Chapter 062: Fear and Impulse

Qin Qing’s heart was in turmoil, certain that she had become entangled in something terrible.

At first, when Wang Yungui had requested to meet her alone in the grand hall, she had felt a flutter of excitement. In her eyes, this was an opportunity—a chance she desperately needed.

But now, her feelings had changed entirely.

Since entering the room, she had noticed that no one else was present. Wang Yungui, initially so courteous and enthusiastic, had now plainly revealed himself as her true boss. If he harbored no ulterior motives, not even a ghost would believe it.

“Qingqing, there’s no need to be nervous, nor to overthink this. I asked you here today because I want to invest in you. I plan to tailor a film for you, with you as the female lead. It will ensure your meteoric rise in the entertainment world.” Wang Yungui seemed to sense her wariness and, after a word of reassurance, laid out his intentions to nurture her career.

“President Wang, please be direct. What do you need me to do?” Qin Qing, schooling her expression to hide any trace of delight, asked plainly.

The offer to star as the lead in a film was tempting—a dream for countless actresses. But she couldn’t believe such rewards came without a price.

There are no such things as free gifts in this world.

“Straightforward—I like dealing with people as direct as you. To be honest, there is indeed something I need you to do: spend one night accompanying a very important man. If you succeed, not only will your leading role be put on the agenda immediately, but the company will use every resource to make you a star. On top of that, I’ll pay you five hundred thousand as compensation for your trouble.” Wang Yungui, encouraged by her candor, made no more pretense and took out a check he had prepared in advance.

He offered such generous terms because he’d heard rumors about Sun Hao’an’s perverse preferences and wanted to forewarn her.

On the surface, Qin Qing remained calm, but inside she was filled with bitterness. The offer was enticing, but she had little experience with romance, and her innocence was still intact. To lose it to a stranger—whose height, weight, looks, even age she didn’t know—was something she deeply resented.

She admired powerful men, those with influence and strength, and longed to become a woman of status herself. But she never wished to be someone’s plaything—a toy discarded at a whim.

“Qin Qing, think carefully before you answer.” Qin Qing’s visible hesitation annoyed Wang Yungui, who spoke in a low, warning tone.

He had made such a generous offer—this woman was being unreasonably ungrateful.

“Who is the man?” Qin Qing asked quietly, after a deep sigh.

“That’s not for you to know. All you need to do is satisfy his every demand. Once it’s done, I’ll keep every promise I’ve made. Such opportunities—countless actresses would do anything for them.” Wang Yungui’s tone was calm. In his view, women like Qin Qing could not possibly refuse such temptation. And if she did, anyone with half a brain would know the consequences.

He considered himself magnanimous for being so generous. In other circles, young masters didn’t even bother to offer payment for such things. After all, minor celebrities who sought overnight fame would charge into fire and water if it meant a chance at stardom. They were called ‘actresses’ in polite company, but in reality, they were just disposable toys—worthless and easily cast aside.

“President Wang, do I have any other choice?” After a long silence, Qin Qing accepted her fate.

“As long as you understand. Go now—someone will lead you there.” Wang Yungui’s pleasant smile returned.

Qin Qing now found the once captivating smile on his face deeply unsettling.

As she reached the door, she heard Wang Yungui’s voice, cold and threatening: “Once you go in, you must obey him in everything. If you ruin this tonight, you and your family will never know peace in these three provinces.”

Qin Qing’s body shook violently at his words.

Ten minutes later.

Led by one of Wang Yungui’s men, Qin Qing arrived at the door of a secluded room in the manor. Two suited bodyguards stood rigidly on either side of the entrance.

“This is the place. Go in yourself,” her escort said bluntly, leaving without further comment.

The bodyguards at the door glanced at her with amusement before closing their eyes again, indifferent. They were Sun Shao’s personal guards and had seen this sort of thing countless times.

Qin Qing took a deep breath and, trembling, pushed open the door.

For the first time, she felt the utter helplessness of being powerless in the face of those who wielded strength.

Inside was a small, elegantly furnished sitting room. The suite had a bedroom beyond. The furniture and the spread of delicacies meant nothing to her.

On the sofa sat a man, eyes closed, resting. He was obese, his features unpleasant to behold. This was Sun Hao’an.

Seeing the man she was to serve, all the mental preparation she had made began to crumble.

Sun Hao’an, hearing the door, opened his eyes and looked her over with shameless scrutiny, his gaze shining with a predatory light.

“Come and sit,” he said, unhurried, as if he had done this many times before.

Nervous, Qin Qing walked toward him, feeling as though she were descending into an abyss.

She was terrified.

“Wait.” Sun Hao’an barked suddenly.

Qin Qing froze.

“Kneel and crawl to me,” he ordered, his eyes alight with sick excitement. Apparently, he had grown to crave ever more depraved amusements.

Qin Qing burned with rage inside, recalling Wang Yungui’s threats, but she dared not disobey. With shame, she sank to her knees and did as she was told.

The next ten minutes were the most humiliating and unforgettable of her life, pushing her to the edge of despair and even stirring in her, for the first time, thoughts of ending her own life.

Sun Hao’an’s unrelenting abuse awakened in her a sudden, violent urge to kill. When he led her by rope into the bedroom, she managed to conceal a fruit knife on her body.

Ten minutes later.

The bed was drenched in blood. Sun Hao’an’s body lay motionless, his life extinguished. His throat had been slashed, and his body bore seven or eight stab wounds. The fruit knife, the very one Qin Qing had hidden in the sitting room, protruded from his heart. The terror frozen on his face showed that he had died full of regret and horror.

From the bathroom, the sound of running water could be heard—Qin Qing was inside, washing the blood from her body.

She was frightened—she had killed a man. But she knew there was no turning back.

Once she was clean, she emerged, took a steadying look at the bloody corpse, fought back a wave of nausea, and hurriedly dressed herself in the sitting room.

In the act of murder, she had been terrified, but now she was surprisingly calm.

She did not try to flee immediately—she knew that the two bodyguards outside made escape impossible without a plan.

Half an hour later.

Using her wits, Qin Qing tricked the bodyguards and walked out of the manor unscathed.

Mu Yinghua, waiting in a car outside, saw her emerge and immediately drove over. As soon as Qin Qing got in, he floored the accelerator and sped away.

“I noticed that hardly anyone from the banquet has left yet. Why did you insist I wait outside for you, ready to leave the moment you appeared? What happened?” Mu Yinghua, seeing her disheveled, makeup washed clean, realized something was terribly wrong.

Qin Qing said nothing at first, but instead broke down into sobs, releasing all the fear and anguish she had held inside.

“It’s alright now. No need to be afraid. I’m here,” Mu Yinghua said gently, his heart aching for her.

After her tears had ebbed, Qin Qing gradually recovered enough to recount everything that had happened in the manor, including the killing.

Mu Yinghua, hearing the whole story, was both terrified and deeply pained for her.

“Uncle Yinghua, I’ve killed someone. What should I do? They won’t spare me, or my parents,” she wept.

Her body trembled—partly from the shock of killing, and partly from fear of Wang Yungui’s inevitable revenge.

Mu Yinghua was the person she trusted most, aside from her parents. She always turned to him in times of trouble, knowing from years of experience that he truly cared for her.

“That kind of scum deserved to die. Qingqing, don’t panic. I have a vacant house in the suburbs of BS City. Go there and hide for now. Once things quiet down, I’ll take you out of these provinces. As for your parents, warn them to be careful for a few days. I don’t think those people will dare act openly. Once we’re settled elsewhere, we’ll bring them to join us.”

Qin Qing nodded. There was nothing else she could do. Surrendering herself was out of the question—she’d rather die.

When she killed Sun Hao’an, she was already prepared for the worst.