Dazzling

Qing Ye immediately recognized the man with the buzz cut—he was the thug who had deliberately hit her while riding the Little Angel earlier. She frowned, her gaze turning icy.

Xing Wu seemed equally surprised to see her and called out, "Mom, who's this?"

Li Lanfang hurried over. "You're back just in time. Your cousin is here—come and meet her."

Qing Ye’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. Cousin? What kind of cousin? Could this get any more absurd?

Li Lanfang enthusiastically introduced them: "This is Qing Ye, the one I mentioned to you a couple of days ago. Qing Ye, this is my son, Xing Wu. He’s no good at studying, but he’s tough and knows how to handle trouble. If you ever run into any problems, just ask your cousin for help."

Qing Ye’s face was cold, her eyes shooting unfriendly, defensive glares at Xing Wu. Xing Wu, however, casually glanced at her leather shoes and let out an inexplicable chuckle. Without a word, he turned, unplugged the DVD player, and carried the whole setup away, tossing back, "Not eating at home."

Li Lanfang was furious and chased after him, yelling, "You little bastard! Running around again? What are you taking that thing for?"

Xing Wu had already reached the door but turned back to glance at the money in her hand. Li Lanfang quickly stuffed it into her pocket. His expression darkened, and he vanished through the doorway as Li Lanfang continued cursing, her words filthy and crude. Qing Ye, irritated, stormed out.

The sweltering street was empty of cars. Shirtless men loitered aimlessly; an old man sat by the door, cooling himself with a tattered palm-leaf fan; a woman stood in front of a single-story house, slurping noodles. Dragonflies swarmed densely, circling among the crisscrossing power lines. Every scene felt suffocating to her.

Sun Hai finally finished his last instructions and stepped out of the barbershop. He had to return—he couldn’t afford to delay, not with the prosecutors waiting. Standing before Qing Ye, he suddenly found himself at a loss for words.

To Qing Ye, Sun Hai was the only familiar person in this oppressive place. She stared at him desperately, hoping he would change his mind and take her with him. But she couldn’t bring herself to say it. Sun Hai was merely a subordinate of her father, Qing Shengguang. He had followed her dad for over a decade, had his own family and life. He had no obligation to take her away, especially since this was her parents’ arrangement.

Qing Ye’s gaze slowly dropped. For the first time since arriving, her eyes reddened, and tears fell one after another, splattering on the ground and spreading. She clearly understood that in just a few minutes, she would be completely abandoned by her former world. The spacious villa, the prestigious international school, the glamorous life—all would become a thing of the past. And she would be buried in this remote, godforsaken place whose name she didn’t even know. Her life wasn’t supposed to be like this. It just wasn’t.

She sniffed, lifted her head stubbornly, wiped away her tears, and stared at Sun Hai with unusual calm. "You’ve been with my dad for over ten years, right? From his financial issues to the mistresses he kept outside—you know it all better than anyone. If things don’t turn around for my dad, someone will eventually come after you. So, Uncle Sun... please do your best. For everyone’s sake."

Sun Hai laughed in disbelief. "Are you threatening me, kid?"

Then he grew serious. "You’re worried I’ll abandon your dad to save myself? Your Uncle Sun isn’t as spineless as you think. Without your father, I’d still be a lowly errand driver. I’ll risk everything to find a way."Qing Ye's nose tingled with emotion. Sun Hai patted her shoulder heavily and said in a grave tone, "I shouldn't be telling you this, but listen carefully. Your father's situation isn't settled yet. In the best-case scenario, he might be out in a few months and would come get you immediately.

Of course, that's the ideal outcome. If things go badly, he might be locked up for three to five years, but he'll eventually get out. The living expenses your father left you should be used sparingly—they'll cover your university costs. Don't overthink it. Right now, focus on the college entrance exam. You're an adult now and must take responsibility for your own life. If the sky falls, you need to learn to hold it up yourself, understand?"

Qing Ye lowered her head as tears spilled out uncontrollably. It felt like just yesterday she was sheltered from all hardships in her parents' palms, yet today she suddenly had to learn to stand firm against the world.

...

At the street corner, Xing Wu sat on his Little Angel, smoking a cigarette as he gazed into the distance. Pang Hu hugged a DVD and asked puzzledly, "Wh-who is that girl? Why is she c-crying in front of your shop?"

Xing Wu didn't answer. He tossed his cigarette aside and rode off on the Little Angel.

Before getting into the car, Sun Hai turned back to look at Qing Ye with concern. She had barely spoken to him during the entire journey, but suddenly said, "Sun Shu, can I have a hug?"

Sun Hai's heart ached as he turned and patted her back. Qing Ye buried her face in his clothes, weeping silently. To her, Sun Hai was like a real uncle. With this separation, she didn't know when they'd meet again or what would happen to him and her father. A tremendous fear devoured her rationality, terrifying her.

Sun Hai finally advised her, "I know you don't like it here. Focus on your exams—you'll only be here a year at most. You attended an international school, and your father originally planned to send you abroad. Although you've transferred schools now, your goals shouldn't change. A year will pass quickly. With your grades, it won't be hard to apply to universities in Canada later. Once you're there, you'll be far away from all this.

But Xiao Ye, remember—don't let others influence you, especially boys. Sun Shu knows it's easy to be impulsive at your age, but you need to keep a clear head. You won't stay here forever, understand?"

Qing Ye nodded and released him. "If there's any news about Dad, tell me immediately."

Sun Hai responded, "I'll call you."

Qing Ye watched him leave. Sun Hai kept checking his rearview mirror anxiously as his car drove into the distance, watching her figure grow smaller until it disappeared from sight.

When she reentered the hair salon, all traces of tears had vanished from Qing Ye's face. No one could tell she had just been struggling in an abyss of despair. She disliked showing weakness in front of strangers, especially these people she found utterly bizarre.

Li Lanfang had already returned to the mahjong table. Qing Ye stood in the shop staring at her. "Where do I stay?"

Without looking up, Li Lanfang said, "Wait a bit. I'll take you to your room after this round."

Qing Ye walked over to the pink sofa and noticed a tear in the faux leather, with dirty foam protruding. She couldn't bring herself to sit down, so she stood waiting by the cash register.The wait stretched on for nearly an hour. During that time, two middle school students came in for hair straightening perms, and Li Lanfang even called her over to collect the payment. Qing Ye never could have imagined that in just one day, she would go from living in a villa with servants to collecting money in a rundown hair salon in this backwater county town.

The wind and dust here were harsh, and the sun was scorching. Most girls had rough, tanned skin, so fair and delicate girls like Qing Ye were a rare sight. While paying, the girls couldn't stop staring at her and shyly said, "You're so pretty, sister."

Looking into the sincere eyes of these young girls, Qing Ye wanted to smile back, but she simply couldn't muster one at that moment. She took the money and said, "Take care."

Take... care? Look at her, already slipping into the role, even helping this so-called aunt greet customers? How utterly depressing! Qing Ye's mood hit rock bottom.

Li Lanfang finally finished her round of mahjong and seemed to remember her niece who had traveled all this way without even a sip of water. She quickly stood up and said, "Qing Ye, let me show you to your room. I washed the sheets and blankets a couple of days ago. Come on."

She grabbed Qing Ye's suitcase and headed toward the shampoo bed. Only then did Qing Ye notice a staircase next to it. Was she going to live here? Upstairs from the hair salon? Qing Ye stood frozen at the staircase entrance, staring into the dark stairwell and then at the uncle still getting his hair washed nearby. The whole situation felt increasingly surreal.

What was even more surreal was Li Lanfang dragging her suitcase up the stairs step by step, grumbling, "This suitcase of yours is no good—so damn heavy. Goodness, I'm exhausted."

"..." Qing Ye stared at her ten-thousand-yuan Rimowa suitcase and took a deep breath.

Li Lanfang went upstairs and turned on the light. The harsh white glare made Qing Ye's eyes ache. She rubbed them hard before she could see clearly that the upstairs had been converted into living quarters. The floor was covered with cheap laminate, and a green ceiling fan hung overhead, coated in a thick layer of dust. At the top of the stairs stood a fabric sofa, and across from it was a 32-inch LCD TV. The ceiling was low, making the space feel oppressive. On either side of the living room were two rooms—the right one was Li Lanfang's, and the left one was Xing Wu's. In the corner of the living room was a sink.

Li Lanfang walked straight to the left room and said, "You'll stay here for now. This is Xing Wu's room. Make do with it for a while."

Qing Ye followed her in, feeling utterly bewildered. What did she mean, staying in Xing Wu's room?

Before she could process it, she saw that Li Lanfang had partitioned the room with a floral curtain, placing a single bed on one side. What a genius idea!

Qing Ye pointed incredulously at the floral curtain. "I'm sleeping here?"

Li Lanfang explained, "It's fine. That brat hardly ever comes home—he's always out and about. I'll have your uncle get a wooden board to partition it properly in a bit."

Qing Ye had no idea how this ten-square-meter room could be partitioned any further. Were they going to stick her to the wall?

She looked at Li Lanfang with annoyance, wanting to ask her if she'd lost her mind—after all, she and her son weren't even remotely related by blood.

But Li Lanfang, seemingly oblivious, didn't find anything amiss. She set down the suitcase and said to Qing Ye, "The bathroom is in the backyard downstairs. If you're tired, take a nap. I'll call you for dinner."

Her mahjong friends were already shouting from the foot of the stairs, "Sister Li, hurry up!"

"Coming!" Li Lanfang rushed back downstairs.Qing Ye plopped down on the wooden plank bed, already drenched in sweat. She spotted a standing electric fan in the corner of the room—a Midea brand, likely the newest appliance in this household. She pressed the switch, and finally, a faint cool breeze drifted through the air. Qing Ye scanned the room, then tugged at the hideously tacky floral-print curtain. A small window with welded stainless steel bars made the space feel like a prison cell.

Her gaze drifted to the gloomy gray sky outside the window, her eyes hollow and lost.

Author's Note: Thank you all for the nutrient solutions and thunder gifts! Special thanks to xiaoxiao0221 for the deep-water torpedo! Though 2020 started off rough, I believe things will only get better from here. Let's all keep pushing forward, folks!

To kick off Day 1 with an energy boost, I'm treating you to a bonus chapter!!

This is my first time writing about life in the slums, and I've discovered I absolutely thrive when writing about impoverished characters—maybe because I'm broke myself? Hahaha~

Apologies again for the last-minute substitution of this novel. Since the draft for "Child Bride" wasn't ready and I didn't want to keep you waiting too long, I decided to launch this one first.

I totally understand seeing those subscriptions plummet—waiting for a wealthy-family drama only to get a slum story instead is like anticipating an update only to find the author's gone bankrupt. Who wouldn't be shook? Hahaha!

But trust me, trust me—it gets seriously good later on!

See you every morning at 9:00 sharp!