Blood in the Drizzle

The room was permeated with a faint medicinal scent; though the furnishings were dilapidated and old, they were kept sufficiently clean.

When Li Wei entered, the woman named Su Ya was eating a meal with a young boy.

Compared to the photo Yuguang and Li Ming had given Li Wei, she appeared much more haggard and pale, while the boy sitting beside her looked to be only two or three years old, with large, bright eyes and a spirited, sturdy appearance.

As Li Wei walked in, Su Ya froze for a moment, but she quickly composed herself.

She put away the meal she had only half-finished, and while coughing, she tucked the only plate of pickled vegetables on the table into the cupboard.

"Go inside, Xiao Wei, Mommy has to work."

The boy stood up obediently, let out an "oh," and then dutifully lifted the door curtain to head into the inner room.

Su Ya had already sat down on the edge of the bed; she lowered her head, began coughing again, and started unbuttoning her top.

"I apologize for the delay, sir. We can begin now."

Li Wei did not move; he simply took out the letter Li Ming had given him, leaving it to his own discretion whether or not to give it to Su Ya.

This left Su Ya, who had already undone half her buttons to reveal a large expanse of fair, soft skin on her chest, looking at him in confusion as she took the envelope Li Wei handed over.

Upon tearing open the envelope and seeing the letter inside, her body suddenly began to tremble.

Those eyes, filled with exhaustion and numbness, instantly turned red, and tears streamed down uncontrollably; she buried her head into the washed-out quilt, using it to muffle her stifled sobs.

But the commotion was still heard in the inner room, and the boy named Xiao Wei poked his head out unsteadily, his large eyes fixed on Su Ya as she collapsed on the bed crying, and he called out.

"Mommy."

"Go back! I've told you so many times! Stuff your ears with cotton! No matter what sounds you hear outside, do not come out! Why won't you listen to me!"

"I, I know, Mommy." The boy lowered his head in response, then unsteadily lowered the curtain and retreated back inside.

Su Ya wiped the tears from her face and looked at Li Wei again; this time, her gaze held not only numbness but also a hint of gratitude and pleading.

"Thank you for coming to see me on my uncle's behalf, but please, I beg you, could you not tell him what I've become?"

She knelt on the ground, making a humble request to Li Wei.

"Why?" Li Wei asked with a frown.

"I cannot bring him trouble, please, sir! Take this letter back and just say I am living well at the councilman's house and he doesn't need to worry about me, okay? I will do anything you ask! I have no money, but I can serve you, any way you want!"

Listening to her words, which had been stripped of all dignity, Li Wei glanced toward the inner room and guessed the reason.

"Whose child is that?"

Su Ya's face turned deathly pale, and she collapsed weakly onto the floor. She did not open her mouth to answer Li Wei's question; she seemed to have turned into a wooden statue, and aside from coughing even more violently—to the point of coughing up blood—she showed no intention of speaking further.

Watching her in this state, Li Wei shook his head, chose not to press her any further, and turned to leave the shack.

He glanced at the [Visit] quest in his player information, which offered no rewards, and realized the trouble involved.

But even so, he had no intention of giving up.

Although his relationship with Li Ming was purely transactional, since he had given his word, he would do as much as he could.

Of course, if Su Ya truly refused to leave no matter what, he would not force her; relaying the truth to Li Ming would be fulfilling his obligation.

After leaving Hongle Street, he took a taxi to a grocery store in the Yaoguang North District.

The shopkeeper here was the contact Li Ming had provided for coordinating and extracting Su Ya.

After completing the introduction, Li Wei stated his request.

"Aside from the woman, can you take out an additional child?"

The shopkeeper looked a bit surprised, but he nodded nonetheless.

"Yes, a child isn't very conspicuous. Just bring them both to me when the time comes."

"The child's identity is a bit problematic; he might be the illegitimate son of a councilman."

"A councilman's illegitimate son!"

The shopkeeper was clearly startled, and he stared straight at Li Wei.

"Do you know what you're saying? Brother, a councilman's illegitimate son! Never mind whether it can be done—even if we pull it off, if it's ever discovered, we're both dead!"

Li Wei met his gaze.

"I don't know what your relationship with Li Ming is, but that woman is his niece, and the child is her son."

"Li Ming clearly cares deeply about this, or he wouldn't have specifically asked for my help. If you think it can be done, I'll bring them tonight; if you think it can't, then forget it, and just pass the message to Li Ming."

His words left the shopkeeper silent.

This silence lasted for quite a while before he finally looked up again.

"The boss has treated me well; it's because of him that I have such a good life here in Yaoguang. A person shouldn't forget their roots! Since it's his niece, even if there's a massive risk, I'll do it!"

His words actually made Li Wei look at him with a bit more respect.

Having received a definitive answer, Li Wei did not waste any more time and returned to Hongle Street.

By the afternoon, the sky had turned gloomy again, and a light rain had been drizzling down incessantly.

The first half of this street was filled with dance halls and entertainment clubs—most of these establishments were legal brothels—and in the middle section, there were signs for various human resource companies, which were fronts for lower-end pimps.

As for the shanties at the end of the street, those were for the lowest and filthiest Yuguang prostitutes; only thugs and penniless loafers would ever come to a place like this.

Precisely because it was one of Yaoguang's famous red-light districts, the area was desolate during the day and only began to bustle once night fell.

When Li Wei returned, there were practically no pedestrians on the street.

He quickly held up his umbrella and arrived at the cluster of shanties at the end of the street, but from a distance, he saw a tattered little red umbrella—missing half its ribs and with its canopy drooping—being held low in front of Su Ya's door.

Li Wei frowned slightly, a bad premonition rising in his heart.

He quickened his pace, and upon reaching them, he saw the boy named Xiao Wei crouching under that small red umbrella, tilting it toward Su Ya while the back half of his own body was already soaked through by the rain.

Seeing Li Wei, he lifted his youthful face.

"Sir, could you help me wake Mom up? She fell asleep in front of the door."

Li Wei did not make a sound; he simply stood straight where he was, silently watching Su Ya, whose body was half-exposed outside the doorway, her eyes tightly shut.

Beneath that pale face, a shocking pool of red liquid had already gathered!

"You played her to death! Sir, you really play rough. But she's just a lowly Yuguang bitch anyway; as long as we settle the compensation, everything can be discussed!"

A harsh voice rang out. Li Wei turned his head to see the pimp surnamed Yan walking over with a look of pleasant surprise on his face.

"Tsk."

Li Wei clicked his tongue. Anyone familiar with him would be able to tell from that sound just how displeased he was at this moment.

Yet, he still revealed a smile and said softly.

"Right, we should indeed have a good discussion about the matter of compensation."