You Owe Me, My Love

When Bai Rong was awake, she borrowed a clock from Song Xiyu, which was placed on the table. She knew she had been trapped in this small dark room for seven days.

During these seven days, she had never spoken a single word.

On the morning of the eighth day, she was being blindfolded again and taken onto a van with no license plate.

The van made many turns and she had changed several vehicles en route.

Three hours later, she was thrown out of the van.

When she removed her blindfold, the morning sun blinded her.

She was not able to keep her eyes opened, so she closed her eyes again and opened them slowly. The first thing she saw was a water fountain

In the middle of the fountain was a statue of a woman holding her child.

It seemed like an irony to Bai Rong.

She also saw green trees and grass, as well as red flowers.

She was still alive.

Bai Rong knew that she was near a park. She walked towards the roadside and hailed a cab.

"Sir, I don’t have any money. Can you make a call for me? I will get someone to pick me up.” Bai Rong said softly.

The driver was startled to see Bai Rong looking as pale as a ghost and was wearing a creased blue skirt stained with blood.

Her hand was also bandaged.

“Did you get robbed or kidnapped? Do you need to call the police?” The driver kindly offered.

Bai Rong shook her head and her eyes were red-rimmed. “There is no use even if I call the police,” she said.

"What is the number you want to call? You can make the call yourself.” The driver said as he passed the woman his phone.

“Thank you so much.” Bai Rong keyed in Liu Yan's number and the call got through.

"Yan, I am Bai Rong. I am on my way home now but I have no money. Can you pay the cab fare when I reach?” Bai Rong said softly.

“Rong!” Liu Yan was thrilled to hear her friend's voice. “Where have you been? I looked everywhere for you and have even called the police! Do you want to scare me to death?”

“I'm alright. You should cancel the police report first. I will be back soon. I'm using the driver's phone so I am hanging up now.” Bai Rong hung up without giving Liu Yan more time to question her.

When she reached her apartment half an hour later, Liu Yan was already waiting at the gate.

She alighted from the cab as Liu Yan paid her cab fare. Liu Yan noticed the bandage on her hand and widened her eyes in worry. “What happened to your hand? What happened during this period of time? You were kidnapped right? Was it Su Xuyan?”

Liu Yan got very agitated and said, “I am going to kill him.”

“Yan, it's not him. I want to take a shower now. I haven't showered for seven days. I must be stinking now.” Bai Rong smiled.

It was such a miserable smile.

"Who did it?" Liu Yan held Bai Rong by the shoulders and tears started streaming down her cheeks. She raised her voice and said, “Who are those people?! Bai Rong, you can't just take it lying down. I will help you. We can't let them get away with this.”

Bai Rong was calm and looked indifferent. “Let this matter pass. If you are my friend, don't ask me about it anymore.” She said and walked towards the elevator.

However, Liu Yan was not able to stay calm and said as she followed behind Bai Rong, “Don't tell me it was Su Wanning? So much has happened these few days. Gu Mingchen and Su Wanning got engaged. Has your disappearance got to do with it?”

"Engaged? Aren't they supposed to get married?” Bai Rong took a glance at Liu Yan.

Liu Yan kicked the garbage bin in rage as she said, “Gu Mingchen should be ashamed of himself. While you were kidnapped, he got happily engaged to another woman. Do you not mean anything to him?”

Bai Rong downcast her eyes and waited silently for the lift.

“Hang on. Did they hold you in captive to threaten Gu Mingchen to get married? It had to be Su Wanning. Even if she succeeds in marrying him, she will never have his heart.”

“I told you I don't want to talk about it anymore.” Bai Rong's tone grew harsher.

“Now that you are back, you can press charges against her. Tell everyone the truth. You have Gu Mingchen's support, there is nothing to fear. Fight it out with that woman.”

“I said stop!” Bai Rong raised her voice and said sternly.

Liu Yan was momentarily stunned by her tone. She looked at Bai Rong in shock.

Bai Rong knew she shouldn't have gotten mad at Liu Yan.

Her friend only wanted to help her.

“I know what I should do. Don’t worry.” Bai Rong softened her tone.

Liu Yan burst into tears and hugged her tightly. “Why does life treat you so badly? The pain that Su Xuyan caused you was already too much; now it's Gu Mingchen'’s turn.” She said, feeling pained. “It is my own fault. I was too greedy for those that never belonged to me in the first place.” Bai Rong patted Liu Yan on her back and looked into space in stillness, as though she was glad to receive a new lease of life. “My days can only get better from now onward.”

"Yes, definitely.”

After Bai Rong returned to her room, she took her clothes and went into the bathroom.

“Do you want me to help you?” Liu Yan was worried.

Bai Rong shook her head and said, “The wound is already scarring. Everything that needs to be healed is in the process of doing so. I am a doctor too; I know what needs to be done. Don't worry, I'm fine.”

The woman finished washing up and as she was getting dressed, she heard someone pounding urgently at the door outside.

Liu Yan opened the door and Gu Mingchen dashed in. Feeling emotional, he choked up while he asked, “Where is Bai Rong?”

"Haven't you given her enough trouble?” Liu Yan tried to push the man away as a swell of rage rose in her but she wasn't strong enough to do so.

When Bai Rong walked out of the bathroom, Gu Mingchen looked at her as tears filled his deep-set eyes.

He was unable to contain the surge of emotions he felt in his heart and pulled her into a tight embrace. “I am so happy you are safe. Sorry, I failed to protect you.”

The woman's hands hung by her side. She did not hug him back. She was misty-eyed and stared straight ahead.

Her heart was already numbed from the extreme pain she felt.

Gu Mingchen had lost a lot of weight.

The man had almost lost his mind when he saw Bai Rong's video and did not manage to sleep at all during the past seven days.

He searched everywhere like a madman, and even felt like killing Su Wanning. He created chaos in Gu Tianhang's office and smashed all the furniture in the Gu family’s villa.

When Gu Mingchen saw that Bai Rong had lost one of her fingers, he chopped off his pinkie finger as well.

Both his parents and Su Zheng forced him to marry Su Wanning. In fact, everyone around him were forcing him to do that.

It was a tough battle of wits and courage for him that he fought hard to stay sane every day.

He was so afraid that he would see another finger missing from the woman's hand.

Gu Mingchen had told everyone that he would chop off one of his own fingers for each finger chopped off from Bai Rong's hand.

He fell into even deeper despair when he found out that his parents were behind Bai Rong's kidnapping.

While he was trapped in anguish and distress, he thought of an idea

He was only willing to get engaged to Su Wanning if his parents freed Bai Rong. If Bai Rong did not manage to survive, he would end his life too.

At last, he managed to negotiate successfully.

Bai Rong was released after his engagement ceremony yesterday.

“Gu Mingchen, don't look for me again.” Bai Rong said softly.

The man clenched his fist and the veins on his neck protruded.

He understood that if he continued seeing her, it would eventually land her in danger again.

He needed to become the strongest in order to protect her.

"OK." Gu Mingchen choked as he forced the word out of his throat.

If he had a choice, he would never have agreed to that.