CHAPTER 53: CHAPTER 53

Fan Xiao’s POV

The universe had something personal against me because the whole drive to this stupid hideout, I kept telling myself I was overreacting and Lee Know was fine, that’s what I told myself earlier it’s because he had a "pregnant brain," whatever that meant, and I tried to convince myself he wasn’t kidnapped, but then the GPS stopped updating, and I knew it, they found out about me and definitely needed something to tame me with. But if smart was a person, not to brag that would be me. I definitely knew to join hands with the masters mentee and get information from him. It wasn’t easy to have this information but I connected Park min’s phone and got to the real deal and ones and twos and dots and dots connected, so yeah fast forward.

Park Min was breathing loudly beside me like someone had stabbed him in the lungs, and I wanted to slap him because I was already panicking and his stress was contagious.

"Fan Xiao, slow down," he said for the tenth time, gripping the door handle like I was driving into hell.

"I AM slowing down," I snapped even though I was very much not. "My omega is missing. I’m allowed to break traffic laws and scream internally."

"You didn’t scream internally," he muttered. "You screamed out loud."

"Shut up."

"No, you shut up."

We bickered like two kids fighting over a juice box while I followed the signal straight to the worst-looking building I had seen in years. It looked like sadness and tetanus had a baby. I didn’t care. I’d walk through a volcano if Lee Know was inside.

I parked in the worst, most crooked way, jumped out of the car, and nearly tripped because my legs were shaking.

Park Min grabbed my arm. "Don’t rush in there blind."

"My omega is in there," I said, yanking my arm back. "And he’s pregnant. Pregnant. Do you understand the level of disaster possible right now? Because I do. He can barely stand up without complaining that gravity hates him."

Park Min groaned into his hands. "You didn’t tell me why he was kidnapped still..."

"Because I don’t know," I yelled. "And I didn’t tell YOU because YOU think your boyfriend is secretly a princess or whatever..."

"Are we dead ass? I know you know why he was and yes He IS!!!"

"Don’t start..."

"YOU don’t start..."

"Oh my god, Park Min, shut up!"

He shut up.

Good.

Because the moment I pushed the rusty door open and we stepped into the building, everything in me went straight into "panic-crazy-dad-mode," and all the stupid arguing evaporated.

The place was too quiet. The inside of my skull was screaming something is wrong.

"This is a trap," I whispered.

Park Min frowned and looked around. "What do you mean trap? You said the signal..."

"I KNOW what I said," I snapped. "The signal led here, but everything is TOO... I don’t know, too ’please come kidnap US instead’ quiet."

Park Min swallowed hard. "Let’s go together."

"No," I hissed. "You stay by the door. If something happens..."

"You’re not dying."

"IF I..."

"You’re NOT..."

"IF I DIE, listen to me!" I whisper-yelled, grabbing his collar like a deranged mother. "If I die, get Lee Know OUT. And don’t let anyone touch him or upset him or breathe too close to him or look at him sideways..."

"You’re insane," Park Min muttered.

"YES," I said. "Now shut up and follow me."

We walked deeper inside. The floor creaked under our shoes, and Park Min winced every time it made a noise, and I wanted to punch him for being jumpy because he was stressing me out even more.

Then I heard something.

A thump.

A soft gasp.

Voices.

My whole body froze.

"That’s them," I whispered. "That’s Lee Know."

I didn’t wait. I didn’t think. I didn’t breathe. I rushed straight toward the sound like an absolute idiot.

"Fan Xiao...WAIT.." Park Min hissed behind me, but I ignored him.

I reached the room, pushed the door open

And nearly collapsed.

Lee Know was there.

On the floor.

Untied.

Alive.

Breathing.

Eyes wide like he had just seen twenty ghosts.

Next to him was Yu Jin, bruised and exhausted but also alive, also sitting up, also looking like a startled cat.

Lee Know’s eyes filled instantly. "Fan Xiao...."

I grabbed his face, checking every inch of him, talking so fast I barely heard myself. "Are you hurt? Did they hit you? Did you fall? Are you bleeding? Are you having contractions? Is the baby okay? Did you eat? Did they feed you something weird? Did you breathe too much dust in here? Why are you sitting on the floor? Why aren’t you standing? Why...."

"Fan," he whispered, tears spilling. "I’m okay."

"No you’re not, you’re on the floor," I said, voice cracking. "People who are okay don’t sit on the floor. Why are you..."

"I was scared," he said, grabbing my sleeve.

My chest cracked open.

I hugged him so tight he squeaked.

Park Min ran in, saw Yu Jin, and yelled, "YU JIN? WHAT THE..."

Yu Jin pointed at him dramatically. "NOT NOW. SAVE THIS FOR LATER."

The kidnappers were back.

"Great," I muttered. "Love that for us."

Three men walked into the room like they owned the place. One had a metal bat. One had a knife. One looked like he hadn’t slept since the invention of electricity.

"We knew you’d come," bat guy said.

I saw red.

"Fan...." Lee Know whispered behind me, tugging my shirt.

"No," I said.

Park Min stepped beside me. "I’ll take the ugly one."

"They’re all ugly," I said.

"You’re right," he sighed.

The man with the bat lunged at me first, and I reacted completely on instinct which apparently meant grabbing the nearest object (a broken chair leg) and swinging it like I was fighting for the gold medal in stupidity.

It connected with his arm.

He screamed.

I screamed louder.

Yu Jin yelled, "FAN XIAO YOU PSYCHO...."

"THIS IS YOUR FAULT SOMEHOW," I yelled back even though it wasn’t.

The second guy rushed Park Min, and I swear Park Min fought like someone who had been insulted personally. Every punch he threw came with some complaint.

"You kidnapped him?"

Punch.

"You stressed out my baby?"

Punch.

"You made ME come to THIS place?"

Punch, kick, punch.

"I have allergies!"

Punch.

Meanwhile I was fighting metal-bat guy who kept swinging at my head, and I kept dodging like I was in some low-budget action movie.

He yelled, "Stop running...."

"No!" I yelled back. "I’m allergic to death!"

Behind me, Lee Know screamed, "Fan look out..."

I ducked so fast I almost fell, and the guy’s bat hit the wall instead, making him stumble.

Yu Jin, from the corner, yelled, "Kick him..."

"I’M TRYING"

"KICK HIM HARDER"

"YU JIN DO YOU WANT TO FIGHT HIM YOURSELF?"

He shut up.

Finally, I kicked the bat guy in the shin. Hard. He went down screaming like he stubbed his soul.

The knife guy tried to jump me next, but Park Min grabbed him by the collar and tossed him aside like a bag of onions.

I sprinted to Lee Know and pulled him up. "Baby, get up, get up..."

"I AM up.."

"GET UP MORE.."

"I’M PREGNANT NOT A HELICOPTER"

"YOU COULD BE A HELICOPTER IF YOU TRIED."

"STOP YELLING AT ME."

"I’M SORRY I’M STRESSED."

Everything was falling apart and somehow coming back together all at the same time.

The last kidnapper tried to run, but Yu Jin tripped him with his foot, then looked at me like he expected applause.

I actually gave him a thumbs up.

The guy hit the ground face-first.

Just when everything seemed like it was over.

I heard footsteps behind us.

Someone new entered the doorway with a gun