In Kangren Hospital, Ye s.h.i.+wei had waited for a long time without any reply. The screen of her phone was on and off again and again, cooling down her heart the same time.
There was no reply even after her mother had been taken out of the emergency operating room and transferred to the intensive care unit for further observation.
Ye s.h.i.+wei laughed herself for being so stupid as to count on that man. It must have been a huge deed for him to pay her mother’s medical bills. How could he possibly continue to take care of this trouble?
Separated by a wall of gla.s.s, she could only look at her mother from outside, who was covered with infusion tubes. Since her father’s disappearance, she and her mother only got each other to depend on. Her mother was the most important person to her.
As long as there was a glimmer of hope, she would not give up.
Ye s.h.i.+wei pinched out her phone from the pocket, her fingertips trembling because of too much force. There was only one person she could think of to ask for help.
Li Haina.
“Tick. Tick. Tick.”
It took a long time for she finally got through. But as soon as she got onto Li Haina, she heard noisy music, and Li Haina’s voice was also vague, seemingly drunk after a lot of wine.
Ye s.h.i.+wei made clear of her request in the chaos because she heard that Li Dakai knew a very good doctor over … so she hoped he could help pull some strings and send her mother to … for medical treatment.
Her voice trembled all the time but she tried not to cry.
“I can do anything as long as you help me!”
On the other end of the phone, Li Haina thought for a moment before asking with a half-smile, “Are you sure? You can do whatever you’re asked?”
“Yes, I’ll do whatever you want.”
“Good!” Li Haina seemed to have thought of some great idea that she couldn’t help laughing on the other end of the phone. “I want to see you in the Charm Clubhouse in half an hour. If you’re late, don’t blame me for not helping you.”
“But now I …”
Ye s.h.i.+wei wanted to say that she had to stay in the hospital with her mother now, but Li hung up the phone before she could finish.
Li Haina was her last hope. Although they had once gone back on their words and played her, Ye had to give it a try now no matter how unlikely it seemed.
Anyway, she was already in the worst situation. How worse could it be?
It was at midnight. Ye s.h.i.+wei left the hospital after entrusting her mother to the nurse. She took a taxi and rushed to the Charm Clubhouse.
The Charm Clubhouse was a place for childes from the upper cla.s.s to have fun. Most of the pooh-bahs in the city were regulars there.
As the taxi drew closer and closer to its destination, Ye s.h.i.+wei’s heart twisted tighter and tighter.
She had no other choice. She must pluck up her courage.
Different from the flas.h.i.+ng neon lights outside, what greeted her entering the Charm Clubhouse was a fit of gloom and depression.
Walking through a long narrow corridor, Ye was surrounded by ice-blue lights. Different signs were hung on the doors of each room. After a few turns, she was led to one box.
Shoved inside, Ye looked up and saw a dark red sofa on which sat three men and three women.
“Bang!”
The door was slammed shut behind her.
Ye looked around and couldn’t help gasping after figuring out the situation around.
Li Haina sat next to the man in the middle, wearing so much makeup that she could hardly be recognized.
“Tell me why you ask me to come here.”
Ye s.h.i.+wei stood in the middle of the room, with the dazzling light s.h.i.+ning straight into her eyes.
“This is Childe Shen, one of the Four Childes of the City.” Li Haina slowly stood up from the sofa, walked up to Ye s.h.i.+wei and pulled her arm up in a seemingly affectionate way. “Please don’t blame me for not considering the sisterhood between us. I’ve just introduced such an excellent man to you. Once you’re with him, he can pick the stars off the sky for you, let alone help your mother!”
Li Haina smelled so much of alcohol that Ye was uncertain about whether she was sober or not.
Ye s.h.i.+wei had already regretted having come here so impulsively.
Childe Shen sat in the middle of the sofa with one of his legs crossed over the other, which was so typical of them dudes.
“Come here.”
Ye s.h.i.+wei was unwilling, but she was pushed by Li Haina from behind and went directly into Shen’s arms.
There was a lot of laughter around. With everybody around watching her, Ye felt scorchingly bad.
“Wow, even the precious daughter of Family Ye has come out to sell her body, huh?” Shen’s voice was full of sarcasm. “Has it ever occurred to your father that one day his daughter would fall into my hands when he refused to cooperate with my company?”
As the voice fell, Ye’s heart sank.
This was revenge!
She must have been too overwhelmed by worries that she would choose to believe Li Haina again!
Mr. Shen found the door slammed in his face when he visited Family Ye. Li Haina sent her here at this time, which not only pleased Mr. Shen, but also humiliated her. She was extremely despicable!
Ye s.h.i.+wei calmed down, pushed Shen’s arm away from her leg and said coldly, “No. Since Family Shen holds such big grudges against my family. It won’t be possible for them to help us. I’ve got to go!”
But as soon as she stood up, she was heavily pressed back by her shoulder.
“What do you think this place is? Come and leave whenever you want?” Li Haina sneerd. “Ye s.h.i.+wei, this is your fate. Just suck it up!”
“Li Haina! We’ve always treated you nicely! Why do you have to keep hurting me again and again?!”
“I hurt you?” Li Haina leaned over, raised Ye’s chin and said into her ear word for word, gnas.h.i.+ng her teeth, “If it hadn’t been for you, I would have been engaged and disengaged by Mu Tingchen. I’ve been played like a fool by Family Mu. Of course, I won’t let it go!”
“What does this have to do with me?”
“You don’t have to argue. Though I don’t know what you said to Mu Tingchen, but at least I know for sure that you’ll never have a chance to say anything to him again.”
Finished, Li Haina slowly straightened up, and immediately changed into a smiling face, saying to Mr. Shen, “Childe Shen, if you like this gift, don’t forget what you’ve promised me.”
“I know, I know, only a Mu Tingchen. Tomorrow I’ll have someone knock him out and take him to your house.” Shen would boast like this only because he had no idea who Mu Tingchen really was.
As for Li Haina, she was still not intending to give up her chance of being the mistress of Family Mu.
The time was ticked away. As they spoke, Ye s.h.i.+wei aimed at the opportunity, pushed away the man around her, and rushed to the door as hard as she could.
However, scarcely had one of her legs stepped towards the door when her arms were suddenly grasped behind and pulled back harshly, with her body falling consequently.
With a smack, she was slapped across the face and fell to the ground as soon as she turned around uncontrollably.
Her cheeks were in scorching pain and the man roared like a beast in front of her, “Want the f.u.c.king to run? I’ll let you the f.u.c.king know what it means to be in utter misery!”
“No!”
“Bang!”
The door was kicked open as Ye’s collar was torn open.
Mu Tingchen stood at the door of the box, with his face hidden under the dim light. All the anger seemed as if unleashed from him and brought with it as strong a deterrence power as to crush all evil spirits in the box.