“Guaranteed to be fine?”
Ji Liao was half-convinced and half-doubting. She had been tricked by her two or three times before, each time having to stop midway to recharge. This time probably wouldn’t be an exception either.
They arrived at the amusement park unimpeded. Because Ji Liao was blind, she could only sit on a nearby stone bench and wait. For her, no matter which ride she took, it would only give her one feeling—dizzying confusion.
So, every time she went out with Qing’er, the only one who went wild with fun was that child. Listening to their screams, you could tell how excited they were.
She just sat there, feeling the gentle breeze. The liveliness of others had nothing to do with her. As time passed, she began to space out.
“Ji Liao, they were all implicated because of you.”
“Ji Liao, you have nothing left—no family, no friends or loved ones. You are an orphan abandoned by others, and an unforgivable criminal.”
“Whether you admit to being Cheng Shuangshuang’s murderer or not, Mr. Yu will not let you off.”
“Stop resisting. Mr. Yu said that if he suffers, you won’t have it easy either.”
“You are a criminal. These eyes of yours should not hold any light. The light in your eyes should have been extinguished long ago!”
“Perfect. These eyes can be used to pay tribute to Cheng Shuangshuang. Let us help you destroy them!”
The voices were like curses, terrifying and horrifying.
The instigator’s vicious and ugly face was unbearable. No matter how hard she tried to drive it away, it lingered. No matter how she tried to escape, she could not break free.
Once, she was a prodigy girl envied by everyone, excelling in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, with dance being her strongest suit. In her youth, she had performed on many stages and won numerous awards. Everything in her life was moving in a positive direction.
But fortunes change. At the best moment of her life, she met Yu Nanzhi. Perhaps he was the calamity she could never escape in this lifetime.
Because she liked him, someone as outstanding as her became a despised murderer because of him.
Now, he was the lingering nightmare that constantly tormented her soul…
“Liaoliao Sister, what’s wrong with you?” Qing’er appeared, panting. Earlier, while on the Ferris wheel, she noticed Ji Liao didn’t seem well and watched her from the window for a while. As soon as the Ferris wheel ride ended, she rushed over to check on her.
Ji Liao paused, coming back to her senses only to realize she was tightly hugging herself. Tears had unknowingly fallen from the corners of her eyes to her chin. “It’s nothing, I’m just a bit tired.”
How could her evasive and guilty eyes escape Lu Chengqing’s notice? She clenched the tickets in her hand, crumpled them a few times, and casually tossed them into a nearby trash bin. “I’ll go get the car. Wait here for a while.”
Ji Liao hurriedly grabbed her clothes. “No, it’s not like that. You can keep playing. I was just deeply moved by memories of the past…”
“I know, so let’s go home. Wait here, don’t wander off. I’ll bring the car over.”
At that moment, a red limited-edition sports car drove past them. Yu Nanzhi’s lifeless eyes suddenly stirred. “Stop the car!”
He suddenly shouted at the driver to stop.
Caught off guard by the urgent command, the driver slammed on the brakes. “Mr. Yu, what’s the matter?”
Once the car stopped, Yu Nanzhi immediately rolled down the window and leaned out to search. However, the stone bench under the large tree no longer held the familiar figure he thought he had seen.
Had he mistaken someone else for her?
Why did he suddenly feel as though he had seen Ji Liao for a moment…
Damn it, why was he thinking of her!
Turning back into the car, Yu Nanzhi irritably massaged his temples and told the driver, “It’s nothing, let’s go.”
“Yes.” The driver restarted the car, and the red sports car smoothly resumed its journey on the road.
Yu Nanzhi gloomily stared at the car ceiling, thinking of Ji Liao. Fragmented memories flashed through his mind.
Over five years had passed—why was he so desperate to see her now?
Ji Liao sat in the back seat, her arms wrapped around Lu Chengqing’s slender waist as the Little Donkey moved steadily along the road. Yet her heart had been unsettled lately, as if some major event was looming.
The Electric Moped slowed down, and Lu Chengqing cursed under her breath, “Damn, I charged it fully! How come it’s dying before we even get home?”
Recognizing the familiar situation, Ji Liao responded, “This keeps happening—the battery must be worn out. Let’s replace it later. For now, see if there’s a charging spot nearby.”
Lu Chengqing said irritably, “There’s a supermarket. We can grab some daily necessities while we’re at it.”
“Same as usual then—I’ll wait outside.”
“Okay, don’t wander off. I’ll be quick.” After scanning the code to charge the moped, Lu Chengqing helped Ji Liao sit on a rest bench outside the supermarket, gave a few reminders, and headed inside.
Ji Liao sat for a while, feeling parched. Just then, she heard a milk tea advertisement nearby and slowly stood up. Approaching the shop entrance, she called out, “Boss, one medium lemon tea, no ice.”
Her tall, slender figure and gentle, flowing voice drew whistles from nearby men. “Hey beautiful, come chat with us for a bit?”
Ji Liao naturally ignored them. With so many attractive women around, they might not even be addressing her.
But before the commotion settled, a pleasant rose essential oil scent wafted over, and a voice said, “This tea—it’s on me!”
Feeling a touch on her shoulder, Ji Liao realized the man was flirting with her. Panic set in immediately; she gripped her Blind cane tightly and stepped back twice to distance herself.
“You’re blind!” The man instantly regretted his words, knowing it was hurtful to highlight someone’s vulnerability, but the remark was already out like spilled water—irretrievable.
When the woman frowned in his direction, he was thoroughly startled. He quickly snapped a photo of her with his phone, muttering inwardly how much she resembled Yu Nanzhi’s ex-wife. Damn, this was a shocking discovery.
“Miss, your lemon tea!”
The staff member shoved the bag into her hand. Ji Liao asked, “How much?”
As she reached into her bag for money, Li Chengru promptly intervened, “Wait, I’ll pay.”
Ji Liao’s frown deepened. She didn’t know him—why would he pay for her? Unsolicited kindness surely hid ulterior motives.
She refused outright, “No need, I have money.”
Li Chengru hurriedly explained, “Don’t be afraid, I’m not a bad person.”
Such a blatant denial—who would believe it?
Unwilling to owe anyone, Ji Liao stuffed the money into his chest. Before he could react and cover it, she had already turned to leave.
“Hey!!”
His call made Ji Liao’s heart race even more. In her panic, she stumbled and knocked over several parked bicycles.
“Ji Liao!” Li Chengru called out her name, and everyone around fell silent, their gazes turning toward her.
Who Ji Liao was, presumably everyone knew. Because of the incident five years ago, her reputation had become so tarnished it was enough to make one die of anger. Overnight, everyone who shared the same name as her changed theirs, all to avoid any association with her and for fear that Yu Nanzhi would indiscriminately spread his hatred.