Xu Xiaoxiao's throat itched, she coughed a few times, her body heaved dramatically, her face turned pale, and her once blood-red lips became bloodless.
Standing at the hospital entrance, Xu Xiaoxiao's eyes were filled with misery and despair. Her lips parted slightly, and her voice was hoarse: "I've actually come to this. No! I still have my brother." A glint flashed in her eyes, and Xu Xiaoxiao dialed Xu Mo's number, but Xu Mo's phone was switched off, meaning she couldn't contact him.
Xu Xiaoxiao's only remaining hope has been extinguished. She staggered back a few steps and leaned against the cold wall, her heart frozen.
"Brother, where are you? I've been bullied like this, why haven't you shown up? This wasn't my fault, it's all Jiang Hua's fault for ruining me like this," Xu Xiaoxiao murmured. Xu Xiaoxiao showed no remorse; she still believed she was right. If anyone knew what Xu Xiaoxiao was thinking, they would surely find this woman utterly ridiculous.
A man in a brown wool coat on the other side of the street saw Xu Xiaoxiao, a mocking smile playing on his lips. He pulled his mask down and strode forward, then, in a low voice, said to her, "Hello, Miss Xu, I have news about Xu Mo. Would you like to hear it?"
Seeing that the man had wrapped himself up so tightly, Xu Xiaoxiao didn't suspect anything at all. Instead, a flame of hope rekindled in her heart, and she grabbed the man's arm, her voice full of surprise: "Where is my brother?" She had lost her senses and believed everything that others said, especially news about Xu Mo.
The man focused his gaze on Xu Xiaoxiao's hand gripping his arm, without saying a word. Xu Xiaoxiao didn't react for a moment, and said in a slightly agitated tone, "Speak up! Do you even know where my brother is?" After saying that, Xu Xiaoxiao's body couldn't take it anymore, and she coughed violently, her fingers gripping the man's arm tightly.
The man smiled apologetically, gently patting Xu Xiaoxiao's back with his large hand. He turned his head, a flash of disgust crossing his eyes, but when he looked at Xu Xiaoxiao again, he returned to normal, feigning concern as he said, "Miss Xu, don't worry. You can't afford to cause any trouble right now. Mr. Xu said he's waiting for you under the bridge over there, and he wants you to go alone." He then pulled his arm away and pointed into the distance.
Eager to meet Xu Mo, Xu Xiaoxiao didn't think things through and headed towards the bridge. She tightened her clothes, as the wind was strong and blew her black hair into her eyes. She lowered her head slightly and tucked her hair behind her ears. With a smile on her pale face, she murmured, "I'll be able to see my brother soon. Once I see him, everything will be easier."
However, when Xu Xiaoxiao arrived at the bottom of the bridge, she looked around but couldn't see her brother's tall and upright figure. Instead, she saw a group of people leaning against the bridge wall.
Men and women, young and old, were all as emaciated as she was. A few occasionally feigned comfort, causing those nearby to tear up and swallow hard. Xu Xiaoxiao frowned; these people were clearly drug addicts. She subtly took a few steps back, finding them disgusting!
Smelling the air under the bridge, her stomach churned, and she leaned against the bridge wall, opening her mouth to vomit. Food scraps came out of Xu Xiaoxiao's mouth, accompanied by strands of glistening saliva.
The man standing on the other end narrowed his eyes slightly. Seeing Xu Xiaoxiao's appearance, he chuckled coldly and slowly walked forward, saying in a surprised tone, "Miss Xu, what's wrong with you?" The man knew what Xu Xiaoxiao needed right now, but he didn't take it out; he just looked at Xu Xiaoxiao.
Xu Xiaoxiao leaned against the wall, wiping the food from her mouth and panting. She felt as if ants were gnawing at her bones. She was experiencing what it meant to be worse than dead. Her voice was desolate as she asked, "What's wrong with me?"
The man shrugged helplessly and said, "I don't know either, but Miss Xu, would you like to relax?" He then smiled and looked at Xu Xiaoxiao sincerely.
"You're not a doctor, how can you make me feel better? You'd better not make such big promises. I'm not one of those drug addicts!" After saying that, Xu Xiaoxiao looked around at the people leaning against the bridge wall, her eyes full of disdain.
The man chuckled inwardly, but his expression remained sincere as he said, "Miss Xu, now you have no choice but to trust me." With that, he took out a bag full of powder from his pocket.
Shaking the bag, the man's lips curled into a smile, but it quickly faded: "Miss Xu, if you inhale this, you'll suddenly feel comfortable."
Xu Xiaoxiao turned her head away, her hair disheveled. Although she didn't want to touch the package, her body reached out against her will. Born into a wealthy family, she had never suffered. Now, she was enduring the feeling of being devoured by a thousand ants, and she really couldn't bear it anymore.
Seeing Xu Xiaoxiao take the bag, the man clapped his hands and took out a necklace from his chest pocket. The necklace shone brightly in the sunlight, reflecting into Xu Xiaoxiao's eyes. The glare made her close her eyes slightly, tilt her head slightly to the left, take the necklace from the man, put it in her pocket, and say in a trembling voice, "Thank you." She was finding it difficult to even speak now.
Xu Xiaoxiao couldn't wait to open the bag, and accidentally dropped some of the powder on the ground. The drug addict closest to Xu Xiaoxiao ran over, stretched out his withered fingers, dipped them slightly in the powder, and put them into his mouth without any disgust. He sucked on them slightly, lay down on the ground, and his wrinkled face suddenly relaxed, with a very comfortable expression.
However, Xu Xiaoxiao didn't see it. She just poured the powder into her mouth. The powder melted as soon as it entered her mouth and went down her throat with her saliva. Xu Xiaoxiao lay on the ground with her legs curled up. She closed her eyes comfortably. The feeling of being bitten by ants was completely gone. She felt like she was in a paradise on earth. All the nerve cells in her body were excited.
After finishing the packet of powder, Xu Xiaoxiao stood up and gently brushed the dust off her body. She then took out a necklace from the bag and ran her fingers over it. It was indeed her brother's necklace, but where was her brother? Wasn't he supposed to be under the bridge? Why was he nowhere to be found here, and why had she unknowingly ingested that packet of powder?
The only person who could resolve her doubts now was the man who gave her the packet of powder. With her mind clearing up a bit, Xu Xiaoxiao leaned against the wall and asked, "When did I become addicted to drugs?"
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