A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

Chapter 1133 Encountering the Attacker

After parking the car, Acheng told Miss, "Please wait in the car for a moment," and then quickly went into the shop with the wooden sign that read "Jiangcheng Dim Sum."

Gui'er rolled down the car window, and the evening breeze carried the sweet aroma of bread as it blew in, followed by a sudden influx of voices from the street.

Rickshaws lined up along the roadside, the drivers ringing their bells to attract customers. The brass bells on the seats jingled as the rickshaws swayed. A few children in school uniforms chased after a ball, their laughter startling sparrows perched on the power lines. Across the street, in front of a café, a foreigner in a suit was talking to a woman in a cheongsam. The woman's lace parasol swayed gently, the rhinestones on its ribs sparkling in the setting sun. An Indian policeman, baton in hand, walked over. His deep red turban stood out in the crowd. He glanced at Gui'er's rickshaw, his gaze lingering on the jade bracelet on her wrist, before continuing on his way.

Gui'er was engrossed in watching when she suddenly caught a glimpse of a familiar figure emerging from the coffee shop across the street. Upon closer inspection, she recognized Liu Lanfang. She was wearing an apricot-colored dress and carrying an exquisite patent leather handbag as she walked out of the revolving door. Behind her followed a burly man in a black silk robe with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing his strong forearms. A blue tiger's head was tattooed on his forearm, giving him a fierce look.

The man walked half a step behind Liu Lanfang, clearly a close servant attending to his mistress. Gui'er was very curious. Usually, Liu Lanfang had an experienced driver and an old woman serving her. Why was she being served by such a fierce-looking, burly man today?

The two walked to a black sedan. Liu Lanfang whispered something, and the man nodded and bowed in response. He opened the back door, waited for her to get in, and then respectfully closed the door. He half-bowed and watched the car drive away until it disappeared around the street corner. Only then did he straighten up, spit out a mouthful of saliva, and swagger into the shop next door that had a banner that read "Juxian Teahouse".

Gui'er's heart sank, as if gripped by something. The man's face—broad forehead, flat nose, a scar on his left eyebrow that stretched from the corner of his eye to his temple—looked particularly ferocious. She suddenly remembered that day when she was surrounded in the car, through the broken glass, she seemed to have seen just this face, standing behind the crowd, waving his hand menacingly, before they went crazy smashing the glass and reaching in to grab her.

It's him! The leader who's in charge!

Cold sweat instantly broke out on Gui'er's back, and the wound on her palm began to throb again. Liu Lanfang... how could she be with someone like that? Could it be that she orchestrated the attack that day?

"Miss, sorry to keep you waiting." Acheng came back carrying a paper package of butterfly cookies, and also had two bags of almond cookies in his hand. "The boss said these are also from his hometown, so he wanted you to try them."

Gui'er forced a smile, took the paper package, her fingertips slightly cold. "Brother Cheng," she tried to keep her voice normal, "how's business at the pawnshop lately? Any difficult customers?"

"It's alright, just like usual. Brother Qiang is still out socializing." Acheng started the car and replied casually.

Gui'er gazed at the receding street scene outside the window and asked softly, "Then... has Liu Lanfang gone to see Brother Wu recently?"

Acheng paused for a moment, then scratched his head: "I've been there twice, just to bring some snacks or something. I didn't see Brother Qiang; the waiter turned me away. It's much less than before. I guess he knows Brother Qiang's heart isn't with her."

Gui'er didn't speak again, but her heart felt like it was weighed down by a stone. Liu Lanfang was visiting Wu Mingqiang less often, but instead was hanging out with the leader of the attack on her—this was no coincidence. She remembered what Liu Lanfang had said in the corridor that morning, advising her to break off the engagement with Wu Mingqiang, saying, "Who knows, it might get even worse next time." At the time, she thought it was just jealousy, but now, it seemed like she was implying something.

That night, Gui'er couldn't sleep. She kept recalling the attack and comparing it to the burly man she saw today. She worried that she had mistaken him for someone else, but she also felt that she hadn't.

Moreover, Wu Mingqiang had told her from the beginning that the White Tiger Gang had mistaken her for someone else. It couldn't be that Liu Lanfang was the one who ordered the White Tiger Gang to act, could it? It seems that there must be something fishy about this. Wasn't Wu Mingqiang in love with her and deeply devoted to her? Why would he hide it from her?

Gui'er stared at the tent ceiling, moonlight filtering through the window lattice and casting dappled shadows on the floor, much like the shards of glass that had shattered outside the carriage window that day. She turned over, her fingertips tracing the subtle patterns on the pillowcase, weighing her options repeatedly—should she ask Wu Mingqiang? If he truly wanted to keep it a secret, she feared she wouldn't get anything out of him; should she ask A-Cheng? He had always trusted Wu Mingqiang; they had known each other before entering the Marshal's Mansion, and their relationship was likely deeper than hers. If A-Cheng relayed this matter to Wu Mingqiang, she would be in a very passive position. After much thought, she couldn't find a suitable person to entrust her with this matter.

As dawn approached, she drifted off to sleep, and when she woke up, the dark circles under her eyes had become more pronounced. Dingxiang came in to help her wash and dress, holding a newly arrived newspaper in her hand: "Miss, why did you sleep in so late again today? Get up and have breakfast. Today's newspaper has arrived, and I've brought it up for you."

Gui'er quickly got up, hurriedly washed up, ate breakfast, and picked up the newspaper to read.

The newspaper was full of articles that glossed over the realities of life. She flipped through it listlessly, about to put it down, when her eyes were drawn to a headline in the corner of page two: "Rich Man's Outrageous Acts: Three Burrows Outside, First Wife Cleverly Sends Detective to Catch Him in the Act." She casually scrolled down and saw a passage: "Our reporter, commissioned by the wealthy wife, followed the businessman for days and took photos of him meeting his mistress in an apartment in Yau Ma Tei. With irrefutable evidence, he has no way to deny it..."

"A reporter?" Gui'er's heart skipped a beat, her fingertip pausing on that passage. Newspaper reporters deal with these kinds of everyday matters and underworld secrets every day; when it comes to tracking down and investigating, they're probably more experienced than anyone else. They have cameras, they can leave evidence, and they have no connection to her, so they certainly wouldn't have the same concerns as A-Cheng.

Once the thought popped into her head, it clung to her like a vine. She put the newspaper on the table and said to Dingxiang, "Quickly tell Brother Cheng to prepare the car. I need to leave early. Before going to school today, I'll go to the Xingmin Newspaper Office to see if there are any part-time jobs available."

"Okay, I'll go right away," Dingxiang said.

While Dingxiang was away, she picked up a pen and wrote a note, stating that she wanted to commission an investigation. She only mentioned that she needed to find out about Liu Lanfang's relationship with a scarred man, as well as the man's identity and background, and specifically noted that "photographic evidence is required," but made no mention of the attack. After finishing writing, she pondered for a moment, took a piece of paper, wrapped ten silver dollars in it, and wondered how much it would cost to hire a newspaper reporter for an investigation. However, she only earned three to five dollars for writing an article herself, so ten silver dollars should be enough.