Rebirth: A Cinderella's Counterattack

Chapter 183: Chapter 171: Whose Brain-Dead Thug

Luo Shufan had originally planned to take a taxi home, but seeing that their home wasn’t too far away, Luo Qianqian suggested they walk to the bus station and take the bus as it would help digest their meal and they could have some of the dishes Luo’s Mom had prepared at home.

Luo Shufan was speechless at his sister’s suggestion, but his expression soon turned serious — were they being followed?

He had felt this way in the car too; Luo Shufan frowned. Was it possible that not the Luo Family but they themselves were the targets? And this feeling only occurred near Qianqian’s school. Could it be that Qianqian was the target? Luo Shufan’s face darkened. Who had Qianqian offended?

”Hey, you up ahead.” As they approached a residence building with no lights, the person behind them finally spoke up. Luo Shufan clenched his fists, while Luo Qianqian, naive and carefree, continued walking without thinking the person was calling her, since the voice was unfamiliar.

Seeing that the two of them did not respond and continued walking, the person from behind became anxious and ran up, grabbing the siblings.

Seeing the number of their pursuers, Luo Shufan’s face turned pale; there were four. Even if he could take on two at a time, there were still two left, and he wouldn’t be able to protect his sister.

”What do you want?” Luo Qianqian asked with a frown. ”If you’re asking for directions, the police station is ahead, the convenience store is behind you, and the bus station is further on.”

The group was taken aback, staring dumbfounded at Luo Qianqian. Was she really that clueless? ”Brother is a bit strapped for cash, lend us some money to spend,” said one of them, as he revealed a knife in his hand.

Luo Qianqian looked at them in surprise; she really hadn’t expected anyone to make a move on them, especially given the protection of the Luo Family and Bai Yixian. How could such an incident take place?

Luo Qianqian pretended to cooperate and took her backpack off, holding it in front of her as she rummaged through it, saying, ”Hold on a moment, let me check.” But she actually took her phone out and slipped it into her sleeve. Bai Yixian was her emergency contact, and she could dial his number by pressing and holding it.

”I only have three yuan. Not enough for you guys to split, huh?” Luo Qianqian said awkwardly as she held out three coins with her other hand. Money — she definitely had it, but to just give it away? Impossible.

”Three yuan is for beggars?” The leader scoffed.

”Coming to two students for money, getting three yuan is already not bad. What if tomorrow we don’t even have three yuan?” Luo Qianqian said earnestly, though it was too dark to see the reaction on their faces.

”Boss, there’s light in the backpack!” one of the men pointed out, focusing on Luo Qianqian’s backpack. Luo Qianqian was startled. Despite her sleeve blocking it, the faint glow was still visible due to the darkness. Luo Shufan gritted his teeth, holding the steel pen he had surreptitiously taken out. After all, it was the sturdiest thing he had; his mediocre Taekwondo skills and the half-baked military boxing he had learned in the army camp gave him no confidence against so many people, to say nothing of protecting his sister from harm.

”Did you call the police?” the leader pressed, advancing towards Luo Qianqian. ”And a phone, you seem pretty well-off.”

Luo Shufan quickly placed his sister behind him; their expressions were invisible in the darkness, but Luo Qianqian could feel her brother trembling. Was it fear?

”Right, I called the police; they’ll be here any moment now!” Luo Qianqian retorted, tugging tighter on her brother’s sleeve.

”Heh, think we’re fools?” the leader scoffed twice. ”You didn’t give an address; how will the police know where we are?”

Luo Qianqian was stunned, then shouted, ”Aren’t we right near the Bus No. 10 station, in front of the private dining restaurant in the residential area?”

Luo Shufan grabbed his sister. ”What do you guys want?”

Going after two students for money wouldn’t make sense, given their modest appearance and the fact that they had been followed from the school gate. Thinking of the potential danger lurking around his sister, Luo Shufan felt like hitting someone.

”Just wanted to borrow some cash to use,” the leader replied, startled, but quickly composed himself.

”Who sent you?” Luo Shufan continued to press.

The leader was shocked and quickly denied, ”Borrowing cash needs someone to send us? We decided it was you when we saw you.”

Looking at the dagger flashing cold light in that person’s hand, Luo Qianqian furrowed her brow, feeling the words Luo Shufan was writing in her palm, her frown deepened: When I say run, you run.

”Run!” Luo Shufan let go of his sister’s hand, pushed her away, and blocked the steps of those trying to approach.

”Help, help, help!!!” Luo Qianqian shouted as she ran forward, hoping that if even one person came out, her brother would be in less danger.

Seeing a figure, Luo Qianqian threw herself towards it, crying a mix of snot and tears: ”Help, there’s someone with a knife robbing over there!!!” The passer-by, startled by Luo Qianqian’s face, quickly ran towards the direction she indicated.

Luo Qianqian breathed a sigh of relief when she saw someone going to help, then took out her cellphone from her sleeve, only to discover that her call hadn’t gone through. When she tried again, she heard the dead tone on the other end and was stunned. Then thinking of Luo Shufan, she quickly called the police, gave them the time and location, mentioned there were a few people opposite, and hurried back to where her brother was.

When she returned to her brother, she was dumbstruck. The injured person was the one who had just run over to help her brother, squatting on the ground under the dim streetlight, unable to see his face clearly, but she could hear his gasping breath, apparently wounded. What was going on with the several figures lying on the ground???

”Brother, what happened?” Luo Qianqian grabbed Luo Shufan’s hand and asked quietly.

”Why did you come back?” Luo Shufan hugged his sister tightly, then said, ”Quick, call 120, this... brother seems to be injured.” On the dimly lit street, they could only make out his figure, his age and other details were impossible to discern, and the only sounds he had heard were grunts and monosyllables of pain.

Luo Qianqian quickly dialed on her phone, then used the weak light from the phone screen to illuminate the hero who had saved her brother: ”Are you alright, where are you hurt? Can you stand up?” The injured man looked up towards the weak light and smiled at Luo Qianqian.

”Lin Jiayou! Brother, it’s Lin Jiayou... Brother, it’s Uncle Lin’s elder son!!!” Luo Qianqian was shocked, no wonder he came over directly instead of running away.

”Lin Jiayou?” The groaning person on the ground asked in alarm, ”You’re Lin Jiayou? We are Brother Tiger’s underlings!”

”Hmph.” Lin Jiayou said coldly to the people on the ground, ”These two are my younger siblings, family!” Then he spat on the ground, ”Damn mentally challenged, doesn’t Brother Tiger have any sense? These are Luo Qianqian and Luo Shufan, yet you dare to lay a hand on them? Not afraid of getting locked up? A bunch of idiots!”

”Luo Qianqian? Luo Shufan?” The people on the ground were stunned, then said in a tone of fear, ”You mean the siblings protected by Elder Bai?”

”You dare to make a move without even knowing who they are?” Lin Jiayou said coldly, standing up.

”We were paid to make this young lady suffer a bit, to strip her clothes and take a couple of photos, we didn’t know who she was called, they just told us to look for a girl in a school uniform, carrying a backpack, and with a ponytail, coming out of a private kitchen.” The person on the ground climbed up, speaking painfully, ”Brother Lin, could you please plead for us?”

”Paid? By whom?” Luo Shufan grabbed the collar of the person on the ground angrily.

”It was arranged over the phone, we don’t know the name.” Feeling his collar tightening, he hurriedly added, ”But we have the phone number, we’ve also seen the person, also wearing First Middle School’s uniform.”

”Figure it out clearly, get lost! If I don’t see you at Brother Tiger’s place tomorrow, you know the consequences,” Lin Jiayou snorted coldly, ”The police are almost here, get lost!”

Several people helped each other up and walked away, leaving Luo Shufan somewhat puzzled, ”Why let them go?”

”Better to leave these matters to the police; even if they’re minors, it would only result in a warning. It’s better to let them face their own karmic retribution,” Lin Jiayou finished speaking just as the sounds of the police and ambulance sirens filled the air, and Luo Qianqian nodded to her brother under the flashing police lights.

”We don’t know anything,” Luo Qianqian whispered, then supported Lin Jiayou, who, given his height, was more like a human walking stick than a helper.

Once they were on the ambulance, Luo Qianqian called Luo’s Mom, briefly explained the situation, mentioned that Lin Jiayou was going to the hospital because he had gotten injured saving them, then hung up after stating which hospital.

”Young miss, what happened, do you remember?” The police officer, who had followed them onto the ambulance, looked anxiously at Lin Jiayou’s wounded stomach and the cuts on his arm.

”I called the police; my brother and I were walking home after dinner, then those guys came up from behind, asking for money. I gave them three dollars, and they said they were only begging, wuwuwu, then my brother told me to run. I saw the big brother along the way and asked him for help, then he went over, and by the time I got there, big brother had already collapsed on the road, wuwu, it was too dark, I didn’t know where to run, wuwu, brother, I’m scared,” she said, burying herself in Luo Shufan’s arms and crying, terrified by the sight of Lin Jiayou’s wounds, the blood she saw, imagining the pain if it were on her own body.