If You Could Hear My Heart

After everything was set, Shen Chi finally washed his hands, got dressed, and prepared to head to the group.

"You're going to the group today?" Xu Chaomu asked, thinking Shen Chi might not be going anymore.

"There are a few contracts; I need to go in and sign them."

"Can you come back as soon as you're done?" Xu Chaomu's eyes were full of anticipation—she always liked spending the whole day with Shen Chi; it seemed like she'd never tire of it.

"Mm, once you've made lunch, I'll come back."

"But I don't know how to cook…" Xu Chaomu's face showed some embarrassment; she didn't expect Shen Chi would ask her to make lunch.

"If you can't cook, then just clean yourself up and wait for me." Shen Chi smirked at her before fastening his suit and heading downstairs.

"Hmph!" Xu Chaomu snorted coldly.

However, before Shen Chi could go downstairs, his phone rang—it was Xiao Mo.

"Mr. Shen, there's a problem."

Shen Chi frowned, "What happened?"

"Bai Man took Jiang Zhilan, and they've escaped."

"Are the police eating soft rice?!" Shen Chi's eyes turned red as he cursed angrily on the spot.

"It's a long story, Mr. Shen. I'll explain later. Right now, the police are chasing their car, and during the escape, Bai Man has taken a young boy as a hostage," Xiao Mo reported, maintaining extreme calm.

"Which direction are they fleeing?"

"West."

"Is it toward the mountains?"

"We're not entirely sure where they're headed, but for now, they're going up the mountain road."

"She's really capable, isn't she?" Shen Chi sneered.

"I didn't expect this either, Mr. Shen. I'm already on the road with my team."

"Send me the location. I'll follow immediately."

"Understood, Mr. Shen. Please stay safe."

"Mm."

Xu Chaomu, standing nearby, noticed the darkened expression on Shen Chi's face, and she had heard Bai Man's name!

"What's wrong?" Xu Chaomu asked hastily.

"Bai Man escaped with Jiang Zhilan." Shen Chi quickly started heading downstairs.

"What? Weren't they both in prison? How could they escape from there?" Xu Chaomu was incredulous. "Where are they now? Are you going to chase them?"

Xu Chaomu followed closely behind Shen Chi, clearly in a hurry.

"I don't have the full details yet, but I'm heading there now."

"I'm coming with you," Xu Chaomu insisted.

"Stop with this nonsense!" Shen Chi scolded her, his face darkened. "Stay home, don't go anywhere, and take care of Xiaobao and Erbao."

"Let me go with you! I don't want to see you risking yourself alone. I promise I won't cause trouble—I'll just stay in the car. Besides, I have something I need to say to Bai Man!"

"What do you need to say to her?" Shen Chi turned to look at her, his sharp gaze piercing.

"I…"

"I'll take a monitoring device with me. If anything happens, I'll show you remotely. How about that?" Shen Chi compromised.

"Just make sure you keep it on the whole time!" Xu Chaomu still felt uneasy.

"Mm. Don't let the kids see it."

"I know." Xu Chaomu relented as well.

With that, Shen Chi stepped out of the living room and headed toward the garage.

Xiao Mo had already sent the location to him—it was in the mountainous area on the western side of the city. Bai Man's car was currently detected spiraling upward on the mountain road.

A group of police had blocked the road at the foot of the mountain, while another group had driven up after her!

Xiao Mo's car followed closely behind the police cars.

Xu Chaomu watched as Shen Chi's car drove away, her heart full of anxiety and unease.

Why would Bai Man escape? She didn't even seem to care about her life. What was she trying to achieve?

Xu Chaomu opened the monitoring device Shen Chi had handed her before he left. The device was connected to Shen Chi's, allowing her to clearly see both inside and outside his car. She could also speak with him at any time.

"Hubby, be careful on the road, don't confront Bai Man head-on—she doesn't even care about her life," Xu Chaomu advised him. "If she doesn't make any overly unreasonable demands, just agree to them."

Shen Chi glanced at the video and smirked, "Don't worry, go make lunch; once it's ready, I'll be back."

"I'm nervous…"

"Nervous about what? Your husband won't get into trouble. I'm driving now, so let's talk later—I need to call Xiao Mo."

Finished speaking, Shen Chi temporarily switched off the monitoring device.

Next, he dialed Xiao Mo's number.

"What's the situation? Have you seen Bai Man yet?" Shen Chi asked.

"Mr. Shen, we've spotted her. Bai Man is driving, and Jiang Zhilan and the young boy are inside the car."

"What's your plan?"

"Surround them," Xiao Mo replied. "But since she has a hostage, we won't make any reckless moves."

"Can the hostage be rescued?"

"We'll first negotiate with her. If we can ensure the hostage's safety, that's ideal. If not, we'll resort to firearms."

"Don't hurt the hostage," Shen Chi reminded him.

"Understood."

Shen Chi's car sped up quickly; the map showed he was already approaching the mountainous region in the West District.

The weather today was unusually good, and the sunlight was especially piercing. Shen Chi squinted as he pressed down on the accelerator.

A while later, Xiao Mo called him again: "Mr. Shen, Bai Man just called the police—she says she wants you to go up the mountain."

"Let her know I'll be there," Shen Chi decided, suspecting that Bai Man was indeed targeting him.

"She… also wants you to bring the young master."

Shen Chi sneered, "Not a chance."

It appeared Bai Man wanted to exchange the young boy for Xiaobao.

"Mr. Shen, both Bai Man and Jiang Zhilan are armed. You need to be careful," Xiao Mo advised.

"Mm."

Hanging up, Shen Chi focused on driving, his mind working through possible countermeasures along the way.

It was clear that Bai Man was coming for him.

Back at home, Xu Chaomu was anxiously pacing. Shen Chi had cut off the remote feed again, leaving her unable to see him, which only deepened her worries.

She locked herself alone in her bedroom, too uneasy to face Xiaobao outside.

Xiaobao was studying painting with a tutor in the small classroom, and Xu Chaomu noticed that Ayu had arrived shortly after.

It was obvious Shen Chi had called Ayu to protect her and the children.

Xu Chaomu realized that, in Shen Chi's mind, the most important thing was still their family's safety.

Unable to relax, she texted Shen Chi, reminding him to turn the remote feed back on so she could confirm he was alright.

Shen Chi smiled faintly and complied, but he didn't say much, focusing solely on his driving.

Xu Chaomu watched him through the feed—his focused driving was particularly captivating.

As the car rounded a bend, Shen Chi had already reached the mountain's entrance. After checking Xiao Mo's positioning, he took a shortcut.

Just then, Xiao Mo called him again: "Mr. Shen, Bai Man's car has stopped midway up the mountain—she doesn't plan to go any higher."

"Midway is high enough for negotiations; of course, she wouldn't be foolish enough to continue upward," Shen Chi remarked.

"Negotiations? Mr. Shen, what kind of terms do you think she'll propose?" Xiao Mo asked, puzzled.

A woman who didn't even care about her life—he couldn't imagine what she wanted.

"Revenge," Shen Chi stated bluntly.

From Bai Man's demand to bring Xiaobao, Shen Chi knew she wasn't after anything material. What she wanted was revenge, psychological satisfaction—the ultimate catharsis!

In truth, if possible, her deepest desire was to see him suffer a fate worse than death.