Chapter 25: Danger

"Where are we?" Lu Ranran frowned, observing the scene outside the window, her tone laced with caution.

The driver kept his eyes on the road, glancing at her through the rearview mirror. His lips curled into a faint, grim smile as he spoke in a low voice.

"We're on the way to the suburbs. Before I came this way, there was road construction ahead, and the traffic was terrible—at least an hour's delay. If we take the suburban route, it’s much closer. We'll be there in half an hour."

His voice sounded honest enough, but his eyes radiated a strange, malevolent energy that made the atmosphere inside the car instantly stifling.

Lu Ranran felt a surge of wariness. Furrowing her brows, she shifted her body toward the side and replied with a heavy tone.

"No, just stick to the original route. As for the traffic delay fee, I'll pay you for it."

She leaned back, keeping her gaze fixed on the window. A chill crept into her heart, and her hands and feet began to turn cold involuntarily.

The driver sighed languidly, feigning confusion. "Oh, it’s going to be a long wait in that traffic. Why bother? It’s too much of a hassle."

He ignored her request, continuing to drive forward, his tone now carrying a hint of dissatisfaction. "If you're worried about the cost, I won't charge you for the extra time. Just pay the original price, how about that? You might not be in a hurry, but I am. Who’s going to compensate me for the time wasted on the road when I could be picking up other passengers?"

Lu Ranran’s frown deepened. She reached out to grab the door handle, hoping to open it quietly, but the car was locked. It was useless. She abandoned the thought, putting on a helpless expression while pressing her lips into a thin line.

"But I don't know this road, and I don't want to go this way. I'll pay you whatever you want—name your price."

She deliberately kept her tone soft and devoid of tension, feigning a touch of resignation.

The driver didn't listen; instead, he accelerated. The surrounding lights faded, and the road ahead plunged into darkness, devoid of any buildings.

"Just listen to me. I'll get you there quickly, and you'll save money. Don't waste each other's time."

He drove at a breakneck speed, the trees blurring past. The air itself seemed thick with an unprecedented sense of danger.

Lu Ranran quietly retrieved her phone from her bag, keeping it hidden behind her back while nodding in feigned compliance.

"Fine, then. Thank you for your trouble."

The driver looked into the rearview mirror, unable to see her face clearly. A flash of malice crossed his eyes, and he set his thin lips, speaking in a low, raspy voice.

"No trouble at all. This is the life for us; as long as I can earn a living for my family, it's fine. Hold on tight, I'm going to drive a bit faster."

The entire car felt eerie, the kind of atmosphere that screamed that something was wrong. Lu Ranran gripped the door handle, forced a stiff smile, and began to dial her emergency contact, keeping her movements subtle.

"That's true. It's not easy for people like you to be out working; it's all for the children."

She kept her eyes on the rearview mirror, not daring to look down for fear of raising the driver's suspicion.

She waited for a long time, but no one answered. The call went to voicemail. Her palms were sweating, and she was gripped with anxiety. The silence in the car was suffocatingly strange. The driver kept making small talk, and Lu Ranran didn't dare to stop him.

She snatched a moment to glance down at her phone and her heart sank. Her emergency contact was Si Qinyu—a setting from long ago that she had forgotten to change! No wonder no one was answering!

She hung up quickly, intending to call the police, but just then, Si Qinyu picked up. His exasperated voice blared through the phone.

"Lu Qiqi, I am in the middle of a very important meeting! Where did you learn such bad habits, checking up on me in the middle of the night? Don't you have any shame?"

The driver turned around abruptly, his brows furrowed into a sharp crease. With a ferocious expression, he reached out to snatch her phone.

"Heh, so you finally figured it out, you bitch? Pretty smart. But since that's the case, there's no need to pretend anymore. I've been holding back for long enough!"

His true nature was exposed, and he didn't even bother to hide it, lunging toward her.

Lu Ranran scrambled backward, but there was nowhere left to go in the cramped space. The man reached over and grabbed her phone. At that moment, the car swerved and slammed into a large tree. The impact was deafening, and the hood crumpled inward.

Fortunately, the driver was wearing a seatbelt, and the airbag deployed, sparing them from the worst of the collision. Seeing this, Lu Ranran tried to open the door, but the driver reacted instantly. He unbuckled his seatbelt, grabbed her, and dragged her toward him with brute force.

"Who told you that you could leave?"

Lu Ranran used every ounce of her strength to struggle, kicking and clawing at him.

"Let me go! I can pay you whatever you want!"

The driver sneered, his features twisted and hideous. His words were lewd and arrogant.

"I haven't had a woman like you before. I wouldn't trade this for all the money in the world."

Lu Ranran resisted violently. With a loud tear, her sleeve was ripped off. She tried to scramble away, but the car door remained stubbornly jammed. The driver looked at her with a lecherous, greedy gaze.

"Keep trying to run. You can't escape in the middle of this wilderness."

Lu Ranran kicked him hard in the groin. The driver’s face flushed red, and he grabbed her ankle. Once he recovered, he slapped her hard across the face.

"You bitch!"

He began to tear at her clothes. Lu Ranran fought to protect herself, but his strength was overwhelming. Most of the buttons on her top had already fallen off inside the car. Just then, there was a massive crash at the car door.

The door was ripped open. The driver froze. A pair of large hands reached inside and clamped firmly around the driver's throat.

Lu Ranran watched in horror and scrambled out of the car. Standing on the ground, she gasped for air, her eyes red and streaming.

Chu Linchen took off his coat and wrapped it around her, his voice low.

"Get in the car first."

Trembling and shaken, Lu Ranran nodded and sat silently in his vehicle, trying to calm her racing heart.

"Why are you here?"

A dark glint flashed in the man's eyes as he replied calmly.

"I happened to be inspecting this land and just stumbled upon you."