Chapter 278

Chapter 278

The Cherished One

Ignoring the commotion next door, the two quietly slipped into the house like burglars. Lin Nannan found it amusing and grinned at Lu Hang, making him sigh in exasperation.

Once inside, they could finally whisper about their next move.

Lu Hang wanted to take their belongings and leave in the chaos, finding another place to stay. But Lin Nannan preferred the idea of hiding in plain sight.

"They’ve searched a few times already. Once they realize I won’t return, they’ll stop surveilling," Lin Nannan insisted.

"Zheng Jie knows us well—and he knows you’re not ordinary. He’s never had a clear shot at capturing you before. Why would he give up now? He’ll consider every possibility and make arrangements. For him, just a handful of men posted here would be enough to track your movements. So staying here is out of the question!" Having realized the extent of the Zheng family’s influence in Nan City, Lu Hang firmly opposed her idea, believing it safer to leave.

Lin Nannan thought it over and reluctantly agreed. "Fine. Then what’s our next move? Should we go find Commander Zhang and the others? There are so many people searching for us outside—if we slip up, we might not escape."

Their enemies had manpower and vehicles, while they had nothing. Trying to fight back would be foolish, not heroic.

"No, we can’t involve them. It’d make it harder to split up and would only put them in danger," Lu Hang analyzed. "First, we leave this place. If they search here, it’ll turn into a full-blown confrontation."

At the noise of her painstakingly acquired things being trashed next door, Lin Nannan gritted her teeth in anger. "They’re so brazen!" she muttered.

"Let’s go," Lu Hang said, avoiding further discussion as he made the call.

After packing essentials, the two slipped out through the backyard.

Unbeknownst to them, shortly after, their hiding spot was also raided. The intruders found traces of their escape over the wall and evidence a man had stayed there. With no one present, they figured it had to be Lu Hang—the man they’d failed to capture for so long.

When the news reached Zheng Jie, he let out a mirthless laugh.

"What the hell are you all doing? An unfamiliar woman appears, and none of you had the slightest suspicion? You didn’t even notice her coming and going right under your noses? Are you idiots?"

He had begun doubting his own decisions, wondering if Lu Hang had already escaped. But now it turned out Lu Hang had never left—just hidden perfectly under Lin Nannan’s cover, avoiding detection entirely. It made Zheng Jie feel like a fool, led around by the nose all along.

"Station men to watch that place in case they return. Then spread the net—monitor every checkpoint. This time, Lu Hang’s condition doesn’t matter. But that woman—she must be brought in alive," Zheng Jie ordered through clenched teeth.

"But… what’s so special about her?" a subordinate asked, confused.

Zheng Jie took a deep breath, knowing he had to spell it out to prevent reckless actions. "She alone is worth an entire armory’s ransom. That’s how valuable she is."

The subordinate’s eyes widened in disbelief, as if hearing an absurd joke.

"She’s the treasure cherished by the capital’s elite. Back there, I wouldn’t even dare lay a finger on her. But now that she’s in Nan City, she stays—whatever it takes. Even if we have to hand her over later, she won’t leave here in one piece. Understood?" Zheng Jie snarled, dead serious.