Chapter 90: A Chance to Resolve, the Shadow of Extreme Cold
Su Zonggang’s appearance surprised Su Ning.
However, Su Ning had no interest in engaging with him.
Despite Su Zonggang’s desperate attempts to block her path, Su Ning remained unmoved.
“Su Ning, I truly have no other way. I had to come here and beg you!”
Su Zonggang’s face was filled with regret, as if deeply remorseful for his past actions.
But Su Ning sharply sensed that deep within those seemingly sincere eyes, there wasn’t even a trace of true guilt—only endless deceit and calculation.
At that moment, Su Ning happened to be a little curious. She wanted to see what exactly this man was planning.
Seeing that she wasn’t reacting as he had hoped, Su Zonggang immediately began crying and pleading.
“Niece, after everything I’ve been through recently, I’ve truly come to realize the mistakes I’ve made. I want to turn over a new leaf and make amends.”
But Su Ning’s face didn’t change at all in response to his heartfelt act. In fact, she found it almost laughably ridiculous.
Did he really think he had done something wrong?
Of course not.
Su Ning could vaguely sense that many pairs of hostile eyes were watching her from the shadows nearby, full of malice.
And whose fault was that?
Looking at the man still putting on a performance before her, the answer was obvious: Su Zonggang.
“So, after all that, what exactly do you want?” Su Ning asked flatly.
Su Zonggang felt a flicker of frustration. He had already humbled himself to this extent, apologizing like a lowly man to a younger relative. Yet Su Ning remained completely unmoved.
Still, remembering his goal, he quickly suppressed his emotions.
“Su Ning, what are you saying? I came here hoping you’d forgive me… and of course, to return the things I took from you back then.”
Hearing this, Su Ning couldn’t help but space out for a moment, her mind drifting to the past.
Those belongings… they were some of the few keepsakes her parents had left her.
But now Su Zonggang was claiming he wanted to return them?
Su Ning didn’t believe a word of it. Those items had likely already been sold off by his family for basic supplies long ago.
Claiming he wanted to “return them” was a ridiculous excuse—Su Ning saw right through it. It was a lie, plain and simple.
And the real purpose?
Su Ning sneered without mercy:
“Rather than wasting your breath here, wouldn’t it be more efficient to just hand over the items?”
Su Zonggang’s face froze in awkward embarrassment.
He no longer had any of those things. That was just an excuse.
“Well, Su Ning… It’s not that I don’t want to give them to you. They’re valuable, so I left them back at our old home for safekeeping. You’ll need to come with me to get them.”
As expected, Su Zonggang’s real aim was to lure her out of the shelter.
Despite her suspicions, Su Ning didn’t immediately reject him.
In fact, she considered this might be the perfect opportunity to resolve her long-standing issues with Su Zonggang and his family.
Seeing her agree so easily, Su Zonggang couldn’t help but feel a flicker of joy.
He didn’t feel a shred of guilt toward Su Ning. After all, he had never been close with his outstanding younger brother.
To ensure his daughter’s safety, he was willing to sacrifice Su Ning’s life.
In his mind, Su Zonggang justified his actions:
“Don’t blame me. Losing your parents wasn’t my fault. In this brutal, heartless world where the weak are prey, dying early might be a form of mercy. Maybe what I’m doing now is just helping you reunite with your parents a little sooner.”
And so, he continued to lie to himself, over and over.
He had tricked Su Ning into leaving the shelter because his family was currently being threatened by a mysterious and dangerous organization.
All he could do now was trade Su Ning’s life for the safety of his daughter.
Meanwhile, in the shadows, a group was secretly observing Su Ning. Excitement stirred in their hearts.
Thug 1: “Boss, I didn’t expect we’d get such a good catch this time. The leader’s going to be thrilled.”
Thug 2: “That Su Zonggang is real scum. Trading his own brother’s daughter just to protect his kid. What a piece of trash.”
Then again, one thug paused in self-reflection:
“Wait a second… can we really call others trash, considering what we’re doing?”
Their leader, Dai Jibing, chewed on a toothpick and replied coldly:
“What does it matter? The world’s changed. This isn’t on us.”
Then he warned the others:
“Keep a close eye on her. The boss has been in a terrible mood ever since his brother died. If we give him this kind of prize, maybe he won’t take it out on us.”
“Got it!”
Su Ning followed Su Zonggang out of the shelter.
As soon as they stepped outside, the weather change became even more noticeable.
The extreme heat had vanished, but the temperature was dropping fast.
In just one day, frost was forming.
Still, with the heat wave over, people could finally go outside during the day again. Life was starting to return to normal.
As they walked, Su Zonggang kept glancing nervously at Su Ning, like a man holding onto a dangerous secret.
And of course, Su Ning sensed his unease clearly.
The two walked in silence, tension growing with every step.
As they neared the neighborhood where Su Zonggang once lived, Su Ning suddenly broke the silence.
Her voice was calm, but carried an undeniable weight:
“This place is already deserted. So… when are you planning to make your move?”
Her words struck like thunder, catching Su Zonggang completely off guard. He froze, speechless.
After a long pause, he finally stammered:
“W-What…?”
Clearly, he had not expected Su Ning to confront him so directly.
But Su Ning didn’t give him a chance to recover. She pressed on:
“I’m talking about the group that’s been following us. When exactly are you going to signal them to attack me?”
Su Zonggang’s body jerked as if struck by lightning. He stared at Su Ning in disbelief.
How had she seen through everything so clearly?
“You… how did you know…?”
He was stunned. He couldn’t understand how she had read him so easily.
Just then, the group hiding in the shadows realized their cover was blown.
They no longer bothered to hide and stepped out into the open.
They were a group of rowdy, rough-looking thugs, the kind of people no one would want to cross.
Su Ning’s gaze quickly spotted Su Keke and others, held hostage to the side.
They were looking at her with gleaming eyes—clearly hoping to use her to save themselves.
Thug A turned to Su Ning: “Didn’t expect you’d notice, huh? You’ve got some skills, girl. But you better play nice… or else.”
As he spoke, the others raised various high-powered weapons and aimed them at her.
A normal person would have collapsed from fear at the sight.
But Su Ning?
She didn’t flinch.
Having experienced the horrors of interstellar warfare, this little gang looked like kids playing with toy guns.
Seeing the group appear, Su Zonggang rushed forward and said:
“Sirs, this is my niece. I brought her just like I said. You can release my family now, right?”
(End of Chapter)
