It surprised Luo Ren—Mu Dai didn’t seem the type to swear. But watching her sit there, head tilted, teeth gritted, cursing on his behalf—it somehow warmed his heart.
He’d wanted to say that himself, many times.
“Then my stepmother moved in. They never got a marriage license, but she had everything else—wedding banquet, gifts—she had more than my mom. She was smart, capable, and practically ran the house.”
He smiled faintly. “Sometimes I resented my mom. She was like Lin Daiyu—crying all the time, coughing until she bled.”
He said it so calmly, like it was someone else’s story.
“Things were manageable, just a little awkward. Until my stepmom had a son.”
“After that, weird things started happening. The first time, I almost got hit by a car. The second time, I ate something that gave me violent food poisoning. Had to get my stomach pumped.”
He looked at Mu Dai and smiled. “Luckily, I’ve got a tough name. Luo Ren—‘endurance.’ My mom suspected my stepmom, but we had no proof. As for my dad, he always took her side.”
“My mom decided it wasn’t safe for me at home anymore. She asked my uncle, Luo Wenmiao, to look after me. He came and took me straight from the hospital.”
“Back then, he didn’t live in Xiao Shanghe. I was still groggy from getting my stomach pumped, and when I woke up, the first thing I saw was Pingting.”
A gentle smile crept onto his lips.
“Pingting was tiny then. Four or five years old, I think? She was wearing a white tulle dress, long socks, red sandals, with two little pigtails. She was hugging a giant wooden sword.”
“One of those toy swords from back in the day, with a red tassel. It was probably taller than her. She told me, ‘Brother Xiaodao, Daddy said bad people want to hurt you. Don’t be scared. I have a sword. If they come, I’ll chop them!”
Mu Dai pictured it and couldn’t help smiling. Pingting was even more adorable than she’d imagined.
Luo Ren’s voice dropped. “I stayed with my uncle for six years. Even after I left, I went back often. To me, Pingting and my uncle are more like family than my parents. He’s gone now. I can’t let Pingting get hurt again.”
Mu Dai said softly, “Don’t worry. We’ll figure something out.”
She meant it, but the words felt so useless.
Luo Ren looked at her. “No matter what happens, I’m glad I met you, Mu Dai.”
“Really? The first thing you did was hold a knife to my neck. Didn’t look like joy to me.”
Luo Ren laughed. “You still remember that?”
He pulled the knife from behind his back, unsheathed it briefly, then handed it to her. “Here. It’s yours.”
Mu Dai blinked. “You’re giving it to me?”
“Yeah. Next time you’re mad, take it out, smack it on the ground a few times, stomp on it if you have to—just don’t keep thinking bad things about me.”
The knife was heavier and larger than she expected. The sheath was leather, but it still felt ice-cold in her hand.
By the time she returned to the inn, it was nearly morning. Dead tired, Mu Dai collapsed into bed. When she finally woke up again, it was already dusk.
She scrambled to wash up, confused as she brushed her teeth: Why didn’t Yiwansan and the others call me for dinner?
She went to knock on Yiwansan’s door. After just two knocks, the door swung open, and he looked at her meaningfully. “Boss lady, you’re up?”
Cao Yanhua was there too, grinning. “Mu Dai, you’re finally awake?”
Mu Dai forced a dry laugh. “What’s wrong with you guys? Why didn’t you call me for food?”
Yiwansan acted surprised. “Boss lady, you need us to eat with you now?”
They saw something. Mu Dai didn’t bother explaining. “Whatever you think you saw, you’re wrong. And if you don’t start talking like normal again—”
She stretched threateningly. Yiwansan instinctively stepped back.
Just then, her phone rang.
It was… Uncle Zheng?
His voice was panicked. “Mu Dai, you were with Luo Ren last night—did anything strange happen?”
Strange?
Driving through the night?
Telling her his family history?
Giving her a knife?
“I just have this bad feeling,” Uncle Zheng said. “This morning, Luo Ren told the nurse to bring emergency supplies. Then he told me something like, ‘If suffocating people get help in time, they might survive.’ And just now… he took Pingting into the big room.”
“What is he planning, Miss Mu Dai? Do you know?”
Mu Dai was at a loss. “I… I don’t know…”
No… wait…
A horrible thought was beginning to form.
The charlatan had said this wasn’t a real solution—that the next host was just a matter of time.
Luo Ren had said… he didn’t want Pingting to get hurt again.
He’d also said… it was nice meeting her.
Mu Dai, you idiot. How did you not see it?
The large room had a real reinforced door. It couldn’t be kicked or slammed open. Even the gap under the door was sealed with cloth. Mu Dai nearly cried in frustration.
She asked Uncle Zheng, “Is there a window? That room—does it have a window?”
Yes—but when she smashed the glass, her heart sank. Luo Ren had prepared for this. He’d blocked every possible escape route for the “skin.” A huge cabinet was pressed against the outside. It wouldn’t budge, even when she kicked it.
She ran back to the door and pounded with all her might. Uncle Zheng, already uneasy, was now frightened stiff. He trembled as he asked, “Miss Mu Dai, is something wrong?”
She opened her mouth—but before she could say a word, tears fell from her eyes.
Just then, a voice barked behind her: “Step aside!”
She turned to see Cao Yanhua, radiating murderous intent, holding a small electric lock-pick gun in one hand and a heavy-duty cross-head skeleton key in the other. Under his arm was a full lock-picking toolkit.
In that instant, he was glorious. Radiant. Like a god had descended.
Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152