Chapter 54 Chapter 54 "What's wrong with your neck?"...

After the milk tea shop closed on Saturday night, Yao Yingxia and Xu Nian returned to their new home and waited until Monday to return to school.

It was already ten o'clock in the evening when she got home. Yao Yingxia came out of the shower and found Xu Nian changing her bed sheets and pillowcases.

She went over to help, and the two of them quickly cleaned up. While Yao Yingxia was putting the pillow back in place, Xu Nian suddenly asked, "Xia Xia, are you..." She paused, her tone a little subtle, "Do you have a boyfriend?"

In Yao Yingxia's impression, Xu Nian has always been a little slow. She is used to accepting everything, has a weak character and no opinion, and is rarely so sharp.

Yao Yingxia never thought that Xu Nian would discover her secret. She immediately panicked and looked up at her mother, only to find that she was looking at her neck.

Thinking of the two long red spots she saw in the elevator this morning, Yao Yingxia became even more nervous. Xu Nian was just slow-witted, not without common sense.

She resisted the urge to cover her neck, feeling guilty, and shook her head in a feigned calmness, "I don't have a boyfriend."

Xu Nian was not a suspicious person, and her daughter had always been well-behaved and had never caused her any worries. Xu Nian never doubted anything she said.

But Xia Xia's expression just now was so strange. Considering her pale face in the morning, Xu Nian couldn't help but speculate: "What's wrong with your neck?"

She reached out and scratched it, using considerable strength: "Is it here?"

Soon, several more red marks appeared on her neck, which looked very similar to the two earlier marks.

"My neck felt a little itchy when I was taking a shower."

Xu Nian finally believed it and smiled a little embarrassedly: "Mom, you misunderstood." Then she said, "If there are any good boys in school..."

Yao Yingxia interrupted her: "Mom, I don't want to waste time on such boring things."

Hearing her speak so confidently, Xu Nian felt that his previous suspicions were unfounded. After all, Xia Xia had such a serious psychological trauma.

After Xiao An was convicted, Xu Nian obtained a police investigation record, one section of which stated: "Yao Qihang's long-term harassment of his biological daughter was the main reason for Xiao An's attack."

Xu Nian was completely unaware of the two-year-long harassment. She knew that Yao Qihang was a complete scumbag, but she never imagined that he would attack his own daughter, and Xia Xia never told her a thing.

Xu Nian knew that Xia Xia was afraid that she would fight with Yao Qihang. If Xu Nian, who was so weak, had known what Yao Qihang had done back then, she would have lost her mind and would have gotten rid of this scourge at all costs.

Yao Yingxia didn't want her mother's life to be ruined because of her, but Xiao An completed the mission of protecting her on behalf of Xu Nian.

She also felt that she was a troublemaker.

Seeing her daughter fall into a bad mood again, Xu Nian walked over, hugged her and patted her: "Xia Xia, do you want to sleep with mommy tonight?"

Yao Yingxia nodded. Whenever she felt vulnerable, she could draw some energy from Xu Nian to support her in overcoming all difficulties.

She seems to have lived her whole life for her mother.

Yao Yingxia snuggled up to her mother and soon fell asleep. She was too tired.

Xu Nian went to bed a little later. After returning to S City, she always had a sense of unreality. She couldn't believe that she had escaped from Shen Changhe's control so easily without paying any price.

In the first two months after returning, Xu Nian was worried every day, fearing that Shen Changhe would suddenly appear again one day and destroy the stable life she had worked so hard to obtain.

It was not until recently that she felt a little relieved and could not help but feel more grateful to Shen Xingchuan than before. He would occasionally send her messages to ask about her recent situation.

On the day he left, Shen Xingchuan promised, "Sister Nian Nian, if you encounter any difficulties in the future, please tell me."

Xu Nian didn't think it was just a parting courtesy, because Shen Xingchuan's expression was too serious at that time, silently telling Xu Nian that if she needed help, he would do his best.

Xu Nian still feels touched when he thinks about it. With such an unrelated relationship between them, they can achieve this point, which is closer than the closest relatives.

Xu Nian turned off the desk lamp and glanced at his phone out of habit, and suddenly saw a friend request pop up. The other party's note only had three words "Yao Yingxia".

She turned her head to look at her daughter, then clicked on the person's avatar and took a look. Although it was very blurry and the light was a little dim, the girl with closed eyes and flushed cheeks in the avatar was undoubtedly Xia Xia.

Xu Nian immediately accepted the friend request and then sent a message asking, "Who are you?"

The other party didn't answer for a long time, but Xu Nian couldn't sleep at all. Afraid of disturbing his daughter by tossing and turning, he simply got up and went to the living room.

An hour later, the other party sent a photo. A thin girl was standing next to a tall man. The two seemed to be in the lobby of a hotel.

Xu Nian quickly recognized it as a five-star hotel near the school by its luxurious interior decoration. Once, a rider delivered the wrong order and a customer living there called to complain. Xu Nian happened to be free and delivered the milk tea personally.

Although the two people in the photo only had their backs shown, Xu Nian recognized the girl as Xia Xia at a glance. She felt incredible that her daughter would appear in such a place, and turned her gaze to the man next to her daughter.

Xia Xia is already 1.65 meters tall, but can only reach the other person's shoulders. Such a tall and straight figure is enough to be unforgettable. Coupled with her fluffy and refreshing hair, Xu Nian is almost certain that the man is Shen Xingchuan.

Why did Xia Xia go to the hotel with him?

Xu Nian immediately panicked and sent a message asking, "Who are you?"

This time, the other party didn't make her wait too long. Five minutes later, he replied: "Niannian, how have you been lately?"

It seems that only that person could be called with such a name and such a tone.

Xu Nian's fingers trembled as she wanted to block him, just like she had blocked his previous account, but she was too nervous and couldn't find the block button.

As he fumbled around, another message popped up on his phone. It was a 43-second video.

Xu Nian's expression suddenly changed as he stared at the naked girl on the video cover.

Then I clicked the play button.

After just a few seconds, her eyes began to tremble so violently that she could no longer focus and could no longer see the screen clearly.

Xu Nian was completely unable to think. He could only remember his daughter's face, which was filled with extreme pain, trying hard to endure, and full of despair.

She remembered the rumor she heard at a banquet a long time ago, saying that Shen Xingchuan was supporting a female student in Class A.

It turns out that this is not groundless speculation.

Although it is unknown when this video was filmed, even today, Xia Xia is still under 20 years old.

Xu Nian's tears welled up and his head was splitting.

The phone vibrated again, and she saw that the person had sent three more messages.

"Nian Nian, does it look good?"

"Can you accept the freedom gained by your daughter selling her body with a clear conscience?"

"I still have more than three hours of video here, I can send it to you slowly."

Shen Changhe knew too well how to tear her heart out.

The pain Xu Nian felt at this moment was far greater than the domestic violence she suffered from Yao Qihang and the torture she suffered from Shen Changhe.

No matter how intense the pain on her body was at the time, it would disappear after a while. But now her heart was broken and could never be healed. In the future, whenever she thought of what she had seen today, she would feel excruciating pain.

Xu Nian finally understood why Shen Xingchuan helped her regardless of the cost and without asking for anything in return. And why Xia Xia was so unhappy during the Chinese New Year.

Shen Changhe did what he said, and an hour later, the video, which lasted more than three hours, was transferred to her mobile phone.

Xu Nian didn't dare click it and cried until morning.

It was six o'clock in the morning and it was still dark outside. Xu Nian walked out of the door in a daze and headed towards the hotel in the photo.

She remembered that she had seen a short science video a few days ago, which said that the current AI face-changing technology is very mature and can almost be indistinguishable from the real thing.

This is her last hope.

Xu Nian found the hotel front desk and tried to remain calm: "Hello, I left something here and want to check the surveillance."

The staff were knowledgeable and knew immediately that she was lying. Even though Xu Nian had washed her face before coming, her eyes were red and swollen, and anyone could guess that she had been crying for a long time.

The hotel front desk receives countless such women every year. They are all here to investigate and collect evidence after discovering that their husbands are cheating.

If anyone can come and check the surveillance, their hotel will no longer have the right to operate. It is their responsibility to protect the privacy of their guests.

The staff member looked embarrassed and said firmly, "I'm sorry, our hotel has strict management regulations and we can't retrieve the surveillance footage for you. If you are sure you lost something in our hotel, you can call the police first and we will cooperate with the investigation."

Xu Nian turned and left without saying a word. He stood at the hotel entrance and looked around. Then he crossed the street, continued to look up, and finally entered a 24-hour convenience store.

The camera at the entrance looked like it had a 360-degree coverage, so it should be able to capture the hotel entrance. Without further ado, Xu Nian transferred 500 yuan and obtained surveillance access.

Thinking about how Xia Xia arrived at the milk tea shop later than usual on Saturday morning and looked weak, as well as the kiss mark she found on Xia Xia's neck last night, Xu Nian started watching the surveillance footage from Friday night.

Turning on the high speed, Xu Nian stared at the computer screen without blinking, and soon pressed the pause button. Time froze at 10:26 pm. Even though the picture was blurry, Xu Nian recognized the clothes Xia Xia was wearing and the tall man next to her.

Xu Nian finally broke down.

Seeing her tears welling up, the clerk couldn't bear it either. He simply returned the money she had just paid and comforted her, saying, "Sister, you will meet a better man in the future. There's no need to hang yourself on a tree."

But this comfort was of no use. Xu Nian wanted to burst into tears. She walked on the road like a lonely ghost, from dusk to dawn. This winter was too cold. Even when the sun was high in the sky, she could not feel the slightest warmth.

Xu Nian's cell phone kept vibrating. The melodious ringtone rang and stopped, stopped and rang again, tormenting her nerves.

Before she completely collapsed, Xu Nian sat on a bench by the roadside and finally answered the phone. But it was her daughter's voice that came from the other end: "Mom, where are you?"

Every weekend, Xu Nian would prepare breakfast at home, wait for Yao Yingxia to get up and eat, and then the two would go to the milk tea shop together.

But from the morning of that day, Yao Yingxia had not seen her mother. She called her senior who worked the early shift and found out that her mother had not gone to the milk tea shop either.

Yao Yingxia was a little anxious: "Mom? Why don't you say anything?"

Xu Nian took a deep breath: "Xia Xia, Mom feels sorry for you."

She didn't find out about what happened to Yao Qihang back then, and she knows nothing about what's happening to Shen Xingchuan now. How could someone like her be worthy of being a mother?

Yao Yingxia didn't know what was going on, but Xu Nian's voice sounded a little off. Her mother, always sentimental, tried to comfort her, "Mom, you've never let me down. I'm so glad to be your child."

Xu Nian suddenly hung up the phone. If she had been any later, she would have burst into tears. After calming down for a long time, she called Shen Changhe.

But the other party refused to answer.

She hit him over and over again.

After making probably hundreds of calls, a familiar ringtone sounded from behind her.

Xu Nian's whole body stiffened instantly and his scalp went numb.

A hand fell on her shoulder and patted her gently: "Nian Nian is so patient."