Chapter 17: Going Out
“G-good evening.”
Under the dim streetlights, Leng Qing Qiu stood motionlessly by Lu Zhiyin’s door.
Seeing Leng Qing Qiu, Lu Zhiyin greeted her somewhat flusteredly, but Leng Qing Qiu ignored her.
She walked into Lu Zhiyin’s house on her own, casually turning on the living room light. It was only then that Lu Zhiyin could finally see her outfit clearly.
Black pants and a black jacket, a stark contrast to her school uniform from earlier in the day.
If Lu Zhiyin already felt a sense of pressure from Leng Qing Qiu in her school uniform, the current Leng Qing Qiu made her feel no urge to resist at all.
“How are you feeling about what we discussed at noon, Zhiyin?”
Smiling slightly at Lu Zhiyin, Leng Qing Qiu got straight to the point without any pleasantries.
“I, I’ll help you.”
Stuttering slightly, Lu Zhiyin wanted to grab Leng Qing Qiu’s hand but hesitated and then gave up.
She was afraid that Leng Qing Qiu, if displeased, would simply chop off her hand.
Already timid and weak, her courage seemed to be shrinking even further.
“A wise choice. Don’t worry, I’ll give you money. Let’s go.”
Saying words like an uncle coercing a young girl, Leng Qing Qiu pushed Lu Zhiyin and left the room by herself.
After turning off the light and closing the door, Lu Zhiyin stepped outside for the first time in this world at night.
The streets were much quieter than during the day, with hardly any vehicles or pedestrians. The dim streetlights made the scene appear somewhat eerie.
Sitting in her wheelchair, Lu Zhiyin hunched her body. Behind her, Leng Qing Qiu, who was pushing the wheelchair, frowned.
She was starting to think Lu Zhiyin was too timid. Unsure if this was a good or bad thing, Leng Qing Qiu simply pushed Lu Zhiyin away from home.
Along the way, almost every house had its lights on. Through those windows, Lu Zhiyin could see many families’ male and female leads engaging in various strange activities in their living rooms.
What a terrible world…
Lu Zhiyin silently complained in her heart. Although she didn’t want to see the bodies of those bastards who paid no attention to their privacy, the things she accidentally saw along the way made her blush furiously.
Leng Qing Qiu pushed Lu Zhiyin for a short while before arriving at an extremely wide alley.
Placing Lu Zhiyin under a streetlamp next to the alley entrance, Leng Qing Qiu walked into the alley alone.
“…”
Silently, Lu Zhiyin looked at another alley across the street, feeling as if something was hidden within.
Not long after Leng Qing Qiu entered the alley, the roar of a car engine echoed from within.
Along with the engine sound, there was also the piercing bark of a dog.
From the alley opposite, a completely black, half-human-tall dog emerged and barked incessantly at Lu Zhiyin.
Thinking about the possible plot when encountering a dog in the game, Lu Zhiyin’s heart trembled.
She turned her head, only to be met with an unbearable bright light.
Instinctively closing her eyes, her eyes watered with physiological tears.
When Lu Zhiyin opened her eyes again, the dog across the street was running towards her.
Immediately after, two even more piercing horn sounds rang out, and the dog, dejected, ran back into the alley.
The car lights turned off, Leng Qing Qiu opened the car door and got out.
“Next time you encounter a dog, you can shout loudly. Dogs are predators that prey on the weak. As long as you stand your ground, it won’t dare to continue barking at you.”
Stroking Lu Zhiyin’s white hair, Leng Qing Qiu said this.
“…”
Lu Zhiyin remained silent, simply turning her head to look at the white van that Leng Qing Qiu had driven.
She hadn’t expected Leng Qing Qiu to own a car, but in a way, it seemed to be the expected.
Otherwise, it was hard to imagine how Leng Qing Qiu brought her intended prey back to her home.
“Sigh…”
Looking at the dazed Lu Zhiyin, Leng Qing Qiu no longer spoke, only sighing.
Then, she picked Lu Zhiyin up, put her into the passenger seat of the van, and placed Lu Zhiyin’s wheelchair in the trunk.
Closing the car door, Leng Qing Qiu started the car and slowly drove onto the street.
“Where are we going?”
Asking dazedly, Lu Zhiyin honestly hadn’t expected the destination to be far.
“The red-light district. Tonight’s target is a human trafficker. That guy has already kidnapped many young girls and sold them to brothels.”
Driving attentively, Leng Qing Qiu answered Lu Zhiyin’s question in detail.
However, Lu Zhiyin clearly couldn’t just ask one question; she needed to alleviate her anxiety with more questions.
“Oh, oh… I see… Is there anything I can do to help?”
Leng Qing Qiu didn’t immediately answer this question.
Her hands gripping the steering wheel, she thought for a few seconds before deciding not to reveal her plan to Lu Zhiyin.
For a habitual offender who trafficked women, what would be most attractive?
For such a person, a lone, defenseless, and good-looking schoolgirl would undoubtedly be an irresistible target for abduction.
Leng Qing Qiu planned to use the unsuspecting Lu Zhiyin as bait to attract her hunting target.
Although this plan was not at all friendly to Lu Zhiyin, Leng Qing Qiu didn’t pay much attention to Lu Zhiyin’s thoughts. Rather, the fact that she could provide Lu Zhiyin with indirect help was already taking her into consideration.
For Leng Qing Qiu, Lu Zhiyin was not essential. However, without Leng Qing Qiu providing “work,” Lu Zhiyin would be in serious trouble.
After all, her childhood friend was a disabled person, and she might starve to death relying on herself.
Thinking of this, Leng Qing Qiu felt even less guilt.
“I’ll tell you when we get there.”
Casually evading Lu Zhiyin, Leng Qing Qiu continued to focus on driving the van she had owned for quite some time.
In the passenger seat, Lu Zhiyin remained clueless about what was about to happen.
It was dark inside the van, and Lu Zhiyin could only see Leng Qing Qiu’s profile by the passing streetlights outside.
Now, she was trying hard to think of any other topics.
“By the way, do you have a driver’s license?”
In the end, this was the only uninspired question Lu Zhiyin could come up with.
“No, but you don’t need a license in this city anyway, and the police won’t bother with such minor issues. Even if you get caught in a car accident, you’ll only have to do a few days of community service.”
“It’s precisely because of the police’s inaction that I have to deal with those who are stained with sin.”
Leng Qing Qiu glanced at Lu Zhiyin beside her, trying to brainwash her childhood friend with her words, making her believe that she was righteous.
However, compared to the words implying her own righteousness, Lu Zhiyin clearly cared more about the first two words Leng Qing Qiu had spoken.
Visibly, the girl beside her was somewhat scared, her hands trembling as she fastened her seatbelt.
Leng Qing Qiu shook her head helplessly.
