Don't Say You're Heartless (Modern Edition)

52 Call for Help

Accompanying her parents, Shen Qiuhua felt that the regret of not being able to enjoy time with them in her past life was being compensated in this one. Her gratitude was immense.

The Shen family was an old household in the area. Whenever Shen's father went out, neighbors greeted him warmly. Seeing Shen Qiuhua with him, the old neighbors would often ask, "Qiuhua, you're back?"

"Qiuhua, you seem different after you started working. You used to hardly go out," Shen's father remarked with a hint of nostalgia. After the incident with Lu Shaojie, Shen Qiuhua had become more reclusive. So while Shen's father was satisfied with her current state, he was also somewhat puzzled.

Shen Qiuhua wasn't sure why the previous her was so withdrawn, but she guessed it had to do with Lu Shaojie. She smiled and said, "Dad, it's better to let go of many things. We live for ourselves."

Shen's father nodded. "It's best if you can let go. Don't pay attention to those unpleasant words. No matter what happens, Dad will always stand by you."

"Thank you, Dad." Shen Qiuhua gently supported her father, and the father and daughter walked together in the winter afternoon sun. Their shadows were stretched long.

In the past few days, Yang Qiong had only eaten instant noodles and dry rations, so she's now craving meat. She couldn't help but salivate at the sight of chickens raised by some unknown family in the alley. She went into the hidden space to check on Xiao Chen and found that he was adapting to the dull life far better than she was. Perhaps fear had consumed all his attention.

"Can you stop being so scared?" Seeing his hand tremble even while holding a cup of water, Yang Qiong couldn't stand it anymore. How could a grown man be so cowardly?

"Sister Yang, do you think they'll find me soon?" Xiao Chen's voice was weak and powerless.

"I don't know. I don't understand Liu Yuanming. But if he could kill your brother, he probably won't be soft on you either. If they find you, you're done for." Yang Qiong sat by the door, took out a deck of cards from her pocket, and waved them in front of Xiao Chen. "Want to play a game?"

Xiao Chen was so distressed that he could hardly hold the cup, let alone think about playing cards. "Sister Yang, aren't you here to protect me?"

Yang Qiong raised an eyebrow, playing with the cards. "So you know I'm here to protect you, but you're still this scared? Clearly, you don't trust me."

Xiao Chen's expression twisted. "Sister Yang, that's not what I meant. I..."

"Alright, alright, I get it. You don't distrust me, you just can't overcome your fear. In simpler terms, you're afraid of dying, right?" Yang Qiong spoke in a soothing tone.

Xiao Chen didn't argue this time and nodded honestly. "I regret it now."

"It's too late for regrets. Your only chance to survive now is to get those two bastards into prison. Xiao Chen, I won't talk about justice and principles, so let me tell you about my first mission and how I felt."

Xiao Chen nodded. Having someone to talk to was better than being alone with his thoughts.

"Back then, we had trained for a long time, and tasks required passing multiple assessments. The reward for passing was to go on dangerous missions. Sounds ridiculous, doesn't it?" Xiao Chen didn't laugh, but Yang Qiong did.

"But at that time, all we thought about was to pass the assessments and earn the right to go on missions. When I was finally allowed to participate in one, I was so happy I couldn't sleep the whole night." Yang Qiong continued to shuffle the cards. "The mission was to suppress a rebellion. We didn't know the enemy had guns, so several people were taken down immediately. I was lucky not to be injured, but I had two wounded comrades with me. Not only did I have to complete the original mission, but I also had to figure out how to bring my comrades back alive."