Chapter 480 - Retribution

The next day, Sunday, the couple stayed in the old mansion until late afternoon, before they decided to return to the capital.

Xiong Zhi still had to deal with a few important things in the office on the next day.

Also, she needed to check on the progress with regards to the investigation on the list, although it had gone slower without Gu Zhen's help.

It was the same for Linfeng. He had to return because tomorrow would be the big day wherein his international ZD Comprehensive Project would be publicized to the world.

So the two tactfully agreed to return.

Xiong Zhi's body was a lot better. Linfeng did not make her do anything, even when moving from one place to another, he insisted on carrying her up.

Thus, with a couple of day's rest, her body recovered her strength. Although she would feel a bit sluggish and have slightly sore muscles when moving too sharply, it was tolerable.

Only when they were leaving did Linfeng allow her to move on her own. This time, as they stepped out of the mansion, Xiong Zhi did not allow Linfeng to carry her. She wanted to stroll with him a bit before they went back to the capital.

The two passed by the dove tree that the young Linfeng had planted.

It was nearing sunset.

They paused to appreciate the same beautiful scenery of the fiery gold-red leaves swaying like flames in the autumn wind.

Linfeng silently bid goodbye to the towering tree.

The current him now had new goals and ambitions.

But this time, his drive was stronger than before.

His eyes flashed with a determined light, as if a dying flame suddenly bursting into life.

He looked down at the slender young woman who was gazing up at the tree, covered with cream-colored autumn jacket and brown knitted scarves.

This was his beloved person whom he swore to protect with his life.

He would not give that dream a chance to turn into a reality.

Parallel reality, prophecy, to hell with all that.

He would make sure that this world would never turn that way.

"Zhi'er," Linfeng said. "When we return to the capital, I want to become a part of the investigation. I want to know all the things you are looking for, and what you have found so far. I will help you."

He brought the small, soft hand to his lips. Helping her with the investigation instead of her only relying on Lu Yin Ze, he would feel a lot better.

"This time around, I will be by your side and never leave you. We will bite them first," he added.

He himself did not know why he said 'this time around', it automatically slipped from his lips, but… it just felt right to say it.

Xiong Zhi's phoenix eyes shifted to Linfeng.

The black pools of her man were shining with determination. She could see her reflection in them.

She smiled gently.

"En. We will be stronger and bring them down."

"Whatever happens, we'll be together."

The two left the old Zhou Mansion with hands held together.

The wind passed through the fluttering, heart-shaped sunset leaves of the dove tree. The promise of the two lovers was witnessed by the tree which never bloomed.

However, on the following spring, the tree which had never opened its budding flowers would bloom beautifully.

****

Warning: This chapter contains drug abuse. The author strongly advise the readers to not be swept by it. Let's all say 'NO' to drug abuse. 

*****

While the two were on their way to the capital city back to their real world where battle of wits occurred every day, a woman who was covered entirely from head to toe was also returning to the capital.

The woman was currently riding a rather worn-out looking bus. She had never commuted in her life and this was the first time.

She clutched her head in annoyance, trying to press down her growing irritation.

The interior of the bus was too noisy and too jumpy. Just a slight curve, a light bump, and the bus would convulse like it was about to detach itself from the wheels. The bus was so old and rusty.

How could the government allow these kinds of transportation vehicles to still remain?!

But Xiong Wuyue had no choice.

In just a few months, she had lost all her properties.

After she became wanted by the police, she went to a far and rather rural district where the security was not tight and the surveillance cameras were not as pervasive.

However, it came at a cost.

The quality of living in the run-down district was not something a noble like her could live with. It was inhuman!

The motel was dirt-cheap, but it was for beggars to live. It was dirty, old, and uncomfortable.

The food was bad.

She was able to reluctantly give them a glance because the vegetables were allegedly freshly picked, but the way it was cooked was nothing like the professional chefs in her mansion.

Her quality of living totally went to the bottom.

How could she endure this torture!

Xiong Wuyue was not good at enduring things, thus, she tried to buy a villa in the area.

On the way here, she had seen a few villas. Coincidentally, she met a real-estate broker who was looking for clients to buy or rent a villa and was willing to tolerate her anonymity. She did not need to go to the agency and risk her exposure.

The cost was extremely huge. But for Xiong Wuyue who never knew the real value of money and was impatient in securing better living conditions, she bought a villa without a second thought.

Her pampered and ignorant mind did not even realize how wrong it was to not even show the broker her personal information.

Due to her ignorance, after seeing the doc.u.mented villa in the file, she followed the agent's words and paid half of the deposit without even visiting directly on site.

But who knew that after she paid in half, which was almost the entire amount of money she currently had with her, the broker did not meet her the next day!

She waited for a week. But the broker was gone! Because she was on the wanted list, all her accounts were frozen by the bank. She could also not move her real-estate properties.

She did not have money on her anymore.

Xiong Wuyue was furious.

She knew by then that she was scammed.

But she could not go to the police station and report this due to her current situation.

"Those hateful scammers! I hope he get hit by a car and die! Bastard!"

Xiong Wuyue could only curse and grit her teeth.

She began to live her days inside the cheap and dirty motel, depending on the few money she had.

But since she had no concept of money, everything was gone in just a week.

Xiong Wuyue had no choice but to grit her teeth and pawn her jewelry that was with her.

These jewelry were genuine and they could add up to several hundred millions of RMB.

However, she only got two hundred thousand from the stingy pawnshop.

But two hundred thousand was already a great amount in such a rural town. One could live and spend their life comfortably for a few more years.

However, Xiong Wuyue with this cash on her hand became a delicious target for the lowlifes in the area.

Xiong Wuyue was a prideful woman and never interacted with the people in the town, but the people knew her as a rich woman who came from the city because she spent money like running water in her everyday life.

One day, after eating the food she ordered, she felt strange.

Her surroundings were spinning, until it changed to the main Xiong Mansion.

Xiong Wuyue was confused and dizzy.

She sluggishly blinked.

She was back again in the cheap motel room.

Xiong Wuyue's face scrunched up. Her brows were frowning and her lips pursed in a pout, as if she was aggrieved.

She walked to the dirty couch which she had never sat on and dropped there dazedly.

The images constantly shifted and merged.

She felt as if her consciousness was slowly floating. Her vision kept shifting in an out-of-focus spin.

Sometime later, she was no longer sober.

She felt like she was back in the mansion. Around her were the servants who once curried favor from her and obediently received all beatings as long as it was her. People without faces but were obviously smiling and praising her surrounded Xiong Wuyue.

She giggled.

She was the entertainment queen!

She was the princess of the Xiong family!

Her life was back!

Xiong Wuyue laughed happily.

See? She was back! She belonged to this extravagant life!

"Music!" she slurred out of nowhere.

She laid there while humming a classic song, listening to an unheard music.

In her eyes, she could see the people who cursed her apologizing on their knees.

She laughed and threw her legs at them.

They flew far, screaming, but crawled back crying, only for her to kick them again.

She kept laughing. Her world was spinning.

A tiny bit of sobriety would return after a while, but not totally so.

She would eat, brush her teeth, and take baths, but she always seemed to be on clouds, seeing but not totally understanding.

She felt happy and forgot her troubles.

The days continued for her.

Every day, she ordered the same food and sluggishly waited until the familiar euphoria kicked in.

Xiong Wuyue spent a week in intoxication.