Chapter 8: Threat

Bincheng Hotel.

Lu Huaishen stood by the window, gazing at the streetlights below. His mind was filled with the image of the young girl’s bright, watery eyes.

A burning pain spread through his fingers.

He looked down.

The cigarette in his hand had burned to the end.

Lu Huaishen raised his hand and stubbed it out.

Zhou Ye watched his movements.

Not a single puff taken from that cigarette.

Frowning, Zhou Ye asked, “Boss, why do I feel like you’ve been distracted ever since we left Zhou County?”

Lu Huaishen turned around and tossed the extinguished cigarette into the trash. “You’re not wrong.”

“…” Zhou Ye hesitated before asking, “Is it because of Comrade Song?”

Lu Huaishen’s voice was cold. “Who else? You?”

Zhou Ye: “…”

“Boss, didn’t you already arrange everything for her?”

Lu Huaishen replied, “Things are settled here, but not in Rong City. What if something happens to her when she returns?”

Zhou Ye nodded. “True. It’s about time for the educated youth to be sent to the countryside, right? Based on Comrade Song’s age, she should qualify for it.”

Educated youth being sent down?

Lu Huaishen froze for a moment, then suddenly smirked. His lips curled into a faint, unreadable smile.

“Boss, I have some connections in Rong City. How about I find a place with a phone tomorrow morning and call them to check things out?”

“Mm.”

---

When Song Yue woke up, the sky had already turned dark.

Everything around her was quiet.

There was no noise outside either, which meant that family of three hadn’t come back yet.

Good.

If they had, she wouldn’t have been able to sleep so soundly.

Her stomach growled right on cue. Song Yue sighed. “Guess I’ll have to rely on myself again.”

She groped around the bedside table and found a cord. With a gentle pull—

Click.

A dim yellow light flickered on, illuminating the room.

Song Yue got up, put on her shoes, and opened the door.

Using the light spilling from her room, she carefully avoided the overturned tables and chairs on the floor and slipped into the kitchen.

She had just reached for the kitchen’s light cord when voices came from outside.

“If I don’t beat her up, she’ll forget who the hell I am!”

Song Yue raised an eyebrow and paused. She didn’t turn on the light.

Bang!

The half-closed front door was kicked open, slamming against the wall with a loud crash.

Hidden in the kitchen’s darkness, Song Yue silently watched as her scumbag father stormed into the living room, raging toward her room.

“Song Yue, you ungrateful little—”

“Ah, f*ck—!”

Song Jianhua tripped over something and went sprawling onto the floor like a dog eating dirt.

Click.

The living room light turned on.

As brightness spilled into the kitchen, Song Yue instinctively pressed herself against the back wall, fully concealing herself in the shadows.

With the lights on, Li Huijuan rushed over to help Song Jianhua up. “Jianhua!”

Song Jianhua got up, took one look at the messy living room, and his fury exploded. He charged straight into Song Yue’s room.

“Song Yue, you rebellious brat, are you trying to turn the world upside dow—”

He barged in—

Only to find the room lit, but empty. His cursing stopped abruptly.

“Where is she? Where the hell did she go?”

“Where did that damn girl run off to? Get out here!”

“Don’t even think about hiding! Get out here now!”

Song Jianhua yelled and cursed as he ransacked the room.

Li Huijuan was about to say something when—

A soft chuckle came from the kitchen.

Li Huijuan stiffened all over.

Song Jianhua, in the middle of throwing things around, froze and turned toward the kitchen.

Click.

The kitchen light flicked on.

Song Yue stepped out, a kitchen knife in her hand. “No need to look. I’m right here.”

She turned to Li Huijuan. “Auntie, where’s the meat?”

Li Huijuan shuddered at Song Yue’s smiling face. Trembling, she raised her left hand. “I-It’s… right here…”

Seeing the meat, Song Yue smiled in satisfaction. “I’m hungry. Let’s cook.”

Song Jianhua snapped, “A worthless girl like you dares to eat meat? You still—”

Halfway through his sentence—

Song Yue flicked her wrist, and the kitchen knife shot out like a flying dagger, heading straight for him.

Li Huijuan screamed in terror, “Ah!”

Song Tiezi was dumbstruck.

Song Jianhua dodged in a panic.

The knife slammed into the wall and clattered to the ground.

Cold sweat dripped down Song Jianhua’s forehead. If he hadn’t dodged just now, the knife would have hit him.

“You…” Song Jianhua lifted his head, glaring at Song Yue. “Are you insane?!”

Song Yue smiled at him.

Song Jianhua snapped out of his shock and pointed a trembling finger at her. “You—”

Song Yue turned to Song Tiezi, who was standing by the door. “Family matters shouldn’t be aired outside. Song Tiezi, why don’t you close the door?”

Song Tiezi immediately thought of the beating he had taken that afternoon.

She had shut the door back then too.

And now she wanted him to close it again…

A shiver ran down his spine. He didn’t dare think further.

Song Jianhua turned and saw that the door was still open. If they kept making a scene, the neighbors would definitely hear.

He barked, “Song Tiezi, close the door! Lock it!”

Song Tiezi hesitated. “Dad…”

“Close it!” Song Jianhua roared.

Song Tiezi didn’t dare protest. He silently shut the door and slid the bolt into place.

As soon as the door was locked, Song Jianhua rolled up his sleeves and strode toward Song Yue. “Let’s see if you really dare—”

Song Yue took two steps back, then suddenly lunged forward, dodging his swinging fist and slipping behind him.

She kicked him hard.

“Ah!”

With a scream, Song Jianhua went sprawling on the floor again.

Before he could get up, Song Yue picked up the fallen knife, stepped forward, and pressed the blade against his throat.

Song Jianhua turned his head, his face going pale at the sight of the knife. He nearly pissed himself.

Song Tiezi panicked. “Dad!”

Li Huijuan was frantic, wanting to rush over. “Jianhua!”

Without looking back, Song Yue spoke calmly, “Auntie, I’ll say it one more time—I’m hungry. I want meat.”

She glanced at Song Tiezi. “If you don’t want your little thing permanently ruined, stay put.”

Li Huijuan: “…”

Song Tiezi: “…”

Neither dared to move.

Song Jianhua was shaking with rage. “You ungrateful brat, you—”

Song Yue tilted her head and smiled. “Aren’t you curious how I made it back from outside the province?”

At her words—

Li Huijuan and Song Tiezi stiffened, not even daring to breathe.

The anger in Song Jianhua’s eyes was slowly replaced by panic.

Song Yue smirked. “I’ll give you one chance—pay me six hundred. That hundred you sold me for, plus five hundred extra.”

“Otherwise, I’ll report that a certain deputy workshop director colluded with swindlers and sold his own daughter.”

Song Jianhua’s face turned deathly pale. Cold sweat drenched his back. He tried to put on a brave front. “No one will believe you.”

Song Yue replied, “The police will.”

The word police sent shivers down their spines.

They looked like ghosts had sucked the life out of them.

Song Yue’s smile deepened. “Oh, did I forget to mention? The police were the ones who brought me back.”

“In two days, an official notice should arrive at your factory and your residential compound.”

“If you don’t want to lose your jobs—leave the money on the table at dinner.”

“Otherwise…”

She paused and tightened her grip on the knife.