Hidden Assassin 125

Don’t… I don’t want to live anymore…

Her arms hugged her body, shivering uncontrollably. The air around her was abnormally cold. Even though she had always lived in a detached and emotionless environment, she had never felt this icy chill.

Her mother had passed away when she was very young. Her father was a gambler and a drug addict, with a character not worth mentioning. But no matter what, for all those years, he was the only family she had. Although she had distant relatives from the Huang family, nobody really looked down on her father. While they might occasionally provide some help, such as paying for her tuition or lending her some living expenses, the money was never enough to fill her father’s bottomless pit of addiction.

Growing up, she was constantly looked down upon and treated with disdain. She even experienced hunger and cold. After reading countless books, she tried to struggle and be strong. But what could a child’s naive thoughts do to change the course of life? It only made her isolated, insecure, and slowly, she learned to be materialistic, to wear a mask, to lie, and to hide in the shadows, looking at those who lived well and filled with bitterness and curses.

She had stolen classmates’ pens and erasers, though she was never caught. She had also used her pitiful appearance to wheedle some pocket money from relatives. She once considered trying to ingratiate herself with Jia Ming, but later discovered he had no status within the Huang family either, so she gave up. After Dongfang Wan paid off her debts of over one hundred thousand yuan, she started intentionally engaging with her, occasionally meeting and chatting for a few minutes. She knew there would be benefits, and as her spirit sank lower, she learned to use drugs.

After secretly trying it once, she could never quit…

She knew it was a bottomless abyss that was impossible to escape once trapped. She tried to quit countless times, but the withdrawal symptoms were unbearable. Her father, who was also deeply addicted, couldn’t say whether he was doing good or bad. Whenever he saw Xu Yiting struggling with withdrawal, he would feel sorry for his daughter and give her some of his own drugs. Every time, she tried to resist, for an hour, two hours, three hours… but every time, in the end, she would succumb and take the drugs.

At least I tried. I resisted every time, gradually enduring for longer. At least… my addiction isn’t too deep yet. I haven’t had a relapse in front of my classmates. I’ve been holding out for a long time. Maybe next time I’ll be able to quit completely. Maybe next time…

But now, none of that matters anymore.

After that kind of father died, there was only her left in the world. No matter how hard she struggled, she would only fall into a more desolate state.

It’s so cold…

Trembling, she found her keys and opened the door. The hotel room was still warm and luxurious. If it were just her and her father, they could never afford a room like this. The Huang family is so wealthy. They are family, why can’t they help us? Earlier downstairs, when they discussed her deceased father, they just coldly considered how to avoid damaging the Huang family’s reputation. Why are they like this…

She took out a match and a small bag of drugs from her pocket. The manager had dropped it on the floor when he ran away in fear. She had picked it up in the commotion. She had another small bag left in the room, so together, it was a dosage she had never tried before. It would make her very happy. That way, she wouldn’t feel any pain anymore.

She turned on the hot water in the bathtub. She went back to the room and found a fruit knife and her father’s syringe – they say it’s more enjoyable that way, and it’s best if she dies of an overdose. Standing in front of the full-length mirror, she let down her two unsightly pigtails and then took off her large glasses. The girl in the mirror was slightly blurry at first, then became clear. Although her expression was too mournful, it was still evident that she was beautiful. There was an air of fragile vulnerability about her, especially now.

That was the only thing she could be proud of. Even when faced with the greatest difficulties, she had never considered selling her body for money. At fifteen or sixteen, she had read many novels and occasionally fantasized about the future, about a passionate love. So she dressed herself up. Firstly, to avoid the jealousy of other girls, and secondly… if someone loved her for her looks, what would be the difference between that and being someone’s mistress?

That was her only hope.

Standing in front of the mirror, she slowly undressed. Her body, still developing, was tender and youthful. It didn’t have the devilish curves of a mature woman, but it held a strange, bursting vitality. Her breasts were small, but firm and alluring. Her skin was a pale pink due to her nervousness. There was a dark patch of hair between her legs…

She wanted to die in the most attractive way possible, to tell those who had looked down on her or mocked her that Xu Yiting wasn’t stupid, wasn’t ugly. She wanted to imprint her image in everyone’s minds – when she visited the Huang family with her father during their hardest times, she had even fantasized that some cousin would notice her beauty and help her. At that time, even incest wouldn’t matter. But no matter what kind of prince charming existed in her mind, he never appeared… and he never would…

Her mind was racing with emotions fueled by the fact that she was about to die. She had prepared everything, sat in the hot water, poured the drugs into a small bowl according to her father’s method, and drew it into the syringe. Someone was knocking at the door. They were probably looking for her about her father. But she didn’t want to talk, didn’t want to answer. She was about to leave, she thought. Why would they bother me now? Why would they come to mock me?

The syringe trembled in her hand. She looked at the needle in her hand, then at the fruit knife next to it. Inject, then cut her wrist. She had to do it quickly, or she would forget to cut herself once she felt the drugs taking effect. She had to remember.

Just then, the door creaked open, and a melodious female voice, the same one that had captivated everyone at the casino, rang out: “See, what are you knocking for? Anyone can just walk in.”

“Alright, alright, you’re the only one who’s great. Yiting, Xu Yiting, are you there?”

“She’s probably inside.”

Before the woman with the colorful beaded necklace could even finish her sentence, she was already standing at the bathroom door, her gaze landing on the syringe and the knife. She raised her eyebrows playfully and whistled. Then, Yahan walked in.

“Get out!” Xu Yiting screamed, her voice filled with tears. Yahan seemed to realize something and quickly pushed the woman beside her: “She’s naked. Get out! Get out! Yiting, what are you doing? Don’t do anything stupid.”

“She’s going to commit suicide. She has a knife, you’ll get hurt. Let me handle it…”

“You get out!” She kicked Jia Ming out, and Yahan nervously approached Xu Yiting in the bathtub. “Yiting, don’t be afraid. Everything will be alright. We’ll help you…”

“Don’t come near me!” Xu Yiting shrieked, picking up the fruit knife. Yahan took a deep breath and slowly reached out her hand. “It’s okay, we’ll help you. Everything will be alright, really. You saw that lady outside, she’s amazing. With her, nobody will dare blame you for anything. Even the Huang family…”

She had learned to disarm an opponent with bare hands, so she wasn’t too afraid of Xu Yiting stabbing her with the knife. However, when she heard the words “Huang family,” Xu Yiting let out another cry, and she suddenly reversed the blade, stabbing herself in the chest.

“No!” Yahan screamed and lunged forward.

The blade pierced through her breast, about a centimeter deep, but Yahan had already grabbed the blade with her right hand. The blood gushed out immediately. Ignoring the excruciating pain, Yahan yelled and, with a burst of strength, threw the fruit knife behind her. She collapsed to the bathroom floor.

“I’m sorry…” Xu Yiting cried, a look of responsibility flashing in her eyes. She picked up the syringe and tried to stab herself in the chest again. But in the next moment, she heard two “crack” sounds. Intense pain shot through her. The woman beside her had pulled her arms out of their sockets, and then, grabbed Xu Yiting by the hair, dragging her out of the bathtub. The girl struggled in the air, water splashing everywhere, like a dolphin being forcibly pulled out of the water.

“Sorry to interrupt your grand suicide plans.”

It was the same melodious voice, but this time, it was absolutely icy. She dragged Xu Yiting towards the room, ignoring Yahan’s panicked cries: “You… you… what are you going to do…”

“You mind your own business! Now, find some gauze and bandage your hand. I don’t need to teach you that. You idiot, I told you I’d come!”

“But… but…”

Seeing Jia Ming’s expression become even fiercer than it was in the casino, Yahan simply followed behind, clutching her bleeding hand. She threw Xu Yiting against the wall. Before she could fall, the woman had already grabbed her by the throat, lifting her up against the wall.

Pain, suffocation. Xu Yiting opened her mouth and choked out a “guh… guh…” sound. Her naked body writhed desperately in the air, her white legs kicking wildly. Yahan, terrified, tried to pry the woman’s arm open, but it was futile.

“You… you… you’re going to kill her. You’re going to kill her. Let go, let go!”

“I’m helping her.”

“Let go, let go, let go…”

Gradually, the pressure on her neck increased. Xu Yiting’s mouth gaped open, her tongue lolling out. She could hear the sound of her bones breaking. When she finally lost control of her bladder, the blurry vision in front of her was still dominated by the woman’s beautiful, almost perfect image. Her whole being seemed to be enveloped in a captivating aura. It was the image she had once fantasized about being herself. But in front of her, the woman’s gaze was as cold as ancient ice.

She was… going to be killed… by her…

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