CH 110

Villainous Stand-in (8)

It was a thunderstormy day.

The sky was overcast, and it seemed as though rain was imminent. The loud rumble of thunder echoed in Li Yuqing’s ears.

Inside the cold and damp house, a new framed portrait of Grandfather Li sat on display amid the worn-out furniture. The door banged incessantly, and Li Yuqing, a composed yet desperate young girl, stood by the window.

As the banging on the door grew increasingly louder, Li Yuqing clasped the edge of the window tightly with her hand.

“Little girl, believe me, I just want to play a fun game with you,” the man coaxed Li Yuqing as he banged on the door. “You’re so small and pretty. How could I bully you?”

“Don’t listen to his nonsense!” Song Xu Yi looked at Li Yuqing, who was clutching the window and biting her lip. She thought that Li Yuqing might be falling for the man’s unkind words, so she couldn’t help but warn her: “This man looks dangerous! Don’t trust him, Yuqing.”

Li Yuqing raised her head sharply and stared blankly at Song Xu Yi.

It was a look that Song Xu Yi had never seen before. It was as if Li Yuqing was placing all her hopes on her.

Li Yuqing had lost a significant amount of weight. Her long hair now covered her delicate eyebrows, and she appeared lifeless and dull. She looked like a puppet that had lost its soul and sunshine.

“You’re here,” the little girl’s hoarse voice spoke after a prolonged silence. She gave Song Xu Yi a stiff smile and let go of the window’s edge.

Song Xu Yi glanced outside the window and noticed that they were at least ten floors up. She dismissed any thoughts of escaping with Li Yuqing by jumping out the window.

Meanwhile…

Song Xu Yi’s gaze shifted towards the incessantly banging door.

“Yuqing, do you trust me?” She asked while holding Li Yuqing’s hand. She bent down slightly, making direct eye contact with her.

Li Yuqing avoided direct eye contact with Song Xu Yi, instead pursing her lips and glancing away. She eventually met her gaze but quickly dropped her head, biting her lower lip before gently nodding in agreement.

“Listen for my signal, and I’ll guide you out safely!” Song Xu Yi reassured Li Yuqing, hugging her quickly. The little girl’s body was shockingly cold, and Song Xu Yi couldn’t fathom what she had gone through.

Despite the ache in her heart, Song Xu Yi knew it wasn’t the time to inquire about the situation. She forced herself to continue, “When you see me raise my hand, run out as fast as you can, and don’t look back.”

Li Yuqing glanced at Song Xu Yi and nodded, and although she was still worried about her, Song Xu Yi couldn’t think of any other ideas as the door was about to be broken open.

Taking a deep breath, Song Xu Yi carefully walked to the door and pulled the bolt.

The man outside the door was banging his body against it, not expecting it to open from the inside, and fell in a heap as the door gave way.

To Song Xu Yi’s surprise, there were two men outside the door.

They had obviously been drinking, and when she opened the door, the smell of alcohol wafted in. As soon as they saw Li Yuqing in the room, their eyes lit up and they drunkenly stumbled towards her.

“Little girl, uncle is here to treat you well…”

Li Yuqing lowered her head and pursed her lips, following Song Xu Yi’s gesture and staying put.

As the two men got closer, Li Yuqing’s body became increasingly tense.

Seeing her distress, Song Xu Yi acted quickly, delivering a powerful kick to one of the men’s calf.

The man let out a scream as he fell down, crashing into the other man who was already stumbling. They both cursed drunkenly at each other as Song Xu Yi seized the moment to signal to Li Yuqing.

“Run out, don’t look back!”

……

Li Yuqing’s figure was as agile as a deer as she leaped over the two men on the ground and dashed out of the door.

As Song Xu Yi watched Li Yuqing disappear through the doorway, she breathed a sigh of relief. When the two men on the ground tried to give chase, she let out a cold laugh and curled her lips.

— This would be a nightmarish experience for the two men.

Initially, the men tried to pursue Li Yuqing, but they found themselves being attacked by an unseen force in the empty space. The blows landed on their vulnerable parts, and despite their attempts to fight back, they found that there was no one else in the room except for each other. Before long, they were panting on the floor, their bodies wracked with pain, and they had completely sobered up…

The two men exchanged fearful glances and turned their attention to the portrait of Grandfather Li hanging in the center of the room.

Suddenly, a thunderclap echoed through the sky!

In the photo, Grandfather Li was still smiling, but his years of power and authority in the business world had left a sense of grandeur on his face. The lightning emphasized this grandeur, making his face appear so cold that it seemed as if he could step out of the frame at any moment to judge the two lustful scoundrels!

As they thought about the terrifying experience they had just endured, the two men were utterly petrified. They fell to their knees before the portrait of Grandfather Li and kowtowed repeatedly, as if they were pounding garlic.

Song Xu Yi felt a sense of relief wash over her as she saw that the two men were too frightened to chase after Li Yuqing.

With a sigh, she stepped out of the room, contemplating where she might find Li Yuqing, when she turned the corner and saw her standing at the end of the corridor.

Was she waiting for her?

Most people would have run as far away as possible after escaping from such danger, but Li Yuqing was still here. This surprised Song Xu Yi.

As soon as she caught sight of Song Xu Yi, Li Yuqing’s bitten bottom lip relaxed and a faint smile crept into her eyes, bringing a touch of life to her previously withered expression.

In comparison to the unpredictable and enigmatic Li Yuqing in reality, the little girl in her dream was as transparent as a sheet of white paper, and Song Xu Yi couldn’t help but feel a strong urge to protect her and provide her with the best of everything.

The fact that Li Yuqing was waiting for her here was a clear indication of how much she cared for her.

Knowing that Li Yuqing couldn’t see her face, Song Xu Yi tried to channel her smile into her eyes and jogged over to her, crouching down and taking her hand once more.

When Li Yuqing’s eyes met with Song Xu Yi’s, she froze for a moment before lowering her head and quietly interlocking her fingers with Song Xu Yi’s.

Recognizing Li Yuqing’s vulnerability, Song Xu Yi sighed and held onto her hand.

Li Yuqing hung her head, and a few tears fell to the ground, creating small water puddles.

Song Xu Yi didn’t say anything. She knew that Li Yuqing was still a child and had been through a lot lately. It was understandable for her to feel fearful and overwhelmed.

As they descended the stairs from the lift, they encountered no further obstacles.

Perhaps feeling relieved that they were out of danger, Li Yuqing became a little more talkative. Despite her shyness, she managed to answer Song Xu Yi’s questions, and Song Xu Yi learned more about Li Yuqing’s situation.

She discovered that the Li family was completely bankrupt and that the male protagonist, Song Shi, had only recently fallen ill. The old man was unsure whether to send Li Yuqing to him or not, so he pretended to adopt Li Yuqing, but in reality, he rented a shabby house and hired two people to care for her.

The two men guarding Li Yuqing were supposed to protect her, but in reality, they were ordered to “tame” her, to break her pride as a member of the Li family, and to find the Li family’s assets overseas.

Song Xu Yi knew that Grandfather Song had adopted Li Yuqing to help treat Song Shi’s illness, but she never imagined that he would stoop to embezzling the Li family’s wealth. Grandfather Li had always been cautious and feared his children would squander their wealth. When the Li family faced financial ruin, Grandfather Li had considered using the money to save the family, but he was too ill, and Li Yuqing was still too young to manage the assets. In the end, Grandfather Li didn’t use the money.

Li Yuqing stubbornly maintained that she didn’t know where the money was, enduring the two men’s intimidation and interrogation. Perhaps it was because Li Yuqing had been too submissive in the face of their harsh treatment and because Grandfather Song had been indifferent to her for some time that the two men had become so cruel and corrupt.

This was undoubtedly a consequence of Grandfather Song’s monopolistic and profit-driven approach.

As Song Xu Yi observed Li Yuqing’s quiet and withdrawn demeanor, she couldn’t help but recall the little girl’s once vibrant and cheerful personality, prompting her to sigh once again. “It’s just too much,” she muttered to herself, feeling an overwhelming sense of pity for the poor child.

Despite the raging thunderstorm outside, Song Xu Yi decided to venture downstairs, only to find that the rain had died down. She contemplated searching for some raincoats, but noticed that Li Yuqing had already stepped out into the rain. With a heavy heart, Song Xu Yi followed behind her.

As they walked down the deserted street, Song Xu Yi noticed that the shops had all shut down and there were hardly any pedestrians in sight. She watched as the frail and emaciated Li Yuqing trudged on, shivering from the cold and rain.

Unable to bear it any longer, Song Xu Yi stepped in front of Li Yuqing, concerned. “Those two won’t be able to catch up to us anytime soon. You should take a break,” she suggested.

Here are some possible improvements:

Li Yuqing looked up at Song Xu Yi, her lips moved, but then she pursed them and didn’t say anything else.

In a moment of realization, Song Xu Yi understood that Li Yuqing was now impoverished, and she didn’t even know if she had had a proper meal in days…

Feeling a lump in her throat, Song Xu Yi took Li Yuqing’s hand and led her to a long-distance bus station.

Usually, there are fast food shops outside these bus stations, so they could take a break here even if they didn’t have money to spend.

Fortunately, the dream city’s layout closely mirrored reality, and the long-distance bus station was still in the same place. The usual throngs of people were notably absent.

Song Xu Yi quickly located a fast-food joint named “Zhang Jia Restaurant” adjacent to the bus station, and ushered Li Yuqing inside, seating her in a quiet corner.

In real life, Song Xu Yi had read news reports about the city, which described how the restaurant was well known for performing good deeds and was often lauded for its charitable nature.

It was unusual to see a pretty girl in tears wandering alone on a rainy night, and Li Yuqing’s forlorn appearance caused the restaurant owner to cast furtive glances her way. Despite this, he did not say anything to drive her out.

As Song Xu Yi comforted Li Yuqing and urged her to rest, the owner of the restaurant approached them with a bowl of noodle soup, saying, “Take your time, little miss!”

At first, Li Yuqing looked at the owner warily, unsure of his intentions. But the kindly-looking, chubby man sighed and patted her head, saying, “I don’t know why you ran away from home, but it’s important to eat first. I have a son who is about the same age as you, and I couldn’t bear to see a child like you go hungry.”

Li Yuqing glanced at the owner once more, and finally took the bowl, eating the noodles slowly and cautiously.

The owner smiled warmly and placed the bowl down before disappearing into the kitchen in the back.

As Song Xu Yi listened to the faint sound of a phone call coming from the back kitchen, reporting that “a girl was lost and requesting police assistance”, she couldn’t help but sigh in her heart. She knew that everything was probably going to unfold in the same direction again.

Although the owner’s voice was not particularly loud, Song Xu Yi believed that Li Yuqing must have overheard the conversation as well. However, Li Yuqing appeared unfazed and returned to eating her soup as if nothing had happened.

As expected, the police arrived soon after the call was made.

Li Yuqing remained silent throughout the interrogation and even dozed off in the police station. Seeing the bruises and dark circles under her eyes, the police officer gave up on pressuring her for answers, instead offering Li Yuqing a coat and leaving the room.

Li Yuqing’s fingers were still tightly clutching Song Xu Yi’s hand even though she was asleep, as if she was afraid that Song Xu Yi would run away.

As Song Xu Yi sat looking at Li Yuqing’s sleeping face, she hummed softly, wishing she were a real fairy who could resolve all of Li Yuqing’s worries and take her far away from this environment, instead of just watching her suffer.

Suddenly, Li Yuqing’s body stiffened and the frown on her brow relaxed a little.

Song Xu Yi couldn’t help but smile.

The table was quite spacious, and Song Xu Yi sat on it half-heartedly, feeling drowsy and eventually dozed off…

When she woke up again, there was a commotion outside.

Song Xu Yi had assumed that she would wake up and return to reality, but she didn’t expect to be greeted by the sight of little Li Yuqing, who was now right beside her, with a bright glimmer of joy in her eyes and the corners of her lips slightly upturned.

Why was Li Yuqing so happy?

There was no time to ponder on it as the noise outside grew louder and someone pushed open the door.

Walking towards the center of the room was Grandfather Song, who looked relatively young.