Chapter 3: Repaying Kindness

  Dragging his exhausted body, Leng Xi trudged home in a sorry state.

  It was already late at night, the neon lights of the bustling streets flashed one by one on her delicate yet utterly exhausted body, amidst the prosperity, there was also a hint of ruthlessness.

  The words of the man from just now flashed through her mind: From now on, your body doesn't belong to you...

  Originally referred to: freedom! From then on, she really didn't belong to herself anymore, completely belonged to him, until the debt was paid off.

  Leng Xi suddenly stopped his somewhat ethereal footsteps, gazing towards the lamp-lit and wine-filled distance ahead. At the end of the long street, even with the lights on, it was still pitch black and bottomless, silently breeding fear and loneliness, like a burning fire that made people feel helpless and painful.

  Since she was a child, she has been an unwanted orphan, abandoned in a foreign land surrounded by mountains and rivers. She took care of her grandmother who picked her up but couldn't take care of her, relying on the son of her grandmother, also known as Cold Creek's nominal adoptive father - Cold Dragon, to barely survive with a meager living allowance.

  Since her grandmother's death, she has become even more of a person with no one to rely on, no one to care for her, no one to love her, and no one who truly cares about her.

  At her most miserable, she had also resented her own biological parents. Why did they give birth to her only to abandon her? If they decided to abandon her, why did they still give birth to her, letting her suffer so much...

  Fortunately, she is like a sunflower that grows towards the sun. Even after the rain, it will wither temporarily, but when the sun shines brightly, she can still face the sun, be optimistic and live a bright life. What if there is bitterness in those smiles? She is still optimistic, isn't she?

  As if she knew to repay the cold family's upbringing over the years, no matter how much bitterness, she would face it with a smile.

  Furong Xiaoqu, Lengjia Villa.

  "Leng Xi, you're back." Inside the house, the lighting was sufficient, and the entire space was filled with a warm glow. The first person to greet him was Mei's biological daughter, Leng Xi's nominal sister - Leng Ni. "Today's interview... Ah, Xi'er, how did you get hurt? Were you in an accident?" Leng Ni's words were cut off as she suddenly let out a cry of surprise, her face filled with worry as she examined the numerous shocking red marks on Leng Xi's arm.

  Leng Xi pursed her lips, her eyes filled with inquiry as she looked at Leng Ni beside her, who was showing an unusually passionate attitude towards her. The worry and concern she displayed seemed genuine, but was she really concerned about her or just pretending?

  It's worth noting that today's job was strongly recommended by Ronnie and Aunt Mei, who said all sorts of nice things at the time, saying it was for her own good, giving her an opportunity, but in the end...

  But whether it was genuine or hypocritical, Leng Xi didn't have the qualifications to complain or interrogate, just as Mei Yi said, they were all her benefactors, and she had to repay them, wasn't that right?

  Leng Xi smiled brightly, "It's nothing, today I played the role of a palace maid who made a mistake and got beaten. This little injury doesn't matter." As he spoke, Leng Xi withdrew his hand, although he was smiling, but in his eyes there was endless, unspeakable sorrow.

  As soon as Leng Xi's words fell, Mei Yi, who was sitting on the sofa trimming her nails with a calm expression, suddenly turned to Leng Xi, her eyes gleaming with coldness and a hint of venomous displeasure, as if she were shocked: How could Leng Xi be slandered like this and still remain so calm?!

  "It's good that you passed the interview, and after getting paid, don't forget to set aside some money for your family's living expenses. You know how hard it is to raise someone, especially for 19 years. You can't just keep eating without giving back anything, right? Cold Creek, isn't that so?" Meishan's tone was extremely sarcastic and mocking, with a hint of veiled warning in her words.

  She glanced at Leng Qi, who was covered in wolf fur, and shifted her gaze to Leng Ni. "Didn't I tell you to go to sleep? What are you doing here in the middle of the night, looking for excitement? I've already told you not to get close to unclean things. You don't seem to listen. You know your fiancé doesn't like filthy things, don't make him despise you. Go take a bath, go!"

  Mei Shan quickly scrambled up from the sofa, and with a big swing, she pulled Leng Ni away from Leng Xi, as if Leng Ni was now contaminated with bad luck. She hastily distanced herself from her, catching a glimpse of Leng Xi's disapproving expression out of the corner of her eye.

  She really underestimated Leng Xi, this 19-year-old girl who was sold to a "merchant" specializing in dealing with girls like her. Look at her disheveled hair and bare feet, she must have been gang-raped by those beasts. And yet, she's not even blushing, but instead smiling and returning home with a shameless face! It's really an eye-opener to see what it means to be shameless!

  Isn't it dirty? Ah, indeed it's Aunt Mei, indeed she was the one who sold her out, and she knew perfectly well what that group of people would do to her! Leng Xi's heart sank with a cold laugh. If there was still a glimmer of hope earlier, deceiving herself into thinking this was all just a misunderstanding, not Aunt Mei's intention, then now, that last shred of hope had crumbled away. In Leng Xi's heart, apart from the unbearable weight, a simmering anger rose up quietly.

  Is it that orphans are born to be treated in such an inhuman way? She has already said that she will do her best to repay their kindness and has made up her mind to remember the goodness of their family for a lifetime, why must they still be forced like this?

  Such slander and insult would be unbearable for anyone, with her strong and unyielding temperament, she should have said something defiant and stormed out, regardless of the consequences, even if it meant wandering the streets, but she couldn't, she endured with tears in her eyes.

  She thought of her grandmother who opposed her adoption, she thought of the living expenses sent by her cold father every year, and she thought of the man who paid 2 million for her and kept her chastity, whose first task was to make her stay in the Cold House no matter what. She endured.

  "Mom, what are you talking about? Leng Xi has been working all day and is already very tired. Let her take a bath and rest." Leng Ni pressed down Mei Shan's hand that was pulling at hers, looking at Leng Xi with apology and warmth, "It's too hot outside, my mom is just talking nonsense because of the heat, don't take it to heart."

  Looking at the injuries on Leng Xi's body, Leng Nie was filled with heartache and regret. "Temporary actors are really something else! I thought it was a good job, but those directors only cared about catering to the big stars. If I had known earlier, I wouldn't have let you go, and you wouldn't have suffered like this."

  Leng Xi took a deep breath, slowly releasing her clenched fists, and forced out a smile. "Aunt Mei was helping me practice my lines, I'm so happy, how could I be angry? As for acting, it's work, no matter what, I still have to do it. I'm going to take a bath." With hidden endurance in her eyes, Leng Xi went upstairs under the gaze of Mei Shan, who seemed to want to strip off her skin.

  She didn't know why that man wanted her to stay at the Cold House no matter what, but she knew she had to do as he said, because it was him who helped her get rid of the cruel trampling, and she still owed him 200 million, plus a Jade Guanyin worth tens of millions, even if she sold herself again, she wouldn't be able to pay off the debt...