After drinking water, Wanqiu's parched lips regained some color.

Wanqiu was extremely hungry, but he also remembered that Ning Qiaozhen hadn't eaten anything for a long time.

The first thing I did after washing up was to look up at the clock hanging on the wall.

"Mom." Wan Qiu's hair wasn't dry; some long strands dripped water onto her clean clothes. "Can I cook for you?"

The vegetables he bought were still on the ground, but unfortunately, in such a hot summer day, the meat had already rotted. If you opened the plastic bag, you would definitely smell the stench of decay.

Fortunately, there were still leftovers in the refrigerator.

Ning Qiaozhen was unhappy today. He had a piece of meat stored in the freezer, which he originally intended to give to Chu Yigui, but Wan Qiu planned to give it to Ning Qiaozhen to cook.

It's beef.

Beef is more expensive.

Expensive things must taste better.

But before Wan Qiu could finish speaking, Ning Qiaozhen anxiously stepped forward, grabbed Wan Qiu's hand, and pulled him forward forcefully, causing her to stumble.

Having not eaten for a long time, Wanqiu felt as if he were walking on clouds. He lost control of his hands and feet, and suddenly a blackness appeared before his eyes, which was then gradually burned away by the sunlight, allowing him to see the world clearly again.

However, Ning Qiaozhen, who usually didn't like to interfere with him, didn't let go of him this time and let him fall to the ground. Instead, she held his hand and gave him the strength to stand up.

This was the first time Wanqiu had received support from Ning Qiaozhen.

"Stop pretending, let's go." Ning Qiaozhen's voice pulled Wan Qiu back to reality from the inexplicable feeling of having tasted a hint of sweetness.

Wan Qiu immediately took a step and followed behind Ning Qiaozhen. He was pulled by the arm, and the grip on his wrist was so tight that it hurt.

A man was walking at the very front of them.

A man in black.

He had seen it.

He is Uncle Huang Hu's friend.

Wan Qiu rubbed his eyes, trying to wipe away the bright, twinkling white stars that kept appearing in front of him.

Why is Uncle Huang Hu's friend with Mom?

Lu Qinghe walked very slowly, deliberately slowing down his pace.

He is pandering to Wan Qiu.

Wan Qiu is not in good condition; his face is pale, he seems dazed, and his steps are unsteady.

At this time, Lu Qinghe could not interfere in his boss's affairs, so he could only watch.

Ning Qiaozhen followed behind Lu Qinghe, pulling Wan Qiu along.

Wan Qiu descended the stairs step by step, each step seeming to require more effort from him.

Ning Qiaozhen seemed to be annoyed by Wan Qiu's speed, and suddenly pulled hard on the stairs: "Hurry up."

Wan Qiu was suddenly pulled down the three-story staircase, his legs landing hard on the concrete floor with a dull thud.

The pain in my knee actually helped to clear my mind somewhat, which had been in a daze.

Lu Qinghe stopped, but Ning Qiaozhen did not.

Wan Qiu tried to look up at Lu Qinghe, but his eyes seemed to be covered by a thin veil, and he couldn't see Lu Qinghe's expression as he faced him with his back to the light.

Wan Qiu was propelled forward by Ning Qiaozhen's strength, following behind her and trying his best to take the biggest steps.

Where are they going?

"Hurry up!" Ning Qiaozhen turned around and urged Lu Qinghe, who had suddenly stopped.

"Are you in such a hurry?" Lu Qinghe asked.

"Aren't you all in a hurry too?" Ning Qiaozhen was eager to get the rest of the money.

Lu Qinghe moved his lips, but in the end said nothing. He went to Ning Qiaozhen and unlocked the car.

“Go up.” Lu Qinghe heard Ning Qiaozhen’s voice and turned around to observe her.

Ning Qiaozhen looked into Wan Qiu's eyes without a trace of warmth. Knowing that she would get money after doing what Yang Xiaoyu asked, Ning Qiaozhen treated Wan Qiu more like a courier sorting packages than a human being.

Lu Qinghe tightened his grip slightly, then loosened it again.

Wan Qiu got into the car.

Ning Qiaozhen is the same.

Ning Qiaozhen's eyes were full of urgency.

Wan Qiu looked terrible, but he still tried to keep his eyes on Ning Qiaozhen.

As Lu Qinghe drove along the road, he would occasionally take the opportunity to check on Wan Qiu's condition by glancing in the rearview mirror.

Wan Qiu seemed to be carsick. Lu Qinghe could tell at a glance that Wan Qiu had been deprived of food for some time and was in a weak state, which made her most susceptible to carsickness.

Wanqiu was very upset.

The old town has a mixed road network with many traffic lights, and the area is constantly under construction, causing vehicles to move in and out of traffic.

Wanqiu's head was throbbing, as if a small hammer was hitting his skull and vibrating his brain.

He felt nauseous, but the nausea prevented him from vomiting anything; his stomach was completely empty.

Wanqiu was unable to think; he could only try to endure.

Dizziness and weakness are harder to bear than pain.

Wan Qiu looked up at Ning Qiaozhen, who was very pleased.

She radiated a joy unlike anything she had before.

Wan Qiu blinked.

Ning Qiaozhen's happiness sprinkled a layer of sugar on Wan Qiu's bitterness, making Wan Qiu seem a little better.

The journey was very long; this was the first time Wanqiu had ever spent such a long time on a bus since she started traveling from the countryside to the city.

Where should we go?

The last time I went from my grandmother's side to my mother's side.

Then he lived a very happy life.

For Wanqiu, the long journey symbolized the unknown that was about to unfold.

Wanqiu's mind was in a daze.

It's a mess.

After a long time, Wanqiu got off the bus.

After jumping out of the car, Wan Qiu's legs were unsteady, and he barely managed to stand up.

Wan Qiu raised his head.

This is a completely unfamiliar place, with unfamiliar streets and buildings, an even more expansive blue sky, red and blue trash cans, and sparse roadside trees.

Wan Qiu got out of the car and stepped onto the ground.

Once the cool comfort of the car's air conditioning was gone, the scorching sun immediately beat down on my body, gradually burning away any remaining warmth and making my skin sting from the direct sunlight.

Wanqiu stood here, and his mother stood in front of him.

The sky was exceptionally blue today, without a single cloud.

Wan Qiu looked up at Ning Qiaozhen. Her mother seemed a little different today; she seemed...very relaxed.

"Wanqiu," Ning Qiaozhen called Wanqiu's name.

Wan Qiu looked up, feeling the sun shining even hotter on his body. He felt sweat trickling into his eyes, causing a stinging sensation. He squinted slightly to get a clearer view.

“I’m not your biological mother,” Ning Qiaozhen said.

Wan Qiu blinked; he knew.

Ning Qiaozhen was not his biological mother.

But she's also a mother.

Why bring this up all of a sudden?

Wan Qiu wanted to move closer to Ning Qiaozhen to observe her expression, but the sun was too bright for him to see clearly.

However, Ning Qiaozhen took a step back, following Wan Qiu's forward steps.

They weren't far apart, but Wan Qiu suddenly had a strange feeling.

Mingming Ning Qiaozhen did not walk.

Wan Qiu felt that the distance between him and Ning Qiaozhen was growing further and further apart.

"Mom?" Wan Qiu called out to Ning Qiaozhen.

"Stop calling me Mom. I have no idea how much I hate you."

Wanqiu's eyes slowly widened, but even so, he couldn't see Ning Qiaozhen's expression clearly.

"I really hate you. You're not smart at all. You're so stupid that you won't be able to do any work or earn much money in the future. What use are you to me? I was counting on you to find a job and earn some money for me when you turned sixteen, but you're an idiot who can only pick up trash all day long..."

Ning Qiaozhen's voice was rambling on and on, and Wan Qiu couldn't understand what she was saying in such a long string of sentences.

He looked at Ning Qiaozhen with a blank expression.

Even Ning Qiaozhen, after three years of getting to know each other, knew how to communicate with Wan Qiu.

Wanqiu couldn't understand these fragmented complaints.

Then let Wanqiu understand.

"Get out of here, I don't want you anymore, I don't love you."

—I don't want you anymore.

I don't love you.

Wanqiu stood still, and although it was summer, a chill gradually crept into his bones.

Wanqiu felt hot and dry from the sun, as if he were being frozen and scorched, and he couldn't shake off this strange feeling.

Wanqiu also has a very long car journey in his memory.

At that time, he didn't understand what a car was.

He's in the trunk.

He was placed in the snow.

Then he heard the sound of the car leaving him.

He heard the sound of the night wind, and the sound of falling snow.

"Mom?" Is he going to be abandoned again?

"I don't want you anymore, I'm going to throw you away." Ning Qiaozhen remained unmoved, using the simplest language to make Wan Qiu understand her meaning.

Wan Qiu opened his mouth and found his voice. It was this small sound that transformed all of Wan Qiu's strength into courage.

He tried to touch the hem of his mother's clothes, but all he grasped was empty air.

"Why? Mom? Why don't you want me anymore? Did I eat... too much? I can eat less. Was my studying too bad? I... I can try harder, I've always tried so hard... Mom... no... Mom, I..."

Wanqiu rarely spoke such a long sentence, speaking in fits and starts.

He tried hard to express himself.

Did I disappoint my mother?

“Yes, you’ve disappointed me. You’re a useless piece of trash who can’t do anything.” Ning Qiaozhen said without any hesitation or reservation.

"I'm sorry, Mom, I was wrong..." Wan Qiu stood there, even though it was under the scorching sun, she felt as if she had returned to that cold, snowy night. "Mom, I'm sorry, Mom is... the best mom. It's my fault, I... I can change, I can... I'm not afraid of pain... pain means money..."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Ning Qiaozhen glared at Wan Qiu.

"Mother……"

Wanqiu's empty eyes held such a vast amount of despair. He was not good at crying; he hadn't cried in a long time.

He is happy now because he has his mother.

But his mother didn't want him anymore.

Tears fell, but Wanqiu couldn't tell whether they were hot or cold.

"Mom, I was wrong." Wan Qiu reached out, trying to grab Ning Qiaozhen and beg for her forgiveness.

"Aren't you usually very obedient? Why are you being so unreasonable now?!" Ning Qiaozhen was getting impatient.

"Alright." Lu Qinghe, who had been watching from the sidelines the whole time, finally couldn't stand it anymore. "That's enough. Get in the car and let's go."

Lu Qinghe genuinely felt that this mission was one he was about to take on, and he was likely to have nightmares for a long time, unable to sleep night after night.

Wanqiu's beautiful eyes, like the most exquisite glass vessels, make the sorrow they hold more striking than ever before.

Even his sobs were like water droplets falling into a glass, making no sound, silently sliding down the glass, quickly drying, leaving no trace.

Lu Qinghe felt a lump of air stuck in his chest, unable to go up or down, choking him in his throat.

Even he wanted to go forward and comfort the child.

He simply held back; it wasn't something he should have done.

"Alright? Is that all? Then let's go!" Ning Qiaozhen's eyes lit up the moment she heard Lu Qinghe's words. She walked over quickly, ready to get in the car and leave with Lu Qinghe, showing no lingering affection for Wan Qiu.

"Mom." Wan Qiu seemed to want to follow, but her body was too weak, and standing in the sunlight, she almost knelt down on the ground.

Lu Qinghe felt a tightness in his chest.

Looking at Wan Qiu on the ground, Lu Qinghe suddenly had a strange thought.

Bones under the sunlight.

Wanqiu was too thin and frail, small and bony, living like a wandering soul in this bountiful era.

"Hurry up, hurry up." Ning Qiaozhen remembered Yang Xiaoyu's instructions; she had to leave in front of Wan Qiu.

Lu Qinghe started the car immediately.

The sooner they leave, the sooner Wanqiu's biological parents can arrive.

Lu Qinghe was already eager to take this woman away from Wanqiu's side.

Lu Qinghe didn't even dare to look in the rearview mirror; just one glance made him feel incredibly guilty.

There were no cries or screams behind him, but Lu Qinghe felt a chill run down his spine.

Those eyes, that single tear, were almost a curse upon Lu Qinghe. His hands trembled slightly as he drove, as if the curse would soon steal his vision and cause a car accident.

Lu Qinghe was in a bad mood.

Ning Qiaozhen turned around and glanced back, almost as if possessed, but only once.

After the car had been driving for a long time, Ning Qiaozhen finally couldn't help but ask, "Is all the money mine now?"

Ning Qiaozhen happily prepared to open the two boxes in the back seat of the car.

The sight of the room full of cash made Ning Qiaozhen overjoyed.

"Hey, you took me here... Where is this place? Did you take me out of the city?" Ning Qiaozhen was just about to choose a place to get off the bus when she glanced out the window and realized something was wrong.

Because she was focused on the cash in the box, she didn't notice the increasingly unfamiliar scenery.

“Because of the employer’s requirements, you must leave this city and never see the Third Young Master again.” Lu Qinghe deliberately used the term ‘Third Young Master’ to show respect while also drawing a line between himself and Ning Qiaozhen.

"What?" Ning Qiaozhen was taken aback, but after thinking about it, she realized that Ning Hai still had a lot of debt in that city. If she were found to have money, she would definitely be chased by creditors. So she decided to leave first.

"Fine, I have money anyway." With this million, Ning Qiaozhen wasn't afraid to go anywhere.

“That money wasn’t for you.” However, Lu Qinghe directly shattered Ning Qiaozhen’s smugness.

"What?" Ning Qiaozhen was taken aback. "What do you mean by that?"

“This money is for me; it’s the final payment for this mission.” Lu Qinghe tapped his fingers on the steering wheel as he stopped the car. At that moment, a blond man standing alone by the roadside opened the back door and got into the back seat.

The car started moving again.

Ning Qiaozhen vaguely sensed that something was wrong and secretly took out her phone to call the police.

"Ha." Huang Hu shoved Ning Qiaozhen's phone away. The phone hit the glass and bounced hard off the car seat. "Hello, old witch."

A look of terror appeared in Ning Qiaozhen's eyes: "Who are you people? What do you want?"

"The employer's request is that you not see the Third Young Master, but since we're in the country, you can still see him, right? We're professionals; we complete every task assigned by our employers without leaving any loose ends." Lu Qinghe's voice gradually lowered, revealing a hint of malice.

“This period has been so tough.” Huang Hu sat down next to Ning Qiaozhen, spreading his hands. Instead of a suit and tie, he was wearing an old man’s vest today, revealing his muscular build. “It’s finally over.”

"Where are you taking me? What are you going to do? This is illegal! You can't treat me like this!"

Ning Qiaozhen panicked. Everything happened too fast; she hadn't even had time to develop basic awareness of what to do.

In a panic, she tried to open the car door, but the moving vehicle was impossible to open, and it sped off down an unfamiliar route.

Ning Qiaozhen tried to open the car window, but Huang Hu gave her a chilling, wicked smile: "If you jump out at this speed, believe me, you'll be only a second away from death."

"What exactly do you want? Do you want money? I'll give it to you, just don't treat me like this." Ning Qiaozhen never expected that in a society governed by the rule of law, she would encounter such a thing.

Even though she tried hard to calm herself down, the fear in her heart almost overwhelmed her, and her pleading voice was tinged with sobs.

"How much can you give us? More than the employer?" Huang Hu said with a wicked smile.

"I can earn it, I'm good at making money, I have many ways to make money." Even if it's a boast, she would at least say it if it could save her life.

"Don't worry, you'll have plenty of opportunities to make money in the future." Huang Hu laughed and tugged at Ning Qiaozhen's hair, mocking her wantonly. "For example, we could send you abroad to work and earn money for us to spend, right?"

Ning Qiaozhen's face was ashen.

Looking at Huang Hu, he could tell from Huang Hu's few words that his fate would not be good. After making a judgment, he suddenly became fierce and stepped forward to tear at Huang Hu's throat. However, Huang Hu's hand, which was holding his hair, was pressed hard against the car window.

"Let me go, you bunch of bastards, lunatics, idiots..." Ning Qiaozhen struggled desperately inside the car, pounding on the windows in an attempt to attract the attention of passing vehicles.

However, Lu Qinghe spoke up coolly at this moment: "I saw that the Third Young Master's face was swollen today. Did you hit him?"

"Oh?" Huang Hu raised an eyebrow, a dangerous smile appearing on his lips. He released his grip, and as Ning Qiaozhen was about to pounce again, he suddenly slapped her hard across the face.

A well-trained adult male slapped Ning Qiaozhen hard across the face with a powerful gust of wind. Ning Qiaozhen felt a buzzing in her brain and fainted briefly for several tens of seconds.

Her cheeks swelled up at a visible rate.

"The force with which she hit the Third Young Master was about the same, I suppose," Lu Qinghe said to Huang Hu as he drove.

"But she's hit the Third Young Master more than once or twice," Huang Hu shrugged and said to Ning Qiaozhen, "Hey, don't faint, it's not over yet."

Ning Qiaozhen finally couldn't hold back her sobs and burst into tears. Overwhelmed by the emotional rollercoaster, she felt like she was about to collapse. She even began to murmur the name of the man who had abandoned her: "Ning Hai... Ning Hai, save me..."

"Don't worry." Huang Hu said with a wicked smile, whispering in Ning Qiaozhen's ear, "Ning Hai, we've locked you up properly. He's waiting for you anxiously. Don't worry, neither of you will escape. Being together will at least give you some comfort."

Ning Qiaozhen's body began to tremble violently uncontrollably. In her final moments of lucidity, she realized that this was probably a revenge attack specifically targeting her.

In her fear, a dark future seemed to be swallowing her whole.

“What did I do wrong? I didn’t mistreat Wanqiu. I gave him food and shelter, and I even remembered to bring him meals after get off work. I even rented a place for him to live in! The boy himself said he was very happy and that he liked me a lot! What right do you have to take revenge on me on his behalf? I am still his mother. He will definitely hate you…”

Ning Qiaozhen kept repeating that she had done nothing wrong and that she had not bullied the child.

Lu Qinghe didn't even have the thought of explaining.

Taking advantage of the Third Young Master's intellectual disability, they bullied him at will. No parent would let it go if they knew their child was being bullied like this.

Not to mention that notoriously vengeful and selfish wealthy couple.

"Don't misunderstand, it's not what the Third Young Master meant by treating you this way." However, Lu Qinghe still spoke up. His reason for speaking up was not to explain to Ning Qiaozhen, but to make Ning Qiaozhen despair. "You just cut off your contact with the Third Young Master yourself. The Third Young Master is very simple-minded and never doubts anything. He believes whatever you say, doesn't he?"

Ning Qiaozhen's lips trembled with fear, her cheeks ached, one eye was completely blind, and her head was spinning from the pain.

But perhaps the pain stimulated her, and she briefly forgot her fear: "Do you think someone who would do this is a good person? That kind of idiot won't have a good life anywhere!"

Huang Hu slapped Ning Qiaozhen hard on the back, sending her crashing into the back of the seat in front of her. Huang Hu rolled his eyes and sneered.

"Whether the Third Young Master lives well or not in the future, you certainly won't live well." Huang Hu looked at the slightly plump woman trembling in front of him and laughed. "Of course, we will give you food, clothes, and a place to live. We really hope that you can be as happy and grateful to us as Wan Qiu is in the future."

The woman trembled uncontrollably with fear, but Huang Hu smiled wickedly at her.

Are you scared? Yes, a little scared. Wanqiu has experienced this kind of fear countless times.

They weren't exactly criminals; they were just trying to scare people.

Send Ning Qiaozhen to the police station so she can keep Ning Hai company.

Because the plan was rushed, we didn't have much evidence. Submitting it to the police for investigation will surely uncover something very interesting.

This reminded Huang Hu of Wan Qiu, who would have a good life in the future.

Thinking of Wan Qiu's strong trust and dependence on Ning Qiaozhen, Huang Hu felt that this world was truly fucking ridiculous.

Wan Qiu could trust Ning Qiaozhen so much and believe that he was living a happy life.

Under the care of the Chu couple, one can live a life where one knows neither pain nor impossibility.

All they can do for that child now is to abide by the confidentiality agreement and absolutely not let Wan Qiu know that they and the Chu family took Ning Qiaozhen and Ning Hai away.