Huang Ya had always had sharp eyes and an excellent memory, almost photographic since childhood. Many aunties in the neighborhood had lamented over her, saying this quiet, studious-looking girl with such a good memory was born for academic success.
Unfortunately, for people like them living in this area, their lives were pretty much predetermined, with little room for choice. So when Huang Ya caught sight of that girl's retreating figure, her first thought was of Yu Li—though another part of her insisted she must be mistaken.
Having lived here all these years, what kind of person hadn't she seen before? There was no way Yu Li would be in a place . Besides, back in the dungeon, she'd noticed how Yu Li and Bo Jingmo carried themselves differently, with an unspoken air of privilege that set them apart from folks like themselves.
Huang Ya frowned, tightening her grip on the cake box.
But whether it was Yu Li or not, she couldn't just stand by if it was any girl in trouble. She knew those hoodlums all too well—petty theft, drugs, gambling, you name it. Most people gave them a wide berth to avoid trouble.
Only she'd lived here long enough that the whole neighborhood knew her, making her somewhat off-limits to them. Other girls, however, weren't so lucky.
The auntie could read Huang Ya like an open book and immediately grabbed her arm, frowning. "Xiao Ya, don't get involved. Just go home. Even if you save her and she leaves, those thugs won't let you off."
Huang Ya knew the logic well enough.
In the brief exchange, the group had already disappeared around the corner. That hauntingly familiar silhouette weighed on her heart like a boulder, heavy and suffocating.
Without waiting for the auntie's response, she shook off the grip on her arm and dashed in the direction the group had gone.
The auntie was left gaping after her.
"Hey—you stubborn girl!"
Just going to take a look? Yeah, right.
The district was a maze of narrow alleys where a single turn could branch into multiple paths. By the time Huang Ya gave chase, the figures had long vanished.
Standing still, she frowned in thought before it suddenly hit her.
There was an abandoned factory nearby, a desolate spot perfect for shady dealings—exactly the kind of place those lowlifes would drag someone.
But just as she was about to head over, hesitation crept in.
What could she even do if she went? And if things really went south, how would she handle it? Was she really going to stand there and watch?
At that thought, she pulled out her phone.
The model was ancient, the screen webbed with cracks, lagging painfully with every swipe. Huang Ya didn't mind—as long as it could make calls, it was fine. Her fingers flew over the keypad, dialing a familiar number.
A male voice answered promptly.
"Huang Ya? You're back already? I was just about to grab some cold dishes. Anything you want? My treat today—order whatever."
Huang Ya cut straight to the point, speaking rapidly. "Hao Lan, get to the abandoned factory right now. I'll meet you at the entrance."
"The abandoned factory?" Hao Lan's voice instantly sharpened. "Did those bastards come after you?"
"No." Huang Ya was already walking as she spoke. "They didn't. They took some other girl there."
Hao Lan let out an exasperated sigh. "Huang Ya, are you seriously meddling again—"
Huang Ya cut him off, her voice low. "And that girl... I think it might be Yu Li."
Dead silence from Hao Lan's end.
He stood frozen, phone in hand, utterly gobsmacked.
That player from the last dungeon??
The factory wasn't far. By the time Huang Ya hung up, she'd already reached a derelict building.
Voices drifted out from inside, interspersed with faint groans and sobs.
Her heart lurched, face stiffening. Had things already...?
Picking up her pace, she approached a window, about to peek inside when she suddenly froze.
Were those men crying??
Remembering Yu Li's antics in the dungeon, Huang Ya's expression turned odd.
"No way..." she muttered under her breath, slowly leaning to look inside.
The next second, her eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.
Five or six burly men were sprawled across the floor in disarray, kneeling with hands clutching their lower halves, faces twisted in agony as they bawled for mercy.
Fresh blood stained the ground. A few steel pipes lay scattered nearby, similarly smeared with crimson.
One guy in a leather jacket had a pipe straight through his palm, pinning it to the floor. Kneeling there, he trembled as he gripped his own arm, too terrified to pull it out, his face ghostly pale. The front of his dress pants was suspiciously soaked.
Huang Ya inhaled sharply through her teeth, wincing in sympathetic pain.
So that explained the groaning and begging.
Standing before the men was a girl.
Back to the window, her waterfall of hair cascaded down, gleaming with a soft luster in the sunset, the ends curling perfectly as they swayed in the breeze. Her slender silhouette was elegantly poised, like a scene from a painting.
Huang Ya's pupils contracted, breath catching as her grip on the cake box unconsciously tightened.
...It really did look like Yu Li.
Perhaps sensing the presence behind her, the girl leisurely turned her head.
Their eyes met, and the very air seemed to freeze.
The girl wore a white mask, revealing only those signature fox-like eyes, lazily indifferent.
Spotting Huang Ya, she blinked in surprise before chuckling.
Delicate fingers hooked under the mask, pulling it down to unveil that stunningly beautiful face. A smirk played at her lips as she propped her chin on one hand, voice dripping with amused delight.
"Ah... perfect timing."
"I was just about to look for you, Huang Ya."