The Fake and Real Heiresses Fell in Love (GL) - Chapter 2

The girl’s voice carried a subtle accent, but it was unexpectedly pleasant.

Yao Yanyan took a nail clipper from her bag and absently filed her nails, then raised her eyes and peered through the small gap left by Uncle Zheng’s open window.

She couldn’t see anything clearly.

Yao Yanyan withdrew her gaze, anxiously straining her ears, waiting for Uncle Zheng to ask for the specific directions.

“I wanted to ask for directions. Do you know how to get to Fengkang Town, young lady?”

“It’s just ahead.”

She stood far away, her voice muffled and quiet. Uncle Zheng didn’t hear clearly: “What?”

After the question, there were a few seconds of silence again.

Cheng Xuan pursed her lips. The overly flamboyant pink sports car made her feel undue pressure. She bit the bullet and took half a step forward with her younger brother on her back.

“It’s just by going straight ahead.”

She glanced up and noticed there was also someone sitting in the passenger seat.

A girl with very pale skin.

She quickly lowered her head, not daring to look again.

Uncle Zheng thanked her. Seeing the girl still carrying her brother late at night, he felt a bit of sympathy and asked the young lady in the passenger seat: “Miss, it’s not safe for that young lady to be walking alone so late. Why don’t we let her get in the car and give her a ride?”

Surprisingly, the usually fussy young lady was unexpectedly agreeable: “That’s fine.”

Uncle Zheng was pleased: “Young lady, you should get in the car. It’s not safe at night. We can give you a lift.”

Cheng Xuan shook her head: “No need. I’ll be home very soon.”

Uncle Zheng: “But…”

Cheng Xuan: “Really, no need.”

Feeling her refusal was too abrupt, Cheng Xuan uncomfortably added a thank you.

Uncle Zheng had no choice. Fearing the young lady would lose patience, he had to drive away.

Cheng Xuan stood still until the pink sports car gradually melted into the darkness, then she collected her gaze and continued on her way.

Cheng Xuan had not left the town much that year. Such an excessively luxurious sports car felt like a visitor from outer space, stirring a rare sense of curiosity even in the usually composed Cheng Xuan.

But her curiosity faded fast. By the time she arrived home, drenched in sweat, and saw her mother opening the door to greet them, the sports car was tossed to the back of her mind like a dream.

“You’re finally back.”

Chen Huishu’s expression was ugly; she had clearly been anxious waiting. She wanted to scold her younger son, who had snuck off to an internet café, but seeing him sleeping soundly, she couldn’t bear to. With nowhere to vent her anger, she looked at Cheng Xuan standing before her. She was about to lash out but remembered her elder daughter had been out for nearly three hours just to bring her brother back. She could only grudgingly say, in a bad temper, “Fine, get back to your room. Why are you standing there like an idiot.”

Cheng Xuan watched her carry Cheng Shibao and turn away. She licked her dry and cracked lips and quietly returned to her bedroom.

Calling it a bedroom was generous; it was more like a cat den—small and cluttered, with all sorts of household junk piled everywhere, leaving almost no room to stand.

Cheng Xuan navigated around two cardboard boxes and lay down on the bed.

She closed her eyes, just about to fall asleep, when she heard the man upstairs begin his usual maliciously amplified cursing, followed by stomping footsteps. The “thump, thump, thump” sound made her worry the ceiling might collapse.

Cheng Xuan let out a soft sigh, turned over, and covered her ears with a pillow.

Yao Yanyan got up early the next day.

It was already the middle of the night when she arrived at Fengkang Town yesterday. She stopped the car at the village entrance, waited for the system to notify her that the five days were credited, and then directed a confused Uncle Zheng to turn around and leave. They went to the next, slightly larger town and checked into the best hotel they could find.

However, it was a poor, remote area, and even the “best” hotel left the delicate Yao Yanyan completely uncomfortable. She had initially planned to procrastinate for a couple more days, but now she couldn’t bear it for another second.

She needed to move houses.

“Miss, I’ve prepared breakfast for you.”

Uncle Zheng opened the door and brought in a bowl of seafood congee. Yao Yanyan took it and stirred the spoon.

The congee was made by Uncle Zheng, richly fragrant and sweetly savory. Yao Yanyan drank most of the bowl: “Come out with me for a walk.”

“Yes, Miss.”

The place Yao Yanyan was heading to was an arcade.

It was very close to the hotel, just around a corner. Even early in the morning, the entrance was already swarming with rebellious teenagers who were running wild on summer vacation. Each had a cigarette dangling from their mouth, their hair dyed various colors, and their cursing could be heard from a distance.

Uncle Zheng glanced at the polluted environment and worried: “Miss, are you planning to go there to play?”

Yao Yanyan thought, What’s fun about this dilapidated place? “I have business to take care of.”

With that, she led Uncle Zheng to the front of the arcade.

The punks squatting at the entrance saw a muscular man, nearly two meters tall, dressed in black, looking like a human wall, and wearing sunglasses. They instantly fell silent, meek as little quail.

Fortunately, the man in sunglasses wasn’t there to pick a fight. They cleared a path for him, and he stepped into the arcade.

“Miss, watch your step,” the man in sunglasses said, looking back.

“Oh.”

A soft female voice came from behind the man in sunglasses. Tiny leather shoes stepped onto the stairs, a sparkling anklet shone on a snow-white ankle, and the hem of a pleated skirt reached her calves. The people squatting at the entrance only managed to catch a glimpse of her sweeping long, straight black hair before she entered the arcade.

There weren’t many people inside the arcade. Yao Yanyan stood behind Uncle Zheng and looked around, spotting a young man with orange hair sitting in the back.

He was playing a fishing game, sitting in a slouchy, nonchalant posture, with an ashtray and a bowl of coins beside his hand.

[02, is that him?]

[Yes.]

Receiving the affirmative answer, Yao Yanyan took a deep breath.

This person was Zhao Zhilian, the tenant living in the apartment above Cheng’s family.

He was a lowlife, calling himself the biggest gangster in Fengkang Town, but was actually a coward. He often spent money to bring women upstairs to do business. Because he owed back rent, Cheng’s parents had tried to chase him down for the money. Resentful, he often deliberately stomped and threw things loudly upstairs.

But his petty revenge was meaningless to Cheng’s parents, because only Cheng Xuan’s bedroom was directly beneath this “big gangster’s” room. Only Cheng Xuan was tormented by the upstairs noise night after night. She was often startled awake by the sound of smashing liquor bottles in the middle of a deep sleep and developed severe neurasthenia afterward.

She wanted to help Cheng Xuan, and she needed Cheng Xuan, so Yao Yanyan decided to start with Zhao Zhilian.

Yao Yanyan was about to lead Uncle Zheng over when a series of footsteps sounded at the entrance. Four or five men in black barged in, each of them dressed even more pretentiously than Uncle Zheng in his black suit. The small-time punks at the door immediately scattered like startled birds.

The men in black didn’t stop for anything, walking directly towards one target. They grabbed the collar of the escaping “Fengkang Town Big Gangster,” lifted him like a dead chicken, and marched him right back out of the arcade.

Uncle Zheng looked back at the young lady hiding behind him: “Miss, should we go back?”

Yao Yanyan looked up, a sly smile on her face: “No, let’s go watch the show.”

Uncle Zheng was helpless. Unwilling to disobey the young lady’s command, he followed the group of men in black to an alleyway and bent down: “Miss, can you stop here and not move? I’ll go ahead and film it for you. How does that sound?”

Yao Yanyan nodded obediently. Her fair skin and black hair made her look particularly harmless.

Uncle Zheng sighed, stepped forward, and took out his phone to record a video for the young lady.

But even without the video, Yao Yanyan knew what was happening. The agonizing cries of Zhao Zhilian stabbed at her eardrums.

“I beg you! Please, please, I’ll pay the money back right away!”

“Really! Bro… no! Grandpa! Ancestor! I beg you! Ahhh! Stop hitting me! I’m begging you!”

Yao Yanyan winced at every scream, and fifteen minutes later, her delicate face was contorted like a bitter gourd.

Seeing the men in black leave through the opposite side of the alley, Yao Yanyan didn’t even dare to go in, afraid of seeing some disgusting, bloody scene.

She hated violence the most.

Uncle Zheng returned, holding his phone like an obedient, large dog, and said proudly: “Miss, I recorded it really well. It definitely looks satisfying.”

Yao Yanyan frowned, leaned over for a quick look, and immediately turned her gaze away.

“Miss, can we go back now?” Uncle Zheng asked, putting away his phone.

Yao Yanyan didn’t answer. She walked past Uncle Zheng and headed toward the alley. Uncle Zheng hurried to catch up.

Inside the small alley, no one remained except the orange-haired young man sitting on the ground. His face was covered in blood, and his already unattractive face now looked horrifyingly ugly.

The young man trembled as he breathed. His peripheral vision caught a shadow cast over him. He looked up and saw a tall, muscular man.

Taller and bigger than the men just now, and with a fierce look.

Zhao Zhilian’s pupils shrank in terror. He practically sobbed: “I… I’m your grandson… I’m kowtowing to you, spare me… Please…”

Uncle Zheng was extremely awkward and looked back at his young lady.

Yao Yanyan stepped out from behind Uncle Zheng.

Zhao Zhilian was now kneeling, shaking uncontrollably. He looked down at the ground in fear, and then a pair of spotless leather shoes came into his line of sight.

Trembling, Zhao Zhilian raised his eyes and saw a girl standing before him in the messy, abandoned alley.

The girl squatted down, putting her line of sight level with his.

Fair skin, black hair. Beneath her straight bangs were honey-colored eyes, like clean glass marbles. They were slightly curved now, and she was smiling—a cold, emotionless smile. She looked like a porcelain doll crafted by a master artisan and placed in a display case, beautiful to the point of seeming unreal.

Zhao Zhilian’s breathing hitched. His eyes were filled with stunned amazement.

Just then, the “doll” spoke.

“Can I help you pay off your debt?”

Zhao Zhilian: ?

Uncle Zheng, standing behind her: ?

Uncle Zheng couldn’t take it anymore: “Miss??”

Yao Yanyan turned and gave him a soothing smile.

Zhao Zhilian hadn’t recovered from his amazement and was completely bewildered: “Help… help me pay off my debt? Really?”

Yao Yanyan nodded: “Yes.”

“You live in Fengkang Town, right?”

Zhao Zhilian: “Um…”

Yao Yanyan: “Then give me your apartment. That can be your repayment for me clearing your debt.”

Zhao Zhilian instinctively replied: “Then… then where will I live?”

Yao Yanyan: “Wherever, it doesn’t matter, it has nothing to do with me.”

Finding her beautiful, Zhao Zhilian grew bold enough to ask: “Then… can I live with you?”

Yao Yanyan laughed, then turned her head and said: “Uncle Zheng, hit him.”