Chapter 268 Confession

"Yes," the man in black replied and hurriedly left.

As the evening wore on, Sang Yuwan felt extremely uneasy, her heart pounding in her throat.

Rong Zhi said gently, "Don't panic. Ming Zhan will be fine."

Sang Yuwan's hands unconsciously clenched together, her knuckles turning slightly white from the force. Her breathing became rapid and shallow, her chest rising and falling gently with each inhale, as if she were waging a silent struggle.

At this moment, no matter how Rong Zhi tried to comfort her, he couldn't alleviate her inner tension and unease.

Soon, the man in black dragged in a woman wearing a black hood.

Even with her face covered by a hood, Sang Yuwan recognized her at a glance.

The anger that had been building up inside her erupted instantly, carrying a fiery and unstoppable force.

Her brows were furrowed, as if a storm could be contained between them. "Mingmei, you have quite the nerve."

The man in black removed the woman's hood, revealing a frightened and uneasy face.

She looked at Sang Yuwan, tears welling up in her eyes, but they didn't fall.

"What did I do..."

Sang Yuwan angrily demanded, "Where is Ming Zhan?"

Her bright eyes flickered, quickly scanning her surroundings before hastily averting their gaze. She lowered her head, afraid to meet Sang Yuwan's eyes.

The bright light shone on her face, making her complexion appear even paler.

She took two deep breaths, her neck stiffening, "I don't know..."

Sang Yuwan grabbed the teacup in front of her and smashed it heavily at her, saying, "You still say you don't know?"

Bang--

Snap—

The teacup fell to the ground with a thud and shattered into pieces in an instant.

Mingmei's body was covered in water stains, and she swayed violently, taking two steps back.

The pain of the broken teacup couldn't mask the panic in her heart.

The deafening gunshot seemed to ring in my ears again.

She lowered her head, her fingertips digging into her palms, her whole body trembling.

"I really don't know..."

Seeing that she still wouldn't confess, Sang Yuwan shouted sternly at the man in black, "Beat her hard until she talks."

"Yes," the man in black replied and immediately took action.

He drew a thin silver whip from his waist and took three steps back.

"Snap!" A crisp and loud crack of the whip broke the silence as it darted out like a nimble snake, landing precisely on Mingmei's back.

Whip marks appeared quickly, spreading like crimson vines across his back, blood soaking through his clothes.

The condensed air quickly spread a faint smell of blood.

Mingmei's body trembled violently, her lips twitched involuntarily, and a muffled groan escaped from deep in her throat—a groan of pain and endurance.

Before she could speak, the man in black raised his silver whip again.

He only used 20% of his strength in that last strike.

If he used his full strength, a woman like Mingmei would be half-dead.

"Sister Wan, I'll tell you... I'll tell you everything..."

Mingmei knelt down on the ground with a thud, the bloodstains on her back a shocking sight.

Seeing this, Sang Yuwan felt no pity whatsoever; instead, her anger intensified, and she wished she could end her life with her own hands.

"Mingmei, if you dare to tell a single lie, I'll beat you to death today."

Mingmei swallowed hard, tears streaming down her face, her voice trembling, "Sister Wan, I wouldn't dare lie, please don't hit me..."

Sang Yuwan's chest heaved as she angrily said, "Speak."

Mingmei took a deep breath, then raised her head in fear and unease. "Young Master Shen asked me to devise a plan to lure my second brother out of the Ming family, and then... and then..."

Rong Zhi interjected, "Mingmei, your skills have improved. You actually managed to get the Second Young Master Ming away from the Ming family."

Sang Yuwan's eyes grew increasingly dark, and her pretty face was covered with a layer of frost.

Mingmei lowered her head again, and through trembling teeth squeezed out a sentence, "I lied to him, you were taken away by Young Master Shen..."

"Mingmei!" Sang Yuwan trembled with anger.

Rong Zhi quickly patted her back gently, "Let her finish speaking before you get angry."

Sang Yuwan's lips were pressed into a tight line, as if she were using all her strength to suppress the anger that was about to erupt. Her breathing became rapid and heavy, each breath like a storm raging in her chest, causing her chest to heave violently.

Rong Zhi shifted his gaze, coldly glancing at Mingmei kneeling on the ground, "Continue."

Seeing that things had come to this point, Mingmei knew that if she didn't explain things clearly, they might really take her life.

She swallowed hard, her voice suddenly becoming hoarse. "Bo Xinglan was also there at the time. I lied to my second brother, saying that Young Master Shen said that if he wanted to save you, he could exchange you for Bo Xinglan."

“Xinglan?” Sang Yuwan’s eyes were sharp as blades, her pupils burning with fierce flames.

Rong Zhi continued to gently stroke her back, his warm palm caressing her with an almost imperceptible force, each touch seeming to weave a silent comfort and warmth.

The warmth of her palm felt like an invisible current, seeping into Sang Yuwan's skin and reaching her heart. Her tense body relaxed slightly.

Rong Zhi looked at Mingmei with a cold and sharp gaze. "Continue."

"Waaah..." Mingmei cried out, her voice swirling in her throat as if bound by invisible chains, each word accompanied by a slight tremor.

"My second brother and I left the Ming family's house and got into a black SUV. He never imagined that the driver would be Young Master Shen..."

Sang Yuwan's heart skipped a beat, a sharp, throbbing pain shooting through her chest. The indescribable agony felt like a boulder pressing down on her chest, making even breathing incredibly difficult.

Mingmei was filled with fear, tears welling up in her eyes and occasionally spilling out, slowly sliding down her cheeks, weaving together with her sobs into a wordless lament.

"After I got in the car, my second brother slapped me..."

She slowly raised her head, letting Sang Yuwan and Rong Zhi see her face clearly, thus proving that she was not lying.

Sang Yuwan remained silent, her shoulders trembling slightly.

Rong Zhi's cold, sharp gaze was as if it had been tempered with ice. "And then?"

Mingmei sniffed, tears streaming down her face like broken beads, striking the ground and shattering her mental defenses.

"Then, Young Master Shen and my second brother got out of the car and started fighting. While they weren't looking, I drove the car away..."

Rong Zhi asked her, "Where did they get off the bus?"

Mingmei shook her head, choking back tears, "I don't know exactly where, I only know we've passed the southern part of the city..."

Sang Yuwan remained silent, her lips pressed into a straight line, each breath accompanied by the violent rise and fall of her chest.

Mingmei bit her lip and lowered her head again. She took two deep breaths before mustering the courage to say something.

"I had driven the car a short distance when I heard gunshots..."

Sang Yuwan's heart was racing, and her blood was surging through her veins.

The air around us seemed to grow heavy because of this mood, making it difficult to even breathe.

Bright words swirled in her throat, unable to find their way out, turning into low, dangerous gasps. Head bowed, she forced out a few words through clenched teeth, "I don't know who was shot..."