Han Yunru stood up, slightly surprised at the visitor.
Qin Lin entered with reddened eyes, stubble covering his face, and his shirt rumpled. He looked like he had rushed straight here.
“Little Ru, my dad—”
“Don’t panic,” she reassured him. “Take a breath first. Uncle Qin is still safe for now.”
Just then, another figure entered the house.
The woman’s footsteps were brisk, high heels tapping against the floor. The hem of her woolen skirt swayed, the edge of her coat fluttering as she moved.
She went straight to Qin Lin’s side and greeted Shi Qingzhi, “Auntie.”
This was Qin Lin’s wife.
Guan Yiling naturally turned her gaze toward Han Yunru. “Hello.”
Han Yunru smiled politely. “Hello. Have a seat first, I’ll pour you some tea.”
“No need, Little Ru,” Qin Lin reached out to stop her. “Tell me about my dad first.”
Han Yunru calmly pulled her hand away and gestured for the couple to sit. “…Let Mom explain. She knows more than I do.”
After saying that, she still went to the kitchen to get two cups of warm water.
By the time she returned, Qin Lin had already been filled in on the situation. His anxious expression was impossible to hide.
Guan Yiling sat beside him, gently persuading, “…It’s already come to this. Panicking won’t help. You won’t save Dad, and if it harms your health, wouldn’t that just make things worse?”
Qin Lin visibly softened at her words and gave a quiet “Mm,” then turned to discuss a plan with Shi Qingzhi.
“…Auntie, I don’t understand. Why didn’t you call the police for something like this?”
“The kidnappers explicitly warned not to call the police—or they’ll kill him!” Shi Qingzhi’s tone was firm. “I won’t gamble with your father’s life. Besides, Yueyue said this is a cross-border kidnapping. Planning and rescuing takes time. It also involves another country, so there are too many complications. Any delay could mean disaster. If the kidnappers are alerted, the consequences would be unimaginable…”
Qin Lin fell into deep thought after hearing this and finally had to admit that the concerns were legitimate.
“Yueyue?” Guan Yiling asked in confusion.
Han Yunru stepped forward, placing the water cups on the coffee table. “My daughter. You’ve had a long trip—have some warm water.”
“Thank you,” Guan Yiling replied.
Qin Lin frowned. “Sit down, you don’t need to fuss.”
Han Yunru just smiled and said nothing. She returned to sit beside Shi Qingzhi and gently held her tightly clenched fist.
Shi Qingzhi belatedly realized what she was doing and relaxed her hand, giving Han Yunru a reassuring look.
Suddenly, Guan Yiling spoke up, “Sister Han, if you don’t mind me asking… how old is your daughter?”
“Eighteen.”
“Just turned adult?” Guan Yiling couldn’t hide her shock. “She’s still just a child, isn’t she?”
The implication: Can what she says really be trusted?
Han Yunru was taken aback, but explained, “Yueyue’s not like other kids. She—”
“No matter what, she’s still a child. At this age, she should be enjoying school life, not dealing with the dark side of society. And this is no minor issue—it’s about Dad’s life!”
“I’m the one who asked Yueyue to get involved,” the elderly woman suddenly interrupted. “A person’s capability isn’t defined by age. I trust her.”
Guan Yiling frowned and glanced at her husband, only to find Qin Lin looking completely lost and overwhelmed.
She instinctively cast a sideways glance at Han Yunru across from her and pressed her full lips together.
Normally, if the old lady spoke, she would just hold her tongue. But today she was upset—her emotions had been stirred and couldn’t be calmed.
In a moment of rashness, she blurted out, “Auntie, a life’s at stake—this isn’t something to play around with!”
Shi Qingzhi’s expression sharpened instantly. “Play? In your eyes, am I the kind of person who’d risk your father’s life for fun?”
She had used the word “your” — grouping not only the outspoken Guan Yiling but also the silent Qin Lin.
Han Yunru instinctively furrowed her brow, though she knew this wasn’t the time to speak.
She shifted the teacup in front of her, the base scraping against the glass table with a slightly harsh sound.
Qin Lin snapped out of his daze and quickly explained, “Auntie, she doesn’t know how to phrase things. Please don’t take it to heart.”
He then turned reproachfully to his wife, “Why are you even interrupting? Yueyue’s analysis makes sense—this isn’t the time to call the police.”
Shi Qingzhi nodded. “I agree. Your father’s safety is our top priority. Even if it costs a hundred million US dollars—no, even ten times that—we’ll scrape it together if we must!”
One hundred million… dollars?
Guan Yiling’s lowered lashes fluttered, and her fingers twitched slightly on her lap.
“Auntie, of course we trust you. You’ve always done right by my father all these years…”
“Trusting me isn’t enough. You also have to trust Yueyue.”
Qin Lin opened his mouth, just about to say something, when footsteps echoed from upstairs.
Speak of the devil.
Jiang Fuyue came striding down the stairs, a laptop in one hand and a phone in the other. “Found them. The kidnappers are likely hiding in Nan—”
Her words halted mid-sentence as she raised an eyebrow at the two new faces in the room.
Shi Qingzhi waved her over. “Come here, Yueyue. Your Uncle Qin and Aunt Guan just arrived from the capital…”
Jiang Fuyue walked over, gave them a brief nod as greeting, then placed her laptop on the coffee table and crouched down, quickly pulling up a document.
