“Exactly, if that drunk hadn’t saved her, she wouldn’t be here putting on such an act.”
“Born without a princess’ life but afflicted with a princess’ sickness. If the drunk hadn’t rescued her, perhaps he wouldn’t have died.”
“So this just proves that those who meddle in others’ business never come to good ends. Just look at how terribly the drunk died—decapitated.”
De…decapitated…
Ji Liao’s consciousness shattered into fragments in an instant. Wasn’t it said that his eyeballs were crushed? How could it be decapitation…
In her dazed state, she gathered scattered facts from bystanders: the drunk had run a red light, the truck couldn’t brake in time, and its front wheels directly crushed his head, killing him instantly.
Ji Liao collapsed to the ground, listening to everyone’s accusatory remarks. The traffic police scolded them for their noise and, after reviewing the surveillance footage, confirmed that Ji Liao was not at fault.
But facts couldn’t silence the endless gossip. Everyone labeled her a harbinger of doom, claiming her single action had caused the drunk’s death.
Ji Liao couldn’t utter a word in her defense. Cha Cha’s fate, A’Bao’s suffering, and the drunk’s tragic end—all served as proof that she truly was a harbinger of doom.
Back then, if Cha Cha hadn’t brought her food, let her sleep in its den, or protected her, it would still be a carefree stray. If A’Bao hadn’t forced medicine down her throat in prison or spoken up for her, she wouldn’t have endured such cruelty from others. And the drunk—if he had just stood by indifferently, leaving her to fend for herself in the traffic, he wouldn’t have died…
If only… if only… if only she had never married Yu Nanzhi from the start, none of these “if onlys” would exist…
She was a harbinger of doom—others weren’t wrong.
She was also a victim—she felt she wasn’t wrong, but no one was willing to believe her.
Because of Yu Nanzhi, the world she had dreamed of was destroyed. Ten years of love and several years of marriage—all reduced to nothing because of Cheng Shuangshuang.
To exact revenge, Yu Nanzhi subjected her to endless torment and suffering, making her life worse than death in this world…
Yu Nanzhi, in this lifetime, you and I are sworn enemies!
The police car sped away, and traffic returned to normal. On the bustling street, her sighs, pity, and anger were quickly drowned out by the crowd.
Pulling herself together, she stood up and groped her way to leave. Similarly, unfamiliar with the road, she inadvertently wandered into the traffic again. But this time, there was no kind drunk to pull her away.
She was like a lonely boat, struggling to find her way through the terrifying flow of vehicles.
The indifference of people was something she had grown accustomed to. She didn’t dare hope for anyone to lend a hand, for she was a harbinger of doom, destined to bring misfortune to others.
“Woof!!” A dog’s bark snapped Ji Liao back to her senses. When she came to, she had bravely made her way out of the traffic.
“Cha Cha?” An inexplicable sense of familiarity filled her lonely heart. She reached out, and the dog affectionately licked her palm, its warmth instantly melting the coldness in her heart.
Letting down her guard, she found a shaded spot under a tree and sat down. The dog gently lay down beside her. Ji Liao took out a steamed bun and shared half with it.
“Eat if you don’t mind. It’s all I have to offer.”
“Woof!!” The dog wagged its tail at her, seeming somewhat happy.
This rare moment of contentment gave Ji Liao a beautiful memory on this scorching afternoon. Together, the woman and the dog enjoyed their meal in the gentle breeze, hearts full of joy.
“What did you feed my dog, you filthy beggar!” Within minutes, a sharp female voice rang out ahead. The voice sounded young, perhaps still of school age.
Before Ji Liao could react, she lost her balance and was shoved to the ground.
With a “clang…”, the back of her head made intimate contact with a large iron pipe. Pain surged through her, leaving Ji Liao dazed. When she tried to sit up, sudden dizziness overwhelmed her. Her eyes closed, and she lost consciousness.
“Hey, stop pretending to be dead! Trying to extort money from me, aren’t you?” The newcomer nudged Ji Liao’s calf with the tip of her shoe, but there was no response. After a moment of panic, the girl glanced around, quickly picked up her dog, and hurried away.
When Ji Liao came to, the air and breeze felt cool, devoid of the midday heat, indicating the moon had already risen above the branches.
Though the night scenery was breathtaking, she couldn’t see it.
“Brother, this is the beggar who fed the dog something unclean, making it have constant diarrhea.”
No sooner had Ji Liao sat up than she heard the voice of the girl who had pushed her at noon, now accompanied by another person.
Their footsteps halted abruptly before her. Ji Liao clutched her blind cane defensively. “What… do you want?”
“Nonsense, we’re here to settle the score!” the girl snapped angrily.
“Qing’er, stop causing trouble!” the man scolded. The girl pouted unhappily, muttering under her breath, “It’s because of her dirty piece of bread that the dog’s been sick to the point of collapse, and you’re blaming me for making a fuss…”
A beam of light shone on Ji Liao’s face. She didn’t react or flinch.
“Can’t you see?” the man asked directly.
“Yes,” she replied without hesitation, then added, “I’m sorry about the dog. I thought it was a stray, so I…”
“You think everyone’s as unwanted as you!” Ji Liao’s words were cut off by the girl’s interjection.
Her words were hurtful. But after hearing such taunts so often, Ji Liao had grown accustomed to them.
After all, over the years, she had indeed lived a life worse than a dog’s.
“Qing’er, shut up!” The girl was reprimanded again by the man.
Ji Liao let out a bitter laugh, her expression more pained than tearful. “It’s fine. She didn’t say anything wrong. If you want compensation, there should be some money in my bag. You can check for yourselves.”
This kind of living hell was something she alone should endure. She didn’t wish for anyone else to suffer as miserably as she did.
The man stepped forward, about to say something, but when he saw the tears and scars on her face, his heart suddenly ached.
What had she been through? Why was she covered in wounds…
“Do you have somewhere to go?” As soon as he spoke, he paused. Wasn’t that a stupid question? If she had a place to go, would she be sleeping here?
“Thank you for your concern, but I don’t need anyone’s pity.” Ji Liao stood up and began feeling her way forward. In her haste, she stumbled over a protruding tree root and instantly pitched forward.
“Careful!” The man quickly grabbed her, but the moment he touched her, he was shocked.
She was terribly thin, with barely any flesh on her body—all bones. If he applied any more force, her arm might break…
Just as Ji Liao steadied herself, panic set in. Anyone who helped her would suffer misfortune—they would die!
“Let go of me!” She broke free, unwilling to let anyone else be harmed because of her. She couldn’t bear the weight of another life.
Seeing her pale expression, the man awkwardly withdrew his hand and softly apologized before continuing gently, “Meeting like this must be fate. Our family runs a blind massage parlor. What I wanted to ask is, if you have nowhere to go and don’t mind, you could come work at my place. I’ll pay you wages—fair treatment for all, young and old alike.”
Ji Liao was slightly taken aback, her probing gaze falling upon the man’s face, though she had forgotten she could see nothing at all.