Chapter 11: She Is Mine

“Sister…”

Miao Miao curled up in Su Ling’s arms, smelling that familiar scent. She could no longer hold it back and broke down in tears.

Her sister was back.

The sister who loved her had returned.

“What the hell is going on?”

The hoodlums looked at each other, bewildered by this display of sisterly affection.

The gang leader, in particular, was completely stunned.

‘Is she serious? Didn’t you just say you were going to sell your sister?’

‘Changing faces this fast without losing points? Is this girl sick in the head?’

“I have money! Don’t take Miao Miao away!”

Su Ling cried out, noticing the predatory glares of the thugs.

She rushed into the house and found the card Ji Lingyuan had given her.

“There’s 30,000 on this! I have another 9,000 too. Please, just don’t take Miao Miao away!”

Su Ling shielded Miao Miao desperately.

The thugs suddenly laughed in frustration.

“Are you out of your mind? Didn’t you just say you had no money and were going to use your sister to pay off the debt?”

What kind of game was she playing?

They were being made to look like the bad guys here.

Well, granted, they weren’t exactly good people to begin with.

The leader rested her baseball bat on her shoulder, taking the card and the 9,000 in cash with her other hand, and let out a cold sneer.

“Heh, didn’t I tell you? You have to pay back 100,000 this time. Are you screwing with me?”

Su Ling’s face turned pale upon hearing that.

She had been on Earth just a moment ago; how was she supposed to know the debt payment had spiked to 100,000 all at once?

Su Ling’s mother, Bai Wei, had somehow managed to rack up a total debt of over five million.

That figure was astronomical.

Fortunately, their previous creditors knew the family had no money and hadn’t pushed them too hard.

Furthermore, Su Ling had maintained a good attitude over the past month, handing over whatever money she had.

Because of that, the debt collectors hadn’t made things too difficult.

But she never expected they would demand 100,000 in one go!

No wonder the Original Owner had acted as if she were losing her mind.

“I—I don’t have it right now… Please, can you give us a few more days?” Su Ling pleaded.

The leader only sneered.

“After all that talk, you still don’t have the money. Fine, just as we agreed earlier, we’re taking your sister to clear the debt.”

With that, she threw the card and the cash back at Su Ling’s face and reached out to grab Miao Miao.

“Sister!”

“No!”

Su Ling panicked.

She hugged Miao Miao tightly, terrified that the girl in her arms would be snatched away in the next second.

“Dammit, by The Original’s toenails, are you playing with me?”

The group finally lost their patience.

Su Ling’s constant flip-flopping had pushed them to the edge of their temper.

“Ling Ling!”

A scream rang out as the thugs raised their heavy baseball bats toward Su Ling.

It was Su Yao.

When the thugs had first arrived, Su Yao had gotten into an argument with them to protect her daughter and had been beaten for it.

Now, seeing her daughter about to be struck, she ignored her agonizing pain and rushed forward to protect Su Ling.

However, her body had long since been ruined by years of alcoholism.

A baseball bat swung out of nowhere and slammed directly into her thigh.

With a sickening *crack*, Su Yao collapsed to the ground.

“Don’t come over here!”

Su Ling screamed at Su Yao, but in the next moment, several thugs pinned her down, rendering her unable to move.

The leader pulled out a butterfly knife and traced it along Su Ling’s cheek.

“I don’t care if you’re sick or not. If you don’t have the money, someone’s going to be the collateral. If you don’t want it to be your sister, then someone else will do…”

She glanced at the fallen Su Yao and licked her lips.

“Your mother is quite the lady, Miss Su Ling. You wouldn’t want your mother to…”

“I’ll do it! Take me instead!”

Su Ling finally realized. They were after her!

“Ling Ling…”

“Shut up!” Su Ling barked.

She looked at the gang leader, her pink eyes bloodshot.

“You said it yourself~”

The leader burst into laughter.

She pulled out a contract.

“Sign it. Our boss has had her eye on you for a long time. To tell you the truth, even if you had sold your sister or your mother today, you wouldn’t have escaped. It was only a matter of time. Don’t blame us; blame yourselves for having a mother like that.”

Su Ling stared at the contract.

Shao Nian You.

‘Buying osmanthus and wine to travel together… but it is no longer the same as the travels of youth.’

Shao Nian You was the largest entertainment organization in the Lower City.

Gambling, money laundering, organized crime… and their most profitable sector: Fuli Ji.

“This is already your best option. Weren’t you already walking down this path anyway? How else did you earn that 30,000?”

The gang leader lit a cigarette.

She didn’t bother hiding anything; Miao Miao and Su Yao heard every word clearly.

Su Ling lowered her head.

Her thick white hair obscured her face, making it impossible to see her expression.

“The one who contacted you was called Jing Jie, right? Hah, people like you who work solo don’t last long. The pay is low and the risk is high.”

The leader pinched Su Ling’s chin, admiring her features.

To be fair, this face truly looked as if it had been hand-sculpted by a goddess.

Even though she looked a mess right now, it only added a sense of tragic beauty to her face.

No wonder the boss insisted on having her.

“Don’t worry. With your looks and our resources, you’ll definitely become an Oiran. You’ll be able to earn that 30,000 you just showed us in half a day. Sign it. I can see you’re sick, your family is drowning in debt, your sister is blind, and your mother is a drunk. In your situation, even being kidnapped would be an improvement in your fate. Signing this is your best choice.”

“…”

Su Ling bit her lip so hard it nearly bled. She knew the woman was right.

But she also knew exactly what signing that paper meant.

It meant she would become a plaything, completely stripped of her freedom forever.

“Heh…” Su Ling let out a bitter laugh.

She looked back at Su Yao and Miao Miao one last time. She had no choice.

“Phew…”

“Sister, don’t!”

“Ling Ling…”

Sensing what was about to happen, Miao Miao and Su Yao cried out in agony.

However, Su Ling took a deep breath and picked up the pen from the ground.

Her eyes were filled with grim determination.

She was already a rat, a worthless girl who had sold herself.

Going to Shao Nian You was, in their words, the best option.

She had already chosen to sell herself for her family; she could not let Miao Miao or the others be hurt anymore. As for herself…

Heh… it didn’t matter.

Just as she was about to put the pen to the contract, a pair of small black leather boots appeared in her field of vision.

A cold, elegant fragrance forced its way into her nose.

Then, a familiar, chilling voice rang out.

“Heh. Su Ling, didn’t I tell you? For this one week, you belong to me.”

Su Ling looked up to see Ji Lingyuan’s cold, handsome face.

The Automatons S and Z stood at her sides.

S picked up the contract from the ground and handed it respectfully to Ji Lingyuan.

Ji Lingyuan gave it a cursory glance, her brow furrowing slightly.

Then, under the furious gazes of the hoodlums, she tore the contract to shreds.

“You!”

“Dammit! Do you want to make an enemy of Shao Nian You?!” the gang members roared.

Ji Lingyuan acted as if she had just heard something hilarious and let out a cold laugh.

“Shao Nian You? Pfft! You think I’m afraid of a brothel?”

“You—!”

“Listen well. She, Su Ling, has already been bought by me.”

Z helped Su Ling up, but in the next heartbeat, Ji Lingyuan pulled the girl firmly into her own embrace.

She was wearing a black trench coat, her face accented with sharp, cool makeup.

She looked down at the thugs from her towering height.

“She belongs to me.”