late at night.

The world outside the window seemed to have changed completely.

At first, it was just the howling night wind, like a ghost, pounding against the window and making a whistling sound.

Immediately afterwards, a pale streak of lightning flashed across the sky, tearing through the night!

"Boom—!"

A deafening clap of thunder followed, as if it would split the entire sky in two.

Large raindrops pounded against the windowpane, quickly forming a curtain of rain, enveloping the whole world in a raging storm.

In the bedroom, Xu Yao curled up in the blankets, her body trembling uncontrollably.

She had a nightmare.

In her dream, she returned to that dark, dilapidated old home that suffocated her.

It was that familiar room, still smelling musty.

She held the scissors in her hand and backed away step by step.

Zheng Qiang approached her step by step, a disgusting, greedy, lewd smile on his face.

"Yaoyao, just give in to me... Your parents have agreed to let you marry me... You can't escape me..."

What made her even more desperate was that her parents, her brother, and even her uncle and aunt were all gathered around her!

Their faces showed no worry or anger, only condemnation and a sense of entitlement.

"Yaoyao, listen to me! A woman always has to get married!"

It was her mother's voice.

“Zheng Qiang’s family is well-off. You won’t be at a disadvantage if you marry into their family. The dowry of tens of thousands of yuan will be just enough for your brother to get a wife.”

It was her father's voice.

"That's right, it's an arranged marriage, sister, so don't resist!"

It was my younger brother's voice.

"Women should stay at home to support their husbands and raise their children, and regard their husbands as their heaven! Don't think about going out all day long!"

It was her uncle's voice...

These familiar faces, speaking the coldest and most biting words, were like sharp knives, stabbing deeply into her heart.

"No! I don't want to!"

Xu Yao brandished the scissors, stabbing Zheng Qiang in the face as he lunged at her.

Blood splattered all over her face.

"Xu Yao, you dare to hurt me, I'll kill you!"

Zheng Qiang's face was contorted with rage as he grabbed her by the neck.

"ah!"

Xu Yao suddenly woke up from her nightmare!

She was breathing heavily, her forehead and back covered in cold sweat.

My heart was pounding wildly in my chest, almost bursting open.

Outside the window, another bolt of lightning ripped through the night sky, followed by a deafening clap of thunder!

"ah!"

Xu Yao gasped in fright, instinctively pulling the blanket over her head, her body trembling even more violently.

She was afraid.

It's not just the thunderstorms outside the window that I'm afraid of, but also the suffocating despair in my dreams.

Those who should have been her closest relatives became accomplices in pushing her into the abyss.

At only thirteen or fourteen years old, she was so terrified that she carried a knife with her at all times, and she didn't even take the college entrance exam. Instead, she fled the mountains and became a wanderer overnight.

In the darkness, loneliness and fear overwhelmed her like a tidal wave.

She subconsciously thought of Zhou Yang next door.

The man who repeatedly reached out to her when she was in a sorry and helpless situation.

But... it's already past 1 a.m.... he should be asleep by now, right?

Is it inappropriate to bother him so late? Will he think I'm a nuisance?

Xu Yao gripped her phone tightly, her mind in turmoil.

I'm scared... I'm really scared...

She longed... longed for someone to be by her side...

Ultimately, the fear of darkness and loneliness overwhelmed her hesitation and reserve. Her fingers trembled as she unlocked her phone, opened WeChat, and found Zhou Yang's profile picture.

She hesitated for a long time before finally sending only three short words, followed by a cautious question mark:

Are you asleep?

...

The light was still on in Zhou Yang's room.

A rich and enticing aroma of braised meat wafted from the kitchen.

Business has been so good these past few days that he added dozens of kilograms of meat.

Five pots were used to simmer over 300 jin (150 kg) of braised food at the same time. The food is now ready and will sit overnight before being sold tomorrow.

Zhou Yang wiped his hands and was about to go to bed.

Just then, the screen of the phone on the table lit up briefly, accompanied by a slight vibration.

Zhou Yang picked it up and saw that it was a WeChat message from Xu Yao.

Are you asleep?

Is she still awake?

Zhou Yang frowned slightly.

This timing, coupled with the fact that she was just injured today...

What happened?

Without hesitation, he got up, walked quickly to Xu Yao's door, and gently knocked.

"Knock knock knock".

"Xu Yao? It's me. What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

His voice came through the door, tinged with concern.

Inside the door, Xu Yao heard Zhou Yang's voice, as if a drowning person had grasped at a straw, but what followed was even deeper embarrassment and awkwardness.

She struggled to sit up, leaning against the headboard, her voice slightly hoarse and thick with nasal tone.

"N-nothing...it's just that it's thundering and raining outside...I...I'm a little scared..."

As she finished speaking, her voice grew softer and softer, almost inaudible.

How embarrassing!

This person is so old and still afraid of thunder, and has to trouble others!

Xu Yao wished she could disappear into a crack in the ground.

She longed for Zhou Yang to come in and keep her company, but because they were currently only friends, she didn't dare to make such a "cross-the-line" request.

Zhou Yang, standing outside the door, understood everything from her voice, which was clearly tinged with fear and choked with sobs.

Is this girl afraid of thunder and rain, or does she need to go to the toilet but is too embarrassed to say so?

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