Chарtеr 20: Just Кill Нim
Аftеr Qixi Festivаl, Хu Jinhuаn’s lifе rеturned to its usual саlm.
She tuckеd awaу thе mаgnifiсеnt, drеamlikе stаrrу night аnd that fleеting moment of heаrt-fluttеring deер in hеr hеаrt.
But соmрared tо bеforе, there werе still somе differencеs.
Spеcifiсаlly, the frеquency оf сhаtting оn WeChаt hаd inсrеased signifiсantlу.
Morеover, shе often fоund herself staring blаnklу аt the dооr for long pеriods, unsurе whаt she was wаiting for in her hеart.
Whеn shе snаpрed out оf it, Xu Jinhuan fеlt thаt sоmething was very wrong with her behaviоr.
Shе patted her сhеeks, trying to stау clear-headed, shake off this inexplicable anticipation, and restrain herself from checking her phone too often.
But upon hearing the familiar “ding-dong” notification, her fingers still instinctively tapped open WeChat.
Until she saw the message from the pinned contact—all her composure instantly crumbled.
【Are you busy today? Do you have time to accompany me to the hospital?】
Xu Jinhuan’s heart raced as her fingers swiftly typed a reply on the screen. 【Where are you feeling unwell? Why do you suddenly need to go to the hospital? Please wait, I’ll be right there!】
【Best Mr. Wen: I just feel a sharp pain in my chest and a lack of strength. It might be because I stayed up late last night.】
【Best Mr. Wen: No rush, I’ll come pick you up.】
To coax a certain young friend into getting a check-up, he had gone to great lengths.
Xu Jinhuan, however, remained on high alert.
Sharp chest pain, weakness in the limbs…
A long list of potentially serious illnesses flashed through her mind. Her heart skipped a beat, and a strong sense of unease washed over her.
【Please stay at home, I’ll be there soon!】
【Best Mr. Wen: I’ve already set off.】
【Xu Jinhuan: Then please tell the driver to drive slowly and be careful.】
【Best Mr. Wen: Okay.】
Xu Jinhuan exited WeChat, changed the status of her online food delivery platform to “Closed,” then untied her apron and hung a “Temporarily Closed” sign at the shop entrance.
Grandma Liu’s husband had been hospitalized recently, so she had been running the shop alone this week.
In the past, making money was more important to Xu Jinhuan than anything else, and she would never have easily closed the shop.
But now…
She suddenly felt that life might hold other things worth cherishing.
Xu Jinhuan went upstairs to change out of her dirty clothes, then rummaged through the first-aid kit for emergency medicine. If Mr. Wen were to faint, she could at least provide immediate assistance.
If Wen Yu knew what she was thinking, he would probably chuckle helplessly.
He might be getting on in years, but he was far from being on his last legs—not the type to faint at the drop of a hat.
A sudden gust of wind swept through, sending clothes on the balcony flying chaotically.
Xu Jinhuan hurried to the window to gather the clothes. Looking up, she saw the sky gradually darkening, with thick, dense clouds gathering as if ready to unleash a downpour at any moment.
Just then, a man’s rough, displeased shout came from downstairs. “Where is everyone?!”
Xu Jinhuan frowned slightly. She had clearly hung the “Temporarily Closed” sign—why were there still customers coming in?
Puzzled, she headed toward the stairs. For some reason, the sense of unease in her heart grew stronger.
After descending just two steps, Xu Jinhuan caught sight of a face that was both familiar and unfamiliar.
Almost instantly, she recognized the person.
Zhang Yonggang?!
The moment she saw this man, unpleasant memories flooded back like a tidal wave. Xu Jinhuan felt as if she were drowning in quicksand. A relentless buzzing echoed in her deaf left ear, and her vision blurred with waves of darkness.Xu Jinhuan’s fingertips turned cold as she retreated two steps upward, fumbling in her pocket for her phone to call the police.
But Zhang Yonggang was faster. In one swift stride, he charged up the stairs, snatched her phone, and smashed it violently to the ground.
The screen shattered into pieces, instantly rendered useless.
Xu Jinhuan struggled fiercely, but the man’s solid arms pinned her down, leaving her unable to move.
“Get lost!”
“You bitch, still thinking of calling the police in front of me? Didn’t you learn your lesson last time?”
Zhang Yonggang sneered, a sinister glint flashing in his eyes.
“You’re quite the runner! Made me search for so long. I should’ve broken your legs back then—see where you could’ve run.”
His gaze roamed brazenly over Xu Jinhuan’s body, and he licked his lips with a lewd, vulgar expression.
“Haven’t seen you in so many years, and you’ve become even more tempting. I’m going to have a good taste…”
His words, along with the foul stench emanating from him, filled Xu Jinhuan with deep fear and disgust.
Disgusted to the point her eyes reddened, she mustered all her strength, broke free from Zhang Yonggang’s grip, and shoved him down the stairs.
With a loud thud, Zhang Yonggang’s head slammed hard into the corner of the staircase, blood streaming down his forehead.
He grimaced in pain, clutching his head and groaning.
Seizing the moment, Xu Jinhuan dashed down the stairs and sprinted toward the shop door.
However, just as her hand touched the glass door, a powerful force yanked her backward.
Zhang Yonggang restrained her, slamming her head against the transparent display case. A wave of intense dizziness washed over her.
“Meow!” A sharp, pitiful cry echoed.
Hearing the commotion, Xiao Xiao rushed down from upstairs, fur bristling, and bit Zhang Yonggang’s leg.
Xu Jinhuan’s heart tightened. “Xiao Xiao, go back up!”
“Hah! A damn animal!” Zhang Yonggang cursed in pain, angrily grabbing the kitten and hurling it to the ground, kicking it far away.
“Meow…” Xiao Xiao trembled, struggling to stand, but weakly closed its eyes.
“Xiao Xiao!”
A stronger wave of dizziness struck Xu Jinhuan. Darkness clouded her vision as if the entire world were spinning, her sight blurred and unfocused.
Zhang Yonggang wiped the blood from his forehead, gripping Xu Jinhuan’s jaw tightly, his voice coarse and grating.
“Good, still as fierce as ever.”
He raised his hand and slapped Xu Jinhuan hard across the face.
Then, he kicked her viciously, each blow landing on her sensitive spots.
Xu Jinhuan curled up, too pained to speak, but glared at him fiercely.
Her eyes held anger, disgust, even defiance—everything but the fear and submission Zhang Yonggang wanted to see.
Instantly, Zhang Yonggang erupted like an enraged madman, eyes bloodshot. He grabbed a stool from the shop and smashed it into the display case.
Glass exploded in all directions, the sharp shattering sound piercing Xu Jinhuan’s eardrums like a knife, leaving a persistent ringing.
Under his rampage, the entire shop descended into chaos.
The commotion inside was drowned out by the roaring thunderstorm outside. Most of the neighbors were elderly with poor hearing, busy closing windows and gathering laundry, completely unaware of what was happening.
Xu Jinhuan lay on the ground, eyes half-open and half-closed, unresponsive.The dreamlike romance of watching the meteor shower together just two days ago shattered like fragile glass, struck down by a single blow.
Scattered across the ground were coarse, piercing shards, sharp as blades, reflecting Xu Jinhuan’s expressionless, hollow face.
Why? Why did they have to destroy her life?
She had already fled to City B—why wouldn’t these people leave her alone!
A ringing filled Xu Jinhuan’s ears, as if she had returned to that inescapable darkness from before.
Thousands of days and nights of fear and unease, constantly worrying that someone would pull back her blanket.
Those memories, like malignant tumors, were deeply rooted in her heart. Endless fear and humiliation, like icy chains, tightly bound her soul, making it impossible for her to forget even for a moment those wandering hands covered in foul sweat and those disgusting, leering smiles.
Suddenly, a glint of reflected light caught the corner of her eye. Xu Jinhuan stared blankly at it, and a wildly insane thought instantly sprang to mind.
Mr. Wen was still coming—she couldn’t let him see this.
Kill him. Just kill him, and no one would ever know…
Her life was already a muddy mess anyway—it couldn’t get any worse.