When Xia Linyin came out of the fitting room, Xia's mother's eyes lit up, and her face was full of pride and a sense of accomplishment. Her judgment had never been wrong.
"Oh my, my baby is so beautiful," Xia's mother said, holding Xia Linyin's hands.
Looking at her, Xia's mother sighed and couldn't help but lament, "I wonder which rascal will get lucky. Just thinking about you marrying into another family makes my heart ache..."
Xia Linyin immediately hugged her mother and said coquettishly, "Mom, I won't get married. I can't bear to leave you and Dad. I want to stay with you for the rest of my life."
Although Xia Linyin had flattered her and made her feel incredibly happy, Xia's mother still pretended to be angry and said, "Silly child, what are you saying? What girl doesn't get married?"
"Mom will take you to the hair salon later to get your hair permed and make you look beautiful. In a couple of days, we'll have dinner with Aunt Lin's son," Xia's mother said, patting Xia Linyin's hand.
Xia Linyin said unhappily, "Mom, didn't I tell you to refuse?"
Xia's mother also put on a stern face, "What are you refusing for? You're not young anymore, and you've never even been in a relationship. You're old enough to be dating. I've seen photos of Aunt Lin's son; he's incredibly handsome. After seeing your photos, he couldn't wait to fly back to China to meet you."
“I think you two can make it work. I think this kid is good. He’s not leaving after returning to China this time. He’s already signed a job contract with a listed company.”
Xia Linyin gave a perfunctory reply and quickly changed the subject, "Mom, I'm going in to change my clothes first. This dress is nice, I'll take it."
Watching Xia Linyin's hurried departure, Xia's mother shook her head helplessly.
Meanwhile, in a dark and damp basement, a man dressed in an expensive suit that seemed out of place in the filthy environment sat on a rusty iron chair.
Handcrafted black leather shoes swayed on the uneven, pitted cement floor.
"Drip—" A drop of water fell from above and landed in the puddle where blood had pooled.
The man listened quietly to the sounds coming from the bugging device, with a mangled, bloody body lying at his feet.
"Mom, I'm not getting married. I can't bear to leave you and Dad. I want to stay with you for the rest of my life."
"Silly child, what are you saying? What girl doesn't get married?"
"Mom will take you to the hair salon later to get your hair permed and make you look beautiful. In a couple of days, we'll have dinner with Aunt Lin's son."
...
Mr. Mo raised his head in pain, looking at Mo Li's handsome face, which was even more outstanding than his mother's.
He lost money gambling and, in a fit of rage, killed someone during an argument. He became a wanted criminal and had no choice but to hide in this remote and impoverished place.
The past two years of hiding and going hungry caused him to lose weight rapidly, his cheeks became sunken, and he became so thin that he almost looked unrecognizable.
Afraid of being recognized, he deliberately grew a beard and long hair, looking unkempt like a homeless person on the street.
His current appearance is vastly different from that of two years ago.
Even if someone compares his wanted poster to his image, they might not recognize him.
But even so, Mo Li still managed to find him.
Blood oozing from the corner of his mouth soaked Mo's father's beard. When Mo Li, dressed in a suit and wearing a diamond-encrusted watch, stood in front of him, Mo's father was excited and ecstatic.
Great! You can tell at a glance that his son has made something of himself; he's doing very well now!
Although he sold Mo Li back then, his son is doing very well now, much more successful than when he was with him.
No matter what, Mo Li is still his son!
Mo's father wanted to project the authority of a strict father, but he forgot that Mo Li was no longer the child he used to beat and scold.
He tried to appeal to emotions again, but no matter how much he begged for mercy, threatened him, or cursed at him...
Mo Li was like a cold, indifferent machine. Mo's father despairingly discovered that Mo Li's appearance was not a savior, but a demon, a complete and utter demon!
When Mo Li cruelly tortured him with a blank expression, Mo's father would rather Mo Li kill him with a single blow.
It turns out that what's more terrifying than death is a living hell.
He was scared, really scared.
That kind of torture.
Mo Li raised his eyes, looked at his father who was lying on the ground like trash, his eyes trembling, and said indifferently, "So you're this weak."
It's ironic that people who were once insurmountable mountains in my mind are now as insignificant as ants, easily crushed.
The next day, a blood-soaked figure appeared in front of the local police station. Except for his face and body, there was no part of him intact. Along with the blood-soaked figure, there was also an arrest warrant.
An investigation revealed that this person was a wanted fugitive.
No one knows who dumped the person here.
Because the criminal was already insane when he woke up, the surveillance footage at the police station only showed a figure so heavily armed that you couldn't even tell what a single hair looked like.
——
After Xia Linyin and her mother bought new clothes, they also bought some New Year's goods.
The Chinese New Year is just around the corner, and there are quite a few things I need to buy.
Time flies.
On New Year's Eve, we brought my grandparents from the countryside over, and the whole family gathered around the table for a sumptuous reunion dinner.
The television was playing festive programs, and laughter filled the dining table.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Because the house was quite noisy, it took a while for the doorbell to be heard.
Xia Linyin got up to open the door, walked into the yard, and opened the door a crack. Looking out through the crack, she saw no one outside.
Xia Linyin frowned in confusion, and just as she was about to close the door, she saw a gift box placed at the doorway.
On top of the box was a pair of gloves. Xia Linyin's heart pounded. She opened the door and ran out, standing at the door looking around, exhaling puffs of white mist.
There was no one there, not even a soul in sight. The eve of the Lunar New Year, a day for family reunion, was both lively and quiet; the house was bustling, while the outside was peaceful.
Xia Linyin lowered her head in disappointment. She pursed her lips, turned around, and picked up the gift box.
Upon opening the gift box, one finds roses arranged in the shape of a heart, with a brooch studded with blue diamonds placed in the very center.
Two years later, she received the same anonymous gift again.
After seeing Xia Linyin enter the house carrying a gift box, Mo Li emerged from the shadows. He leaned against the streetlamp, gazing at the warm light emanating from Xia Linyin's house.
The smoke blurred his handsome face, and his tall figure cast a lonely shadow beside the streetlight.
The scars on my face have been removed, but some faint marks remain.
His long, silky hair has been cut off; he is now Mo Li, no longer Chen Shisan.
Mo Li stared in the direction of Xia Linyin's house for a long, long time, smoking one cigarette after another until he had unknowingly emptied the cigarette pack.
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