Incendie mystérieux

Chapitre 42

Remove the surname.

Dolly. Ellie, Fuli. Jiali.

Baihu let out a soft "Ah," noticing a common thread. The girls in these orphanages all shared the same name, ending with the character "莉" (Li), while the middle character…

Based on age, the order is exactly the same as the phonetic sequence DEFG!

Volume Three: The Sheep's Song (Part Fourteen)

What was going on? Beads of sweat trickled down Baihu's forehead as he felt his hands were about to grasp some great secret, and the key to that secret lay in the girl lying in his arms.

“That’s right, Pandora is older than me, she’s ahead of me, so she’s a C, and I’m a D…” Dolly stared blankly at the white tiger’s face, speaking lightly as if without any effort, “Her real name is ‘Sally’…”

"Is it not Chinese Pinyin, but a pronunciation rule similar to English?" Baihu asked. "Then who are A and B?"

Dolly shook her head. "I don't know, I have no recollection of them. The reason I remember the name 'Panselli' is perhaps because..." She suddenly fell silent.

"Why?" Baihu asked anxiously.

“I feel like I’ve seen her somewhere before. I can’t stop thinking about her, and we look so alike…maybe I’m her sister…” She quickly shook her head, rejecting the idea. “No, no, no, it feels like some poor relative who’s come knocking on her door because she’s become famous. People would look down on me…”

White Tiger suddenly stood up, almost knocking Dolly to the ground. His expression was very serious.

“No!” he said. “Your idea is indeed very interesting!”

Dolly was terrified by his stern expression. "What have you thought of?" she asked hopefully.

“Although it’s not perfect yet, I think some of the mysteries have already been solved!” White Tiger hurriedly scribbled on the paper. “If you really are Pandora’s sister, then the reasons why those people tried to kidnap you time and time again become quite valid.”

"Extortion?" Although it's unknown whether a newcomer to the film industry like Pandora is wealthy, one thing is certain: she is obviously much richer than the penniless Don Dolly.

"No, we can't be sure yet!" the White Tiger replied. "There are people all over the mountains who are richer than Pandora, so why are they specifically targeting her? Perhaps they have another purpose, an evil purpose that we can't even imagine..."

He suddenly grabbed Dolly's shoulders.

"In short, it's really lucky for us to have gotten on the Pandora trail. Thank you!" He pulled her into his arms without further ado. This time, she didn't refuse.

"White Tiger, what should we do next?" Her mind was blank, as if all the strength had been drained from her body. White Tiger's chest was strong and warm, exuding a strong masculine scent that could calm the soul, providing shelter from the storms of life in this wide harbor. She softly rested her head on his shoulder, wishing she could stay like this forever…

"Is there even a question?" Baihu's hearty laughter echoed in her ears, full of powerful courage and vigor. "Of course, we'll take the initiative!"

However, they were still a step too late; the mysterious hand had once again struck first. Before they could even embark on their journey to find Pandora, the newspapers, still smelling of fresh ink, delivered a devastating blow—"Rising Star Pandora Kidnapped, Whereabouts Unknown, Fate Uncertain," the most eye-catching headline in bold on the front page read.

"We're too late!" White Tiger angrily crumpled the newspaper into a ball to express his dissatisfaction. "Will she die? Like those other girls?" Dolly asked anxiously, though she already had a vague idea of what was going on, she preferred not to think about it.

The white tiger did not answer. He frowned, pondered deeply under the scorching sun for a long time, and finally said steadily:

"No, I feel like I've missed something, something about Pandora..."

This time, they were determined to examine everything from the beginning, scrutinizing every detail that even remotely connected to Pandora. Faced with her photos, sometimes glamorous, sometimes innocent, Dolly felt increasingly strongly that, in terms of face alone, she and Dolly were practically identical, only their figures differed significantly. Baihu, however, disagreed, saying that the physical information released by celebrities was often inflated, and given the advanced state of cosmetic surgery, breast augmentation was commonplace.

Several pictures aroused their—no, to be precise, the "interest" of lecherous wolves and tigers. Pandora wore an extremely sexy high-slit gold thong with laces, partially concealing her bare breasts, striking various alluring poses that would make anyone's nose bleed. Except for a small piece of fabric between her buttocks, she was completely naked, yet she still boldly displayed every part of her body towards the camera, her firm, rounded thighs stretching out alluringly, stimulating every sensitive nerve of the viewer. She was clearly extremely confident in her beauty and figure, a wild and unrestrained smile playing on her lips, a wanton expression that seemed to hold all men in the palm of her hand, an irresistible mature woman's charm.

The white tiger whistled lightly.

“That’s really bold…” Dolly first expressed her envy, then began to criticize her figure, “But, these are nude photos of her before she became famous, right? Her breasts aren’t that big.”

After her reminder, Baihu also noticed that Pandora's breasts in the sexy photos were only about a B cup, while she looked like she had a full D cup on TV.

"You probably wear a magic bra all the time, right?" Baihu chuckled. "Many female celebrities use this method to increase their bust size."

No… Dolly still had her doubts. The woman in the photobook possessed a queen-like, domineering aura that overwhelmingly captivated their attention. Pandora, though beautiful, was still a newcomer; she couldn't possibly possess such innate arrogance. "A spoiled rich girl." For some reason, those four words came to mind, and only those four words could truly describe the woman in the photobook with that contemptuous smile.

Sure enough, someone raised doubts under this set of photos: "Don't be fooled! She's not Pandora at all!"

"These are sexy photos of a wealthy heiress from ten years ago!" an insider wrote. "She was always provocative, unrestrained, and shameless—it's utterly disgusting! Don't use her to insult our Pandora!!! Please be discerning and don't be fooled; they just look somewhat alike!!!!"

A string of exclamation marks fully demonstrated the netizens' anger. The third similar face... Dolly pressed her hand to her chest, as if to calm her agitated heart, and slowly dragged the mouse down.

"This woman's name is Wan Li, and she is the sole heir to the Wanshi Biopharmaceutical Group!!!"

Volume 3: The Sheep's Song from Hell Records (Part 15)

Wan Li was once a powerful socialite, renowned for her beauty, her wealthy family background, and her provocative and outrageous behavior. She entered the social and entertainment world at sixteen, openly flirting with numerous male celebrities. Two top stars even got into a physical altercation over her, ultimately being dumped by each other – an incident that catapulted her to the forefront of media and public attention for a month. Her unconventional fashion sense made it impossible for her to go unnoticed; even the biggest stars were overshadowed by her. Despite her well-known promiscuity, countless men were drawn to her – business tycoons, sports elites, pop stars, and movie stars alike – all were her favored subjects, and she reigned supreme as a queen. She had plenty of youthful beauty and wealth to squander, and countless men to amuse and play with. For her, life was far too pleasant, until a car accident ten years ago robbed her of all her happiness.

She and her boyfriend were passionately kissing while driving their sports car when a car accident inevitably struck them. Her boyfriend died on the spot, while she was seriously injured. Thanks to advanced medical technology, she barely survived, but the beautiful leg she lost could never be restored.

After her amputation, she disappeared from the public eye, with only the photos that captured her alluring beauty circulating secretly on a few websites.

What long, strong, smooth, and alluring legs they were! In her youth, she possessed beauty, wealth, fame, looks, and figure—everything she needed. Countless men succumbed to her high heels. But all of that changed because of a car accident. She lost not only a leg, but also the strongest sense of self-respect a woman, especially a beautiful woman, possesses. Her dignity, her charm, her most important asset as a queen—all turned to ashes in an instant.

While feeling sympathy, Dolly felt she had gained a deeper understanding of Wanli. Now, upon closer inspection, she realized that Wanli and Pandora were completely different people. Although they resembled each other, Dolly was nowhere near Pandora's exquisitely sculpted beauty. Dolly's brows exuded wildness, confidence, a sense of superiority, and the arrogance of a pampered heiress. Pandora, on the other hand, possessed a serene, refined beauty, and a resilience born from poverty. If Pandora was a Cinderella comparable to a princess, then Wanli was a modern princess who inherited the decadent traditions of Western Europe.

“White Tiger…” she stared at Wan Li’s photo and asked solemnly, “How old is she this year?”

“Ten years ago, Wanli was twenty-six years old, and now she's thirty-six,” Baihu replied. He looked up and found himself staring into Dolly's eyes, so he smiled knowingly. “What are you trying to say?”

“I’m not sure…” Dolly shook her head. “Isn’t it a bit rash to make such a guess based on just a few similar photos?”

"It's okay, it's just the two of us anyway," Baihu encouraged her to be bolder.

“I’m eighteen, Pandora is nineteen…” Dolly’s raised eyebrows were quite adorable, though she herself was unaware of it. “Wanli is thirty-six… could it be…”

She glanced at the white tiger, and only after seeing it nod did she muster the courage to continue:

"Could Pandora and I be Wanli's daughters?"

She peered hopefully at Baihu's face, while he smiled slightly, indicating that he understood.

“But the records show that Wan Li is not married. Although she has dated many boyfriends, she has never even been engaged to one, let alone married,” Bai Hu said. “If your guess is correct…”

"Illegitimate daughter?" they both said the word in unison.

Wan Shifa, the founder of Wanshi Biopharmaceutical Group and Wan Li's biological father, is a legendary figure. He and his wife, Yang Chunxia, built their company from scratch at an astonishing speed, acquiring dozens of near-bankrupt pharmaceutical factories in just over a decade, integrating them into the largest pharmaceutical group in China, encompassing R&D, production, and sales, making them incredibly wealthy. According to last year's Forbes Global Billionaires List, his total assets reached $1.3 billion, ranking 666th globally. Unlike typical wealthy individuals, he never had affairs with any woman other than his wife, and their relationship remained extremely close. He had only one daughter, Wan Li, whom he doted on excessively. Since his sudden death from a heart attack, all his inheritance has gone to his wife, Yang Chunxia, and will undoubtedly belong to Wan Li in the future.

If Dolly and Pandora are both Wanli's illegitimate daughters, then the reason for the kidnapping becomes perfectly plausible. However, there is still one problem.

"How do you explain the deaths of Chen Aili and the others?" Baihu pointed out astutely that if it was merely for extortion, there seemed to be no need for murder and arson.

Were they just unrelated bystanders who happened to get involved? Or, like Dolly, could they possibly be Wanley's illegitimate daughters? Which answer is correct?

"Isn't there another possibility?" Baihu frowned. "It's not a simple kidnapping. They just want you to disappear from the world without a trace."

“If all of these ‘ABCDEFG’ are Wan Li’s illegitimate daughters, and they want to monopolize the Wan Shi Group’s inheritance in the future,” Bai Hu’s eyes were as cold as ice, making Dolly shiver involuntarily, “it would not be surprising if one of them had murderous intentions.”

"A fortune of 1.3 billion divided into 7 parts, each person gets less than 200 million." Ignoring Dolly's feelings, White Tiger continued coldly, "Eliminating one person will increase the share by 200 million. If all six are killed... hehe..."

"Stop talking!" Dolly yelled, covering her ears. "I don't want to hear it!"

Baihu smiled wickedly, which only accentuated his irresistibly handsome appearance. "I'm just making wild guesses. If you don't want to hear it, so be it."

"I don't believe it..." she trembled. "Even if there's no blood relation, you can't kill someone for money, especially since they're your own sisters... I'd rather give up! Money doesn't matter, as long as they're alive..."

For the first time, she willingly threw herself into the white tiger's arms. Her body trembled violently.

"As long as I'm with the person I love... happy..." She closed her eyes, actively seeking Baihu's lips. She was immersed in Baihu's intense masculine scent, letting him lead her through the river of love. She felt herself floating lightly in the sky under Baihu's gentle caresses, so sweet. She seemed to melt from the love he poured out, large tears rolling down her tightly closed eyes. She heard herself moan, the most vulnerable voice of a woman's heart:

"White Tiger... to me, only you are real..."

"So, hold me tight one more time..."

Volume Three: The Sheep's Song (Sixteen)

When they finally quieted down, the clear blue night sky shimmered beautifully through the glass window. It was a lovely night. Having survived numerous crises and barely clinging to life, Don Dolly lay in the arms of her beloved man, her heart overflowing with happiness.

The white tiger's chest was broad and warm, and Dolly's fingers caressed his strong muscles with a dreamy touch. "Do you remember what you said when we first met?" she whispered in his ear, "You said, your body is very white..."

"I also said you could only look, not touch, right?" Baihu chuckled as he took her hand and gently kissed it, making her feel ticklish and numb. "You not only touched it, but you touched it a lot—how are you going to make it up to me, hmm?"

"Ten dollars a minute, huh?" Dolly playfully punched him. "You're so annoying!"

"Are you mixed race?" She buried her head deeply in his chest. "Blue eyes and white skin, you really don't look Chinese!"

She felt the man's movements suddenly stop.

"Oh dear, this question has stumped me." Baihu raised his head and said seriously, "Because I don't know where Dad is from."

White Tiger has a father too? Dolly began to feel curious; after all, he wasn't Sun Wukong who sprang from a stone.

"Haven't you ever seen your father?" Was he a posthumous child, an illegitimate child, or divorced? Baihu's background can hardly be described as happy.

Baihu shook his head in denial. "Of course I've met him, and I remember him vividly. It was only once," his voice suddenly became hoarse. "I was just born then."

Huh? Did you hear that wrong? Dolly perked up her ears.

"White Tiger's parents must both be beauties, right?" In her imagination, what kind of stunningly beautiful parents could give birth to such a handsome (but dim-witted!) man as White Tiger?

His answer was quite bizarre: "When I was in my mother's womb, I often heard people say that my mother was the school beauty and a pretty girl, but I only saw her once."

Dolly heard his heart pounding violently.

"The first and last time I saw my mother was at the moment I was born..."

"Was it a difficult birth?" This question lingered in her mind, but she didn't dare to speak for a long time.

A cruel smile appeared on Baihu's lips. "The first thing I saw when I came into this world was my father cutting open my mother's belly and taking me out."

Dolly gasped, squeezing her eyes shut. Could there really be such a cruel father in the world? Why?

"Is it because I'm a born killer?" The White Tiger raised his hands, staring at them without any emotion. "Destruction, plunder, killing... that's my nature, my purpose in life. Whether it's obeying my mother's orders or my employer's commands, I do it all. As long as I can destroy tangible objects, smash, crush, and grind their hideous shapes into dust, turning them into nothingness, I'm a million times more willing to do it."

He seemed lost in his own inner monologue, his tone growing increasingly somber and terrifying. Dolly trembled as she approached him, yet felt an invisible chasm separating them. Compared to herself, White Tiger's background seemed so mysterious and unusual. Perhaps his sometimes calm and sometimes foolish personality stemmed from his family background?

“I don’t know my surname. The name ‘White Tiger’ is what my mother calls me,” he continued. “To her, the Western White Tiger is one of the four sacred beasts of China and a god of slaughter, and I am the king of slaughter who clears obstacles for her.”

"Your mother... made you become an assassin?" Hearing this, Dolly finally began to understand a little.

White Tiger stopped answering, covering his eyes with the back of his hand so Dolly couldn't see his expression. "But Mom is wrong, White Tiger really means..." That was all she heard in that whisper.

They had breakfast together. Dolly, upon learning of White Tiger's tragic past, felt an added layer of feminine sympathy and pity beyond her affection for him. As an orphan herself, she was far happier than White Tiger—she was always blindly optimistic like this. No, perhaps it should be said that those who know nothing are the happiest.

The white tiger planted a tender kiss on her cheek. "Almost there, the final battle is about to begin," he said.

Dolly nodded silently to herself. Although she didn't yet understand the truth, the key person in the incident—Wanli—had already surfaced; it was only a matter of time. "What do we plan to do?"

The white tiger's sapphire blue eyes stared directly into hers—such beautiful yet sorrowful eyes, Dolly thought, like those of a wild beast trapped in a cage, filled with helplessness and despair. "Do you believe me?" he asked softly.

His answer wasn't words, but Dolly's moist lips pressed against his. "As long as you're by my side, I'd go to hell!" Her resolute gaze spoke volumes about her determination.

“Then let’s play along,” White Tiger said confidently. “Let 'they' take you away. And don’t forget,” he held Dolly’s hand and kissed it deeply, “I’ll always be by your side…”

When Dolly woke up again, she was lying in a completely unfamiliar place. She remembered her plan with White Tiger; everything had gone very smoothly. They had deliberately made a scene, and she had even slapped White Tiger, followed by their inevitable parting of ways. She had been drowning her sorrows in alcohol on the street when a man approached her—no, several men… They had shoved and dragged her into a van… and here she was.

Looking around, the room's luxurious and dazzling furnishings made her dizzy. Reflected in the enormous mirror on the ceiling, she lay on an oversized swivel imperial bed, covered with Italian silk sheets as soft as the lightest, softest clouds. Every piece of furniture, even the doorknobs, was gilded; though all was golden, it didn't exude any nouveau riche ostentation, but rather added to the sense of grandeur and elegance. The walls were adorned with a dazzling array of Qing Dynasty paintings in gold frames, Persian carpets, and Thai silk ornaments—a feast for the eyes. The Austrian crystal chandelier reflected a mesmerizing light, making the extremely luxurious room seem like a paradise on earth.

An elderly woman with a full head of silver hair waited quietly; her face looked strangely familiar.

"Auntie?" Dolly blurted out without thinking.