Chapter 139

The hall suddenly fell silent. All eyes followed Mr. Weiting toward the stage. Though a faint smile played upon his lips, his eyes were unnervingly cold. Through the microphone, his indifferent voice echoed across the room: "My apologies, everyone. An unforeseen matter has arisen at home, and I am unable to continue hosting you. I ask for your understanding." Having spoken, Mr. Weiting retreated from the stage in haste, while the butler signaled the staff to begin escorting the guests out of the banquet hall.

Arthur and his three companions did not share the confusion of the crowd. As soon as Mr. Weiting finished speaking, Arthur commanded, "Let's go," and strode swiftly toward the exit.

The others followed closely. Once inside their car, Arthur spoke with a solemn expression: "Yingyue has been abducted."

"What? That girl was kidnapped again?" Feng Qingquan shrieked in disbelief, his eyes widening. He muttered to himself, "Good heavens, what kind of cursed fate does this girl have?"

Arthur’s sharp ears caught the remark, and he shot Feng a cold, reproving glare.

Xiahou Yu turned rigid at the news, his expression darkening with profound grief. His thoughts drifted back to the day Yingyue had last gone missing; his face paled, and a subtle tremor ran through his body. It seemed that previous trauma had left a lasting shadow upon him.

Noticing Xiahou Yu’s state, Arthur glared at Feng Qingquan once more before gripping Xiahou’s trembling hand tightly. With a furrowed brow and deep concern, he whispered, "Yu, don't worry—"

"No, no, it’s all my fault. If it weren't for me, Yingyue would be right by your side, safe and sound. I’m the one who caused this! It’s all me!" Xiahou Yu murmured in agony, clutching his head in a state of near-madness.

Arthur’s heart ached at the sight. Indeed, if he hadn't been so stubborn, if he had been stronger, if he hadn't overestimated his own capabilities—if not for him, Yingyue would never have been put in danger. He had failed to protect the woman he loved; how could he blame anyone else?

"Xiahou, hey, don't be like this. None of us could have foreseen this outcome. Don't blame yourself or torture yourself. If you must blame someone, blame how cunning the perpetrators were," Feng Qingquan said, turning to Arthur for support. "Right, Arthur?" But when he looked back, he saw that Arthur, too, had retreated into his own world, his face etched with self-reproach.

"Hey, Arthur, what’s wrong with you? It’s one thing for Xiahou to be like this, but you too? What are you both doing?" Feng shouted in frustration.

Arthur snapped out of his trance. His gaze cleared, and he nodded at the anxious Feng, signaling him not to worry. He turned back to Xiahou Yu, his voice cold and firm: "Yu, pull yourself together. Yingyue is gone, and our priority is to find her, not to wallow in self-pity. Do you hear me?" Arthur shook him firmly to emphasize his point.

Xiahou Yu regained his focus and said solemnly, "You're right. We can't act like this. We know nothing of her situation; we must analyze what we have. Tell us everything you know."

Arthur and Feng felt a sense of relief. Arthur continued, "According to Hill’s report, those who took her this time possess power and influence far greater than the last group. Their actions were swift and their methods highly sophisticated."

"How can you be sure their strength exceeds yours?" Feng asked, skeptical. While he hadn't witnessed Arthur’s full prowess, he knew Arthur was a force to be reckoned with.

"Because my men had already rescued Yingyue from the initial kidnappers, but another group appeared and snatched her away with blinding speed. The entire operation took less than a minute."

"A minute? That fast?" Both Xiahou and Feng frowned, their expressions turning grave. Anyone capable of snatching a prize from Arthur’s hands with such speed was a formidable threat.

"Yes. However," Arthur added, looking at them, "I have a feeling that these people won't harm her. In fact, this might end up being a blessing in disguise."

"A blessing? How can you be so sure without having seen it yourself?" Feng raised an eyebrow, his smile skeptical. Xiahou Yu looked equally unconvinced, his eyes clouded with worry.

Arthur shook his head. "My intuition has never been wrong. We might just find that this turns out for the best."

Feng remained unconvinced, but Xiahou Yu chose to believe him, recalling the sight of Arthur vomiting blood the last time Yingyue went missing.

"I believe we will see Yingyue very soon," Arthur said—a Yingyue who would be whole and vibrant.

As Arthur’s car wove through the darkness and vanished around a street corner, his words seemed to dissolve into the night air.

Back at the Weiting estate, upon learning that Eva was missing, Yuwen Xi rushed to Yingyue’s room. He stopped at the threshold and walked in slowly. The window was wide open, the curtains fluttering wildly in the night breeze. The room was filled with the lingering scent of her perfume, but she was gone.

Yuwen Xi walked to the window and saw a violet hair comb lying on the floor. His gaze sharpened. He bent down to retrieve it, clutching it in his palm as a sharp pain pierced his heart. He looked up at the moon hanging high in the night sky, his eyes deep and mournful.

*Yingyue, were we never meant to be? We were on the verge of engagement, and you had promised me... yet you vanished at the final moment. Did you truly not want this? Or does heaven itself oppose us? Was all the sweetness before this just a cruel joke, a daydream? Where are you now? Did that man take you? Are you in his arms already? Is it true that, memory or not, the one you love will never be me? That the person in your heart will always be him?*

Yuwen Xi’s eyes grew moist. As he bowed his head, a dark drop of moisture fell onto his trousers. In that same moment, his gaze turned icy. He strode onto the balcony and saw a man lying on the cold floor. The man’s face was serene but pale, his chest still; he had been dead for some time.

Yuwen Xi recognized him. It was Dr. Bentley.

Though dead, Dr. Bentley’s right hand was clenched into a fist. Yuwen Xi’s sharp eyes caught a glimpse of violet fabric caught between the doctor's fingers. His face darkened, his eyes burning with deep hatred.

"George, what’s wrong?"

A clear, concerned female voice came from behind him. As footsteps approached, Yuwen Xi spun around, his face devoid of emotion. It was Avril, who had come to find him after settling the guests.

Avril appeared distraught and sorrowful, her voice trembling as if she could not accept the reality. "Who could be so sinister as to ruin Brother’s engagement and abduct innocent Eva? I hope she is safe." She choked back tears, a picture of fragile pity.

But Yuwen Xi’s piercing gaze caught the flash of joy and malice in her eyes when she mentioned Eva’s disappearance.

He watched her act for a moment before saying, with cold sarcasm, "Indeed, who could be so sinister to commit such a wicked act?" He stared at her, missing no detail. Seeing that she remained composed despite her weeping, he continued, "If I ever find out who did this, I will tear them limb from limb!"

Avril flinched slightly at his words. Because her head was bowed, Yuwen Xi did not see the flash of insane jealousy and destructive intent in her eyes.

She feigned a few more sobs, lifting a tear-streaked face, and whispered, "Yes, we must ask Father to find the culprit and punish them severely!"

"We certainly must," Yuwen Xi replied with chilling calm. "We cannot let such treachery slide. Right, my dear sister?"

For some reason, Avril shuddered at his final words. She felt a sudden, intense chill, for in that moment, she clearly perceived the freezing, murderous intent radiating from him.