Chapter 253: Returning to the Country

Chapter 253: Return to the Capital

Li Deshu successfully grabbed Hao Yanyan's hand, but this time, she showed no trace of panic. Instead, she smiled at him.

Li Deshu felt a pang of dread.

Immediately after, Hao Yanyan’s three bodyguards rushed forward and slammed Li Deshu facedown on the ground.

*Muffled screams*—'Mmmph…'

Li Deshu struggled violently, but his beaten body was no match for the three burly men.

"Boss, what should we do with him?"

Hao Yanyan’s lips twisted into a cruel smile.

"Drag him inside, break his legs, and then send him to a psychiatric hospital."

She wanted Li Deshu to live a long life—one filled with daily torment.

Only then would she consider her revenge for her past life fulfilled.

Though the capital was the heart of the nation, security cameras weren’t everywhere yet.

Beating someone in a back alley made it hard to trace responsibility.

Without hesitation, the bodyguards dragged Li Deshu into the shop, gagged him and beat him senseless.

"Help… someone… help…"

His screams died against the gag as he thrashed and curled into a ball on the ground.

A steel pipe came down on his legs with a sickening crack—first sharp pain, then numbness.

Li Deshu lay broken like a stray dog.

Hao Yanyan’s eyes gleamed with madness as she watched his suffering, letting out a shrill laugh.

"Alright, take him to Crescent Mountain Psychiatric Hospital. Tell them I've paid his way for fifty years upfront—give him *special* care."

The bodyguards simply obeyed. "Understood."

But they hid a shudder.

This woman was cold-blooded. Crescent Mountain Psychiatric Hospital was buried in the mountains on the outskirts of the capital, fully equipped with top-tier staff.

Mental patients received excellent treatment there.

But at the same time, it was a locked-down fortress—a place completely isolated from the outside world.

There was no way a patient could escape on their own.

Though unsure if this man was truly ill, the bodyguards shot him pitying glances.

Only after Li Deshu was dragged away did Hao Yanyan finally exhale.

She never expected to bump into someone from White Stone Village in the capital.

And what was Li Deshu after? Unless he too…

Hao Yanyan shook her head vigorously—impossible.

If the other party was also a reborn person, how could they be living so poorly?

It must be because they were doing badly and, upon seeing a familiar face, tried to scam her.

Unfortunately for them, they hadn’t realized she was no longer the naive country girl from before.

With Li Deshu dealt with, Hao Yanyan turned her focus back to her business.

Recently, a new batch of shirt collars had been selling exceptionally well.

However, supplies were tight, and they were selling faster than she could get them. She needed to find out where the source was.

She vaguely remembered a TV report in her past life praising these shirt collars as a big improvement in the garment industry—saving money and providing cheap and convenient options for the masses.

If even China was backing it, selling them was bound to be profitable.

Though Hao Yanyan had a fuzzy memory, she couldn’t recall exactly which year it had happened.

So even though the shirt collars had appeared several years earlier, she didn’t find it strange.

Hao Yanyan was focused completely on her business, but her limited funds meant things moved slowly.

In recent years, street vending in the capital had become super crowded, making it difficult for her to get a foot in.

Moreover, neither the Xu nor the Hao family would let her work a street stall.

Hao Yanyan thought to herself—take it slow. One day, she would make it big.

...

Time flew by.

Two years passed in the blink of an eye.

At the capital airport, a woman in a white dress, pulling a suitcase, appeared at the arrivals gate.

She wore a mask covering half her face, but the visible pair of eyes and brows were gorgeous.

Her slender figure, perfect proportions, snow-white skin, and amazing presence only made her even more attractive.

Even her long, raven-black hair added to her allure.

Passersby in the airport kept looking back at her.

It was June, and there was still a month left before the exchange students were due to return.

But Ye Xiaoxiao had something important to come back for.

Two days ago, she had received a call from the Chinese embassy—an elderly general in China was dying.

After the doctors consulted, they came up with an acupuncture treatment plan.

However, the only person in China who could do the required technique, Song Guangjing, was in poor health and unable to proceed.

Thus, through the embassy, they reached out to Ye Xiaoxiao, hoping she could help treat the general.

Ye Xiaoxiao had already passed her exams in Country A, and the remaining month was only meant for some group activities. Due to the special circumstances, she applied for an early return.

The school approved her request without hesitation and assured her it would not affect her graduation or grades.

As she left, Ye Xiaoxiao handed the keys to Chu Yunxiao, asking him to pass them along to the landlady when the time came. Her lease was paid through September, but she didn’t care about forfeiting the two months' rent—whether the landlady refunded it or not didn’t matter to her.

Once the housing was sorted, she grabbed her suitcase and headed back.

Ye Xiaoxiao had just stepped out of the airport when Song Xiaoguang spotted her and waved.

Two years later, Song Xiaoguang had grown even more handsome and confident.

Ye Xiaoxiao barely recognized him.

They’d talked about her visiting during her time abroad, but something always came up.

So even though Ye Xiaoxiao had the means, she never made the trip back.

"Xiaoguang-ge, I missed you so much!"

Ye Xiaoxiao removed her mask and smiled brightly, brighter than the noon sun.

Song Xiaoguang was also excited but held back.

"We missed you too, especially Shifu. He wouldn’t stop talking about you. He was the happiest when he heard you were coming back."

Song Xiaoguang helped load her luggage into the trunk and then gestured her into the car.

The two chatted about many things on the way.

"I missed Shifu too, and I miss home-cooked meals. I could eat a horse!"

Ye Xiaoxiao was starving overseas. Though the food there was decent, she was a die-hard Chinese food lover and loved Chinese cuisine the most.

No matter how skilled Chu Yunxiao was in the kitchen, his cooking was no match for the meals prepared by the family’s housekeeper.

Besides, he was busy with classes and didn’t always have time to cook.

She had truly been eating inconsistently.

Song Xiaoguang had already noticed. "You’ve lost weight."

"That’s what starvation does!" Ye Xiaoxiao replied.

Though she had slimmed down, she had also grown slightly taller.

Perhaps due to her age, her face had lost some of its baby fat, sharpening her features and making her look more mature and even more beautiful.

Song Xiaoguang said, "We’ll have the housekeeper whip up a feast for you when we get home."

But for now, Song Xiaoguang was taking Ye Xiaoxiao straight to Beijing First Hospital.