"If that was what I said, I apologize," Jin Mo replied without lifting her head.
Seeing no reaction from her, Jiang Wei felt like she had punched cotton.
"I'm warning you, Tang Yan is mine—don't do anything to disgrace yourself," Jiang Wei thought she was giving a kindly reminder to spare Jin Mo some embarrassment.
"Thank you for the reminder, Miss Jiang."
Not until the sun was nearly setting did Jin Mo finally board the subway to go home—it was rush hour, and after managing to squeeze onto the train, she found a corner to lean on and gradually closed her eyes.
In those days at Renhe Middle School, every morning the school entrance was like a luxury car exhibition, but no one could compare to Jin Mo; she never rode the same car twice in a week, and each was worth over a million.
But now, Jin Mo could only squeeze onto subways and buses like average people, not even indulging in a taxi.
Jin Mo dragged her tired body home, but upon reaching the corner, she saw several men loitering downstairs, holding sticks, with sleeve tattoos on their arms.
She had been experiencing such scenes since she was fifteen. Back then she was young and took a huge blow, only knowing to hide behind her grandparents and watch as those people emptied out their home.
They cursed and smashed things, showing no mercy.
Her grandfather had pawned everything valuable in the house for the debt, but it was still not enough. After he passed away, her grandmother took her to hide in a house in the Old City.
But in the end… they couldn't escape.
"Search every house—I refuse to believe we can't find them!" the man with the scar on his face waved his hand, ready to rush in.
Jin Mo could have stayed outside and not returned home, but her grandmother was still at home, so she took a deep breath and braced herself to go up.
"Wait!"
The man with the scar turned around, his fierce eyes glaring at Jin Mo: "Little girl! I've been looking for you for a long time! Cut the crap and repay the money!"
"I don't have any money," Jin Mo said truthfully.
Her current salary was 4500 a month. To dress appropriately for work, after her regular expenses, she had virtually nothing left over in this city.
"We brothers have been chasing you down for your debt across half of Ningjiang, finally catching you. If you don't repay today, I'll sell you to cover the debt!" the man with the scar reached out and grabbed Jin Mo's collar.
Jin Mo silently struggled, feeling as though she'd plunged into an ice cellar.
Was she finally unable to escape her fate today?
If falling from grace could ensure her grandmother's safety, maybe she wouldn't resist; she gradually let her hands fall, allowing the man with the scar to drag her towards the car.
"Let her go!"
Jin Mo looked up, seeing a black Porsche parked not far away, its headlights glaring, as a man walked toward them from the light, his appearance unclear but his tall and straight figure evident.
"Who are you, kid? Trying to play hero?" the man with the scar drew an iron rod from his waist.
These debt collectors carried iron rods which were supposed to incapacitate without causing a fatality, allowing them to instantly disable someone.
As the man slowly approached, Jin Mo finally saw his face, which she had just seen on television today, yet it felt somewhat unfamiliar.
Chi Ran calmly took out a business card from his chest pocket, held it between two fingers, and extended it toward the man with the scar: "This is my business card."
The man with the scar took it, a glint flashing in his eyes: "Mr. Chi, you're so wealthy, helping your girlfriend repay some money shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Chi Ran's face remained calm, his voice smooth: "My phone number is on the card. I will repay the money tomorrow."
The man with the scar sized up Chi Ran's clothes and the luxury car behind him, and, confirming his ability to repay the money, signaled his companions to let Jin Mo go.