If You Could Hear My Heart

Even as he walked, he kept a vigilant watch over his surroundings, his ears sensitively tuned to any sound around him.

It was too quiet in the vicinity; only his own footsteps could be heard, nothing else.

And because it was so quiet, he could notice any sign of movement, even if it were just the wind rustling a tree branch!

At this moment, he was alone, without a single soul in sight. The street light seemed to struggle weakly, casting a dim light…

The pistol rested in his pant pocket; he clenched his fist, fully prepared for what might come.

“Rustle…”

The sound of leaves scraping across the ground was faint but significant.

Because the silence was so intense, even this soft noise seemed magnified a thousand times!

Shen Chi was tensed like a taut string; his Chaomu must not come to any harm!

“Mumu…” he silently mouthed her name, his expression heavy, his heart as if bleeding.

He had always pampered and protected her, never letting even a finger hurt her, but now, she had been bound in a cold and dark place.

“You must not come to harm.”

She was pregnant with their child; not only must she be safe, their child must be unharmed too!

Once Shen Chi was sure no one was following, he made his way to the elevator and pressed the floor button.

The elevator doors closed and began ascending smoothly.

The space inside was oppressive, and as he neared the floor, Shen Chi’s heart pounded more fiercely.

His heart nearly leapt into his throat, his slender hand subconsciously gripping the pistol inside his pants.

What would happen next, he did not know.

If Xu Chaomu came to harm, he would shoot Shen Shihan dead tomorrow!

Xu Chaomu was his last line of defense.

The floor was too quiet, and so was the elevator; Shen Chi could hear not only the slow ascent of the elevator but also his own uneven breaths.

The elevator had a slight smell of durian, seemingly left from someone eating it at night.

Shen Chi frowned, his heart erratic as he gripped the gun firmly.

He could remain unaffected even if Mount Tai crumbled before him, yet everything related to Xu Chaomu disturbed his composure!

“Mumu.”

Fifteenth floor, arrived.

The elevator stopped with a “ding,” and the doors slowly opened.

The corridor was pitch black, so dark one could not see the hand before them.

All the lights on this floor were out, clearly indicating it was a residential level.

Shen Chi deduced that the other party probably didn’t have the audacity to shoot in a residential building.

Therefore, he stowed the gun away; unless absolutely necessary, he would not shoot.

In the darkness, he turned on his phone, using the light to check the door numbers.

His profound eyes gleamed with a hellish light, and beneath the dust, his features were sharp and his complexion somber.

Step by step, his footsteps were firm yet unflustered.

Soon, he saw the door number he’d been looking for!

A red door, locked tight.

Shen Chi checked his phone; the other party hadn’t sent any more messages.

He raised his hand and knocked on the wood.

A “thump,” solid and weighty.

No response, only dead silence all around.

Moving his phone, the light shone on the door, and he noticed a key left in the lock!

Just one key, hanging lonesomely in the lock.

Shen Chi’s gaze deepened as his hand reached for the key.

The other party had actually left him a key—what was Shen Shihan’s intention?

Shen Chi’s hand gently turned the key, and while opening the door, he did not let down his guard for even a moment!

He watched his surroundings from the corner of his eye, ready for a surprise attack from behind!

Thus, with even greater vigilance, he turned the key.

With a soft twist, the door opened!

The sound of “thump” echoed unnaturally in the silent corridor.

Shen Chi’s heart was racing; it had been a long time since he had felt this way.

Mumu, his Mumu must not come to any harm.

He pushed the door open a crack, still no movement anywhere.

On his way here, he imagined numerous scenarios like ambushes, hostage situations, threats…

But from the moment he walked in from outside the complex to here, nothing had happened.

Apart from silence, only silence, not a sound to be heard.

Shen Chi’s hand tightly gripped the doorknob, slowly pushing the door open. As the door opened a crack, pitch black darkness greeted him!

Holding his breath, he pushed the wooden door open.

Inside was the scent of sawdust, not unpleasant, but Shen Chi still frowned.

Finally, he pushed the door all the way open, turned on his phone light, and shone it into the room.

As the door opened, his eyes immediately found Xu Chaomu sitting on the floor!

“Mumu!” Shen Chi’s eyes widened, all his guards dropping.

He strode inside, heading straight for Xu Chaomu.

Rushing to her side, he lifted her up with his hands.

“Mumu, Mumu, wake up!” he called her name urgently, over and over.

Though it was summer and the ground wasn’t too cold, the fact that she had been sitting there made him extra distressed.

He turned on the light; it was an unfurnished room, bar of any decor.

The room contained only the basic furnishings of a table, chairs, a sofa, and there was not much else on the table.

A single light flickered continuously, casting an unnerving glow through the night.

“Mumu, wake up,” Shen Chi said with furrowed brows, holding her in his embrace.

The light fell on Xu Chaomu’s face, which looked fine; her complexion wasn’t haggard, and her clothes and hair were neat and clean.

In the photo he’d received earlier, Xu Chaomu was tied up, but now he saw no trace of rope on her.

Xu Chaomu wore a pink dress that day, fresh and elegant, very beautiful.

Only then did Shen Chi breathe a sigh of relief; Shen Shihan was not completely devoid of mercy.

He hadn’t seen Xu Chaomu for some days, and now, he missed her dearly.

He used his fingers to tidy her hair, his expression full of tenderness.

Shen Chi called her name softly, and after some time, Xu Chaomu pouted her lips and opened her eyes.

Her eyes struggled to adjust to the light, squinting slightly.

Shen Chi used his hand to shield her from the light, pulling her even more tightly into his embrace.

Under the light, Xu Chaomu’s dark eyes stared at him, unblinkingly fixed on him.

She thought she was dreaming…

“Shen Chi, is that you?”

She cracked a smile, exposing pearly little teeth. Her fair hand reached out to touch his face, feeling as if she was dreaming, otherwise, why would she see him in the middle of the night.

How many days has it been since she last saw him?

A long, long time, perhaps…

In the five years away from him, how had she coped? It seemed, during those five years, she’d dreamt of him nearly every day.

After all, she couldn’t bear to let him go.

“Don’t recognize me anymore?” asked Shen Chi, his gaze penetrating as he watched her.

His voice was pleasant, deep with a hint of huskiness. As she heard his voice, her heart instantly melted…