Su Qing glanced at Brother Ming and said softly, "She’s my cousin."

"Well now, you’re relatives," Brother Sheng remarked, raising an eyebrow. He glanced at Su Tao, then back at Brother Ming.

"We may be related, but there’s bad blood between us," Su Tao said, her brow furrowed in a slight, pitiful frown.

Over the past few days, Su Tao had been working hard to flatter and charm Brother Ming, and he was completely smitten. Hearing her words, his voice turned cold. "Bad blood? Did she bully you? What’s the story?"

"Brother Ming, you know my story," Su Tao said softly, pursing her lips. "The only reason my family sold me to that idiot is because Su Qing was pulling strings behind the scenes. If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t be wanted by the police, forced to flee deep into the mountains."

After she finished, Su Tao gave Brother Ming a look full of affection, her voice turning sweet and delicate. "But... I guess there is one thing I should thank her for. If I hadn’t fled into the mountains, I never would have met you, Brother Ming."

Brother Ming’s heart swelled with delight at Su Tao’s adoring, coquettish gaze. He immediately pulled her into his arms. "Taotao, don’t you worry. I’ll get revenge for you."

With that, Brother Ming turned to Lu Zi and said, "Pass down the order. Find a time to clean Su Qing out of all her money, then find a chance to teach her a good lesson."

Brother Sheng frowned. "That’s not wise. It’s only five hundred yuan, and the police are looking for us. Don’t let this end up backfiring."

Brother Ming said to Brother Sheng, "Brother Sheng, it’s not like we’re going ourselves. We’ll just have a few of the guys go over at night. Besides, she’s just one little girl. What kind of trouble can she cause? Are you saying a few grown men can’t handle her? As long as they don’t leave any trace leading back to us, we’ll be fine."

Seeing Brother Sheng still hesitating, he pressed on, "Brother Sheng, five hundred yuan may not be much in Xiangcheng, but out here, it can buy plenty on the black market. It’s free for the taking. Isn’t that tempting?"

Listening from the side, Su Tao was secretly overjoyed. ’Today, I finally know where these people come from.’

’Xiangcheng!’

’Although she’d never heard of this place, judging by Brother Sheng and Brother Ming’s tone, five hundred yuan was nothing in Xiangcheng. In that case, wouldn’t Xiangcheng be a place where the streets were paved with gold, where you could just pick up money off the ground?’

’At the thought, Su Tao’s heart pounded with excitement. She wanted to go to Xiangcheng. One day, she *had* to go to Xiangcheng. She had to see this city paved with gold for herself!’

Brother Sheng frowned but didn’t say anything.

Brother Ming said hurriedly, "Brother Sheng, don’t worry. Even if they botch the job, it won’t be connected to us. They don’t know our location, so what is there to fear?"

"No." Brother Sheng thought for a moment before refusing again. "This isn’t right. Drop it. I don’t agree."

"Brother Sheng!" Brother Ming still wanted to say more.

Brother Sheng shot to his feet. "I said, I do not agree to this."

With that, he turned and left.

Brother Ming watched Brother Sheng’s departing back, his expression dark. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Su Tao, watching from the side, lowered her head slightly. When she felt Brother Ming’s gaze shift to her, she gently lifted her head and said, "It’s alright, Brother Ming. Brother Sheng has a point. There’s no need to take such a risk just for me."

Originally, seeing Brother Sheng’s firm disagreement, Brother Ming had been ready to drop the matter. But now, seeing Su Tao’s aggrieved expression as she suppressed her own feelings to persuade him to consider the bigger picture, he was instantly fired up again. He turned to Lu Zi and said, "Do as I told you. Remind the men to be quiet and not alert anyone else. Once you get the money, just keep it and split it amongst the brothers. There’s no need to mention this to Brother Sheng."

’Five hundred yuan wasn’t a big deal to Brother Ming. In Xiangcheng, it was just an ordinary person’s monthly wage. What he was fighting for now was a matter of pride. He couldn’t let his woman think he was a spineless wimp who had to obey Brother Sheng in everything.’

"Ah, Brother Ming, are you sure we shouldn’t tell Brother Sheng?" Lu Zi asked hurriedly.

"What? In your eyes, is there only Brother Sheng and not me?" ’This was another point of anger for Brother Ming. When he and Brother Sheng were first dispatched here, the agreement was for each to lead their own team. But somehow, Brother Sheng had maneuvered things to end up a rank above him. Now, he didn’t just call him A Ming, he even berated him like he was scolding his own grandson.’

’Back in Xiangcheng, their statuses had been nearly identical.’

’Brother Ming had been dissatisfied with this situation for a very long time.’

"Ah, no, no, that’s not it," Lu Zi said quickly, seeing that Brother Ming was angry.

"Hmph. Good that it’s not. Remember, don’t let Brother Sheng find out. As for that five hundred yuan, you guys can just split it yourselves," Brother Ming said flatly.

"Yes, sir, understood." Lu Zi nodded eagerly, shot a quick, furtive glance at Su Tao, and then hurried away.

「Two nights later.」

Three men stealthily slipped into Lihua Village, heading with clear purpose toward Su Qing’s house.

The moment the three men climbed over the wall into her courtyard, Su Qing woke up. She narrowed her eyes, looking toward the door. Through the eyes of the climbing vines in her yard, she saw three unfamiliar men.

Su Qing couldn’t help but frown. ’Seems I’m quite the popular target. First Liang Fushan a few days ago, and now three strangers today. Do they all think I’m a pushover?’

"Shh, quiet down." Outside, the three men had crept silently to the door of the house. One of them whispered, "Remember, once we get in, subdue her first. Then we can deal with the rest."

"Got it," the other two hurriedly agreed.

The door was quietly pried open. Su Qing watched as three shadowy figures fumbled their way into the house in the dark, heading straight for her room. She narrowed her eyes. ’Looks like they gathered some intel in advance.’

Upon entering the room, the three men saw the dark shape on the bed. Without a word, they moved toward it in perfect sync. Su Qing watched coldly as the three figures lunged, and she quietly released a bit of gray mist. A moment later, the men’s eyes rolled back, and they collapsed to the floor with a THUD, unconscious.

With the three men down, Su Qing rose unhurriedly and lit her oil lamp. She then got some rope and tied them up tightly. After that, she found a needle and viciously jabbed each of them in the philtrum.

"AAGH—" The sharp pain instantly jolted the three men awake. The moment they opened their eyes, they discovered they were tied up securely, completely unable to struggle free.

They looked up to see Su Qing watching them with a cold gaze. The room was dimly lit by a single oil lamp. Su Qing sat beside it, and in the flickering light, the scar on her left cheek looked all the more terrifying, casting an eerie pall over the room.

"AHH—" the three men cried out, clearly terrified by the sight of her.

Su Qing narrowed her eyes at the three men and spoke in a cold voice, "Talk. Who are you, and what did you come to my house to do tonight? Tell me the truth, and I won’t make things difficult. But if you lie, I’ll show you what it means to wish you were dead."