When the image of Su Jin and Xing Wen together flashed across the screen, Li Zi could not help but point at Xing Wen. "It's him! It really is him!"
Xun Xin gave her a puzzled look before joining the police in investigating Xing Wen’s identity.
He was linked to multiple homicides—a high-intelligence criminal. At eighteen, he had been captured because he let a child escape, which exposed his whereabouts. He had been imprisoned for fifteen years and had only recently been released.
They compared Xing Wen’s build with the person in the surveillance footage and confirmed him as a major suspect.
Now, the critical question was: where would Li Zhengting be taken?
Every second counted. They had to determine the location as quickly as possible; the longer he remained missing, the greater the danger to Li Zhengting.
Cold, hungry, and having gone a night without sleep, Li Zhengting eventually drifted into a fitful slumber, despite his frayed nerves and the occasional stirrings of the children.
Since being with Li Zi, he had rarely suffered like this. Especially after he became pregnant, Li Zi had practically worshipped him, keeping a hawk-like eye on his three meals a day. She would drive him to his shop before going to work herself and pick him up the moment she was free in the evening. To ensure he slept well, she would even get up in the middle of the night to give him massages.
She would never have let him endure hunger and cold alone like this.
In such a strange and dangerous environment, Li Zhengting’s sleep was far from peaceful. He hovered in a state between wakefulness and dreaming, plagued by nightmares.
The moment someone approached, he became aware of it. Just as he was about to open his eyes, a massive force yanked him off the bed. He barely managed to keep his balance to avoid falling.
"Quite the life of luxury you're leading," a voice sneered.
Looking up, he saw Su Qiang’s grim face. Li Zhengting’s hands were restrained by the rope in Su Qiang's grip, preventing him from standing straight. He gave up on adjusting his posture for the moment and asked, "What exactly do you want?"
"What do I want?"
Su Qiang seemed to have made full preparations; the frantic impatience in his eyes had vanished. "There are too many things I want to do, Li Zhengting. Let’s play a game. I’ll list them, and you guess which one is the real plan."
He signaled for his subordinates to step forward.
"One: I want to use this knife to slit that fragile throat of yours." He took a small knife from one of the men and brandished it before Li Zhengting’s eyes.
"Two: I won't use any weapons. I'll just use my hands to send you and your children to a reunion in heaven."
"Look at your face. Your body is already starting to fail you, isn't it?" Su Qiang pointed the tip of the knife at Li Zhengting’s pale, cracked lips, tapping them lightly.
Li Zhengting jerked his head aside to avoid the blade.
Su Qiang didn't mind. He continued, "Three: I won't even dirty my hands. I'll just lock you in here alone. No one lives nearby, and no one will ever come to save you. How about that?"
Seeing that Li Zhengting’s expression remained unchanged, Su Qiang’s face darkened. "And the last one... I bet you haven't tried my best-selling product yet."
Li Zhengting began to panic. He pursed his lips and watched Su Qiang with a guarded expression.
"Don't worry. Used just once, it won't harm you. In fact, it will let you experience the ultimate pleasure of the mortal realm."
A man behind him handed over a box. Su Qiang took it and opened it in front of Li Zhengting, revealing a syringe filled with liquid.
"However, whether the little brats in your belly can handle it... that, I don't know."
"But if I use this drug, I might be discovered, so let's scrap that option. See? I'm quite kind." He sat down and said to Li Zhengting, "Come on, take your pick."
***
The police eventually narrowed it down to several suspicious locations: a hideout in Zhennan City, the depths of the labyrinthine alleys on Xi’nan Street, Su Qiang and Su Jin’s former residence on Xi’an Street, and a house slated for demolition under Su Jin’s name.
There were many locations and limited police force. Moreover, it was impossible for everyone to focus solely on this case; they also had to coordinate with the local police station on Xi’an Street to deploy officers simultaneously.
Li Zi looked at the list of places and chose the one that seemed the least likely. Bypassing the police arrangements, she turned and got into her car, speeding away.
At the same time, the activity on Xi’an Street was noticed by Su Qiang’s lookouts, who quickly relayed the news to him.
Su Qiang had just been savoring the pleasure of tormenting Li Zhengting when he suddenly received word that the police had begun their search. His mood plummeted instantly.
Conversely, Li Zhengting, who had been contemplating whether to fight for his life, sensed a glimmer of hope.
*Zi... It must be Zi who found us.*
*I just need to hold on a little longer, and she will definitely come!*
Li Zhengting focused all his attention on Su Qiang, preparing to defend against any move he might make.
"Li Zhengting, not bad. I didn't expect your luck to be this good—the police found me so quickly." Su Qiang gritted his teeth, speaking venomously.
"Su Qiang, I advise you to run now. If you're caught again, you'll never get out of prison." Li Zhengting’s gaze quietly drifted to the knife Su Qiang had set aside. "Or you could just surrender. Surrendering might get you a lighter sentence."
*Go back to prison?*
The mere thought filled Su Qiang with terror. He never wanted to go back.
"Li Zhengting, you're feeling pretty smug, aren't you?"
"You think the police can find this place immediately? I'm telling you, not even a god could find this spot!"
"Even if I am caught by them, I’m taking you to hell with me!"
He signaled the two subordinates behind him to step forward and pin Li Zhengting down, while he himself took the syringe out of the box.
"Since they've already tracked me down, I might as well use this." Su Qiang sneered, raising his hand high, preparing to inject Li Zhengting.
At that moment, Xing Wen appeared at the doorway and suddenly spoke. "Su Qiang, I've finished what I promised to help you with. I'm leaving now."
"What?" Su Qiang turned back in shock. "You're betraying me too? You're running away?"
"You and I were never a team. How can there be betrayal?"
"That's that. Figure the rest out yourself." With that, Xing Wen left without a hint of remorse.
Taking advantage of the moment everyone’s attention was on Xing Wen, Li Zhengting found an opening. He immediately twisted his body, breaking free from the two men's hold. He grabbed the knife nearby, decisively sliced through the ropes binding him, and pressed the blade against Su Qiang’s neck.
By the time Su Qiang and the others reacted, they were facing a Li Zhengting armed with a knife.
Though his hands were still tightly bound by handcuffs, his combat prowess was no longer something they could dismiss. Moreover, in the blink of an eye, Su Qiang had become his hostage.
"Now, tell me how to get out of here and where we are, or your boss’s life is forfeit." His knife pressed against Su Qiang’s neck, drawing a thin line of blood.
Although his limbs weren't pinned, the crisis of a blade against his carotid artery kept Su Qiang from moving rashly. He shouted, "Li Zhengting, you think you can run out like this? The moment you let go, we’ll grab you!"
Ignoring the threat, Li Zhengting stared deathly at the other men and demanded, "Speak, or I’ll do it now."
"He doesn't dare! Don't listen to him!" Su Qiang added hurriedly.
Unfortunately, the two remaining men were young and unable to think clearly in the heat of the moment. They only knew that if their boss was gone, they would be held responsible or even face vigilante justice. Furthermore, they were relying on Su Qiang to lead them away from the police.
One of them couldn't hold back. "This is a demolition zone. There are no cars nearby. It's useless even if you run out."
"I don't care about that. Lead me out," Li Zhengting demanded firmly.
The two men exchanged a glance and actually stepped aside, leading him toward the exit.
Su Qiang was nearly dying of rage at these two idiots, but he could only express his fury through his eyes. The two subordinates avoided his gaze and walked forward with their heads down.
Li Zhengting followed closely behind. Soon, they stepped out of the house and onto the stairs.
The stairs... Li Zhengting took a deep breath. In his current physical state, with his hands bound, he had no way to maintain control over Su Qiang while navigating the steps. Being in the late stages of pregnancy, he already found stairs difficult; even though they didn't live on a high floor at home, he usually took the elevator.
What should he do now?
At that moment, his abdomen hardened again, and a sharp pain suddenly pierced through his entire belly.
"Sss..."
His grip involuntarily loosened.
Su Qiang reacted instantly. He spun around and shoved him toward the stairs. "Go to hell!"
"Ting-ge! Watch out!"
Li Zi had just reached the corner when she saw Li Zhengting’s back to her, about to tumble down the stairs. She lunged forward, taking the steps three at a time, and caught his body. Protecting him, she stumbled back several steps before finally regaining her balance.
"Ting-ge, are you okay?!" she asked urgently, holding him in her arms.
Falling into that familiar embrace, the fear and dread Li Zhengting had suppressed all day finally erupted. He pressed his face against Li Zi’s shoulder and shook his head vigorously. "I'm fine. They didn't have time to do anything to me."
"Zi, you finally came. I knew you would come to save us."
"I'm sorry, Ting-ge. I came too late." Li Zi was filled with the aftershocks of nearly losing him. If she had been half a minute—even a few seconds—later, she would have only seen Li Zhengting’s body lying on the ground.
Thankfully, thankfully, she had made it in time.
She held him tightly in her arms, unable to even worry about whether she was pressing against his stomach. Li Zhengting ignored it as well; the relief of surviving made him only want to soak in his lover's warmth.
"Did you two forget about us?" Su Qiang began to descend with his men. "A pregnant man and a female Alpha against the three of us... Li Zi, you certainly have confidence in yourself, coming here all alone."
Li Zi pulled Li Zhengting’s head to her ear and gently stroked his hair, telling him not to worry. Her icy gaze met Su Qiang’s.
She spoke: "Who said I was alone?"
"What?" Su Qiang hadn't realized what she meant yet.
Liu Yan and the police officers came running up from below, charging directly at Su Qiang and his men.
Amidst their panicked expressions, Li Zi’s voice rang out again: "I was just the one running at the very front."
She had contacted Liu Yan on the way, asking him to send out several groups to assist the police. Liu Yan had chosen to follow Li Zi to the demolition zone.
Fortunately, their direction was correct.
By driving non-stop at top speed, they had managed to prevent a tragedy.
The police had already restrained Su Qiang and the others. Heavy steel handcuffs were once again locked around his wrists. His face was the color of ash; this time, there would be no escape.
As Li Zi helped Li Zhengting—whose handcuffs had been removed—into the car, a figure watching them from a distance quietly slipped away.
Li Zi felt something and looked in that direction, but there was nothing there. She withdrew her gaze.
They waited in the car for a while. Li Zi kept Li Zhengting in her lap, incessantly kissing his face, lips, ears, and the red marks on his wrists.
"Ting-ge, I saved you. I really saved you." She desperately sought a sense of reality.
Never having seen Li Zi like this, Li Zhengting’s voice choked up. He obediently let her check him over, saying with a sob, "Zi, I'm fine. I'm really fine."
"You came just in time. I was waiting for you."
"I'm here. Don't be afraid, Ting-ge. Don't be afraid."
At this moment, Li Zi didn't know which Li Zhengting she was speaking to. Was it the one safely alive before her, or the one from her past life who had never seen her come?
The pain and relief of two lifetimes, incomprehensible to others, transformed into endless tears that flowed steadily from her eyes.
Li Zhengting was frightened by her tears and could only keep comforting her. "I'm fine, and I'm not afraid. Don't cry, Zi."
By the time their emotions had mostly settled, the police cars ahead still hadn't started.
Only then did Liu Yan come over and knock on the car window.
Li Zi calmed herself, rolled down the window, and asked, "What's going on?"
Liu Yan glanced worriedly at Li Zhengting. "It seems there was a very serious multi-car pileup on the city's main road. Traffic is paralyzed, and we can't go back the way we came. The police decided to take the highway directly to escort the suspects back to Zhennan. They want to know what you want to do."
Li Zi frowned at the news. "I can't let Ting-ge be moved around anymore. We'll take a detour. It's not far from here to Xi’an Street; we'll go straight to my house. Tell the police we'll go in to finish the statements tomorrow."
"Got it." Having received his orders, Liu Yan went to the front to relay Li Zi’s decision.
The police hesitated for a moment, but considering Li Zhengting’s condition, they agreed.
The two parties then started their vehicles and went their separate ways.
Liu Yan drove while Li Zi and Li Zhengting sat in the back, huddled close together.
"Have some water. You haven't eaten all day." Li Zi pulled out a bottle of mineral water, opened it, and held it to Li Zhengting’s lips.
Li Zhengting was indeed parched. He opened his mouth and took several large gulps.
Li Zi heart-wrenchingly wiped the water that had spilled from the corner of his mouth. "Once we get home, we'll have some porridge. You should have a good sleep, and then eat a proper meal when you wake up."
In truth, both of them had gone without sleep all night, but Li Zi was more concerned about Li Zhengting’s health.
Li Zhengting nodded, saying nothing, simply clinging to Li Zi, refusing to leave her side for even a second.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 圳南市 | Zhennan City | A city name. |
| 希南街 | Xi’nan Street | A street name. |
| 希安街 | Xi’an Street | A street name. |
| 柳衍 | Liu Yan | A character name, likely an associate of Li Zi. |
| 笔录 | Statement | A formal police record or statement. |
| 拆迁区 | Demolition zone | An area designated for urban renewal/tearing down buildings. |
| 女alpha | Female Alpha | A gender/role designation in the ABO (Alpha/Beta/Omega) trope. |
| 孕夫 | Pregnant man | A male character who is pregnant (common in ABO/Mpreg tropes). |
Enjoying the story? Rate this novel:
My Fierce Beta Husband is Surprisingly Sweet | Chapter 86 | Just in Time | Novela.app | Novela.app
