Chapter 431 Trust Me Or Her
“I checked the surveillance camera. Xin’s kidnapper was very careful. He wore a cap that hid his face, and the van they used had a fake car plate. They also used a route that did not have any surveillance cameras. We couldn’t track them,” said Gu Mingchen solemnly.
“Gu Mingchen, this is actually a no-brainer. You’re just blinded by your concern. If I kidnapped Xin, I wouldn’t hurt him. If Zhou Hailan was the one who kidnapped him, she wouldn’t hurt her son either. Thus, Xin is definitely safe,” analyzed Bai Rong out loud. She opened the pot and poured oil in.
Gu Mingchen remained silent.
Bai Rong dropped the fish into the pot. There was still water in it, which started to crackle and sent droplets of oil flying onto her hand.
Gu Mingchen put a lid over the pot and turned down the flame. He grabbed her hand and brought her over to the sink. “Are you angry because I didn’t trust you?” he asked as he held her hand under the water.
Bai Rong’s heart wrenched in regret when she saw how concerned and ashamed Gu Mingchen was.
He was right not to trust her because she did kidnap Xin. She knew that she was ruining his trust in her. But it doesn’t matter as long as he stays safe.
“A little,” answered Bai Rong. She was afraid that he would puzzle something out and quickly pulled her hand away to open the lid.
Gu Mingchen grabbed the spatula and blocked Bai Rong. “Be careful of the oil. Let me do it.”
Bai Rong stood off to a side and murmured, “Don’t worry. Xin will be fine.”
“Okay. How should I cook this fish?” Gu Mingchen asked.
“There’ll be chicken soup tonight. Just grill the fish. The oil won’t spurt out anymore. Let me do it.” Bai Rong picked up a bottle of cooking wine and poured it into the pot.
The content of the pot sizzled for a short while.
Gu Mingchen handed the spatula to Bai Rong, who then flipped the fish.
She had been preoccupied and forgot to add garlic and ginger, so she put them in along with soy sauce before placing the lid back on.
Right then, her phone started to ring, and the screen showed that the call was coming from Zhou Hailan. Without hesitation, she ended the call.
Gu Mingchen muttered, “Pick up the call.”
Just as he spoke, Zhou Hailan called again. Bai Rong picked up the call and turned on the speaker.
“What do you want, Wu Nian?” Zhou Hailan demanded gruffly.
“What do you want?” asked Bai Rong.
“Xin is still so young. Why don’t you target me directly? Leave the innocent out of this. I promise you that I won’t meet with Gu Mingchen ever again. Xin will leave him alone too. Are you happy now?”
“Firstly, I don’t care if you meet with Gu Mingchen or not. You’re just an insect to me. Next, it’s a fact that Xin is Gu Mingchen’s son. Blood is always thicker than water, okay? Lastly, Gu Mingchen doesn’t believe you. So, you don’t need to waste any more time. We have a great relationship, and you will never be able to get between us. If there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up now,” hissed Bai Rong before she hung up.
She placed the phone on the bar and said, “I suspect that she knows you’re here and put on a show on purpose. What do you think? Even if I really kidnapped Xin, it wouldn’t be because I wanted her to leave. I just want to find out who’s pulling the strings. You understand where I’m coming from?”
“I know. I’m sorry to put you through this,” said Gu Mingchen apologetically.
Bai Rong’s gaze darkened.
The more he trusted her, the more guilty she felt. “I’m going to cook. Get out of here. I can’t do my thing with you in the kitchen. I’ll be done in half an hour.”
“Okay,” replied Gu Mingchen as he turned to leave.
Bai Rong placed the rice inside the rice cooker and then tossed some beans and sliced meat into a pot.
At that moment, Zhou Hailan called again. Bai Rong checked the fire before answering the call and started the recording.
“Wu Nian, I won’t become your puppet just because you’ve kidnapped Xin. I won’t tell you the truth even if it costs me my life. I don’t care about him. I can always give birth to another child,” snapped Zhou Hailan viciously.
Bai Rong remained silent as she started to pity Xin.
Xin loved Zhou Hailan with all his heart. If someone tried to hurt her, he would not hesitate to avenge her with all the might he possessed. If Xin knew that Zhou Hailan felt this way about him, it would break his heart.
“Everyone makes their own choices. Your choices determine what the ending is. Although I don’t know why you’re framing me, I hope you won’t end up dooming yourself,” Bai Rong warned her before ending the call.
Another phone call from Zhou Hailan came in.
Bai Rong picked up.
“What do you mean?” Zhou Hailan screamed furiously.
Bai Rong chuckled. “From now on, I’m going to block you. You shouldn’t waste your time calling me again.”
Bai Rong hung up and immediately blocked Zhou Hailan. Then she continued cooking and served the food half an hour later.
Gu Mingchen’s brows were furrowed tightly. “Continue investigating. Check every nook and cranny. He can’t have disappeared just like that. Even if I have to search to the ends of the earth, I’ll do it,” ordered Gu Mingchen.
Bai Rong took a seat opposite him and started digging in.
Gu Mingchen gazed grimly at Bai Rong. “Rong, I know you want to find out who’s behind all this. However, I don’t want to sacrifice anyone in order to protect myself.”
Bai Rong made a sound of acknowledgment and went on eating.
Gu Mingchen raised an eyebrow but remained silent and started to eat as well.
The atmosphere became exceptionally quiet all of a sudden. The dogs picked up on the awkward silence and let out a few barks.
“Give me your phone, “said Bai Rong to Gu Mingchen.
Gu Mingchen did as she asked without hesitation.
Scrolling through his contacts, she stopped when she found Leng Xiao. She memorized the number and continued scrolling till she found Zhou Hailan’s contact and proceeded to block her.
Gu Mingchen’s brows drew even tighter together.
As Bai Rong looked at his deep frown, her heart ached. “You know Zhou Hailan’s every move because your people are following her. I blocked her number, but you’ll still be able to watch over her. However, if you insist on keeping her number, I can unblock her. I didn’t delete her contact. Moreover, you should know that it won’t be safe if you bring her here. I’ll leave after we’re done eating. I don’t care if your people continue to follow me.”
“You don’t have to make such a big fuss.” Gu Mingchen’s frustration was evident.
“I just don’t want the situation to worsen. I think we need a break to cool down. You know where to find me. Also…” Bai Rong paused and stared deeply at him. “You might not have noticed, but you trust Zhou Hailan more than you think. That’s the reason why you started to suspect me after her calls. I think this is also the main reason why Xia He was wronged for so many years.”
Bai Rong set down her chopsticks and stood up. “I’m done eating. You can take your time.”
Gu Mingchen grabbed her hand. “I’m sorry.”
