Chapter 0496

After burying it, they scattered a layer of old soil on top before leaving.

It was as if no one had ever been here.

A few minutes later, several men appeared.

"Right here, dig it up."

Meanwhile.

Lin Ran was thoroughly enjoying the gossip, finding the thrill of snooping into others' affairs quite amusing.

Though the details were sparse.

He had already returned to the manor to prepare lunch for his wife, simmering soup while lost in thought.

Chang Lüfù hadn’t shown up, Yu Paoyan hadn’t emerged, and Ai Renqi was nowhere to be seen either.

The fate of these three was all too predictable.

What puzzled Lin Ran the most was why Yu Paoyan had gone there too.

And had Ai Renqi been killed or simply imprisoned?

At least he’d managed to dig up those three women—they were perfect witnesses.

With a bit more physical evidence, Yu Taiduo wouldn’t stand a chance of staying out of prison.

No matter how strong his official connections were, it wouldn’t matter—because the one who wanted him behind bars was Lin Ran.

"Boss Lin, that scumbag Yu Chengqun has disappeared."

Abu suddenly appeared, and Lin Ran nodded indifferently.

He couldn’t care less where Yu Chengqun had gone.

A pest like that was better off dead.

Without the Yu family’s backing, Yu Chengqun was nothing.

Just then, Chen Qingtian’s call came through.

Lin Ran frowned—his instincts told him something was wrong.

"Cousin, Xia Xia is missing."

Lin Ran was about to say, "What’s it to me?" when he suddenly froze.

Seemed like Yu Chengqun was planning to stir up trouble too.

"I’ll have someone look into it."

"Thank you, cousin."

After hanging up, Lin Ran added the final ingredient to the pot and instructed the head chef, "This soup needs to simmer for exactly 40 minutes."

The head chef nodded in acknowledgment.

Ever since Lin Ran had arrived at the manor, their workload had plummeted, making them almost embarrassed to collect their hefty salaries.

Lin Ran returned to the main hall and leaned back on the sofa.

"No need to guess now—Yu Chengqun definitely kidnapped Fang Buxia."

Abu asked, "What do we do?"

Truth be told, Lin Ran had never liked Fang Buxia much—not because of his character, but because the guy always seemed a bit too effeminate.

"First, investigate. If possible, rescue him. If not, just call the police."

"Got it."

Lin Ran didn’t budge from the sofa, playing the role of the mastermind pulling strings from behind the scenes.

Right then, a message from Brother Dao came through:

[Yu Chengqun brought some guys here with a young man in tow—looks like Chen Qingtian’s publicly acknowledged boyfriend.]

Lin Ran smirked. Today was turning out to be quite entertaining.

You were given a path to heaven, yet you chose the road to hell.

"No need to investigate. Let’s go pay a visit." Lin Ran called Abu back just as he was about to leave to relay orders.

After getting ready, Lin Ran reminded the chef, "Once the soup’s done, keep it on low heat. I want it still warm when I get back."

The head chef replied solemnly, "Consider it done."

With a grin, Lin Ran headed out. Tormenting a lowlife like this was a nice diversion from his otherwise dull life.

He didn’t contact Chen Qingtian—he needed to confirm something first.

Meanwhile, in the underground third level of the entertainment city—home to fight rings and private dispute-resolution chambers—anything could happen as long as you paid the right price. The staff would clean up any mess.

Inside a sealed room, Yu Chengqun’s smile was vicious.

"Fang Buxia, do you know where you are? Here, you have no chance."

Fang Buxia, covered in injuries, glared at Yu Chengqun with pure hatred. He never imagined this guy could be so lawless.

Breaking into homes, kidnapping, beating people at will—was this how the wealthy behaved?

If so, Fang Buxia never wanted to be rich.

Yu Chengqun pulled out his phone and sent a video.

[Chen Qingtian, agree to my terms, and Fang Buxia lives. Otherwise, I can’t guarantee he’ll stay in one piece.]

Chen Qingtian’s video call came through almost instantly.

"Yu Chengqun, have you lost your mind?! Let Xia Xia go right now, and I’ll pretend this never happened. Otherwise, I’ll destroy you even if it costs me everything!"

Yu Chengqun sneered. "Chen Qingtian, you’re in no position to make demands. Just tell me—do you accept my terms or not?"

"Fine, I agree." Chen Qingtian didn’t hesitate.

Fang Buxia, gritting his teeth through the pain, shouted, "Qingtian-jie, don’t do it!"

He couldn’t bear the thought of her being blackmailed because of him.

In the video, Chen Qingtian shook her head, eyes brimming with worry.

"I’ve agreed. Now let him go."

Yu Chengqun looked smug. "Words mean nothing. My people are at your office. Sign the marriage contract, and I’ll release him."

Chen Qingtian knew Yu Chengqun wouldn’t back down easily, but she had no choice.

Not when the boy she’d hurt for three years was in his grasp.

Soon, Yu Chengqun’s men arrived at her office.

"Chen Qingtian, don’t say I didn’t warn you. Once you sign, you’re marrying me. Break the engagement, and your family will pay the price. I’ll ruin you."

Fang Buxia watched as a single tear rolled down Chen Qingtian’s face on the screen.

"Jie, don’t do it."

Her hand, poised to sign, hesitated. She looked up at Fang Buxia struggling in the video.

Seeing her delay, Yu Chengqun wheeled closer to Fang Buxia.

"You worthless insect—you’re dead."

He reached out to strike, but Fang Buxia moved with unexpected speed, sinking his teeth into Yu Chengqun’s fingers.

"Ah—! Let go, you dog!"

Yu Chengqun dropped his phone, clawing at Fang Buxia’s head.

But Fang Buxia clenched his jaw, blood spilling from his lips. No matter how hard the bodyguards pulled, they couldn’t pry him loose—until.

"Ah—!!"

Yu Chengqun trembled as he lifted his hand—two fingers were gone.

Fang Buxia, mouth full of blood, grinned in savage satisfaction.

"Hah… hahaha!"

Yu Chengqun erupted. "Fang! Bu! Xia!"

"Give me back my fingers!"

In response, Fang Buxia started chewing.

Disgusting as it was, he ground Yu Chengqun’s fingers into pulp, ensuring they could never be reattached.

By the time the bodyguards forced his mouth open, only mush remained.

Yu Chengqun felt his blood turn to ice.

"Now, even if Chen Qingtian agrees to marry me—you’re dead."

He was beyond reason, swearing to kill the boy before him.

But Fang Buxia only laughed. "Hah! Mad? Then kill me, you worthless cripple! Come on, do it, you pathetic excuse for a man!"

Fang Buxia had always been introverted—never one to lash out.

But today, for the sake of the sister he cherished most, he broke free.

Even if it cost him his life, he wouldn’t let Yu Chengqun lay a finger on her.