New Year's party.

You can't see any unwillingness on Xu Qinghuan's face at all.

All the way, she clung tightly to my arm,

as if we were really close relatives.

In fact, she was just afraid that I would run away.

Just as I was thinking about how to shake her off, my thoughts were suddenly disrupted by the floating red cloth around us.

It seems like a very long time ago,

I used to attend a similar New Year's party with Xu Qinghuan.

At that time, we were still so close.

...

At this moment, a seven or eight-year-old girl suddenly hugged Xu Qinghuan's leg and wailed:

"Mom, I want my mom--"

Xu Qinghuan bent down and picked up the girl:

"Auntie will take you to find your mom."

She whispered to Zhang Peng to make sure to keep an eye on me, gave me a meaningful look, and hurriedly left with the girl in her arms.

What I hoped for it ended up being so effortlessly obtained!

I suppressed the excitement in my heart and asked Zhang Peng in a low voice, "Did you arrange that?"

Zhang Peng shook his head and said softly, "No."

Thinking of Xu Qinghuan's tender smile at the girl, I couldn't help but spit out, "Trafficker, what are you pretending for now? Don't sell the child to another fool."

Zhang Peng courteously smiled at the words.

But the smile didn't reach his eyes.

His cold look reminded me of his previous conversation with Xu Qinghuan.

I finally found an opportunity to ask the question that had been on my mind for so long: "Zhang Peng, have I done something... wicked?"

Zhang Peng was stunned, "You heard our conversation?"

Soon, he regained his composure, "That was something we made up to trick her."

I was puzzled and asked further, "Before I was brought here, did I also attend the New Year's party with Xu Qinghuan? But why don't I have any memory of it..."

"An An," Zhang Peng comforted, "those things have caused you too much harm, selective avoidance is a self-protective mechanism."

As he spoke, he naturally reached out his right hand and touched my head:

"Now let's focus on running away together, okay?"

I looked blankly at his outstretched right hand, and the temple behind him.

A temple rarely seen elsewhere.

Some fragments suddenly became clear.

The same place, Zhang Peng reached out his hand just like he did now,

the only difference was,

the me in the scene was dressed beautifully, not the haggard look I currently had.

...

Zhang Peng suddenly pushed me on the head and said urgently, "An An, run! Get on the white van ahead! I'll hold Xu Qinghuan off!"

Only then did I notice, Xu Qinghuan was hurrying towards us.

My body trembled slightly, and a huge force suddenly surged out.

The chance to escape was right in front of me!

I looked longingly at Zhang Peng, "You need to be careful too."

And I ran towards the road at incredible speed.

It seemed like Xu Qinghuan was screaming behind me.

I didn't turn back, just ran for my life.

Soon, I realized I was having difficulties breathing, my throat was filled with a sweet and bloody taste, and it felt like my lungs were about to explode.

There was still a hundred meters to the road intersection, I tripped and fell.

My hands and knees were in excruciating pain.

I didn't bother checking for injuries, I struggled to get up, but couldn't.

Xu Qinghuan would soon catch up!

I roared, ignoring the pain, and continued to crawl forward.

At that moment, the white van stopped in front of me.

"Zhang Peng sent me to pick you up, right? Get in the car!"

The driver had come to pick me up!

I got into the car, locked the door, and urged him to leave quickly.

I desperately repressed the urge to cry, and felt immense joy in my heart.

It was only then I realized the pain coursing through my body.

I lowered my head to examine my hands.

The large grazes were oozing blood, and my palms were all red.

An image inexplicably entered my mind.

I was hugging Xu Qinghuan, her blood flowing down from her head, staining my hands.

Just like...

My hands, now bright red.

I shook my head lightly to banish the thought.

Xu Qinghuan, the Xu family, everything was a thing of the past.

I looked at the scenery outside the window with a pleasant feeling, the long-lost sight of freedom.

But suddenly, I was stunned.

The car was slowly passing through an intersection,

and there,

was another white van parked.

If that car was the one Zhang Peng had arranged to pick me up, then what I was currently in was...

Shocked and afraid, I tentatively asked, "Master, where did Zhang Peng ask you to take me?"

The driver didn't respond, he was busy on the phone:

"She's on the car, don't worry."

From the other end of the phone, a woman's laughter could faintly be heard.

My heart sank.

I gripped the car door tightly and observed discreetly.

The scenery outside the window became more and more familiar,

this was the road back to the village.