Chapter 32: A Desperate Plea for Help

The sensation of that kiss seemed to linger on her lips, making her unable to stop reliving the moment over and over again.

What did he mean by that? Could it be...

She dared not let her thoughts wander further, yet the sweetness swelling within her heart was impossible to suppress.

Just then, her phone suddenly rang.

"Buzz, buzz, buzz—"

Chen Si picked up the phone and, seeing that the caller ID was Chen Xiaoxiao, answered immediately. "Xiaoxiao? Are you okay?"

From the other end of the line came Chen Xiaoxiao’s voice, stifled and laced with tears: "Si Si, I... I’m over here at Building 6. Please, come save me! I’m being held against my will!"

"What?!" Hearing this, Chen Si sat bolt upright on the bed. "Where are you? What happened?"

"I’m on the twelfth floor of Building 6. Come quickly! And remember, don't tell anyone!"

The call was abruptly cut off.

Chen Si clutched the phone, her palms sweating, a war raging within her.

Chen Xiaoxiao had betrayed her, nearly causing her to fall into the hands of Pan Guang and his gang.

But now, she was calling to beg for help... What should she do?

Chen Si gripped the phone tightly, her fingertips trembling uncontrollably.

The shrill, desperate cries of Chen Xiaoxiao still seemed to pierce her eardrums. That heavy sense of despair and terror made her heart ache.

*She betrayed me. That woman nearly let me die at the hands of that animal, Pan Guang!*

*But now, she’s actually begging me for help, screaming that she’s being held captive...*

"Si Si? Who were you talking to?"

Mu Chen emerged from the kitchen carrying two bowls of steaming porridge, just in time to see her sitting listlessly on the edge of the bed.

Chen Si jumped, startled back to reality, and hurriedly tucked her phone away.

"Oh... it’s nothing, just a telemarketing call."

"Telemarketing?" Mu Chen raised an eyebrow. "It’s the apocalypse; who still has the mood to do telemarketing?"

"I guess it was... one of those automated dialing systems." Chen Si forced a smile that looked worse than crying and reached out to take the bowl of porridge he offered. "Thanks."

Mu Chen sat down beside her, his expression mysterious.

"Do you want to know the good news I mentioned earlier right now?"

"What good news?" Chen Si tried to act normal, but her voice remained thin, carrying an imperceptible tremor.

"Last night, I awakened a brand-new ability," Mu Chen whispered, leaning close to her ear.

"Shadow Cloak. I can turn invisible, and I can travel rapidly through shadows."

"Really?" Chen Si’s eyes widened instantly. "That’s... that’s insanely powerful!"

The corners of Mu Chen’s mouth curled up as he focused his mind.

His figure suddenly turned ethereal, then dissolved like ink into the shadow on the floor, vanishing without a trace.

In the next instant, he appeared silently from the shadows in the far corner of the room.

"My god!" Chen Si covered her mouth in shock. "That’s just... that’s just like teleportation!"

"With this ability, I’ll be even more confident in protecting you all from now on." Mu Chen returned to her side and reached out, gently ruffling her hair.

A sudden warmth bloomed in Chen Si’s heart.

But before the warmth could even settle, the image of Chen Xiaoxiao’s tear-streaked face begging for help surfaced in her mind again. The fleeting warmth was instantly dispelled by a biting chill.

*She needs me to save her, but... she betrayed me so cruelly...*

*If I don't go, will she really die?*

"You look distracted," Mu Chen remarked, keenly sensing that something was wrong. "Are you not feeling well?"

"No, I’m fine, I’m perfectly fine." Chen Si shook her head vigorously, wearing a forced smile.

At that moment, Chen Jiahe walked out of another room, yawning.

She caught sight of the two sitting side by side, her expression turning slightly strained.

"Breakfast ready?" Her tone was flat, revealing neither joy nor anger.

"Yeah, it's ready, sitting in the kitchen," Mu Chen said, standing up. "I’ll go bring it over for you."

No sooner had he left than Chen Jiahe walked over to Chen Si, her eyes locking onto her.

"Who were you on the phone with just now?"

Chen Si’s heart skipped a beat. "What phone call?"

"Don't play dumb; I heard everything." Chen Jiahe sat down opposite her, her posture composed. "And that look on your face right now clearly shows you're hiding something from us."

Chen Si opened her mouth, trying to offer an excuse.

But under Chen Jiahe’s piercing gaze, which seemed capable of seeing through everything, all the lies she had prepared were stuck in her throat; she couldn't spit out a single word.

"Was it Chen Xiaoxiao?" Chen Jiahe hit the nail on the head, shattering her facade.

Chen Si’s body stiffened involuntarily.

That subtle reaction spoke louder than a thousand words.

"She contacted you?" There was a hint of coldness in Chen Jiahe’s voice. "Hasn't she already betrayed you? What kind of trick is she trying to pull now?"

"She... she said she’s being held captive and is begging me to save her." Chen Si bit her lower lip hard, her voice barely a whisper as she finally revealed the truth.

"Save her?" Chen Jiahe let out a cold, heartless laugh.

"When she plotted to frame you, did she ever think about saving your life?"

"I know, but..." Chen Si’s voice grew even smaller, tinged with helplessness. "If I don't go, she... she might really die."

"So what?" Chen Jiahe’s tone was devoid of sympathy, becoming even more biting. "If she dies, she deserves it. It’s her own fault. What does that have to do with you, Chen Si?"

Chen Si fell completely silent, two conflicting thoughts tearing at her, locked in a fierce battle deep within.

Logic told her over and over that Chen Jiahe was absolutely right; a woman like Chen Xiaoxiao, who broke faith and betrayed others, wasn't worth the risk.

Yet, emotionally, she couldn't bear the thought of watching a life fade away in front of her, even if that person had once hurt her.

"You aren't... you aren't actually feeling pity, are you? Thinking of going to save her?" Chen Jiahe saw that damned hesitation in her silence.

"Chen Si, get a grip! This is a ninety-nine percent certainty of a trap! A snare set specifically for you!"

"But what if... what if it isn't?" Chen Si suddenly looked up, tears swirling in her eyes. "What if she’s really in a desperate situation, and I... I just stand by and watch her die because of past grievances..."

"Then you should just go die as she hopes you will!" Chen Jiahe, enraged, stood up abruptly, her chest heaving.

"A bleeding heart like yours, this 'saintly' mentality of yours, will end up killing you sooner or later! And you might even drag Mu Chen down with you!"

"I never intended to drag anyone into this!" Chen Si also jumped to her feet, retorting with a loss of emotional control.

"I just... I just don't want to watch someone die right in front of me!"

"Even if this person once betrayed you so viciously?"

"Even if she betrayed me!" Chen Si’s voice was hoarse from agitation, yet exceptionally firm.

"Because I don't want to—and I disdain to—become someone as cold-blooded and ruthless as she is!"

The two women stood in a standoff, the air in the room feeling as though it had frozen, thick with the scent of impending conflict.