It Takes a Villain to Grind Down a Villain (Continued)

"I'm back."

"It's Auntie."

Auntie Liu's voice came from the doorway. Xie Xiaomei, who had been waiting in her seat, jumped up as if she had detected a signal and rushed towards the entrance.

You're back!

"Oh, I'm back." Auntie Liu held up the bag in her hand. "I also brought lunch and dessert, which I bought from Mi Family Porridge King Shop."

Seeing that Auntie Liu was about to take off her shoes, Xie Xiaomei immediately stepped forward and took the bag from her. "Let me take it for you."

"Good girl," Auntie Liu patted Xie Xiaomei's head, "You haven't had lunch yet, have you?"

"Just woke up."

"What a sleepyhead."

"Hey-hey."

Liu Qingqing glanced at the desserts in the bag and protested, "They're limited edition desserts from Honey Eyes Shop! You've never bought them for me before!"

Auntie Liu said, "Who told you not to know how to be charming? It's common sense that children who know how to be charming get snacks."

Si Ming comforted her, "Being the older sister means you're bound to suffer losses."

When Auntie Liu saw that Si Ming was also at her house, she didn't say anything and acted as if it were normal. She even included his portion in the lunch she bought.

During the meal, Xie Xiaomei recounted what she had seen and heard at the animal park the day before, but made no mention of what had happened the previous night. Si Ming and Liu Qingqing also tacitly refrained from speaking about it.

After dinner, Auntie Liu was about to clear the table when Xie Xiaomei quickly said, "I'll wash the dishes."

Auntie Liu was taken aback for a moment, then praised, "So considerate."

After Xie Xiaomei took the bowls and chopsticks to the sink, Auntie Liu lowered her voice and asked Si Ming, "Is there any way to get Xiaomei to stay?"

"... Feel sorry."

"No, I asked a stupid question. If there's a way, you can't just not do it."

Auntie Liu was silent for a moment, as if she had made a decision, and then asked with difficulty, "How much time does she have left?"

Recalling the sudden events of last night and inquiring about Wan Ziling's situation, Si Ming said, "It should be within the next day or two."

Auntie Liu's hand trembled slightly, but she didn't say anything.

A moment later, Xie Xiaomei came over and said, "I'm done washing."

"You're really capable," Auntie Liu said with a forced smile, then yawned, "Ugh, I get sleepy as soon as I'm full."

Do you want to sleep?

"Yeah, I'm getting old, staying up late isn't working for me anymore, I'll go get some sleep first."

Auntie Liu swayed as she got up and walked upstairs to her bedroom. Xie Xiaomei skipped along behind her like a little animal. When she reached the bedroom door, she said, "Goodnight."

Auntie Liu corrected, "It's not evening yet, you should say good afternoon."

"Good afternoon."

After greeting her, Xie Xiaomei gently closed the door, then came down the stairs, saying with a hint of concern, "Auntie looks very tired."

"After all, she hadn't slept all night; her Internal Cultivation wasn't at a level where she could ignore sleep."

I hope she doesn't overwork herself and get sick.

Si Ming couldn't help but take another look. It was the first time he had heard Xie Xiaomei care about someone else. It seemed that even though they had only spent a few days together, both Xie Xiaomei and Auntie Liu had changed significantly.

He clapped his hands to attract Xie Xiaomei's attention and said, "It's time to do some chivalry. This afternoon, we're going to stop the real criminals."

"Why did you drag me here again? My time is precious, I can't keep playing house with you guys all the time?" Ying Zhou looked impatient.

But Si Ming didn't care, because the kid was just grumbling. He didn't stop him at all along the way. If the other person really didn't want to, he could have just turned around and left, but he ended up following him all the way to his destination.

"This is no joke; it's not on the same level as the last time they sold pornographic DVDs."

Ying Zhou became interested. "A murderer?"

"A child trafficking ring."

Having no experience as a parent, Ying Zhou was unaware of the abhorrence of child trafficking and thus lacked a deep-seated empathy for it. He asked doubtfully, "Is it permissible to hit someone at will?"

I'll cover for you if you cripple me.

"Then I'll go."

Si Ming was confident in his assurance, not because he wanted to use Yan Jinghong's reputation as a disciple. The social environment in Su State was similar to that of the Celestial Empire in the 1980s and 90s. If you caught a thief, you could break his leg without consequence—provided there were many people involved, and the law would not punish the masses.

If this is the case with thieves, it goes without saying that the police will turn a blind eye to child traffickers as long as they are not killed.

"According to intelligence, the owner of this hotel is also a member of the criminal gang. He usually uses a legitimate identity to disguise himself, but in reality, he provides temporary accommodations for the criminal gang behind him." Si Ming pointed to the Wanchang Inn not far away.

Ying Zhou asked curiously, "Where did you get your information? The last time it was the shady merchants, catching them didn't bring any credit, and the Mohist Knight Guard wouldn't compete with you for it. But child trafficking must be a major case, right? They have no reason to give you the credit for nothing."

Si Ming didn't hide anything. "The intelligence came from Yu Shuying's Azure Flood Dragon Gang. Snakes have their ways, and rats have their paths; sometimes, the underworld has better information than the legitimate world."

"Gangs fight criminals and maintain social order; this world is becoming increasingly incomprehensible."