Huo Zheng panicked. The coming days were the most critical period. He would only feel at ease if he could keep Lin Xiaowan somewhere safe. If she left and something happened, he was really worried he would not be able to protect her. His temper rose at this moment, and he said in a tone that brooked no arguments, "No. Stay here obediently. You're not allowed to go anywhere."
Huo Zheng's words and tone were really unpleasant to hear. It was like an order.
'Isn't this just like a house arrest?'
Lin Xiaowan glared at him and cursed, "F*ck you! You're violating my personal freedom!"
Huo Zheng lowered his head and apologized to her, but he refused to give in. However, seeing how adamant she was, he compromised reluctantly and told her that he would arrange for fewer people to keep an eye on her.
"Just two. I'll leave two people to watch over you, okay? It's not that I don't allow you to go home. Just wait. When this matter is over, I'll personally send you back."
This was Huo Zheng's bottom line.
After hearing this and venting her anger, Lin Xiaowan finally felt better and had dinner with Huo Zheng.
The meal that was sent over was prepared by the Huo family's chef. Along with it was a chocolate and strawberry cream cake to celebrate Lin Xiaowan's 23rd birthday. The cake was to her liking, and even the candles were in the shape of little animals.
After eating the cake, Lin Xiaowan finally felt better. Her expression eased.
Upon seeing this, Huo Zheng sighed in relief as he thought to himself, 'At least I didn't mess everything up…'
…
Over the next few days, Lin Xiaowan did not make a fuss. After thinking about it, she tried to empathize with Huo Zheng. Perhaps, he really had his reasons for his actions. Hence, she forced herself to stay in the house.
In the afternoon, Lin Xiaowan felt uneasy and kept getting distracted. When she woke up from her nap, she lay on the bed in a daze for a long time. She looked at the calendar and found that there was a week left until the marked date.
She felt restless as though something heavy was weighing her heart down. Not only was she overly anxious, but she also felt like crying. For some inexplicable reason, she really craved the crispy and salty desserts from Huaiyang Bakery at the intersection of Yuhu Northern Road.
Huo Zheng did not say she could not go out. Over the past few days, when she went out to throw the trash, she felt like the gazes on her were not as intense as before. However, they still gave her goosebumps.
In the end, she decided to change her clothes and leave the house.
The high-end neighborhood was far from the heart of the city so it was not easy to get a cab. She stood by the roadside for a while, wondering if she should call for a cab from the app instead when a low-key black Volkswagen pulled to a stop in front of her.
The driver was an ordinary-looking young man. His face was easily forgettable.
"Miss Lin, where are you going?"
Lin Xiaowan clutched her phone tightly and did not dare to speak.
Seeing Lin Xiaowan's wariness and fear, the young man showed his ID and said, "I'm Mr. Huo's man."
At the same time, he dialed Huo Zheng's number. After two rings, the call connected, and the young man handed the phone to Lin Xiaowan.
Lin Xiaowan called out hesitantly, "Hello?"
Huo Zheng's voice rang from the other end of the line.
"You can let him drive you when you go out. Don't talk to strangers. If someone calls you, just ignore them. Understand?"
After that, Huo Zheng asked gently, "Where are you going, Qingqing?"
Lin Xiaowan let down her guard completely when she heard Huo Zheng's voice. She replied, "I want to buy something."
"Why don't you wait at home? I'll get someone to send the things to you?"
"No, I want to buy it myself."
"Alright. Then, go home after you're done shopping?"
"Yes."
"Good."
After the call ended, Lin Xiaowan got into the car and went to Huaiyang Bakery. Apart from the crispy and salty desserts, she also bought 500 grams of walnuts, a date cake, and a coconut cake. Then, she returned home without any incident.
…
Lin Xiaowan ate quite a lot, but her heart still felt empty. She looked at the marked date on the calendar again. In her previous life, her father passed away during this period of time.
Lin Xiaowan did not have many contacts on her phone. Her parents had divorced early and remarried with their own respective families. She was left at her grandparents' house at that time. Her grandmother had a strong preference for boys so she would scold her for everyone to hear. At home, her grandmother would not only scold her, but scold her mother as well; her grandmother would also pick on her. Ever since she was young, she had lived such a life. At first, it was still fine when her grandfather was around. However, when her grandfather passed away when she was in junior high school, the situation worsened.
Lin Xiaowan's father was so focused on his new family that he did not have time to care about her. Moreover, her aunt did not like her. Her aunt would hide all the fruits, vegetables, desserts, and biscuits she bought, and she often did not have food to eat. Apart from paying her school fees, her father had no contact with her at all.
As for Lin Xiaowan's mother, she would give Lin Xiaowan pocket money, but she was very strange. Whenever they met, she would beat, scold, and humiliate Lin Xiaowan. Lin Xiaowan really did not know what her mother was thinking.
When Lin Xiaowan started working part-time in high school, her mother passed away from cancer. Then, when she became an adult, she changed her household register and went to Sheng City University. She had never returned since then.
Her familial ties were not deep. She did not spend much time with her parents and relatives since she was young.
Although she kept telling Huo Zheng she wanted to go home, she actually did not have a home in Beicheng, her hometown. Her situation in Beicheng was even worse than that in Sheng City. At the very least, there was a house under her name in Sheng City. It could be said that Huo Zheng was the only one in her heart.
After filling herself up with snacks and desserts, Lin Xiaowan went to bed. She tossed and turned for a long time but she could not fall asleep. In the end, she found a critically-acclaimed foreign movie to watch.
Halfway through the movie, her phone rang.
Lin Xiaowan usually did not answer calls from unfamiliar numbers, but this number was from Beicheng. An ominous feeling rose in her heart immediately as she tentatively answered the call. She heard the tired voice of a woman. She knew immediately that the other person was Lin Mei, her aunt.
"Lin Xiaowan, come back. Your father won't be able to hold on any longer."
Lin Xiaowan was not shocked. She calmly changed her clothes and went out.
…
Perhaps it was late at night so Huo Zheng's men let down their guard; they did not notice that she had gone out. No one stopped her as she hailed a cab. She bought a train ticket online and easily collected it when she arrived at the train station. No one stopped her at all. For a moment, she could not help but wonder what Huo Zheng meant by 'protection'.
The train was slated to arrive at 2.15 AM. There was still more than half an hour left so Lin Xiaowan continued to watch the unfinished movie on her phone. However, her eyes might be trained on the screen, but her thoughts had already drifted away to the past.
A long time ago, she looked forward to the lunar new year. To be precise, she looked forward to the first seven days of the lunar new year. This was because her stepmother would bring her daughter back to her parent's house during those days, and Lin Xiaowan would have time alone with her father. However, later on, she realized that her father did not care about her at all. Thanks to her disappointment, she gradually lost all expectations.
Thinking about it, she had not seen her father for many years.