Chu Munan’s expression immediately turned a bit grim. The other party had not clarified exactly where to go, only instructing Song Qiao to come here alone. The surroundings were completely dark, and it was impossible to know what was hidden around. Even he, if he came alone, would inevitably worry about an ambush.

Moreover, it was Song Qiao... If she came alone, she would have no power to resist if the other side did anything, completely at their mercy.

Now, Chu Munan was immensely grateful that Song Qiao had called him, and he heard something was amiss, so he came with her.

Staring into the seemingly never-ending darkness ahead, Chu Munan’s thin lips pressed together, and he spoke directly, "Let’s wait here for a while, if they don’t call us, we’ll head back soon."

Song Qiao sat in the passenger seat, looking around. If she were alone, she would probably be too scared to get out of the car. Fortunately, Chu Munan came along.

Chu Munan’s identity has always been somewhat mysterious; very few people know about him. So when he wanted to come, Song Qiao didn’t refuse. If asked, she’d say she brought someone along because she was timid, as the other party only said not to tell Lu Jingchen, not that someone couldn’t accompany her.

Hearing Chu Munan’s words, she was stunned for a moment, then instinctively asked, "Why don’t we call them first?"

Chu Munan sat there, his expression unchanged, his fingers tapping on the steering wheel, and explained, "From what you said before, I’ve realized that the other side clearly has a motive and is prepared, not just an ordinary kidnapper. I’ve experienced many such kidnapping incidents, and from my experience, if you call them, they’ll have their phone off unless they contact you first."

Song Qiao immediately understood his point. She had experienced a kidnapping once, but she was young then, and her memories of it were vague. Besides, it was just a regular kidnapping; they were after money.

Chu Munan continued, "Did they tell you to be here by twelve?"

Song Qiao nodded, "That’s what they said on the phone." 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

"They?"

"Yes, when I answered the call, I heard the person speaking to me and other voices whispering, as if there were more than just two people." Song Qiao answered truthfully without hiding anything.

Chu Munan immediately turned to look at her, frowning as he said, "You clearly knew it wasn’t just one person, yet you thought of coming here alone? Song Qiao, did you think about the consequences? What if they were after your life?"

Song Qiao was stunned, then lowered her head and said, "I didn’t think much at the time. Xu Qian has always been good to me, and I just wanted her to be safe."

Now that she thought about it, she felt a bit scared considering the environment and listening to Chu Munan’s analysis.

Seeing Song Qiao like this, even though Chu Munan was initially angry, he couldn’t stay mad, his tone becoming much gentler, "If they show up, stand behind me and protect yourself."

Song Qiao looked up suddenly, "But this has nothing to do with you..."

Chu Munan looked at her intently and said, "I’m already here with you, so I have the right to help you, Qiaoqiao. Don’t forget, I’m Huanhuan’s godfather, and I have the right to ensure your safety."

Song Qiao’s eyes immediately reddened.

Chu Munan was always so good to her, making her feel like she couldn’t repay his kindness.

The guilt felt incredibly uncomfortable.

Chu Munan looked ahead, then changed the topic and asked, "How long until midnight?"

Song Qiao checked the time and answered truthfully, "Twenty more minutes."

Because Chu Munan drove faster, it usually took her over half an hour to get here, but Chu Munan got here in just twenty minutes.

So they were early.

"Hmm, that’s plenty of time," Chu Munan stated meaningfully.

Song Qiao turned her head, looking at him with some confusion, clearly not understanding what he meant.

But Chu Munan didn’t have time to explain further, immediately picking up his phone and dialing a number.

The person on the other end quickly picked up, and a surprised voice came through, "Yo, how come you have time to call me, Second Brother? And at this hour?"

Chu Munan’s expression remained cold, "I have something I need your help with."

"The sun must be rising from the west, Second Brother... You actually need my help? Tell me quickly what’s troubling you. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; I have to give it my all and would do anything for you."

When Chu Munan called, the phone was on speaker mode, so Song Qiao clearly heard the other person’s words, rendering her speechless and a little taken aback as she looked at Chu Munan.

This man sounded way too excited! Who was he?

Song Qiao was actually quite curious about Chu Munan’s circle.

Back when they were together, Chu Munan would never avoid her when taking calls. Sometimes at home, he’d put his phone on speaker and take calls openly.

Song Qiao knew Lu Jingchen had a few funny friends around him, but she had never met them.

The person on the other end continued, "We even had a bet on whether you’d ask us for help. Looks like I won, thanks to you, Second Brother. When you get back, I’ll treat you to a feast, not on my dime anyway..."

Chu Munan’s expression remained unchanged, as if accustomed to the person’s tone and words, his demeanor calm and restrained, "If you keep joking, I won’t hesitate to find someone else to help."

The person on the other end immediately replied, "Oh no, don’t stop. I’m not joking anymore, okay? Tell me, what do you need help with?"

The person quickly switched to a serious tone, "If it’s something I can help with, I’ll do my best for you, as long as it doesn’t involve murder or arson. Of course, if you could convince me, there’s always room for negotiation."

After all, Second Brother once saved my life.