Meanwhile, on the other side, with Chen Lishu's help, Tiantian had successfully escaped. However, being too young, she couldn't find her way and ended up retracing her steps along the same path countless times.
"Where did this little brat run off to? I saw her figure just a moment ago!"
"Be patient. Where can such a small child possibly go? She's probably hiding in some nook or cranny. We have plenty of time."
"..."
Hearing the voices of these people, a flicker of terror flashed in Tiantian's eyes. She thought the kidnappers who had taken her and Chen Lishu had found them. She looked around, preparing to find a place to hide.
Unbeknownst to her, her own commotion had already caught the attention of the two people speaking.
A woman's excited shout rang out, "Found her! She's right there in the corner in front of us!"
As the sound of their footsteps grew closer, Tiantian's face turned ashen. Just as she tried to run, her collar was suddenly grabbed, and she was roughly thrown to the ground.
"Run, let's see where you think you can get to!"
Recognizing the familiar voice, tears welled up in Tiantian's eyes. She quickly turned her head to look at the man and woman standing before her. The unease in her heart instantly subsided. She threw her arms around the man's leg and cried, "Daddy, Daddy, you're finally here!"
Indeed, the arrivals were Xu Teng. Noticing the unidentifiable liquid on his trousers, a look of disgust appeared on his face. He then kicked her away without a hint of mercy. "You're so dirty!"
Tiantian lay dejectedly on the ground. Even though several scratches appeared on her tender skin, she felt no pain. Her only thought now was to have Xu Teng save Chen Lishu!
So, she crawled back to Xu Teng and choked out softly, "Daddy, Auntie was kidnapped by a group of bad people. Can you come with me to save Auntie?"
Hearing Tiantian's words, Xu Teng seemed to hear a joke. He grabbed Tiantian's chin, narrowed his eyes, and said:
"You ungrateful wolf! You've only lived a good life at someone else's house for a few days, and now you dare to side with that bitch!
Have you perhaps forgotten that your great-grandmother's stay in the hospital has everything to do with Chen Lishu? And now you want me to help her?!"
A hint of disappointment crossed Tiantian's eyes. She murmured softly, "But when Great-Grandmother collapsed, Auntie wasn't by her side. Everyone said this had nothing to do with Auntie and that Great-Grandmother had brought it upon herself..."
Halfway through, Tiantian paused. No matter what, Wang Yuhua was her relative, and she naturally wouldn't utter those unpleasant words.
Xu Teng didn't care what Tiantian thought of Wang Yuhua. He only knew that she was turning against him and now dared to talk back to him with outsiders. As a man with a strong sense of superiority, how could he accept such a situation?
So, Xu Teng walked up to Tiantian, grabbed her hair, and violently flung her against the wall. His face contorted as he said, "If I had known you were so useless, I should have strangled you to death when you were born!
I warn you, Chen Lishu is our enemy! You'd better not think of helping her, unless you want to sever our father-daughter relationship and watch the father who gave birth to you die before your very eyes!"
Tiantian clutched her injured spots in pain, wanting to cry but unable to. The image of Chen Lishu's gentle smile, asking if she wanted to be part of their family, flashed in her mind. She wanted to help Chen Lishu, but she also didn't want to upset Xu Teng.
Just as she was in a state of turmoil over this matter, Shu Hong, who had been standing silently by the side, approached her and crouched down.
"Tiantian, have you been happy staying at Chen Lishu's home these days? Has she made things difficult for you?"
Tiantian looked at Shu Hong and gave her a sweet smile. Shu Hong had taken good care of her in the past, and it was thanks to her timely appearances that her great-grandmother hadn't successfully sold her.
Since her father couldn't be persuaded, Tiantian decided to shift her focus to Shu Hong. She tightly gripped Shu Hong's hand and said pitifully,
"Auntie Shu, I've been very happy at Auntie Chen's home these days. They cooked a lot of delicious food for me, and I even have my own room. She's a good person, so Auntie Shu, can you persuade Daddy to go and help Auntie Chen?"
Seeing Tiantian's continued stubbornness, Xu Teng was furious. He picked up a discarded wooden stick and was about to beat the ungrateful wretch to death.
Fortunately, Shu Hong reacted quickly, stepping between them. She then shot Xu Teng a stern, silent glare.
Xu Teng naturally wouldn't lay a hand on Shu Hong. After all, in this big city, she was the only person he knew, and he would need her help in many ways in the future.
So, Xu Teng sullenly put the stick away and muttered, "What's the point of keeping this ungrateful wolf? Might as well let me kill her, so I don't have to be annoyed by her!"
Shu Hong secretly cursed Xu Teng as brainless. She then withdrew her gaze, her lips curling upwards into a strained smile. She clasped Tiantian's shoulders and said, "It's good that you were happy at the Gu family's. It wasn't in vain that your father went to such lengths to send you there!
To be honest, your father will likely be sent to prison soon and will have to leave you behind.
He couldn't bear to leave you to starve to death alone, so he came up with this plan to protect you.
I'm not saying this for any particular reason, but people live for the sake of pride. Auntie hopes you won't be deceived by Chen Lishu's superficial kindness. She is the mastermind behind your family's ruin!"
Tiantian only registered the key phrase "leave you" from those words, and tears began to stream down uncontrollably. She ran to Xu Teng, tightly clutched his hem, and asked, "Daddy, can you please not leave Tiantian?
Is it because Tiantian only knows how to live a good life that you're unhappy? Actually, it doesn't matter whether life is good or not. Tiantian just wants to live with Daddy and Great-Grandmother. How about we go back to Gui Jia Village?"
Seeing Tiantian's bewildered state of panic, Shu Hong knew her plan was successful. She embraced Tiantian again, feigning distress and letting out a long sigh. "This matter isn't that easily resolved. Returning to Gui Jia Village won't solve everything!
Tiantian, don't be sad. You don't want Daddy to go to jail, do you? If you still have your father in your heart, can you cooperate with us on something? Only by doing this can your father stay by your side!"