Chapter 231: Locked In The Factory
As the night deepened, the surrounding weeds limited their vision.

Qiu Tong shouted Qiu Xingqiao’s name anxiously. She was worried that some kidnappers had already taken him. She quickened her pace and searched the area but did not find any traces of Qiu Xingqiao.

Jin Yang wanted to get his guards to help. Qiu Xingyuan tugged at the corner of his shirt, indicating for him to bend over.

“He’s hiding on purpose. That building ahead is an abandoned factory. Bring Mommy there to find him!”

“Xingqiao and I will lock the metal door from the outside and buy you and Mommy some time to be alone.”

Qiu Xingyuan looked at Jin Yang. He really did not expect to be helping this fellow!

“I hope you can coax her. Otherwise, Xingqiao and I will be scolded.”

Seeing that he was still standing rooted to the ground, Qiu Xingyuan urged him. “Hurry up and go!”

Jin Yang finally understood what the children’s intentions were. He hurriedly chased after Qiu Tong and brought her to the vicinity of the building. He pointed in front awkwardly and said, “Could he be just fooling around and hiding inside?” Qiu Tong thought of Qiu Xingqiao’s character and felt that it was possible, so she followed him.

Qiu Tong searched every corner of the factory with a flashlight.

Song Yan wanted to accompany them, but Qiu Xingyu raised her arms and stood in front of him. “Uncle Song Yan, I’m so scared!”

“Will you stay here with me?”

Song Yan did not know how to reject her. He looked at Qiu Xingyu, who was hugging his thigh like a koala bear. He had no choice but to stand there and wait with her.

The three children each had their own task. Qiu Xingyuan waited for Jin Yang and Qiu Tong to walk into the factory and signaled to Qiu Xingqiao, who was hiding in the dark. The two of them struggled to push the metal door beside them. With a screeching sound, the door slowly closed.

Qiu Tong frowned in shock. She rushed over as fast as she could, but Qiu Xingyuan secured the door with an iron chain.

“You guys are ridiculous!”

Qiu Tong shouted angrily. Qiu Xingqiao pressed his face against a gap at the metal door. “Mommy! I’m sorry!”

“Two hours. Eldest Brother and I will stand guard in front. We’ll let you and him out when the time is up.”

Qiu Xingqiao was safe so Qiu Tong could finally relax. She turned to look at the calm Jin Yang, her tone questioning. “You colluded with them?” Jin Yang shook his head. “I only knew a few minutes earlier than you…”

“Let’s sit down and talk, alright?”

Jin Yang moved a metal bucket over and wiped the dust off with a handkerchief. He looked up at Qiu Tong. “Ever since you met your friend yesterday, you’ve been behaving resentfully against me. If I did anything wrong, you can just tell me. Perhaps I can explain.”

Qiu Tong was feeling very gloomy. She stared into Jin Yang’s dark eyes and bit her red lips angrily.

She kicked the metal bucket away, suppressing her frustration.

There were two old electric fans at the chimney of the factory. Spider webs hung on the fan blades. A rotten smell permeated the air.

Qiu Tong clenched her fists and asked in a low voice, “Are you hiding anything from me?”

Jin Yang was stunned and couldn’t answer.

Qiu Tong chuckled softly at his pause. She shook her head, sighing at her own stupidity and naivety. She was actually hoping that Jin Yang would be honest with her.

“The goal of our marriage of convenience is to get rid of Song Yan’s interference and his lawsuit. I’m very grateful to you for helping our family.”

“The children really like you. I can tell they want to play matchmaker…”

Qiu Tong’s voice choked, but she quickly returned to her normal state. She restrained the emotions in her eyes and looked at Jin Yang tenderly.

“I’m sorry to have troubled you. From now on, we will still pretend to be husband and wife in front of the children.”

“But privately, please keep your distance from me. I don’t want to create trouble for us!”

Qiu Tong had drawn a clear line between the two of them, defining their relationship as just business partners.

Jin Yang took a step forward. He wanted to grab her wrist, but his arm ended up just hanging in mid-air. He did not reach out…

Time passed by slowly. Qiu Xingyuan and Qiu Xingqiao unlocked the iron chains with anticipation. They saw Jin Yang and Qiu Tong walk out. They still appeared cold with each other. Qiu Xingqiao glared at Jin Yang with questioning eyes.

Jin Yang sighed deeply. Qiu Xingyuan glanced at him with disappointment before chasing after Qiu Tong.

“Yo, looks like your plan has failed!”

As a bystander, Song Yan had seen through the children’s plan from the start. He pinched Qiu Xingyu’s chubby face and said smugly, “Maybe I will have a chance now!”

Qiu Xingyu twisted her body and struggled to jump down from his arms. She made a face and stuck her tongue out at Song Yan.

“We will never acknowledge you as our Daddy!”

“I like Uncle Jin Yang!”

Faced with her childish declaration, Song Yan rubbed the tip of his nose with his finger. “It looks like my approval rating is very low!”