C14 Beaten!

In a luxurious villa in the city, young Qing'er often gazed out the window whenever she had a moment. Her father, Bai Luo, had mentioned that her mother would come to see her, and she hoped to be the first to spot her.

However, several days passed without any sign of her mother. Each time a car drove by, Qing'er would rush to the window, only to be disappointed. Despite her young age, Qing'er was a remarkably understanding child and rarely upset her grandparents.

One day, while she was alone in her bedroom working on a drawing, her grandmother walked in. Seeing the picture, her grandmother couldn't help but ask, "Qing'er, is this a drawing of your grandparents and you?"

Qing'er shook her head and replied, "No, it's my mom and dad holding my hand."

Her grandmother's eyes welled with tears, feeling deeply for the five-year-old. Noticing this, Qing'er immediately stopped what she was doing.

"Grandma, what's wrong? Why are you crying? Did I upset you?"

Her grandmother quickly wiped her tears, not wanting to appear vulnerable in front of the child. She patted Qing'er's head and smiled, "Of course not, Qing'er. You're the best child in the world. Grandma just got something in her eye."

Qing'er wasn't easily fooled. She had her grandmother kneel down and gently wiped her eyes.

"Grandma, when I grow up, I'll take good care of you."

Hearing this, her grandmother hugged Qing'er tightly, tears streaming down her face again, but she didn't let Qing'er see.

Meanwhile, in the mountains, Beixue had been pondering for days but still couldn't figure out how Lee Jiutian had died. Sinian stayed with her at the lodge, offering comfort and advice from time to time.

"Nianyu, we've been here for quite a while. Are you thinking about heading back?"

Gu Beixue stood up, her eyes slightly open, and with determination said, "It's not time to go back yet. We've finally got a lead, and now the person is suddenly dead. I have to get to the bottom of this."

Huo Sinian, hearing Gu Beixue's resolve, decided not to persuade her to return. He calmly said, "Whatever decision you make, I'll support you."

After gathering their things, they headed back to the small village. As soon as they arrived, many villagers were watching them. Quickly, a crowd gathered around them, and a woman, crying loudly, emerged from the group.

She seemed heartbroken and pointed at Gu Beixue, accusingly saying, "It's this woman who brought misfortune to my husband. As soon as she arrived, he died. She's a curse. Get them out of here."

Seeing the woman's agitation, Gu Beixue hurried to explain, "Please listen. I'm just here to ask about something. I don't know anything else."

The woman wasn't convinced and insisted, "All I know is that our Old Lee died after you showed up."

Gu Beixue tried to explain further, but the other villagers looked furious, as if they wanted to tear her apart.

As soon as the woman finished speaking, the villagers started to get physical. Initially, Gu Beixue could resist, but soon she couldn't anymore.

Huo Sinian quickly shielded her, holding her tightly to prevent any harm. They clung to the ground together.

The sound of police sirens suddenly blared, scaring the villagers away.

At that moment, Huo Sinian released his tight grip, his face already bruised and battered.

Gu Beixue held him anxiously, asking, "Huo Sinian, are you okay?"

Despite his injuries, he started to laugh, which frightened Gu Beixue. If Huo Sinian got hurt because of her, she would feel guilty for the rest of her life.

"What's wrong with you? Did you get hit on the head or something?"

Her comment made Sinian burst into laughter. "You're the one who's lost it. Are you hoping I'll end up like that?"

Seeing Sinian's reaction, Beixue breathed a sigh of relief. She chided him, "Is this really the time for jokes? I'm not going to bother with you."

A police car pulled up beside them, and an officer quickly asked, "Are you guys okay? Do you need to go to the hospital?"

Sinian waved him off, saying, "No need, it's just a few scrapes."

"We got a call about a fight here, so we rushed over. Do you know who started it?"

"It was..."

Before Sinian could finish, Beixue interrupted, "We don't really know. With so many people, how could we tell who started it?"

Sinian couldn't understand why Beixue was covering for them, especially since he had just taken a hit for her. Still, the officer asked around, but no one admitted to anything, so he gave them a verbal warning and left. Since Beixue didn't press charges, the police left quickly. But Beixue wasn't ready to let it go; she was determined to get to the bottom of it.

Sinian tried to dissuade her, "Why do you want to go? I just got beat up, and if you go, what if they come after you too?"

"If you're scared, just wait here. I'll go alone."

Sinian shook his head, resigned. "My dad was right about you."

"What did your dad say about me now?"

"He said you used to be stubborn and headstrong, but I never thought you'd have more guts than most guys."

Beixue was taken aback by Sinian's words, surprised that Bingxin would describe her that way. She joked, "Is your dad complimenting me or what?"

Sinian replied firmly, "Of course he is. You should know, my dad rarely praises anyone, so it means he really admires you."

Gu Beixue smiled and replied, "Is that so?"

As soon as they finished speaking, they headed toward the village, leaving the villagers in shock. They were probably thinking, "Who is this person? Just got into a fight a few minutes ago and is going back in. Is he out of his mind?"

Even though they were suspicious, no one stepped in to stop them. They were all watching to see if someone else would make a move first. It was a standoff; everyone waiting for someone else to take the lead.

Gu Beixue and Huo Sinian cautiously approached Lee Jiutian's house. The door was open, and from a distance, they could see a woman sitting in the living room. It wasn't until they got closer that she noticed them and quickly ran out.

"Why are you back again?" she asked.