Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Xia Ruya made use of her sprained ankle to go to the hospital and completely broke free from the Xia Family’s control. After that, in order to avoid the Xia Family’s search for her, she came to a small inn in the western district to stay.
This small inn wasn’t big at all and wasn’t in good condition. The room was around 20 square meters, filled with a strange smell, and only had a bed, an old-fashioned television, a table, and two chairs. The snow-white painted walls even had signs of cracking. Upon opening the door to the washroom, the stench from within filled one’s nose. Although the bedsheets were washed and clean, they smelt of cheap detergent.
Safety wasn’t assured in the small inn where vile people came and went. Many ladies working in the hotel brought their guests here to rent a room overnight. The walls weren’t soundproof—almost every night, she could hear scandalous sounds coming from rooms adjacent or opposite hers, even accompanied by the squeaking sounds of shaking beds. Sometimes, it went on an entire night and made her unable to sleep at all.
Everything here was unbearable to her. She was a classy and elegant girl who was born to enjoy wealth and riches—such a cheap lifestyle only made her feel disgusted.
Thus, she stayed in the small inn for three days, couldn’t take it anymore, paid the bill, and packed her bags.
Although Xia Ruya had already kept her jewelry in order to keep a low profile, people who knew could tell that she was clad in valuable clothes. Additionally, her superbly good looks ensured that she turned the heads of 100% of the people she walked past. Although she was situated in the poor and complicated western district, the elegance that radiated from her couldn’t be concealed—instead, it made her appear even more special.
Thus, despite her cautiousness, she was still targeted.
With despising eyes, Xia Ruya looked at the slightly dilapidated and aged street lined with rubbish as wandering, dirty pet dogs shuffled about, her nose filled with a rotting stench. She hastened her steps, only hoping to leave this damned place as soon as possible.
Just then, a wandering dog whose original fur color couldn’t be seen anymore dashed towards her.
“Ah!” Xia Ruya’s face turned pale with fright as she started running in her high heels.
Was this the kind of life that Wen Xinya lived for fifteen years?
She couldn’t even get past day one.
Xia Ruya ran towards the end of the street in a panic, not knowing where she was going. Before she was out of the street, she got a shock from two men who suddenly appeared. A bad premonition arose in her heart.
“Who are you all?” Xia Ruya looked at the four men before her in fear. They were wearing cheap t-shirts, dirty jeans, and had their hair dyed in messy colors. One look was all it took for her to know that they were ill-natured thugs who wandered the streets, not doing anything serious and proper, and specialized in affairs like stealing, cheating, rape, and arson.
Two men blocked off Xia Ruya’s road, forcing her towards the dilapidated alley behind her.
“You all don’t come close… ah! Help!” Only then did Xia Ruya react, turned back, ran towards the alley in a panic, and screamed for help.
The alley had not been fixed in years and was ruined beyond recognition. The alley, which was already narrow, to begin with, due to being filled with rubbish and other junk, was unbearably messy. Xia Ruya was wearing high heels and couldn’t run at all.
The two men followed Xia Ruya behind her back as if playing with a monkey, watching her attempt at escaping while they whistled non-stop.
“Help…” Xia Ruya ran forward like a lunatic while screaming for help, not even daring to steal a glance behind. Her ears were filled with sounds of the howling wind, sharp whistling, as well as her panting.
She had never run for her life like this. This dark, wet, and ruined alley seemed never-ending—the more she ran… the more panicky she felt, the more she ran… the more unsafe she felt. However, at this point, her mind was in a mess and already didn’t have the capacity to think twice. She had no choice but to keep running forward—only by doing this could she fight for a chance to escape.
Just then, a bright light appeared in the dark alley. Xia Ruya was overjoyed—the way out was right ahead!
However, before she could react, two men—of similar age and dressing as those chasing her—walked out from there and laughed at her.
Instantly, her heart sank to rock-bottom as a chill ran down her spine.
She was sandwiched!
Her chance of escape was blocked off.
“Run! Continue running! Let’s see how much energy you have left.”
The voice behind her made her whole body sink into ice and, like a snapped zither, her stiff body didn’t have an ounce of strength left as she plunged to the ground. Leaning against the cold and dirty wall, one of her hands held tightly onto her rapidly beating chest while the other hung weakly by the side of her body as she panted incessantly with an open mouth.
She was too tired, really too tired—she needed a rest!
Her heart was beating so fast that it felt like exploding, her throat was filled with a burning pain, and her legs were aching and weak—she couldn’t run anymore!
She could only accept her fate of being slaughtered.
A man in a black t-shirt whistled towards Xia Ruya. “Why—can’t run anymore? I thought you’re very good at running?”
The four men moved towards Xia Ruya, who was sandwiched between them.
Xia Ruya sat on the ground in a frail manner, much like a startled bird at the sight of a bow, and said with a trembling voice, “Don’t… don’t get closer. Any closer… I’ll scream for help!”
She really regretted coming to such a dirty place in order to avoid the Xia Family.
A man in a gray t-shirt broke into a smile and looked at Xia Ruya mockingly. “Scream for help! Haha—why don’t you take a look around? If you can get any help, I’ll give it to you.”
“He…” Xia Ruya’s cry for help got stuck at her throat just like this. She remembered that just now, she had run and shouted all the way without anyone coming to her rescue. Instantly, her heart fell bit by bit into a deep abyss.
Only then did she recall that she forgot a very important thing—to assess her surroundings.
Dark, dilapidated, dirty, and wet alley, lined with aged buildings, and… her pupils suddenly constricted as she saw the white words spray-painted and circled in red paint. It was like she was struck by lightning—this was actually an uninhabited demolition site!
Another lad looked at Xia Ruya arrogantly. “Hahahaha! Did you see clearly where is this?”
Xia Ruya only felt that the dark, wet alley was slightly cold, making her tremble incessantly. Thus, she instinctively hugged her knees to retain some warmth.
Her nose was filled with a damp, rotten stench which almost made her sick. In this situation, under these surroundings, no matter how brilliant her schemes were, they were of no use—she totally didn’t know what to do.
Did she really have no choice but to sit back and do nothing?
