Chapter 8 Wild Camellias, Beautiful and Fearless.

The next day, Qin Weizhao told Jiang Wansheng that her little uncle liked the cookies she made.

“Completely unexpected. My little uncle is so picky, I never thought he would like cookies,” Qin Weizhao recounted, finding it unbelievable. “The chefs at Chongfei Garden and Luqiu Mingdu had to change multiple times to suit his taste, he’s particularly difficult to please.”

Jiang Wansheng listened, smiled, but didn’t think much of it.

If the gesture was received well, great; if not, no big deal.

In any case, there wouldn’t be much interaction in the future.

Life returned to normal, she continued attending classes, studying in the library for the final exams.

—

At half past seven that evening, after a full day of classes, she was walking back to the dormitory, looking forward to taking a hot shower and going to bed.

Before reaching the dormitory, a phone call stopped her in her tracks.

The caller ID showed [Dad].

Her expression momentarily froze, her father rarely called her.

Since her parents’ divorce when she was five, her father quickly remarried and had a son. Her mother couldn’t bear it and remarried when she was ten.

The once happy family suddenly fell apart, and she, still young, became the burden that neither of them could let go of.

He only took care of her out of legal obligation, reluctantly.

She had always been obedient and sensible, not causing any trouble.

It wasn’t innate; it was survival instinct.

Only by being obedient and well-behaved could she avoid being abandoned.

From boarding school in middle school to graduating from high school, she chose to leave her hometown for the capital, finally escaping the suffocating gazes and words that haunted her.

Here, Jiang Wansheng was an independent Jiang Wansheng, someone who didn’t need to watch her words, someone who cried alone late at night.

Since there were no cuddles without candy, no hugs without tears, she learned to be independent and strong.

She answered, “Dad.”

On the other end of the phone, Jiang Wenqian said, “Wansheng, are you free now?”

She inexplicably didn’t want to answer directly, “…What’s wrong?”

“Well,” his voice sounded anxious, “Your younger brother Xinian went to study in high school in the capital, but just now Aunt Yushu called, and it sounded chaotic on the phone. Your brother seems to be drunk, saying he’s at some ‘Guangcheng.’ Aunt is really worried, afraid something might happen.”

Li Xinian was the son brought over by her father’s new wife, Li Yushu, and managed to get into the second year of high school in the capital through connections.

Before he could finish, Li Yushu’s sharp voice came through, probably on speakerphone, “Wansheng, I checked online, that ‘Guangcheng’ isn’t far from your school, it’s in a district nearby. Can you go and check on him for Aunt? He’s just in high school, doesn’t have much money on him, and Aunt is really worried.”

Jiang Wansheng stood still, the night hazy, the warm evening breeze cooling her heart.

Students chatted and walked around her, she stood alone, feeling strangely desolate.

She pressed her nose, feeling a sourness, “Dad, ‘Guangcheng’ is a bar, and I’m a girl… is it appropriate?”

How ridiculous, after a long absence, the call wasn’t about concern, but about sending her to a bar late at night to check on a misbehaving drunkard.

On the other end of the phone, Jiang Wenqian fell silent, as if suddenly realizing the inappropriateness.

But Li Yushu persisted, “Oh, Wansheng, he’s your brother after all. You two got along well when you lived with us. You were studying in college in the capital back then, that’s why I dared to send Xinian over.”

“You can’t be too selfish. I know you’re doing well at Fuhua University now, but if it weren’t for our family paying your tuition back then, you wouldn’t have been able to attend such a good school.”

“Alright, enough,” Jiang Wenqian’s low reprimanding voice was barely audible.

But Li Yushu, protective of her son, paid no heed, “You’re not safe alone, call your dorm mates or something. It’s just a small favor, take Xinian to a nearby hotel, Aunt will transfer the money for the hotel to you, so you won’t lose out.”

“Okay, that’s it. Take a photo for me later, Aunt knows you’re a good kid.”

After speaking, she abruptly hung up the phone.

Jiang Wansheng listened to the click of the phone hanging up, a sarcastic smile on her lips.

Her living expenses in middle and high school and her high school tuition were jointly covered by Jiang Wenqian and her mother Luo Muyan. She remembered it all, and now she was working hard to earn money, striving for scholarships to pay off these debts. Once she did, she could confidently break free from the ties of these two families.

But for now, she couldn’t.

Li Xinian didn’t know who he was hanging out with; she couldn’t take someone else along on this adventure.

She had to go alone, but she had packed self-defense items in her bag just in case.

The “Guangcheng” bar was a three-story building with a unique design, a gathering place for young people.

The decoration was bold, with a strong artistic color, and had a unique style.

Jiang Wansheng arrived at “Guangcheng,” opened her phone to confirm the private room number sent by Li Yushu, bypassed the lively atmosphere of the disco, and headed straight to the second-floor private room.

She felt the pepper spray and baton in her canvas bag before pushing the door open, and she didn’t bother closing it behind her once inside.

The air was thick with smoke.

As soon as Jiang Wansheng entered, she was overwhelmed by a strong smell of smoke, with many empty bottles and cigarette butts littering the floor.

She suppressed her discomfort, surveyed the surroundings, and found Li Xinian, a drunken mess, on the single sofa facing the door.

There were also a group of young men and women of similar age, a mixed crowd.

When the group saw her, there was a brief silence in the air, followed by a burst of noise, mixed with frivolous whistles.

Jiang Wansheng was wearing a simple and elegant blue t-shirt and smoke-gray straight-leg pants today, revealing a section of her fair and tender ankle.

The t-shirt was tucked into the pants, accentuating her slender waist.

Her long hair cascaded down, her features as beautiful as a painting, amidst the rising smoke, she looked like a fairy who had accidentally fallen to earth.

Someone quickly made a joke, “Who brought this girl, she’s so pretty!”

“Damn, she’s really ethereal, who brought such a beauty, damn.”

Jiang Wansheng frowned, coldly walked up to Li Xinian, “Li Xinian, wake up.”

“Damn, her voice is so pure, calling her must be so comfortable.” Someone joked without reservation, eliciting a series of malicious cheers from the crowd.

“Li Xinian, what are you doing! The pretty girl is calling you.” A guy next to Li Xinian kicked him directly.

Li Xinian finally regained some consciousness, but as soon as he opened his eyes, he saw the so-called sister who often appeared in his dreams standing in front of him. He felt a bit dazed, then understood that his mother must have called her.

“Li Xinian, you little rascal.”

“Don’t talk nonsense.” After speaking, his gaze turned lewd, “This is my stepdad’s daughter, my beautiful sister.”

The forbidden excitement instantly ignited the scene, with everyone’s attention focused on these two individuals.

Jiang Wansheng sarcastically tugged at the corner of her mouth, her watery eyes like ice, her dazzling features exuding a chill.

She stood there with a cold expression, looking down at the person on the sofa, “Li Xinian, two choices.”

“First, come with me, find a nearby hotel to sober up properly. Your mom has given me the hotel accommodation fee.”

Li Xinian sneered contemptuously.

“Second, I’ll call the police now. Underage gambling, you’ll sober up in the detention center, and this money will serve as a fine.”

She had checked before coming; these people were playing Texas Hold’em.

“Do you dare?” Li Xinian’s face changed.

“You made the mistake, why wouldn’t I dare. If your mom finds out that the living expenses she gave you were used for gambling, what do you think your fate will be? And what about you high school students who are immaturely pretending to be mature? What will your fate be?”

Someone couldn’t sit still and stood up, “Where did this little girl come from? If you don’t believe us, we’ll take care of you together.”

Unfazed, like a wild camellia, beautiful and fearless, Jiang Wansheng said, “I’ve already shared my location with someone. If I’m still in this bar in 20 minutes with no news, the police will arrive as promised.”

The person stood there, his face serious, visibly upset.

She turned her gaze back, looking at him coldly, “Are you coming?”

Li Xinian looked at her eyes filled with a cold light, feeling a bit scared for some reason.

Feeling aggrieved, he simmered in silence for a minute before grudgingly saying, “Fine, let’s go, damn it!”

Satisfied with the response, Jiang Wansheng turned and walked away. She couldn’t bear the murky atmosphere any longer.

Just as she reached the door, a sudden chill enveloped her back.

As if sensing something, she turned her head and saw the tall guy who had been shouting at her earlier, his face contorted, holding an unopened bottle straight at her.

Time seemed to slow down, her feet frozen in place, watching as the bottle in front of her came closer and clearer.

Instinctively closing her eyes, she braced herself for the impending pain.

*Crack!*

The bottle shattered, splashing liquid everywhere.

The expected pain didn’t come, as she was pulled into a strong and broad embrace.

The scent of cold wood filled the air.