Chapter 274: Chapter 274: Arson
Wang Yan escorted Tang Jingyi as they slowly walked along the dimly lit road.
It was already close to midnight, the road was deserted, and the dim streetlights cast shadows over them, lengthening them, then shortening, lengthening again, and shortening again.
The sound of their footsteps was particularly clear on the silent road.
Throughout the journey, Tang Jingyi and Wang Yan said nothing, creating a peculiar atmosphere, as if something was lodged in their throats, rendering them speechless.
The more they couldn’t speak, the quieter it became around them, and the atmosphere grew even stranger, making them increasingly unnatural.
This awkward atmosphere first affected Tang Jingyi.
Tang Jingyi’s face turned crimson, and under the dim streetlight, this blush made her even more alluring.
Tang Jingyi kept her head buried deep in her chest, and her hands hung unnaturally by her sides, but the one closest to Wang Yan felt awkward, with her five fingers curling and stretching, as if unsure of where to place them.
It was obvious that Tang Jingyi’s small hand occasionally lifted, moving toward Wang Yan’s hand like an obedient kitten waiting to be held by its owner.
On the other side, Wang Yan was gradually affected by Tang Jingyi’s strangeness and felt very unnatural himself.
What surprised Wang Yan even more was that Tang Jingyi’s hand seemed to have a magical power, irresistibly drawing his hand toward hers.
Wang Yan’s hand involuntarily lifted, reaching toward Tang Jingyi’s hand, but halfway there, he sensed something amiss and quickly pulled back.
After a while, it involuntarily stretched out again.
Going back and forth like this, Wang Yan’s hand never managed to grasp Tang Jingyi’s.
Occasionally, their hands would inadvertently brush against each other, causing an electric shock-like reaction, prompting them to quickly separate once more.
As they continued walking, coming closer and pulling apart at times, they slowly moved forward.
As they neared her home, Tang Jingyi’s heart grew anxious:
“I really want Wang Yan to hold my hand, but… we’ve only known each other for a day. Does this make me a bad girl?”
“Wang Yan, what are you really thinking?”
“Why do you seem to like me yet want to keep a distance?”
“Oh, Tang Jingyi, what’s wrong with you? Have you forgotten about studying hard and taking care of your father?”
…
Tang Jingyi’s mind spun with thoughts, yet she had no resolution, only feeling more confused and increasingly anxious, her heart pounding like a restless deer.
Normally, this road home felt very long to Tang Jingyi, but today, it seemed short, and with just one more turn, she would see her house.
She struggled internally, but as they neared home, a surge of courage welled up within Tang Jingyi. She gritted her teeth, closed her eyes, and extended her hand, ready to grasp Wang Yan’s hand.
But just as her small hand was about to reach Wang Yan’s, a loud shout came from around the corner: “Old man, pay up! Today is the last day. If you don’t pay, I’ll burn you alive.”
With those words, a blaze suddenly erupted ahead, accompanied by the crackling sound of burning.
Tang Jingyi immediately pulled back her hand, fearfully gazing at the distant flames, exclaiming, “No, that’s the direction of my house.”
Without another word, Tang Jingyi abandoned Wang Yan and rushed toward the flames.
Wang Yan promptly followed behind her, sprinting away.
Upon rounding the corner, they saw a house engulfed in flames, surrounded by over a dozen thugs. Each thug held a torch, which they were tossing into the house.
The flames of the house grew fiercer, gradually engulfing the entire structure.
“Dad—”
Tang Jingyi screamed and rushed toward the house in madness.
The arsonists turned to see her.
Upon spotting Tang Jingyi, the thugs burst into laughter, “Hahaha, you’ve finally appeared. You’re the one we’re looking for.”
With that, seven or eight people charged forward, seizing Tang Jingyi.
Tang Jingyi struggled desperately like a madwoman, trying to break free of the thugs in a bid to get closer to the burning house.
While struggling, she cried out, “Dad, Dad—”
The thugs laughed heartily, “Hahaha, good, we’ve burned the old man and caught his pretty daughter. Our task for today is complete, the boss will be happy. Haha, let’s call it a day and report back to the boss.”
With that, the thugs ignored the burning house, carting Tang Jingyi off toward a nearby van.
That house was Tang Jingyi’s home, and inside was her gravely ill father.
Seeing her father about to be burned alive, Tang Jingyi went mad, determined to rush into the house and save him.
But she was just one woman, no match for the dozen thugs, and watched helplessly as they dragged her farther away while the fire consumed the house.
Tang Jingyi’s vision blurred, and she called out weakly, “Dad, Dad—”
Fearing that today she and her father would be separated by life and death.
At that moment, a figure dashed out, blocking the path of the thugs.
Seeing this person, Tang Jingyi, who had almost lost all hope, suddenly felt like she’d grabbed onto a lifeline, hope rekindled in her eyes, “Wang Yan, please talk to them, make them put out the fire.”
The one blocking the thugs was Wang Yan.
Even now, Tang Jingyi believed Wang Yan could persuade the arsonists.
Wang Yan stared coldly at the thugs and said, “Let her go.”
The thugs sneered, glancing dismissively at Wang Yan, “Kid, you dare to stop us? Do you know we’re from Heaven and Earth? Do you know this woman belongs to our boss?”
“Heaven and Earth? Why is it Heaven and Earth again?” It was the second time Wang Yan heard this name tonight. After a brief moment of surprise, he coldly said, “She’s your boss’s woman?”
One of the thugs replied, “Of course, she owes us three thousand bucks. Today is the repayment day, and if she doesn’t pay, she’ll have to repay with her body.”
Wang Yan was outraged at the thought of using someone to repay a debt of just three thousand bucks.
“Release her; I’ll pay the three thousand.”
The thugs sneered and replied, “Three thousand is just the principal. There’s interest too.”
“I’ll cover the interest too.”
“Fine, with interest, it’s a total of three hundred and twenty thousand.”
Hearing that the interest on a three-thousand debt amounted to three hundred and twenty thousand, a murderous look appeared in Wang Yan’s eyes. Taking a deep breath, he said, “Fine, I’ll cover all the costs.”
Hearing Wang Yan promising to repay the 320,000, Tang Jingyi was dumbfounded, only managing to shake her head continuously, “No, Wang Yan, you can’t afford that much. I can’t drag you down anymore.”
The thugs exchanged glances, surprised. One of them remarked, “Too bad, you’re late. The deadline was eight o’clock tonight and you missed it.”
They laughed heartily afterward, “Hahaha, truth is our boss has been eying her for a while. Lending her money wasn’t about repayment; it was about getting her body. Hahaha—”
On hearing this, Wang Yan’s eyes flashed with killing intent.
Tang Jingyi, a pure and kind girl, repeatedly faced adversity. If not for Wang Yan accompanying her tonight, she might have suffered countless times.
Indulging wrongdoers only lets good people suffer, and it seemed there was no choice but to unleash fury again tonight.
With that thought, Wang Yan clenched his fist, ready to strike.
However, at that moment, there was a crashing sound as the burning house’s walls collapsed, falling to the ground.
Tang Jingyi quickly turned her head, and seeing the crumbling house, her eyes blazed with anger, “Dad—”
Hearing Tang Jingyi’s cries, Wang Yan quickly focused, discovering an elderly man inside the house, seemingly alive but critically ill.
This elderly man was likely Tang Jingyi’s father.
The house was ablaze, and with one wall down, the remaining three were on the verge of collapse, threatening to crush the old man inside.
Time was of the essence, and saving the man took priority, so Wang Yan dodged past the thugs and dashed into the burning building.
Just as Wang Yan dashed into the house, there was a loud crash, and the entire house collapsed, burying Wang Yan in the flames.