“If you keep your promise, I will keep mine. Don’t worry, your parents are safe and sound!”


  Mu Xi was stunned for a long time before she finally gave in and said in a low voice, “Alright… Since that’s the case, then let me hear my parents’ voices. I want to make sure that they’re all fine!”


  The person on the other end sneered. “Impossible! Don’t make unreasonable requests!”


  “How is this an unreasonable request?! As a condition, I have to at least ensure my parents’ safety before I continue to fulfill our promise!”


  Mu Xi refused to admit that it was a deal between them. Perhaps, it was out of guilt!

  The man clearly would not compromise and said coldly, “Dream on!”


  “You didn’t do anything to them, did you?!” she asked suspiciously.

  “Of course not! That is impossible! They are our bargaining chips. I can’t do anything to them!”


  “I don’t believe you!”


  “That’s your own problem to deal with!”


  “Then, let me hear their voices!” Mu Xi insisted and suddenly threatened, “Otherwise, I’ll take back that invitation!”


  There was a sudden heart-stopping silence on the other end of the line. It seemed that her threat was working. Following that, she heard a soft voice followed by a man’s trembling voice. “Mu Xi… Mu Xi…”


  “Dad!” Hearing the familiar and aged voice, Mu Xi, who had been worried and uneasy for the past few days, felt her legs give way as she dropped onto the ground. Tears immediately rolled down her cheeks. “Dad! Are you okay?! Is Mom okay?”


  On the other end, the man’s voice sounded tired and restrained; it was hoarse and trembling. She did not know what kind of fright and torture he and his mother had suffered in the past few days. “I’m fine. You… you don’t have to worry.”


  How could she believe him when he told her not to worry?!

  Worried, she asked, “Did they hit you or abuse you or anything?”


  “No… They didn’t abuse me…”


  The man’s voice trembled as he said this.

  Mu Xi’s heart ached even more when she heard this. She knew that her father would not dare to speak the truth with those people around, so she avoided the important matters and asked carefully, “Did they give you food?”


  There was another moment of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by a series of soft rustling sounds. Then, a man’s voice was heard. “Did you hear that?! They’re all fine. You can rest assured now!”


  Mu Xi gritted her teeth and was about to speak when she heard the man say icily, “If Yun Shishi doesn’t appear, you can forget about seeing them again!”


  “I…”


  “You know it too, right? Whether you want to call the police or ask for help, I don’t care. Try it if you dare! Between the ambulance and my bullets, I do wonder which would be faster?! If you dare to leak a word, don’t blame me for being merciless!”


  Having said that, the man hung up.

  Mu Xi covered her mouth in fear and bit her fingers as she sank into boundless panic.

  …


  In the evening, Yun Shishi stood before the wardrobe, selecting jewelry. Youyou leaned against the door and mumbled, “What are you looking for, Mommy?”


  “Yes! There’s a charity banquet the day after tomorrow. I’m preparing for it.”


  “Charity banquet?” Why hadn’t he heard about this before?

  As the name suggested, the charity banquet had charity as its main theme. Generally speaking, many charity banquets were organized by the government. Of course, they could also be organized privately.