My Unconventional Online Dating - Chapter 44

Xiao Nianyuan’s unease reached its peak, fear lingering in her heart.

The driver had mentioned this area was remote, usually deserted, and roads here were rarely maintained. The sudden appearance of police tape—could it be due to an accident?

Xiao Nianyuan didn’t want to assume the worst, but the bright yellow tape stung her eyes like a warning.

She pushed the car door open and hurried forward, lifting the tape to duck under it. After just a few steps, someone called out to her, “Miss, you can’t go this way. Take another route.”

“What happened up ahead?” Xiao Nianyuan asked.

The woman sighed. “Nothing good, that’s for sure. They’ve put up tape, so you really shouldn’t go there.”

When Xiao Nianyuan remained silent, just staring at her, the woman assumed she was questioning why she herself was allowed through and explained helplessly, “I live around here. I have to go this way.”

“I’m looking for someone.”

After saying this, Xiao Nianyuan kept walking. The woman instinctively moved to stop her, but Tan Xialan quickly followed behind, her expression tense. The driver waved at the woman, signaling her to let them be. Realizing who they might be searching for, the woman fell silent, only sighing as she watched their retreating figures.

The alley was long, the ground and utility poles grimy—likely neglected due to the lack of foot traffic. Though there wasn’t much litter, dust coated everything. From a distance, Xiao Nianyuan caught a faint whiff of coffee.

Rounding the corner, she spotted a café. She entered and showed her phone to the staff. “Excuse me, have you seen this person?”

The barista, distracted, glanced at the screen. “Yeah, she came by once before.”

Xiao Nianyuan pressed, “Who was she with?”

The barista hesitated. “I don’t know.”

She remembered Ji Rongxue only because of her striking looks—hard to forget. The other person had been utterly unremarkable, just some guy she’d dismissed as a jerk.

“A man?” Tan Xialan asked, simultaneously texting Du Xiaotong to get Meng Xingwen’s photo from their advisor.

The barista nodded. Just then, Tan Xialan received the photo and showed it to her. “Was it him?”

The barista studied it uncertainly. Tan Xialan urged, “Is it him or not?”

“I wish I could tell you, but I really don’t remember if it was this guy,” the barista admitted, shaking her head. “People like him are a dime a dozen.”

Tan Xialan was at a loss for words. She checked the photo again—Meng Xingwen was painfully average, the kind of face that blended into a crowd.

The barista kept peering toward the right side of the street. Since they’d come from the left, Xiao Nianyuan asked quietly, “Do you know what happened over there?”

“Think there was a car accident,” the barista said uncertainly. “I heard screeching tires earlier.”

Xiao Nianyuan’s head spun. At the mention of a possible accident, she bolted outside before hearing the rest of the barista’s words. Equally frantic, Tan Xialan didn’t catch them either.

Xiao Nianyuan’s vision darkened as she ran around the corner, accidentally colliding with a lamppost and crashing heavily to the ground. Stars danced before her eyes as she saw, not far ahead, a parked car with a pool of bl00d on the ground in front of it. The car blocked her view, making it impossible to see who had been hit.

Tan Xialan, who was just a step behind Xiao Nianyuan, saw it too. Her limbs went weak, but she didn’t stop, dragging her trembling body forward.

The closer she got, the stronger the metallic scent of bl00d became. Tan Xialan could barely stand, forced to lean against the wall for support.

By then, Xiao Nianyuan had recovered slightly, only to be flooded by memories she’d deliberately forgotten—pitch-black nights, a soundless world…

Suddenly, the car door swung open, and a figure practically tumbled out. Xiao Nianyuan stared at the unfamiliar back, someone she had no recollection of ever meeting.

The person seemed to hear their movements and turned around, his face going blank when he saw Xiao Nianyuan.

Recognizing Meng Xingwen’s face, Xiao Nianyuan sprang up and punched him hard. The pain in her hand sobered her up. Ignoring Meng Xingwen, she looked past him and saw Ji Rongxue.

Ji Rongxue was sitting on the ground, clutching her arm. She seemed surprised to see Xiao Nianyuan and, noticing her gaze, instinctively said, “I’m fine. It’s just a scratch.”

But Xiao Nianyuan saw the bloody mess of her arm—flesh torn and mangled. The pool of bl00d on the ground had come from her wound, which continued to bleed profusely despite Ji Rongxue’s attempts to staunch it.

Xiao Nianyuan didn’t argue. She knelt beside Ji Rongxue, pressing on her arm with one hand while fumbling for her phone with the other. Her hands shook uncontrollably, and the phone clattered to the ground.

Tan Xialan arrived then and calmly called for an ambulance.

The driver who had brought Xiao Nianyuan and the others had sped ahead, leaving the following car struggling to catch up. By the time they arrived, Meng Xingwen was already trying to flee.

Du Xiaotong shot him a glance before kicking him hard—holding nothing back and unconcerned about the consequences.

For scum like him, she wouldn’t regret it even if she kicked him to death.

This time, Meng Xingwen stayed down for a long while. The counselor glanced at him without an ounce of sympathy before rushing over to check on Xiao Nianyuan and the others.

Realizing escape was impossible, Meng Xingwen suddenly burst into laughter—a grating, malicious sound.

“You’re so worried about her, but you don’t know she’s just like me,” he sneered, staring intently at Xiao Nianyuan, who didn’t spare him a single glance.

His laughter faltered when she ignored him, and he grew agitated. “Do you really think she’s a good person? You have no idea what she’s thinking—the things she’s done are no less than mine—”

Before he could continue, a shoe struck his head, splitting his brow and leaving him too pained to speak.

Tan Xialan stood barefoot on the ground and said to Du Xiaotong, “If he keeps spouting nonsense, hit him again.”

Du Xiaotong didn’t need the instruction—she’d been itching to beat him up. She had held back earlier out of respect for the counselor, but if she could still tolerate Meng Xingwen’s provocations now, she might as well go become the Great Buddha of Leshan.

From start to finish, the counselor didn’t stop Du Xiaotong. At this moment, what she needed most was to play the role of someone who was blind, mute, and deaf.

Xiao Nianyuan had been observing Ji Rongxue, worried that she might lose too much bl00d. Ever since Meng Xingwen started speaking, Ji Rongxue’s complexion had visibly worsened. When their eyes accidentally met, Ji Rongxue quickly lowered her gaze, not daring to look into Xiao Nianyuan’s eyes.

Ji Rongxue’s behavior was somewhat strange, but now wasn’t the time to question it. Previously, Ji Rongxue and the others had been so considerate of her. Even if Ji Rongxue had done something, it must have been for her own good—completely different from Meng Xingwen’s actions.

“Attempted murder,” Xiao Nianyuan said coldly. “And now spreading rumors. It seems you think your prison sentence will be too short.”

Tan Xialan also chimed in, berating Meng Xingwen thoroughly.

The ambulance arrived quickly. Medical staff lifted Ji Rongxue onto the stretcher, and as Xiao Nianyuan tried to follow, Ji Rongxue softly said, “The teacher accompanying me is enough.”