Chapter 043: Liu Dahua Pays a Visit

Xianglan looked to be around thirty, with unremarkable features and dressed in plain clothes. Yet, upon closer inspection, her figure was exceptional.

Xianglan choked back her sobs and glanced at Liu Dahua.

Liu Dahua was burly and brutish, with a menacing appearance that inspired fear, not least because of the large, garish tattoos covering his arms.

A trace of fear flickered in Xianglan’s eyes as she asked timidly, “Will you really help us?”

“Heh heh heh!” Liu Dahua let out a lecherous laugh. “Of course I will! Helping others is what I do best!”

Xianglan took two steps back. “Really?”

At that moment, she looked so fragile and frightened that anyone seeing her would have felt a pang of compassion.

This only fueled certain desires within Liu Dahua.

He rubbed his hands together, muttering, “What a rare beauty…”

His gaze roamed shamelessly to Xianglan’s chest. Though her clothes were loose, they could not conceal her voluptuous curves.

Gulping audibly, Liu Dahua thought, “If I could just rest in her arms, I could die without regrets.”

Noticing the predatory look in his eyes, Xianglan quickly gathered the little girl, who was about six or seven, into her arms. “Sorry, we don’t need the money anymore! We have to go now!”

Clutching the child tightly, Xianglan hurried away in a panic.

Liu Dahua watched her retreating figure and chuckled, “And there’s a little girl thrown in too—this is quite the deal.”

With that, he set off after them.

In the crowd, Zhao Feng witnessed everything. Narrowing his eyes, he thought, “Liu Dahua, you scum. If you go too far, I won’t hesitate to kill you.”

He, too, began to follow.

…

Xianglan, clutching her daughter, ran at a brisk trot. Once she left the food street, she headed towards the outskirts of town, glancing over her shoulder as she went, as if terrified that Liu Dahua might catch up.

When she saw several prefab rooms not far away, she finally allowed herself a breath of relief.

At that moment, the little girl in her arms woke up. She was delicate and lovely, her large eyes sparkling with life, though her face was pale.

She looked around and asked, “Mommy, why are we back? Did you get the money?”

Xianglan forced a smile. “Nuannuan, yes, we have the money now. You’ll have your operation very soon.”

Nuannuan blinked. “Really?”

Xianglan nodded emphatically.

“Heh heh heh!” Nuannuan giggled, innocent and carefree.

She wriggled in Xianglan’s arms. “Mommy, let me down! I want to walk by myself!”

Xianglan hesitated. “Sweetheart, we’re almost home. Rest a little longer.”

Nuannuan shook her head. “I don’t want to sleep anymore.”

“Why not?”

“Because… because…”

“Because of what?” Xianglan asked gently.

Nuannuan lowered her head. “Because I’m afraid that if I fall asleep again, I won’t see you when I wake up.”

Tears welled in Xianglan’s eyes. She covered her mouth to stifle her sobs. Thanks to the darkness, Nuannuan didn’t see her mother crying.

Still, she sensed something was wrong.

“Mommy, are you crying?” the little girl asked softly.

Xianglan shook her head. “No, sweetheart.”

“Oh. Mommy, please don’t cry! You always tell me to be strong. So you have to be strong too!”

Xianglan nodded, her voice choked. “Don’t worry, darling. Mommy will be strong. We’ll both be strong.”

“Okay!”

By now, they had reached the prefab rooms.

Xianglan’s husband had worked on a construction site. After a tragic accident, he passed away.

She was not a native of Chenzhou City, but had come from Yunchuan with her husband and their daughter to find work. With her husband’s death, Xianglan was left alone, relying on the kindness of a few coworkers to stay in these temporary quarters.

And there was another cruel twist: after her husband’s death, she had received neither compensation nor even his unpaid wages.

Reaching the door of one of the temporary dwellings, Xianglan checked to make sure no one was around. She took a key from her pocket, unlocked the door, and stepped inside.

Once inside, she finally relaxed. She quickly locked the door behind her and set Nuannuan on the bed.

The little girl swung her legs idly on the large bed. “Mommy, why did you lock the door?”

Xianglan forced a bitter smile. “Because there are bad people out there.”

“Bad people?”

“Yes.”

Frightened, Nuannuan burrowed under the covers. “Don’t be afraid, Mommy. Daddy will come back to protect us!”

Xianglan nodded. “Yes, Daddy will protect us.”

“Hee hee!” Nuannuan poked her head out from the blankets, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

Xianglan smiled. “Alright, darling, let’s get some sleep.”

Nuannuan nodded eagerly. “Okay!”

They both laughed softly.

Xianglan took off her shoes, removed her outer clothes, and lay down on the bed.

She closed her eyes for a moment.

Suddenly—

There was a loud knock at the door.

Xianglan tensed instantly. “Who is it?”

A man’s voice came from outside. “Sister Xianglan, it’s me—Ah Tai!”

Relief washed over Xianglan. “Oh, Ah Tai, what is it? Why are you here so late?”

Ah Tai replied cheerfully from outside, “Good news, Sister Xianglan! Brother Zhiming’s compensation has finally come through!”

A surge of excitement shot through Xianglan. “Really? That’s wonderful! Nuannuan can finally have her operation!”

“That’s right!” Ah Tai replied. “She can finally get the surgery she needs!”

Xianglan was overwhelmed with joy.

Again came the knocking. “Sister Xianglan, open the door and I’ll explain everything.”

Xianglan put on her clothes and shoes. “Alright, just a moment!”

“Okay!”

She approached the door.

Suddenly, her right eyelid twitched for no apparent reason, filling her with unease.

Even so, she reached out her delicate hand and turned the lock.

The moment she opened the door, she froze in shock.

“You?!” Xianglan screamed in terror.

A sinister, leering laugh grated from Liu Dahua. “My little beauty, I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

Xianglan’s face turned deathly pale.

She glanced at Ah Tai. “Ah Tai, why are you doing this?”

Ah Tai stammered, looking terrified. “Sister Xianglan, I didn’t want to! But if I didn’t do what he said, he’d kill me! I want to live!”

“You—!” Xianglan’s face darkened with fury.

She turned to Liu Dahua. “What do you want from us?”

Liu Dahua’s grin twisted. “All I want is for you and your daughter to spend one night with me… that’s all.”