A ripping sound resounded as the man tore A Miao’s shirt and began touching her all over. She felt something rising from her stomach and then vomited all over herself and Xia Mingde.

“Let me go… You bastard, let me go!” Without even bothering to wipe her mouth, she felt around for the table lamp on the floor and swiped Xia Mingde with it.

“F*ck!” Xia Mingde blocked her attack with his arm and snatched it out of her hands. With a turn of his hand, he landed a hard slap on her face. “You bitch.”

A Miao fell on the floor. Xia Mingde once again grabbed her thighs and ripped her skirt with one smooth movement.

“No! Let me go… Mom… Help!” A Miao stared at the ceiling with tears streaming down her face. The only thing she could think of was her mother’s final words.

Thud! Just as she was about to close her eyes and waited in despair for Xia Mingde to climb over her, the door abruptly opened.

“Boss, how should we handle this man?”

A Miao opened her eyes and saw Shen I standing beside her. Xia Mingde was lying on the ground without moving.

“Thank… Thank you…” She wanted to get up but she had lost all energy in her legs. The only thing she could do was to sit under her tattered skirt. She turned to look at the man who came in after Shen I.

Shen Xinglan slowly walked in without sparing A Miao a glance. When he walked past Xia Mingde, he stepped on the latter. “The last time I saved you, you ended up owing me 100,000 yuan. This time… how much do you think I should charge you?”

“You know I’m penniless.” A Miao’s emotions had yet stabilized and her voice was still trembling. “I’ll steal what you want as soon as possible.”

“Hehe…” Shen Xinglan smirked. “Did you grow a brain just to give yourself additional height?”

“Pfft!” Shen I nearly laughed out loud.

A Miao waved her hand tiredly. “Did you grow a mouth just for your poisonous tongue?”

“Very well!” Shen Xinglan smirked again. “Seeing as you still have the energy to talk back to me, I’ll let you handle the following matters.”

“Thank… Thank you.” A Miao stared straight into his eyes.” No matter what, thank you for coming. Thank you…”

Shen Xinglan furrowed his brows. “You’re unpleasant to look at in the first place. You look like a ghost after crying that hard.”

“Hehe…”

A Miao did not want to talk to a psycho any longer. Holding onto the bed, she got up with her legs still trembling under her. “I need to leave this place as soon as possible. If I’m not mistaken, someone will come very soon.”

“You’re not entirely stupid.” Shen Xinglan looked at her. “Remember that you owe me another favor.” He turned around and walked out of the door. Shen I followed suit but when he saw that A Miao was still in a daze, he could not stop himself from giving her a nudge. “We’ll send you home.”

Just as they walked into the corridor, they spotted four people stepping out of the elevator.

“I really saw her! I saw A Miao entering the hotel with a man.” Just as the voice reverberated, the four of them saw A Miao and Shen Xinglan. Their expressions could be described as incredibly colorful.

Xia Wan appeared obliviously relieved. She then cautiously pulled A Miao to her and asked, “Why are you here? Why would you be with Mr. Shen?”

“Impossible. I obviously…”

“Mei!” Xia Fan cried in a cold voice as he patted Xia Mei’s shoulders twice. “Look. You’re mistaken, as expected.”

A Miao’s heart was clouded but the show must still go on. She sniffled and said, “You’re not mistaken. Several hooligans knocked me out and brought me here. If not for…”

She glanced at the expressionless Shen Xinglan and clenched her teeth before continuing, “If not for Mr. Shen recognizing me and saved me, I would’ve…I would’ve…” She started sobbing.

“Who told you to run around outside this late at night? You even made us come and find you.” Bai Youran, who had been keeping quiet the whole time, was also unhappy. Ever since Xia Wan saw Shen Xinglan, her gaze had never left him.

Noticing that Xia Wan was frowning as if she was thinking about something, A Miao added, “Mr. Shen wouldn’t have cared if he didn’t recognize me to be your cousin.”

This time, it was Shen Xinglan’s face that turned dark. He gave A Miao a warning look.

“Don’t drag me into your family affairs.”

“You’re involved the moment you showed up here…”

No one noticed their silent conversation. Xia Wan, who was pleasantly surprised, walked toward Shen Xinglan and conveyed her thanks.

“Mr. Shen, thank you for saving my cousin.”

Shen Xinglan’s gaze flitted over her head, where he saw A Miao looking as if this had nothing to do with her. He felt a wave of inexplicable anger.

“You’re welcome. Since I’m her savior, then I’ll be bringing her with me.” He walked past the dumbstruck Xia Wan and headed straight for the elevator.

Shen I gave A Miao a little push. She turned to look at him. Just as she was about to run, she heard a cold voice coming from inside the elevator.

“Try and run.”

“A Miao!” Xia Wan inserted herself in front of A Miao. “Mr. Shen, my cousin is still young. If she did something to insult you, I’ll apologize on her behalf. If… If you’re still unhappy, I’m willing to take her place. Please let her go home!”

Silence.

“Well, what are you waiting for?” Shen Xinglan suddenly said.

Xia Wan’s eyes brightened. Just as she was about to enter the escalator, she heard him say, “Are you deaf?”

Shen Xinglan’s gaze was evidently directed at A Miao who was being pushed around by Shen I. She entered the elevator with great reluctance.

“Mr. Shen,” Xia Fan said politely. “Whatever the reason is, isn’t it inappropriate for you to take my cousin away like this?”

Xia Mei, who had been hiding behind Xia Fan all along, added, “Who knows if she’s the one who plotted all these?”

“Xia Mei!” Xia Wan glared at her unhappily. “What are you saying?” She felt deeply uncertain. She did not understand why Shen Xinglan would have a sudden interest in A Miao and the only thing she could think of was not letting them leave.

Bai Youran pulled her out of the elevator. “Wanwan, just ignore her. She’s the one who wants to go.”

“No, she’s my cousin!” Xia Wan said righteously. Clueless outsiders would have thought that she truly cared for A Miao.

Shen Xinglan’s patience had been thoroughly exhausted. He glanced at Shen I and the latter pressed the button to close the elevator doors. To their surprise, Xia Wan blocked the doors from closing with her own body. Before she was going to say anything, however, the man’s gaze frightened her.

“Miss Xia,” Shen I said in a warning tone. “I advise you to take a look inside the room!”

The doors shut before Xia Wan could react.

“The room… What’s inside the room?” She shoved Bai Youran aside, ran down the corridor, and stopped in front of an open door.

Bai Youran tugged at her arm. “Stay here. I’ll go in and take a look.”

“Older Brother, what happened?” Outside the elevator, Xia Mei finally questioned Xia Fan. “Why would Shen Xinglan be here?”

They had plotted their scheme very well. Xia Fan ordered men to kidnap A Miao here and then drugged Xia Mingde. Once the two of them were on the bed, the siblings would bring Bai Youran here to catch them red-handed. Then, the Bai family would naturally cast A Miao aside.

Moreover, the one who ruined the engagement would be A Miao’s older male cousin, Xia Mingde. Even if their grandfather became mad, it would have nothing to do with them. Their uncle’s family would bear all the consequences.

“How would I know?” Xia Fan was not as agitated like his sister. He said placidly, “Maybe he happened to pass by the area.”

Xia Mei stamped her feet. “How can that illegitimate child be that lucky? What should we do next?”

“Keep still for the time being,” Xia Fan said, reminding her. “Don’t make any trouble for her either. Don’t forget that your goal is to marry into the Bai family. If you worsen things to the point of ruining Xia Wan’s marriage, she’ll be the one who will marry into the Bai family.”

“Yes, yes, yes!” Xia Mei nodded. “So we should be helping Xia Wan marry Shen Xinglan as soon as possible.”

Meanwhile, Xia Wan had never been angrier tonight. She could still ignore the fact that Shen Xinglan had embarrassed her but to think that she would find her own younger brother inside the room! Fortunately, she and Bai Youran were the only witnesses.

She gave Xia Fan and Xia Mei a call and told them to go home by themselves. Then, she and Bai Youran secretly sent Xia Mingde home.

“Please don’t be angry anymore. Mingde isn’t conscious now and won’t hear you no matter how you scold him.” Bai Youran comforted her as he drove. “I think he’s just fooling around. It’s not such a big problem!”

“Youran, stop trying to speak for him.” Xia Wan’s eyes were red. “This is such a huge issue. Let’s see when I question him tomorrow. Can you keep this a secret for me?”

Bai Youran chuckled. “Why are you being so polite? I’m always on your side!”

A villa halfway up a mountain in City S.

“Why did your boss bring me here?” A Miao eyed the large living room while dragging her feet on the white fur rug.

Shen II looked straight ahead without sparing her a glance.

“You’re both bodyguards but Shen I is so much cuter than you.”

The mouth of Shen I, who had walked into the living room behind Shen Xinglan, twitched after hearing her words. He chuckled in front of his boss.

With the hotel blanket still draping over her shoulders, A Miao curled herself into a ball on the sofa. Shen Xinglan sat down opposite her. “Xia Yongqiang will be going for a hospital check-up next month.”

“So?” A Miao yawned. “You want me to make my move at the hospital?”

Shen Xinglan smirked. “This is your last chance. If you still fail this time, our deal will be canceled and you’ll owe me 80 million yuan.”

“Since when did I owe you so much money?” A Miao jumped up in shock but because she used too much force, the blanket slid off her body and revealed her snow-white shoulders.

The man’s eyes dimmed. “If you’re thinking of using your body for money, I advise you to forget it. I’m not interested in you.”

A Miao frantically pulled the blanket back to its position before flashing him a fake smile. “That’s fine with me. Likewise, I have zero interest in you!”

“Is that so? Then when someone tries to rape you next time, I won’t be showing up anymore. I’ll let you fulfill your wish.”

“Hehe, do you think I’m an idiot?” A Miao pointed at him without any courtesy whatsoever. “You’ve been monitoring me all along! How can you not know they’ve made a move against me? I’d really like to ask, did you have fun eavesdropping from outside the door?”

She had been truly grateful to Shen Xinglan when she was first rescued. The man’s appearance at a time when she was feeling completely hopeless revived her. Back then, she thought that she would do anything for him, let alone stealing the bronze mirror.

Once she finally calmed down, realization dawned on her.

Masking the helplessness that she felt on the inside, A Miao tried her best to feign strength. There was no longer anyone in this world who would help her without ulterior motives. Hadn’t she gotten familiar with the cruelty of the world a long time ago?

“Very well.” In spite of his anger, Shen Xinglan smiled. “It’s been a long time since someone made me so angry. Shen I, locked her up.”