Chapter 3

In the small town at dusk, the evening breeze was gentle, carrying the delicate scent of plants and trees from the mountains. Xenora Hansen walked slowly along the streets, her eyes curiously observing everything around her. Street vendors cooked hot food, calling out to customers enthusiastically. Villagers sat in the shade of trees, chatting with each other. Everything felt so lively and full of everyday life.

Throughout her life, she had never experienced such a lifestyle. At home, she ate delicacies from all over the world, lived in luxurious villas, had a private car to take her wherever she went, and was served by servants. She never had the chance to stroll around street stalls and eat street food as freely as she does now.

“Little girl, would you like to try my sweet cakes? They’re just out of the oven – crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. They’re really delicious!” An old man selling sweet cakes smiled at her. His face was covered with wrinkles, but he seemed extremely kind.

Shanora Hansen’s eyes lit up. She walked over and took out some change from her pocket. “Sir, please give me two of them.”

The old man quickly picked up two freshly baked sugar cakes, wrapped them in oil-paper, and handed them to her. “Eat slowly, don’t get burned. From the way you look, you’re not from around here, are you?”

“Hmm, I’m here for fun.” Shanora Hansen took a bite of the sweet pastry. It was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, sweet but not cloying. Her eyes lit up instantly. “It’s delicious! Sir, your sweet pastries are absolutely amazing!”

The old man couldn’t stop smiling: “If it tastes good, buy more. My sweet cakes are famous throughout our town.”

Shanora Hansen continued walking forward, eating candy cakes while also buying plenty of snacks. She was completely immersed in this feeling of freedom and joy, with no idea that not far away, at the entrance of an alley, two shady men were staring at her intently.

Those two men—one with a buzz cut and the other with yellow hair—were wearing floral shirts. Their eyes were vacant and sinister, making it clear they weren’t good people at all. They had noticed Xanora Hansen earlier. She was neatly dressed, generous in her spending, and traveled alone. Her eyes also had a somewhat naive look, suggesting that she was a spoiled rich girl. That made them think ill of her.

“Bro, look at that girl. She must be really rich. She probably has a lot of cash on her.” The blond guy leaned close to the guy with a buzz cut, lowering his voice. His eyes were filled with greed.

The bald man nodded, his gaze sinister. “Hmm, judging by her appearance, she’s just some naive young lady who’s never seen the world. She’s alone, which makes her an easy target. Once she gets to that deserted alley ahead, we’ll go after her. We’ll finish this quickly, get the money, and leave.”

The two exchanged glances, wearing sly smiles on their faces. They quietly followed Xanora Hansen, keeping a distance that wasn’t too close nor too far.

Shanora Hansen had no idea that danger was approaching. After finishing the snacks in her hand, she prepared to turn around. Suddenly, she noticed a small alley ahead. There were several sycamore trees planted at the entrance of the alley, creating a pleasant atmosphere. Out of curiosity, she walked towards the alley to see what was inside.

Just a few steps into the alley, she heard footsteps behind her. Soon after, two men blocked her path. It was the bald man and the guy with yellow hair who had been following her earlier.

Shanora Hansen felt a tightness in her chest. Instinctively, she took a step back. Her face turned pale instantly. “What… what do you want?”

With a short haircut and hands crossed over his chest, he sized her up from head to toe. A sinister smile appeared on his lips. “Little girl, don’t be scared. We just want to borrow some money from you to spend on things. You’re dressed so nicely—that means you definitely have enough money. Be sensible and hand over all the money you have. Otherwise, we won’t be gentle with you!”

Shanora Hansen’s heart rate instantly accelerated, and cold sweat broke out on her palms. She had been carefully protected since childhood and had never encountered such a situation before. For a moment, she didn’t know what to do. Instinctively, she reached into her pocket. Inside were only a few hundred dollars in cash, along with the card that Karen Lowell had given her.

“I… I don’t have much money on me, just a few hundred bucks. I’ll give it all to you. Please, don’t hurt me.” Xianola Hansen’s voice trembled as she slowly took out the cash from her pocket and handed it to them.

The blond man snatched the cash from him. After taking a look, he frowned in dissatisfaction. “Is that all? Who are you trying to fool? You must have cards on you. Hand over the cards and tell us the passwords. Otherwise, we’ll have to take action against you!”

As he spoke, the blond man reached out to snatch Shannora Hansen’s bag. Shannora Hansen backed away in terror, until her back hit the wall and she had nowhere to go. She clutched her bag tightly, tears welling up in her eyes, but she forced herself not to cry. There was no use crying. She had to find a way to save herself.

“Don’t come any closer! If you do, I’ll call for help!” Xanora Hansen mustered her courage and shouted loudly. Her voice trembled slightly, but she remained firm.

“Shout all you want. Even if you shout yourself hoarse, no one will come to save you!” The bald man sneered, taking step after step toward her. “This place is so remote that no one will ever come here. Be sensible and don’t force us to use force!”

The blond guy also stepped forward, his eyes greedily fixed on Xianola Hansen’s bag. “Hurry up, don’t dawdle, or you’ll regret it!”

Shanora Hansen closed her eyes in despair, thinking, “Is this really the end for me?” If only she had known this beforehand, she wouldn’t have acted on impulse and run away. At least at home, there wouldn’t have been such danger.

Just then, a cold yet somewhat seductive voice suddenly rang out: “What are you doing?”

The man with a buzz cut and yellow hair instinctively stopped what they were doing and turned to look. At the entrance of the alley stood a man dressed in white casual clothes. He had a tall and straight posture, and his face was so handsome that it was hard to determine his gender. His eyes had a somewhat seductive gaze, yet his expression was cold and intimidating. He exuded a powerful aura that made people shiver.

It’s Qimait. He had just returned to his villa and was about to go out for a stroll when he happened to see this scene.

“Who are you? Stop meddling in other people’s affairs!” The bald man mustered his courage and shouted at Qimait. He thought Qimait looked pale and delicate, like a scholar, so he believed he could easily be bullied.

Qimait sneered and stepped into the alley, his icy gaze sweeping over the two of them. “Who I am isn’t something you deserve to know. Give back the money right now and get lost. Otherwise, I’ll make sure you never leave this alley alive.”

“You’re seeking death!” The blond man was enraged by Zymet’s tone. He swung his fists and charged at Zymet.

Qimait’s eyes turned cold. He stepped aside to avoid the blow, then flipped his hand and slapped the blond guy hard across the face. With a sharp “smack”, the sound echoed through the alley. The blond guy was so stunned that he staggered back a few steps, blood flowing from the corner of his mouth.

Upon seeing this, Cun Tou’s expression changed drastically. He never expected that this seemingly weak-looking man was actually so skilled in fighting. Gnashing his teeth, he rushed at Qimait. But Qimait kicked him in the stomach, sending him crashing to the ground. Cun Tou writhed in pain, unable to get up for a long time.

Qimait tapped his hands together, staring at the two of them with cold eyes. “Get lost. If I see you bullying anyone again, I’ll break your legs.”

The bald man and the blond guy were terrified beyond measure. They got up from the ground, picked up the cash on the ground, and fled the alley in a hurry, not even daring to say a harsh word.

The crisis was over. Shanora Hansen slowly opened her eyes and looked at the man before her. Her eyes were filled with gratitude and surprise. She never expected that she would be saved by a stranger. And this man was incredibly handsome, so handsome it seemed unreal.

Qimait turned to look at her, his gaze becoming softer, and his tone more gentle: “Are you okay?”

Shanora Hansen shook her head, her voice still a little trembling: “I… I’m fine. Thank you, thank you for saving me.”

Qimait smiled, her enchanting gaze becoming even more pronounced: “It’s no big deal. How come a girl like you is here all by herself? This place is quite remote and unsafe.”

Shanora Hansen felt nervous. Instinctively, she concealed the fact that she had run away. She made up a random excuse: “I… I was here on vacation. I just got lost and ended up here. I never expected to meet bad people.”

Qimait glanced at her, his eyes filled with a hint of amusement. It seemed like he saw through her lies, but he chose not to point it out. He pointed toward the end of the alley. “This isn’t safe. Let me take you back. Where do you live?”

Shanora Hansen hesitated for a moment. She wasn’t sure if this man was a good person. But after all, he had saved her just now. And he didn’t seem like a bad person at all. After thinking for a while, she told him the name of the small hotel where she was staying.

Qi Mai nodded and said, “Let’s go. I’ll take you back.”

Shanora Hansen followed Zimmet, feeling a mix of emotions. She had no idea what impact this suddenly appearing, charming man would have on her escape. Nor did she know that Mike’s men had already found this small town and were searching house by house. They were very close to finding her.