She remained silent for a long time. If he hadn't shown up, she might have quickly forgotten that she had stayed at his place. Although nothing had happened, it still wouldn't sound good if word got out.
Lin Moxiao glanced at the three people who had just been beaten. They had helped each other up and were slowly and laboriously getting into the car.
"They'll be fine, they won't die. They'll be bedridden at home for a few days, but it's nothing serious. I just gave them a lesson, there's no need to be afraid." Lin Moxiao turned around expressionlessly.
Jiang Shuya was somewhat astonished: "Why did you hit them, especially in such a public place? This is a society governed by law, not a criminal organization. If someone calls the police, do you really think you'll get away with it?"
Lin Moxiao calmly said, "They won't call the police, even if they had the guts. Besides, I was acting in self-defense; I can't just stand by and take the beating while they provoke me." She glanced back at her, her tone softening, "Are you worried about me?"
Jiang Shuya subconsciously took a step back, not wanting to get entangled with him, only wanting to escape: "I have something to do, so I'm leaving first."
Just as she was about to leave, she was grabbed by a force. Lin Moxiao grabbed her sleeve and said, "It's too late. Let me take you home! Come on, get in the car."
Jiang Shuya could feel the force that was holding her tightly. She knew she couldn't break free. There were pedestrians coming and going on the opposite side of the road, and she didn't want to attract attention, get tangled up, or become a hot topic of conversation.
Looking up at his cold, icy eyes, she felt a sudden tremor in her heart. She obediently let him pull her to the car, and as he opened the door, she bent down and stepped into the car.
Inside the car, the air was cold and silent, with only the sound of the engine starting. Lin Moxiao glanced at her and said, "Fasten your seatbelt. Tell me which way to go."
Jiang Shuya snapped out of her daze and pointed ahead: "Keep going straight from here, go past two traffic lights, cross the Jiajiang Bridge, turn right after crossing the bridge, turn left onto Lushui Street, go straight past the arched bridge, and you'll reach the intersection of Xixia Village."
Seeing that she had finished speaking in one breath, Lin Moxiao stared at her intently and asked, "Couldn't you have told me in two parts?"
Jiang Shuya: "..."
The car's air conditioning had raised the temperature, making it feel stuffy. Jiang Shuya took off her mask, pressed the smart window button, and the window opened halfway. A blast of cold air rushed in, and she took deep breaths of fresh air, her chest heaving.
Lin Moxiao glanced at her and was suddenly startled by the unusually red marks on her face. He asked in a deep voice, "What happened to the marks on your face?"
Jiang Shuya suddenly turned around, quickly put her mask back on, calmed her thoughts, and after a moment of silence, she still didn't want to answer. For some reason, she didn't want to lie in front of him; her mouth seemed to be sealed shut, and she couldn't think of any perfunctory words.
Lin Moxiao suppressed her emotions and said, "I'm waiting for your answer."
Another silence fell over the air. Jiang Shuya said casually, "I got into a dispute with someone and that's why I fell behind."
She dared not say any more; that night was a nightmare for her.
Fortunately, Lin Moxiao didn't ask any further questions. He guessed that she might have had a conflict with some powerful woman due to a clash of interests, which led to the fight. Since it was a fight, someone would always get hurt, and she probably couldn't withstand it.
He didn't dare to stand up for her rashly, and she wouldn't reveal too much. Given his current status as a friend, he couldn't show too much, as doing too much would only backfire.
As the car crossed the Jiajiang Bridge, Jiang Shuya suddenly remembered her promise to Sun Qi to find someone to help her. She turned to look at Lin Moxiao, and after a moment of thought, the phone number displayed on her phone screen broke the oppressive atmosphere.
When the call connected, it was Sun Qi. An urgent voice came from the other end: "Sister-in-law, I was waiting for you at the bridgehead of your house, but you didn't come back. I received news today that there's a house that was recently built on the reed marshes by the river. Huang Tao went there today. It's the house of Old Chen, who looks after the fishpond. This afternoon, I don't know when, a new lock was put on it. My grandfather asked Old Chen, and he said that the house is located in one of the four major mines. There are no partitions, and there's no valuable money inside. After it was built, only the door was installed, not the lock."
Jiang Shuya became agitated upon hearing this and tried to lower her voice, saying, "You mean Huang Tao will pick him up tonight?"
Sun Qi: "Maybe so, but we're not sure what time it will be. I plan to go and keep watch for the first half of the night, and Grandpa will keep watch for the second half. As soon as we see those children, we'll call the police immediately."
"Okay, you go ahead, I'll be right there." Jiang Shuya hung up the phone, her mood instantly becoming heavy.
Lin Moxiao stared at him blankly, her eyes softening, and she whispered, "What's wrong? What happened?"
Jiang Shuya blinked her clear black and white eyes and smiled brightly: "Mr. Lin is also interested in staying overnight on Jiang Island."
Lin Moxiao's voice was low: "Explain it more clearly."
Jiang Shuya didn't keep them in suspense: "It's like this, the police are currently searching for three missing children in Wuhe County. I have a relative who might have a motive to commit the crime. He hid the three children in a secluded place on Jiang Island. I want to find them. The police also have a reward of 30,000 yuan. We'll split the money."
The car suddenly braked hard, and Jiang Shuya bounced forward before sitting back down.
"Three children." Lin Moxiao looked incredulous.
She deliberately mentioned the reward amount, unable to find a reason to ask him to help. After witnessing his skills, fighting three opponents single-handedly, she extended the invitation, but she still needed to give a reason.
"I mean maybe, I'm not sure yet. If you don't want to, just pretend I didn't say anything." Jiang Shuya looked in the direction and realized they had reached the intersection of Xixia Village. She unbuckled her seatbelt and was about to get out of the car when Lin Moxiao stopped her: "Wait a minute, I'll find a place to park."
Jiang Shuya found him a parking spot at Jiangdao Square. After they got out of the car, the night was deeper, the frost and dew were heavy, and the shady ground was damp. Their figures, one in front of the other, walked into Xixia Village. Jiang Shuya did not go home. Instead, she led Lin Moxiao around a bend to the private plot of land behind her second uncle's house. Along the way, afraid of being recognized by acquaintances, she put the hood of her clothes on her head, only revealing her bright eyes. After passing the firewood field, she tiptoed to the window of Huang Tao's house. The two of them were pressed tightly against the wall. Jiang Shuya stuck her head out and peeked inside. The light was on, and Huang Tao was lying on the bed snoring, his posture contorted, his hands tightly clutching his phone, like a machine ready to be ordered at any moment.
A gust of cold wind swept over her, and Jiang Shuya shivered. She rubbed her hands together and hugged her loose clothes tightly. Lin Moxiao, who was next to her, suddenly hugged her tightly and whispered, "Don't move, it'll be warmer like this."
Jiang Shuya subconsciously pushed him away: "I might have to stay up all night. If Mr. Lin feels cold, you can go back."
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