Ji Nuan hugged her knees as she sat by the window. Her eyes remained fixed on the darkened sky outside.

Locked in here, it felt like time had been frozen.

It was only when she heard the sound of a car approaching that she quickly stood up.

She turned and ran toward the door, pressing her ears against it.

This was the third floor, making it difficult for her to hear the movements from the first floor. Nonetheless, she still heard the echo of a door clicking open. Following it, the sound of footsteps gradually approached as though moving up from the first floor.

Ji Nuan raised her hand and hit against the door twice to inform whoever had come that she was locked in here.

“You still have the strength to hit against the door. Did you think that the person who came was Jing Shen?”

Abruptly, a slightly unfamiliar voice rang from behind the door. The low and heavy voice seemed to belong to a middle-aged man. His tone was ice-cold and even carried some disdain.

Ji Nuan’s hand immediately stiffened against the door.

“Miss Ji, I’m Mo Jingshen’s father. I’ve invited you today to stay here for a night without any intention to harm you. After tomorrow, you’ll be able to regain your freedom.”

Ji Nuan could hear a hidden meaning behind Mo Shaoze’s use of the word ‘freedom.’

She fell silent for a moment before raising her voice to say, “Since you are Jing Shen’s father, I should at least address you as ‘father’ by name. I am considered part of your family. Why did you lock me…”

“I’m afraid I can’t afford being addressed as ‘father’ by you,” Mo Jingshen said icily. “Tonight, Jing Shen has an important task to complete. He doesn’t have the time to deal with you. Rest assured and stay here tonight.”

“Where is Mo Jingshen right now?” Ji Nuan instinctively had a bad premonition.

“From today onward, his actions are unrelated to you. You can only stay here tonight, so don’t run off and ruin his work.”

After coldly leaving these words behind, Mo Shaoze walked away from the door. He did not plan on wasting any more breath on her.

At the same time, the sound of another approaching car could suddenly be heard.

Ji Nuan suppressed the layers of insecurity in her heart and leaned against the door to carefully listen. Not long later, she vaguely heard the sounds of a walking stick knocking against the ground. It was then followed by Elder Mo’s angry roar in the direction of the staircase: “Did you lock that Ji girl here? Release her immediately!”

It was Grandfather Mo!

Ji Nuan frantically slammed against the wall with force: “Grandfather! I’m here! Grandfather—”

There was a moment of silence outside. Grandfather Mo most likely could not hear the sounds she was making from her floor.

Elder Mo raised his voice to scold more. “Shao Ze! Regardless of how influential you are in America today, don’t forget that there is still Jing Shen and I in Hai Cheng! With just one sentence of mine, I can completely remove you from Shine! You won’t even listen to your own father right now, is that it!”

Elder Mo’s bellowed with rage. He had come in too much of a rush, and his words were slightly breathless. “Ji Nuan and Jing Shen’s relationship is very good. If tonight, you dare to force this little loving couple to live in torment from today onward, don’t even think about stepping through the Mo family door any longer! I won’t recognize such a vicious and merciless son!”

“Father, calm your anger.” Mo Shaoze had almost descended the stairs fully. His tone was unhurried. “By now, the necessary scene has already been set up. What needs to happen has most likely already occurred. Even if you were to fly over, you would be of no help. From today onward, there is no way Jing Shen can remain within the country. Years ago, he had garnered much success in America. In the future, after inheriting Shine, he will stay even longer in America. This great Hai Cheng and the unremarkable Ji family’s young lady is unsuited for him!”

“It is Jing Shen’s own right to decide who is suited for him! Did you think that back then, Jing Shen and Ji Nuan’s wedding was completely arranged by me? If not for Jing Shen’s agreement, even if I had raised a knife to his neck, he would not have married her!” Elder Mo sternly said.

“So, what about it? Back when Jing Shen left America, I had already warned him. If it isn’t because he is so hard to grasp, I wouldn’t have to use such a method! He belongs to Shine and cannot remain held down in such a Hai Cheng. For him to leave, he has to be free of this insignificant Ji Nuan’s hold!” Mo Shaoze’s reply was cold and arrogant. He clearly had no intention of relenting.

“Release my ass! You’ve kidnapped Ji Nuan and drugged your own son, locking him in a hotel room with An Shuyan! Did you learn such an underhanded method from those American pals of yours?”

After hearing these words, Ji Nuan, who had stood silently against the door from beginning to end, felt as though she had been plunged into an ice-cold pool of water. From head to toe, her blood lost its warmth.

“Since I’ve sent Shu Yan to Hai Cheng, naturally I have no further plans to return her to the An family in America. She must marry Jing Shen.” Mo Jingshen’s tone was cold and arrogant. “You’re already old. You don’t have to fuss about the issue of marriage among the younger generation. So long as we smoothly go through this night, Shu Yan’s stomach perhaps would have the great-grandson you so desperately yearn for.”

“Pei! Do you want to force Jing Shen to death or to force me to death?!”

Mo Shaoze’s voice was cold and calm. “Father, you’ve come all the way here today. Even if you successfully bring Ji Nuan away, what could you possibly achieve? Before I came here, Jing Shen and Shu Yan have already spent more than half an hour together. Right now, so much time has passed. With that sort of medicine, let’s not even mention Jing Shen’s young and fit body, even people in their seventies and eighties like you won’t be able to resist.”

“You fucking disgrace!” Elder Mo abruptly raised his walking stick, and harshly brought it down against Mo Shaoze’s body. “Why did I have such a son! Immediately call your people to let Jingshen and An Shuyan out! I can’t watch Jing Shen be ruined by you like this!”

“It’s too late. The drug effect is extremely fast. No man could possibly resist it. If you were to go and open the door right now, you would undoubtedly be interrupting a good thing for Jing Shen.”

“You unfilial son! I really regret not suffocating you to death in the blankets fifty years ago!”

Mo Shaoze was unaffected and smiled coldly. “If I were to die, where would you go to find such an outstanding grandson?”

Elder Mo angrily raised his walking stick to shove him aside. He relied on it to hurriedly move upstairs. “Where did you lock Ji Nuan?”

Mo Shaoze saw that Elder Mo had already moved upstairs and guessed he had already heard the continuous slamming noise of Ji Nuan hitting against the door. His gaze turned cold and heavy with unhappiness, but since the elder had already found her, he followed behind with an ugly expression.

Ji Nuan was behind the door; her bottom lip torn from biting down on it. She slammed against the door with force. “Grandfather, I’m here!”

The knocking sound of the walking stick and the frantic footsteps approached. Elder Mo went up and smashed his walking stick against the door. He was agitated from the anger. Turning back, he glared at Mo Shaoze who followed him: “If you don’t release Ji Nuan today! If you dare to cause any problems between Jing Shen and Ji Nuan, this old man will immediately die before your eyes, do you hear me!”

“Father.” Mo Shaoze’s face was stone cold.

“Don’t waste time with words! Open the door and release Ji Nuan immediately!”