Chapter 107: The Married Beta is Kidnapped (Chasing Wife 1.0)

Chapter 107: The Married Beta Male Is Kidnapped (The Wife-Chasing Arc 1.0)

Not far away, a sharp scream suddenly pierced the air from the crowd watching the sand art. "Ah—"

It was Situ Hui’s voice.

He was having a breakdown.

Memories of his past kidnapping surged over him like a bloody tide as the sand art story unfolded.

Situ Hui clutched his head, his fingers gripping his hair tightly, screaming in agony.

Everyone stared at Situ Hui strangely. The sand art performance came to an abrupt halt, and all the lights in the banquet hall were turned on.

Chen Xun gently patted Situ Hui’s shoulder. "What’s wrong?"

Even such a slight gesture terrified Situ Hui, who immediately pushed Chen Xun away. "Stay away! Get away, all of you!"

Just as Chen Xun was puzzled by Situ Hui’s reaction, he spotted a man in black standing beside Bai Yu in the distance.

Qiao Yihan withdrew the gun pressed against Bai Yu’s lower back. "First, let me show you what happens when you cross me."

Bai Yu glared at him. "What are you going to do?"

Qiao Yihan aimed his gun at the ornate chandelier hanging from the ceiling, directly above where Situ Hui stood.

Bai Yu shouted, "No!"

With a bang, the chandelier crashed down. The crowd screamed and scattered in panic.

Chen Xun lunged toward Situ Hui, pushing him out of the chandelier’s path, but his own right leg was trapped under the fallen lights. He let out a muffled groan.

Situ Hui fell to the ground, suddenly snapping back to reality. Wide-eyed, he stared at Chen Xun, who was lying on top of him. "You—"

Several masked assassins emerged from hidden positions, gathering around Qiao Yihan. They bound Bai Yu’s hands and feet with tape, gagged him, and wrapped him up like a mummy.

Then, Qiao Yihan hoisted Bai Yu over his shoulder.

Bai Yu nearly vomited from the jostling. "Mmph!"

Putting their personal issues aside for now, Situ Hui helped Chen Xun up and immediately spotted Qiao Yihan not far away.

Chen Xun felt Situ Hui’s hands trembling and followed his gaze to the man who was carrying Bai Yu.

From the look in Situ Hui’s eyes, Chen Xun could tell he knew this man. "Who is he?"

Situ Hui’s lips trembled. "That assassin."

Chen Xun frowned. "Assassin?"

Qiao Yihan chuckled lightly and said to Situ Hui, "Tell him the game has begun. Same rules as before—ten million."

Bai Yu kicked his legs frantically, trying to warn Situ Hui not to let Situ Jing return. But as Qiao Yihan turned away, Bai Yu saw Situ Hui collapse, unconscious.

Chen Xun, dragging his injured leg, stumbled a few steps and anxiously made a phone call.

Shortly after, Bai Yu’s vision went dark.

Someone had covered his head with a black cloth bag.

*

At Mandu City Airport:

A group of police officers and reporters had been waiting there for a long time.

As Situ Jing and Ye Liuzheng stepped off the plane, the police approached them and stated sternly, "Mr. Situ, we suspect you are involved in the murder of Mr. Yin Songren and attempting to seize the Yin family’s assets. Please come with us."

Although Situ Jing had anticipated that the three Yin brothers would make a move, they acted faster than he expected given their usual cunning, suggesting someone more cunning was behind it.

Ye Liuzheng said to the police, "I am his lawyer. You can discuss anything with me."

The police replied, "He must come with us."

After failing to negotiate, Ye Liuzheng had no choice but to accompany Situ Jing to the police station.

The moment Situ Jing got into the police car was captured by the media and immediately posted online.

Upon arriving at the police station, Ye Liuzheng immediately applied for bail for Situ Jing.

Situ Jing received a call from Chen Xun. "What’s the matter?"

Chen Xun, panting, spoke in an unusually serious tone. "Bai Yu has been kidnapped by a man. That man told me to tell you the game has begun. Same rules as before—ten million."

A shadow fell over Situ Jing’s brow, his voice cold. "What about Hui?"

Chen Xun said, "He fainted from fright and just woke up."

Situ Jing replied gravely, "Keep an eye on him for me."

Chen Xun added, "Also..."

"What?"

"I have a feeling Bai Yu also knows that man."

"I see."

Situ Jing hung up and noticed a message from Bai Yu.

It was clearly not sent by Bai Yu himself.

Situ Jing opened it to find a photo.

Bai Yu, gagged and bound, was curled up in the back of a car.

Situ Jing’s jaw tightened, the veins on the back of his hand bulging as if he might crush the phone at any moment.

Ye Liuzheng approached Situ Jing with the bail documents. "A one-million bail has been posted. It's settled, but you’re restricted from leaving Mandu City for seven days. You’ll need to attend the trial for this case."

Situ Jing narrowed his eyes. It was clearly a trap.

Perhaps orchestrated by that assassin.

He had taken money from the first and third branches of the Yin family but hadn’t killed anyone. Instead, he tipped off the Yin family patriarch, fueling the inheritance dispute. He was toying with the entire family, and they remained oblivious.

At the same time, he had drawn Situ Jing into the game, kidnapping Bai Yu while he was away from Yunjing.

Yin Songren’s sudden death, coupled with the Yin brothers framing Situ Jing for the murder, made it impossible for him to return from Mandu City.

What was strange was that Chen Xun said Bai Yu knew the assassin.

In the morning, while Secretary Zhou was secretly investigating the whereabouts of the moth necklace, he had told Situ Jing that Bai Yu had slipped back to the residential area on Xinze Third Road.

The moth necklace, the shadowy figure in the surveillance footage, the kidnapping, and the murder—these seemingly unrelated events appeared to conceal a hidden connection.

After leaving the police station and getting into the car, Situ Jing immediately called Bai Li.

Bai Li answered, "What's the matter?"

Situ Jing said, "Your brother has been kidnapped by a very dangerous man."

Bai Li gasped, then, as if remembering something, asked, "Kidnapped?"

Situ Jing listened carefully to Bai Li's reaction, "Has your brother told you anything recently?"

Bai Li flatly denied it, "No."

Situ Jing pressed his thin lips together and said coldly, "Think carefully before answering. Right now, I'm the only one who can save him."

Bai Li paused, as if struggling internally, before finally speaking, "Earlier today, he called me, but I was working at the 24-hour grocery store and missed it. After my shift, I saw his message saying that Qiao Yihan had returned and taken a priceless necklace, asking to meet him. He told me not to come back to the country and that he would settle it himself."

Situ Jing frowned, "Qiao Yihan?"

Bai Li explained, "He is my father, my brother's stepfather—the dangerous man you mentioned. We’ve always told others he was dead, but he’s actually alive. The last time we saw him, he said he would come back for my brother."

So, Bai Yu's night terrors and his distracted state on the golf course were all because of Qiao Yihan.

Why hadn’t he told Situ Jing earlier?

Was he also an outsider, someone unrelated who didn’t need to know the truth?

Did Bai Yu not trust him at all, or did he mean nothing to him?

Yet, Situ Jing also recalled the many times Bai Yu had tried to tell him something.

On the phone, in the apartment, at banquets.

Whenever Bai Yu hesitated, wanting to share with him, something always interrupted, and Situ Jing had never had the patience to press further.

Before leaving, when Bai Yu asked if he could come to Mandu City with him, Situ Jing refused.

Now, realizing that Bai Yu had tried to rely on him and cautiously open up, the opportunity had slipped away, gone for good.

At this thought, a dull ache spread in his chest, as if something were constricting his throat.

Bai Li could clearly sense the pressure in his voice over the phone. She was surprised to realize that Situ Jing actually cared about her brother—otherwise, he wouldn’t have called in such urgency. But she also knew her brother and Qiao Yihan well.

"Please, stay out of this."

Situ Jing’s expression darkened further, "Why?"

Bai Li said, "My brother knows how to deal with Qiao Yihan. He will escape from him, even kill him. This is a personal matter between us three. You, on the other hand, shouldn’t fall into Qiao Yihan’s trap. Your status is too high to take such risks. My brother always says we owe you too much. Please value your life."

Since their last encounter with Qiao Yihan, she and her brother had prepared themselves, learning ways to escape and counter him.

After all, desperate men are capable of anything—they wouldn’t go down without a fight.

Even if those methods failed, Qiao Yihan wouldn’t actually kill her brother.

Bai Li was sensitive and clever; she knew Qiao Yihan harbored some complicated feelings for Bai Yu, while she herself was the one Qiao Yihan truly despised and wanted dead.

She was an unwanted mistake.

She hated Qiao Yihan, but she had inevitably inherited his keen insight and had long sensed something off.

Ever since she learned of Situ Jing and Bai Yu’s relationship, she knew Qiao Yihan would return.

Last year, when Qiao Yihan appeared at the hospital, it might have been a mere test, or perhaps something else had disrupted his plans.

Now, Qiao Yihan would likely come after Situ Jing.

Compared to their ordinary lives, Situ Jing’s life as the head of the Situ Family was much more valuable. Why take the risk?

Bai Li didn’t believe Situ Jing would go to such lengths—perhaps sending a team to search would be enough.

Situ Jing suddenly let out a cold laugh, "You’re wrong. There’s no one in this world who can touch me. If there’s a trap, I’ll smash through it."

Bai Li was stunned for a moment, but the call had already ended.

*

It was now midnight, and heavy rain poured outside. The streetlights and scenery blurred beyond the car window.

After finishing the call, Situ Jing’s car arrived at the hotel entrance.

Ye Liuzheng had been reviewing the suspicious circumstances around Yin Songren’s death, preparing materials for the trial. "Tomorrow, I’ll go to the hospital. Will you stay at the hotel?"

Situ Jing’s eyes showed urgency, his tone icy, "I must return to Yunjing immediately."

Ye Liuzheng abruptly looked up from the documents, staring at him in disbelief, "The evidence they’ve presented in this case isn’t enough to challenge the validity of the will. The suspicions of murder can easily be dismissed. As long as you appear in court and stay till the end, we’ll win. You’re still out on bail—leaving now would ruin everything!"

"I have to go back to save Bai Yu. They can have the extra inheritance; let them fight over it. Just secure what belongs to me and Situ Hui."

Situ Jing messaged Secretary Zhou to immediately apply for a private flight back.

Ye Liuzheng sat up straight, trying to stop him, "Can’t we just send someone to rescue him?"

Situ Jing said, "No. That man… no one else can handle him."

Ye Liuzheng sighed, rubbing his forehead, "You’ve already devoted too much effort to Bai Yu. Is he worth giving up billions in Yin Family assets for? The Situ Jing I know has never been this irrational."

Situ Jing recalled the photo of Bai Yu tied up, his voice dark, "What I’m considering now isn’t about whether it’s worth it or not."

His intuition told him that this decision was like the one he made at twelve years old. Different choices lead to very different outcomes.

Situ Jing realized he had gradually let go of everything related to his mother. When he recalled those past events now, they no longer hurt—perhaps because of Bai Yu’s presence.

When fate gave him another chance, he didn’t want to lose Bai Yu again.

Ye Liuzheng massaged his temples, "Then what about matters here? Am I to handle them alone?"

Situ Jing thought for a moment, then messaged Situ Hui, "I’ll have Situ Hui work with you."

Ye Liuzheng looked at Situ Jing in surprise, "Him? Are you sure?"

Situ Jing raised an eyebrow, "He is my brother, after all. Don’t you trust him?"

Ye Liuzheng spread his hands, shaking his head, "You’d better get me a few more bodyguards. I’m afraid this might be my last trial."

Situ Jing said, "It won’t be."

Ye Liuzheng stepped out of the car with an umbrella and hurried through the rain into the hotel.

Situ Jing picked up a call from Secretary Zhou. "Go ahead."

Secretary Zhou: "Boss, the heavy rain in Mandu City is expected to last another two hours. We'll probably be able to take off in about three hours."

Situ Jing looked out the car window at the pouring rain. "That's too late. Take off in one hour."

The flight from Mandu City to Yunjing takes three hours. He had to return as soon as possible.

Secretary Zhou said, "Understood, boss."

"Have you tracked the location of Bai Yu's phone?"

"They threw the phone into a river. We're searching the surrounding areas now."

*

Yunjing was experiencing a downpour.

Lightning occasionally lit up the pitch-dark night as the car moved along the road.

Qiao Yihan pulled Bai Yu into his arms, resting his head on his lap, and gently stroked his face over and over.

The cool touch made Bai Yu turn his head away in disgust, secretly struggling against the tape binding his hands.

Qiao Yihan forcefully turned Bai Yu's face back, looking down at him with a faint blue glint in his left eye. "You know, over the years, I've often reminisced about the first time I saw you."

On a hot afternoon, pedestrians on the street carried sun umbrellas.

At a street corner, a pineapple stall was doing brisk business, with several customers lining up to buy pineapples.

The stall owner smiled as she peeled pineapples, while a fair-skinned little boy in a blue apron helped collect money and pack pineapples for customers.

Little Bai Yu gave each half pineapple a name and a backstory, earnestly introducing them to customers as he handed them over.

"This one is called Nicholas Little Yellow, a handsome young man with long golden hair. After going through a tough unrequited love, he became melancholy and bitter. Now that he's going home with you, I hope you'll sincerely say 'I like you' three times before eating him, so he can feel loved and taste sweet!"

The customer laughed and bought an extra piece of pineapple.

At that time, Qiao Yihan had just finished a job. The thrill and excitement of killing vanished in an instant, and the hefty sum shown on his bank card meant nothing to him.

The emptiness inside made him want to pick a random passerby to kill.

Qiao Yihan casually parked his car at the street corner, searching for a target. When he noticed little Bai Yu at the pineapple stall, he immediately decided it would be him.

Because little Bai Yu looked so innocent, with a bright smile, as if everything in the world was wonderful.

Qiao Yihan wanted to teach him a lesson, to show him the dangers in the world.

So he got out of the car and walked toward the pineapple stall.

Qiao Yihan pinched Bai Yu's cheek and said softly, "Actually, the first thing I noticed was you. I wanted to kill you."

Bai Yu's eyes were filled with hatred, tears streaming down the corners. His mouth was sealed with tape, and he could only make muffled sounds.

He wished he could go back to that hot afternoon. If only his mother had closed the pineapple stall earlier, he wouldn’t have met Qiao Yihan, and none of what followed would have happened.

Qiao Yihan took out a handkerchief, wiped away Bai Yu's tears, and said with a smile, "Strangely, I followed you for days, visited the pineapple stall multiple times, and imagined many ways to kill you, but at the last moment, I stopped."

"I wondered, why? What was it about you that captivated me and held back my desire to kill? You were just an innocent child, unaware of any danger. Soon, I found the first answer."

When Qiao Yihan invited Bai Yu and his mother to his home, he noticed Bai Yu was fascinated by the piano sitting idle in the corner, his little fingers randomly pressing a few keys.

Qiao Yihan walked to the piano, sat down gracefully, and played a very simple tune, "Two Tigers." Then he said to Bai Yu, "Want to learn? I can teach you."

Bai Yu nodded seriously. "Yes!"

Qiao Yihan patted the soft stool. "Come here."

Bai Yu sat next to Qiao Yihan, following his rhythm as they played a melody on the keys.

Though it was just a brief lesson and he couldn’t play much, Bai Yu was delighted.

Bai Yu looked at Qiao Yihan, his round, bright eyes full of admiration. "Can I come to you again to learn this in the future?"

"Of course."

Qiao Yihan smiled and gently stroked Bai Yu's cheek, then glanced at his mother standing nearby. He thought perhaps he wanted a sense of belonging, like a normal person.

And so, the idea of marriage suddenly popped into his head.

The assassination organization didn’t allow its members to marry, but he thought experiencing married life wouldn’t be a big deal.

If he ever grew tired of it, he could simply kill Bai Yu and his mother.

And so, Qiao Yihan married Bai Yu's mother, beginning a life that appeared warm and happy on the surface with his wife and child, while secretly continuing his work as an assassin.

Qiao Yihan taught Bai Yu to play the piano, listen to records, and travel around. He bought expensive dresses and jewelry for his mother, just like any responsible husband and father.

Every time the three of them went out to eat, people around would praise them, "What a happy family of three!"

At this point, Qiao Yihan sighed. "We did have a happy time together. Did you ever wish life could just go on like that?"

Bai Yu didn’t make a sound, but he had indeed thought about it. Why were the good times so short? Why did Qiao Yihan change?

But now it seemed it wasn’t that Qiao Yihan had changed—it was that he had never truly known Qiao Yihan.

Qiao Yihan looked at Bai Yu, as if reading his thoughts from his eyes, and smiled meaningfully. "However, I soon found this life bland and unexciting. It didn’t bring me any thrill. Though I could have killed you both, since we’d appeared in public together so many times, I decided to spare you, leave the house and some savings, and go."

"But something kept pulling me back, time and again. I thought again about what was attracting me. Then, I found the second answer. Perhaps it was you who attracted me, not your mother, and not the idea of family."

"To test this, I started spending more time with you, getting to know you, nurturing you, shaping you into what I wanted, even hoping you would develop into the perfect omega."

Bai Yu’s eyes widened instantly, and he struggled violently, wanting to hit Qiao Yihan.

Qiao Yihan pressed down on his shoulders and continued, "Unfortunately, my superiors found out."

Of course, the assassination organization didn’t punish Qiao Yihan just for this—he had done other things too. But to him, rules and morals meant nothing. If he wanted to do something, no one could stop him.

Because of this, the assassination organization froze all the funds in Qiao Yihan’s bank accounts and ordered his elimination.

At the same time, Bai Yu’s mother also noticed Qiao Yihan’s unusual interest in Bai Yu and tried desperately to save their marriage, even using some methods Qiao Yihan hadn’t expected.

The reason Qiao Yihan disliked Bai Li was actually very simple: she was just a mistaken accident.

After that, Qiao Yihan disappeared for several months. When he returned, his attitude had improved dramatically, and he moved the family to Nangang City.

However, this too had its purpose.

Qiao Yihan looked down at Bai Yu, lightning illuminating the sinister smile on his face. "Let me tell you, I knew back then that the chemical plant was producing carcinogenic substances during its operations. In the end, I was the one who leaked the information to the reporters."

Bai Yu twisted his body, his eyes filled with hatred, his face flushed red. "Mmph! Mmph!"

Qiao Yihan tore the tape off Bai Yu's mouth. "Talk, little Bai Yu."

Bai Yu roared, "How could you be so cruel?!"

Qiao Yihan looked at him calmly, as if nothing could stir a ripple in his heart. His deep brown eyes were hollow and dark, like Satan walking among mortals.

"No, I consider this mercy. At least she died a natural death."

Tears streaming down his face, Bai Yu struggled to peel the tape from his hands and took a swing at Qiao Yihan.

Qiao Yihan grabbed Bai Yu's hand and shoved him back into the seat. "Bai Li should have died like that too. She secretly swapped the medicine I gave you, preventing you from becoming an omega. What a waste of all the effort I invested in you, it's such a pity."

Bai Yu struggled fiercely, landing a punch on Qiao Yihan just as he reached out to choke him.

The Tall Guy driving in the front seat and another female assassin both glanced back.

A flicker of excitement shone in Qiao Yihan's eyes as he smiled. "Ignore them."

The Tall Guy and the female assassin immediately turned their attention back to the road ahead; they were heading toward the port.

Qiao Yihan reached out to touch Bai Yu's face, but Bai Yu bit down hard on the meaty part of his right hand, tearing the skin until blood flowed.

The taste of blood filled his mouth, and he only let go when he had no strength left.

Instead of getting angry, Qiao Yihan leaned in close, admiring Bai Yu's blood-stained red lips and the blood dripping down his chin.

Bai Yu was like a pure, untainted angel. The stark crimson spread and bloomed across his snow-white neck like a breathtaking desecration—a beauty that dragged a pure soul into the abyss of darkness, a sick beauty.

A trace of obsession flashed in Qiao Yihan's eyes, and a sense of twisted satisfaction surged within him. "Perhaps you're suited for killing. At your core, you and I are the same kind of person. Otherwise, you wouldn’t feel what I feel."

Smack!

Bai Yu slapped Qiao Yihan hard across the face. "I won’t sympathize with you anymore. I’ll kill you—even if it means we both go down together!"

Qiao Yihan pinned Bai Yu down, rubbing his thumb over Bai Yu's lips. "No, I don’t like mutual destruction. I want to play this game to the death."

Bai Yu saw the bay coming into view outside the car window, rain-lashed waves churning and crashing against the rocks. "What are you planning?"

"Do you think I’m the only one who wants Situ Jing dead? In this game, there are more players than just me and Situ Jing."

"What do you mean?"

Qiao Yihan reached toward the front seat, grabbed the tape and a black cloth bag, and bound Bai Yu once more, pulling a hood over his head.

This time, he was bound tighter. Bai Yu couldn’t move his wrists at all and could only listen to Qiao Yihan’s voice in the darkness.

Qiao Yihan made a call. "I’ve brought him. Is the ten million dollars ready?"

"Of course. The revenge you asked for has been achieved."

Bai Yu’s heart raced. Had Qiao Yihan sold him?

To whom?

What revenge was Qiao Yihan talking about?

These chaotic thoughts tangled in his mind, leaving him completely lost.

Then, the car stopped. Qiao Yihan got out, exchanged a few words, and left.

Someone grabbed Bai Yu’s arm and commanded, "Get out."

Bai Yu stumbled out of the car and was led away.

The female assassin crossed her arms, watching from a distance as Bai Yu followed two burly men aboard a luxury cruiser. "Why did the boss kidnap him only to sell him?"

The Tall Guy calmly loaded his gun. "Who knows? A guy like him—whether he’s killing or doing other wicked things—never feels anything. Maybe he needs to torment the one he loves to feel anything at all."

The female assassin raised an eyebrow. "What a twisted, perverted person."

The Tall Guy pursed his lips. "Absolutely."

If he hadn’t once seen Bai Yu’s photo hidden in Qiao Yihan’s wallet on a job, he would have thought Qiao Yihan was completely inhuman.

Now, it seemed there was a shred of humanity left—but not much.

"Let’s go set the trap after all."