Chapter 25: The Ice Queen’s Fierce Love p1
Bailu Lane, despite its name, was a sprawling district, a glittering world of extravagance and excess.
Tao Ning’s timing was unfortunate. Rush hour traffic had transformed the streets into a gridlocked mess of glowing lights, resembling rows of neatly arranged, illuminated chocolates from above.
These glowing chocolates, however, moved at a glacial pace, slower than a snail’s crawl. As Uncle Liu braked yet again, even his usually unflappable demeanor cracked, a sigh escaping his lips.
The Second Provincial Hospital was a considerable distance from the Tao residence. Tao Ning’s calls and messages went unanswered, met only with the automated “The number you have dialed is switched off” message.
She switched off her phone, tossing it aside, her brow furrowed in worry.
The discarded phone suddenly lit up, and Tao Ning immediately reached for it, only to find it was a notification from a gaming group chat. She clicked her tongue in annoyance.
“She probably forgot to charge it again,” she muttered. This was typical Xu Qiuyi: a tech-illiterate Luddite in a digital age, often unreachable online.
The line of cars inched forward. Uncle Liu said, “Miss Tao, there’s an accident ahead. I’m going to take a detour. It should be faster.”
Tao Ning nodded absently. “Fine.”
“Yes, Miss,” Uncle Liu replied, turning onto a side street at the next intersection, merging smoothly into the flow of traffic.
Tao Ning, seemingly engrossed in her phone, addressed 520. [Zero Zero, do you think she’s at the hospital?]
520 instantly responded. [Probably.]
Tao Ning sighed internally, then, remembering something, said, “During training, I heard that systems can track the protagonist’s location. Where do you think she is? If we go to the wrong place and miss something important, we’ll lose our mission rewards.”
[I can’t do that. That’s a feature reserved for the top-tier systems. I’m just a three-digit code monkey,] 520 admitted reluctantly. [Who told you that, anyway?]
“Uh…” Tao Ning rubbed her cheek, unable to admit that no one had told her, that it was simply a… hunch, a remnant of the original host’s memories blending with her own.
520, recognizing the hesitation, asked, [Your friend again?]
Tao Ning replied, “Yes, my friend.” Sorry, friend, but you’re taking the blame for this one.
520 glanced at the romance progress bar between the male and female leads. It remained stubbornly at zero percent, showing no signs of movement.
Compared to its previous hosts, who had obsessed over the fluctuating progress bars, this was… unsettling. Being a matchmaker was challenging, but breaking up a couple was even harder, especially when fate seemed determined to throw them together.
The male lead had practically been throwing himself at Xu Qiuyi, yet the progress bar remained flatlined.
520 suddenly realized how effectively this novice had been manipulating it, a seasoned system with multiple successful pairings under its belt, repeatedly fooled by a newcomer.
Tao Ning’s attention was drawn to the faint sound of music coming from outside the car. Looking up, she thought she had entered another dimension.
“Uncle Liu, where are we?” she asked.
Uncle Liu, eager to leave the area, his gloved hands gripping the steering wheel, replied, “Bailu Lane. It’s… not a very pleasant place. Madam Tao doesn’t approve of it.”
So this is the infamous Bailu Lane, Tao Ning thought, her curiosity piqued.
She looked out the window for a while, then lost interest.
It was a place of entertainment and excess, the air thick with the scent of money, but too loud, too chaotic, not suited to those who preferred a more… refined form of pleasure. People with “taste” avoided this area.
The traffic was indeed heavy, many cars taking the same detour. Even though it wasn’t quite evening yet, Bailu Lane was already bustling.
Tao Ning, finding the car too dark and her phone screen straining her eyes, looked out the window to rest her vision. Then, she saw a familiar figure disappear into a side alley, several other figures lurking nearby.
“Turn around, Uncle Liu. Go back. Quickly,” she said, lowering the window, the sounds of music and chatter flooding the car.
“Yes, Miss,” Uncle Liu replied.
Several people, seeing a girl’s face peering out of the luxury car, looked disappointed. Clearly, she was just passing through, not a potential customer.
The car, trapped in traffic, inched forward. Tao Ning, despite her growing anxiety, couldn’t rush Uncle Liu.
520: [What’s wrong?]
Tao Ning replied, “I saw Xu Qiuyi. She went into a side alley. There were… other people there.”
520 was skeptical. [Are you sure?] She had only glimpsed them for a second.
Tao Ning said, “I have 20/10 vision. And my dynamic visual acuity is rated S-class. I never make mistakes.”
Considering her barely-passing grades, 520 had briefly wondered if Tao Ning was perhaps an athlete.
Tao Ning quickly dialed a number on her phone. After two rings, a cool, professional voice answered. “Miss Tao?”
In the dimly lit alley, Xu Qiuyi, cornered, was surrounded by several men. Xu Zhihong, having failed to escape, was being held like a chicken.
Ten minutes earlier, as they walked past the Crown Club, Xu Zhihong had pointed to a side alley, claiming it was a shortcut to the hospital.
As they passed under a streetlight, his face had been illuminated, and one of the loan sharks’ enforcers had recognized him, calling out his name. Xu Zhihong, panicked, had tried to run.
The enforcer, a beer bottle in hand, had yelled, and several men had emerged from the club’s back entrance, grabbing Xu Zhihong and demanding payment or… something else.
Xu Qiuyi had turned back.
A tall, heavily tattooed man stood in the middle of the alley, a cigarette dangling from his lips, a smirk on his face.
He exhaled a cloud of smoke, then dropped the cigarette butt and ground it into the pavement with his boot.
The man, who called himself Tiger, didn’t bother with intimidation tactics. His movements were slow, deliberate, his voice almost casual. “Sorry, little girl, but I’m running a business. Can’t afford to lose money. Your father borrowed… this much. Missed the deadline. Interest accumulating…”
He held up a piece of paper, presumably an IOU, then snatched it back before Xu Qiuyi could see the details.
Xu Qiuyi didn’t bother with the naive “loan sharking is illegal” argument. Her voice was tight. “I can pay you a portion now. I’ll… discuss the rest with my family and get the money to you.”
Tiger’s gaze sharpened, the earlier amusement replaced by something resembling respect.
He had heard similar pleas before, desperate attempts to negotiate, often accompanied by tears. He had grown tired of them. This was the first time he had heard such a calm, resolute statement from a teenage girl.
No wonder the young master had been so insistent on… acquiring her.
“How much can you offer?” he asked.
Xu Qiuyi named a sum, and Tiger’s face fell. “That’s… not even a dent in the principal, little girl.”
His words made Xu Qiuyi’s heart sink. She knew this was a dangerous path, but what choice did she have?
“What do you want?” she asked.
“I feel sorry for you, having a father like that. I’m willing to… help. The Crown Club is known for its… generous compensation. Work off your father’s debt,” he said, one of his men producing a contract.
Xu Qiuyi replied, “I’m a student. A minor.”
Tiger laughed, amused by her naivete. “I know. I wouldn’t put you out front. You’re too… scrawny. The customers would complain. You can help out in the kitchen, or maybe do some cleaning.”
Xu Qiuyi’s expression darkened.
“I’ll pay you back! Please, just let my daughter go! She’s still young!” Xu Zhihong pleaded, his eyes fixed on the contract.
Tiger grabbed his hair, pulling his head back. “The choice is yours, little girl. Your father’s life is in your hands.”
Xu Zhihong, tears streaming down his face, shook his head frantically. “Don’t sign! Don’t sign it! Ugh!” A punch to the gut doubled him over.
The neatly printed contract, along with a pen, was placed before Xu Qiuyi.
A low voice whispered in her ear, “You wouldn’t want to see your father end up as another drunk homeless man in the news, would you?”
The contract was pushed closer. “Sign it.”
Xu Zhihong yelled, “Don’t sign! Just kill me!”
Tiger, his patience finally wearing thin, gestured, and his men surrounded Xu Zhihong, kicking and punching him. Xu Zhihong’s cries of pain were quickly silenced.
Tiger, anticipating Xu Qiuyi’s tears, her fear, watched her closely. To his disappointment, she didn’t cry, didn’t beg them to stop.
Her face, however, was pale, but her posture remained steady, her eyes scanning the contract.
He couldn’t imagine the sense of accomplishment he would feel if he could break her.
She was so young, so untouchable. Once she finished her education, someone like him wouldn’t even be able to get close to her.
“Ugh…” one of his men said. “Tiger, he’s spitting up blood. Should we keep going?”
Tiger looked at Xu Qiuyi. “That depends on his… loving daughter.”
Xu Qiuyi’s trembling hand reached for the pen. The contract was placed in her hand. After a few seconds, she let out a shaky breath, as if steeling herself.
“That’s a good girl…” Tiger smirked.
Xu Qiuyi’s hand froze. She said, “No.”
Tiger’s smile faltered. “What?”
Xu Qiuyi threw the pen down and ran.
Something felt wrong, very wrong. Everything was wrong.
Her instincts screamed at her to escape. Her heart pounded, her ears rang, adrenaline coursing through her veins. In her panic, she remembered passing a luxury boutique. If she could trigger the alarm, the store would call the police.
Tiger, surprised by her sudden burst of speed, yelled, “Catch her! Don’t let her get away!”
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