Chapter 121#

At the checkout, Yan Heqing took out his phone and opened the front camera, naturally tilting his head slightly to take a photo. Then he paid the bill as if nothing had happened and walked out of the supermarket carrying the small buns.

He didn’t take the subway but went to the bus stop at the entrance of Beijing University to wait for the bus.

He was very familiar with this bus route. Last year, he often took it, riding for 20 stops, then getting off and walking for another 25 minutes to reach his former “home”.

It was a holiday, and not a popular route, so there were still many seats on the bus. Yan Heqing was the first to get on and walked directly to the last row to sit down.

He looked ahead. Just as the bus door was about to close, an ordinary-looking man got on.

He was wearing a gray polo shirt and looked to be in his early thirties.

He first glanced in Yan Heqing’s direction, then scanned the code to pay, walked to the exit area, held the strap with one hand, and pretended to look at his phone.

Yan Heqing was also looking at his phone.

He was looking at the photo he took. Outside the supermarket, two people were standing in front of the trash can. One was this man in the gray polo shirt, and the other was wearing a short-sleeved denim shirt.

Yan Heqing put his phone back in his pocket, opened the window, and looked outside.

The weather was refreshing, the sky a clear blue, a rare good day.

After watching for a while, his pocket vibrated. He took out his phone; Lu Lin had sent a WeChat message.

Opening it, he saw a photo. Just now while waiting for the red light, the bus he was on was at the very front, followed by a white sedan with a very conspicuous license plate number. It seemed to be another person tracking him.

Yan Heqing knew these people wouldn’t do anything to him for the time being.

Cheng Jian’s ultimate goal was Lu Muchi, so he wouldn’t touch him now to alert the enemy.

But he stared closely at Lu Lin’s chat box.

Lu Lin was telling him through the photo that he wasn’t alone now.

Yan Heqing saw the bus arriving at the stop. Only then did he put away his phone, pick up the plastic bag, and get off the bus with the flow of people.

Getting off the bus, he was on an old road. Yan Heqing was too familiar with this road. Go straight, turn left, then pass through an alley, and finally arrive at the residential area.

Coming back again, there were still old men playing chess in front of the residential area gate, but they could no longer recognize Yan Heqing.

No one would connect this beautiful young man with the malnourished adopted son from last year.

Even when a stranger came, they just glanced once or twice and then focused back on the chessboard.

Zhao Huilin was the same. She sat on the sofa with her head down. Hearing the knock on the door, she looked up and saw Yan Heqing in clean clothes at the door, and for a moment, she didn’t recognize him.

But he didn’t look like a debt collector either.

She had just cried, and her voice was terribly hoarse. “Who are you looking for?”

Yan Heqing looked at Zhao Huilin.

Zhao Huilin had been beaten. Her left eye was black and purple, the eyeball had turned red, and there were bruises on her cheeks and corners of her mouth. Her hair was messy and draped over her shoulders, and a tuft was solidified and knotted, probably stained with blood.

Yan Heqing knew it wasn’t the debt collectors who beat her, but Yan Shengbing.

Yan Shengbing committed domestic violence when he was drunk. Before, when he was there, he was the one beaten. Now that he was gone, Yan Shengbing could only beat Zhao Huilin.

Although Zhao Huilin was tough, Yan Shengbing was strong. Once he didn’t yield to her, she couldn’t resist at all.

“It’s me.” Yan Heqing said softly. “Yan Heqing.”

Zhao Huilin suddenly shook all over.

She stared blankly at Yan Heqing. Having encountered so many changes in the past half year or so, seeing Yan Heqing again gave her a feeling of a lifetime apart.

Her eyes soured, and she actually shed tears.

She was beaten by Yan Shengbing again last night.

With no money and owing usury, Yan Shengbing went out to drink every day and always came back dead drunk, blaming her for forcing him to borrow 100,000 yuan, causing him to owe a huge debt. While arguing, he started beating her to death.

None of the neighbors came to help. Finally, Yan Feng cried and knelt down, and Yan Shengbing went back to his room to sleep, cursing.

When Yan Shengbing woke up in the morning, he knelt in front of her, crying bitterly, repenting and apologizing, slapping himself and promising never to drink and beat her again.

Zhao Huilin didn’t make a sound again.

Yan Shengbing was like this when they were young. During the period of infertility, he would beat her when he was drunk, scolding her for being a hen that couldn’t lay eggs. Later, they adopted Yan Heqing and gave birth to Yan Feng. Yan Shengbing was better for a while. Later, when he was laid off and unemployed, he started drinking again, but with Yan Heqing around, the object of Yan Shengbing’s beating and scolding became Yan Heqing.

Causing her to long forget that Yan Shengbing would commit domestic violence.

Seeing no reaction from her after kneeling and crying for a while, Yan Shengbing simply took Yan Feng out, saying he would buy her tofu pudding. She sat in the living room, leaving the door open. Anyway, she was already a joke in the community, she wasn’t afraid of anyone seeing. Sitting there, she started crying, and after crying, she stopped and stared blankly.

This life was too bitter, and there was nothing to look forward to.

If it weren’t for Yan Feng, she really wanted to die and end it all.

“Heqing…” Zhao Huilin choked out, as if finding a pillar. She stood up abruptly, rushed to the door, hugged Yan Heqing, and cried loudly. “Why did you come back so late!”

Yan Heqing didn’t push her away. The person tracking him would take a picture of this scene and send it to Cheng Jian.

His right hand wasn’t carrying anything. He raised it and gently hugged Zhao Huilin back. “I’ll help you wash your hair first.”

In the first year of adoption, Zhao Huilin often helped Yan Heqing wash his hair.

She wanted to help with the bath, but Yan Heqing was shy and didn’t let her. She smiled and gently pinched Yan Heqing’s cheek. “I’m your mother and you’re still shy. Okay, okay, okay, Mom will only help you wash your hair. You’re so tiny, getting shampoo in your eyes will hurt you to death.”

Then she placed a small stool in the bathroom, let Yan Heqing sit properly and lower his head. She held the showerhead and squatted beside him, washing Yan Heqing’s hair very patiently and gently.

Yan Heqing’s skin was thin and tender, and she was worried about scratching his scalp.

In the bathroom, Zhao Huilin sat on the stool. Yan Heqing adjusted the water temperature of the showerhead and wet Zhao Huilin’s hair. The shampoo bottle had long been empty. He used laundry detergent, poured it into his palm, rubbed it evenly, and patiently helped Zhao Huilin clean the solidified hair, washing out reddish foam.

Zhao Huilin kept crying.

Yan Heqing washed her hair clean, wrapped it in a dry towel, picked up the broom, and swept the messy and foul-smelling room once.

He boiled a pot of hot water. The cups were all smashed by Yan Shengbing in his drunken madness. Yan Heqing found a bowl to catch water, brought it to the living room, opened the small buns, took two and handed them to Zhao Huilin, saying, “Eat something.”

Zhao Huilin’s tears flowed freely. Before she could tear open the small bun she took, Yan Shengbing and Yan Feng came back.

Yan Shengbing was carrying a small bag. Seeing Yan Heqing, his eyes instantly straightened. “Son!”

Yan Shengbing was so happy he was going crazy. Yan Heqing was 5 million! He rushed in excitedly, his two turbid eyeballs glowing. “Son, you’re finally back! Dad missed you to death!”

He smiled, revealing a mouthful of yellow and foul-smelling teeth, shaking the small bag. “Dad bought tofu pudding. Sit down quickly, Dad will get a bowl to serve you.”

He hurriedly winked at Yan Feng. “Why don’t you close the door quickly and come over to call your brother!”

Afraid that Yan Heqing would run away.

Yan Feng looked timid. Hearing Yan Shengbing’s words, he closed the door and peeked at Yan Heqing after entering the room. His legs were trembling violently, and his pants visibly darkened. He peed again. Yan Shengbing slapped the back of his head and scolded him in a low voice, “Useless thing, this is your own brother, what the hell are you afraid of.”

Zhao Huilin started crying again.

Yan Feng was scared to death by the debt collectors. She took him to the hospital, and they said it was some kind of panic disorder that needed treatment as soon as possible. But the family had no money and owed usury, so they couldn’t afford treatment at all.

Yan Shengbing also cried along, suddenly kneeling in front of Yan Heqing, grabbing his pant leg and not letting go. “Son, help Dad. For the sake of us raising you for 13 years, lend us 5 million to tide over the difficulties. I promise to pay it back! You can rest assured, I will work like an ox and a horse to earn money and pay it off.”

Zhao Huilin also looked over expectantly.

Yeah, that rich young master liked Yan Heqing so much. If he asked, 5 million wouldn’t be a problem at all!

Yan Heqing certainly knew they would react like this.

He was noncommittal, only saying, “We’ll talk about this later. I have something to do and need to go back. I’ll come again tomorrow.”

Hearing hope, Yan Shengbing’s eyes rolled several times before reluctantly and slowly letting go of Yan Heqing’s pant leg. Still worried, he had a little idea. “I’ll take you back.”

He had to know Yan Heqing’s residence.

All of Yan Shengbing’s reactions were in Yan Heqing’s plan. He agreed.

At the same time, he walked towards Zhao Huilin and took out two prepared hundred-yuan bills from his wallet. “Go buy some medicine and daily necessities.”

Yan Heqing remembered later.

Actually, he still owed Zhao Huilin 200 yuan.

That was the first New Year he arrived at her home. Zhao Huilin gritted her teeth and bought him a pair of new shoes for 200 yuan that would light up when walking. At that time, every child had a pair.

Zhao Huilin covered her mouth and nodded, taking the money and crying convulsively.

Yan Heqing left, and Yan Shengbing followed him closely.

Returning to the city, Yan Heqing called a taxi.

Yan Heqing sat in the passenger seat. It wasn’t because Yan Shengbing didn’t change his clothes and reeked of alcohol; he was looking in the rearview mirror.

That white sedan with license plate E6439 didn’t lose them, following at a moderate distance.

Yan Heqing withdrew his gaze.

The ride only took 40 minutes. Arriving at the entrance of the unit building, Yan Heqing got out of the car, turned back, and said to Yan Shengbing, “You take this car back, I’ll pay the fare.”

Yan Shengbing quickly got out of the car, smiling all over his face. “I’m not in a hurry, and I have nothing to do. I’ll walk you to the door.”

Yan Heqing smiled and said no more, letting Yan Shengbing walk him to the third floor.

Yan Shengbing looked at the environment, which was even more dilapidated than his home, and deliberately said, “Oh my, this environment is too bad! Why don’t you move back home instead of living in your original place? Xiao Feng can sleep with us, and you can stay in his room!”

Yan Heqing took out the key. “Close to school.”

“Right, right, close to school is convenient.” Yan Shengbing immediately echoed with a smile. Seeing Yan Heqing turn the key and open the door with his own eyes, he left with peace of mind.

Yan Heqing entered the room and first sent a message to Lu Lin. “I’m back at the residence. I won’t go out today. It’s very safe. You go back and rest.”

Just after sending it, someone knocked on the door.

Yan Heqing’s expression changed slightly. He turned off his phone first before turning around to open the door.

It turned out to be Lu Lin.

He entered the room carrying several plastic bags. He had even found time to go to the supermarket to buy things. Closing the door, his eyes were full of smiles. “They followed Yan Shengbing and left.”

He changed into slippers and was about to go to the kitchen when Yan Heqing hugged him from behind, pressing his face against his back and sniffing the scent on him. “Lu Lin, how many relatives do you have?”

He wasn’t asking about all of Lu Lin’s relatives, but the number of people attending the Lu family dinner.

Lu Lin reported a number. “41.”

Half an hour ago, Cheng Jian received a dozen photos.

Zhao Huilin hugging Yan Heqing and crying, Yan Shengbing and Yan Heqing getting into a taxi, Yan Shengbing going to Yan Heqing’s residence…

Cheng Jian had lost so much weight during this period that he looked completely inhuman. His eyes were sunken, and his gaze was murderous.

The second trial was basically hopeless.

The lawyer also brought bad news. The other side submitted evidence again. Perhaps the second trial would result in more than 12 years.

But more painful than going to jail for Cheng Jian was that he could no longer get an erection.

He must kill Lu Muchi!

Cheng Jian’s eyes were poisonous and ruthless. Zhao Weifang didn’t dare to look at him and asked in a low voice, “Young Master Cheng, what do we do next?”

Cheng Jian laughed strangely, didn’t speak, and made a call. “Where is Lu Muchi?”

The other side replied, “Not clear… His bodyguards follow him 24 hours a day. We dare not get too close. We lost him from the bar…”

Cheng Jian cursed loudly, hung up the phone, and dialed another number. “Don’t follow Yan Heqing for now. Monitor the Yan family, and give me the information of Yan Heqing’s whole family in an hour!”