ABSTIWTVMST Chapter 143

At dawn, all the chaos settled into calm.

As usual, Jing Yicheng got up a little earlier than the other, brushed his teeth, and squeezed the toothpaste again. Then he turned to the bedside and began to wake the person still lying in bed. “Haohao, time to get up. You have to go to the office today. Li Nian said you’ve got two meetings lined up—you can’t be late.”

Xu Chenghao grumbled and buried his head deeper under the covers, switching into full lazy mode.

Amused, Jing Yicheng tugged at the blanket, but as expected, it wouldn’t budge. With practiced ease, he reached into the covers, gently found Xu Chenghao’s hand and pried it away, then slid his other arm around Xu Chenghao’s waist and simply lifted him up, forcibly dragging him out of bed.

Xu Chenghao reluctantly cracked one eye open and protested, “Wait, wait… let me check the surveillance footage first.”

Jing Yicheng responded mercilessly: “You can look at me first.”

Xu Chenghao: “…”

Frustrated, he bit Jing Yicheng’s chin, then obediently washed up under the other’s supervision. Only after he’d changed clothes did he get his phone. The surveillance footage showed the ground still bare and seedless, no sign of sprouting yet. Xu Chenghao let out his habitual sigh, only to have his phone promptly confiscated.

Jing Yicheng gently smoothed the furrow between his brows: “You keep sighing like that, and you’ll age faster.”

Xu Chenghao shot him a look and grumbled, “Even if I’m covered in wrinkles, you still have to like me. That’s non-negotiable.”

Jing Yicheng deliberately teased: “Why are you so domineering?”

Xu Chenghao said: “I’m domineering because even if you were covered in wrinkles, I’d still like you. No matter what, I’d still like you.”

Hit squarely by the sudden love confession, Jing Yicheng’s teasing expression softened instantly. He responded quietly, “Mm, me too.”

Xu Chenghao lifted his chin smugly: “Still want to argue?”

“No more arguing.”

“Then take the little yellow duck and let’s go eat.”

Jing Yicheng played along, replying, “Got it.”

The two chatted and laughed as they walked out of the bedroom. In the dining room, the housekeeping aunty  had already prepared breakfast. Seeing them awake, she greeted them with a smile, “Good morning, Mr. Xu, Mr. Jing.”

“Good morning,” Xu Chenghao responded. Beside him, Jing Yicheng gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.

“Everything’s ready. Eat while it’s hot,” the housekeeper reminded them before leaving the dining room to continue cleaning in the kitchen.

Xu Chenghao took a bite of a potato pancake. Suddenly remembering something, he pulled out his phone and did a quick search, letting out a surprised “Huh?”

“What is it?”

“There’s no news,” Xu Chenghao said, refreshing the push notifications and scrolling through carefully. Still, there was no mention of a police raid or anything from the Ruan family. He couldn’t help but tilt his head to glance at Jing Yicheng… He clearly remembered hearing Jing Yicheng on the phone last night saying they’d be taking action to rescue someone. So why was there no news at all today?

Jing Yicheng calmly fed him a slice of sausage and replied, “Might’ve been suppressed. I’ll ask my assistant later… For now, put the phone down and eat.”

“…Okay,” Xu Chenghao had no choice but to put down his phone and obediently eat.

Jing Yicheng kept his word. Although the assistant called a bit later than expected, he made sure to find Xu Chenghao and turned on the speakerphone to share the update.

The assistant reported: “We got word from the hospital. The child developed a mild fever due to exposure to the cold. An Rouyu fainted from shock, but she’s not seriously hurt. The one most severely injured was Ruan Chenxuan—the person who helped rescue them. He was shot and suffered a head injury. He’s still unconscious and hasn’t woken up yet.”

“As for the interrogation, the suspects confessed to the arson and kidnapping. Surprisingly, An Rouyu seems to be connected to them. Reportedly, evidence has already been submitted. But since she’s still unconscious, they haven’t questioned her yet.”

Jing Yicheng frowned slightly: “What kind of evidence?”

“Chat logs and transaction records,” the assistant answered. “According to the suspects, they’re career criminals constantly on the run. They only came to this city after receiving a commission to ‘teach someone a lesson’… Yes, the target was President Xu. But since President Xu is always surrounded by security, they didn’t get the chance and instead settled for setting fire to the greenhouse.”

“In one of the chat messages, it said, ‘Since he dared to take away what matters most to me, if I can’t hurt him, I’ll at least make him taste heartbreak.’ Considering how much President Xu values his chili peppers, the motive for hiring someone to commit arson makes sense.”

Xu Chenghao pouted unhappily: “Yeah, it really broke my heart.”

Hearing this, Jing Yicheng immediately pulled him into his arms and gently comforted him. “It’s okay. I’ll get revenge for you.”

Xu Chenghao nodded vigorously: “Okay.”

Jing Yicheng kissed his cheek, then turned to the phone and said coldly, “Go on.”

Sensing the shift in tone, the assistant coughed lightly before continuing, “If it really was An Rouyu behind it, then everything that followed was her digging her own grave. While she was transferring money to the perpetrators, her identity was accidentally discovered. Once the group realized she was the mother of the Ruan Group’s precious grandson, their greed kicked in. They staked out the place for three days, and when Ruan Chenxuan wasn’t around, they kidnapped both the child and An Rouyu—leading to the ransom threats that followed.”

The sequence of events finally became clear. Jing Yicheng was seething with rage as he listened, and he sneered coldly, “An Rouyu really outdid herself! Sue them—every single one of them. And if Ruan Chenxuan dares to help An Rouyu, drag him into it too!”

Assistant: “Understood.”

Jing Yicheng said, “Let me know the moment An Rouyu wakes up. I want to see her myself.”

Assistant: “Got it.”

…

After the call ended, Xu Chenghao nervously grabbed Jing Yicheng’s wrist, frowning. “Why do you want to see An Rouyu? Don’t dirty your hands because of her.”

Jing Yicheng’s overwhelming rage instantly melted away in Xu Chenghao’s grasp. He touched his face gently and smiled. “It’s rare to hear you say something like that.”

Xu Chenghao deflected: “I’ve just been influenced by bad company.”

Jing Yicheng’s smile deepened, and he said softly, “It’s okay. Even if you turn dark, I’ll still like you.”

Xu Chenghao rolled his eyes at him. “I’m serious. Don’t get your hands dirty because of An Rouyu.”

“Alright.” Jing Yicheng agreed softly, but a cold glint flickered through his eyes—sometimes, staying alive isn’t the worst punishment, but neither is it the best.

——————

That afternoon, An Rouyu regained consciousness.

Disoriented, she stared blankly at the police officers by her bedside. When they began questioning her about the arson and related matters, her heart pounded so hard it felt like it might leap out of her chest. All she could do was shake her head—again and again.

She knew she couldn’t admit anything. If she did, she’d be convicted and locked up, and seeing her child again—even from afar—would become an unattainable dream. So she absolutely could not confess. She insisted she knew nothing about any of it, claimed to have a good relationship with Xu Chenghao and wouldn’t do such things. She said she had only transferred the money because she’d been threatened, and didn’t expect them to turn greedy and kidnap her anyway.

Excuses piled on top of each other. Despite her evasive gaze and ashen face, she remained stubbornly unyielding. In the end, she feigned dizziness and a headache to dodge further interrogation.

Considering her condition hadn’t fully stabilized, the police had no choice but to temporarily suspend questioning and leave the hospital room.

After a brief silence, An Rouyu slowly sat up. Through the window in the door, she could see the police still standing guard outside.

A pang of panic tightened in her chest. She could guess someone had already ratted her out—but she still refused to admit anything. As long as Xu Chenghao didn’t press charges, she still had a chance to wriggle out of it. She could still see her child—still—

Click. The door suddenly opened again.

Thinking the police had returned, she quickly lay down and pretended to be asleep. But instead, she heard a cold voice say, “Wake her up. Throw water if you have to.”

That voice… An Rouyu’s eyes flew open in horror. “J-Jing Yicheng? Why are you here? What do you want?”

Jing Yicheng stood by the bed, looking down at her from above, the killing intent in his eyes unmistakable. “I heard Miss An was hospitalized after getting hurt, so I came to pay a special visit. I hope you never recover. In fact, I hope you lose your mind and take yourself down completely.”

“You’re mocking me?” An Rouyu was stunned.

“You think I’m here to praise you? Praise you for hiring thugs to hurt Xu Chenghao, and when that failed, resorting to arson?” Jing Yicheng sneered, then suddenly reached out and clamped his hand around her throat, his voice cold and vicious. “My way of praising people is a little… special. I wonder if Miss An can handle it?”

An Rouyu’s face turned pale instantly from lack of oxygen. She clawed frantically at the hand around her neck, trying to pry it off, but no matter how hard she struggled, she couldn’t match his strength. For a moment, she truly thought she was going to die. Panic and despair filled her heart, and she even began hoping the police would rush in and save her… She couldn’t breathe… Help…

Suddenly, the big hand around her throat let go. Like a fish thrown back into the water, An Rouyu gasped for air, lying on the bed breathing heavily. Her darkened complexion slowly regained some color, but her eyes were filled with terror. She looked at Jing Yicheng, her teeth chattering. “W-what are you trying to do…”

She could feel it—this man truly wanted to kill her. But his sudden withdrawal didn’t relieve her—it terrified her even more. The unknown was far more frightening.

Jing Yicheng studied her slowly and deliberately. “I heard you messaged those criminals and said you wanted to hurt what Xu Chenghao cares about most—just to make him feel heartbreak?”

An Rouyu’s heart seized, and even her ragged breathing became quieter. She tensed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I’m not interested in your excuses,” Jing Yicheng said coldly. “Just know this—when you can’t protect what you care about most, you’d better behave and not resist. Otherwise… I’ll make you taste heartbreak for real.”

An Rouyu immediately pushed herself up, but in her rush, she could only cough violently before she could speak. Her voice rasped. “What do you want!”

Jing Yicheng: “I’ll give you two options. First—confess, and maybe you’ll still get to see your child again someday. Second—if you refuse, I’ll return everything you wished upon Xu Chenghao right back at you. And as for how… well, you know best what you care about.”

He leaned in slightly, his tone soft and eerie. “So tell me… is it better for the child to forget all about his mother and live happily, or to have his life end by your hands right here and now?”

To An Rouyu, who clung to her child like he was her life—either option felt like a death sentence, like someone carving out her flesh piece by piece. Her eyes burned with hatred as she glared at Jing Yicheng, her sanity slipping as she imagined tearing him apart.

But she knew it was impossible. She was no match for him—and any act of defiance could drag her child into danger. She couldn’t take that risk.

Tears welled up in her eyes. Through gritted teeth, with a hoarse voice, she said word by word, “I—I confess!”

Jing Yicheng sneered. “Feeling wronged? If you hadn’t hired arsonists, would things have come to this? Would your child be suffering too?”

“I said I confess! I confess! I confess! Now get out!” An Rouyu screamed hysterically, her reason shattered.

But in the very next second, Jing Yicheng grabbed her throat again and slammed her back onto the bed.

He had never been one for mercy. Staring down at her writhing form, he said darkly, “Listen—this is your karma. So don’t you dare act like the world owes you something. And if you’re still not thinking clearly, I won’t mind giving you a little help!”

 

 

T/N: I have mixed feeling about this original FL.

I’m alive, y’all! Just took on a project last month that had me super occupied~