Chu Lingzhi stared in horror at the bleeding back of the head, but she only froze for three seconds.
Before Steward Liu could fall, she quickly grabbed the child and rushed out of the room.
When she reached the stairs, she heard hurried footsteps.
Chu Lingzhi startled and quickly hid behind the staircase.
Two bodyguards rushed up, likely drawn by the commotion upstairs.
Watching them pass by, Chu Lingzhi hugged the child and dashed downstairs.
She sprinted through the ground floor, burst out of the living room, and ran toward the manor gates.
The sky was barely light, and the vast manor was shrouded in mist, revealing only her slender figure racing wildly.
"Stop! Halt!"
"If you don't stop, I'll shoot!"
Behind her, the bodyguards' sharp shouts rang out.
Fearing capture and being hit by bullets, Chu Lingzhi ran even faster.
The manor's alarm blared shrilly, piercing and agonizing.
Hearing that sound, Chu Lingzhi panicked, using every ounce of strength to push forward until she finally fled the manor.
She had no time to wonder why, when the manor was usually swarming with guards and not even a fly could escape, she could now run out so smoothly.
Clutching the child tightly, she kept running forward. She didn't know how long she'd been running, exhaustion making her want to stop and rest, when suddenly—
Bang! Bang, bang!
Gunshots!
Chu Lingzhi's whole body trembled. They were catching up!
To keep the child, they would definitely shoot at her!
First, they'd wound her leg to stop her escape, snatch the child, then fire at her heart...
Thinking this, Chu Lingzhi forgot her fatigue, gritted her teeth, and ran on.
Squeal—
The sharp screech of tires against the road tore through the air.
As Chu Lingzhi reached the middle of the intersection, a car sped by like a blur.
Caught off guard, she was sent flying, landing in a pool of blood.
The baby in her arms, protected perfectly, was crying.
Just as she was hit, a thunderous boom echoed from the manor behind her, exploding in a burst of flames.
The whole world shook, fire rolled, and thick smoke billowed—
...
Five years later.
T City, Warm Garden.
Chu Lingzhi, in a conservative cotton pajama, walked barefoot out of the bedroom.
On the living room's leather sofa sat a little boy, delicate as a porcelain doll.
His eyes were clear and bright, his features refined, his skin fair—utterly handsome and adorable.
He sat cross-legged, staring at the LCD screen ahead.
Seeing Chu Lingzhi, he flashed an elegant smile. "Mommy."
Chu Lingzhi walked to the water dispenser, poured a cup of hot water, took a sip, and glanced at the TV. "Chu Junyu, don't you get tired of watching this kind of news all day?"
"Don't you get tired of reading books on human anatomy all day?" Chu Junyu smiled gracefully, answering with a question.
"I read those for work. What's your need for this?"
"Interest. Mommy, do you know who's taken over T City and P City now?"
Chu Lingzhi shook her head, uninterested. "You only need to be taken over by me."
"...The current city lord of T and P is Nangong Yehen."
Nangong Yehen?
Chu Lingzhi thought for a moment, then said casually, "I think I've heard that name before."
"Latest news: Nangong Yehen defeated the city lord who attacked him five years ago and now rules T City and P City."