Chu Munan’s lips curled into a slight smile; in reality, seeing Song Qiao so nervous and worried about him, it made him quite happy inside.

If it weren’t for Song Qiao truly caring about Lu Jingchen, he might have really tried to compete with Lu Jingchen for her.

But now, Chu Munan only hopes Song Qiao will be well, happily together in the future.

Unable to suppress a sigh, Chu Munan raised his hand to gently stroke her long hair, nodded helplessly and spoke, "Alright, I promise you."

Song Qiao immediately nodded, feeling much relieved, "Then it’s settled; if there’s danger, you can’t stand in front of us, we all have to protect ourselves well."

"Alright."

What Song Qiao did not anticipate was that tonight’s incident almost became the last night she and Chu Munan could spend together.

Luckily, it was only just, almost...

They soon arrived at the basketball court as instructed by the other party. There were two streetlights on the court, but probably due to age, the lights flickered as if they might go off any moment.

Song Qiao and Chu Munan stood in the middle of the basketball court as requested by the opponent. Song Qiao looked at the surrounding darkness, her heart pounding, hoping the other party would indeed appear.

Meanwhile, Chu Munan discreetly began observing the situation around him, his cold, sharp eyes exuding a chilling aura.

Back then, he was a renowned figure in the special forces, possessing skill, charm, and ability. He had been the champion in the national Special Soldier competition held every four years, having been a top Special Soldier.

In the military, he not only honed impressive skills but also developed an observation ability keener than most people, even his hearing.

As they stood there for a few minutes, Chu Munan heard footsteps from not far away. Listening carefully, he immediately realized there were more than just one person approaching, and judging by the footsteps, these individuals were likely skilled.

"They’re here," the man lowered his head to whisper softly in Song Qiao’s ear, "at your right-hand side."

Upon hearing this, Song Qiao immediately looked towards that direction, at the streetlight, and indeed soon saw a few people approaching, roughly three or four, all over 1.8 meters tall, with sturdy builds. But as they came with their backs against the light, Song Qiao couldn’t make out their faces.

Those few people stopped about ten steps away from Song Qiao, and one who seemed to be the leader set his gaze on Chu Munan, squinting slightly before speaking, "Mrs. Lu, I seem to have told you over the phone not to bring anyone, right?"

Upon hearing this, Song Qiao’s heart tightened and she promptly said, "You didn’t say that over the phone, did you? If you did, perhaps I was too nervous then to notice. Besides, you arranged to meet me in such a wilderness, pitch dark everywhere, do you think I wouldn’t be afraid as a woman walking alone?"

Pausing for a moment, she continued, "Rest assured, he’s just a friend of mine, not someone significant, merely accompanying me. Just don’t harm him afterward, alright?"

"Mrs. Lu, don’t forget Lady Lu is in our hands now; it’d be best not to play any tricks, otherwise if Lady Lu meets an unfortunate accident, you can’t blame us," the person’s tone was clearly a bit displeased, letting out a cold chuckle.

Song Qiao couldn’t help clenching her hand beside her into a fist, gazing at those people opposite, she replied with a question instead, "Is your actual target me?"

The other side was silent for a while but didn’t conceal anything either, "The buyer indeed specifically named Mrs. Lu."

Song Qiao fixed her gaze on them, but no matter how good her vision was, because those people were backlit, their faces hidden in darkness, she couldn’t see their expressions clearly. Ultimately, she had to give up and speak coldly, "Since it’s me you want, why did you kidnap Lady Lu? Don’t you know kidnapping would not only offend the Lu Family and CK Group but also Commander Xu of the land forces unit?"

Song Qiao had just learned about Xu Qian’s complex family background while in the car from Chu Munan’s introduction.

Xu Qian’s parent’s status is indeed very ordinary. Her father is a professor at a university, having a modest reputation in the literary world. Her mother is a pianist but only garnered a bit of fame because Xu Qian’s mom didn’t continue performing after Xu Qian was born, choosing to give up.

Thus, Xu Qian was indeed born into a scholarly family. From childhood until she married Lu Tianming, her status might have been ordinary, at best a bit better than average.

What’s different is that Xu Qian’s brother started joining the military when he was young, climbing higher step by step with his strength, until now he has become the well-known Commander of land forces in the country, through his efforts and accumulated merits.

The other party also knew who Commander Xu was but remained utterly unfazed, speaking directly, "If we didn’t kidnap Madam Lu, Mrs. Lu, you likely wouldn’t come out, would you? Besides, we’re just a bunch of desperados, do you think we’re scared of Commander Xu of the land forces?"

Upon hearing this, Song Qiao was momentarily speechless, feeling the other had a point, leaving her at a loss for what to say.

But following was a wave of worry, concern for Xu Qian’s safety.

The other party continued, "Mrs. Lu, if you want Madam Lu’s safety, it’ll depend on your behavior. After all, the buyer wants your life; as long as you don’t play tricks, we’ll indeed let Madam Lu return safely."

[After all, the buyer wants your life]

This sentence rang abruptly in Song Qiao’s mind, causing her heart to involuntarily skip.

Chu Munan heard the other party’s words and was taken aback, quickly furrowing his brows, lowering his head to look at Song Qiao, seeing her wide-eyed expression. He immediately reached out to hold her hand, reassuring her.

Feeling the warmth from Chu Munan’s hand, Song Qiao’s tense heart suddenly eased, losing the panic from before.

Gazing at those people in front, she suppressed the turmoil in her heart, "You want to kill me, and as I’m about to die, shouldn’t you tell me who’s behind wanting my life?"