There was silence on the other end, then he said: "She is at the hospital now, right?"

Clara’s emotions were easily ignited. What did he mean by that?

She was angry: "Since you know my mother is sick, stay away. She needs to keep a good mood right now."

"I know, I just want to make amends... Qiaoqiao, can we meet?"

Clara leaned against the hospital corridor wall, letting out a sharp breath, and closed her eyes: "…Okay."

…

In a high-end restaurant downtown, Clara got straight to the point: "Do they know you’re meeting me?"

They? Mayor Xu understood who Clara meant in the next second.

"Yes, they do."

The waiter soon brought the food and left after telling them to enjoy.

Mayor Xu looked at his daughter, whom he hadn't seen for years, and felt indescribable guilt: "Qiaoqiao, I know you’re currently discussing marriage with Julian. I’ve talked to... your aunt. If you marry from my side, they won't stop you anymore."

Clara suddenly laughed: "People like you are truly... you can even find two good wives."

Mayor Xu ignored her barbed words and continued: "Your mother’s medical expenses can be fully covered by me."

"Over the years, I’ve realized more and more how wrong I was. If you’re willing to accept, you don’t have to forgive me."

Time had turned his hair white, but it only deepened his memories. Seeing Clara again tortured him day and night.

Clara sat opposite him, expressionless, watching him silently. After a long while, she picked up her bag and left.

Chapter 35

Although Clara refused Mayor Xu, he somehow managed to pay all of her mother’s medical expenses anyway.

He even deposited a sum of money into Clara’s account and tactfully stopped bothering her.

After the surgery, while the anesthesia hadn't worn off yet, the doctor said someone had to look after her.

Julian found out and stayed by the bedside with Clara.

Clara sat nearby, watching constantly, and when her mother’s lips became dry, she dipped a cotton swab in water to moisten them.

Julian knew she couldn't think about anything else, so he had his assistant deliver food, leaving as soon as her mother woke up.

After staying in the hospital for more than half a month, her mother finally recovered. After formulating a chemotherapy plan, they prepared to go home.

Staying in the hospital for so long inevitably leads to depression.

Her mother didn't want to drag Clara down and kept urging her to return to school. Clara gradually returned to her routine.

Just as Clara opened the door, she smelled the scent of food and quickly changed her shoes to serve the rice.

Her mother served the last bowl of soup, wiped her hands on her apron, and said to Clara: "Next time, have Julian come over to eat."

Having lived this long, how could she not notice the changes in Clara? She just didn't say anything.

Clara was stunned and said: "Okay."

The next day at school, her phone flashed. She glanced at it; it was Julian saying he had to go on a business trip and couldn't pick her up for a couple of days.

Clara replied that it was fine after class.

She was on duty for evening self-study today, and it was already nine o'clock when school finished. The school was a bit far from home, so she took the subway. From the station, it was a few hundred meters, and she walked back, feeling relaxed.

This street wasn't bustling, so there weren't many people out at night, and it was very quiet.

Clara played on her phone, not paying attention to the road. As she passed through a deep, dark alley, several men in black suddenly rushed out, clamping her neck and covering her mouth with a cloth, dragging her inside forcefully.

As a lone girl, she was no match for several men and quickly stopped struggling, losing consciousness.

At home, her mother waited while watching TV. The clock pointed to eleven, but Clara hadn't returned.

She threw off the blanket and made a call, but it went unanswered. Her right eyelid kept twitching, and her anxiety surged like storm waves on the ocean.

Her mother found Julian’s number and called him. It rang a few times before connecting, and his voice came through: "Auntie, what's wrong?"

"Julian, is Qiaoqiao with you?"

Julian was stunned at first, thinking Clara had confessed everything to her mother, before realizing what she meant.

"Hasn't she returned?"

Her mother felt cold when she realized Julian didn't know either, her tone filled with worry: "She hasn't come back, and I can't reach her on the phone."

"Don't worry, I'm on my way."

…

When Clara woke up, her head was throbbing. Her hands and feet were restrained, and her mouth was taped. She could only move her neck.

She had been kidnapped.

Clara quickly woke up and surveyed her surroundings: an old-looking factory with peeling white paint, definitely aged. There was only one window at the very top, revealing the sunlight outside; it must be the next day.

The door creaked as someone pushed it open, and Clara looked toward the source of the sound.

It was Xie Muchuan.

Chapter 36

Xie Muchuan’s eyes met Clara’s, his eyebrows raised slightly as he asked, “Awake?”

Clara’s mouth was sealed, preventing her from making a sound, so she could only glare at him. He slowly walked up to her, blocking her entire line of sight, bent down, and reached out to tear the tape off her mouth.

“Xie Muchuan, this is kidnapping!” Clara’s eyes widened, her voice filled with anger, though a tremor was audible if one listened closely.

Xie Muchuan dismissed her words, his eyes dark and sinister, his lips curving slightly: “Kidnapping, and then what?”

“Don’t worry, whether or not I hurt you depends entirely on Julian.”

“As long as he withdraws from the competition for the Ming family, you can return home completely unharmed.”

Clara didn’t understand: “Even if you don't fight for the inheritance, you wouldn't have to worry about money. Why must you go to these lengths?”

“Heh,” Clara watched as he pulled a chair over from the side, blew the dust off it, and sat directly across from her. “You’re right.”

“But it’s not just for that,” Xie Muchuan crossed his legs and looked down at Clara, “Julian has always protected you too well.”

“Has he ever told you that I am the type of person who feels better the more uncomfortable others are?”

Xie Muchuan’s expression twisted as he stared fixedly at Clara: “Everyone in the Ming family should be as miserable as I am.”

Clara was startled, her pupils constricting. Alarm bells rang in her mind as she spoke impulsively: “Mayor Xu is my father!”

Xie Muchuan froze.

Seeing a glimmer of hope, Clara continued: “You know who he is—he’s the mayor. If you let me go now, I can pretend nothing ever happened.”

“Mayor Xu is your father? Fine then. If I keep you here, I can take down the entire Xie family in one go, how about that?” Xie Muchuan wasn't falling for it, his eyes turning ice-cold.

Clara forced herself to stay calm and swallowed hard: “You—aren't you the heir to the Xie family? Why must you do this?”

“I might have been before, but not necessarily now.”

Xie Muchuan suddenly laughed out loud: “After today, I will still be the heir.”

Clara didn't know the extent of their feud, but she knew that if she had been missing for this long, her mother must have called the police. It was only a matter of time before they found her; what she needed to do now was stall.

Suddenly, a man in a black short-sleeved shirt walked in and said to Xie Muchuan: “Young Master, someone is outside.”

Xie Muchuan’s expression shifted slightly: “Really? That was fast.”

They conspired loudly in front of Clara, seemingly confident that she couldn't escape.

Xie Muchuan looked leisurely at Clara and said to the man: “I’ve changed my mind now. Go tell them that since I have the person, I want Julian to disable both of his arms, and then I’ll let her go.”

Clara remembered what happened in her previous life. So it was him. Panicked and tearful, she screamed: “Xie Muchuan, are you crazy?!”

Xie Muchuan grabbed Clara by the chin, forcing her to look him in the eye: “Doesn't he love the piano? Between losing you and losing his hands, how do you think he’ll choose?”

The thought of that scene made Xie Muchuan feel elated, a pathological smile curling his lips: “Who knows, whichever he chooses, he’ll regret it.”

Julian had called the police after hearing the news the day before, but they couldn't open a case within 24 hours. Frustrated, he had no choice but to call Mayor Xu for help.

Mayor Xu had ordered the mobilization of a SWAT team the night before. After hours of surveillance, they finally pinpointed the factory. They had rushed over, surrounded the area, and the snipers were already in position.