Redeeming Love

Chapter 9 Tanghai Coming...

I felt a sudden buzzing in my ears, and all the blood in my body surged upward.

Somehow, I found the strength to push the woman away and snatch my phone back from her.

But she had already revealed our location and was shouting for Tang Hai to come and get us.

Beep, beep, beep—

Tang Hai hung up the phone.

I tried calling again, but he didn't answer.

My fingers were twisting the hem of my shirt so hard it was about to tear, and my hands and feet were slowly going cold.

Rain started pouring outside, pedestrians hurried past, and I leaned my head against the glass, feeling colder inside than the glass.

Xing Qing was still crying and talking to the couple, but I couldn't hear anything anymore.

How would Tang Hai see me?

Would he think I was a bad girl?

Would he push me away, ignore me, and curse me with vicious words as my mother did?

Just imagining it made my heart ache terribly.

With a bang, the door was pushed open, and the bitterly cold wind rushed in. I looked up.

Tang Hai strode in, wearing a pure black suit, but both his shoulders were wet, and there were traces of rain in his hair.

It was supposed to be a very precious fabric, but it was soaked.

He looked very indifferent, emitting an aura of "don't come near me."

I timidly called out, "Uncle."

Tang Hai looked at me but didn't say anything.

Suddenly, my eyes turned red, but I remembered to explain, "It's not like what she said, I didn't…"

He saw that I had no injuries on my face and seemed to relax, bending over and running his thumb over my eyes, deliberately slowing down his voice, "I know, you're a good girl."

Tears fell, and I frantically wiped them away.

The woman spoke up again, "Since you're the parent, then pay us back the money you owe, 50,000 yuan, not a penny less."

Tang Hai ignored her and just looked around the room.

Swollen-faced Xing Qing, the man smoking with his head down, the arrogant woman...

I don't know what he was thinking, but when he spoke, he seemed very calm.

"You say you owe money. Where's the IOU?"

Xing Qing and I secretly looked at each other, both relieved that we hadn't signed that blank IOU.

The woman was stunned for a moment, then took out a stack of photos from her bag, "Anyway, it's not my husband who's ashamed, it's that slut. You don't have to give them to me, just wait for me to post them all over the school!"

Tang Hai didn't even look at the photo, but said coldly, "You can try it. You have violated citizens' right to privacy, and your husband is suspected of raping minors. It's a good thing that both of you and your husband are in trouble."

The woman immediately went crazy: "Who do you say got into the game? Who raped you? What evidence do you have?"

As she spoke, she rushed forward and grabbed the conference pass hanging from Tang Hai's chest. "Fluid Mechanics Conference... Tang Hai...that's your name, right? I'll go to your workplace and make sure everyone there knows. You, little uncle, what a load of crap! I bet you're that little prostitute's sugar daddy!"

My blood felt like it was pounding against my eardrums, and my heart seemed to have stopped as I looked toward Tang Hai. He didn't react to her description at all, only furrowed his brows and took off the conference pass before throwing it in front of her. The passer made a sharp sound as it fell and slid away from her.

Tang Hai loosened his tie and looked at her mockingly. "Here you go, it's all yours now."

The woman didn't expect him to be so difficult to deal with and stood there for a moment, before starting to shout, "You can't even take care of your own child, yet you dare to do this?! Give me back my money! Not a single cent less than what you owe me!"

Tang Hai replied coldly, "Stop talking nonsense. You and your husband are quite schemers, one leading minors astray and the other extorting money. Should I call the police? If you don't know how, I'll do it for you." He took out his phone and quickly dialed the emergency number. "Hello, is this the police? I want to report a case, I'm at..."

The man who had been smoking and keeping his head down finally lifted his head and pulled the woman, who was almost paralyzed with shock, along. He said, "It's all just a misunderstanding."

The woman started to make a scene, demanding that the man get her money back. The couple started to struggle, and it ended with the man slapping her in the face.

The woman cried out, "I want a divorce!"

He dragged his wife towards the door. Tang Hai hung up the phone and said, "As a man, you can't control your desires, you can't understand your wife, and you're afraid to speak up when things happen. I really despise you."

The middle-aged man's figure hesitated for a moment, but he still didn't turn around. It was the woman who started crying, even though she was the villain. At that moment, she seemed very pitiful.

The room finally became quiet. Tang Hai took out a cigarette from his pocket and held it between his fingers, but didn't light it. "Lan Muyi," he called out to me. "Come out."

I bent down and picked up his conference pass, nervously following him out. I caught a glimpse of his one-inch photo in the passage, with his short hair and cold expression, without a trace of a smile. It was just like the expression he had on his face now.

Tang Hai stood at the window, constantly playing with the cigarette, without even lifting his eyelids. He asked me, "How did you get involved in this?"

I stuttered, "She's my classmate, and we're really good friends."

Tang Hai said lightly, "No matter how good your relationship is, you can't replace her parents. Have you ever thought about what would happen if something went wrong when you, a young girl, rashly stepped forward?"

I paused for a long time before saying, "Little uncle, her parents are divorced and don't want her. So she doesn't have any parents."

On this matter, Xing Qing was definitely in the wrong, but I couldn't just stand by and do nothing.

I only know that during her hardest times, she only ate free rice from the cafeteria. In a way, our fate is similar. If my parents don't care about their so-called dignity, I may end up like Xingqing.

Outside, the cold wind is blowing, and the rain is tapping on the glass. I slowly say, "I'm scared that if I don't help her, there won't be anyone to help me in the future."

Tang Hai seems surprised by my answer, stares blankly for a moment, throws his cigarette into the trash can, and then hesitantly reaches out to pat my head.

In the reflection on the window, I see myself unknowingly shedding tears.

I covered my face with my hand and apologized in a choked voice, "I'm sorry, I'm crying again."

I didn't hear any response. Then, I fell into a warm embrace. Tang Hai hugged me.