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Su Yi was dead. She looked around the empty house and realized that the woman was really dead. Once again, Su Xu had a strong desire to escape. She wanted to leave, she wanted to escape.

She had thought of this more than once in the past twenty years.

"I'm not leaving." This was what Su Yi had said to her when she had mentioned this idea to her.

In the end, for Su Yi's sake, she didn't leave. Now that the only tie was gone, what reason did she have to stay?

This was a very simple and crude house. The walls were so dirty that one could only vaguely make out the original color of the paint. Most of the bottles were scattered on the ground. In the past, the woman would clean up the room, wash the heavy bedding and clothes brought in by others with her old sleeves, and earn some money. Su Yi's hands became rough and thick from years of soaking in water. Su Yi was thin and cold.

More than once, she had asked Su Yi why she married that man who failed to accomplish anything. Su Yi didn't answer, but glanced at her before shifting her gaze away. Su Xu knew that she looked like that man.

One morning, she couldn't remember what day it was, and the woman sleeping next to her never woke up. Her mother committed suicide by taking medicine.

Seeing Su Yi's quiet sleeping appearance, she did not cry. She understood that Su Yi had been released and that unknown country was going to give her freedom. In that instant, Su Xu saw her released soul flying happily.

Su Xu came back to her senses and looked at the clock on the wall. It was ten o'clock. The man didn't come back from drinking last night. She rushed to the closet, pulled out a large cloth bag, and began stuffing things inside, some old clothes, a few used books.

Perhaps because she was too impatient, Su Xu threw her bag on the table and smashed the glass on the table.

She carefully skipped over the broken pieces and laid under the bed. She had seen Su Yi hide things here last time and felt for something on the dark ground. When her hand touched something, she grabbed it and pulled it out, revealing a plain but clean wooden box.

Su Xu was startled by the sound of footsteps outside the door. She quickly put the box in her bag, tied it shut, stood up and pulled open the box beside her, before she could open the door and throw the bag in.

The door opened and a shaft of sunlight shone into the dark room. The man walked in. He was tall, had a stubble on his chin, and his body was swaying. The smell of alcohol permeated the room. He shouted, "Bring me the rice."

Su Xu stood there without moving.

"Little bastard." The man walked over and pushed her to the ground with a dark expression. "Where's the food?"

Su Xu felt waves of pain on her palm. A glass shard had been deeply cut into her skin, and blood was seeping out slowly. Su Xu felt an incomparable hatred towards the man. She looked at him with loathing. "No, there's nothing at all."

The man kicked her and angrily said, "F * ck! How dare you talk back to me? What the hell is that?!" He turned his head and saw the broken pieces on the ground. He continued to curse, "You prodigal son, it's useless even if you're alive. Hurry and clean it up."

Su Xu got up expressionlessly and picked up the pieces one by one. Drops of blood fell to the ground, forming dark red flowers.

Su Xu was nervous. To be honest, she was a little afraid that he would sense her, that he would discover that cloth bag, that he would discover her secret, so she pretended to be so obedient, hoping that nothing would happen.

"Same virtue as that bitch, pooh." The man swore, took a few steps forward, lay down on the bed, kicked off his shoes, and fell asleep.

Su Xu stopped what she was doing and looked at the man's back. When she heard the man's uneven breathing, she stood up and grabbed a cloth bandage to stop the bleeding. Then, she walked over to the bed and once she was sure that the man was really asleep, she opened the box very gently and took out a cloth bag, hugging it tightly to her chest.

Su Xu walked through the crowded house, trying not to touch anything. When she was a few steps away from the door, she stopped.

Su Xu looked at the sleeping man once again. She really hated him, even hated him. His insults and beatings towards her and Su Yi once upon a time surged to the fore. Thinking of her patience, she felt so uncomfortable that she wanted to curse him to hell. But is there any use in cursing, Su Xu thought. Her mother had committed suicide when she couldn't bear the burden and the man was still alive. Is there any use in cursing?

The wind came in through the window, and the man seemed to shudder.

Su Xu went to close all the windows, then turned back to the gas tank, shook her hand, and opened two valves.

She opened the door and slowly backed out. "We'll never meet again." Su Xu mouthed to the people in the room.

Summer was almost over. The afternoon sunlight was not very harsh, causing people to feel warm. Su Xu found a park and sat on a bench by the flowerbed. She looked back and forth between the pedestrians. There were only a few couples and some elderly people in the park. She shrugged her shoulders. Her heart suddenly felt desolate.

Su Xu smelled a fragrant, very fragrant scent. She knew what it meant. She resisted the urge to turn around and look for the source of the smell. She rubbed her stomach with one hand. Her stomach hurt. She hadn't eaten in a long time.

Su Xu rummaged through the cloth for her mother's wooden box. "I hope I have money." Su Xu whispered. She opened it and was immediately disappointed. It was just a yellowed picture.

In the woman's arms was a baby. The baby was staring curiously at the camera while her chubby little hands were held high in the air. They were like a family of three, the happiness shown in the photo was enough to make even Su Xu jealous.

Su Xu did not expect Su Yi to be so beautiful when she was young, nor did she expect Su Yi to smile so beautifully. In her memory, her mother was always silent. Su Xu wasn't sure if the child in Su Yi's arms was her, but she was sure that the man behind Su Yi was definitely not her current father. Who is this man? Su Xu looked carefully, his eyes were light brown, she had never seen this man before.

She still missed her mother. Su Xu studied the photo and even forgot about the stomachache, she flipped the photo over and found a row of delicate handwriting on the back: Block 3, Palm City X. Tang Ling, Su Xu knows where this address is, not just her, the whole city knows Palm City is a symbol of wealth.

After walking around the city for half a day, Su Xu finally found the address on the back of the photo.

This was a villa complex, and the house was luxurious and exquisite. The lake water was calm and serene, and the people who lived here were either rich or noble. On the other side of the city, there was a shabby, cheap house like hers. It was extreme.

Could there be no such person? Could it be that he no longer lived here? She began to worry.

Su Xu walked towards the residential area hesitantly. The security guards stopped her at the entrance. Even though she was in a shabby state, they still had to be polite. "Miss, you need to have a card to get in and out."

"I'm looking for Mr. Tang Ling." Su Xu gripped the photo tightly.

"You're looking for Mr. Tang?" The security guard was surprised.

The security guard took a look at her attire, "Uh, how about this, Miss, if you have something to say to me, I'll pass it on to you."

Su Xu looked at the photo in her hand. She didn't dare to hand it over, as it was one of the few things she had left. Su Xu raised her head and said to the security guard, "Please tell Mr. Tang that a woman named Su Yi is looking for him."

"Alright."

The weather gradually turned cold. Su Xu tightened her grip on her clothes. What if Tang Ling had forgotten about Su Yi? What if Tang Ling didn't come out? Where would she go? The sun was about to set.

Su Xu looked at the sky filled with floating clouds. Su Yi, you have to protect me.

After a while, Su Xu finally saw a middle-aged man, who was leaning on a walking stick, quickly walking over with the security guards. Su Xu straightened up. The security guard pointed at her and said something to Tang Ling. Tang Ling looked at Su Xu and frowned. It was obvious that she wasn't the person he wanted to meet. Su Xu walked up to Tang Ling. His face was dignified, but there was also a tinge of exhaustion on it. He looked old and decrepit. There was no trace of the spirit in the photo.

Su Xu and Tang Ling looked at each other like warriors from both sides. Neither of them looked away. Tang Ling didn't say anything. He was waiting for the person to tell him his intention.

In the end, Su Xu was defeated because she was hungry. She handed the photo over and said, "Su Yi told me to give this to you."

"She died a few days ago."

Hearing her words, Tang Ling's hand that was holding the photo stopped in mid-air. He muttered in disbelief: "Dead?"

"Right." Tang Ling's eyes never left Su Xu, as if he was trying to tell if her words were true or false. Su Xu pursed her lips and spat out even more cruel words, "He died by suicide."

Tang Ling finally received the photo. He stared at the location of the photo without blinking. Su Xu couldn't see anything from his face, but she saw that Tang Ling's eyes were red and his hands were shaking. Su Xu heaved a sigh of relief as she knew she took the right step.

Su Xu remained silent and stood beside Tang Ling.

Tang Ling closed his eyes and waited for his emotions to calm down before putting the photo back into his coat pocket. He then turned his gaze back to Su Xu. "You are?"

"Her daughter." Su Xu replied softly.

"Where is that person?" Tang Ling asked with a complicated expression on his face, as if he was regretting and resentful.

"He's dead as well." After a long while, Su Xu finally realized who Tang Ling was talking to. She looked at the sky and realized that it was already dark. His father was probably sleeping soundly. She then added, "I'm an orphan now."

Tang Ling looked down and saw the big bag in Su Xu's hands.

"Follow me."

Tang Ling turned around to lead the way. He refused the support of the security guards while Su Xu followed behind. Tang Ling's figure, which was leaning on his walking stick, was trembling. He seemed to be a lot older than when he first came out.

Su Xu observed the residential area absentmindedly. They were all independent villas with separate spaces. There was a small flowerbed in front of each villa. The palm trees and small fountain made the late night even more refreshing.

"Mr. Tang." Occasionally, when people from the neighborhood saw Tang Ling, they would greet him. They would also peep at Su Xu curiously. Tang Ling ignored everyone and kept one hand in his pocket.

He walked to the door and put his crutch-holding hand on the palmprint reader on the door. "Ding", the door opened automatically and Tang Ling walked in by himself, as if he forgot there was someone following him. Su Xu didn't care, she walked up the stairs two or three steps and hugged the cloth bag.

"Don't forget to close the door." Tang Ling turned around and instructed them. He opened all the lampposts in the room and the room suddenly lit up.

"Alright."

The room was beautifully decorated. It was extremely beautiful with black and beige colors. The concept of a post-modern and high-quality life could be seen everywhere.

"I'll live on the first floor." Tang Ling sat on the sofa and was a bit tired. He pointed to the stairs, "You can pick any room on the second floor."

"Alright." Su Xu nodded.

Tang Ling slowly stood up with his walking stick and walked towards a room, ignoring Su Xu.

Su Xu felt that Su Yi's death was too much of a blow to Tang Ling, causing him to instantly age.

"Mr. Tang." When Tang Ling put his hand on the doorknob, Su Xu called out to him.

Tang Ling turned his head: "Also, what is it?"

"Mr. Tang, is there anything to eat here?" She asked as if it was a matter of course. She wasn't embarrassed at all. Wasn't this the reason why she came to find Tang Ling? He had what she didn't have. "I'm a bit hungry."

"There's one in the restaurant, turn right." Tang Ling was stunned and pointed out the way for Su Xu.

"Thank you, good night."

After Tang Ling walked into the room, Su Xu walked quickly towards the dining room. She took out enough food from the fridge and ate carefully, carefully tasting every mouthful. She didn't know if there would be food every day, so she had to remember these flavors.

She never asked the biggest question in her heart. What was the relationship between Tang Ling and Su Yi? Who was that baby? Su Xu had a sense of propriety. She knew what to say and what not to say. She had to be careful with what she said and how to live under someone else's roof. She had to understand that she could be kicked out at any time.

After a hearty meal, Su Xu felt more alive and in a better mood. She began to clear up the table and place the plates in the sink. She looked at the dishwasher. It didn't work, and she rolled up her sleeves. The wound on her hand was still aching, and the blood on the cloth had turned a deep red. She tried not to let her injured hand touch the water while she washed the dishes. Su Xu wiped the table a few more times. She stood aside and looked at the dining room and the kitchen. She then picked up the cloth bag and left.

Su Xu walked up the stairs very slowly, this place that didn't belong to her made her feel uncomfortable. Although Tang Ling was in his room and she was the only one here, but Su Xu still didn't dare to act rashly, as if someone was watching her from behind.

She looked around the second floor and determined which rooms were bedrooms and which were not. She walked down the corridor and chose the innermost room, which gave her a sense of security that she could not be disturbed.

​

"Go away! "Go away!"

Blood, fall, Su Yi's corpse, all sorts of things kept appearing. She was scared, no one was helping her, there was a monster chasing her from behind, she stumbled and fell, the crowd was laughing, she had nowhere to hide, she was trying really hard to wake up.

Finally, Su Xu's eyelids opened without warning. She woke up abruptly and opened her eyes, staring at the blank ceiling. She was stunned for a while before she managed to catch her breath. She buried her head in her knees and sobbed, her back trembling.

Suddenly, she got off the bed and rushed out of the room, searching anxiously for something in the lobby of the second floor. She rushed to the sofa, picked up the phone on the table beside her, and dialed a number: 1, 2, 0.

"Du du du." "Hello, 120 emergency treatment centers, is there anything I can help you with?"

"There's gas poisoning here." Su Xu hugged her knees, her voice trembling.

The female voice on the other end quickly asked, "Please tell me the address."

"X Street, corner of X Street, 304. First floor. It's a man." In the end, Su Xu couldn't bear to kill her own father.

"Okay, we'll send the ambulance right away. Keep calm and open the doors and windows so that the patient can breathe as much fresh air as possible... "

Su Xu didn't know what else to say. She sobbed softly, feeling something called fear shrouding her heart. She was terrified.

Su Xu lay back on the bed, wide awake.