forward and crouched in front of him, swatting his hand away from the floor.

Smack.

Wen Tong immediately pulled his hand back.

Lu Fei stared at him, mouth curving faintly, and threatened, “In a minute you’ll video-call Xie the Second. You know what to say and what not to say, got it?”

Wen Tong genuinely feared this mercurial lunatic now. He lowered his eyes and nodded obediently.

“Call Xie the Second.”

Ring—ring—

The line trilled twice, then connected.

Wen Tong heard Xie You’s voice come through the phone above his head. “Where are they?”

Lu Fei scoffed and signaled the tattoo-faced man to aim the camera at Wen Tong.

Wen Tong heard Xie You ask, “Tongtong, how are you doing right now?”

He answered slowly, “I’m fine.”

“Just took a beating, that’s all.”

Lu Fei: “???”

He shot the tattoo-faced man a look; the man immediately swung the camera away.

Lu Fei clamped a hand around Wen Tong’s face, so furious he laughed. “Who the hell beat you?”

Wen Tong blinked at him. “But didn’t you ask for fifty million? Forty for the two of them, ten for keeping them safe.”

“…Xie You chose Bai Yue over the phone.”

By all logic, that meant he should be the one getting beaten half to death, while Bai Yue went untouched.

And combined with Lu Fei’s earlier threat, he’d naturally assumed Lu Fei wanted him to say exactly that.

At the explanation, Lu Fei himself went momentarily blank. He’d only meant to tell Wen Tong to keep his mouth shut—he hadn’t expected Wen Tong to actually… be looking out for him.

As if possessed, his irritation drained away entirely.

Lu Fei’s mood improved, the curve of his mouth widening. He squeezed Wen Tong’s cheek hard and chuckled low. “You’re right.”

Wen Tong pressed his lips together and cursed him as insane in his head.

“Give me the phone.” Lu Fei took it from the tattoo-faced man, swung the camera around, and aimed it close at Wen Tong’s face. “Second Young Master Xie, can you see clearly?”

Wen Tong lifted his eyes to the screen.

The phone’s resolution was high—across the screen he could make out Xie You’s somewhat haggard expression.

Xie You could see his situation just as clearly.

His face was being held. The man’s wheat-colored fingers sank into the pale, porcelain flesh of his cheek, sliding slowly down until they pinched the tip of his chin, tilting his face up.

As if a little entranced, once the fingers caught his chin they kept stroking lightly. The calluses on the man’s fingertips scraped against the delicate skin, and in the blink of an eye had rubbed up a faint layer of red.

Xie You’s eyes darkened.

Wen Tong didn’t notice the subtle shift in his mood. Thinking of Bai Yue’s injuries, he hesitated a moment, then added, “Hurry up and come.”

Xie You spoke. “Where’s Bai Yue?”

“I want to see Bai Yue.”

Lu Fei raised an eyebrow, let go of Wen Tong, and rose lazily. “What’s the rush? You’ll see him when you hand over the money.”

With that, he walked over to Bai Yue, lifted his foot, and maliciously ground his toe into Bai Yue’s right hand. “Go on, cry out a few times for Second Young Master Xie to hear.”

Bai Yue let out a pained grunt.

Lu Fei looked at the phone screen. “Hear that?”

Xie You’s eyes were half-lidded, brows slightly furrowed. “No.”

Lu Fei pressed down harder, grinding viciously.

Bai Yue grunted again.

Half of Xie You’s face was hidden in the darkness, his expression unreadable.

Lu Fei didn’t wait for any reaction—he tossed out, “I’ll send you the address in half an hour,” and hung up.

He threw the phone to the tattoo-faced man. “What’s the word from the docks?”

The tattoo-faced man nodded. “All checked. No one else has come near. Every man there is ours.”

Lu Fei grunted. Catching sight of Wen Tong on the ground, he rubbed his fingertips without thinking. “Cuff him too. Gag him.”

“Yes.”

The tattoo-faced man pulled a pair of handcuffs from the small of his back and walked toward Wen Tong.

Before he could move, Wen Tong offered his arms himself.

The tattoo-faced man blinked, glanced back at Lu Fei, then softened his movements and carefully cuffed Wen Tong.

Knowing Third Master treated this one specially, he thought it over and didn’t gag Wen Tong with the harsh duct tape. Instead he found a clean white cloth, wound it around his face, and tied a slipknot.

The whole time, Wen Tong cooperated fully, biting down on the white cloth and closing his mouth.

…………

At four-thirty in the morning, the sky was just beginning to lighten, a streak of pale fish-belly white spreading across the horizon. The woods outside the factory were thick with branches and leaves; the single road was dim, gloomy and oppressive.

The off-road vehicle drove through the darkness for over ten minutes before reaching its destination.

When Wen Tong got out, he saw the sign for the docks.

He’d never heard of such a place in Tongcheng.

He scanned his surroundings, and only after reading the names of the nearby shops did he realize this wasn’t Tongcheng.

It was a coastal city in the same province—Xingyun Port.

The docks were crowded with massive shipping containers, staggered high and low, stretching out of sight.

Wen Tong was led beneath one of the crane machines. The kidnappers lined up neatly in two rows.

The tattoo-faced man and five others stood in front. Behind them were Lu Fei and two more kidnappers holding Bai Yue.

“Lights on.”

At the words, the bulbs overhead flickered and cast a dim yellow glow, illuminating a corner of the docks.

Soon the job would be done.

Wen Tong bit down on the cloth in his mouth, his heartbeat gradually speeding up.

Holding his breath, he looked left at Bai Yue, right at Lu Fei.

Bai Yue stood ramrod straight. Lu Fei leaned crookedly against a container, his long, knobby fingers idly flicking a lighter.

His posture and expression were the usual lazy, careless sprawl—then suddenly his eyes changed, sharp as a frost-edged blade, glinting with a faint killing intent.

Wen Tong followed his gaze. In the darkness far off, a figure gradually took shape—tall, upright, footsteps hurried.

Xie You had arrived.

He carried two suitcases. His suit was badly wrinkled, his shirt collar open, one sleeve rolled up and the other not—nothing at all like his usual crisp, capable self.

When he was still one container’s distance away, Lu Fei leisurely drew a gun from his waist, aimed it at Xie You, and waved it up and down. “Hold it right there.”

Xie You’s steps halted. He stopped where he was.

“Green Face, go check if he’s carrying.” Lu Fei said to the tattoo-faced man.

Green Face picked up his gun, chambered a round, and walked over. He searched Xie You from head to toe before letting him come closer.

Xie You kept walking. When he was about three meters from Lu Fei and the others, he slowly set down the suitcases.

He lifted his eyelids and looked first at Wen Tong. His expression shifted slightly; he swept his gaze from head to toe, then turned to Bai Yue beside Wen Tong, whose face was a mess of black and blue.

“You said ten million would keep them safe.”

Lu Fei nodded, and said flippantly, “Isn’t Young Master Bai perfectly safe?”

“Oh, you mean the injuries on him? Those were from before we made the call.”

“Ask him if you don’t believe me.”

Bai Yue’s mouth was taped shut—he couldn’t speak. He kept his eyes lowered, showing no inclination to talk either.

And Lu Fei certainly wasn’t about to send anyone to tear the tape off.

Xie You withdrew his gaze and unlocked the suitcases. “The money’s here.”

“Fifty million in total.”

“I had it converted to US dollars.”

After Green Face checked the money, he nodded at Lu Fei. He was about to close the cases when Xie You stopped him.

“What’s the meaning of this, Second Young Master Xie?”

Xie You looked at him coldly. “Money and people, exchanged at the same time.”

Lu Fei’s brow arched slightly. He tilted his head toward the motionless Wen Tong, then slowly curved his lips. “Fine.”

“I’ll hand over the people.”

“Second Young Master Xie, take your pick.”

Xie You watched him heavily. “Fifty million—wasn’t that for two people?”

“It was,” Lu Fei said, spinning the gun in his fingers, arrogant. “But you set the left-hand case down first today. That pissed me off a little.”

Wen Tong: “…”

It was no better than getting fired for stepping into the office with your left foot.

He couldn’t help looking at Lu Fei. Lu Fei looked back at him and slowly raised the gun.

The black muzzle appeared before his eyes.

Wen Tong swallowed nervously. So this was the gun that would kill him, he supposed?

Lu Fei continued, “Rest assured, Second Young Master Xie—forty million still buys two people.”

“Only one alive, one dead.”

Xie You’s face was dark, his jaw clenched tight, his fists loosening and clenching again.

Lu Fei savored the shifts in his expression, then slowly walked behind Wen Tong and Bai Yue, the muzzle drifting back and forth between them.

A few seconds later, he drawled a threat: “If Second Young Master Xie won’t choose, shall I choose for you?”

“I’m rather fond of two dead bodies. Simpler that way.”

With that, he racked the slide and aimed the gun at the back of Bai Yue’s head.

“Three, two…”

Xie You’s eyes were half-lowered, fixed intently on the short, narrow barrel of the pistol.

At the very last second, he forced a sentence out through clenched teeth: “I choose… Bai Yue.”

Lu Fei laughed, not the least bit surprised by the answer.

He stepped forward and to the left, looking down at Wen Tong from above.

A shallow line was pressed into Wen Tong’s cheek where the cloth cut across it. He seemed terribly nervous, lips parted slightly, biting the white cloth—the gleam of snow-white teeth pressing into the fabric faintly visible.

A bit of dampness had seeped into the edges of the cloth, revealing the red of his lips beneath. It was a pitiful picture, and yet it made the heart race.

Lu Fei slowly lowered his head, his nose brushing past the cloth on Wen Tong’s cheek, and brought his lips to Wen Tong’s ear. “See that now?”

A secret thrill rose in his chest. With vicious delight, he said, “Your boyfriend doesn’t want you anymore.”