Chapter 222: Struggle

Translator: Tim Editor: Chrissy

Just as Ye Mo grew suspicious, he saw a large piece of the girl's clothing ripped away. Her eyes widened with fear and worry, replacing the earlier guilt. He wondered if he'd been mistaken earlier.

At that moment, Tang Beiwei realized she'd been sold and that Ye Mo hadn't followed her. The people here were ruthless; there was no doubt about it. She broke free from one man and dashed for the door. Wang Xianxian quickly grabbed her.

"Where do you think you're going? I paid for you; you haven't fulfilled your end of the bargain. Don't even think about running."

"Let me go, you animal! If you touch me again, I'm calling the police!" she cried. Why had she been so stupid? Tricked into a strange city to trick someone else—was this karma?

Rip! Another piece of her clothing tore. Despair etched itself onto her face.

"Brother Wang, go first. We'll join you later," the two young men said, their lust inflamed by the escalating scene on the TV.

Before Wang Xianxian could respond, a voice cut in, "Since you've arrived, you're not leaving."

"Who's there?" Everyone in the room turned toward the door in unison. A young man stood there, his arrival unnoticed.

Tang Beiwei immediately recognized him as the man she was supposed to trick—Ye Mo. She never expected him to fall for it. She quickly hid behind him, cursing Wei Yongqian repeatedly. She'd been tricked too, and she intended to expose his evil scheme.

"Who are you? Don't you know this is my territory? Get lost before I get angry!" Wang Xianxian roared, furious at the interruption.

Ye Mo kicked Wang Xianxian into the room, followed by the other two. The three men were no match for him.

Ye Mo turned to Tang Beiwei. "Wait here. I'll ask them a few questions."

He entered the room and closed the door. The three men finally realized Ye Mo was a formidable opponent.

Ye Mo surveyed them, then unleashed two fireballs, incinerating the two lackeys to dust before they could even scream. He then sat down, his gaze cold as he fixed Wang Xianxian. "You have three seconds. Tell me everything, or you'll be next."

Terror seized Wang Xianxian as he watched his accomplices vanish. His teeth chattered; he could barely speak. He'd never witnessed anything like it—two fireballs, and they were gone without a trace.

"If you're not going to talk, then don't," Ye Mo said, another fireball forming in his hand.

Wang Xianxian, his body trembling, stammered, "We... we tricked that girl from another city... she was supposed to be my... my main... prostitute... I didn't..."

He didn't need to finish. Ye Mo already understood. The girl had been lured from another city to be sold into prostitution. He shook his head and reduced Wang Xianxian to ash with a flick of his wrist.

When Ye Mo emerged, Tang Beiwei had regained her composure, though her face remained pale. She'd unplugged the TV, but her clothing was still torn. Even with her hands, she couldn't adequately cover herself.

Ye Mo produced a shirt and offered it to her. "Put this on, then we can talk outside."

She quickly donned the shirt, barely registering its origin. "Thank you," she said gratefully. "I..."

Ye Mo waved a hand. "Let's go."

"But what about outside?" Tang Beiwei asked. She didn't know what Ye Mo had done inside, but many people remained outside.

Ye Mo smiled. "Don't worry. Just stay close to me."

He activated an invisibility spell, cloaking himself and Tang Beiwei. They walked out of the room and closed the door.

Unaware of her invisibility, Tang Beiwei watched the people around them. No one seemed to notice as they strolled out of the bar.

Ye Mo deactivated the spell. "What happened?" he asked.

Tang Beiwei pursed her lips. "I have something important to tell you. Can you take me somewhere private?"

Ye Mo frowned. He'd never met Tang Beiwei before. Where had this "important thing" come from? He shook his head. "No. I'm busy. You're safe now; leave."

Seeing him turn away, Tang Beiwei grew worried. She wanted to warn him about Wei Yongqian, but her phone rang.

"It's him..." she muttered hatefully.

Wei Yongqian's voice, calm and measured, came through the phone. "Your mother's having a pre-surgical checkup. I think you understand. I didn't tell Wang Xianxian about this—he's just a pawn. If he failed, he would've ruined our plan, but we wouldn't let him harm you. If Ye Mo hadn't gone in, our men would have. Don't blame me."

"Wei Yongqian, I'm not doing it. I'll earn the money myself!" Tang Beiwei started to hang up.

Wei Yongqian, startled by her sudden change of heart, quickly said, "The doctors said if your mother doesn't have surgery soon, she won't last a week. If you don't believe me, I'll let her speak to you. And can you really raise 300,000 in a week? You're halfway there; just bring him on the 27th, and your mother will be saved. If you regret this, your mother's surgery is cancelled..."

Tang Beiwei hung up, her gaze falling on Ye Mo. If she refused, she would condemn her mother to death. The image of her frail mother brought tears to her eyes. Her mother was ill because of her. How could she kill her mother's last hope?

Ye Mo watched Tang Beiwei. This girl was peculiar. He'd saved her, yet she remained, indecisive.

After considerable hesitation, her love for her mother won. She had a favorable impression of Ye Mo. If possible, she would repay him by giving herself to him. She believed he could handle anything Wei Yongqian threw at him; she didn't believe Wei Yongqian would dare to kill him.

She caught up to him. "Brother, thank you for saving me, but I'm still scared, and I don't have any money, not even for a ticket..."

Ye Mo studied her. She didn't seem wealthy, and her phone was old. He wondered why she was there.

"I don't have any money either," he said, shaking his head. He'd forgotten to check their pockets.

Tang Beiwei looked at his clothes—they weren't cheap. How could he have no money? But she'd made up her mind. "Big brother, I need to get to my grandmother. She'll help me get home."

Ye Mo sensed something was off. She'd escaped death, yet she clung to him, those odd eyes...

Seeing his silence, Tang Beiwei's face flushed. "Big brother, I'm sorry, I don't know anyone here. You saved me, I should leave, but..."

Tears welled in her eyes. She'd tried to trick her savior. Although she hadn't intended to harm Ye Mo, she couldn't abandon her mother. It was unbearable. If it were only herself, she wouldn't shamelessly cling to him.

"Stop," Ye Mo said, he hated seeing women cry. After a moment, he asked, "What's your name? Where is your grandmother?"

Tang Beiwei wiped her eyes. "I'm Tang Beiwei. My grandmother lives in Wuliang Mountain. Big brother, I don't know your name..."

"Wuliang Mountain?" Ye Mo repeated. "I'm Ye Mo. Does your grandmother work near the tourist areas?"

Tang Beiwei shook her head. "No, Brother Ye. It's quite remote."

Ye Mo didn't press further. "I don't have much money right now, but follow me. I'll see if I can earn some and give you some. I don't have time to go with you to find your grandmother. I'm really busy."

Ye Mo was kind-hearted and liked Tang Beiwei, but he couldn't take time to help her find her grandmother.