Xia Qingtian had originally thought the photograph was meant to be a red herring.
Upon receiving Xia Qingyu's reply, Xia Qingtian became even more certain that the sender of the photograph wasn't targeting Xia Qingyu, but herself.
With her accumulated experiences from two lifetimes, there was only one person who would engage in such a trivial act.
Once she had figured it out, Xia Qingtian began to scheme in her mind.
Among the rewards the system had granted her, apart from the "+10 Daily Luck Value" used on the day of the college entrance examination, there were still some unused rewards.
If things went smoothly, perhaps she could use these rewards to accomplish something.
With that thought, Xia Qingtian narrowed her eyes slightly.
Soon, it was the following Tuesday. At 4 AM, Xia Qingtian left her home.
Xinying Park was not far from the Xia residence, only about a twenty-minute walk. It was still dark, and the streetlights cast a dim, yellowish glow.
Xia Qingtian wore a hood, her hands tucked into her pockets. A visible puff of white escaped her as she yawned, dissipating in the wind.
Xia Qingtian remembered that Xinying Park was built when she was very young. Over a decade later, maintenance had been subpar, and the facilities were somewhat dilapidated. The east gate, in particular, lacked any surveillance cameras.
It was indeed a prime location for committing foul deeds.
Surveying her surroundings, Xia Qingtian spotted a man under the bus stop sign. Dressed in dark sportswear and wearing a baseball cap, he leaned against the sign, looking in her direction as if confirming something.
The man pulled out his phone, and its screen lit up. Immediately after, Xia Qingtian's phone rang.
On the empty street, the ringtone of Xia Qingtian's phone was exceptionally conspicuous.
At this moment, the man seemed to have finally confirmed Xia Qingtian's identity and beckoned to her.
Xia Qingtian took a step towards the man.
Just then, a large truck came around the corner.
Simultaneously, Xia Qingtian crouched down to tie her shoelace.
Seeing Xia Qingtian's action, the man froze. His peripheral vision had already caught sight of the truck's headlights.
Why would she tie her shoelaces now!
Hurry up and come over!
Xia Qingtian, however, remained unhurried. She only stood up as the large truck approached.
At this moment, two hands appeared behind Xia Qingtian.
"Use Adrenaline," Xia Qingtian murmured. Just as the person behind her was about to push her, she dodged to the side with incredible speed.
In what seemed like an instant, the person who had intended to push Xia Qingtian missed and, before they could react, took a large step forward due to inertia.
Immediately after, the truck screeched to a halt, followed by the sound of a heavy object hitting the ground.
The man who had been standing by the bus stop was utterly stunned. He turned and ran.
Xia Qingtian cast a casual glance at him before strolling towards the front of the truck.
A visible dent had appeared in the front of the large truck.
The truck driver sat in the driver's seat, staring at his target standing unharmed, while his employer lay on the ground, unconscious.
What was going on?
Without time to think, the truck driver shot Xia Qingtian a glare, opened the door, and fled.
He wouldn't get the remaining payment for this job. Tough luck!
Xia Qingtian did not stop the truck driver from escaping. Instead, she looked at the person in the pool of blood—Song Junhan.
She had known that given Song Junhan's disposition, after failing once, he would be extremely cautious the second time. The person who met with her would definitely not be him.
And Song Junhan would not stay too far away; he needed to ensure the plan proceeded smoothly.
When Xia Qingtian deliberately lowered her head to tie her shoelaces, she was certain Song Junhan would personally intervene.
Therefore, Xia Qingtian used the adrenaline. According to the system's instructions, this adrenaline could be used to break through physical limits in critical moments.
Tilting her head, Xia Qingtian observed Song Junhan and smiled.
Taking out her phone, Xia Qingtian dialed the emergency services, providing the specific address.
Bright headlights illuminated Xia Qingtian's side. Beneath the hood, her perfect face held a deep gaze and a radiant smile.
The last thing Song Junhan saw before losing consciousness was this scene.
Xia Qingtian, like a vengeful spirit crawling out from hell, displayed her most beautiful smile, her eyes filled with a bloody glint.
"Does it hurt? This is just the beginning." Xia Qingtian murmured.
At this moment, a black private car approached. The person inside glanced at the truck and was startled.
Why was there a large truck on this street today? This street had height and weight restrictions; trucks shouldn't be on this road.
As the car passed the truck, the person inside spotted Xia Qingtian standing in the headlights and frowned.
"Stop the car."
"Yes, Mr. Gu."
Xia Qingtian had noticed the bright headlights when the car approached. She had assumed it would continue driving past, but she hadn't expected it to stop midway, nor for someone to get out.
Meddlesome.
Xia Qingtian inwardly cursed, her brows furrowing. She quickly adopted a look of terror and unease.
"Miss Xia?"
The voice came from behind her. Xia Qingtian froze for a moment before immediately turning her head. She saw Mobius standing behind her.
"Mobius?" Seeing it was him, Xia Qingtian's feigned terror and unease hadn't yet subsided when she was pulled into a warm embrace.
"Don't look," Mobius said, cupping the back of Xia Qingtian's head. "You must be frightened."
"..." Xia Qingtian's heart trembled, and she stiffened.
The September morning was very cold, her ears were icy, but this embrace was warm.
Her hands gripping Mobius's lapel, Xia Qingtian remained silent.
Mobius looked at the pool of blood on the ground and the person lying on their back in it, his gaze deepening.
It was only then that he noticed who this person was.
He remembered this man was supposed to be Xia Qingtian's future husband, the son-in-law of the Xia family, Song Junhan, who later seized the Xia family's assets.
Originally, Song Junhan shouldn't have met with such a calamity.
With this thought, Mobius lowered his head to look at Xia Qingtian, who was curled up in his arms, his eyes profound.
This Xia Qingtian...
Perhaps she was a mischievous little fox.
The ambulance soon arrived, and Song Junhan was taken away by the medical staff.
Police officers also arrived, clearly to investigate the accident.
"Xiao Lin, go with them," Mobius said to his driver.
"Alright." The driver nodded and left with the police officers.
Mobius then took the driver's seat and drove Xia Qingtian home.
"I really didn't expect to run into you at a time like this." The car's air conditioning was set high, and Xia Qingtian was warming up.
"I just got off work and happened to be passing by," Mobius said, glancing at Xia Qingtian in the rearview mirror. "With the current market conditions, working overtime is the norm."
"Finishing work at dawn..." Xia Qingtian pouted. "You work very hard under Mr. Gu. That's right, bosses nowadays are capitalists who don't act like humans."
"Mm."