The Matchmaker Immortal Wants to Return to the Celestial Court - Chapter 24

After five minutes, Kevin sent an address to Yun Jinyao’s phone, along with a photo of Huang Shuzhen tied to a chair, her eyes and mouth taped shut. Her head hung low, seemingly unconscious. The moment Qian Hongxian saw the image, she was ready to rush out the door, but Yun Jinyao and Lin Weiting stopped her just in time.

“In the time we’re wasting, he could already have done something to my mom!” 

Qian Hongxian was surrounded by everyone, her gaze sweeping across the group as she snapped at them.

“Calm down.” Yun Jinyao held her hand tightly. 

“The other party knows all about us; he’s definitely prepared. We can’t just charge in recklessly.”

Lin Weiting quickly looked up the address Kevin sent and found that it was in a secluded alley near Linsen North Road. The location, as seen on Google Street View, was an old apartment building.

While Lin Weiting was considering investigating Kevin’s phone number, Yun Jinyi called the police station and informed them about Kevin’s text. Over the speakerphone, the officer instructed them to stay at home and wait for updates, assuring them that the police would handle the rescue.

“Can I be the one to contact the suspect and lure him out?” Qian Hongxian quickly asked over the phone. “This guy knows my name and Jinyao’s name, but we don’t even know who he is. That means he’s cautious and must have been secretly investigating us for a long time before approaching my friend. If he realizes someone else is contacting him, I’m afraid he’ll harm my mother.”

“Are you crazy, Qian Hongxian? The police are handling this! Why are you getting involved?” Liao Yunqi exclaimed in disbelief.

“Officer, is it possible?” Qian Hongxian ignored Liao Yunqi’s protests and grabbed Yun Jinyi’s hand holding the phone, demanding an answer.

There was a long silence on the other end, as if the police were also hesitant about her proposal. Eventually, they reluctantly agreed to let Qian Hongxian accompany them but firmly instructed her to prioritize her safety and follow police orders.

The moment she was granted permission to take part in the rescue, Qian Hongxian turned and rushed toward the door.

“Wait, I’m coming with you,” Yun Jinyao stopped her again.

“Kevin is looking for me. You guys shouldn’t get involved. I’ll be with the police, I’ll be fine,” Qian Hongxian struggled to shake off Yun Jinyao’s grip, but she couldn’t break free.

“How could I let you face danger alone?” Yun Jinyao said seriously. 

“I’ll be by your side. I won’t let you go through this alone.”

Qian Hongxian was stunned.

Before she was reincarnated, Siming had said the same thing to her—words that had supported her all this time in the mortal world.

“…Siming?” She gazed at Yun Jinyao and subconsciously murmured the title.

Yun Jinyao didn’t seem to hear the unusual way she addressed him. 

He simply turned to the others and announced, “Stay here and wait for updates. I’ll go with Hongxian.”

“Take care of her,” Yun Jinyi said, his face filled with worry.

As Yun Jinyao took her hand and led her out the door, Qian Hongxian finally snapped out of her daze. They went to the basement, got into the car, and headed toward Kevin’s designated location.

“Do you have any recollection of that guy? Could he be a client you interacted with before?” Yun Jinyao asked as he drove.

Qian Hongxian bit her thumbnail and shook her head. 

“I don’t know him at all.”

“What kind of lunatic is this!” Yun Jinyao cursed.

“There’s one small detail that seems a bit odd,” Qian Hongxian hesitated for a long time before finally deciding to speak. 

“The scent of Kevin’s perfume always reminds me of Yu Xiuyan.”

“Yu Xiuyan?” Yun Jinyao frowned, pondering for a moment before saying, “Pass me my bag from the backseat.”

Qian Hongxian complied, retrieving his bag and bringing it to the front.

“There’s a bottle of perfume inside. Take it out.”

Yun Jinyao’s bag contained very few items—just a wallet, a bottle of hangover relief he had bought for her, and the perfume he mentioned. Even in the dim light, the perfume’s packaging was elegant, and its label bore the name of Yu Xiuyan’s perfume brand.

“Spray some and check if it smells the same as that lunatic’s cologne,” Yun Jinyao instructed.

Qian Hongxian twisted off the cap and sprayed a bit on the back of her hand. At first, the scent was sharp, but after a minute, it transformed into a subtle sweetness.

“It’s the same scent!” she exclaimed in shock.

“Then there’s a good chance that lunatic is one of Xiuyan’s clients. If he refuses to reveal his background after we catch him, we might be able to get some clues from Xiuyan.”

Yu Xiuyan, Kevin, the kidnapping… Qian Hongxian pondered deeply, feeling as though a crucial piece of the puzzle was missing, preventing her from seeing the full picture.

Her phone suddenly rang. She instinctively hit the speaker button. “Weiting, what’s wrong?”

“I found out that the phone number registered to the kidnapper belongs to someone named ‘Yu Xiuyan,'” Lin Weiting’s voice came through. “I also checked, and this Yu Xiuyan owns a marketing company. Do you know her?”

“What…? Are you sure?”

“I’ve gathered information on so many people for you before. You know how accurate I am, don’t you?” Lin Weiting sounded a little annoyed.

Qian Hongxian exchanged a look with Yun Jinyao.

“No, I wasn’t doubting you. I do know Yu Xiuyan. Thank you for this critical information, Weiting.”

“Qian Hongxian, please, just stay safe,” Lin Weiting pleaded.

“I will.”

Since Kevin is close enough to Yu Xiuyan to use her phone, this kidnapping is likely connected to her in some way. From the start, Kevin had planned to target Qian Hongxian at the bar. However, since Yun Jinyao unexpectedly intervened, Kevin resorted to underhanded tactics to force Qian Hongxian into compliance.

It’s highly possible that Yu Xiuyan, wanting revenge on Qian Hongxian for stealing Yun Jinyao’s heart, instigated Kevin and provided him with information about Yun Jinyao and Qian Hongxian.

But Kevin knows too much about her—where she would be, her home address, her family members, and even her love for dogs. This suggests he had been planning for a long time. However, she hadn’t known Yu Xiuyan for that long. When she returned to Taipei, Yu Xiuyan was still in Guanxi with Yun Jinyao. If Yu Xiuyan had really grown jealous, it would have only been within the last couple of days. Kevin shouldn’t have been able to learn so much about her so quickly.

Yun Jinyao parked the car a few hundred meters away from the alley and met up with the police. As the two stepped out, several fully armed officers appeared. Among them was an older man with messy hair and a groggy expression, who looked as if he had just been woken up. He’s definitely not a police officer.

“He’s the neighborhood chief and knows that apartment building well,” explained a squad leader dressed entirely in black. “The building has five floors and ten units, but only four are currently occupied. The suspect lives on the fifth floor. The other three units are occupied by elderly residents, so be mindful during the rescue operation and try not to disturb them. Chief, please take our sniper to the building across the street to get into position.”

After mapping out the approach, the squad leader signaled for the operation to begin. The neighborhood chief led the police along a route where Kevin wouldn’t be able to spot them from his window. Once everyone was in position, the squad leader gave Qian Hongxian the go-ahead to contact Kevin.

She stepped away from the squad leader and Yun Jinyao, then dialed Kevin’s number.

“Hey, you’re the forgetful little Qian Hongxian, aren’t you?”

Hearing Kevin’s teasing tone, Qian Hongxian clenched her free hand into a fist.

“I’m almost there. Where is my mom? If you’ve hurt her, you’re dead!”

“Not so fast. I need to make sure you’re following the rules. Turn on your video call, I want to see your face.”

Qian Hongxian activated the video call, but Kevin didn’t turn on his own camera.

“Now, switch to the rear camera, raise your phone, and slowly turn in a full circle. You can’t stop halfway.”

She had no time to signal Yun Jinyao and the squad leader to hide. Gritting her teeth, she complied, moving as slowly as possible while scanning for their whereabouts. However, they were already gone.

“Hmm… Seems like you’re alone. But just now, I thought I heard something downstairs,” Kevin mused.

“I came alone. No one is with me,” Qian Hongxian replied firmly.

“Strange, I just called your home and couldn’t find Yun Jinyao. His phone is off too. Could he have followed you and be hiding behind you?”

Qian Hongxian glared at the screen.

“Are you going to let me in or not? You kidnapped my mom because you wanted me, didn’t you? If you screw this up, what will Yu Xiuyan think?” she snapped.

Silence.

“…Heh. Fine. Keep the video on and come to my apartment.”

Keeping the video call active, Qian Hongxian approached Kevin’s apartment building. As soon as she neared the entrance, the intercom buzzed, unlocking the door.

The building was old and dimly lit, with no motion-activated lights at the entrance. She climbed the stairs, panting by the time she reached the fifth floor. There were two units on this level: the left door was locked tight, while the right had its security gate shut but the inner door open. A light was on inside the living room. Without hesitation, she yanked open the gate and stepped inside.

Kevin sat leisurely on the couch, brewing tea. Qian Hongxian frantically scanned the room but saw no sign of Huang Shuzhen. The living room was empty—curtains drawn tightly shut—with only a couch and a table, no other furniture.

“Welcome, welcome. Have a seat,” Kevin greeted her with a chilling smile.

“Where’s my mom?”

“Relax! I promise she’s fine. Have some tea with me first.”

“Let my mom go, then I’ll drink.”

Kevin leaned back, sipping his tea. 

“Then we have nothing to talk about.”

Qian Hongxian clenched her fists and stepped forward. Since the room only had a loveseat, she had no choice but to sit beside Kevin.

He handed her a teacup. She took it but didn’t drink, not foolish enough to trust him.

“Did Xiuyan tell you we know each other?”

Qian Hongxian rolled her eyes, clearly impatient.

“I’m not in the mood for a small talk. I just want to know where my mom is.”

“I’ve been watching you for a long time, Ms. Qian Hongxian,” Kevin said, placing his cup on the table. 

“You go straight home after work every day, rarely lingering outside. But you always stop for five minutes at the pet store near your office. On weekends, you buy desserts with your mother. Whenever you see a disabled person selling cookies, you always stop to give them money.”

Qian Hongxian suppressed the urge to vomit.

“Why have you been stalking me? Or rather, why did Yu Xiuyan tell you to do it?”

“At first, yes, it was Xiuyan’s request,” Kevin admitted, leaning forward. Instinctively, she recoiled. “But after watching you for so long, I realized I’ve fallen for you. Be my wife, will you? If you agree to obey me, I’ll let your mother go.”