Chapter 909: Chapter 889: No Man Would Refuse a Plaything
My brother was shot sixteen times during that police raid.
What does getting shot sixteen times mean? It’s like being turned into a living beehive.
She would never forget the sight of her brother, covered in blood, being carried back by Uncle Mike and a group of subordinates. His body was riddled with bullet holes, barely clinging to life, yet he still reached out to her with a weak smile, saying, "Don’t be scared, Yongyong..."
The terror and panic in her heart nearly broke the thirteen-year-old girl.
Though she had always known that the Longding Society was an organization at odds with the law, that most of her brother’s business dealings skirted ethical lines, predestined to walk a path of danger where death was always a possibility... seeing the person she loved most on the brink of death in front of her, she still cried with hatred and cursed the police officers who had shot her brother.
What she hadn’t expected was that the mastermind behind it all... was him.
Later, her brother survived, but he was no longer the spirited man who could laugh heartily and lift her effortlessly with one arm.
Many of his vital organs were irreparably damaged. The injuries left him with a weakened immune system; he fell ill often, grew frail rapidly, and required continuous medication and periodic oxygen treatments just to handle the affairs of the society.
Before turning thirteen, she despised being seen as a Mafia gang heiress and had even fantasized about leaving the organization when she came of age to live an ordinary life like other girls.
But her brother’s collapse extinguished all the youthful dreams she once clung to.
She couldn’t leave her brother to bear it all alone.
She could only shoulder part of the society’s burdens with him, and perhaps, one day, even take his place entirely.
How utterly ridiculous.
The root of it all... was Nie Yixiao.
Her trembling voice barely held steady: "You’re saying this on purpose because my brother doesn’t approve of you being with me, aren’t you?"
"If you’re willing, it’s easy enough for you to look into it," he replied coldly.
She said no more, her silence growing eerily unnerving.
Nie Yixiao had never seen such emptiness in Qiao Yongyong’s eyes, as though her soul had been drained away.
Perhaps, from this moment on, he had become the devil in her heart.
If that were the case, he might as well be even more ruthless, breaking her heart completely.
A glint of something unfathomable flashed in his eyes as he leaned down toward her, smirking with cruelty: "You can leave, of course. Or you can stay here with me, for free, as my bed warmer. I don’t mind. After all, no man would reject a toy that willingly delivers itself. Anyway, you and I, on the bed... we get along quite well, don’t we?"
"Smack!" A sharp slap rang out, landing squarely on the man’s face!
Her eyes were red as she stared intently at Nie Yixiao.
He touched his now-swollen cheek, the corners of his thin lips curling upward in disdain. Spitting out a mouthful of blood, his expression remained frivolous and unrepentant.
Uncle Mike had already rolled up his sleeves, throwing a heavy punch toward Nie Yixiao: "How dare you treat our miss as a plaything—"
Nie Yixiao grabbed Mike’s incoming fist with a backward grip and coldly shoved it aside, mocking, "From the beginning to the end, it was your miss who insisted on throwing herself at me."
Qiao Yongyong’s face only grew paler, but her gaze became icy.
Mike was furious beyond words.
The entire society treated their miss like a precious gem, yet this man treated her like garbage.
If their miss gave the word, he wouldn’t hesitate to take Nie Yixiao down!
"Let’s go." After a long while, Qiao Yongyong finally spoke softly, turning away without giving Nie Yixiao another glance.
"Miss, are you just going to let him off like that? He insulted you—"
Qiao Yongyong halted her steps, turned back slowly, and said coldly, "He saved my life once. Consider it repaid. From today onward, we owe each other nothing."
After a pause, her beautiful eyes turned sharp as a blade, locking onto Nie Yixiao. "Never let me see you again. Or I can’t guarantee I won’t take revenge for my brother."
Only then did Mike swallow his anger, stepping forward to drape his coat over her shoulders: "Miss, the car is over there."
Qiao Yongyong numbly climbed into a Longding Society car.
Mike followed her in soon after.
Under the blurry moonlight, the engine roared to life, and the car drove away from the apartment.
Bit by bit, it faded from sight.
With this departure, perhaps she had left his life for good.
This farewell might as well be final, with no promise of reunion.
She was like a rose that only bloomed at night—radiant for a moment, but ultimately extinguished in his life.
He had always loathed her persistence, always waited for this moment to arrive. Now, that brazen and clingy woman had finally left, and there was no chance she’d come looking for him again. He tugged at the corner of his mouth, wanting to smile, but found he couldn’t.
After some time, he touched his swollen cheek where she had slapped him.
He hadn’t felt much earlier, but now it stung like hell when he pressed against it.
Frowning deeply, he returned to the apartment.
...
As soon as he stepped inside, Aunt Yue noticed he was alone without Qiao Yongyong. She even went outside to check the surroundings, thinking Ms. Qiao might be trailing behind, only to hear his calm voice: "She’s gone. Don’t bother looking."
"...What? Why would Ms. Qiao leave in the middle of the night?" Aunt Yue was stunned.
Wasn’t she perfectly fine staying here? Just earlier today, Ms. Qiao’s smile had been sweet enough to melt hearts, and Mr. Nie even took her shopping. How did she end up leaving so suddenly?
"Clean up her room. Throw away the clothes and daily necessities she bought the past couple of days," he ordered.
"What? Even those new purchases from today?" Aunt Yue immediately understood—they must have had a big falling-out, and it was no small matter.
She had thought, finally, there was a girl who could replace Ms. Chu in Mr. Nie’s heart, and even felt happy for him.
How did things spiral out of control in the blink of an eye?
Aunt Yue couldn’t help but sigh softly, murmuring, "What a shame."
A shame?
No, it wasn’t a shame.
His and her meeting had been a ridiculous joke from the start.
After learning he had orchestrated the police ambush that had left Qiao Zonghan on the brink of death, he should’ve immediately distanced himself, abandoning the task of protecting Qiao Yongyong and avoiding all contact with her.
But it wasn’t too late now.
With things as they were, he could just pretend that girl had never existed in his life.
"Throw everything away," Nie Yixiao repeated, his tone heavier.
With that, he strode back to his bedroom and slammed the door shut with a resounding bang.
——————
That night, Qiao Yongyong stayed at a hotel Uncle Mike had booked for her.
The next day, accompanied by Mike, she returned to Disheng, packed up her belongings, informed Huo Zhenyang of her departure, and decisively led the Longding Society members away from Yunling, heading back to Mexico.
As an honored guest, Huo Zhenyang personally went to see her off.
Jiayi also accompanied them to the airport.
She had initially wanted to ask Qiao Yongyong what had happened between her and Brother Yixiao, but it was apparent that Qiao Yongyong wasn’t in the mood to talk. Before boarding, she wore an oversized pair of black sunglasses, a red-brown leather jacket with a long skirt, and small boots. Quiet and composed, she sat silently on a bench in the waiting lounge.
The large sunglasses obscured half of her face, leaving her thoughts and expressions unreadable.
