Lin Xinyan lifted her head and the little girl came into sight. She wore a red cotton jacket and her face was pink with cold.
“Aunt, what are you doing sitting here?”
Lin Xinyan looked at the little girl and then at the surroundings. There were no adults in sight. Her gaze returned to the little girl. “I don’t feel happy, so I am here. Why are you here and where are your folks?”
“My mother is there.” She pointed to the skewers stall not far away.
Lin Xinyan looked in the direction she was pointing. There was a barbecue stall by the roadside. A woman was there, wearing seasoned-looking cotton-padded clothes and an apron, helping guests with kebabs.
“I’m here to help my mother.” The little girl looked well-behaved. Lin Xinyan stroked her hair, saying, “You are a good girl.”
Perhaps, being a mother herself, she let her guard down around the little girl.
“Do you want to eat skewered meat? I’ll ask my mother to sell you at a lower price.”
Lin Xinyan didn’t like this type of food. Nonetheless, she took out some cash and gave it to the little girl, “I don’t want to eat but I’m giving you some money to buy food you like.”
The little girl blinked, seeing so much money. She did not dare to accept it. “Aunt, why are you giving me money?”
She looked at the little girl and through her, she saw herself in the past. When she was in country A with Zhuang Zijin, life was hard. Just like her, she stayed up late at night, braving the cold wind just to make some money to buy food.
So the little girl aroused her compassion.
“When I see you, I remember how it was when I was a little girl like you with my mother.”
The little girl blinked and asked, “Aunt, you sold kebabs too when you were little?”
Lin Xinyan shook her head, “No, but I was working for someone, helping to skewer and barbecue meat.”
The little girl smiled, showing a row of small white teeth. She took the money from Lin Xinyan and said, “I’ll get the kebabs for you.”
The little girl ran towards the barbecue stall. As Lin Xinyan watched her departing figure, her gaze turned gentle.
She thought, after going through hard times, things would get better.
“I’ll go and get sis-in-law back in here,” Su Zhan could not bear it any longer. In this cold wintry night, sitting out there for hours, she could fall sick.
Zong Jinghao did not reply.
“Doesn’t your heart ache?” Su Zhan glared at him as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
Doesn’t he love Lin Xinyan very deeply? How could he be so hard-hearted now?
“Tell me, why did that little girl just show up?”
Never once did Zong Jinghao’s gaze leave the scene.
Su Zhan barely gave it a thought. He said, “It’s just a child. She’s curious seeing sis-in-law sitting there all alone for so long so she ran over to chat with her.”
Zong Jinghao turned around and gave Su Zhan a look, “The child knows her well.”
“What connection is there…” Speaking mid-sentence, he understood what Zong Jinghao meant. This little girl might have something to do with He Ruize.
“Sis-in-law is very kind.” Su Zhan said because he saw Lin Xinyan giving the little girl some money.
Zong Jinghao kept silent. He looked thoughtful. When Lin Xinyan gave the money to the little girl, she looked as if she was remembering something.
He thought, for sure this little girl must have jolted her memory somehow.
After half an hour, the little girl came running back to Lin Xinyan with some skewers in her hands, “Aunt, this is for you.”
Lin Xinyan looked at the steaming meat. She had been sitting in the cold for some hours. Indeed, she wanted to take a bite. So she took them, picked a skewer and ate. It had the fragrance of charcoal, not the oily smell of deep-fried food.
“Thank you,” Lin Xinyan said, smiling, “It’s yummy.”
The little girl held her arm, “You gave me so much money; my mother wants to thank you. She cannot leave the stall. Would you come with me?”
“You tell your mother, don’t worry about it…”
“Then I’ll give the money back to you.” Speaking, the little girl took out from her pocket the money Lin Xinyan had given to her.
Lin Xinyan caught her hand, “I have given it to you. I will not take it back. Your mother can use this money to buy you a new cotton coat. It will be very warm so when you come out with her to the stall next time, you won’t feel cold.”
“No, I cannot simply accept your money. If I accept it, you need to accept my mother’s word of thanks.”
The little girl was persistent. Lin Xinyan could not decline so she agreed. At this time of the night, presumably, He Ruize would not show up.
At this late hour, there were still customers. The little girl’s mother was still busy. Seeing the little girl bringing Lin Xinyan, her mother rubbed her hands on her apron and said, “You gave my daughter a lot of money.”
Lin Xinyan waved the skewers in her hand and replied, “Money for the barbecued meat.”
“But the few skewers of meat do not cost so much. You are so kind. No wonder that man likes you so much. He insisted that my daughter bring you here.” The woman wore her hair in a pony tail. She looked like a decent person.
Lin Xinyan was puzzled and so she asked, “What man?”
“It’s me.” One of the men sitting at the stall and eating some barbecued meat stood up and turned around. Lin Xinyan saw his face clearly.
He Ruize?
Instantly, she retreated guardedly.
“Aunt, this uncle says he likes you very much. I like you too.” The little girl spoke innocently.
Lin Xinyan bent down and looked at the little girl’s pure innocent face. She clenched her fists. He was making use of even a little child.
“What has become of you?” Lin Xinyan rebuked him.
“This was all your fault.” He Ruize thought he was smart, “You quarreled with Zong Jinghao? I have already told you. Someone who hurt you can never love you wholeheartedly. I am the only one who loves you with all my heart and soul.”
He patted his chest and grinned as he spoke looking rather ferocious.
Everything became clearer to Lin Xinyan. He Ruize was worried that this could be a setup so he used the little girl to remind her of her past based on his knowledge of her history. He knew that she would certainly lower her guard and follow the little girl to the barbecue stall.
“Look, don’t I understand you well? It took me just a little effort to get you here.” He Ruize gloated, proud of how well he knew her. He was very pleased with himself. “I am the only one who understands you and truly loves you…”
“Is that so?”
Suddenly, there was a rush of activity in the darkness. Zong Jinghao walked over in a black suit and overcoat together with a group of bodyguards. A bright flickering light lit his face.
His presence was like a huge net that caught the attention of everyone’s attention. However, his gaze was only focused on Lin Xinyan to whom he rushed and hugged in his arms.
He glanced at He Ruize’s stunned face and he sneered, “You have finally shown up?”
He Ruize looked around and discovered that he had been surrounded. His countenance turned dark and gloomy. “You guys set me up?”
Only then did He Ruize realize he had fallen into a trap.
Su Zhan dug his hands into his pockets and said, “If troubles come upon us, we have to counter it. But, if you create trouble for yourself, you deserve the consequences then. He Ruize, there is no escape for you today.”
Suddenly, He Ruize laughed maniacally.
