CHAPTER 836: CHAPTER 836: KIDNAPPING

Before turning away, he gave her one last cold glance.

"I’ll deal with you later," he said sharply. "I don’t have time right now."

Qiao Li narrowed her eyes but walked toward the warehouse. It was dusty and dark inside, lit only by a few weak bulbs.

She called the girl’s number.

...............

She stood up slowly, her face full of cold anger.

Qiao Li paused the TV and turned to him. "What happened?"

"I don’t trust you. This phone is now a piece of evidence. A backup plan. It stays with me."

Just then, a familiar voice cut through the room.

They stumbled back, one tripping over the other.

He leaned in and whispered the name, but it was too low for Qiao Li to hear clearly.

The men blinked, confused.

"I see," she said quietly. "That’s enough information. The rest, we can find through your phones."

Qiao Li’s face slowly turned from curious to cold.

And worse, she remembered Ou Lin’s threat. Just one call... and her whole family could end up homeless.

From another nearby room, the real Qiao Li walked out.

"Well, well... looks like our guest finally woke up," one of them said, licking his lips.

The man with the shapeshifting ability smiled at her. "If I hadn’t stepped in, you would’ve had to go through that whole act alone."

"Fine. You want war?"

Gritting her teeth, she sat back down and said nothing.

Still, she seemed to understand.

One tilted his head. "Why are you suddenly so calm?"

Meanwhile, Ou Lin arrived at the luxurious Qiao Mansion. He entered quietly and found Qiao Li—still safe and sound—sitting on the couch in the living room.

Qiao Li agreed.

Still, he couldn’t hide his anger.

"WHAT THE—?!"

She didn’t have the number.

Ou Lin stood up too, clearly frustrated. "You—!"

"I’m going to go along with the kidnapping," she said confidently. "Let’s catch the mastermind all at once."

"We need to talk," he said.

She looked at the name on the screen.

He told her everything about the girl, the phone call, the plan to ruin her, and even the part about the fake kidnapping.

Ou Lin stepped inside, his eyes dark and serious. He took the ropes from Qiao Li’s hands and removed them carefully from the man’s arms.

"Let’s have some fun first," said the third, cracking his knuckles. "Since I am the leader, I will go first. Let me have the taste."

She was unharmed, arms crossed, watching the chaos with a blank look.

He stopped himself. He had no right to control her.

For a second, she thought about going to a public phone to contact the mastermind. But then she froze.

Qiao Li blinked.

She knelt down and grabbed one of their phones.

"Even the money came from a fake account," added another.

Her voice grew sharper.

A heavy sack dropped from above and slammed down on her head.

Ou Lin nodded, satisfied for now. He turned to walk out—but not before grabbing the girl’s phone.

"Whose orders?" Qiao Li asked, her voice trembling.

"I’ll be sending someone to keep a close eye on your parents’ business. If you even think about telling that mastermind what happened here today..."

The cold cement floor was rough beneath her, and her hands were tied tightly behind her back. The room smelled like mold and wet stone. A dim light flickered above her.

Qiao Li didn’t respond. She was already walking toward the kidnappers, who were now beaten black and blue, groaning on the floor.

"No," he said, shaking his head quickly. "That’s too dangerous. Are you crazy?"

Qiao Li stepped out of the car in simple clothes. She looked around—no one.

Ou Lin looked over his shoulder and gave her a smirk.

The kidnappers’ mouths dropped open in horror.

Quickly, she scrolled through the recent call logs and found the number.

Qiao Li’s head throbbed, but she forced herself to stay alert.

Her eyes darkened.

She was watching a drama on TV and laughing like nothing in the world was wrong.

Her soft features turned sharp.

Just seeing her smile made something strange stir inside his chest.

He leaned forward and whispered in her ear.

Midway through his action, he paused and asked his subordinate,

Qiao Li’s eyes widened. She began to crawl back, dragging herself against the cold floor.

But before they could reach the door—

The kidnapping had begun.

He took a step toward the door, but paused again.

Qiao Li’s eyes lit up with excitement.

"You messed with someone you shouldn’t have," he said smugly. "We’re just following orders."

"But I’m also smart," Qiao Li said with a grin.

"I gave you a chance," she muttered under her breath. "I looked the other way. I didn’t go after you. But still..."

"Please... don’t come near me," she whispered, panic in her voice. "What do you want from me?"

Then, her eyes sparkled with a bold idea.

Everything went black.

The four men laughed. One stepped forward and crouched in front of her.

"Let me handle that."

He leaned in slightly, his voice turning into a soft threat.

"Come alone," the girl said in a quiet voice. "I need to talk to you. There’s something I have to explain. Meet me at the old warehouse near the river."

Before their very eyes, her face and figure began to change.

"So it was you..." she whispered.

Four men walked in, grinning like wolves. Their eyes were full of bad intentions.

"I will personally make sure your family goes completely bankrupt. Understand?"

She clenched her fists.

Qiao Li gave a small laugh and nodded. "Thank you. That trick really helped."

Later that night...

"You just had to keep pushing."

"Is the camera ready? We have to record everything. Otherwise, our payment will be docked."

Ou Lin sighed heavily, then finally spoke.

"I don’t need your permission, Ou Lin," Qiao Li said, standing up. "This is my fight. I already have a plan of my own. Whether you agree or not doesn’t really matter to me."

The girl’s eyes widened in horror. Her hands trembled as she nodded quickly.

Qiao Li’s gaze dropped to the floor. Her panic faded.

"You’re so stubborn..." he muttered, rubbing his temples.

"Huh?"

"I had a feeling," she said.

She grinned and gave him a thumbs-up. "That’s actually genius."

She stared at the phone like it was the person she wanted to destroy.

They shrugged.

Her voice deepened. Her body shimmered slightly... then shifted.

When she opened her eyes again, the air felt cold, and the place smelled like damp cement.

He raised an eyebrow. "Now, will you please untie me?"

She was lying on a hard floor in a strange room with concrete walls.

Qiao Li turned and looked up. "Oh, hey. You’re back."

The door burst open.

Several men in black uniforms rushed in and tackled the kidnappers to the ground. Punches flew. The sound of fists hitting flesh echoed in the room.

Qiao Li slowly raised her head and smiled.

Qiao Li walked over and gently undid the ropes around his wrists.

A few minutes passed.

Soon, her black car pulled up to the abandoned location. The sky was dark, and the wind blew softly.

She copied it, then texted it to her second brother.

And just like that, he left the classroom without another word, leaving the girl behind, shocked, angry, and terrified.

As soon as she saw him taking it, she jumped from the chair. "Wait! My phone! Please, at least give me that back!"

Another whistled and added, "Damn, she’s even prettier in real life. Today must be our lucky day."

"GHOST!!!"

Suddenly, the door creaked open.

Long hair shortened.

"Fine. If you’re going to do this anyway... let’s at least make it safer. I have an idea."

He cleared his throat.

In seconds, a completely different person stood in her place—a tall, lean man with a confident grin.

"Go inside," the girl replied. "There’s something waiting for you."

Then her phone buzzed with the result.

"I’m not a hundred percent sure," Ou Lin replied. "But I have a guess. A strong one."

"Good job," he muttered.

"I guess it’s time you knew something."

"Why does that Qiao Li get everything..." she muttered bitterly. "Looks, brains... and even Ou Lin protecting her like some knight..."

.............

As she stepped further in—

BAM!

Qiao Li’s phone rang. It was the same girl—the one who had helped the mastermind.

"RUN!!!" one screamed.

THUD!

"I’m here," she said.

"I... I won’t say anything! I swear! Please..."

Ou Lin sat beside her. His face looked serious.

Ou Lin’s jaw dropped.

"No idea. We’ve never seen their face. They always use a voice changer. Sounded like a man... or maybe a woman. Can’t tell."

Her wrists were tied. Her head ached.

"Who is the person behind all of this?" she asked quietly.

The fake "Qiao Li" calmly stepped aside.

"Track this number. Tell me who it belongs to."

Her hands tightened around the phone.

Her voice turned icy.