The Heist 2: Unexpected

"What do you mean by that?!" Li Yanzhang said angrily.

Nanqi glanced at Li Jia behind her and said, "She's getting married, so she needs a bridesmaid. I'll sleep here tonight."

Wang Suping said, "Yes, Jiajia always talks about you and wants you to accompany her to her wedding, but our house is small and it would be inconvenient for you to sleep in the same room as us two old folks."

"Isn't there a room?" Nanqi pointed to the room on the east side, her lips curling into a smirk. "Oh, I forgot, that's Cheng-ge's room. She sold herself for you all, and you couldn't even bear to let her spend the night in that room on her last night before her wedding?"

"..."

Wang Suping and Li Yanzhang were speechless for a moment, and neither of them could say a word.

"If her husband's family finds out tomorrow that she's grown up and still living with you two without any regard for propriety, I wonder what they'll think."

Li Yanzhang said, "Alright, let Dacheng come out. You two will sleep in the east room tonight."

Li Yanzhang glanced coldly at Nan Qi, "For the sake of your mother and Jiajia, we welcome you to our family, but you'd better not come and ruin Jiajia's big day."

Nanqi ignored him and went straight to Li Jia to pack her bedding and move Li Jia's belongings one by one into the east room.

"It's just for one night, no need to go to all that trouble," Li Jia said.

"It's not much trouble, it's just a place to stay, and when you leave, you can take your things out of that room."

Just then, Nanqi's phone rang; it was Song Zhao calling.

Nanqi glanced at the Li family members around her and cautiously answered the phone.

"Did you go to see Li Jia?" Song Zhao asked anxiously.

Nanqi replied, "Mm."

How is she?

Nanqi glanced at Li Jia subconsciously and said in a low voice, "Not good."

"Don't be impulsive, I'll come find you after school at noon."

"Don't come over. She's getting married tomorrow. I'm just keeping her company today. Besides, her family is here too. They don't welcome strangers today."

"So, will you go back to school tomorrow?"

"I can't come back tomorrow, I have to be her bridesmaid. By the way, the wedding will be very noisy tomorrow, I might not be able to hear you on the phone."

Song Zhao said with concern, "Whatever you do, we should discuss it carefully."

"I understand, don't worry," Nanqi said with a smile.

After hanging up the phone, Nanqi continued packing Li Jia's things and making the bed. Once she was done, Nanqi closed the door, and the two lay on the bed, just like when they were children, enjoying the warmth of the sunlight bathing them by the window.

"Daqi, thank you," Li Jia said.

"Duan Peng wanted to come see you too, but I stopped him. You can't blame him."

"How could I blame him? I'm actually glad you didn't bring him along, otherwise how would we lie on this bed?" Li Jia said jokingly, trying to sound casual.

"How much did your parents sell you for?" Nanqi asked, as always, getting straight to the point.

Li Jia's smile faded. She turned to the side, propped her head up with her hand, and said with a wry smile, "200,000, I guess I made a profit."

What will happen to your brother's remaining 800,000 yuan?

"Pay it back slowly. With this 200,000 yuan, the creditor will be more willing to accept installments."

"Oh, what about your brother? Will he pay it back in installments?"

"Then I can't control it anymore. My parents said this is the last time. After I get married, I won't be able to control it even if I want to."

Do you think it's possible?

Li Jiaming feigned ignorance and asked, "What's possible?"

"What your parents mean by 'last time'? Even if you get married, what if you can't pay back the money later? Won't your parents come to your in-laws' house looking for you? Even if you have no money, won't they ask your husband for it? How are you going to live then?"

Li Jia forced a smile. "Let's not talk about these unhappy things. You're not really going to be my bridesmaid tomorrow, are you?"

"What are you thinking about?"

"I knew it!"

Nanqi covered her mouth and said, "I'm going to kidnap the bride."

Li Jia opened her eyes in disbelief and stared at her in shock.

"Don't be too loud, I need to know your attitude."

Li Jia nodded slightly and blinked.

Li Jia sat up and said, "You can't do it. My parents and my brother will never let me out. Besides, I don't have any money. Where can I go if I go out?"

"Tell me first whether you want to or not?"

“I…” Li Jia fell silent.

"Do you want to be bleed dry by this family for the rest of your life? Or be brave and go out into the world. You have hands and feet, and you're good at dealing with people. What can't you do outside?"

"I want to, but..."

"I've put the 2,000 yuan you returned to me last time in your bag. It's not much, but it's enough for your train ticket. If you have any more difficulties later, give me a call. These days, transferring money at the bank is pretty quick. Tonight, we..."

Nanqi looked out the window. When they were little, they often climbed out of windows and trees together. Jumping over a window at this height was not difficult for them.

For the first time, Li Jia looked outside with unwavering determination and said, "Okay!"

The night was still long, but it grew more terrifying as it drew closer. Li Jia's face was almost bloodless, and Nan Qi remained silent, seemingly calm, but her heart was pounding.

During the meal, Li Yanzhang added a piece of meat to Li Jia's plate, startling her so much that she almost dropped her bowl. Nan Qi, sitting next to her, patted her shoulder and asked, "Are all wedding guests this nervous?"

Wang Suping also tried to smooth things over, saying, "Yes, I was the same way back then. I was so nervous that I couldn't eat and couldn't sleep at night."

"Don't be so timid in the future. When you're at your husband's family home, be generous and open-minded. Eat and drink as you please, and say whatever comes to mind," Li Yanzhang instructed.

Li Jia forced a smile and said, "Mhm."

After dinner, the two of them went back to their room early, turned off the lights, and put the minds of those outside at ease. Nanqi pulled the curtain open a little to observe the lights in the yard.

Li Jia hurriedly packed her things again. She picked up a few everyday clothes, but worried that carrying too many things would slow her down, so she took the heavy items out of her bag.

The lights outside weren't turned off until midnight. Nanqi turned on her phone's flashlight, and both of them were on tenterhooks.

"Daqi, I'm so scared," Li Jia said, trembling.

"It's okay, I'm here for you, trust me!" To avoid the phone making a sound, she and Li Jia had put it into airplane mode early on.

Another hour passed, and after confirming that all three of them were asleep, the two quietly opened the window.

Nanqi was tall, so her feet were close to the ground when she stretched out, and she landed quietly. Li Jia threw her travel bag first, and after Nanqi caught it, she looked back at the house, then jumped out in one go, only this time with a louder thud due to nervousness.

Nanqi and Li Jia glanced nervously at the door, but seeing no movement, they ran outside as fast as they could.

Reaching the narrow alleyway, the two were panting heavily, still tense and excited. "Daqi, I really escaped," Li Jia said in disbelief.

Nanqi held her hand and said, "Yes! You've escaped. From now on, the world is your oyster, and you can live for yourself."

The two embraced happily, saying their goodbyes beforehand. Then they continued walking towards the road.

It's hard to get a taxi late at night, especially on roads near villages and towns where there are very few vehicles, let alone taxis. The two women walked along, waving at the roadside, hoping to bump into a car, anything would do. After about half an hour, a car finally appeared, but it sped past without even noticing them.

The longer time passed, the more anxious and uneasy Nanqi became, and her thoughts became a jumbled mess. If she couldn't reach the next city tonight, she would easily be found by Li Jia's parents and older brother the next day. Not only would their efforts tonight be in vain, but the consequences would be unimaginable.

Just as Nanqi was getting anxious, a thick arm suddenly grabbed Li Jia's neck. When Nanqi turned around, she saw that it was Li Cheng.

Li Jia was dragged up by Li Cheng, her veins bulging on her forehead. Her expression was one of great pain, as if she was about to suffocate. The travel bag full of her belongings fell heavily from her hands.

"I was just taking a piss and you all ran off like that?!"

Nanqi ran over, picked up a wooden stick, and slammed it hard against Li Cheng's arm. "Let her go, or you'll kill her."

Perhaps due to the pain, Li Cheng loosened his grip a bit, then instead tightened his grip on Li Jia's arms and continued dragging her, while Nan Qi held her hands, creating a standoff between the two.

"Don't you dare meddle in my business! Get the hell out of here before I lay a hand on you!"

"Let her go, you fucking bastard!!!" Nanqi said, holding onto Li Jia tightly.

"Never mind, Nanqi, I won't run away anymore," Li Jia said, tears streaming down her face.

"Did you hear that? She said she's not going with you anymore, so get out of here!"

No matter what they said, Nanqi just kept shouting, "Let her go!"

Seeing that Nanqi still had no intention of giving up, Li Cheng suddenly threw Li Jia against the earthen wall on the left. Li Jia instantly fell to the ground uncontrollably, and Nanqi, who was trying to grab her, also fell down. Li Cheng's mouth twisted into a smirk, and he took the opportunity to kick Nanqi hard in the waist, causing her to flip over.

As Nanqi watched Li Cheng approach, her past fears resurfaced. Then, Li Cheng's fists rained down on her head. Nanqi quickly straightened her forearms to protect her head, but she was powerless to fight back. Several punches landed on her forehead and cheek, making her feel dizzy from the pain.

Li Jia pulled hard on Li Cheng, crying, "Brother, stop hitting him! I'll go home, I'll go home with you! Please don't hit Nanqi..."

After venting for a while, Li Cheng, panting heavily, shook his wrist. "He's fucking crazy, meddling in other people's business."

"Hmph, I almost forgot, your mother's a slut, she gave birth to you and your sister, two bastards. Her whole family is a virus, anyone who touches them is doomed. No wonder your stepfather ran off with someone else..."

“Brother!!” Li Jia interrupted loudly.

Nanqi clenched her fists tightly, leaped up, and rushed towards him in a fit of rage.

Li Cheng scoffed, "What, you're still not convinced?"

Li Cheng swung his fist at Nan Qi again, but Nan Qi seemed to anticipate it and quickly bent down to dodge. She then punched him twice in the stomach, and as he retreated, she kicked him hard. The force and impact were so great that Li Cheng fell backward into the middle of the road.

At that moment, a large truck drove by. The streetlights weren't very bright that night. As the sound of brakes ended, Nanqi heard Li Cheng's horrific scream, and a pool of blood gradually accumulated on the ground.

At 1:30 a.m., the sirens of police cars and ambulances blared in unison.