Chapter 100: Chapter 94: Kidnapping Qiao Jing
 

“Hmm?”

Qiao Jing was stunned by the question, mainly because she hadn’t expected Zhan Qipei to suddenly ask something like that.

Who was the man she married in her dream? She hadn’t paid much attention to that.

She had been immersing herself in the warmth of her mother; why bother with this?

However, since Zhan Qipei had asked so suddenly, she instinctively tried to recall that dream.

In the dream, she was wearing a wedding dress, standing next to her was her husband.

The man was tall, with straight, long legs, and she looked up.

That face—

It was him!

Qiao Jing’s pupils suddenly dilated, and ripples stirred in her heart.

Zhan Qipei had been watching Qiao Jing all along, so even the subtlest expressions on her face were captured by him.

“Who?” His voice was low and magnetic, hoarse.

Qiao Jing lightly arched her delicate brows, looking up at the man much taller than herself, the same height as in her dream.

“I don’t remember.”

She was lying!

Zhan Qipei didn’t believe her, and he felt it definitely wasn’t him. Otherwise, why wouldn’t she tell the truth?

“Really don’t remember?” Zhan Qipei asked, half-seriously, his dark eyes fixed on Qiao Jing.

Qiao Jing nodded indifferently. Just then, the elevator doors opened, and Qiao Jing averted her gaze, walking out of the elevator calmly.

Zhan Qipei continued to watch Qiao Jing’s retreating figure, his stern face slightly puckered in brooding pensiveness.

“Buzz, buzz, buzz—” The sound of the vibrating phone rang out.

The call was from Tang Yan.

It must have been about the task he had assigned to Tang Yan.

The call connected.

“Boss, Hou Bo has come out of the entertainment club, and he seems drunk.”

“Exact address.”

Upon hearing this, Tang Yan thought the boss was personally going to vent anger for Miss Qiao. The boss was pretty nice to Miss Qiao.

The scene shifted.

Hou Bo embraced a girl as he got into the car.

“Go, go back!”

“Yes.”

The driver had been swapped out by one of Tang Yan’s men, and at the moment, the person sitting in the driver’s seat was a bodyguard from Zhan Corporation.

Hou Bo was completely unaware, holding a woman dressed in “ragged” clothes, laughing with her, while pinching her waist.

“Boss Hou, stop it!” While the woman said she disliked it, her body clung into Hou Bo’s arms.

“You little vixen, I’ll tame you today!” Hou Bo joined his fingers together, mimicking a Taoist gesture, poking the woman’s chest.

“Ah, I can’t move!” The woman played along, lying on Hou Bo, “Spare my life! As long as you let me go, I won’t resist whatever you do.”

“Hahaha—” Hou Bo was amused by the woman in his arms, laughing loudly as he smacked her perky butt feeling exhilarated.

The Zhan family bodyguard watched this scene through the rearview mirror, his lips curling under his mask.

Twenty minutes later, the woman’s gaze settled on the car window, noticing white poplar trees on both sides, something felt off.

“Boss Hou, weren’t we going to your villa? Why doesn’t this seem like the way to your place?”

Hearing the woman say this, Hou Bo also looked outside, “Huh? Where is this?”

Though Hou Bo was drunk, he wasn’t so intoxicated that he couldn’t recognize his own home.

“What’s the situation? Am I too drunk, or are you too drunk? Did you take the wrong road?” Hou Bo shouted irritably at the driving bodyguard.

But the person in front seemed as if he hadn’t heard, not reacting at all, which infuriated Hou Bo.

“I’m talking to you, are you deaf? Or do you not want this month’s paycheck?!”

The car pulled over, and the bodyguard took out his phone, “I’ve brought the person.”

As soon as he said this, Hou Bo was scared sober, his eyes wide with terror as he tried to appear calm and said to the bodyguard, “Who exactly are you? What are you going to do?”

The bodyguard opened the car door and got out, “Boss Hou, please get out of the car.”

Hou Bo did not want to get out of the car, but he did not dare to disobey.

As soon as Hou Bo got out, he saw a dozen people emerge from a hidden spot, all wearing black masks and sunglasses.

Being an old hand who had been through the mill for decades, Hou Bo quickly scanned the crowd and identified Tang Yan as the leader.

“May I ask, were you looking for me?”

“It was my boss,” replied Tang Yan.

“Your boss? Who?”

Before Tang Yan could respond, a black luxury car silently pulled up to the curb.

Tang Yan walked up to the car door, “Boss, what should we do?”

Zhan Qipei rolled down the window and coldly replied with one word, “Beat.”

The icy, bloodthirsty voice reached Hou Bo’s ears, scaring him so much that he turned ashen and sweat beaded on his forehead.

“Friend, let’s talk it over nicely. Could you show your face so we can have a proper chat! I think there must be some misunderstanding!”

Hou Bo said this as he walked towards the car.

Seeing the car window go up, Tang Yan signaled to the bodyguard with a wave of his hand.

“Move!”

Tang Yan was so frightened that he immediately stopped, watching the bodyguards approaching him while he instinctively crouched down to cover his head.

“Ah——ow——ah ah ah——”

Each scream was more tragic than the last.

In the desolate countryside, no one heard them.

Back with the Qiao family, upon hearing the news that Hou Bo had been beaten, everyone panicked.

“Dad, do you think Boss Hou would take it personally and then take it out on our family?” Qiao Mengtong asked worriedly.

Qiao Licheng was distressed, “How many more days until Qiao Jing’s divorce from President Zhan?”

He, too, feared that Hou Bo might use them as scapegoats, so he wished Qiao Jing could get divorced the next day so he could send her over to let Hou Bo vent his frustration.

“I had someone check this afternoon, there are still 45 days left.”

“Why is there still so much time?” Qiao Licheng was as frantic as an ant on a hot pan.

Zheng Haijuan said resolutely, “If we really can’t wait, then let’s have someone kidnap Qiao Jing and deliver her to the Hou family.”

“No!” Qiao Licheng grimaced, “President Zhan had Assistant Tang bring people to take Qiao Jing away yesterday, which clearly showed the Zhan family’s attitude. As long as Qiao Jing is still officially part of the Zhan family during this period, nobody can afford to disrespect them. If we really let someone kidnap Qiao Jing and send her to the Hou family, and if Qiao Jing, upset by this, tells the Zhan family, we’ll be doomed.”

In fact, Zhan Qipei had done it on purpose yesterday, intentionally letting Tang Yan bring so many bodyguards not only to boost Qiao Jing’s morale but also because after several interactions, Zhan Qipei realized that the Qiao family was no good, people without bottom lines who might indeed hurt Qiao Jing.

But as soon as he came, the Qiao family, if they had any sense, wouldn’t dare to covertly harm Qiao Jing during this time.

As soon as Zhan Qipei came out of the room, he saw Qiao Jing washing up.

“Shall we go out for a simple breakfast together?”

“Sure.” Qiao Jing didn’t refuse, as her research institute and Zhan Qipei’s company were conveniently on the way to each other.

Then the two casually found a place for dim sum and ordered some porridge and dumplings.

Sitting at the table next to them were a mother and her young daughter, who looked about four or five years old.

“Mommy, mommy, today is my birthday, and I want a big cake,” the little girl said, pointing at a cake shop across the street.

Upon hearing this, Qiao Jing turned to look at the mother and daughter, reminded of the dream she had had the night before.

Her dream had also been very warm, very warm… with her mother.

Zhan Qipei noticed Qiao Jing’s reaction and turned his head to look at the mother and daughter. After a few seconds of silence, he stood up.

“I’ll step out for a moment, I’ll be right back. Wait for me.”

“Oh.” Qiao Jing thought Zhan Qipei was heading to the restroom, but five minutes later, Zhan Qipei returned with an enormous cake, which he set down in front of her.