No. 28 The Long Road
I arrived at the Nurturing Talent Middle School just as the students were leaving for the day.
Huang Yingdie, dressed in her school uniform, was standing by the gate, fiddling with her phone.
Putting aside her personality, she was a beautiful girl, with a good figure, good looks, and a powerful background.
I couldn’t understand why someone who seemingly had it all would make such a foolish choice.
I parked my bike beside her, and she got on.
“Didn’t Huang Qinghao come to see you?”
I asked casually as we rode away.
“He’s still in class.”
Her tone suggested she wasn’t in a good mood.
“Did he mention anything about going to karaoke?”
She hesitated. “It’s none of your business.”
“Of course it’s none of my business. I’m just warning you. Don’t assume all boys have good intentions. Internet cafes are one thing, but karaoke rooms are enclosed spaces…”
“Thank you for your concern. Don’t make me say it again. Qinghao is not like that.”
How could I explain it to her?
At their age, in their social circle, true love was rare.
In my previous life, I had often heard my male roommates bragging about their conquests, treating taking a girl’s virginity as a badge of honor. Only when they matured and were ready to settle down would they seek a life partner.
Girls, on the other hand, often played the field, then settled down with a “nice guy” when they were tired of playing.
If Huang Qinghao was that type of guy, I worried that Huang Yingdie, who seemed genuinely devoted to him, wouldn’t be able to handle the truth.
Love at first sight was just lust. Mutual affection was just mutual benefit.
“Do you think that man can protect you for the rest of your life?”
I deliberately used the word “man.”
In the past, I wouldn’t have dared to say such a thing to a girl my age. It could easily be misconstrued. But now, it could actually help strengthen our bond.
Girls rarely held back when discussing boys with other girls.
“Yes, he’s a reliable person.”
Her voice softened, filled with the naive hope and romantic fantasies of a girl in love.
No wonder they said girls in love had zero IQ. Huang Yingdie was a prime example.
“Have you ever considered what would happen if someone spiked your drink at that karaoke party? What if you weren’t paying attention?”
I dropped her off at her residential complex and watched her walk towards her building, chatting with her “boyfriend” on her phone. I couldn’t help but call out to her.
She stopped and turned to me, her expression a mixture of annoyance and confusion.
“Are you saying,” she said coldly, “that the members of the Jiang Nan Gang are all deceitful and underhanded?”
“No, I’m just saying, if something like that happened, and you weren’t prepared, you could ruin your life.”
This was the burden girls carried that boys didn’t.
“Yi Yao.”
She slowly removed her hair tie, letting her long, beautiful hair flow freely in the wind. “Perhaps we’ll never see eye to eye.”
“You’re my enemy. I hate you!”
She pointed at me, her voice trembling with anger. “No matter what you say, Huang Qinghao and I will be fine. You can slander him all you want. I owe you my life, and I’ll repay you in other ways. But from now on, we are enemies!”
She turned and ran into the complex without waiting for my reply.
“Drown in your delusions.”
I sighed, knowing there was nothing I could do. I mounted my bike and headed home.
To my surprise, a luxury car was parked outside my building.
And my father was standing beside it.
“Xiaoyao, you’re having dinner with Uncle Huang tonight, okay?”
He looked excited. He pulled me off my bike and whispered in my ear. “If you get the chance, mention our fruit shop to him. You know, the accident we had. Maybe he can… persuade the insurance company to be more generous. Or maybe he can help us with our business. Just say good things about your dad, okay?”
Uncle Huang?
I turned around and saw Huang Yingdie’s father, the mayor of Upper Capital City, Huang Zhiqiang.
“Yo, Yi Yao, is Xiaodie home?”
He looked at me with a kind smile.
Like a father who had given up on his own child, seeing the girlfriend who could finally set him straight.
“I dropped her off at her complex.”
I flashed him a toothy grin, my voice adopting the playful tone of a cheerful girl. “What brings you here, Uncle?”
“Haha, nothing much. I just wanted to thank you properly for saving my daughter. I thought we could have dinner tonight and chat.” He patted my head. “Are you free?”
“Of course, of course. Yi Yao has nothing to do every night.”
Before I could answer, my father jumped in, eager to please. “Mayor Huang, please take good care of my daughter.”
“Don’t worry, don’t worry. Your daughter is our family’s savior.”
He opened the back door for me and waved at my father. “I’ll take good care of her. My driver will bring her back later.”
“Okay!” My father beamed. “Xiaoyao, have fun.”
Still dazed, I got into the luxurious car.
“Yi Yao, do you have a boyfriend at school?”
As the car pulled away, the mayor, who was sitting in the passenger seat, asked a question that almost made me choke.
“Uh… no.”
“Good. I like obedient and sensible girls like you.”
He sighed deeply. I saw his exhausted face in the rearview mirror. “Xiaodie’s mother passed away shortly after she was born. She was raised by her grandmother. I’m always busy with work and haven’t been a good father. As a result…”
“You probably don’t know this, but Xiaodie used to be just like you. I remember giving her only 300 yuan for a week’s allowance, and she would still give 100 yuan to beggars near the school. When I came home exhausted and collapsed on the sofa, she would make me dinner and pour me water. But now… sigh…”
“She’s a good girl, but she’s stubborn. Once she sets her mind on something, it’s hard to change her.”
“I’ve noticed that she’s been talking about you a lot lately. Her QQ space is filled with posts about you. So, I thought, maybe you could help her.”
Help her? How? She was blinded by love. Unless she experienced heartbreak, nothing would change her.
“Oh, right, I almost forgot.”
He pulled out a brand new phone and handed it to me, a sheepish smile on his face. “Those thugs destroyed your and Xiaodie’s phones. I bought two new ones. This one is the same as Xiaodie’s. I’ve already saved our contact information in it.”
I stared at the phone, a sleek smartphone with a cute pink bunny case. “Uncle, this is too expensive. I can’t accept it.”
Yi Yao, you’re dealing with a corrupt official.
A despised man, responsible for the economic turmoil in Upper Capital City. Even if he was executed, his name would be forever tarnished.
This man would be sentenced to death on January 3, 2017.
“Haha, no wonder they say children can see things adults can’t. Don’t worry, I bought this phone, and your salary, with my own money. Everything is accounted for.”
“No… Uncle, that’s not what I meant…”
I tried to explain, but he waved his hand dismissively. “I understand. I know my reputation isn’t good… sigh, if I could just turn Xiaodie back into the girl she used to be, even death would be worth it.”
Wait… did he just say…
“I’m getting old. I don’t have many ambitions left. Only Xiaodie… She lost her mother at a young age. I just want to give her the best material comforts, to make up for the love I haven’t given her.”
Something wasn’t right.
If he was committing these crimes for his daughter, then this was a serious problem.
In the other world, Xiaodie hadn’t survived the kidnapping. Without her, Huang Zhiqiang wouldn’t have been so desperate for money and power.
As long as Huang Yingdie was alive, her father’s fate would be drastically altered.
He might even commit even greater crimes to compensate for her trauma.
Which meant that the chances of him being exposed and arrested would increase, and his execution date might be moved up.
The replacement of a city’s mayor would have a significant impact.
I could already see the storm brewing, a storm caused by my own actions.
Was there no other way?
I didn’t regret saving Huang Yingdie. I didn’t know the extent of her father’s crimes, but I was sure that without him, she would crumble.
And if Huang Qinghao chose that moment to break her heart…
What would be left of her?
“What’s wrong? Don’t you like the new phone?”
Huang Zhiqiang asked, noticing my silence.
“No, I love it. Thank you, Uncle.”
This man was a corrupt official, but he was also a father.
“Good. I asked Xiaodie, and she said you would like this model.”
He unfastened his seatbelt.
The car stopped in front of a luxurious hotel.
“We’re here, Yi Yao. Let’s go.”
