Stolen Freedom

Xinyi startled and looked towards the door. Her heart pounded as her gaze fixated on the handle. A glimmer of hope flickered in her chest, accompanied by an unshakable fear. "Please let it be mom," she whispered to herself, inching closer to the door. Her hands trembled as she reached for the lock, hesitant yet desperate. But before she could touch it, the door flung open, revealing two imposing men standing on the other side.

Xinyi's breath hitched as she took a step back. "Who are you people?" she demanded, her voice trembling. The men's faces were unreadable, cold, and resolute. One of them stepped forward with a grim smile and said, "Don't be afraid, child. We're here to take you to your mother."

A surge of doubt and terror shot through Xinyi. Her instincts screamed at her to run, and she spun around, preparing to flee. But before she could take another step, one of the men grabbed her by the hair, yanking her back with brutal force. She let out a scream, sharp and piercing, but it was quickly muffled by a cloth pressed to her face. The sickly-sweet smell filled her nose, and her vision blurred.

Moments later, her body gave way to unconsciousness, crumpling to the floor. The men worked swiftly, tying her hands and feet with rough ropes. One of them slung her over his shoulder like a lifeless doll, carried her to a car waiting outside, and tossed her into the trunk. The car sped off, leaving the house eerily silent.

****

Lei Xian was sitting in her sleek car, her phone resting on the dashboard. When it buzzed, she answered without hesitation. A voice on the other end said, "Boss, the object has been found."A cold smile spread across Lei Xian's face. "Keep it secure," she commanded. "I'll be there soon."

****Xinyi stirred, her head throbbing and her limbs aching. She opened her eyes, only to be greeted by a dimly lit room. The single bulb above her flickered ominously. Panic set in as she realized her wrists and ankles were bound tightly to a chair. The ropes bit into her skin as she struggled, her breaths coming fast and shallow.

Her voice cracked as she screamed into the void. "Who are you? Let me go! I don't know anything...!!Just let me go!" But her cries were met with silence.

Hours passed, and Xinyi's head drooped, exhaustion overtaking her. The sound of a door creaking open jolted her awake. She blinked, trying to adjust to the darkness. The faint outlines of two men became visible as they stepped into the room. She flinched when the bulb above her buzzed to life, illuminating the space.

Her eyes widened in horror as she noticed another figure in the room—a woman tied to a chair, her head slumped forward, and her face hidden behind disheveled hair. Xinyi's voice cracked. "Who... who is that?"One of the men smirked and stepped closer to the unconscious woman. He reached out and brushed the hair away from her face. Xinyi's breath caught in her throat. Her heart stopped.

"M... Mom?" she whispered, disbelief and anguish tearing through her. Tears streamed down her face as she pleaded, "Please, let her go. Please, she's done nothing wrong."

The man chuckled darkly. "You're here because of her," he said coldly.

Xinyi shook her head vehemently. "No, you're mistaken! Let her go!" Her voice was desperate, but the men ignored her. Instead, one of them splashed cold water on Hua Li's face, jolting her awake. "Talk to your mother calmly," he said with a smirk. "Who knows, this might be your last conversation."

As the men exited the room, Xinyi's frantic voice filled the space. "Mom! Mom, can you hear me? Mom, wake up! Please!"

After a moment, a faint response came. "Xin... Xinyi? Is that you?"

"Mom!" Xinyi cried out. "Mom, what's going on? How did you get here? We need to get out of here!"

Hua Li's face crumpled with guilt and fear. "You shouldn't have come back," she whispered. "I should have hidden us better. They're dangerous... so dangerous..."

Xinyi's mind spun. "What are you talking about? Mom, what is happening?"

****

Yichen was seated at his desk, poring over documents. The persistent ringing of his phone interrupted his focus. Picking up the call, he asked, "Did you find out anything about that girl?"

The voice on the other end replied, "Boss, I checked on the island. Those kids were from a nearby town on a school trip. The girl's name is Xinyi."

Yichen's expression sharpened. "As soon as you find out anything more about the town, let me know." Without another word, he ended the call, his mind racing with possibilities.

****

The door slammed open,The same two men who had dragged them here stood at the doorway, their expressions cold and devoid of emotion. But they weren't alone this time. A group of men entered behind them, their presence commanding, their footsteps deliberate. At the center of it all was a woman who seemed to radiate a chilling authority.

Xinyi's eyes darted to her mother, Hua Li, who had been slumped in her chair moments before. Now, Hua Li sat rigid, her face drained of color. Her pupils widened with recognition, her lips quivering as if she were staring into the face of death itself.

"Huan Yong," the woman said, her voice dripping with malice yet calm as a blade slicing through silence. A cruel smile tugged at her lips, twisting her otherwise beautiful face into something terrifying. "It's been a long time since anyone has seen you."

Hua Li's trembling hands gripped the armrests of her chair, her knuckles white. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, her breaths shallow. "Yi Lei Xian…" she hissed, the name leaving her lips like venom.

Yi Lei Xian tilted her head mockingly, her dark eyes glinting with cruel amusement. "Hmm, you've become quite brave, haven't you? It must have taken tremendous effort to hide for 18 long years. I almost admire it." She paused, letting the silence stretch, savoring Hua Li's fear. Then her tone sharpened. "But maybe you forgot that my belongings—my property—are with you. What you stole from me all those years ago… hand it over now, and I might just let you live."

Xinyi's confusion deepened as she struggled to make sense of the exchange. Her gaze flicked between her mother and the strange woman, each word adding another weight to the pit forming in her stomach.

Yi Lei Xian's piercing gaze fell on Xinyi, and in a single stride, she closed the distance between them. Her cold hand grabbed Xinyi's face, squeezing her cheeks harshly, forcing Xinyi to look into her eyes. Xinyi flinched, her breathing erratic. The woman examined her like she was inspecting a piece of merchandise.

"She looks just like Cheng Li," Yi Lei Xian murmured, her lips curling into a sinister smile.

"Cheng Li? Who's Cheng Li?" Xinyi thought, panic rising within her. The name meant nothing to her, yet it seemed to hold a world of meaning for these strangers.

"Let her go!" Hua Li's voice cracked as she strained against her bindings. "You're mistaken. This is my daughter. She has nothing to do with… any of this."

Yi Lei Xian's laugh was sharp, mocking, like the crack of a whip. "Do you think I'm a fool?" Her grip tightened on Xinyi's face, making the girl wince in pain. "Cheng Li's child was born weak, frail, and marked with this..." She released Xinyi and gestured toward her hair, her fingers pointing accusingly at the white streaks in her black locks. "The evidence is standing right in front of me."

Xinyi's heart pounded violently against her ribcage. Her mind was spinning, grasping at threads of information that didn't make sense. Who is this woman? What does she mean by 'Cheng Li's child'? How does she know about my hair?

"Please, Yi Lei Xian," Hua Li's voice broke, her desperation palpable. Tears streamed down her face, and she begged, "I'm asking you… please let her go. She's innocent."

Yi Lei Xian's laugh was icy, devoid of compassion. "Innocent?" she repeated mockingly. Her expression twisted as her voice grew louder. "Did you ever think about my innocence when you ran away with that girl? Did you consider my pain when the prosecutor arrested me and locked me up in that hellish asylum for 15 years?"

Her tone dropped to a menacing whisper. "Let's end this story today."

Yi Lei Xian reached into her coat and pulled out a sleek black gun. The metallic click of the chamber loading sent a chill down Xinyi's spine. Yi Lei Xian pointed the weapon directly at Xinyi's head.

Hua Li gasped audibly, her face frozen in horror. "No! Please, no! Yi Lei Xian, I'll do anything. Just don't hurt her!"

Yi Lei Xian tilted her head, her cruel smile returning. "If you have the girl, then you also have the data from the experiment," she said, her voice unnervingly calm as if she were discussing the weather.

Hua Li's body shook violently. Her lips parted, but no words came. Finally, she stammered, "I… I don't know anything about the data. Please, you're wrong!"

Yi Lei Xian sneered. "Lying won't save you. You've always been a terrible liar, Huan Yong." She cocked the gun and leveled a cold gaze at Hua Li. "You know I've never shown mercy to anyone."

Xinyi's breath hitched, her throat constricting. The barrel of the gun seemed impossibly large as it hovered inches from her head. Tears welled in her eyes, and her chest heaved as she struggled to breathe. One question rang in her mind, drowning out all others: Is this it? Will she really pull the trigger?

Her mother's voice broke through the haze of fear. "Don't do this, Yi Lei Xian! You don't have to hurt her. This isn't her fault!" Hua Li's pleas were desperate, her voice raw with emotion.

But Yi Lei Xian's finger tightened on the trigger, her expression merciless. "Enough games," she said coldly.

Time seemed to slow for Xinyi. Her mind reeled, her thoughts a tangled web of fear and unanswered questions. Who is Cheng Li? What experiment? What is my mother hiding from me? And… will this woman really kill me right here?

The room hung in suffocating silence, the weight of life and death pressing down on Xinyi's fragile frame...