Vol2 Chapter 9: Hidden Dangers
When An Baili arrived at the Low-Rent District, she saw her father sprawled on the ground like a corpse. Was he dead? She wondered, a flicker of malice crossing her mind. If only he were truly gone. To her disappointment, An Gulai, sensing her presence, turned his head, tear stains still visible on his face. “Who the hell told you to come here?”
She didn’t answer. She didn’t dare to.
The streetlights flickered on, casting a harsh light on An Gulai, the world seeming to shrink into a prison cell.
“Get lost before I lose my temper.”
“They said you were beaten almost to death.”
“Not dead yet.”
“Let me take you home.”
“I don’t need your help.”
An Baili stood there, unsure of what to do. Hearing no further response, An Gulai assumed she had left and began to sob quietly like a child. She heard him murmur, “Jinliu, I almost got to join you today.” Hearing those words, the emotions she had suppressed all day erupted. She threw the unopened box of band-aids she was holding at him.
“Why is it always like this?!”
“Why am I never the most important person in your eyes?!”
“You, Li, everyone… Am I just a worthless piece of trash? No matter what I do, nothing changes!”
She didn’t know if she was crying. She only felt numb, a sensation she hadn’t experienced since… a long time ago, the day Lu Li and Wen Hupo got married. She had received the invitation, her heart so heavy with grief that it had gone numb. The deepest sorrows didn’t strike like thunder; they crept in slowly, insidiously, in the quiet hours of the night.
She had tried so hard. She had done everything she could to change herself, to pursue her own happiness. But her father was forever lost in his memories of her mother, and she had never truly reached Lu Li’s heart. Every move she made was an imitation of Wen Hupo. She had merely replicated what Wen Hupo had done, changing her fate, becoming the bride instead. But why had Lu Li still left her in the end? Was it because, at her core, she wasn’t Wen Hupo?
An Gulai, struck in the face by the box, was about to explode, but seeing his daughter’s tear-streaked face, he was reminded of his beloved wife. He wiped the dirt and blood from his face and reached out to take An Baili’s hand. A sudden urge surged through him, the desire to act like a father, to say, “Let’s go home.”
But as his hand reached out, An Baili flinched, mistaking it for a threat. She stumbled back, and his hand froze in mid-air. He let out a self-deprecating chuckle.
In the distance, Zhou Haiming, Chen Shiwei, and Ruan Qian watched the father and daughter.
“That’s his daughter?” Zhou Haiming narrowed his eyes.
Chen Shiwei said, “The daughter pays for the father’s sins. He’s crazy, so let her pay the price.”
Ruan Qian instinctively felt uneasy, but she didn’t dare to object. She only suggested, “Should we tell Brother Lu? He’s smart. Let him decide.”
“Brother Lu is too kind. He wouldn’t have the heart to do it.” Zhou Haiming shook his head. “We’ll take care of this ourselves. We’re already worthless anyway. We have to make that old bastard regret what he did!”
The next day.
An Baili had dressed up again, looking fresh and lovely. It was as if Lu Li’s harsh words the day before had no effect on her. Seeing him, she still ran up to him with a smile, greeting him cheerfully. Even when he ignored her, her face remained bright as she chattered about trivial matters, like a colorful butterfly fluttering around him.
Love was like quicksand. The more you struggled, the deeper you sank.
She was talking about how she liked to add extra sugar to her cooking when she saw Chu Jingyi hurrying towards them. The way Silly Goose ran was so girlish, it was obvious that she didn’t exercise regularly. As always, the class monitor greeted them cheerfully. For her, meeting her best friends was the perfect way to start the day.
She pulled out a lunchbox from her bag. “My mom made some snacks. Let’s share.” This ordinary sentence from Silly Goose suddenly silenced An Baili. She took the egg tart Chu Jingyi offered and took a bite. The aroma of eggs filled her mouth, along with a hint of sweet and sour grapes.
Beside the lunchbox was a folder. Silly Goose took it out and handed it to Lu Li. “My dad said to give this to you personally.”
Lu Li was taken aback. He had only reported the incident with An Gulai to Secretary Long yesterday. Had he already received a response from Chu Xiaodong? Since when was the government so efficient? Or was Chu Xiaodong giving him special treatment?
He opened the folder. It contained An Gulai’s personal information, along with an official response from Chu Xiaodong. After a quick glance, he closed the folder. Chu Xiaodong suggested he take the information to the tax bureau and file a complaint, using the grounds of An Gulai’s failure to pay taxes on behalf of his ward to request enforcement action. He also specifically warned Lu Li against taking matters into his own hands. An Gulai had a special status. He was a fourth-level aristocrat, a descendant of a martyr, his ancestors having made significant contributions during the war. Just because his family had fallen from grace didn’t mean he wasn’t still a noble.
Shenzhou’s transition to a constitutional monarchy hadn’t been complete. The systems of royalty and nobility remained in place, and An Gulai was a beneficiary of that system.
The document also mentioned that An Gulai had a daughter who was currently studying at Chuanhai No. 1 High School.
“What are you looking at?” An Baili approached, craning her neck to peek at the document. “Jingyi, what did you give Lu Li? It’s so thick. Study materials?”
“I don’t know. My dad told me not to look. He said it’s only for Lu Li.”
“Is your dad that close to Lu Li?”
Chu Jingyi beamed. “Yes, my dad likes Lu Li a lot!”
An Baili pouted, feeling a surge of annoyance. She felt like Chu Jingyi was becoming increasingly stupid, not intellectually, but in other ways. Pets would expose their bellies to their owners as a sign of submission and obedience, hoping to earn their affection. They said love made women stupid. Perhaps it was similar to a pet exposing its belly.
Since Lu Li’s return from Lingyue City, his relationship with Chu Jingyi had become noticeably closer. He would always look out for her, and she would constantly seek his opinion. They were polite and considerate towards each other, a picture of harmony.
An Baili felt a wave of helplessness, especially when it came to Chu Jingyi.
When she thought of Wen Hupo or Zou Yameng, she only felt hostility and a sense of competition. But Chu Jingyi evoked feelings of inferiority and powerlessness. To her, the class monitor was simply too perfect. A perfect family, a perfect life, perfect looks, a perfect personality. She had always lived a sheltered, perfect life. She and Lu Li were from different worlds.
An Baili stared at the folder in Lu Li’s hand, her eyes darting back and forth, plotting something.
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