Chapter 967: A Sure Thing That Isn't

One step, two steps, the sound of footsteps reached the doorway... "Meow"!

"Lan Pangzi, so you were here? You gave us quite a search." A man's voice.

The woman yawned: "Hurry back to sleep, I'm so sleepy."

The footsteps gradually faded away, and the shadow breathed a sigh of relief.

His hand, tightly gripping the Dagger, was already slightly sweaty; he had just prepared himself to fight for his life the moment the two opened the door and entered.

The man's voice was unfamiliar, but the woman's voice was very familiar—so familiar that even if he had amnesia, he would never forget this voice—it was Ji Yingjie's voice!

This woman really couldn't bear to be lonely; she couldn't go a single night without a man.

It's just that her taste was getting worse and worse; she used to look for fresh young meat, but now she was actually holding onto old, cured meat to gnaw on. She really could sink her teeth into anything, regardless of whether it was meat or vegetable.

The shadow was none other than Zhu Qingxiang.

He complained silently in his heart, but his body didn't dare to move an inch.

He had to wait until Ji Yingjie was fast asleep before he could leave. There were two of them; if he alerted one, it would be troublesome if the other started shouting.

Because he was too nervous and his concentration was highly focused, he had actually forgotten he was standing in a pile of cement.

Time passed second by second, and the air grew hotter and hotter.

Sweating all over from the heat, he finally felt that something was wrong.

Jiangzhou belonged to a temperate climate zone, and the weather in April was nowhere near hot enough for this.

Moreover, it was currently night; how could it be getting hotter and hotter?

He wanted to shift the position of his feet, but discovered he couldn't move!

Not good.

Zhu Qingxiang realized something was amiss and hurriedly tried to pull his feet out—this time it moved, but a long, sticky trail came up from under his feet!

He had been tricked; this pile wasn't just simple cement, there must have been a large amount of glue mixed into it.

At this moment, the lights outside suddenly turned on.

The footsteps were light, but hurried.

Something was wrong.

The long days of hiding here and there had developed his very keen instincts, and he had a premonition that he had been tricked.

This was a trap!

It was a trap specifically set by Ji Yingjie to catch a turtle in a jar.

In his panic, Zhu Qingxiang guessed the truth, and he immediately prepared to jump out the window to escape.

But his legs were stuck, and it was very difficult to break free.

He made a prompt decision, using the Dagger to cut off his trousers below the knees and abandon them along with his Spring Shoes.

This was the fastest method.

Of course, untying them would work too, but that was too slow; judging by the sound of the footsteps, they were about to rush in.

He cut too hastily, and the blade was too sharp, leaving a deep gash on his leg.

"Bang!"

The door was kicked open, and Nianyin led people rushing in. Zhu Qingxiang was no longer in the room; there were only the trousers and shoes "standing" in the specially made cement.

"Damn it! He got away again."

"Chase!"

Nianyin led people out in pursuit. There was blood on the window, but the bloodstains didn't lead downward; they led upward.

Zhu Qingxiang had climbed out the window, but instead of jumping into the courtyard, he continued climbing to the roof and ran to the neighbor's house to escape.

Nianyin hadn't run far when she suddenly thought of something and instructed her subordinates: "You continue the chase; whoever catches him will be rewarded with a house."

After saying this, she quickly turned back.

She had taken all the people out with her, and she was worried that her mother might be in danger.

On the other side.

Zhu Qingxiang jumped into the neighboring courtyard and circled to the back, where he happened to run into a Security Guard on patrol.

One of them had an urgent need to urinate and had fallen behind while heading to the restroom.

He circled behind the Security Guard, knocked him unconscious, then changed into the Security Guard's uniform and swaggered back to the Shi Family.

"What's going on? Someone called the police saying a thief broke into your house. Did you lose anything?" He shouted loudly outside the courtyard.

Shi Yucheng: "I'll go down and take a look."

Nianyin stopped him: "Father, don't go out. It's dangerous outside. Just tell him everything is fine."

"The person who came is a Security Guard; it's fine."

Shi Yucheng didn't suspect the Security Guard's identity, nor did he listen to Nianyin's dissuasion, and went out.

"It's fine, nothing was lost. You can go back."

"Oh, is that so? Then I'll head back."

The "Security Guard" turned to leave, but just as he took a step, he turned back around: "Uncle Shi, I have an urgent need to pee; may I borrow your restroom?"

"Come in."

He hurried into the restroom.

Bedroom.

Ji Yingjie said to Nianyin: "You don't need to guard me. Go chase that brat. I want him caught alive; I want to take him back to the Ji Family."

Nianyin: "Mother, every one of my subordinates is very skilled in martial arts, and two of them are retired soldiers. With them there, you can rest assured; they will definitely catch him and bring him back."

"Since they were able to capture the person, what are you doing here?"

Nianyin: "I am here to protect Mother."

"Look, you keep saying your subordinates are capable; since they are so capable, why are you still worried about my safety?"

Nianyin was speechless.

Ji Yingjie was already impatient: "Stop standing there like a post. Those who should be here aren't, and those who shouldn't be here won't leave. Go and capture that brat back; that would be better than anything. There is no need for you to put on a show of filial piety in front of me."

"Mother, your safety is the most important thing." Nianyin did not care about her mother's sarcasm and still thought of her safety.

"Go and capture that brat for me, this is an order!" Ji Yingjie's expression was very serious, and she said every word clearly.

"Yes."

Nianyin did not dare to disobey.

Just as she walked out the door, she saw a figure reflected on the glass...

"Mother, watch out."

Before her voice had faded, she had already performed a backflip and returned, kicking mid-air toward Zhu Qingxiang.

He had flipped in through the window and was just about to make a move when he was kicked in the chest, nearly being kicked back out the window.

"Damn it!"

Zhu Qingxiang prepared to flee.

Ji Yingjie shouted: "Catch him, you must not let him run away."

Nianyin rushed over to catch him, but was pulled back by her mother: "Your arm is injured, don't chase him."

"Mother, don't pull me, he's getting away."

"Let him run, your arm is injured."

"This little injury doesn't matter, Mother, let go, please let go." Nianyin was so anxious she was jumping up and down.

"There is poison on the blade."

Jian Family Hospital.

Because the wound was treated in time and she was sent to the hospital promptly, the toxins in Nianyin's wound were quickly cleared away.

Fortunately, although the poison was potent, it was not very complex, and it was easy to detoxify.

She lay on the hospital bed, her arm bandaged tightly, with an IV drip hanging from her hand.

Ji Yingjie sat to one side peeling an apple.

"It's only you; from childhood to adulthood, no one has ever enjoyed this treatment. Only others have peeled apples for me; when have I ever served anyone else?"

She peeled off the skin, then cut it into pieces and fed them to Nianyin.

Nianyin felt both happy and reserved.

"Mother, you are exhausted, don't worry about me, you should eat some yourself."

"Less nonsense, eat when I tell you to eat."

"How much virtue did you accumulate in your past life? You must have saved the galaxy to have the good fortune of having me peel an apple for you..."

Shi Youxuan couldn't watch anymore from the side: "Don't go too far. This person just saved your life, and yet you still have to act so high and mighty just for peeling an apple..."

"Do I need you to manage me? Shut up!"

Ji Yingjie glared fiercely at her niece and complained: "Those who grow up outside are just no good; they don't understand any rules. When is it your turn to interrupt when your elders are speaking?"

Shi Youxuan would not indulge her bad habits.

Elders are not saints, and if they are being unreasonable, they must be told.

"You are just being excessive. It's only because Nianyin is loyal that she lets you bully her. If you keep acting like this, sooner or later..."

"Sister, please don't get involved in our mother-daughter affairs; Mother is doing this for my own good."

Shi Youxuan:...