Today was the deadline for Ye Zhenting to repay his loan.

With a knife on his neck, Ye Zhenting was in a desperate situation. He didn't dare to delay. He fooled the loan sharks to go to Ye Zhen's company with him. He didn't go into the office and waited in the underground parking lot instead.

No amount of additional courage would let Ye Zhenting dare to go look for Ye Zhen in her office. He knew very well that if he dared to go to her office to look for her, with Ye Zhen's character, she would have security guards drag him out. She wouldn't give him the slightest bit of face.

Losing face was inconsequential, but he would be in grave danger if his lie to the loan sharks was exposed.

He had hemmed and hawed and covered up the real reason by saying Ye Zhen asked him to wait in the parking lot for her. The loan sharks were patient. They waited with Ye Zhenting all the way until late at night. It was only then that they saw Ye Zhen walking out of the elevator unhurriedly. She had been working overtime today.

Ye Zhenting got into Ye Zhen's car while the loan sharks waited outside. They didn't know what those two said inside the car. Ye Zhenting told them to follow Ye Zhen's car, and the group muddle-headed followed Ye Zhen's car out of the parking lot.

After getting the call from his boss, the loan shark realized that Ye Zhenting, that old weasel, had used them to kidnap Ye Zhen!

The man had been severely scolded by his boss, and he hadn't dared to respond during the call. After promising that Ye Zhen wouldn't come to the slightest harm, he ended the call.

He looked at Ye Zhenting in a far less friendly look. He had thought his daughter was willingly giving him money. He hadn't expected that Ye Zhenting was using them to coerce her.

It was one thing if he used coercion. As loan sharks, they used shady methods to urge people to repay their debts. As long as they could get the money, they could easily agree to do anything.

However, how could he have foreseen that Mrs. Lu was someone that they shouldn't touch?

Not only that, they had to ensure that no harm came to her. Otherwise, they were doomed.

Ye Zhenting was still totally unaware. After pouring Ye Zhen a cup of coffee, he tried to persuade her in a quiet voice. He tried to touch her heart with fatherly love.

"Zhenzhen, Dad knows that he ignored you since childhood, but that's because Dad didn't have any other options. Think about it. If Dad wasn't working hard to earn money when you were a child, would you be able to grow up without worries?"

Ye Zhen had the freedom to move around and say whatever she wanted, but it couldn't be ignored that this was still fundamentally a kidnapping. She listened to Ye Zhenting talking and didn't say a word.

"I know that you're harboring a grudge. You think we're unfair. That's true! It's true that your mom is biased towards Ye Qing, but think about it carefully, are all those years of love and cherishment from us fake? The same blood flows in me and you. We raised you for over 20 years. How can the parent-child relationship that's based on the affection and kindness we gave to you for so long be so easily broken? Right?"

Ye Zhen lightly looked up from the coffee and coldly looked at Ye Zhenting. There wasn't much emotion on her face. Her pitch-black eyes were cold and imposing. There wasn't the slightest trace of a smile on her face.

Under this extremely cold gaze, Ye Zhenting felt uncomfortable and shivered. He thought that perhaps it was due to the temperature or maybe it was because his clothes were thick enough.

"Zhenzhen, do you remember when you got sick when you were 10 years old? You called Dad. That night, Dad drove for five hours to get home. Dad drove you to the hospital. Dad put down his work and stayed by your side for a whole day without sleeping. Although Dad was busy with work, Dad always put down his work and immediately returned to your side to take care of you when something came up. You're Dad's daughter. When your mom was pregnant with you, Dad was looking forward to your birth all the time. We share the same blood. How can you be so heartless to Dad?"

Ye Zhenting talked in that lowered voice until he was hoarse, but Ye Zhen wasn't moved at all.

The words that Ye Zhenting said had nothing to do with her. Moreover, as a bystander, Ye Zhen was extremely disgusted with Ye Zhenting's hypocritical words!

When they needed help, they would go look for Ye Zhen. When life was going well for them, they ignored Ye Zhen and spent their time showing off Ye Qing. In the eyes of the Ye parents, they only had one precious daughter, Ye Qing. He was only saying these words to fool and coax her into giving him money to save his life.

"Mr. Ye." Ye Zhen didn't address him as Dad. "Some outcomes really aren't unexpected. Those outcomes are just consequences. You think I'm heartless now, but isn't that because the Ye's were also ruthless towards Ye Zhen?"

She paused and then continued to say, "I don't know about that matter of Ye Zhen falling sick when she was 10 years old, but I do know that if you had really done your duty as a father, you wouldn't have fallen to such a state today."

Ye Zhenting's expression stiffened. "Zhenzhen, what do you mean by that? I'm your dad. How can you say such words to your dad?"

Ye Zhen sneered. "Would a father kidnap his daughter? If you really see me as your daughter, why would you kidnap me?"

"How is this kidnapping? Dad just wants to talk with you. Have a heart-to-heart chat. How could this be considered kidnapping?" After he had spoken to that point, Ye Zhenting's tone softened. "Zhenzhen ah, just help Dad out. Help Dad out by paying back that 40 million yuan, okay? I swear that if you help me out this time, I'll never trouble you again. Does that work?"

He sighed again. "If it wasn't because your older sister really can't take out this 40 million yuan, she won't have asked me to come look for you?"

"Talk? Have a heart-to-heart chat?" Ye Zhen scoffed, "Why don't you go have a heart-to-heart talk with Ye Qing? Sell the mansion, sell your shares of the company stock, and then go look for Ye Qing to make up the remainder amount. It's not like you can't come up with the 40 million yuan yourself."

"How could that work?" Ye Zhenting whispered, "When all is said and done, the mansion and stocks are only worth 20 million yuan. How could Ye Qing possibly be able to take out the remaining 20 million yuan?"

Ye Zhen asked, "Why can't she take out 20 million yuan?"

Ye Zhenting paused. His expression showed that this possibility was completely outside his expectations. "What… What are you saying? Ye Qing? She can get 20 million yuan?"

Ye Zhen raised her eyebrows and meaningfully smiled. "Of course, did you not know that?"

"But… Didn't she say that she has no money? She's been in the entertainment industry for so long, but she's only done a few endorsements and shows. Where would she get the 20 million yuan?"

"So you'll believe in whatever she tells you?" Ye Zhen sighed. "Well, you're not in the industry, so it's normal that you don't know the market prices. Although Ye Qing hasn't become a superstar in the past two years, the money she got from doing endorsements and a few TV shows should be more than enough for her to have earned 20 million yuan.”

Ye Zhen only said half of the situation. Ye Qing really had made this much money in the past two years, but Ye Zhen omitted mentioning Ye Qing's agency's cut of that income, the staff salaries, and her daily expenses.

After paying out these several expenses, Ye Qing probably didn't have much left over.

Ye Zhenting furrowed his brow. He was showing an obviously resentful expression. He cursed in a low voice.

Ye Zhen looked at him. She knew that he was very anxious. His life was in danger, and he couldn't calm down to think clearly. His mind was sure to be a mess. Whatever she said, he would believe it. Moreover, she guessed that he would be willing to do anything in order to save his life.

After thinking it over, Ye Zhen jokingly looked at him with a smile. "You agreed before that the 30 million yuan bought out the parent-child relationship between us. With that as our starting point, have you ever seen someone giving a stranger 40 million yuan for no reason whatsoever?"

Ye Zhen stared at him and systematically persuaded and guided him, "Or how about this? I can help you if you return that 30 million yuan to my mother-in-law. I'll treat it as if nothing happened. I'll still be your daughter, and you'll still be my dad. Of course, as your daughter, I can't just stand by and do nothing about your debt. I'll take responsibility for your debt. Ye Qing and I will each pay half. We'll each be responsible for paying off 20 million yuan to the loan sharks. What do you think?"

Ye Zhenting was stunned. After carefully thinking about it, that meant he still had to pay Ye Zhen back 10 million yuan?

“Zhenzhen, you… Dad doesn't like to hear these words you said…" He thought it over. "Okay! Dad can return the 30 million yuan to your mother-in-law. But there isn't enough time to go looking for Ye Qing. Help Dad return this money first. Dad will come up with the money later to pay back the 30 million yuan to your mother-in-law. Does that work?"

"That won't work. If you don't pay back that money, how can I ask my mother-in-law for more money? On what basis can I ask her?" Ye Zhen emphasised once again, "Right now, we're two people with no relationship. My mother-in-law will be unhappy if she finds out that I gave a stranger 40 million yuan!"

"Then can I write an IOU?"

Ye Zhen asked him, "Did my mother-in-law give you an IOU for that 30 million yuan?"

Ye Zhenting was completely speechless now.

He thought it over and couldn't come up with anything. As he saw that the loan shark was walking over to him from the corner, his eyelids violently jumped. Angry out of anxiety, he angrily rebuked Ye Zhen, "You're my daughter. What's wrong with you paying off my debt? If you don't agree, you won't be able to leave!"

He finally shed his pretense at cordiality and showed his true colors.

Ye Zhen chuckled. "I said you kidnapped me, but you insisted on saying we're chatting and drinking coffee. Does chatting include restricting my freedom to leave?"

Ye Zhenting was heavily panting. He clenched his hands and had an utterly discomfited look.

He abruptly slammed his fist on the table, got up, and pointed at Ye Zhen. Just as he was about to threaten her, the loan shark reached him, wrenched his right arm behind him, and slammed him down onto the table.

The side of Ye Zhenting's face was harshly slammed onto the table, and his arm was twisted behind him. He didn't dare to move. Feeling as if his bones were going to be fractured, Ye Zhenting shouted in pain.

"Wait, wait… What are you doing? Let go of me!"

Frightened by this unforeseen event, Ye Zhen hastily stood up. The stool fell to the side. She took several steps back.

The person, who was holding Ye Zhenting down, raised his head and smiled at Ye Zhen. "Mrs. Lu, are you okay?"

How can she be okay? But more importantly, what was up with this scene?

Seeing the confusion in Ye Zhen's eyes, that person explained with a smile, "We're not in the same group as your father. Don't worry. I received a call from our boss. He ordered us to not let you suffer the slightest harm!"

While screaming in pain, Ye Zhenting heard these words. He immediately understood. He grabbed the short knife that he had hidden in his lower back. Enduring the pain, he turned around and viciously stabbed that man's shoulder. He successfully got out of that man's grip, rushed over to Ye Zhen, grabbed her arm, and placed his short knife across her neck.

Gritting his teeth, he looked at the people in front of him. "Very good, you guys worked together to trick me."

Ye Zhenting seemed to have misunderstood something. He had a death grip on the knife. "Ye Zhen, I can't believe you would collude with these loan sharks to kill your father!"

The knife felt bitterly cold on her neck.

Ye Zhen calmly said, "Calm down. We don't know each other."

"They don't know you and they're willing to disregard money to help you?!"

One after another, people in the room walked over.

Extremely anxious and irritable, the leader of the group said, "Ye Zhenting, as long as you put the knife down, we can talk about the money you owe us with favorable conditions."

Ye Zhenting was holding onto the handle of the short knife with a death grip. The blade of the knife was across Ye Zhen's neck. He had his other arm tightly holding Ye Zhen against him, keeping her positioned between him and the loan sharks. He looked at the people in front of him and sharply said, "So you're all working together!"

He was hysterical. Holding Ye Zhen as hostage, he retreated.

The knife was pressed against Ye Zhen's neck, but despite the piercing cold touch of the blade, she wasn't that afraid. She was even able to calmly negotiate with Ye Zhenting.

"I already said that I don't know them!"

Ye Zhen had already vaguely figured it out based on what the loan shark had said. These people probably had a connection with Lu Beichuan. Otherwise, they wouldn't suddenly change their minds to help her deal with Ye Zhenting at the last moment.

It was just that these people were too unreliable!

Ye Zhenting didn't listen to her explanation. He completely treated himself as a victim and sternly said, "Ye Zhen, no matter what, I'm your dad. Even if Dad wronged you in the past, how can you come up with a plan to trap Dad? How can you treat Dad this way?"

"I came up with a plan to trap you? What was the trap? Did I force you to gamble, to take out a loan from loan sharks, and kidnap me?" Ye Zhen said in a lowered voice, "Calm down. Put down the knife. I'm not working with them."

Ye Zhen looked at the people in front of them and asked, "Who do you work for?"

The leader of the group nervously looked at the knife on Ye Zhen's neck. He was furious. He cursed Ye Zhenting countless times in his mind.

"Mrs. Lu, our boss and Mr. Lu are friends."

Ye Zhen completely figured it out now. She said to Ye Zhenting, "Beichuan has been working hard lately over your matter. It seems that he finally found the creditor for your loan. That's not easy. Do you still want to go to jail for kidnapping and extortion?"

When he heard the words "go to jail", the hand that was holding the short knife trembled.

"... Really?"

"If you don't believe me, ask them if Beichuan settled your loan with them."

The man in the forefront nodded. "Ye Zhenting, our boss said that Mr. Lu has already settled the 40 million debt for you. Put down the knife!"

Ye Zhenting's hands trembled. His gaze was erratic. For a while, he stammered and failed to speak coherently.

In the past few days, he always thought that Ye Zhen as well as the Lu's won't give him another cent. Until this moment, he really had the intention of using Ye Zhen to blackmail Lu Beichuan for money.

He had already figured it out. With how much Lu Beichuan cared about Ye Zhen, Lu Beichuan would definitely give him money if he held Ye Zhen for ransom. Once Lu Beichuan gave him the money and he repaid the loan sharks, he would have nothing to be scared of.

As for the criminal charge of kidnapping and extortion… he and Ye Zhen were father and daughter. As long as nothing happened to her, if she didn't come to harm and he didn't tie her up, how could it possibly count as kidnapping? And, how could it count as extortion for him to ask his son-in-law for money?

It was completely unexpected that Lu Beichuan had found the boss of the loan sharks and wanted to help resolve this matter for him.

As she felt Ye Zhenting gradually loosening his grip on her, her tense nerves relaxed. She knew that Ye Zhenting had listened to her words.

Knowing that he had misunderstood, Ye Zhenting awkwardly laughed. "Zhenzhen ah, Dad was wrong. I misunderstood. Don't be scared."

As he said that, he let go of Ye Zhen.

As soon as she was free from him, Ye Zhen immediately took several steps back and rubbed her neck. To her surprise, she felt a little bit of blood when she touched her neck.

Ye Zhenting had purchased a knife for self-defense after the loan sharks came after him to repay the debt. The knife was very sharp, and the skin on one's neck was delicate. Just a moment ago, when he had been agitated, he had accidentally made a cut the size of a fingernail on Ye Zhen's neck. The injury was small and shallow. It didn't hurt much, so Ye Zhen hadn't noticed it when she was very tense.

Ye Zhenting saw the very small injury on Ye Zhen's neck. He was so anxious that he stepped forward without putting the knife down. He anxiously asked, "Did you accidentally get hurt? Quickly, sit down. Dad will take a look!"

Ye Zhenting knew very well that Lu Beichuan was very serious about Ye Zhen. If he hurt Ye Zhen, who knows if Lu Beichuan will still help him with the loan sharks?!

And that's how Lu Beichuan saw this scene when he walked in.

Ye Zhenting was approaching Ye Zhen with a knife in his hand. There seemed to be a bloodstain on the gleaming blade. Ye Zhen was covering her neck with her hand and staring at Ye Zhenting. She had one foot behind her. This was the posture of someone guarding against another person.

Seeing this scene, Lu Beichuan and the bodyguards he had brought with him swarmed up. Lu Beichuan nimbly kicked the knife out of Ye Zhenting's hand, and the bodyguards pressed Ye Zhenting down onto the ground. He couldn't move at all.

This happened in the span of a few seconds. There wasn't enough time for anyone else to react.

Lu Beichuan walked over to Ye Zhen in a few steps. He looked her over in worry. In an uneasy tone, he asked, "Are you okay?"

Ye Zhen was watching Ye Zhenting, who was pressed against the floor. Hearing Lu Beichuan's question, she looked up and suddenly met Lu Beichuan's worried gaze.

His eyes were flickering uneasily. There was still lingering fear in his eyes after he had looked her over.

Ye Zhen let go of her neck and comfortingly smiled at him. "I'm okay."

Lu Beichuan's gaze fell on the motley bloodstain on her neck, and his eyes turned malicious.

Ye Zhen saw him staring at her neck. Knowing that he had misunderstood, she wiped the wound to show him. Her expression eased and even had a smile. "I'm okay, really. Look."

After the blood was wiped away, he could see for himself that the injury was only a small cut.

However, this was her neck, not another spot. If Ye Zhenting had been a little bit more careless, it wouldn't have been only a scratch.

Before Lu Beichuan had time to say anything else, Ye Zhenting, who was harshly pressed to the ground by the bodyguards and didn't have the time to care about the pain of his dislocated arm, shouted, "Beichuan! Beichuan! It's all a misunderstanding! You misunderstood! Tell them to let go of me!"

Lu Beichuan didn't think he had misunderstood what he had seen. If he had come a step late, Ye Zhenting would have succeeded!

"A misunderstanding? You were walking towards my wife with a knife. You're saying that's a misunderstanding?" Lu Beichuan looked extremely gloomy.