Reborn as the Villain's Wife, I Shine in 80s-Chapter 521: Zhao Chun in distress at 505

When Zhao Chun woke up, his back hurt terribly. He remembered being knocked out by a single blow to the back of the head. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, he had to face the fact—he wasn’t strong enough.

His eyes could barely open, and even then, a piece of black cloth covered them, so he couldn’t see the situation around him. His hands and feet were tied with ropes, and his body lay in a twisted position on the ground.

He could sense there was nobody else in the room, and it seemed quite spacious, as even speaking faintly echoed. The floor was icy cold—not sandy, but the sort of chill that clings to places long devoid of human presence. Struggling hard, he managed to sit up little by little with great effort.

After taking a few deep breaths, he leaned against the wall behind him. His body felt weak—he’d already drained some strength getting himself upright.

His fair face was smeared with grime, and it had even rubbed against some grit, leaving his whole cheek burning hot.

But it was cold. Even though a thin sheen of sweat had appeared, he couldn’t shake the chill that clung to him.

The air carried a damp, musty smell that choked him, making it hard to breathe.

Zhao Chun wanted to stand up, but it was a near-impossible feat. He wriggled his tightly-bound hands behind him, trying futilely to touch something—anything—that could help saw through the rope, ideally a brick.

There was no doubt in his mind—he had been kidnapped, and this kidnapping was undoubtedly tied to that incident at Lushan years ago. Back then, his house and Tian Sangsang’s house had been searched—it hadn’t been a coincidence.

He and Sangsang had both lowered their guard recently, believing the storm had passed. He never expected their adversaries would come back, striking with a vengeance. This was the aftermath. Perhaps it had all been deliberate—to lull him and Sangsang into thinking the danger had passed, then launch a devastating blow when they least expected it.

The thought made his heart sink sharply. It was very likely, then, that they had been under surveillance this whole time! The mere idea of someone’s eyes secretly watching him made his hair stand on end. Goosebumps rose all over his body.

Could it be that even when he showered or changed clothes, someone had been watching...?!

He shifted his body and rubbed against the side, his palms searching along the ground. When he found nothing, he kept feeling his way further...

Huh, what’s this? The texture felt soft, slightly cool to the touch. He felt it again, and then again, moving upward. There was something there—it felt like... feet?

And the thing he initially touched seemed like... shoes! Leather shoes!

Zhao Chun’s heart leapt into his throat. Shoes? Why would there be shoes here? A suffocating sense of dread pressed down on him from behind.

"Stop touching." A stranger’s voice came from above, cold and biting.

Cold sweat immediately broke out on Zhao Chun’s back. He took a deep breath and leaned back against the wall.

Even though he couldn’t see the man, he still asked in the direction of the voice, "Who are you? Why did you take me?" It was a question he already knew the answer to.

This man’s skills were incredibly eerie—not someone like him, an ordinary man, could handle. Though he had been inside the room, Zhao Chun hadn’t felt his presence earlier—not even the sound of his breathing. Terrifying. Just terrifying.

The man chuckled briefly. "Why I took you—you should know. I lost something. So, I invited you here for a little chat, in the hope that you can help me out."

Zhao Chun’s lips twitched. "Invite? This is how you extend an invitation? I don’t have what you’re looking for."

"Don’t be so quick to deny it."

"What’s there to deny? You’ve already searched me, haven’t you?" Zhao Chun said. "If I don’t have it, I don’t have it!"

"Not having it doesn’t mean you don’t know where it is."

Zhao Chun shook his head. "I really don’t know!"

The man didn’t refute him, instead speaking to himself, "Listen to me first, then think carefully about whether you truly don’t know. I’m an impatient man, quick-tempered too. I’ve been searching for this thing for a long time. If you disappoint me again, I’m afraid I might do something impulsive. With your tender skin and delicate body, I doubt you can take it. So, think carefully before you answer." 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

A threat! Zhao Chun froze.

"Last year, you and Tian Sangsang went to Lushan to shoot a film. During that time, you met a foreigner, Charles, and had brief conversations and interactions with him. Charles was my friend. He died shortly after that, and something went missing from his belongings. I want to ask you: where’s the item? Did you hide it, or did Tian Sangsang hide it? You probably don’t understand—what went missing was a map. A very important map. A priceless one."

So their target was the map! Of course, it was important. If it weren’t, he wouldn’t be tied up in this morbid place right now. Zhao Chun licked his dry lips. "I’ve never seen the map. All we did was have casual conversations with Charles—barely any physical contact. He never mentioned a map to us."

"Oh, really? Think harder." The man’s tone was dark and menacing. "I’m short on time and don’t want to hear nonsense."

"I’m telling the truth—it’s not nonsense." Before he even finished speaking, the man suddenly grabbed Zhao Chun and hauled him up.

Zhao Chun felt himself lifted by his collar. The man’s kick landed squarely in his stomach—swift and brutal! He groaned in pain, his whole body feeling like his liver and guts were about to be shattered.

The man let him go, and he slammed into the wall, panting heavily as he slid back down to the ground.

The man watched as sweat poured down his forehead. His handsome face was pale, and his whole body curled up into a ball. Coldly, the man asked again, "Where is it?" Then, another kick landed on his back!

Zhao Chun’s body twisted in agony from the blow. Gasping, he barely managed to squeeze out a few words. "It’s not with me." It wasn’t with him to begin with, so he was telling the truth—there wasn’t a trace of hesitation in his response.

"Should I take that to mean it’s with Tian Sangsang?" If it were with Tian Sangsang, that would complicate matters. Could she have handed it over to Jiang Jinghuai?

"Fuck!" Zhao Chun’s face flushed with pain and fury. "It’s not with her either! If you’ve got the guts, come at me—leave her out of this! She’s just a pregnant woman. What could she do other than slow you down?"

"You’ve got a lot of loyalty." The man chuckled coldly. "Well then, let’s see if she’s loyal to you too."

"Bastard!" Zhao Chun barely got the word out before another kick landed, this time to his chest. He curled up on the ground, tears involuntarily spilling from his eyes, his breathing heavy.

Meanwhile, at the closed Yipin Xiangju restaurant, Tian Sangsang and Guan Kunling sat indoors, listening closely. They heard everything—the conversation, word for word—thanks to the listening device. They even caught the sounds of blows landing, the impact of fists and feet colliding with flesh, skin splitting and breaking...

Just listening was enough to make them wince in pain.

Zhao Chun wasn’t trained in combat. As the man had said—tender skin and pampered. How could he endure this kind of beating? The man’s voice was gruff, thick, likely that of a middle-aged man. It also sounded eerily familiar. But no matter how she wracked her brain, Tian Sangsang couldn’t figure out where she’d heard it before.