Chapter 28: The Cause
Li San didn’t expect the little girl in his hands to recklessly throw her neck against the dagger, which left him momentarily stunned. Once he realized what had happened, he quickly moved the dagger away.
Right now, this little girl can’t die; otherwise, how can he use her to threaten others?
Seeing Li San move the dagger away, Yiyi immediately seized the opportunity, dodged the dagger sideways, then turned around in a swift move, knocked the dagger out of his hand with one hand, and grabbed his neck with the other.
This unexpected change startled everyone present.
Li San reacted quickly, immediately counterattacking, but the clutch around his neck only tightened, making his breathing suddenly acute and causing him to draw a blank momentarily.
"Don’t move, or I’ll snap your neck."
Yiyi looked coldly at Li San, her eyes reflecting a deep indifference to everything.
Li San took a breath and met Yiyi’s gaze, a wave of chill spiking through him. He was all too familiar with that look; it was the look of someone who views lives as insignificant. He’s seen it countless times from his own eyes and those of his accomplices, indicating that the little girl in front of him was serious, and if he continued to move, she really would snap his neck.
It seemed his luck wasn’t good; the little girl he picked up randomly wasn’t a pushover.
At this moment, Gu Tingyu reacted swiftly, stepping forward to restrain Li San’s hands behind his back and then tied his feet.
Seeing Li San tied up thoroughly, Yiyi let go of his neck.
By then, Li San’s neck had already shown a purple bruise, indicating how hard Yiyi had used her strength moments earlier.
"Little girl, I really have to thank you this time. With your help, I managed to capture this criminal successfully," Gu Tingyu said, full of admiration, smiling more genuinely at Yiyi. He hadn’t expected the little girl’s moves to be so quick and fierce; she seemed to be quite skilled.
Hearing Gu Tingyu’s words, Yiyi quickly waved it off, saying, "No need to thank me, no need, instead it’s me who should thank you."
Actually, she should have thanked him long ago. Without Gu Tingyu, she wouldn’t have been saved in her previous life. But at that time, she had misunderstandings with him, so after being rescued, she left without a word.
Thinking of this, Yiyi’s thoughts drifted away.
Even now, she still vividly remembers that chaotic night during the second half of her third year of high school with Gu Tingyu. She recalled waking up the next day and slapping Gu Tingyu several times, yet Gu Tingyu knelt on one knee, promising to take responsibility, which she fiercely rejected.
Initially, she wanted to report Gu Tingyu, but Zheng Xiangqiao prevented her, and later, her mother had an accident.
At that time, she was utterly disheartened, filled with despair for life, extremely vulnerable. It was then, in her defenseless state, that she listened to Zheng Xiangqiao and Zhang Liangyue’s suggestion, dropped out of school to work, and ultimately ended up in Medicine Valley.
After being rescued, she dragged her body, already corrupted with toxins from Medicine Valley, and found Zheng Xiangqiao and Zhang Liangyue, slowly ensuring their deaths.
It was also then that she learned the truth. On that day, when she went out to eat with Zheng Xiangqiao, Zheng had already drugged her water cup. But due to a server’s mistake, hers got swapped with Gu Tingyu’s cup at the next table, leading Gu Tingyu to drink the water, resulting in their incident.
Only after killing them and discovering the truth did she realize it was too late, with her body overtaken by toxins, beyond recovery.
"The one who should be thanking is me."
Gu Tingyu’s voice brought Yiyi back from her thoughts, and she looked directly at the young man in front of her. His unrivaled beauty, with sharply defined features like a sculpture, seemed extraordinary. Yet the sharp glint in his eyes made him intimidating, though his lips, perfectly balanced, wore a delightful smile that could enrapture anyone.
Opening her mouth, Yiyi had many things she wanted to say but found herself speechless all of a sudden, merely asking, "Did this person commit some crime?"
"Yes, this person has done many bad things."
Gu Tingyu kicked Li San, then looked at Yiyi again, saying, "But little girl, don’t walk through secluded alleys like this next time; it’s too isolated and unsafe."
Yiyi obediently nodded.
Seeing the little girl’s obedient demeanor, Gu Tingyu couldn’t help but smile again, "Little girl, my name is Gu Tingyu. What’s yours?"
"My name is Mo Yiyi."
Yiyi raised her head, directly meeting Gu Tingyu’s gaze, stating her name firmly, "Nice to meet you, Gu Tingyu." Finally, they met again.
Hearing the little girl call him directly by name, Gu Tingyu couldn’t help but suggest, "You can call me Brother Gu; I am twenty years old."
"I’m seventeen too, no small age."
Yiyi murmured a rebuttal, but inwardly kept repeating Gu Tingyu’s name, not planning to call him Brother Gu, feeling calling him by name felt more intimate.
At this, Gu Tingyu slightly raised an eyebrow.
The little girl looked about thirteen or fourteen, yet she was already seventeen. But before he could think too much, he sharply sensed a presence, darted out immediately, and grabbed a short man hiding in a corner.
Li San had been lying silently, with an inscrutable expression, but upon seeing the short man, he burst out swearing, "Damn you, Zhang Shunzi, didn’t I already tell you to find someone, why haven’t you?"
"I... I was thinking if there might be a chance to shake off the soldier and then escape together."
Hearing this, Li San wished to strike Zhang Shunzi right now, "You worthless piece!"
Now he regretted not evaluating properly when recruiting, ending up bringing along such a fool. Now, they’ve been caught together, and backup wouldn’t arrive.
At this thought, Li San glared fiercely at Zhang Shunzi, his eyes dangerous.
Zhang Shunzi hunched over, lowering his head, realizing that perhaps he really messed up this time.
𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚
Looking at the two, Gu Tingyu directly told Yiyi, "I have things to attend to now; I’m leaving. Let’s keep in touch."
Thinking for a moment, Gu Tingyu took out a pad of paper and pen from his pocket, quickly jotting down contact information, handing it to Yiyi before leaving with Li San and Chen Shunzi. He needed to speed up finding Mr. Chen’s whereabouts.
Watching Gu Tingyu’s departing figure, Yiyi’s feelings were complicated. She had so many things she wanted to say to Gu Tingyu.
But it’s okay; there would be plenty of opportunities in the future.
Looking at the piece of paper in her hand, Yiyi’s face broke into a smile.