Chapter 238 - 228: Acquaintance
Chapter 238: Chapter 228: Acquaintance
But no matter how unwilling she was, mustering the courage to resist wasn’t something that could happen in an instant.
Gu Yirou got off the bed and hesitated, clutching the razor blade in her hand again and again.
Tang Mo walked to her side, took the younger girl’s hand—the one holding the blade—and led her toward the door.
Gu Yirou froze for a second but followed Tang Mo forward out of instinct.
As Tang Mo was leading Gu Yirou from the corner to the door, a hand grabbed her free arm.
She glanced over and saw it was the girl who had been sent to the second floor yesterday.
In Tang Mo’s limited memory of her, the girl had always been silent and taciturn.
But now, the girl sat on the edge of her bed, holding Tang Mo’s hand and staring intently at her.
It was a plea for help.
Tang Mo didn’t know why the girl was signaling her for help. ’Did she see me follow the others yesterday?’
In fact, Tang Mo’s guess was spot on.
The girl had indeed seen Tang Mo follow the others out yesterday.
For some unknown reason, the girl hadn’t told anyone she had seen Tang Mo leave.
She also didn’t know why, but deep down, she had a feeling that the girl before her could get her out of here. This was her only chance.
She had to seize it, even if it cost her her life.
Once Tang Mo understood all this, she gave the girl a slight nod.
The girl released her grip, leaving a small, folded note in Tang Mo’s palm.
This time, even though there were only two of them, two men still came to escort them.
The two men were much more serious than before; their eyes never left Tang Mo and Gu Yirou.
It was clear they were being prepared for a very important person this time.
’This must be the gang’s biggest patron,’ Tang Mo thought.
A girl with Gu Yirou’s looks and bearing had been kept here for three months, untouched not just by these men, but even by Brother Hu himself.
The client today had to be someone with serious connections.
’Talk about a godsend,’ Tang Mo thought. ’Just when I was getting tired of waiting, the key player shows up. How could I not be thrilled?’
But in stark contrast to Tang Mo’s delight, Gu Yirou was a picture of misery.
"Brother Hu is really laying it on thick for the big shot today, sending over our two prize pieces at once. I haven’t even had a turn," one of the men grumbled to the other, his face full of envy.
"Obviously. Do you have any idea how we got to where we are today? Without his lordship, you think you’d be living this good life? You’d be out on the street, starving."
"That’s true, heheh."
Thinking about his current quality of life, the man who had spoken first was extremely satisfied and stopped complaining.
Tang Mo and Gu Yirou were led to the entrance of the central building and handed over by the two men to another man at the door, who looked like a butler.
The man led Tang Mo and Gu Yirou inside and showed them into the first room.
It was the same room Tang Mo had seen the other girls use to wash up and change.
"Get yourselves clean, then go wait in the room on the second floor."
There was only one room on the second floor, so unlike before, he didn’t give them a room number.
He left after saying his piece. With the big shot arriving, it was obviously not appropriate for a nobody like him to linger.
"Momo, we..."
Gu Yirou stood awkwardly in the room, not knowing whether to sit or stand.
Tang Mo, however, was perfectly at ease, taking in her surroundings.
This time, instead of a basin of water each, they had each been provided with a large wooden bucket of water.
The clothes weren’t the white bathrobes from before, either. They were something like kimonos, but clearly modified—shockingly short, and not the kind of thing a respectable person would wear.
"Don’t just stand there. Have a seat."
Tang Mo sat down herself and gestured for Gu Yirou to do the same.
"There’s water if you want to take a bath or wash your face. Go ahead."
Having not had enough water to wash, Gu Yirou was quite grimy.
"Sigh."
Xiao Gu sighed and sat down beside Tang Mo.
’Who could possibly be in the mood for a bath in a situation like this? How could she be so carefree?’
She rubbed the small blade in her hands over and over, wondering when would be the right time to end her own life.
After sitting down, Tang Mo unfolded the note in her hand. There were just two words on it: Xiao Yi.
About half an hour passed.
While Gu Yirou was still contemplating the length of her own life, Tang Mo’s spiritual power sensed someone approaching.
Tang Mo stood up and peered through the window by the door, waiting for the person to appear.
Because their room was the first one on the ground floor, she could see part of the staircase through the window.
Soon, a man’s figure appeared at the bend in the staircase.
"Uncle Qi?"
At some point, Gu Yirou had pressed up next to Tang Mo and was also looking out.
The sight made her gasp—she recognized him.
"What is Uncle Qi doing here?"
Gu Yirou’s first reaction upon seeing him was delight, but her expression quickly soured.
She was naive, not stupid.
No good person would ever show up in a place like this. His purpose was self-evident.
"You know him?"
This man was clearly the big boss behind the whole operation. Tang Mo never expected this sheltered girl to know someone like him.
"Qi Heng, the second-in-command of Huaxi City. He’s a close friend of my father’s."
Gu Yirou remembered what the two guards had said on the way over, and her expression grew darker.
"And your father is?"
"The current Lord of the Huaxi City base, Gu Feng."
’Well, isn’t this a coincidence?’
Tang Mo couldn’t believe this gang had the nerve to operate right on Huaxi City turf and snatch the Lord’s own daughter.
"Uncle Qi—no, Qi Heng—he’s not like this at the base. He’s almost forty, unmarried, and has never shown any interest in women. He told my father his mind was completely focused on his work, that he had no time to waste on such things."
’Just as I thought,’ Tang Mo mused.
’This place is a den of depravity for wolves in sheep’s clothing.’
"If my father knew he was doing this, he would kill him!"
Gu Yirou said through gritted teeth.
"But I can’t get out, so my father will be kept in the dark forever..."
Gu Yirou had been coddled her whole life; this was the first time she had ever felt such utter despair.
A despair so profound it robbed her of the will to live.
"Don’t worry. Your father will find out."
Tang Mo watched the man’s silhouette disappear up the stairs.
Heaven had a way of not letting people like that get away with their crimes.
"Come on. It’s time for us to do something."
Tang Mo leaned in and whispered her plan into Gu Yirou’s ear.