Fu Xiaoya chuckled, "If everything can be forgiven with an apology, why would we need the police?"
Lin Meimei froze at these words, too frightened to move, and anxiously asked, "What do you want? What are you planning to do?"
Fu Xiaoya put on gloves and retrieved a small nail tweezer from the car.
Lin Meimei tried to get out of the car, but Fu Xiaoya had locked it, and no matter how she struggled, she couldn't open the doors. She could only watch in terror as Fu Xiaoya approached closer and closer, saying, "What are you going to do? What are you planning..."
Fu Xiaoya grabbed hold of Lin Meimei's hand and bound it tightly, tying a knot. No matter how Lin Meimei struggled, the knot only tightened, causing her wrist to throb with excruciating pain.
Lin Meimei looked at Fu Xiaoya in despair, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably.
Using the small nail tweezer, Fu Xiaoya lightly traced over Lin Meimei's nails and softly asked, "How many times did these hands of yours point at me today?"
Lin Meimei shook her head vigorously, too frightened to make a sound.
"Twice? Or three times?" Fu Xiaoya murmured to herself, finally stopping the tweezer at Lin Meimei's ring finger. "Let's start with this finger then. These beautiful nails would make a splendid specimen when peeled off."
The tone was filled with a sinister quality that instilled a sense of dread in anyone who listened.
"No, please! I beg you, don't touch me, please!" Lin Meimei completely broke down, her voice becoming shrill.
"Hush." Fu Xiaoya gently patted Lin Meimei, comforting her. "Don't be afraid."
This was just the beginning; there were even more dreadful things to come.
Lin Meimei curled up in fear, unable to utter a word.
Fu Xiaoya pointed to a distance and spoke in a gentle voice, "Do you see over there? There's a small ditch. In a moment..." Before she could finish her sentence, Fu Xiaoya's phone rang. It was a call from Qin Huaichen.
Fu Xiaoya found a piece of cloth from the car and stuffed it into Lin Meimei's mouth, whispering, "Don't make a sound, or else the consequences will be terrifying."
Lin Meimei nodded desperately. She was too terrified...
Fu Xiaoya pressed the answer button on her phone and asked, "What's the matter?" Her voice and tone sounded normal.
Qin Huaichen's voice came through the other end, gentle and concerned, "Where are you? Is everything okay? Auntie asked me to call you."
Fu Xiaoya looked around and didn't notice anything unusual. She breathed a sigh of relief and replied to Qin Huaichen, "It's nothing. Just shopping. I'll be back soon."
Meanwhile, Lin Meimei had been crouching for a long time, and her body began to feel numb. She couldn't control herself and slid down, finally landing on the seat with a loud thud.
Qin Huaichen asked, "What was that sound?"
Lin Meimei endured the pain and vigorously shook her head, her eyes pleading with desperation. She wanted to convey that it was unintentional, that she truly didn't mean to cause any harm.
Fu Xiaoya's gaze turned cold. She touched Lin Meimei's cheek and smiled as she replied, "It's nothing. Just a playful stray cat causing some trouble."
Unbeknownst to Fu Xiaoya, Qin Huaichen was actually not far away from her, just outside her line of sight. However, he pretended not to know anything and asked casually, "Really? Then keep your distance so you won't get scratched by a cat."
"Don't worry, I will," Fu Xiaoya replied, playfully adding, "Alright, I see an ice cream vendor. I'm going to buy an ice cream. Let's talk later."
"Sure, I'll treat you. I have a surprise for you when we meet." After finishing her sentence, Fu Xiaoya couldn't help but glance outside the car window once again, but there was nothing to be seen.
Just as Fu Xiaoya was about to hang up the phone, Qin Huaichen suddenly asked, "Xiaoya, you're a cool-headed person, right?"
Fu Xiaoya paused, her voice becoming tense. "What do you know?"
Qin Huaichen replied, "I know nothing if you don't want me to know."
Fu Xiaoya didn't know how to respond, so she asked back, "How did you find out? Are you nearby?"
Qin Huaichen made a sound of acknowledgment and asked, "Are you smoking?"
Fu Xiaoya suddenly understood that the burning cigarette had exposed her. Whenever she was in a bad mood or couldn't control her emotions, she would smoke.
Clearing her throat, Fu Xiaoya asked, "In that case, do you believe that I still possess a kind-hearted nature with a touch of assertiveness?" She wanted to know Qin Huaichen's answer, yet she was also afraid to hear it.
Qin Huaichen replied, "Sometimes, it's necessary to fight back in order to protect ourselves. However, we must always remain true to our moral boundaries. While we strive for freedom, it's crucial to remember that excessive freedom can lead to the loss of freedom for everyone."
It was a statement with complex meaning, but Fu Xiaoya surprisingly understood it.