Chapter Twenty-Three
The unexpected turn of events occurred on the third day after the college entrance examination. Zhou Mo had made plans with Yu Xi to travel to a coastal city. Zhou Mo waited anxiously at the ticket gate of the high-speed rail station, looking around anxiously, but Yu Xi was nowhere to be seen. Her messages went unanswered.
The announcement came over the loudspeaker that ticket checking was about to end. Zhou Mo picked up her phone again, but the notification bar was empty; there wasn't a single message.
The high-speed rail staff, seeing that she was a young girl, came over eagerly to ask, "What's wrong? Do you need help?"
Zhou Mo shook her head, politely declining the staff's offer, and turned to walk out of the high-speed rail station. Behind her, the electronic screen showed that the ticket information for their high-speed train to the seaside had changed from green to red.
Zhou Mo stood amidst the bustling crowd, looking somewhat lost, but she quickly rallied and called Yu Xi again. This time, the call was answered quickly, and instead of hearing Yu Xi's apology, she heard Qi Xiao's plea for help.
She quickly hung up the phone, hailed a taxi, and left the high-speed rail station.
The cracked screen of her phone reflected Qi Xiao's frightened expression. She gripped the phone tightly and huddled in the corner. Behind her, she heard the sound of an iron bar scraping against the ground, and she couldn't help but close her eyes tightly.
"I've found you."
The only cover behind her was ripped away by the newcomer, exposing Qi Xiao to their view. She tried to escape but couldn't move her injured leg. Just as the iron bar swung down, Qi Kai grabbed the newcomer around the waist. Half of Qi Kai's eye was covered in blood. He turned and shouted at Qi Xiao, "Run! If you can't run, crawl out!"
Qi Xiao dared not delay any longer. No matter how much it hurt, she dared not stop using her arms. Only by crawling out could she have any hope.
Moreover, she had just answered Zhou Mo's call. She couldn't let Zhou Mo in, she couldn't let Zhou Mo get involved. She had to get out; only by getting out could she be saved.
"Tsk, why are you all so annoying? Do you have to come out and disturb people when they're working? Didn't your parents tell you that this is very impolite?" The man being hugged by Qi Kai was dressed in all black, with a long scar on his eyebrow that connected to the end of his double eyelid crease, making him look fierce and sinister. "Oh, I forgot, you don't have parents. No wonder you're so ill-mannered, daring to touch things that aren't yours."
Qi Kai spat out a mouthful of blood and said, "Stop talking nonsense. In this business, it's all about who pays the bill. You guys have gone too far this time, you've crossed the line, brother."
Even though it was a life-or-death situation, Qi Kai could still call out "brother".
"You're right, whoever can eat it gets to keep it. I'll eat you in a bit." The man grabbed Qi Kai's wrist and twisted it hard. Qi Kai endured the pain without crying out. He simply used his other hand to hold his broken wrist, refusing to let the man take another step forward.
"Oh dear, do you really have to lose this hand too?"
Just as the man was about to make his move, the sound of an iron bar cutting through the air suddenly rang out behind him. The man's muscle memory saved his life. At this moment, Qi Kai suddenly let go of his hand and then kicked him in the chest. The man could defend against one move but not another.
"Go back, Sun Zhe."
Sun Zhe brushed the mark off his chest. "Didn't that blow hit your head? What a pity, Yu Xi, you escaped again."
Yu Xi and Qi Kai stood together. Yu Xi glanced at Qi Kai coldly, while Qi Kai rested his wrist on his hand and said, "It's nothing."
Yu Xi didn't reply to Qi Kai at all, and Qi Kai didn't feel awkward either, as if he had just said those words to himself.
Qi Kai glanced back briefly, but Qi Xiao was gone, leaving only a bloodstain that looked horrifying. Qi Kai couldn't help but grind his teeth. If he had known he would encounter such a jinx today, he shouldn't have brought Qi Xiao out to meet people.
This injury will probably take a long time to heal.
"Sun Zhe, the goods are not going to be given to you. The longer you stay here, the more scared you'll become. Once He Ru brings people over, do you really think you can leave?"
Sun Zhe was not afraid of Qi Kai's threat at all. He stood on the iron rod, put his hands on it, and shifted his weight onto it. "Do you really think I'm crazy and stupid? Did I come alone?"
“I used to be able to, but I can’t now.” Sun Zhe’s smile vanished instantly.
At the same time, Qi Kai and Yu Xi's expressions changed simultaneously. Qi Xiao's wailing came from outside the abandoned factory. Qi Kai wanted to run out, but Yu Xi stopped him, saying, "Take care of him first."
The next second, another female voice came from outside.
"Let her go! I've already called the police!"
Yu Xi, who had just said he was going to take down Sun Zhe, ran away so fast that he didn't give Qi Kai a chance to stop him.
Qi Kai glared at Sun Zhe, who gestured for him to go outside. "It's so stuffy inside. Let's go out and get some fresh air."
Qi Kai ran outside, and the sight before him made his pupils shrink.
"Smile."
Qi Xiao was shielded behind Zhou Mo. There was a black muddy footprint on the wound on her leg, and blood mixed with impurities gushed out. Her face was getting paler and paler.
Zhou Mo was locked in a standoff with another man, holding a wooden stick studded with nails. It was more of a one-sided taunt by the man than a standoff, since Zhou Mo was no match for him in a real fight.
But things were different when Yu Xi came out. He kicked the man in front of Zhou Mo away, turned around and looked Zhou Mo up and down. After confirming that Zhou Mo had no injuries, he shouted angrily, "Are you stupid?! What are you doing here?!"
"I called the police as soon as I realized something was wrong, and they arrived immediately." Zhou Mo didn't feel wronged by being yelled at. Instead, she patiently explained to Yu Xi that she had seen blood on Yu Xi's face. She wasn't sure if the blood was Yu Xi's or someone else's, and she didn't dare to think about it or touch it.
"Stay behind me. If you can't avoid it, just push me in front of you." Yu Xi said this and then focused on the situation at hand.
Tears streamed down her face without warning. Zhou Mo didn't actually want to cry because there was nothing to cry about. She wasn't the one who was hurt, nor was she the one facing difficulties. But Yu Xi's words made her want to cry. She truly had a family she had chosen.
But this feeling was quickly replaced by the tense atmosphere at the scene. She knew she couldn't help much, and it would be best not to come or cause trouble. But she couldn't just sit idly by. There were her few ties here: her friends and her family. If there had to be a worst outcome, she hoped it would be herself, not someone else.
She could not bear the pain of separation a second time.
Zhou Mo didn't want to distract Yu Xi any further. She quickly wiped away her tears and turned to check on Qi Xiao. Qi Xiao gently placed her hand on her palm. "I'm sorry, Mo Mo. I shouldn't have answered that call. You shouldn't have come."
"Nonsense!" Zhou Mo scolded Qi Xiao while taking off her own jacket and tying it around Qi Xiao's thigh to stop the bleeding. "Just bear with it a little longer, the police will be here soon."
"Really? Not necessarily." Sun Zhe spoke up casually. Zhou Mo subconsciously glared at him, then realized that everyone was silent. She quickly realized that what this man said might be true.
The police responded quickly; it's impossible that she hadn't heard the sirens by now. The only explanation is that her call to the police was put on hold.
The reason why it was shelved is quite clear.
Zhou Mo didn't say anything more and focused on treating Qi Xiao's wound. She noticed that Qi Xiao was shivering, so she immediately hugged Qi Xiao and Qi Xiao laughed, "Mo Mo, you're so warm."
"I have hot blood, don't worry, you won't get cold."
"If I had known you were this warm, I should have hugged you more during the winter." Qi Xiao leaned on Zhou Mo's shoulder, looking blissful. If you ignored her pale face, she would look like she was enjoying herself in some paradise.
"Winter hasn't even come yet, you'll have plenty of opportunities."
"Alright, we've seen the brotherly love and the sisterly love, now it's time to settle the score." Sun Zhe raised his hand, and the burly man beside him slowly approached Yu Xi and Qi Kai. His steps were steady and firm, clearly those of a trained fighter. Qi Kai couldn't help but assume a fighting stance, his eyes glancing at Qi Xiao countless times, but Qi Xiao didn't give him the slightest indication.
"Do you really think the siren won't sound?"
Sun Zhe was taken aback. He looked at Zhou Mo, a mocking smile creeping onto his face as he habitually smiled. "Of course it is..."
Before he could finish speaking, the sound of sirens rang out. Everyone was startled. Yu Xi looked at Zhou Mo, who was gently wiping the sand off Qi Xiao's face. "Let's go skiing this winter, Xiao Xiao."
Qi Xiao was stunned for a moment, then lost herself in Zhou Mo's gentle smile and obediently nodded.
Yu Xi had always known that Zhou Mo had a kind of crazy streak in her bones. Whether it was when she tacitly allowed herself to take that boy to the abandoned building or when she went to see He Ru alone, this crazy streak had always supported Zhou Mo.
Zhou Mo always says that she pretends to be an adult, but Yu Xi thinks that Zhou Mo is already more like an adult than many adults. This kind of Zhou Mo is already capable of facing society, instead of deceiving herself by finding a family member or what she thinks is a wing.
Sun Zhe shook his head in disbelief. "How is that possible? The boss has already taken care of everything?!"
Zhou Mo: "So you think you're so good at navigating social circles? You think you're so well-connected?" She rolled her eyes at Sun Zhe impatiently. "If I didn't know who you people were, I wouldn't care. But even if I did, you're still so naive. Have you been working for nothing, or are you just bad at understanding social dynamics? You're such a pain. You have to think about all this nonsense. Rank has its own way of putting people down. What are the subordinates supposed to do when the higher-ups give the order? Do you have to violate your professional ethics to do this or that? No wonder everyone wants to climb the ladder. Once you're high up, you can do whatever you want. In the end, I want to be an honest person."
Zhou Mo's rambling stunned everyone present, including He Ru, who had come with the police.
Finally, Yu Xi squatted down in front of Zhou Mo and patted her head, which stopped Zhou Mo from talking.
"The head of the household doesn't understand you, but I do. That's great."
"At the beach, what should we do?"
"Reschedule."
"Really?"
"real."
Fake.
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