Qin Qinxi’s legs had long since gone numb from squatting.

She was praying fervently in her heart, hoping the man would hurry up and take a shower so she could slip away while he was at it.

She had turned off her phone; she didn’t dare call for help.

Ever since she’d hidden herself in this bedroom, the men downstairs hadn’t come upstairs, but they’d completely surrounded the villa, leaving her with absolutely no chance of escape.

Her colleagues were surely frantic by now, searching everywhere for her.

And her parents…

Every night without fail, she called them to let them know she was safe.

But now, she didn’t even know if she’d ever live to go home.

This was the second year of the Syrian civil war.

It was Qin Qinxi’s first time accompanying a Medecins Sans Frontieres team on a mission—traveling to a foreign country, to a war zone.

There were quite a few people in their group—thirty or forty, including doctors and nurses, veterans and newcomers. She was one of the youngest members.

In theory, that status should be protected under international humanitarian law.

He… probably doesn’t know she’s with Medecins Sans Frontieres, does he?

Her mind was in a muddle. What if… she went out and told him? If she revealed her identity, would he… hesitate?

But that thought flashed through her mind for only an instant before being crushed by an even deeper fear.

They’re different. A gang boss is nothing like the soldiers on the battlefield.

For them, laws and conventions may as well be worthless pieces of paper.

Besides, she’d already been taken from Syria to Dubai—moving from one war-torn country to another sovereign nation.

Even if she did die here, no one would probably ever find her body.

Finally, the sound of rushing water came from the Bathroom. But she still didn’t dare move. She was afraid the man was just running the water first.

She always liked to let the water run for a bit before she started bathing herself. When the water really got going, the noise was so loud she couldn’t hear anything outside.

Qin Qinxi could clearly hear her own pounding heartbeat, so loud it almost drowned out her breathing.

A little while later, the sound of water in the bathroom grew denser and louder.

He must really be washing up now.

Qin Qinxi took a deep breath and finally dared to creep out from behind the curtain.

But suddenly she realized her legs seemed to have gone completely numb.

It took her quite a while to barely manage to move again.

Only after the sharp, pinprick-like numbness subsided did Qin Qinxi tiptoe to her feet, moving as quietly as possible toward the bedroom door.

She reached out and gave the doorknob a firm twist.

The lock didn’t budge at all—and because of her wrong touch, it made a faint “beep” that rang out especially loudly in the silence.

Qin Qinxi shuddered all over with fright.

When she looked more closely at the design of the door, her heart sank even further.

It was a combination lock, and the doorknob required fingerprint recognition.

She nervously glanced back, peering through the glass partition into the bathroom.

The bathroom door next to the sink was also made of glass. Though the frosted surface obscured the details, she could clearly see a naked man moving around inside.

He was still washing up; he probably hadn’t heard anything.

Desperate, Qin Qinxi looked at the door again, then at the window.

They were on the second floor, but this villa had an astonishingly high ceiling—two stories here were almost equivalent to three stories in an ordinary building.

Jump down? She didn’t dare.

Just as Qin Qinxi was completely at a loss, the sound of water in the bathroom stopped.

Qin Qinxi bit her lips tightly, terrified, and quickly retreated back to her original hiding spot behind the curtain, moving as quietly as possible.

She didn’t dare peek out again, for fear of seeing something she shouldn’t.

After all… the owner of this house had no idea there was someone hiding inside.

Maybe he’d come out of the shower naked…

Fortunately, he hadn’t brought anyone else along. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have known what to do at all.

End of Chapter 3: Cat and Mouse