She stared as the blade touched her arm.
The pain of the knife slicing through skin was like cutting through flesh. Does it hurt? It hurts. Why aren’t you screaming? Because the person I want to call for help isn’t here. Calling for help is useless.
Under the gaze of those beautiful eyes, Lun Shaochen’s hand trembled more and more.
The door was pushed open from the outside.
A petite figure clad in pure white rushed in.
She knocked the dagger out of Lun Shaochen’s hand.
"What are you doing?" Li Qing screamed uncontrollably, trembling with fear.
She pulled Fu Bing up. Her hand came away smeared with blood, and her own eyes reddened with heartache. Her delicate, tearful appearance made the hearts of the men in the private room ache unbearably.
"How... how could you do this to her? She was just released from prison today, why are you so cruel?"
Lun Shaochen said, embarrassed, "We were just joking. The wound looks frightening, but it’s not serious."
"How can it not be serious?" Li Qing turned to Qin Jinhai, cooing, "Jinhai, have the bar’s doctor look at Bingbing’s wound."
Her voice was soft, her eyes watery, making it impossible to refuse her.
Qin Jinhai stepped past Li Qing and looked at Fu Bing.
Her eyes were bloodshot from the alcohol. In her worn clothes and disheveled hair, amidst the refined, upscale private room, she resembled a small white flower—battered by wind and rain, yet resilient.
During the struggle, two buttons on her chest had come undone, faintly revealing the smooth white skin beneath.
He wanted to press her down, right here, in front of everyone. Fiercely...
Qin Jinhai’s throat bobbed, and his voice hoarse, he said coldly, "She won’t die."
Li Qing stomped her foot. "How can you play such games with Bingbing? You’ll scare her!"
Fu Bing’s expression was cold. Game? She really knew how to frame it.
The men in the private room couldn’t help but let their gazes drift between Li Qing and Fu Bing. Li Qing was already very beautiful, but compared to Fu Bing, she paled significantly. Even though Fu Bing wasn’t in her best state, she effortlessly outshone Li Qing. Li Qing was like bland, plain water. Fu Bing, despite her worn clothes and gaunt appearance, possessed features and a figure that Li Qing could never hope to match, no matter how hard she tried.
Fu Bing, sensing the men’s stares, pushed Li Qing’s hand away. She knew what Li Qing was planning. Li Qing wanted to use her as a stepping stone!
Fu Bing withdrew her hand from Li Qing’s grasp.
Li Qing’s tears instantly streamed down her cheeks. "Jinhai, tell them to stop teasing Bingbing. I’m taking Bingbing to the hospital."
The word "hospital" made Fu Bing’s body tremble.
Li Qing’s lips curled almost imperceptibly.
Fu Bing was forcibly taken to the hospital.
She lay on the pristine white hospital bed, her body trembling uncontrollably. Cold sweat dripped down her skin.
The last time she was hospitalized was when she lost her child. The baby had been seven months along, already formed when she lost it. The doctors had given her no anesthesia, no surgery. She had endured an entire night before giving birth. It was a boy. Despair! Thick blood! A torn body! Helpless cries! No one. Only herself.
Soon, the report was in Li Qing’s hands.
Dr. Liu said, "We’ve examined her thoroughly. Fu Bing’s uterus is severely damaged; she can no longer conceive."
Li Qing gazed with satisfaction at the stack of reports, her delicate, pure face half-hidden in the darkness. One part angel, one part demon.
"That’s great." Unable to conceive, Fu Bing could never win against her.
Fu Bing was picked up from the hospital by her former assistant, Xiaomei.
When Xiaomei saw the emaciated Fu Bing, she hugged her tightly and cried bitterly. Then, she helped Fu Bing into a delicate pink Wuling Hongguang Mini. The little car quickly sped into the darkness.
Xiaomei sniffled. "Sister Bing, it’s okay. I’m here for you. I’ll make sure you’re well-fed and plump again."
Fu Bing looked out the window. "This isn’t the way home."
Xiaomei pouted, holding back her tears. "I’ve rented an apartment. From now on, we’ll live in my little place. Don’t worry, I’ve cleaned it thoroughly."
"Qin Jinhai won’t let you off the hook if you do this."
"If he won’t, then he won’t. He can’t actually kill me."
Seeing her exhausted expression, Xiaomei said, "You should get some sleep. I’ll wake you when we get there."
Fu Bing responded softly and closed her eyes.
Xiaomei turned on the music. The singer crooned softly.
"The most beautiful night is for those who strive to live, hurrying on their way. For every moment they yearn for home, how heavy their footsteps become."
Home? Did she even have a home anymore?
Fu Bing opened her eyes. "My mother... what happened to her in the end? Where is she buried?"
Xiaomei couldn’t hold back her tears any longer. She pulled the car over to the side of the road.
"Auntie’s funeral was very dignified; I handled it myself. When you’re feeling better, I’ll take you to visit. Sister Bing, the hardest times are over. We’ll start fresh. It doesn’t matter if we’re not celebrities anymore; we can start a small business."
Fu Bing said, "By seeing my mom off on her final journey, you’ve repaid the debt you owed me for saving you back then. The closer you are to me, the harder Qin Jinhai will make things for you. You have a bright future ahead of you; there’s no need to clash with him."
"I’m not leaving. Back then, he gave everyone from your team to Li Qing. I don’t want you to come back and find no familiar faces."
"I don’t have anything left to give you."
"But I can give to you! Sister Bing, you just need to live well. Just by being alive, you’ll be slapping that scumbag and that vile woman in the face." Xiaomei wiped her tears away roughly. "Anyway, I’d die before I’d believe you would harm Li Qing. She’s the only one capable of harming you."
Fu Bing didn’t say a word.
Xiaomei’s small apartment wasn’t large—two bedrooms and a living room. She had decorated it very cozily. Xiaomei gave her the larger room.
Fu Bing soaked in the bathtub. Only when the warm water enveloped her body did she feel a flicker of warmth return.
She hadn’t envisioned any future for herself. As long as Qin Jinhai wasn’t ready to let her go, all her plans would remain just that—plans.
Qin Jinhai... If he loved Li Qing so much, why hadn’t he promoted Li Qing back then? Why had he always let me overshadow Li Qing? It was only after I went to prison that Li Qing took my place.
After Fu Bing finished her bath, Xiaomei had prepared a welcome banquet for her.
Fu Bing ate only a few bites before asking, "Tell me about our financial situation, so I know where we stand."
"Go on, I can handle it."
Xiaomei chewed on her chopsticks. "Your original properties, cars, and savings totaled 2.53 billion yuan. After you were imprisoned, Qin Jinhai used his connections to freeze all your assets, and he still holds them. At that time, you also had 29 endorsements. A few companies that we had good relations with chose not to pursue breach of contract fees, but the remaining 23 demanded huge sums from us."
"The accumulated amount at the time was 1.3 billion yuan. After three years, with late fees, it should be..."
"Around 1.6 billion yuan by now," Fu Bing finished.
The room fell into silence.
The money was there, in Qin Jinhai’s hands. Which was as good as not having it at all.
Xiaomei said, "Don’t worry, there must be a way to solve this."
"The solution lies with Qin Jinhai," Fu Bing stated.
"He’s hurt you so badly. You can’t go to him again."
"If I don’t get my money back from him, we can’t repay the debt." Fu Bing stroked Xiaomei’s still youthful face. "You’re only 23. Your life shouldn’t be crushed by these debts."
Fu Bing had no appetite.
A debt of 1.6 billion yuan, and having to face Qin Jinhai. She felt like she was standing on a mountaintop surrounded by cliffs on all sides; one wrong step, and she would plummet, shattering into a million pieces.