Chapter 29: Pick One to Make Happy

Mu Yuanzhi tried to struggle against the hemp rope binding her wrists.

No good, she couldn't break free, the knot was too tight!

Mu Yuanzhi took a breath, clenched her teeth, and strained to pull one hand out; the rough hemp rope was like a dull knife cutting her wrist, and on the surface she tried not to reveal any flaw to those two people.

At last she managed to pull it out a little!

"What the hell, you bitch!" the gloomy man noticed Mu Yuanzhi's movement and slapped her hard across the face.

The man's hand was broad and strong; the slap made Mu Yuanzhi dizzy, a bloody sweet taste filled her mouth, she struggled to stay steady and swallowed the rising blood.

"Sister, what are you doing, don't act rashly!" Pei Yunxi spoke up again to stop her, blindfolded and looking very anxious.

"Those inside, listen up: you're surrounded, surrender wisely!"

Pei Shangling's arrogant and domineering voice suddenly rang out!

Pei Shangling has arrived—is there hope?

Yet the hope that had flared in Mu Yuanzhi's heart instantly faded to calm; he was no longer the brother who would sacrifice his life for her.

She still didn't know how Pei Yunxi would act in this round; she couldn't let her guard down.

"Brother Ling is here!" Pei Yunxi burst into tears of joy.

"Shut up!" the hoarse-voiced man bellowed.

Pei Yunxi was shouted at, then started crying again, but this time she cried loudly, tearing at her throat in a high, mournful wail.

Outside, Pei Shangling heard it loud and clear, his heart felt like it was being cut by a knife, and he instantly drew his sword: "Little sister, I'm coming to save you!"

"Don't be rash, Fourth Brother!" Pei Shangyan hurriedly pressed down on Pei Shangling's shoulder; he seemed calm, but the hand resting there trembled uncontrollably.

The little sister and Little Sister Zhi are in these people's hands; we must not act rashly.

Half an hour earlier, they had learned of the incident and immediately rendezvoused with Xiao Yichen; fortunately the little sister was clever, knowing to leave markers along the way, allowing them to follow the fallen rouge powder to this place.

They have sealed every exit of the city; these people can't fly out even with wings!

Under a night so thick it couldn't be dispersed, firelight slowly rose from the roof of the abandoned warehouse; Pei Shangling felt excited seeing someone emerge, about to charge forward, but the moment he recognized the source of the fire, he froze in place.

It was an explosive packet!

The leaping firelight fell on Mu Yuanzhi and Pei Yunxi's pale, frightened faces; to their left and right, two burly men wearing ferocious masks held them captive.

Pei Shangyan's heart leapt to his throat, fearing that if the man holding the explosive packet became displeased, he would hurl it at his sisters!

He was about to speak to negotiate when the hoarse-voiced man cut him off: "I don't like nonsense, you two princes listen well—pick one to make happy, you can only take one of these girls!"

What?!

Pei Shangyan and Pei Shangling exchanged a look, unable to believe that this was the kidnappers' demand.

At that moment, the gloomy man swiftly sliced the black cloth blindfolding Mu Yuanzhi and Pei Yunxi's eyes with his knife.

Pei Shangling's heart nearly stopped; the vision of Pei Yunxi weeping uncontrollably filled his pupils, and in an instant he decided who to stay behind.

Anyway, Xiao Yichen was lying in ambush behind the warehouse; with his ability he could surely rescue Mu Yuanzhi, and they had also brought the Imperial Forest Army, so the priority now was to keep the kidnappers under control.

"Fine, release the one on the right, do whatever you want with the one on the left!" Pei Shangling pointed to Pei Yunxi on the right, Mu Yuanzhi on the left, then gave them a bland glance.

Mu Yuanzhi lowered her eyes and gave a sarcastic smile.

As expected, Pei Shangling wasn't here to save her; fortunately she had already seen through herself, had no expectations, so her heart wouldn't hurt again.

Choosing Pei Yunxi in the either‑or was, for him, the most natural thing.

Pei Shangyan probably thought the same, right?

She looked at Pei Shangyan, but he avoided her gaze.

The brothers who once unfailingly shielded her behind them no longer exist; they're all dead.

"No! Release Sister Yuanzhi—I'm willing to stay!" Pei Yunxi sobbed, saying she wanted to remain.

Being so sensible only made the Pei Shangyan brothers feel more pity and more resolute in their choice.

Formerly Mu Yuanzhi also thought a crying child gets candy; at first when Pei Yunxi cried she cried too, but later she realized a child unloved doesn't deserve to cry—it only annoys people.

So she stopped crying, calmly accepting all of this, the fact that she had been abandoned countless times.

"Shut up! Don't listen to her! Since it's a pick‑one, we naturally get to choose!" Pei Shangling snapped at Pei Yunxi for the first time, yet Pei Yunxi felt as sweet as having drunk honey.

Fourth Brother was so nervous his voice was about to give out.

The hoarse-voiced man rubbed his chin, somewhat embarrassed: "And the other prince—are you making the same choice? If not, that'll be a bit tricky."

As he spoke, he exchanged a smile with the gloomy man beside him, not forgetting to shove the explosive packet toward Pei Yunxi's face.

Pei Yunxi shrieked in fright and shrank back, crying with tears like pear blossoms in rain.

Pei Shangyan, who had been silent with clenched fists, suddenly snapped: "Don't!"

He glanced at Mu Yuanzhi in a flash, apologizing over and over in his heart, suppressing the pang in his chest, and said with closed eyes: "My choice is the same."

Xiao Yichen, you must rescue Little Sister Zhi, or I will never forgive you!

"What true colors in adversity!" the hoarse-voiced man said, grabbing Pei Yunxi and throwing her downward: "Catch her!"

At that moment, Mu Yuanzhi, enduring the pain of a dislocated joint, pulled free one hand, took advantage of Pei Yunxi's lack of guard, exerted all her strength with the dislocated hand to yank off Pei Yunxi's waist jade pendant, and quickly hid it in her own sleeve.

Because Pei Yunxi was too close, this series of actions didn't draw the kidnappers' attention.

This time she wouldn't let Pei Yunxi easily wipe her clean!

"Ah!" Pei Yunxi, eyes closed, screamed as she fell, her face draining of color.

In the nick of time, Pei Shangling lunged forward and steadied Pei Yunxi in his arms!

Having caught her, Pei Shangyan steadied himself and quickly looked toward Mu Yuanzhi, but before he could get a firm grip on his sword's scabbard, he saw the gloomy kidnapper clutching the explosive packet together with Mu Yuanzhi.

He could only watch helplessly as they disappeared from sight.

Little Sister Zhi! You must be safe; we will surely rescue you!

"Wuu… Brother Ling… I'm so scared!" Pei Yunxi clung to Pei Shangling and sobbed, tears pouring out relentlessly.

Pei Shangling hurried to comfort her, while Pei Shangyan feared that too much fright would trigger her anxiety disorder again.

"Don't be scared, little sis, don't be scared… little sis?!!" Pei Shangling looked at Pei Yunxi, who had fainted in his arms, and instantly panicked, at a loss. He immediately picked up Pei Yunxi and left.

"Old Four, we still need to go rescue Little Zhi; just have the Imperial Forest Army send little sis back."

"You and Xiao Yichen just stay put; little sis is the priority."