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"No, I want to see it now." Du Miao hastily stood up, picked up the gift box from the coffee table, and lifted the lid. In the next moment, her face turned ashen.

Because...

Inside the box lay a set of burgundy lingerie.

Startled, Du Miao threw the intimate attire on the floor and trembled in fear.

Du Shaoren hadn't expected his plan to unravel so quickly. He tossed the cake onto the table, assuming that no one else was in the villa. He removed his suit jacket and flung it onto the sofa, then sneered.

"Mi Mi, you should have chosen the cake. It's laced with Rohypnol. You wouldn't experience any moral torment after consuming it. When you wake up tomorrow, you'll be Daddy's most beloved woman in this world. Isn't that what you desire?"

Rohypnol, a tranquilizer.

The master had been right – there was indeed something in the cake.

Du Miao trembled in terror, never imagining that the foster father she had trusted since childhood was truly a monster. She suffered deeply. "Why?"

"How naive to ask such foolish questions. Of course, it's because Daddy likes you." Du Shaoren gradually approached Du Miao.

Du Miao rushed towards the door, only to find it already locked. She pounded on it and, spotting Du Shaoren approaching, she frantically ran towards the kitchen, calling for help as she went.

"It's useless. No one can save you today. I've nurtured you for eighteen years, and now it's time for you to repay me," Du Shaoren sneered, following closely behind.

The wine cabinet was pushed open.

Li Huiwen emerged and pulled Du Miao behind her for protection, shouting indignantly, "To harm your own daughter, you're worse than beasts!"

"Isn't that so? After raising her for eighteen years, I deserve some return."

Du Shaoren laughed coldly. He hadn't expected an outsider to be present. To ensure no secrets would leak, he grabbed a knife from the table.

Advancing menacingly towards the two women.

"Unfortunately, you'll never see the light of tomorrow."

Li Huiwen handed the camera to Du Miao and instructed her, "I'll keep him occupied. You go upstairs, lock the bedroom doors, and use the landline to call the police."

She didn't forget to add a reminder.

"Remember, the camera is more important than my life. It doesn't matter if I die, but the camera must be protected."

The camera held evidence of Du Shaoren's intended criminal acts.

Even in death, these photos would ensure justice was served.

With a pale and trembling face, Du Miao clutched the camera to her chest, frantically nodding. She yearned to call out to Li Huiwen not to die, but fear had stolen her voice.

Faced with the advancing Du Shaoren, knife in hand, Li Huiwen had already thrown numerous objects at him to no avail. An idea struck her, and she lunged forward, grappling tightly onto Du Shaoren's legs. She turned her head and shouted, "Hurry upstairs!"

With gritted teeth, Du Miao, still clutching the camera, dashed up the stairs.

In the meantime, Du Shaoren fiercely swung his knife, attempting to stop Du Miao, but Li Huiwen held on firmly to him.

Li Huiwen wasn't fearless, but considering the outcome - one or both of them dying - she steeled herself. Taking two heavy blows to her back, she managed to lift his leg, causing Du Shaoren to stumble and fall. With a contorted face, he brandished the fruit knife and lunged forward.

The two engaged in a fierce struggle.

Li Huiwen's strength began to wane, her vision blurred by sweat. Suddenly, a crash of glass echoed as a figure leaped into the room amidst flying shards.

In her daze, Li Huiwen saw a yellow talisman appear out of nowhere and adhere to Du Shaoren's forehead. His previously contorted face froze, his arm clutching the fruit knife suspended in mid-air, only his eyes able to move.

Gasping for air with her throat still constricted, Li Huiwen scrambled to sit up. She glanced at the window, where a large, patterned glass pane had been shattered through.

On the floor, the girl examined the stone that had smashed the window, a troubled expression on her fair face. " Pebbles aren't enough, I guess. Need a kick too. Next time, I should use a brick," she mused.

Upon hearing this, Chu Yuening, noticing Li Huiwen holding her neck, asked, "I'm glad I passed by and did another divination. Are you alright?"

Since the incident, Li Huiwen's head had been ringing nonstop. Eventually, fear overtook her, causing her to collapse on the ground, weak-kneed.

"I'm fine, but..." Li Huiwen buried her face in her arm, sobbing vaguely, "Covering news on-site is just too difficult. If the editor-in-chief keeps making empty promises, I won't do it anymore."

Moments ago, she had been a mere step away from death.

-

Twenty minutes later.

Three uniformed military officers arrived at the villa.

One officer, while draped in a towel, interviewed the dazed Du Miao, diligently taking notes. Another knelt on the floor, examining Du Shaoren's talisman, then turned to Chu Yuening, sipping her iced yin yang milk tea on the couch. "What is the main function of this charm?"

Chu Yuening bit her straw, her eyes rolling around. "Would you believe me if I said it's a paralyzing charm?"

"Paralyzing charms only exist in martial arts novels and zombie movies. How could they possibly be real?"

The officer seemed to have heard a joke. "If you insist it's a paralyzing charm, by regulation, we would need to send you to a mental hospital for an evaluation."

"Oh," Chu Yuening averted her gaze, taking two sips of her tea. "Then it's just a simple decorative item."

Opposite her, Li Huiwen held the camera, still recovering from her shock but now eagerly showing the photos to the female uniformed officer. "Ma'am, the camera is filled with pictures of that beast. I'm willing to provide them unconditionally as evidence to the police. Also, there's Rohypnol in the cake – you can have it tested too."

The officer promptly packed the cake for analysis. "Are you a journalist? You look familiar."

Li Huiwen beamed. "Really? I often visit various police stations to interview special criminals."

"Special criminals?" The officer was puzzled. "A criminal is just a criminal. What's so special about them?"

"Like celebrities involved in drug trafficking or those caught for soliciting prostitution – I've interviewed them all," Li Huiwen replied.