Chapter 60: Halt!

Upon witnessing this, Ling Qiu finally couldn’t hold back any longer.

But—

Before he could say a word—

“Little girl, don’t listen to him!”

A voice suddenly rang out! A woman in her thirties stepped forward, walked straight over, and snatched the drink from the girl’s hand.

“What are you doing?!”

The middle-aged man was momentarily stunned.

The woman gave a cold snort. “What am I doing? You’re asking me? Why don’t you tell me what’s in this bottle?!”

She was somewhat unattractive but put on an air of righteousness as she grabbed hold of the man.

He bared his teeth. “Let go! You shrew! Don’t you dare cast suspicion on an honest person!”

“Suspicion on an honest person?!”

She retorted, “Then drink it yourself!”

At these words, the man’s expression soured as if he’d swallowed a fly, and he froze.

Seeing someone speak up, many others around stood as well.

“That’s right! Drink it yourself!”

“I knew there was something off about you!”

“Are you a child trafficker?!”

A crowd began to berate the man.

The little mustached man panicked and quickly said, “Everyone, this is a misunderstanding! I… I’m definitely not a trafficker. And this little girl looks about twelve or thirteen! I… I couldn’t even abduct her if I tried!!”

“Then stay away from her!!” the woman said sternly.

The mustached man could only shrink back, silent, and walk away.

Whether he was a trafficker or not, his actions were clearly suspicious!

“Auntie… what happened?” The little girl looked bewildered and innocent.

“Child, you’re too young and naïve. That man is clearly no good. Who knows what he put in that drink he tried to give you!” The woman sat beside the girl. “Sweetheart, where’s your home? Why are you traveling alone?”

“My home is in the provincial capital… I… I snuck out a few days ago…”

After some questioning, they learned the girl had run away from home.

“Sweetheart, you’re far too young for this! Tell me your address, and when I get off, I’ll take you home. My family’s from the provincial capital too!”

Apparently frightened by what had just happened, the girl nodded repeatedly. “Thank you, Auntie…”

“No need to thank me, child. My daughter is about your age. Don’t worry, I promise to get you home safe!”

Thus, the drama in the carriage came to an end.

Ling Qiu maintained his usual lazy demeanor, gazing out the window as if none of it concerned him.

And so, the bus finally pulled into the provincial station.

Passengers queued to disembark.

The woman, chatting and smiling, accompanied the little girl off the bus, while Ling Qiu silently slung his bag over his shoulder and followed behind.

Exiting the station, the woman quickly led the girl into the crowd, weaving through alleys until they came to a small, secluded lane.

“Auntie? Where are we going?” the girl asked in surprise.

With no one else around, the woman finally revealed her true colors, a sly, sinister grin spreading across her face. “Taking you… home, of course.”

As she spoke, she quickly dialed a number. Before long, a van stopped at the entrance to the alley, and three or four burly men stepped out, burlap sacks in hand, charging toward the girl!

“Auntie?!” the girl cried in panic, terrified.

“Let her go.”

Suddenly, a voice came from the shadows.

The woman and the men turned in shock, staring at Ling Qiu as if they’d seen a ghost.

“Huh?! You… you’re that passenger from the bus?!”

The woman, with a sharp memory, recognized Ling Qiu at once.

He waved lazily. “I’ll say it once more: let the girl go. I don’t want to use force.”

The men sneered. “This guy… he must be dreaming! Brothers, get him!”

With that, they rushed him all at once.

Ling Qiu shook his head in pity, and in just a few swift moves, he laid every one of them out flat!

Seeing things go awry, the woman tried to flee.

Ling Qiu picked up a stone from the ground.

Thud!

With a dull smack, the stone struck the back of her neck, and she collapsed unconscious.

Ling Qiu grabbed one of the men by the collar.

“Ah! Sir… please… no more!” the man begged, realizing that with such skills, Ling Qiu could have ended them even faster if he wanted. Better to beg for mercy than suffer worse.

Ling Qiu said, “If I’m not mistaken, you were on that bus too, weren’t you?”

He glanced to the side.

There, writhing on the ground in pain, was the mustached man who had pretended to abduct the girl earlier.

“Yes… yes…” the man confessed honestly.

“What a performance—villain and hero, both played by your lot. Now, tell me: why were you after this girl?”

It had to be admitted, their scheme was clever.

If the woman had approached the girl directly, it would have aroused suspicion. But by introducing a villain first, and then having the woman play the savior, they dispelled everyone’s doubts.

Ling Qiu had noticed them because he’d caught a fleeting glance exchanged between the woman and the mustached man—something only a trained eye would catch. For ordinary people, their ruse might have worked, but to Ling Qiu, it was laughably crude.

“Sir! We… we were just paid to do a job…” the man confessed, trembling. “This girl… she’s the precious daughter of the Yuan family—Old Man Yuan’s darling, the apple of his eye. Someone paid us to bring her back! That’s all we know, I swear!”

The Yuan family?

Old Man Yuan?

Ling Qiu narrowed his eyes slightly.

Hmm?…

Why did that name sound so familiar? As though he’d heard it somewhere before.

Ling Qiu turned to the girl. “Do you know how to get home?”

The girl, perhaps still in shock, stared at him blankly. There wasn’t much fear in her eyes—rather, a look of astonishment and something else, something he couldn’t quite place.

“Wow! Big brother!!” she suddenly burst into tears, throwing her arms around Ling Qiu, trembling.

“What’s your name?”

“I… I’m Yuan Dudu!”

Yuan Dudu? What a funny name.

Ling Qiu patted her head. “Don’t cry. Tell me where you live, and I’ll take you home.”

“Mm! Thank you for saving me, big brother!!” she sobbed, looking pitiful yet grateful.

…

And so, Ling Qiu gladly did a good deed. He hailed a cab and took the girl to an old mansion.

The house was clearly from another era, like a villa from the 1970s or 80s—yet unmistakably the residence of a wealthy family. The architecture conveyed a sense of solemnity and grandeur.

“This is it!” Yuan Dudu hopped out of the car.

Ling Qiu nodded. “Don’t run off again once you’re home. Driver, let’s go.”

“Hey, big brother, don’t go!” Yuan Dudu grabbed his arm. “You must come inside with me!”

“…No need.” Ling Qiu had only intended to do a good deed, a chance encounter, nothing more. There was no reason for him to go in.

But—

Yuan Dudu’s grip was unexpectedly strong.

Ling Qiu was a little surprised, then narrowed his eyes and smiled. “Alright.”

So, he got out and accompanied Yuan Dudu toward the villa.

As soon as they stepped inside—

Yuan Dudu let go of his hand and shouted at the top of her lungs, “Big brother! Second brother! Third brother! Fourth brother! Fifth brother!… Ninth brother!—Some bad people tried to bully me!!!”