Seeing Shen You’an waiting at the door, a flicker of venom crossed Zhou Qin’s ashen eyes. She charged forward and demanded angrily, "I told you to come early to get me. What—aren’t you supposed to be rich? You can’t even spare a few thousand for my bail? How am I supposed to trust you?"
Shen You’an looked at her impassively. "Learn from your mistakes, Zhou Qin. Why don’t you ever grow?"
Zhou Qin spat, "You’re someone who has a mother but wasn’t raised by her..."
The word "trash" had yet to spill from her lips when a large hand suddenly clamped around her neck. The suffocating force made her heart sink abruptly, and her eyes bulged instinctively.
Before her stood a girl, whose expression was colder than ice, with eyes behind her glasses that resembled an ancient, bottomless frozen lake.
A profound terror surged from deep within Zhou Qin’s soul, setting her limbs trembling uncontrollably.
"Zhou Qin, don’t test my limits. Try me again, and I swear I’ll kill you without anyone even knowing."
Her threatening voice whispered softly into Zhou Qin’s ear, each word like a devil’s hand, effortlessly squeezing her heart.
At that moment, Zhou Qin had no doubts about Shen You’an’s words.
She genuinely believed Shen You’an would kill her.
"And one more thing: you’d better watch your mouth. If I hear you insult my mother again, I’ll cut out your tongue and feed it to the dogs."
Shen You’an released her grip and stepped back.
Zhou Qin clutched her throat, bending over and gasping for air, her gaze darting wildly with suspicion and fear.
It was only then that Zhou Qin noticed a van parked nearby, though she hadn’t realized when it had pulled up.
The passenger-side window was halfway down, revealing a simple, honest-looking face.
Shen You’an opened the car door and glanced back at Zhou Qin.
Zhou Qin instinctively flinched before obediently climbing into the van.
It was then that she seemed to remember something, nervously blurting out, "How’s Da Hai?"
Luo Zhong sneered. "Oh, still thinking about your lover, huh? Don’t worry, he’s fine."
Not so fine, though—he probably lost a few fingers along the way.
Those debt collectors were heartless and ruthless, never showing a shred of mercy.
Shen You’an climbed into the van and cast a glance at Luo Zhong.
Luo Zhong grinned cheekily. "Sister An, your seatbelt."
As the van drove away, a tall figure emerged slowly from the shadows.
The man’s sharp eyes fixed intently on the departing vehicle. After a moment of contemplation, he pulled out his phone and made a call.
The line connected quickly, and a boyish, clear voice came through.
"Brother, what happened?"
"Nothing happened. That girl just left with the others."
The boy fell silent for a moment before speaking calmly. "Is there any progress?"
Wen Zhou shook his head. "So many years have passed, tracing this down is no small feat. I still need more time."
"But Xiao Xi, you seem awfully concerned about her. The thing is, she has no idea about anything. Aren’t you pouring your heart out for nothing? Want me to create an opportunity for you?"
"Her ignorance is her best protection."
Detecting the trace of bitterness in the boy’s tone, Wen Zhou sighed helplessly.
A breeze wafted in through the window, flipping open a page of the textbook spread on the desk.
As if flipping through fragments of memory.
The sunlight bathed the pristine classroom, where fourth-grade students sat obediently, their faces pure and innocent.
"Now, let’s give a warm round of applause to welcome the new student. New student, please introduce yourself."
The young boy, backpack slung over his shoulders, walked hesitantly to the podium.
He seemed awkward, black-framed glasses perched on his nose, standing silently and reserved.
"Teacher, why won’t he speak? Could he be mute?"
The entire class erupted into laughter.
The teacher’s expression shifted slightly. "Students should respect the new classmate..."
"Ah, Shen You’an, why did you hit me?"
"Sorry, I warned you, but I didn’t expect you to be deaf and unable to hear me."
A crisp voice rang out clearly.
The boy, who had been hanging his head, suddenly raised it. Miraculously, his eyes followed the source of the voice, pinpointing a thin figure.
It was a little girl, with a terribly ugly mushroom haircut, black-framed glasses like his, standing out awkwardly among the polished students.
But she was so different.
"You... Teacher, look at Shen You’an! She called me deaf!"
The female teacher smiled helplessly.
"Shen must not have meant it."
"Teacher, you’re so biased! Shen You’an is the top student, so everything she does is right? That’s unfair."
The young female teacher took a deep breath, restraining her emotions, and was about to speak when the silent boy suddenly began talking.