Rong City, at dusk.
The Third Mental Hospital in the outskirts was struck by a sudden fire. Under the influence of the autumn wind, the fire grew fiercer.
"He got away! He really got away!"
"Damn it, how did he escape? How are we going to explain this to Mr. Du?"
"Forget about Mr. Du! Maybe we should just say he's dead!"
In a dingy basement scattered with trash, there was only a palm-sized window and a shaky wooden bed that looked like it could collapse any moment.
Outside the basement, five or six people who looked like ward assistants were standing, babbling nervously and looking very embarrassed.
Finally, a middle-aged man, over fifty, covered his mouth and nose, peeked inside and said with a disgusted look: "Well, if he's run away, he's run away. Mr. Du hasn't even visited for two years. It's clear that he's forgotten about this guy."
The others fell silent, implicitly agreeing with this decision.
At that time, not far from the mental hospital, a black Maybach parked on the roadside. A man in a suit and tie stood outside the car, cigarette dangling from his mouth, occasionally glancing lazily at his wristwatch.
"Has he come out?"
"Mr. Fu, our person inside says he has escaped," said the assistant.
Just as the assistant's voice fell, a small, emaciated figure appeared at the end of the road, his clothes ragged and his hair unkempt.
"Mr. Fu, it's Miss Jian!" cried the assistant out of urgency.
"Pick her up!" The man frowned, took a look at the running figure in the distance and spat the cigarette onto the ground from the corner of his mouth.
The figure was getting closer, the man's eyebrows knitted tighter, and the assistant beside him couldn't help but mutter softly, "Mr. Fu, how did Miss Jian end up in such a state?"
"Shut up!” The man commanded harshly, grinding his teeth.
—"Fu Jin Yan!”
The voice was soft, like a little kitten clawing at the tip of one's heart.
Fu Jin Yan quickly strode forward, and with his large hand, supported Jian Ning's arm.
Her arm was so thin that it barely filled his grip, as if with just a bit of force, her arm would break.
"Thank you." Jian Ning thanked him, her eyes turning red, subtly pulling her arm out of Fu Jin Yan's hand.
Jian Ning hadn't anticipated that she would ever escape this ghostly place in this lifetime. Up until she saw Fu Jin Yan, she had always thought it was a trap.
Nevertheless, she thought there might be a trap, she still wanted to risk it.
"Get in the car." Fu Jin Yan took a glance at Jian Ning's clothes, took off his jacket and draped it over her.
Jian Ning was still in a state of shock from her escape, and when the coat suddenly landed on her, she shuddered subconsciously.
Seeing this, Fu Jin Yan didn't say anything. His frown deepened a bit more, silently he opened the door to the back of the car, "Let's go. My mother must be anxiously waiting."
"Alright." Jian Ning responded softly, turned around, and got in the car.
From the moment she sat in the car, Jian Ning had stopped speaking altogether, her entire being shrinking towards the window, as if trying to make her presence as small as possible.
Looking out the window at the towering buildings, not much different from before she went into the psychiatric hospital, the glaring sunlight stung her eyes, making her feel like crying.
About half an hour later, the Maybach stopped outside a villa. The assistant quickly got off the car and opened the door for Jian Ning.
"Thank you." Jian Ning thanked softly, her lips curved up several times, as if she tried her best to squeeze out a smile, but ultimately failed.
"Miss Jian, you're too polite. It's all part of my duty." responded the assistant, who then pressed the doorbell for Jian Ning.
The interaction between the two did not slip past Fu Jingyan, who was observing from inside the car, his gaze deep.
A few seconds after the doorbell rang, a lavishly dressed middle-aged woman in a simple-colored cheongsam walked out. The moment she saw Jian Ning, her eyes welled up with tears and her voice trembled as she called out, "Ning Ning."
Upon hearing the voice, Jian Ning stiffened, her eyes welled up with tears.
