Back Then, I Adored You

The kick was powerful, and the man’s abdomen was now grossly injured as he writhed in pain on the ground unable to get up for a long time.

Wu Hao had already called the police when he had been on his way there so, without lingering, he bent down to pick up Xu Wennuan before he dashed to the door carrying her; however, after taking three steps, he felt his foot stepping on something. Upon taking a mindless glance, he saw that it was an exquisite men’s watch—a top luxury brand that bore an astronomical cost.

Not any random kidnapper could afford this… Maybe this was left behind by the person who saved Xu Wennuan? But where did he go?

Wu Hao turned his head back and took one glance outside the window. He frowned and thought for a moment. Suddenly, as if he suddenly understood something, he bent down and picked up the watch to slip it into his pocket before he quickly carried Xu Wennuan out the door.

After running along the twisting path and arriving at his car, Wu Hao placed Xu Wennuan in a seat and fastened her seatbelt before he got into the driver’s seat. Instead of starting the car, he turned on the interior lights and fished out the watch from his pocket and began to inspect it closely. The more he looked at it, the more familiar it seemed to him.

Wu Hao couldn’t recall offhand where he had seen the watch before, so he turned off the lights, started the car, and drove toward the city. After driving a short distance, he looked into the rearview mirror and spotted a familiar car behind him, causing him to reflexively slam his brakes and speed back in reverse. After taking a closer look at the license plate on the car parked in front of the farmhouse, it then dawned on him who the watch belonged to.

So, Lu Bancheng was the one who saved Nuannuan?

But where had he gone by the time I got there? The only possible place left was the river behind the factory…

That was a tragic aftermath I saw in that room, and that fight with the kidnappers would have spilled out into the factory yard or… He could have fallen into the river…

Wu Hao, who was initially pressing on the accelerator, suddenly moved his foot and stepped on the brake. He stared at the foggy road ahead for a moment and eventually dug out his phone from his pocket to call a policeman, a friend of his, whom he had already contacted earlier. After the policeman’s outgoing message played, Wu Hao left a message. “Could you help me search the river behind the factory? Someone most likely fell into the river. I’m not positive about this—it’s only conjecture—but I still need to trouble you about this. I’ll thank you in person later on.”

After he hung up the phone, Wu Hao remained silent for a few seconds before he started his car again.

…

Right after his arm was bandaged, the policeman called him back.

“Mr. Wu, I’ve certainly found someone in the river. He was one of the kidnappers.”

“One of the kidnappers?” Wu Hao frowned. “You didn’t find anyone else?”

“No. That river is very shallow. We’ve searched it several kilometers twice. No one else is in there.”

Wu Hao became lost in thought and stopped speaking until the policeman prompted, “Mr. Wu, is something wrong? Do you know of someone else who could be in that river?”

Wu Hao drifted back to his senses. “No, the signal was bad, and I hadn’t heard you clearly. Thanks for helping out last night.”

“No worries, Mr. Wu.” After the policeman said this, he asked, “Oh, right. Mr. Wu, we will have to trouble you to make a trip to the police station to record your statement. Do you have time to spare now?”

“Yes, I’ll head over now.”

Before he ended the call, as if the policeman suddenly remembered something, he said, “Mr. Wu, the kidnappers also confessed the name of the person who instigated them, and we’ve already brought her to the police station…”