Chapter 69
In the heart of D City, inside a famous high-end residential complex, Zhou Ran pulled several bottles of liquor from the refrigerator.
“Xiao Mo, new flavor—your beloved chocolate.” Zhou Ran placed the bottles on the table, waiting to watch Xie Xiaomo get eliminated from the game.
“I don’t get you, an Alpha, liking chocolate.”
“I just like it. I like it even more if it’s pure chocolate.”
Zhou Ran looked at Xie Xiaomo, who was desperately trying to hang on while her entire team was wiped out, with disgust. “Stop struggling. Give up the fight and just die already.”
“You die already! Watch my finishing move!”
The finishing move was executed, and the game ended.
Xie Xiaomo was predictably eliminated, leaving no trace behind.
Zhou Ran burst into laughter, putting on her headset. “Let’s play another round.”
“No, no more. I’m tired.” Xie Xiaomo took off her headset. “Let’s watch some TV and rest.”
“Holy cow! You’re tired after only two hours. What’s wrong with you? You’ve been acting strange lately!”
Xie Xiaomo didn’t reply. She picked up the chocolate-flavored liquor, remained silent for a few seconds, then asked, “What would you do if you found out I did something bad?”
“Like what? What’s our relationship? As long as you didn’t mess around with my girlfriend, anything is negotiable.”
Xie Xiaomo drank the liquor in silence, not seeming to have heard her.
“Hold on! You didn’t, did you? I treat you like a friend, and you sleep with my Omega!”
“What are you thinking? Am I that kind of person? Besides,” Xie Xiaomo rolled her eyes at her, “you’re the only one who likes your girlfriend’s type.”
“What type? Explain yourself! You can insult me, but you can’t insult Qianqian.”
Xie Xiaomo: “…”
A headache.
Zhou Ran’s girlfriend was new; they had been dating for less than three days. Everyone could see that Zhou Ran’s girlfriend, Qianqian, was a total gold-digger who was excellent at chasing Alphas, but Zhou Ran fell for it completely, acting pumped up and obsessed.
“Nothing. Your girlfriend is beautiful, has a good figure, is completely obedient to you, and calls you ‘Xiao Zhouzhou.’ We’re just envious.”
Zhou Ran looked satisfied. She turned on the smart TV and started randomly flipping through channels.
“What type do you like? Qianqian has many friends. I’ll ask her to introduce you to someone.”
Xie Xiaomo thought, Thank you, but no!
However, in her mind, she saw the thin, stubborn figure huddled in the corner. She recalled the girl’s beautiful face—furious yet exquisite, like the most beautiful princess—when she leaped forward, and the tears that fell when she was finally desperate.
Xie Xiaomo’s heart twinged. She accidentally muttered, “I wonder how she’s doing.”
“Who? Who is doing what?”
“No, nothing.”
The two clinked their liquor bottles. Zhou Ran went to the fridge and grabbed a ton of snacks, spreading them all over the table.
“Let’s watch this. This marriage reality show is very popular! It has my favorite Bei Yumeng—she’s super cute! And Song Tingxue, the Goddess Song! A goddess is exactly like Goddess Song: truly cold and noble. By the way, you just came back from overseas. Let me introduce you to these big stars…”
Xie Xiaomo saw Song Tingxue and her wife get out of the car, holding hands. On screen, the Alpha wife looked up at Song Tingxue, her pale, proud face reflecting a clear, gentle gaze.
Xie Xiaomo stared at the person’s features, her eyes widening.
A sense of familiarity reminded her again of the imprisoned girl on the island.
Their eyes and brows, in certain expressions, really did look alike.
“What’s wrong? Do you think her wife is super stylish? Does she have that rich heiress vibe? Hahaha, let me tell you, her wife is called Yan Qingqi, and she’s a civilian, a freeloader even. She used to be Song Tingxue’s assistant. Then, who knows what talent she used, but Song Tingxue actually married her!”
Zhou Ran chattered excitedly. “Just recently, the entire internet was buzzing about them! The little assistant brought food to her sugar mommy, and their eyes were practically melting into each other on set. The rumors flew everywhere, and Goddess Song was dragged through the mud! But then! Holy cow! Goddess Song immediately dumped their marriage certificates online! They had already been married for a while!
“They’re a legitimate wife-and-wife couple! They’re legally married. Isn’t it normal for them to eat and have a loving gaze on set?
“As for those rumors, someone was clearly just slandering them. There’s a meme: the ‘throwing herself into your arms’ meme! That’s where it came from. It’s hilarious. Let me show you!”
Zhou Ran messed with her phone, then held it up to Xie Xiaomo. Xie Xiaomo took one look and nearly blacked out, almost spitting out her drink!
The image showed herself, with long, flowing hair and wearing something sexy and revealing, throwing herself into the arms of Zhou Ran in a business suit?!!
“Delete it! That’s repulsive! Delete it now!”
Zhou Ran: “Look, you can add various skins, clothes, hairstyles, and even choose your favorite posture for throwing yourself into someone’s arms. In that video, yours was the ‘step-by-step lotus’ style. There’s also ‘heart-in-hand embrace,’ ‘moon-gazing embrace,’ and the ‘whirling embrace’…”
“Go away! Delete it immediately!”
“Ugh, boring.” Zhou Ran reluctantly deleted it, sighing with emotion. “Why am I not as lucky as Yan Qingqi? I should have become Goddess Song’s assistant too. Then I could have married Goddess Song.”
Xie Xiaomo looked at her friend, who was sitting there like a laughing Buddha. Then she looked back at the tall, elegant Yan Qingqi on the TV.
“Dream on. Even if you were Goddess Song’s assistant, you wouldn’t be able to marry her.”
After finishing the game at Zhou Ran’s place, the two went out for barbecue. Xie Xiaomo returned home around midnight.
This was her uncle’s luxurious, richly decorated mansion in D City, but living there, Xie Xiaomo felt only coldness.
The housekeeper, a woman in her fifties, was similar to the manager shui on the island—stern, rigid, and perpetually humorless. She cooked the same meals every day. Xie Xiaomo had been here for less than a month, eating beef brisket stew, beef brisket and potatoes, beef brisket and carrots, beef brisket and taro, beef brisket and yam, over and over again.
Xie Xiaomo asked the housekeeper to change the menu, but the housekeeper told her emotionlessly that this was the diet plan set by Mr. Xie, and unless Mr. Xie instructed a change, she wouldn’t easily alter Mr. Xie’s preferences.
Xie Xiaomo disliked staying in this chilly, lavish tomb. She often went to see Zhou Ran, where they could order takeout together.
The next morning, Xie Xiaomo ate breakfast—the usual unchanging coarse grain porridge paired with a boiled egg.
She looked around and checked the time. Her uncle hadn’t come down for breakfast.
Is her uncle out of D City again?
“Um, Butler Pan, is my uncle not here?”
“Mr. Xie has gone abroad. He left early yesterday morning. He will be gone for about a week.”
Oh yeah! Xie Xiaomo cheered internally. With her uncle gone, the air in the house felt free. Even the unpalatable coarse grain porridge seemed delicious now.
After breakfast, Xie Xiaomo booked a flight to K City. Her uncle had taken her to the island by flying to K City last time. From K City, they took a boat to Qingyi Island. The island was originally called Arthur Island, but her uncle bought it and renamed it Qingyi Island, planting many flowers and plants there.
Just thinking about going to Qingyi Island made Xie Xiaomo inexplicably excited, coupled with a faint, expectant nervousness.
She paced around her room, packing her luggage. There wasn’t much to pack, as she had a room on the island and had left plenty of clothes there during her last visit.
She didn’t need anything, but what about that girl?
Finally, Xie Xiaomo went to a shopping center and bought several beautiful, lightweight Omega dresses, a hat, and a cute doll for the girl—the most popular cartoon character this year.
Passing a high-end candy store, the saleswoman enthusiastically promoted a product. “Miss, this candy is our new product this year. Customers say it’s delicious. It’s not too sweet and has a lovely fresh scent. Would you like to buy a jar for your girlfriend? She’ll love it.”
Xie Xiaomo looked at the poster, which showed two beautiful girls sweetly kissing in pure white snow. The slogan read: The feeling of kissing in the snow.
On an impulse, Xie Xiaomo nodded and bought the jar of candy.
Xie Xiaomo flew to K City with two large suitcases.
Upon arrival, she contacted the boat owner, Old Sha. She had secretly gotten his contact information when she rode the boat back with her uncle last time.
Old Sha wasn’t as rigid as Butler Pan or the manager shui. Miss Xie was Mr. Xie’s niece, not an outsider, and Miss Xie gave him a substantial extra payment, which was very tempting.
“Why didn’t your uncle come?”
“My uncle is busy with business overseas. He can’t even look after me. I’m bored being alone at home. I just wanted to visit Old Qing on the island.”
“Who’s Old Qing?”
“The monkey. He’s really good at picking coconuts.”
Old Sha was speechless for a moment. He hesitated whether to call Mr. Xie, then asked, “Isn’t the big city fun? Isn’t it lively at night? Are there many beauties?”
Old Sha, in his thirties, was far from handsome. His face, dark and weathered by the wind, was full of yearning.
“You mean the bars? Yes, there are many beauties, all kinds.”
“Really?” Old Sha’s eyes shone.
Xie Xiaomo elaborated wildly. “Of course. Innocent, cold, sexy, with big breasts and perky butts. They all have great figures. And they’re professionals. The customers are treated like kings. Of course, the liquor there isn’t cheap. A single bottle costs over ten thousand, and some cost hundreds of thousands.”
Old Sha’s eyes widened. He smiled awkwardly, envying them so much he was practically drooling, but he felt short of money.
“How about this? You’ve worked for my uncle for so many years. You’re family. My uncle is rigid and boring. Next time you go to D City, find me. I’ll take you out to spend money.” Xie Xiaomo patted her chest. “You can drink whatever you want. I’ll pay.”
Old Sha was so delighted he nearly hugged Xie Xiaomo and called her boss!
Miss Xie was Mr. Xie’s niece, the Xie family’s sole heir, and her future boss.
This Young Boss Xie was much better than the Old Boss Xie!
“Do you want me to call your uncle and tell him?”
“No, no need,” Old Sha put his phone back in his pocket. “Miss Xie, you’re not an outsider. You’re just visiting the island. Mr. Xie is busy with important matters overseas. I shouldn’t bother him with this small matter.”
Xie Xiaomo successfully landed on the island. The manager shui saw her, and a crack appeared in his perpetually expressionless face. “Miss, why are you here?”
“I was bored in D City. I came to see Old Qing.”
Manager Shui’s lips twitched. He turned around to call his boss.
Xie Xiaomo knew it was inevitable. When the manager shui held the phone out to her, Xie Xiaomo bit the bullet and took the call.
“Uncle, how are you doing overseas? Is everything going smoothly?”
On the other end, Xie Jun’s tone was unfriendly. “Who told you to go to the island?”
“I came myself. I was bored at home, so I wanted to look around the island…”
Xie Jun’s anger was practically shouting through the receiver. “You get back here immediately.”
“I came all this way. I’m already here. Uncle, can’t you let me rest for two days?”
Xie Jun ground his teeth. “You get the hell back here right now! Don’t think you can do whatever you want just because you’re my only niece and the Xie Corporation will be yours someday!”
“I know, the Xie Corporation is yours, Uncle. You can give it to whomever you want. If you don’t give it to me, I won’t have any complaints. It never belonged to me anyway. I was able to study abroad and have a good life because of your generosity.”
Xie Xiaomo was telling the truth. Their Xie family only ran a small, ordinary business in their small town. Her uncle, who had ventured out early, later became successful. After her parents both fell ill and died, her uncle sponsored her to study abroad, covered all her expenses, and gave her two million yuan in spending money every month.
After a brief silence, Xie Jun said, “Fine. You can stay on the island for two days this time. Give the phone to the manager shui.”
Xie Xiaomo handed the phone to the manager shui, who spoke respectfully. “…Yes, Mr. Xie, I will take good care of the young lady. I’ll notify the boat immediately to pick her up in three days. Yes, I will personally see her off.”
Despite angering her uncle, Xie Xiaomo successfully stayed. She quickly carried her luggage upstairs herself. The manager shui helped her carry the last bag into the room.
“Miss, what’s in your suitcase?”
“Clothes and snacks. Wouldn’t you get tired of eating seafood every day on the island without snacks?”
The manager shui: “You should have stayed in D City.”
“No. That was boring too. At least here I can enjoy the sea view, the sea breeze, and drink the freshest coconut water. By the way, manager shui, I want to eat coconut chicken tonight.”
The manager shui was expressionless. “There are no chickens on the island. The chicken meat from the last supply run is finished.”
“The island is so big. You could raise dozens of chickens. Then you’d have eggs too.”
“Mr. Xie did not authorize us to raise anything without his instruction.”
Xie Xiaomo rolled her eyes. “Fine, whatever. Coconut shrimp, coconut fish, coconut squid are all fine.”
After dinner, Xie Xiaomo returned to her room. She stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, keeping an eye on the manager shui’s every move.
After a while, the manager shui finally went out, carrying a basket in one hand and a flashlight in the other.
Xie Xiaomo’s heart pounded with excitement and nervousness. She knew where the manager shui was going and who he was going to see.
Soon, she would also go to that place and see that person.
Xie Xiaomo waited patiently. After about twenty minutes, the manager shui returned. His tall figure, lit by the flashlight, seemed slightly hunched in the night breeze.
Xie Xiaomo waited a little longer, making sure it was quiet downstairs. Then, she quietly slipped out, carrying a bag of items from her bed. The bag contained a jar of candy, a cute doll—this year’s most popular cartoon character—and the girl’s new clothes.
Afraid of being discovered by the manager shui, she dared not use her phone’s flashlight. She used the faint starlight to guide her, relying on her memory of the route to navigate in the dark.
At the cliff’s edge, Xie Xiaomo’s heart pounded with a mix of excitement and anxiety. She stopped and looked around, ensuring there was no one else on the island at night. Only then did she confidently jump onto the elevator.
What used to be the Cliffside Hotel was now better described as the Cliffside Cave. In the outer guard room, Chen Ping and Wang Cui were sound asleep, snoring loudly and alternating in volume.
Liu Gaofen sat on the stool in front of the first iron gate, fighting sleep. Despite the sound of the howling sea wind coming through the cracks, she was dozing off.
“Liu Gaofen.” Xie Xiaomo tapped her shoulder.
Liu Gaofen opened her eyes. In a daze, a figure appeared before her, making her shriek loudly. “Ah! Mama! A ghost!”
Her shout woke up Wang Cui. Wang Cui quickly got up and woke Chen Ping. The two rushed out of the guard room and were startled to see a stranger suddenly appearing.
Xie Xiaomo turned around. “It’s me. Not a ghost.”
Wang Cui’s eyes widened. “Miss?! Miss, why are you here?”
Chen Ping scolded Liu Gaofen. “Stop screaming like a banshee. It’s the young lady! You made me think the lunatic inside had escaped! I just fell asleep and you woke me up!”
Liu Gaofen stammered, “It… it was so scary when Miss suddenly appeared.”
Chen Ping: “Miss, when did you arrive?”
“Just today. I got to the island this afternoon. I was bored tonight, so I came to see you all.”
Chen Ping forced a smile. She couldn’t understand why Miss Xie loved coming to this place.
“Miss, it’s the middle of the night. Please go back and get some rest. Why come here? There’s nothing fun here.”
Xie Xiaomo: “I won’t disturb you. You just do what you need to do. I’m going in to see her.”
Liu Gaofen, seeing Miss wanted to see the lunatic again, didn’t dare to stop her or open the door, so she looked at Chen Ping.
Chen Ping knew Miss Xie was a handful. If she didn’t get her way, she would cause chaos.
“Let her go in. Watch her closely from the side. Don’t let that lunatic hurt Miss, and don’t let her run out. Otherwise, we’ll have to chase her down again.”
Xie Xiaomo: “Has she run out before?”
“She ran out once. It was just Wang Cui and me. While we were bringing her food, she suddenly got a burst of strength and violently pushed Wang Cui. Wang Cui fell onto me. Before I could free my hands to grab her, she had already escaped. She even locked us in and escaped. The manager shui brought her back later.”
Xie Xiaomo imagined the thrilling scene. She felt a deep regret that the girl hadn’t escaped, but the thought process immediately shifted to admiration for the girl’s bravery.
“Miss, be careful. She bites.”
Xie Xiaomo smiled slightly. “It’s fine. It’s fine if she bites me. I don’t need a rabies shot.”
Chen Ping: “…”
There isn’t a single normal person on this island.
Chen Ping went back to her bed, leaving Liu Gaofen trembling nervously nearby.
The iron door to the room opened. Xie Xiaomo walked in and looked around. The girl was not sitting on the bed or in the corner. She was sitting on the floor next to the bed, leaning against it.
“Do you remember me? I came to see you.”
Xie Xiaomo placed the bag on the table and took out the small doll. She walked to the girl. “I remember your name is Manman, right? I’m Xie Xiaomo. You can call me Xiao Mo. Look, this is Nina. Do you like her?”
Xie Xiaomo gently waved Nina in front of the girl, her voice unconsciously gentle.
The girl remained motionless. She didn’t even raise her eyelids and didn’t look at Nina at all.
“It’s okay if you don’t want to look now. I’ll put Nina on your bedside. If you’re scared at night, you can hug her to sleep.”
Liu Gaofen wondered why Miss Xie was humbling herself to please a lunatic. The lunatic was beautiful, but there were plenty of beautiful Omega women outside. What kind of person couldn’t Miss Xie find with her status?
“Did you eat? Is it cold sleeping here at night?”
The entire space was air-conditioned year-round—warm in winter and cool in summer—so it wasn’t cold. Xie Xiaomo was merely making conversation.
Liu Gaofen couldn’t help but say, “She didn’t eat again tonight. We just took away the coconut shrimp the manager shui brought. She didn’t touch it.”
Xie Xiaomo sat down next to her.
Liu Gaofen: “Miss, be careful.”
Xie Xiaomo seemed not to hear Liu Gaofen’s warning. She turned to the girl. “Manman, don’t you like coconut shrimp? I don’t like it either. I like chicken. Not the game, but actual chicken. I love fried chicken nuggets, fried chicken cutlets, and chicken tenders. I only eat chicken tender burgers.”
The girl’s dull, vacant eyes showed a faint fluctuation when she heard chicken tender burger. “Chicken tender burger…”
Xie Xiaomo was incredibly happy to hear her speak.
“You like chicken tender burgers too? Too bad there’s no chicken on the island. Never mind. I’ll bring you some next time.”
The girl fell silent again. She buried her head in her knees, her shoulders trembling slightly, and soft sobs began.
Xie Xiaomo felt a pang of pity. “Manman, is there anything I can do to help you?”
The girl looked up, her eyes wide and tear-filled, tears glistening on her pale, beautiful face.
She looked fragile, helpless, and pitiful.
Xie Xiaomo’s heart tightened. “I truly want to help you!”
“Please, let me go. Let me leave. I want to go home. I want to go home…”
Xie Xiaomo returned to the villa. Lying on the soft, comfortable bed, she couldn’t fall asleep all night. All she could see was the girl’s tear-streaked, glistening face.
She wants to go home.
Yes, what imprisoned person doesn’t want to go home?
Giving her a doll, candy, or pretty clothes—none of those things could make her happier than giving her freedom, sending her home, and letting her return to her family.
As dawn approached, Xie Xiaomo suddenly sat up, grabbing her phone to dial 110. She wanted to tell the police that a poor girl was imprisoned on this island.
She had wanted to do this the last time she was on the island.
The island and this girl had become a thorn in her heart. Whenever she thought of them, she couldn’t rest. She had considered calling the police countless times. But if she did, her uncle wouldn’t escape legal punishment. She didn’t want to see her uncle in prison.
Although her uncle was rigid and cold, he had been good to her, sponsoring her education and giving her a comfortable life. He was the only family she had left in the world. She couldn’t watch her uncle go to prison.
But she was also absolutely unwilling to see this poor girl remain trapped here, day after day, year after year. Although she didn’t know why her uncle was holding her captive, restricting a person’s freedom was absolutely wrong.
As the first ray of light shone through the window, warmth flickered across her face and eyelids. Xie Xiaomo made up her mind: she would help this girl escape. She would beg the girl not to report her uncle to the police and to let him off the hook.
The next day, Xie Xiaomo played with Old Qing. Old Qing recognized her and seemed to adore his generous owner, who never hit or scolded him and gave him tasty treats.
Old Qing was running ahead like the wind, climbing and jumping excitedly, chirping happily. Xie Xiaomo followed slowly, her mind occupied with the escape plan.
The manager shui had arranged the boat for three days from now, which was the day after tomorrow.
If she was discreet, she might be able to successfully take Manman away this time.
Thud. A coconut landed on the ground, followed by another.
Old Qing had climbed to the top of the coconut tree without her noticing. He quickly twisted and yanked, and the coconuts fell with a bang.
A total professional.
However, she didn’t want Old Qing to continue his professional work. She held out a piece of candy, waving it at the monkey.
Old Qing saw the candy and happily climbed down, snatched the candy, tore off the wrapper with his claws, and eagerly ate it.
“Come on. Let’s walk around the island. I haven’t really seen it properly yet.”
The island was large. Xie Xiaomo asked the manager shui for a horse.
“Manager Shui, when is the boat coming the day after tomorrow?”
“8:00 AM, Miss. I’ll send you off after breakfast.” Manager shui was stern. “Miss, please don’t do this again. You must inform Mr. Xie before coming to the island. If it were anyone else, Mr. Xie would have been furious.”
“I know, I know. There won’t be a next time.” Xie Xiaomo thought, Once I get Manman out, I won’t ever want to come here again. You can stay on this lonely island and enjoy the sea breeze by yourself. It suits your aloof personality.
She held the horse’s reins and suddenly asked, “The island is so big. Will I get lost?”
“No. The horse’s horseshoe has GPS. If you don’t return by dinner, I will find you.”
Xie Xiaomo felt reassured. She mounted the horse.
The manager shui also gave her a lunch packet. “Take this to eat.” He also gave her a machete and a crossbow. “Take these for self-defense.”
Xie Xiaomo: “…”
Manager shui explained how to use the crossbow and asked her to demonstrate a few times. Only after confirming she knew how to use it did he feel safe letting her ride around the island.
The island was much bigger than she thought. Xie Xiaomo rode the horse until noon, ate the bread, fruit, and drank the milk she brought. Then, she continued to ride around the island from west to east, only returning close to dinner time.
“Miss, how did you feel after riding around the island?”
“It’s huge. There are mountains and forests. I didn’t go into the woods. I just rode around the outside.”
After the trip, Xie Xiaomo was genuinely exhausted. She ate dinner and went straight back to her room to lie down.
She lay on the comfortable chair, closed her eyes, and thought about the girl’s past attempt to escape. She must have run frantically, aimlessly, and desperately. Even if she successfully eluded Chen Ping and the manager shui, where could she go in the mountains without a boat?
About half an hour later, the manager shui went out again with a meal basket. Xie Xiaomo watched the flashlight beam slowly fade away. She went to the window and waited patiently.
When the manager shui returned, Xie Xiaomo turned up the volume on her computer game and quietly sneaked out again.
Chen Ping saw her appear and was nearly at her wit’s end. “Miss, why are you here again?”
“I’m bored. Playing games is boring too. The manager shui is rigid and mean. I can’t talk to him.”
Xie Xiaomo’s mind worked quickly. “I’ll bring a few good bottles of liquor tomorrow, and we can drink and play cards. It’s more fun with people. I’ll even give you all three rounds’ handicap. How about that?”
Chen Ping’s eyes lit up at the mention of good liquor and a game handicap.
“That… that’s too kind. You’re the young lady. How can we gamble with you?”
“Why not? Who else on this island can play with me besides you? It’s settled. I’ll come again tomorrow night. I leave the day after tomorrow.”
Chen Ping signaled Wang Cui, who was guarding the room outside. Wang Cui opened the iron door and let Xie Xiaomo inside.
Xie Xiaomo glanced at the table. It was empty. Chen Ping and the others must have taken the meal away when she didn’t eat.
Xie Xiaomo looked at the bed again. The doll seemed to have moved. Did Manman hug it last night?
The thought gave Xie Xiaomo a feeling of private joy.
The girl was still sitting on the floor, leaning coldly against the bed. Xie Xiaomo sat down close to her and asked, “Do you like Nina, the doll?”
As expected, the girl didn’t speak. She just stared blankly ahead.
Xie Xiaomo watched her profile. The more she looked, the more beautiful the profile seemed—clear and pure. How sweet would it be if this face smiled at her, eyes sparkling?
Manman must have been a very beautiful, sweet girl once. Being locked here for three years, facing cold walls every day, must have caused her to become like this.
Yes, anyone locked here for three years, completely isolated, unable to reach anyone for help, would become abnormal.
Xie Xiaomo secretly glanced back at Wang Cui, who was admiring her own fingers, flipping them over and over, completely ignoring them.
Xie Xiaomo seized the opportunity and whispered, “Manman, do you want to get out? I can take you away.”
The girl’s entire body trembled. She froze for a moment, as if contemplating something unbelievable. But the focus finally returned to her empty eyes.
“What did you say?”
“Shhh! I said I can take you out of here and send you home.” Xie Xiaomo whispered. “A boat is coming to pick me up the day after tomorrow. I’ll hide you and take you with me.”
“How will you hide me?”
“I haven’t figured it out yet, but I’ll find a way. Chen Ping and the others mustn’t know about this, and the manager shui definitely mustn’t find out.”
The girl stared at her, genuinely studying her for the first time. For some reason, the intensity in her eyes faded. She asked coldly, “Do you know I want to leave here, and you’re deliberately saying this to get close to me and trick me into going to a more secluded place where no one can find me?”
Xie Xiaomo was stunned, not understanding why she would think that.
“No, I’m not lying to you. I really want to help you. If I were as bad and insane as you think, I could easily knock you out or starve you, and you’d be at my mercy, wouldn’t you?”
The girl was clearly shocked by this, trembling with fear. She shrank into the corner. “What are you trying to do?”
Xie Xiaomo found her reaction both funny and heartbreaking. “I’m going to take you away. Get you out of here and give you freedom.”
“Really…?” The timid voice was filled with nervousness and doubt.
“It’s true. My uncle isn’t on the island this time. I’ve decided to use this chance to get you off the island and away from here.”
“Why would you help me?”
Xie Xiaomo smiled softly at her. “Locking a living human being here, especially such a beautiful girl, and watching her lose her vitality and spirit—that is an unforgivable sin.”
After a long time, the girl finally said, “But he’s your uncle.”
“Then he did something very wrong. Even if he’s my uncle, I can’t agree with his actions.”
The girl bit her lip, looking down, and fell silent.
This was the first time Xie Xiaomo saw her display the demeanor of a young girl, like a lively stream gently flowing through an eternally frozen mountain—so fresh and so lovely.
Xie Xiaomo looked back at the door again, ensuring Wang Cui wasn’t paying attention. She took an apple out of her pocket.
“Eat properly. You need energy to escape, right? We leave the morning after tomorrow.”
The girl stared at the apple, seemingly wanting to reach out but hesitating greatly.
Xie Xiaomo stood up and spoke loudly, “Hey! I advise you to eat something! Stop making things difficult for everyone. If I didn’t think you were about the same age as me and someone I could talk to, I wouldn’t bother with you.”
With that, Xie Xiaomo walked to the table and placed the apple there.
“Eat if you’re hungry. Don’t make things hard for us.”
Then, she left the girl’s room. Wang Cui closed the iron gate. Chen Ping looked at the red apple. “Exactly. You think Miss gave you that apple for free? Stop screaming and acting crazy all day! You have food and drink here—all good things. You’re protected from the wind, rain, and sun. And the three of us wait on you. You live like a young lady. What are you going crazy for?”
Xie Xiaomo: “…”
Was Chen Ping feeling envious and resentful?
Xie Xiaomo purposely spoke loudly as she left. “Sister Chen, it’s settled. I’m coming tomorrow night. I’ll try to bring some good liquor. You must be bored guarding this place all the time. You should relax.”
Chen Ping beamed. “Thank you, Miss!”
As she walked away, Xie Xiaomo looked back at the room, at the cold iron door and the thick stone walls. She was determined to help this poor girl escape and give her freedom!
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