With a helpless sigh, Xu Fei let out a casual remark that made Duanmu Qing, driving up front, feel a pang of guilt.
She quickly spoke up,
“So… so my cousin didn’t tell you anything? I’m really sorry, if you’re not willing, I can turn around and take you back right now!”
Hearing this, Xu Fei snapped to attention, realising Duanmu Qing had misunderstood him.
He hurriedly waved his hands,
“No, no, no… you’ve got it wrong, I was just surprised, I didn’t mean to look down on the countryside at all, keep driving!”
Duanmu Qing’s face lit up with joy, and with a quick nod, she started the car again, continuing along the mountain road.
Along the way, Xu Fei and Duanmu Qing chatted now and then, the atmosphere staying fairly relaxed.
Through their conversation, Xu Fei gradually pieced together some details about Duanmu Qing’s family situation.
For a rural household, having a family member with a chronic illness was indeed a heavy burden.
Even if living conditions had improved, the lack of a cure was likely what troubled Duanmu Qing the most.
Fortunately, Xu Fei was here now, confident he could relieve her mother’s minor back pain and free her from suffering.
As the car rolled on, Duanmu Qing suddenly slammed on the brakes again, nearly sending Xu Fei crashing into the seat beside him.
“What’s wrong? Why’d you stop so suddenly again?”
Xu Fei grumbled, feeling annoyed, but he quickly caught sight of what was outside.
Even from the back seat, he could see through the windshield what was happening.
A narrow country road was blocked right in the middle by a wooden barricade.
No wonder Duanmu Qing had stopped so abruptly.
“Doctor… it’s fine, these are road bullies from the neighbouring village, they often rob passing out-of-town cars, it’s a habit. They probably got it wrong, I’ll go talk to them!”
Though Duanmu Qing put on a brave front, Xu Fei could tell at a glance she was forcing herself.
So, while he stayed seated in the car, he was already primed to leap out and handle any sudden trouble.
Duanmu Qing stepped out and saw three or four men standing across from her, their faces brimming with arrogance.
The leader, sporting a tuft of yellow hair, was nicknamed “Buzzcut Bro.”
Approaching them, Duanmu Qing forced a smile and said to Buzzcut Bro,
“Uh… Buzzcut Bro, you’ve got the wrong person, right? I’m from the neighbouring village, here’s a little something, please let me pass!”
Desperate to get her mother treated, Duanmu Qing had no choice but to pull two hundred yuan from her pocket and offer it.
Buzzcut Bro sneered coldly,
“Wrong person? No chance! You’re Duanmu Qing from the next village, aren’t you? You sure look like my type, but this pittance, what, you think I’m a beggar?”
At those words, Duanmu Qing trembled, especially when Buzzcut Bro complimented her looks.
This Buzzcut Bro had long been a tyrant in the area, preying on the weak and terrorising the locals years back.
Though he’d toned it down recently due to stricter police oversight,
rumours in the village said his shady dealings never stopped.
Word had it that any woman he praised for her beauty—be it a young wife, an unmarried girl, or even a schoolkid—met a grim fate.
