Chapter 176: Receiving Help

‘Cold…’

As soon as she stepped out of the room, the howling wind outside gave Ye Xingmian a rude awakening. She couldn’t help but shrink her neck, curl up, and carefully look around.

Because it was winter, this urban village usually had no one wandering the streets. But it was the weekend after all, and if possible, Ye Xingmian didn’t want anyone to see her in this disheveled state.

Wearing such revealing clothes in such cold weather, she was a pretty girl no matter how you looked at her, and it was hard to guarantee that no one would have any ill intentions toward her…

Outside the alley was an empty road, flanked by two-story gray buildings on both sides. The sky was gray, shrouded by a layer of dark clouds.

She said she wanted to leave, but it was too cold to move at all. Ye Xingmian hid by the door, curling up and shivering.

In such conditions, perhaps within ten minutes, her body would be frozen stiff, wouldn’t it?

‘I must find a place… find a place to shelter from the wind… Otherwise, I’ll die…’

Thinking this, Ye Xingmian looked back at the Lin family’s door. From a moment ago, footsteps had been sounding from the first floor. Had her foster parents come downstairs?

‘Should I go in now, beg for forgiveness, ask for a coat, rest a bit before leaving…?’

However, it was just a thought; Ye Xingmian ultimately did not go in. Perhaps she was worried she’d get beaten if she went back? Or simply felt too ashamed? She didn’t know.

Only, after cutting off the path of returning, for her, there was only one place left. Originally she had gone to visit someone else, but it turned into her begging for shelter.

She had clearly said she would go visit her, but in the end, she couldn’t even visit; instead, she had become the one begging for shelter.

‘But… if I don’t want to die… there’s no other choice. Go, go find her. Anyway, we agreed yesterday. Speaking of which, this is really pathetic… I just hope she won’t despise me or find me troublesome… Hopefully… As expected, I ended up causing more trouble again.’

Stepping onto the street alone, the thin one-piece dress provided negligible protection to her cold body. Ye Xingmian only felt cold, cold to the point of suffocation.

Every time the wind blew, she couldn’t bear it and had to find a place to hide. When the wind passed, she would huddle and move forward again.

Not long after, her hands and feet were frozen stiff, almost losing sensation. The world before her eyes seemed covered in frost, and her consciousness was somewhat hazy. This feeling reminded Ye Xingmian of that snowy night. But there were still some differences after all.

For example, back then the sky was dark, and she was wrapped in thick clothes; though cold, she could still endure.

But now, the sky was white, people gradually appeared around her, and the cold on her body grew deeper; she couldn’t endure it much longer.

Because of the cold weather, most passersby were in a hurry.

But when people passed her, they would always slow down, glance at her with strange looks, yet not offer a helping hand; they just whispered to each other and left. Perhaps in their eyes, she was just doing something strange?

Ye Xingmian felt very ashamed, especially when those probing gazes fell on her. But she really did need help; if someone could hand her a coat, she would be endlessly grateful.

What a pity that the timid her didn’t dare to ask for help. Ye Xingmian didn’t dare raise her head; she was afraid that if she did, she would see some strange person staring at her, or perhaps someone she knew.

After freezing herself and gradually walking into a bustling area, the number of people increased. Until a taxi pulled up next to her.

She didn’t notice at first, until the driver of the car beside her stuck his head out the window and shouted to her.

“Hey, miss, where are you going? Want a ride?”

The taxi driver, from the looks of him, was a kind-faced middle-aged uncle, wearing a pair of cool sunglasses. For some reason, Ye Xingmian inexplicably felt he looked a bit familiar, and his voice was also somewhat familiar, but she couldn’t remember who he resembled.

Only then did she dazedly raise her head, seeing the driver staring at her, and realized he was talking to her.

“Are you talking to me…”

Ye Xingmian hesitated for a moment, pointing at herself. Her voice was a bit weak, though she didn’t notice it herself.

“That’s right, who else? On this street, you’re the only one wearing a skirt.”

Ye Xingmian couldn’t help lowering her head.

“Thank you… but no need, I don’t have money…”

“No need for money, uncle will give you a free ride, as long as it’s not too far.”

“Eh?!”

Ye Xingmian jerked her head up, her gaze somewhat surprised, but she quickly thought of something and immediately shook her head warily in refusal.

“No… no… I’ll just walk there myself…”

She took half a step back, but this only drew the taxi driver’s laughter.

“Hahaha, miss, are you taking me for a human trafficker? Fine, here are my taxi permit, driver’s license, and ID. Uncle isn’t lying to you. Get in quickly.”

“This…”

The other’s hearty laughter made Ye Xingmian a bit embarrassed.

“Alright… alright… thank you, uncle.”

After closing the door, the cold world outside seemed temporarily irrelevant to her. This car seemed quite new; the interior had no signs of wear and no dirt, and there was no strange smell inside.

With the air conditioner on, warm air blew on her, and her hands and feet gradually felt a tingling sensation; her body was warm, feeling very comfortable.

“Miss, where to?”

The passenger seat and driver’s seat were separated by several iron bars, and such cars usually had location trackers and such; Ye Xingmian’s doubts were basically dispelled. But… where to go, she really wasn’t sure.

‘What was the name of the residential complex where Liu Yinuo’s home was? It was clearly written at the entrance, right? Why can’t I remember?’

“Um… well… I’ll give you directions.”

“Alright, which way first?”

“Just go straight, and turn left at the second intersection.”

The car started, and Ye Xingmian was grateful that she still remembered the way. She never expected to receive help from a kind person; this path suddenly became less unbearable.

Ye Xingmian couldn’t help but secretly curl up a smile, but after smiling, that look of worry quickly returned to her face. Nothing had changed; she was still that cowardly and timid person. It was just that the environment had changed a bit.

Would Liu Yinuo take her in? Probably… But it might not be up to her; she still had to get past her parents… Afterwards…

‘Where should I go from here?’

Ye Xingmian gradually felt a bit lost. Sitting in the seat in a daze, she suddenly frowned and covered her lower abdomen.

‘Strange… How does it feel… Stomach… A bit painful?’

It seemed to have been a bit uncomfortable yesterday, but after that, she didn’t feel anything. Now it suddenly started hurting again; was it because of the wind just now?

The pain grew stronger and stronger; Ye Xingmian’s brows were tightly knit, and her face alternated between pale and ashen. She tried to appear calm, not letting others notice anything unusual.

“Miss, are you feeling unwell somewhere?”

A questioning voice came from the front, and Ye Xingmian quickly shook her head.

“I’m fine.”