(45)

That night, a strong north wind blew, the autumn wind whipping her face and body like a lash, making her shiver uncontrollably. The gale whipped her long hair, sending it flying in all directions. Her thin clothes offered little protection from the cold, and she hugged herself tightly, running frantically through the night. Even the dim streetlights seemed about to be extinguished by the wind at any moment. There was no one else on the street except her. She anxiously thought that she would reach the bus stop after crossing the alley ahead, where she could catch the last bus back to school. Thinking of her warm dormitory, Ye Wenyu quickened her pace.

However, as she ran into the alley, three young men walked in from the other end. Ye Wenyu stopped in fear, instinctively wanting to turn around and run away. However, if she hesitated any longer, she would miss the last bus! Perhaps she was just worrying unnecessarily. In fact, the three men walking towards her were just passersby and not bad people. With this hopeful thought, Ye Wenyu continued to walk forward with a heavy heart.

But as she was about to pass by the three men, one of them suddenly reached out and grabbed her delicate arm with lightning speed. When the man's hand touched her clothes, Ye Wenyu felt a "boom," as if a landmine had rolled past her feet. Her mind went blank.

Her face turned deathly pale in an instant, and she instinctively shrank back, but the other person's hand was like an iron clamp, and before she knew it, it had tightly gripped her slender wrist. A burning pain came from her wrist, which terrified her.

A blond man leered at a red-haired thug and asked, "Is she your girlfriend?"

The man in red said with a grin, "Yes, she's your girlfriend too."

Ye Wenyu was even more frightened, her whole body trembling like a leaf in a storm. She said in a trembling voice, "I don't know you! What do you want?"

If you walk by the river often enough, you're bound to get your shoes wet. If you walk at night too often, you're bound to run into a ghost. She's been doing this nighttime tutoring for almost a month now. Walking outside every night, it's only a matter of time before something bad happens.

She thought how unfair God was, why was she the only one facing this fate? Why her of all people?

Ye Wenyu was so scared that she wanted to burst into tears, but she also knew that if she cried, it would only embolden the criminals. Therefore, she gritted her teeth and forced herself to remain calm.

The third blue-haired man said lecherously, "Beautiful lady, don't be afraid. The three of us think you're pretty and want to have some fun with you." With that, he reached out and grabbed her neckline, pulling hard. There was a "ripping" sound, the sound of fabric tearing, revealing her snow-white chest.

"Help! Help!" Ye Wenyu cried out in fear, looking around in terror. She figured that running forward would give her a better chance of survival than running backward, so she started punching and kicking, using all her strength to rush forward.

But a young girl is no match for three thugs. The three men cornered her there, like the most impregnable city wall in the world. No matter how hard she tried, she remained surrounded by them, and the encirclement was getting smaller and smaller. The alley itself was narrow, and she was doomed with no way to escape.

Ye Wenyu covered her exposed chest with her hands, trying to remain calm, and said to them in a seemingly indifferent manner, "Let me tell you, my friend definitely heard me calling for help. He's waiting for me at the bus stop up ahead. You'd better let me go now, otherwise he'll definitely call the police, and you'll be going to jail!"

The three men were stunned when they heard this, and looked at each other.

Seizing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Ye Wenyu swiftly lowered her head and bit down hard on the hand of the man holding her wrist. The man cried out in pain and released her. Wenyu regained her freedom and ran forward as fast as lightning.

The dim streetlights shone faintly at the alley entrance, offering her a glimmer of hope! She knew she couldn't stop, couldn't slow down; three men were chasing her like three vicious dogs. This was her only chance to escape; if she fell into their hands again, she would surely die!

She ran as fast as she could, shouting, "Help! Help!"

However, the three men seemed no longer afraid and chased after them with lightning speed, like venomous snakes.

Just as she was escaping the alleyway, Ye Wenyu was caught again. One man slapped her hard across the face, making her see stars and feel dizzy. Another man grabbed her slender waist and dragged her impatiently deeper into the alley.

Ye Wenyu was in utter despair. Her sneakers were glued to the floor as she resisted being dragged. Her shoes kicked up a cloud of dust. She stared wide-eyed at the bus stop in the distance, thinking that she would soon go blind and die! She shouted with all her might, but the sound that came out was barely a whisper, which frightened even herself.

No one could save her; death was the only outcome. She knew she wouldn't live to suffer humiliation, so she committed suicide. Thinking this, she relaxed in her despair. Her mind flashed through her thoughts like a slideshow, recalling the past few months: her mother selling the house and remarrying; her alone facing a difficult life, working multiple jobs like a spinning top; the ridicule from classmates; the dormitory supervisor's questioning; the counselor's earnest talks; the bullying from lecherous men—

What's the point of living? It's better to be dead, because when you're dead, there's no more suffering.

Ye Wenyu sighed and closed her eyes. The three men smiled smugly and used all their strength to drag the struggling Ye Wenyu into the alley. At this moment, a Hummer suddenly appeared from a distance and drove up to them at lightning speed. It stopped abruptly, and then the car door suddenly opened. Lin Tingfeng appeared in front of them like a giant beast, blocking the alley entrance.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!