Life Plan

Chapter 38, Escape

Four pairs of disapproving eyes turned to her simultaneously, but she had no time to pay attention, because Jiang Xiaonv's message suddenly popped up again, containing only two words: 【Help me】

The unease that had been building up all morning exploded in Liu Chichi's mind. She grabbed her phone to dodge He Qing's hand as it came down again, and lifted her skirt to step over He Qing's legs that were blocking the sofa and dining table.

Amidst everyone's stunned silence, she bowed slightly and said, "I won't resign. I have to take care of some work matters now. Excuse me."

During the typhoon and the holiday, the roadside was blocked with a long line of red cars. She opened the map and found that Jiang Xiaonv's house had been marked before. At the same time, she swept a shared bicycle away from the store.

The distance is 1.4 kilometers, and crossing an old alley only takes 800 meters. The rain made her false eyelashes even heavier, and her eyes were almost squinting.

She soon arrived at the alley where Shen Shuyi often parked her bike, stopped, lifted the bike up one step, and continued riding.

Just as they arrived at the door of the old house, a figure fell down the stairs and landed in a puddle. The next second, the figure got up and ran outside, bumping right into Liu Chichi.

Through the disheveled hair, Liu Chichi recognized Sun Zhixiao. The girl's face contorted with terror. Seeing that there was nothing behind Liu Chichi, she grabbed Liu Chichi and tried to run away.

Before Liu Chichi could react, she was pulled back a couple of steps, her left hand still gripping the handlebars. The next second, a flurry of footsteps sounded, and a man carrying a wooden chair suddenly appeared at the corner of the stairs. Seeing Sun Zhixiao, he instantly threw the chair, and Liu Chichi instinctively pushed the bike back.

However, they weren't moving fast enough, and the chair hit the front of the car, the huge impact knocking both of them down at the same time.

The man chased after her closely. This time, Liu Chichi's body reacted much faster than her brain. She scooped up Sun Zhixiao and ran away.

The man's insults carried on the wind: "You little bitch, you dare call the police?"

The factory never takes a break for holidays or typhoons. Most people are still working in the factory, and a small number of people have their doors and windows closed because of the typhoon. Liu Chichi’s cries for help went unanswered, and he only swallowed a mouthful of rainwater.

Liu Chichi suddenly remembered who that man was—Sun Qiang, the husband of Jiang Xiaonv who had disappeared for a long time.

Sun Zhixiao's lower leg was numb from being hit by the bicycle, but the adrenaline kept her running frantically. She knew the area better than Liu Chichi, and using the rain to her advantage, she weaved through the intricate alleyways, finally hiding in a triangular crevice.

Liu Chichi held Sun Zhixiao, helping her to stand up. The rain stung her eyes, and remembering Sun Qiang's words, she whispered to Sun Zhixiao, "Did you call the police?"

Sun Zhixiao nodded vigorously.

"What happened?"

"He hit my mother."

Sun Zhixiao was still wearing only a thin shirt, completely soaked by the wind and rain, and she was trembling unsteadily. Liu Chichi brushed aside the messy hair on her face and saw that half of her face was red and swollen, with clear finger marks.

Liu Chichi took off her coat, which was soaked through but could still block some of the wind.

Just as the two caught their breath, Sun Zhixiao was about to walk out again, but Liu Chichi quickly grabbed her: "What are you doing?!"

"My mom, my mom is still at home!"

Sun Zhixiao broke free from Liu Chichi's hand and darted away. Liu Chichi quickly caught up, and at the last corner of the house, Sun Zhixiao stopped.

Looking over her thin shoulders, Liu Chichi saw Sun Qiang sitting on a wooden chair leaning against the threshold, his leg broken. The old eaves were wide, enclosing a small, rain-free area around the threshold, and the cigarette in Sun Qiang's hand burned crimson in the wind.

He grinned at Sun Zhixiao, raindrops splashing on his dark yellow teeth, and spat. He tilted his head, took a deep drag on his cigarette, stood up, and clapped his hands like a hunter who had successfully hunted down his prey, his face beaming with triumphant satisfaction: "The old ones didn't run away, so how could the young ones escape?"

Sun Zhixiao subconsciously turned to look at Liu Chichi, then at Sun Qiang, hesitating, his face filled with confusion over fear, unsure of which way to go.

Sun Qiang turned and walked towards the stairs, carrying the wooden chair with the broken leg.

Sun Zhixiao's whole body began to tremble. She grasped at nothing in the air, but the sound of rain was too loud, and she couldn't grab anything.

The next second, Sun Zhixiao suddenly rushed towards Sun Qiang, sideways and ramming him with her shoulder. Her frail body lacked strength, but the rain made the ground slippery, and Sun Qiang fell to the ground. She grabbed the broken chair and, taking advantage of Sun Qiang's brief moment of hesitation, slammed it down on him with all her might.

Everything happened in an instant. As Sun Qiang instinctively raised his hand to block, the broken leg of the wooden chair pierced his arm. He clutched his bleeding arm and began cursing Sun Zhixiao while reaching for the wooden chair.

Sun Qiang stood up and swung his hand forcefully. Sun Zhixiao lost the grab and stumbled to the ground. When Liu Chichi chased in, the wooden chair was back in Sun Qiang's hands, which he held high. Sun Zhixiao was getting up from the ground when she was kicked again. She fell to the ground in pain and curled up into a ball.

The wooden chair slammed down again—

Liu Chichi threw herself on top of her, holding Sun Zhixiao's upper body in her arms. The instant her back was struck, she felt a sharp, bone-cracking pain. She couldn't believe what would have happened if that blow had landed on Sun Zhixiao's head; they seemed not to be father and daughter, but mortal enemies.

Sun Qiang realized he'd hit the wrong person, immediately threw down the chair, and muttered profanities. He didn't recognize the person he'd seen at the hospital before, assuming he was just a nosy neighbor, and grumbled angrily, "Why did you rush out like that? You're not my daughter. If I hit you, I'd have to pay for it. This is meddling, I'm not going to pay for it."

Sun Zhixiao nestled in Liu Chichi's arms, feeling both scared and guilty. Liu Chichi could feel her warm tears welling up.

Sun Qiang bypassed Liu Chichi and tried to pull Sun Zhixiao away: "Don't be fooled by her pitiful act! This little bitch dared to hit me! Why are you dodging?"

Liu Chichi hugged Sun Zhixiao's upper body, looked up and glared at Sun Qiang, her eyes bloodshot.

Sun Qiang ignored him and was about to reach out to grab Sun Zhixiao's leg when the piercing sound of a police siren suddenly rang out. The midday rain was gloomy, and the red and blue lights cast solid pillars of light through the rain curtain.

Sun Qiang's drunken expression suddenly became incredibly clear. He turned around, rushed upstairs, emptied the drawer, grabbed the money, and left quickly without looking at the two of them again.

The alleyways were complicated, and by the time the police arrived, Sun Qiang had already disappeared. Liu Chichi had just helped Sun Zhixiao to the eaves when she scrambled upstairs on all fours.

The police arrived and picked her up from the steps. She had choked on water and started coughing as soon as she opened her mouth.

"Her mother is upstairs." Liu Chichi struggled to stand up, holding onto the stair railing, feeling her entire back swollen, sore, and numb.

Another officer helped Liu Chichi upstairs. The broken wooden chair on the ground was picked up, and two other officers chased after her in the surrounding alley.

The old house was small, and they were the only residents on the second floor. The washbasin stand in the corridor had fallen to the ground, whether by the wind or by someone was unknown. Towels and a faded enamel washbasin lay on the gray cement floor, looking like a tattered rag.