Ouch...
Luo Yiyi painfully opened her eyes. At this moment, she felt as if her body was being gnawed on by thousands of ants. Struggling, she sat up, only to find herself in an unfamiliar room.
Heavy curtains blocked the sunlight from outside, casting a gloom over the entire room.
Luo Yiyi rubbed her head with one hand, squinting to examine her surroundings. She then noticed that the room only contained a few basic pieces of furniture. Clearly, this was a typical low-budget hotel setup.
What on earth had happened? Luo Yiyi rubbed her head vigorously.
All she remembered was a heated argument with her stepmother the day before, after which she left home. Luo Zhenzhen, her stepmother's daughter, came after her, constantly comforting her. Eventually, they ended up in a bar.
Luo Zhenzhen even ordered a special cocktail for her. The drink was a vibrant red, reminiscent of blood.
Luo Yiyi was in such a bad mood at the time that she drank it all in one go. And then her memory faded...
Could it be that Luo Zhenzhen booked this room for her? But why here? And why was it so run-down?
Luo Yiyi grimaced in distaste.
She attempted to lift the covers and get off the bed, only to be assaulted by the bodily pains.
Then she noticed her state of undress and blood between her legs.
What had happened was evident, even to a fool! Luo Yiyi felt panic surge within her, as she couldn't recall a thing.
Looking at the scattered clothes and paper on the floor, her mind went blank. Ignoring the pain all over her body, she rushed into the bathroom, turned on the water, and scrubbed herself clean. She put on her clothes and as she was about to leave, she noticed a woman's diamond necklace on the floor. Though old-fashioned, it was clearly extremely valuable.
"That rotten man must have left it here. He can only afford to stay in a low-budget hotel, must be a pauper. This necklace must represent his entire wealth." Upon this thought, Luo Yiyi quickly pocketed the necklace and left the place in a hurry.
As Luo Yiyi just left, several men in black suits immediately appeared. From their serious expressions, it was clear that something significant had happened.
They quickly entered the room that Luo Yiyi had just left. After turning it upside down, one of the men took out his mobile phone.
"Mr. Bai, we could not find the old lady's necklace. It seems to have been taken away."
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, while the menacing-looking man in the suit dared not hang up.
After a moment, the person on the phone said, "Check the hotel's CCTV. Dig three feet into the ground if you must, but find the woman from last night. The necklace must be with her."
With that, the call was ended.
White Zheyu rubbed his temples, sitting in his office, recalling the abnormality in his body last night, and clenched his fists tightly.
He remembered feeling groggy after drinking a glass of wine at the bar. However, that reaction wasn't like getting drunk, it felt as though he'd been drugged; otherwise, he wouldn't have desired a woman so intensely.
Who dared to do this to him? And that woman, was it a coincidence or was it deliberately arranged? What was the purpose?
The expression in Bai Zheyu's eyes became dark in an instant.
As Bai Zheyu was deep in thought, the phone rang again.
"Mr. Bai, the hotel's CCTV only captured the woman's back... we..."
"Regardless, find her for me," Bai Zheyu said with an angry growl.
Meanwhile, Luo Yiyi got into a taxi, her body aching all over. After a gust of cold wind, her muddled thoughts began to clear slightly.
Last night at the bar, she recalls vaguely seeing Luo Zhenzhen talking to a man after she drank a cocktail specially made by the bartender. And then, she...
Luo Yiyi hadn't completely sorted out her thoughts when the taxi arrived at the front gate of the Luo family's villa.
As soon as she walked in, she could see Luo Kun sitting solemnly in the living room, with a woman beside him sobbing without cessation. From the woman's disjointed murmuring, she could vaguely make out words implying self-blame and regret for quarreling with Yiyi.
From a corner, Luo Yiyi watched indifferently, a scornful smile on her face. In her heart, she gave a sarcastic thumbs-up to this craftily deceptive stepmother of hers.
At this very moment, Luo Zhenzhen was sitting next to the woman, ceaselessly consoling her.
"What kind drama is this woman trying to create now?" Luo Yiyi said helplessly.
"Sister, you’re finally back. Is everything alright?" Just then, Luo Zhenzhen turned around and noticed Luo Yiyi. She quickly approached her with a worried expression.
"What could possibly happen? What trouble could I get into?" Luo Yiyi responded, slightly confused.
Hearing that Luo Yiyi had returned, the woman promptly ceased her crying and rushed over. With an apologetic face, she said, "Yiyi, Aunt is at fault. I shouldn't have quarreled with you, causing you to be out all night." She couldn’t finish her sentence before tears began to well up in her eyes again.
Luo Yiyi stared at the mother-daughter duo in front of her, her mind seemingly bombarded by a herd of imaginary beasts borne of her frustration.
Good lord, what on earth was this performance about? Could someone please explain to me?
While Luo Yiyi was still baffled, Luo Kun strode towards her. Without uttering a word, he raised his hand and slapped her across her face.
Caught off guard by the sudden slap, Luo Yiyi lost her balance and fell to the floor.
"Dad, what are you doing? Why did you hit me?" Panic-stricken, Luo Yiyi cupped her cheek, looking up at Luo Kun in confusion.
"What am I doing? You still have the audacity to ask me?" Luo Kun's face flushed red with anger.
"Honey, please don't be mad. This is all my fault. If I hadn't quarreled with Yiyi yesterday, she wouldn’t have done such a thing. If you want to hit someone, hit me instead!" As soon as she finished speaking, Luo Yiyi's stepmother knelt before Luo Kun.
The more Luo Yiyi watched, the more puzzled she became, and the angrier she grew. It must be this woman again. She must have said something to her father, which is why she was hit as soon as she came back.
Therefore, Luo Yiyi's face turned pale, and she turned to her stepmother and said, "Li Feng, have you had enough of your drama?"
"You shameless creature, Luo Yiyi, you're still yelling at your aunt. If it weren't for your aunt holding me back, I would have chopped you with a knife," Luo Kun roared at Luo Yiyi.
Just then, the doorbell rang. Fan Lei strode in, his hand holding an envelope, his face unusually cold.
"Brother Fan Lei, when did you come back to the country?" Luo Yiyi asked Fan Lei in confusion.
"Humph, of course, you wouldn't want me to be here. If I hadn't come back early, I wouldn't have known your true colors." Fan Lei finished speaking and threw the envelope at Luo Yiyi.
Years ago, Fan Lei's parents faced imminent bankruptcy due to failed investments and a shortage of company funds. If it weren't for the aid of Luo Yiyi's mother, the Fan Corporation wouldn't exist today.
So, when Luo Yiyi and Fan Lei were young, their families arranged their marriage. Unexpectedly, not long after, Luo Yiyi's mother passed away in a car accident.
