Chapter 258 - 252: The Condition Worsens
Jiang Li wordlessly stepped forward and sat down across from him. She sized him up with a calm gaze, like a homeowner watching a dog tied up in the yard, barking in impotent rage.
Kun Sha’s brows furrowed. She was far calmer than he’d imagined.
Huo Qing’s fists clenched at his sides. ’Damn that Kun Sha. Even now, he can’t stop insulting people.’
"You look just like your mother. Jiang Dewang is a real piece of trash, failing to kill a little bastard like you after all these years."
"Shi Xingchao is an idiot, too. What was he so scared of? Why didn’t he send you to the compound and have you taken apart right away?"
Jiang Li listened calmly, taking an occasional sip of water.
Veins bulged on Huo Qing’s arms. ’He’s a fucking animal!’
’How old was Jiang Li back then? Kidnapped, abused, driven to mental illness, then sent to Wu Jianzhang to be tormented... and even now, she’s still being hounded by these people.’
As Kun Sha spoke, Jiang Li remained so placid that it started to grate on his nerves.
Suddenly, a thought occurred to him, and a savage smile spread across his face. "Jiang Li, when you get down to it, you should be calling me ’stepfather.’"
"You have no idea. Back then, your mother, beneath me..."
Jiang Li flung the water in her hand at him, then vaulted across the table and pressed a knife against him.
Kun Sha’s words died in his throat. He stared at Jiang Li in utter shock. ’So fast.’
Huo Qing was stunned, too. ’I didn’t even see her move.’
A few seconds later, a smug look returned to Kun Sha’s eyes. Fearless, he continued, "Go on, call me ’Dad.’ Let’s hear it. I heard your mom was pregnant back then, too."
Huo Qing trembled with rage, fighting for self-control. ’I can’t lay a hand on him. The moment I do, everything changes.’
"Do you want to get out of the country?" Jiang Li whispered in his ear.
Kun Sha’s expression went blank. ’What does she mean?’
"You want to leave? I’ll send you on your way." A smile touched Jiang Li’s lips as she became calm again, as if her previous outburst had been from someone else entirely.
"Jiang Li!" Huo Qing said in a warning tone. ’We worked so hard to catch Kun Sha. How could we possibly let him go?’
Jiang Li gave Kun Sha one last, profound look before turning and walking out.
Huo Qing hurried after her. "Jiang Li, don’t act on impulse." He knew what Jiang Li was capable of, but if she did something, they would never be able to answer for it.
Jiang Li turned to face him. "Officer Huo, Kun Sha has powerful connections. This won’t go smoothly for you."
Huo Qing’s expression was grim. Of course, he knew that. But he refused to believe it. ’With so many of us, can we really not handle one Kun Sha?’
Jiang Li looked away. ’They carry too much responsibility, constrained at every turn. To bring someone with connections to justice requires an immense amount of effort.’
’But she is different. Those constraints don’t apply to her.’
"Officer Huo, something happened to Lu Xingye, didn’t it?" Jiang Li asked, looking up.
Huo Qing sighed. "During the pursuit, a bomb was placed under the bridge. He’s just... missing."
Jiang Li nodded, then walked over to a bench and sat down, her heart heavy. ’If it weren’t for me, Sister Xingchen and Lu Xingye would never have been dragged into this.’
’Lu Xingye wouldn’t have investigated, he wouldn’t have been targeted, and they would have lived a peaceful, stable life.’
Jiang Li stared blankly at the ground as the villagers’ curses echoed in her head. ’She’s a jinx. No one is safe around her, not even someone like Jiang Dewang.’
’Why does everyone close to me have to suffer?’
’I should just be alone, like before. That way, the only one who gets hurt is me.’
’I’d rather be tortured, half-dead, than drag anyone else down with me.’
"Jiang Li, don’t cry. Lu Xingye is tough and lucky, he’ll be okay," Wu Ming said, hugging her and trying clumsily to comfort her.
Jiang Li’s senses returned, and she realized she was crying again.
"It’s okay. He’s just missing. We just have to find him," Jiang Li said, taking a deep breath and getting to her feet.
They headed for the destroyed bridge.
On the way, they passed an old man pulling along a little girl of about six or seven. The girl’s limbs seemed uncoordinated as she walked.
As they passed a stroller, the girl reached out and knocked it over.
The old man beside her simply yanked her hand away from the stroller, making no move to set it upright.
Blurry images flashed through Jiang Li’s mind. By the time she came to her senses, she had already stepped forward and grabbed the old man’s arm.
"What do you think you’re doing!" the old man snarled, glaring at her.
Jiang Li looked at the little girl. "Is he your grandfather?"
The little girl’s head twitched erratically.
"Hey, what’s your problem? If I’m not her grandfather, are you? I have to take my granddaughter to the doctor! Let go of me!"
Staring at his face, Jiang Li saw, for a fleeting moment, the face of Jiang Dewang.
"Xiao Nian, take him to the police station. Run a thorough check."
"Hey, wait, wait!"
The old man immediately panicked, but the next second, he was grabbed and dragged away.
Jiang Li took the girl by the hand and followed them to the police station.
After a background check, it was confirmed: the old man was a human trafficker, and the girl had parents.
Jiang Li watched the little girl huddled in a corner. ’That’s how Jiang Dewang dragged me away back then.’
’A convincing act, a fake name... and just like that, he took me from the crowd.’
Once the situation was resolved, Jiang Li and the others rushed to the bridge.
Below the bridge, the river flowed swiftly. A recovery team was working by the bank, searching the water near the destroyed section in the middle.
Jiang Li went to get an update. They had recovered two officers from the riverbank, both of whom were now in the hospital undergoing emergency treatment. But there was still no news of Lu Xingye.
"We found this peace charm. I think it belongs to Lu Xingye. Before we set out, I saw him take it out and look at it like it was his most prized possession."
Jiang Li hurried forward. One look confirmed it was the peace charm she had given Lu Xingye.
The search continued for three days with no results. They searched downstream along the river, but still found no specific news.
Jiang Li felt like she couldn’t breathe. Sister Xingchen had only just recovered from being drugged because of her, and now Lu Xingye was missing because of her.
Back at the hotel, Wu Ming was still trying to console her. "Jiang Li, no news is good news. He’ll be okay."
Jiang Li nodded numbly, but as soon as her thoughts drifted back, she couldn’t stop blaming herself.
That night, she dreamt that Aunt Yu, Lu Xingye, and a crowd of other familiar faces were surrounding her.
"Admit it, Jiang Li. You’re a jinx. Nothing good ever happens to people who get close to you."
"Jiang Li, why didn’t you die? If you had died sooner, so many innocent people wouldn’t have been hurt."
"They were after you. Lu Xingye just took the fall for you."
"Jiang Li! Jiang Li, wake up! Wake up!"
Wu Ming gripped Jiang Li’s hand tightly, crying out, "Yu Huannian, get in here! Help!"
Yu Huannian burst in to see Jiang Li strangling herself. He rushed forward and, with great effort, managed to pry her hands from her own neck.
The two deep red marks on Jiang Li’s neck were startlingly clear.
Jiang Li’s eyes fluttered open. "What’s wrong?" she asked, confused.
"Jiang Li, don’t scare me like that!" Wu Ming wailed, throwing her arms around her.
Jiang Li dazedly raised a hand to pat her on the back. ’What did I do?’