Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Price Wei Xiaorou Paid

"Why? Why must you do this?" Liu Jingye was utterly shocked, feeling as though he could hardly bear the weight of it all.

Wei Xiaorou's expression was deeply conflicted. Suddenly, she lifted her head and spoke with resolve, "To stay alive!"

Liu Jingye was taken aback, and she continued, "I don't want to be killed by them just like this. I'm an only child. I went against my parents' wishes to venture out into the world, determined to make something of myself so they could live in comfort. I am their hope, so under no circumstances can I die.

At first, I wanted to seek out Brother Li for protection, but he said being with him would only put me in greater danger. He temporarily settled me in the bathhouse, and just yesterday evening, he told me he'd introduce someone who could protect me—provided I could win him over."

"That person is me?" Liu Jingye asked, pointing to himself.

Wei Xiaorou nodded. "Yes. Last night, Brother Li brought you to the bathhouse and hinted that I should find a way to persuade you to protect me and help me... I really had nowhere else to turn. But I knew that asking for your help out of the blue, you might well refuse. Besides, this affair is so dangerous—if I dragged you into it, your life would be at risk too, and I didn’t want to implicate you."

Wei Xiaorou was truly torn and at her wit's end. She didn't want to die, nor did she wish to cause harm to others, and her thoughts lingered on her parents at home. With no other choice, she went all in, disguising herself as one of the bathhouse girls and following Liu Jingye home on a desperate gamble.

"Wait!" Liu Jingye suddenly interrupted. "Then when the police suddenly raided the bathhouse, was that arranged beforehand too?"

Wei Xiaorou shook her head vigorously. "No, I didn't know anything about that, which is why I..."

She hesitated, embarrassed. Last night, at a critical moment, she'd turned into a furious wife catching her man in the act, driving Liu Jingye out of the bathhouse and defusing the crisis. The girl was indeed clever.

Moreover, she was kind-hearted, not wishing to involve Liu Jingye. Only in utter despair did she resolutely trade her purity for his trust and help.

Suddenly, Wei Xiaorou looked at him earnestly. "I'm truly sorry for dragging you into this dreadful affair. I had no choice. I hope you’ll help me, save me."

Liu Jingye scratched his head, feeling her actions were rather extreme. Now, it wasn't just about helping her—did he have to shoulder other responsibilities too?

With a wry smile, he said, "If you’d just told me the truth last night, things would have been much simpler. Why pay such a steep price? You know, a girl's first time is precious. If you marry one day, how will you explain it to your husband?"

"Ah?" Wei Xiaorou looked at him curiously and replied with a bitter smile, "These days, it's rare for a woman to give her first time to her husband. If she can give him her first child, that's already quite something."

Liu Jingye was speechless, muttering to himself, "It's not that I don't understand—it's just that the world is changing too fast."

"So, does that mean you agree to protect me?" Wei Xiaorou asked softly.

Liu Jingye, by nature a rather conservative man, understood well the importance of a woman's first time. Even if not for her husband, it should at least be given to someone she loves.

Yet here they were, still little more than strangers, and such a thing had happened between them. How were they supposed to get along from now on?

So he asked, "You really don’t regret it?"

Wei Xiaorou gave a wan smile. "What good is regret? If I lose my life without ever knowing what it’s like to be with a man, that would be the real regret. To die without ever knowing a man—that’s the greatest sorrow for a woman."

This girl—every word was a classic. If not for the fear of death hanging over her, she would no doubt be an open, even unrestrained soul.

"What should we do now?" Wei Xiaorou asked softly.

Liu Jingye's eyes darted. "Now, of course, as good citizens, we've witnessed a murder and must report it to the authorities. We owe it to the dead to seek justice and let the killer face the law."

"Call the police?" Wei Xiaorou sounded anxious.

Liu Jingye smiled. "You’re being hunted already. Whether you report it or not, what difference does it make?"

"You're right. I'm calling the police!"

With that, Wei Xiaorou pulled out her phone and dialed the emergency number without hesitation. Perhaps to make her story more convincing, she recounted the events dramatically.

"Officer, the night before last, on a dark and stormy evening, in a gloomy, shadowy building, the overhead lights flickered, the elevator rumbled as if haunted, and when the doors opened, it was like the gates of hell had been thrown wide. A black handgun was aimed at a man's forehead..."

"Oh dear..." Liu Jingye groaned inwardly, utterly speechless. This woman was wasted not being a screenwriter.

The officer on the line, whether out of boredom or a love of stories, actually listened to her entire tale before asking, "What is your name and address? An officer will contact you soon."

The moment Wei Xiaorou heard the police would come to her door, she hung up at once and even switched off her phone.

"I'd rather you protected me," she said in alarm. "Huangchao and the authorities are connected. If the police come looking for me, I'm still in danger."

From recent events, Liu Jingye could see that Huangchao wielded immense power locally, and collusion with the authorities was only to be expected. Although Wei Xiaorou's report was dramatic, the police would certainly investigate, but there would likely be no result.

He looked at Wei Xiaorou, thinking to himself, "The poor girl is terrified, desperate enough to trade her innocence for my trust and protection. The other side even sent a sniper after her, clearly ruthless and thorough. This Huang Xing is both cautious and merciless."

"So, what now?" Wei Xiaorou asked nervously, seeing Liu Jingye lost in thought.

She was worried, too, for she knew nothing of Liu Jingye's background or abilities. If he couldn't protect her... Well, she wouldn't regret it. Even if she died, at least she'd known what it was like to be a woman.

"Now?" Liu Jingye scratched his head. "We should get breakfast first—I'm hungry."

"What?" Wei Xiaorou looked at him in astonishment. "Breakfast?"

"Of course. If we don't eat, we aren’t being hunted, we’re committing suicide," Liu Jingye replied with a smile as he stood up. His movements were stiff, his heart uneasy, but he still reached out to take her hand.

Though Wei Xiaorou had said women no longer cared about their first time—and that giving their first child to their husband was enough—the man who received a woman's first time still felt its significance.

Compared to Yuan Xiaoying's calculated seduction, Wei Xiaorou's was genuine. And so, Liu Jingye made up his mind: for her sake, he would face Huangchao head-on, even if it meant using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.