“I don’t believe it, Wanqiu. You still love me. How could four years of feelings vanish just like that?” His voice trembled with desperation, but Wanqiu’s mind was a whirlwind of fear and confusion. He forcefully turned her around, and despite her trembling body, she couldn’t resist him. His strength was astonishing, and her heart pounded with a mix of helplessness and dread. He lowered his head and kissed her, his thin lips burning like fire. She pushed against him with all her might, but he only kissed her more fervently. “Hel…” She wanted to cry for help, but her voice was swallowed by his kiss, leaving her feeling utterly powerless and terrified.
Zhong Wanqiu turned around only to find Jin Ruoxue standing there with tears streaming down her face. Jin Ruoxue glared at her with such hatred that it seemed she wanted to tear her in two. Walking straight toward Jin Ruoxue, Wanqiu said calmly, “Keep your boyfriend under control. Don’t let him bother me again. I’ll return the fifty thousand to you.”
“You…” Sobbing sounds came from behind her. Wanqiu suddenly realized how despicable Xia Jingxuan was. Why had she never noticed it before?
After class, she went to her tutoring job. Having taken several days off, Zhong Wanqiu felt somewhat embarrassed and specially bought a bunch of narcissus flowers to bring along. After two consecutive tutoring sessions, when she needed to hurry to the red-light district, the night had already grown deep.
There were few pedestrians left on the road to the bus stop. Every time she passed through here, she felt a creeping sense of dread.
As she walked, several men approached from diagonally across the street. Wanqiu paid them no mind, thinking they were just passersby. But as they passed by her, suddenly one of them threw a punch directly at her chest. “Ah… Help!” she screamed, her mind racing with fear and helplessness. She didn’t know who wanted to harm her; she honestly hadn’t offended anyone. Her heart pounded fiercely, and a cold wave of panic washed over her as she realized her vulnerability.
Crouching on the ground, she tried her best to protect her body, but the punches and kicks came so violently that every part of her ached.
Her fingers secretly pressed a button on her phone. She didn’t know which button it was or whose speed dial she had activated. Regardless, she pressed it and, without knowing if the call connected, shouted at the top of her lungs, “I’m on XXX Road! I’ve encountered thugs!”
“Damn it, who told you to speak?” Her cry for help enraged the man who was assaulting her.
Zhong Wanqiu gritted her teeth. She didn’t know if her cry for help was the right move, but she really didn’t want to be beaten down like this. She still had to go to Fengjian. Covering her head, she thought, as long as they didn’t injure her head, it would be fine.
“Boss, I hear police sirens,” one of the men suddenly said.
Yes, his shout alerted everyone to the police sirens. Immediately, the group scattered like birds and beasts. “Woman, since you’ve broken up, don’t look back. Otherwise, next time I’ll make sure you die.”
She lay weakly on the ground, unable to muster the strength to get up even when the police arrived.
A crowd gathered around her. Curling up and trembling, she suddenly felt terrified of crowded places, but at this moment, she couldn’t escape.
“Wanqiu, are you okay?” The crowd parted. She had thought the number she dialed belonged to someone familiar, but Leng Muxun unexpectedly appeared.
Of course. Only he could summon the police so quickly to rescue her.
Letting him carry her, she was still trembling, overwhelmed by relief and exhaustion, realizing she was finally safe in his arms.
He held her close with one arm, steadying the car, his reassurance helping her feel protected amid the lingering threat she had faced.
She closed her eyes and listened to his voice, suddenly realizing how exhausted she was. It seemed only by his side could she find this fleeting peace.