mesbooks Chapter 1311: Zhou Shiyao has grown up!
Chapter 1311: Zhou Shiyao has grown up!
Let's go back to the 2007 timeline.
The coordinates are the abandoned warehouse where Zhou Shiyao was kidnapped.
Lin Lang had just dealt with the three kidnappers, and Liu Rusi could no longer contain her joy and anxiety. She almost staggered as she rushed towards the corner of the warehouse.
All she could see was her daughter curled up on the cold cement floor.
"My daughter! My precious daughter!"
Liu Rusi's voice trembled uncontrollably, tears blurred her vision, and her hands shook uncontrollably.
She quickly squatted down, carefully reached out her hand, and while crying, untied the cloth covering Zhou Shiyao's eyes.
Seeing her daughter's tightly closed eyes, with long eyelashes still glistening with undried tears, Liu Rusi felt a sharp pain in her heart, as if being pricked by needles.
"Don't be afraid, daughter, your Uncle Lin and I are here to save you!"
Immediately afterwards, Liu Rusi quickly pulled the towel out of her daughter's mouth. The towel was soaked with saliva and had an unpleasant smell, which almost broke Liu Rusi's heart.
"Daughter! Daughter, are you alright?" she choked out, calling her daughter's name over and over again, her voice filled with the fear and anxiety of having found her again.
Zhou Shiyao slowly opened her eyes, initially with a hint of confusion and fear. But when she saw her mother Liu Rusi's face clearly, the fear, grievances, and longing that had been building up for so long instantly broke through her defenses, and tears welled up in her eyes.
"Mom!" A choked cry, filled with heartbreaking vulnerability.
"Waaaaah... Mommy! I miss you so much! I'm so scared!"
Zhou Shiyao's cries were suppressed and shrill, her tears falling like beads from a broken string.
Liu Rusi could no longer control herself and hugged her daughter tightly in her arms, so tightly that she seemed afraid that if she let go, her daughter would disappear again.
The mother and daughter embraced and wept bitterly, their cries echoing in the empty warehouse, a mixture of relief after fear, longing after separation, and ecstasy after reunion, a truly moving scene.
Lin Lang walked forward slowly, his face expressionless, but his gaze softened when he saw the mother and daughter embracing and weeping.
He didn't disturb this reunion that had been lost and found. He simply reached out and decisively untied the thick hemp rope binding Zhou Shiyao's wrists and ankles.
The ropes were tied extremely tightly, leaving deep red marks, and in some places they had even turned bluish-purple, a shocking sight.
As Lin Lang's fingertips brushed over the wounds, his movements unconsciously became a little gentler.
He subtly activated the [Healing Hand] skill, and a faint golden halo emanated from his palm, imperceptibly relieving the pain on Zhou Shiyao's skin.
Once all the ropes were untied, Liu Rusi's sobs subsided slightly. She cupped her daughter's face in her hands and examined her closely, her gaze sweeping from her forehead to her chin, afraid of missing any of the scars.
Her voice was still choked with sobs, but it couldn't hide her urgent concern: "Daughter, tell Mom, did these kidnappers do anything bad to you?"
As she said this, her heart was clenched tightly, and her eyes were full of anxiety and unease, afraid of hearing any answer from her daughter that would break her.
Although Zhou Shiyao was only fourteen years old, she had already understood the deeper meaning in her mother's words.
She shook her head vigorously, tears still streaming down her face, but firmly said, "No, Mom! The kidnappers didn't assault me!"
"That's wonderful!" Liu Rusi's heart, which had been hanging in her throat, finally settled down. Her tense body instantly relaxed, and tears of joy welled up again.
Zhou Shiyao sniffed, her voice hoarse from crying, "They just tied me up here, scared me, and made me call you for ransom. They didn't do anything else... nothing else."
Upon hearing this, Liu Rusi embraced her daughter again, holding her tightly, as if she wanted to release all the worries, fears, and torment of the past few hours through this hug.
"Daughter, I'm so glad you're alright, I'm so glad you're alright..." she murmured over and over, her voice filled with relief and lingering fear.
"As long as you're alright, Mom is relieved. I'll never let you out of my sight again."
Zhou Shiyao nestled in her mother's warm embrace, feeling the familiar scent and reassuring touch. Her fear gradually dissipated, leaving only a strong sense of security.
She choked back tears as she replied, "Don't cry, Mom!"
Lin Lang stood aside, watching the mother and daughter embrace and weep. He didn't say anything, but silently guarded them, building an invisible barrier for the mother and daughter who had gone through so much hardship, keeping them away from all danger.
In the empty warehouse, the mother and daughter's cries gradually subsided, replaced by soft whispers of comfort to each other.
After briefly calming her frightened daughter, Liu Rusi said with tears in her eyes, "Daughter, quickly, quickly kowtow to your Uncle Lin and thank him for saving you. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable."
"Thank you, Uncle Lin, for saving my life!" Zhou Shiyao was about to kneel down and kowtow to Lin Lang when Lin Lang helped her up.
"Silly child, why are you being so polite with Uncle Lin? Get up!"
"Uncle Lin, thank goodness you came to save me, sob sob..." Zhou Shiyao threw herself into Lin Lang's arms and cried gratefully while hugging him.
Lin Lang gently patted Zhou Shiyao's back and comforted her, "Don't cry, Shiyao, it's all over now. Don't be afraid, you're safe now."
The moment she saw her daughter rush into Lin Lang's arms, Liu Rusi's tears were still wet on her face, but her heart skipped a beat for no reason, as if she had been gently stung by something.
It's hard to say whether it stems from a woman's innate sensitivity or from a subconscious, complex impression that Lin Lang is a scumbag.
As Liu Rusi watched her daughter nestled tightly in Lin Lang's arms, displaying a natural intimacy, a subtle, almost imperceptible sense of unease quietly rose within her.
Especially since Zhou Shiyao is in the budding stage of adolescence, an age when she is prone to developing a dependence on and admiration for the strong, Liu Rusi became increasingly alarmed as she thought about it.
She feared that the gratitude for saving her daughter's life would fester over time, and that her daughter might develop inappropriate feelings for Lin Lang when she grew up. That was not a situation she wanted to see.
Perhaps out of a sense of caution, the moment the thought crossed her mind, Liu Rusi stepped forward, a gentle smile on her face, and gently pulled her daughter away from Lin Lang's arms.
She gently wiped away the remaining tears on her daughter's cheeks with her fingertips, her fingertips still warm, and softly comforted her, "Don't cry, daughter."
"Mom knows you're scared. I'll take you home now, back to our familiar and safe environment, and you won't be so afraid."
Zhou Shiyao was still immersed in the grievances and gratitude of being rescued. When her mother pulled her to her side, she didn't think much of it, just nodded while sobbing, her eyes still red.
Lin Lang silently took out a bottle of mineral water from his personal space, unscrewed the cap, handed it to Zhou Shiyao, and said gently, "Shiyao, drink some water to soothe your throat. You've been crying for so long, your throat must hurt."
"Thank you, Uncle Lin." Zhou Shiyao took the bottled water and, feeling her throat was indeed very dry, immediately gulped down a large mouthful.
The cool water flowed down her throat, taking away some of her hoarseness and anxiety, and clearing her muddled thoughts a little.
Seeing that her daughter had recovered, Liu Rusi turned to Lin Lang, her eyes full of earnestness and dependence: "Darling, let's take Shiyao home quickly. I don't want to stay here for another second."
"Okay." Lin Lang nodded, his tone crisp and decisive. "Hold Shi Yao tight, we'll travel back home now."
"Huh? Time travel?" Zhou Shiyao almost choked on the water she had just drunk. She stared wide-eyed at Lin Lang, her face filled with disbelief.
Although the fourteen-year-old girl had heard of time-travel plots in science fiction novels, the fact that it actually happened to her still made her eyes widen in shock.
Liu Rusi was already mentally prepared, and quickly hugged her daughter's shoulders tightly, whispering comforting words in her ear: "Don't be afraid, Shiyao, your Uncle Lin has superpowers, so we can get home as quickly as possible without having to suffer the hardship of traveling."
Before he could finish speaking, Lin Lang had already activated the [Space-Time Mass Teleportation] skill.
A faint golden light emanated from his palm, a soft yet powerful radiance that instantly enveloped Liu Rusi and her daughter, as well as himself, like a gentle curtain.
Zhou Shiyao felt a blur before her eyes, and her body seemed to be gently lifted up by an invisible force. A slight buzzing sound came to her ears, and the musty and rusty smells of the surrounding warehouse instantly disappeared.
The next second, with a soft "whoosh," the golden light suddenly disappeared, and the three figures vanished without a trace in the warehouse.
When she stepped onto solid ground again, Zhou Shiyao was surprised to find herself standing in the lobby of her own villa.
The familiar crystal chandelier cast a warm glow, the soft carpet was underfoot, and the air was filled with the familiar scent of home fragrance. Everything felt so peaceful and familiar.
Compared to the cold and damp warehouse we just left, this place is like paradise.
"My God! This is so sci-fi! We've traveled back home like this?" Zhou Shiyao subconsciously rubbed her eyes, her eyes filled with disbelief, her tone full of shock and wonder.
Liu Rusi comforted her, "Daughter, you don't need to be so surprised. If it weren't for your Uncle Lin's superpowers, Mom wouldn't have been able to find the place where you were hidden by the kidnappers."
Zhou Shiyao looked at Lin Lang with admiration, her big eyes sparkling, and said exaggeratedly, "Uncle Lin, you're so amazing!"
Lin Lang smiled faintly, his gaze inadvertently falling on the floor next to the coffee table in the living room, where the nanny Azhu's bloodstains had not yet been cleaned up.
In order not to frighten Zhou Shiyao, Lin Lang quickly gave Liu Rusi a wink and said with a smile, "Go and take Shiyao to take a bath and change into some clean clothes."
"I'll personally cook a few dishes for you and your daughter to celebrate Shiyao's rescue. After such a disaster, good fortune is sure to follow!"
"Okay, then I'll have to trouble you, dear!" Liu Rusi's eyes were full of gratitude. Her gaze swept over the bloodstains on the floor, and she hurriedly pulled her daughter toward the bedroom on the first floor.
Lin Lang watched the mother and daughter's retreating figures, his feelings complicated as he thought to himself: Time really flies!
Shi Yao is only fourteen years old, but she is already almost as tall as Liu Rusi.
When I first met Shiyao, she was only seven years old. Now she has grown into a graceful young woman.
If Shiyao really is my master's daughter, how gratified he would be in heaven!
Although Zhou Shiyao is not the biological daughter of Lin Lang's master Zhou Zhongdang, she still uses the surname Zhou.
In fact, Zhou Zhongdang's love for Zhou Shiyao was not in vain.
Zhou Shiyao, who had called him "Dad" for seven years, was unaware that she and Zhou Zhongdang were not related by blood and had always believed that she was Zhou Zhongdang's illegitimate daughter.
Therefore, Zhou Shiyao always thinks of her deceased father, Zhou Zhongdang.
Even when she misses her father terribly, she will look at old photos of herself with Zhou Zhongdang when she was little and secretly wipe away her tears.
What a cruel twist of fate!
Lin Lang quickly regained his composure, snapped his fingers, and summoned a clone to clean up the bloodstains on the floor.
His main body, meanwhile, strode towards the kitchen on the first floor of the villa.