212: Chapter 212 Who are you?

Zhu Li did not dare to look back.

She didn't dare to look at Zhang Haonan's pained face.

Even less did she dare to look at the disappointed eyes of Father Zhang and Mother Zhang.

With every glance back, her determination would crumble a little more.

Rushing out of the coffee shop, Zhu Li ran wildly until she reached a deserted alleyway. Only then did she finally collapse, unable to support herself, and burst into loud sobs.

Her crying was heart-wrenching, filled with despair and agony.

She wept for her own fate.

She wept for her own wretchedness.

She wept for being forced to push away the person who loved her most.

She wept for the dead end she was about to walk toward.

She loved Zhang Haonan to her very core, loved him enough to give up everything.

Yet, she could only leave him in the most cruel way possible.

There is no pain in this world greater than deeply loving someone but having to push them away with your own hands.

She cried for an unknown amount of time until her tears ran dry and her voice became hoarse. Only then did Zhu Li slowly stand up from the ground.

She wiped away the tear stains on her face, and her gaze shifted from broken agony to cold, determined, and deathly still.

The breakup was complete; she no longer had any lingering attachments.

Next, she had to make the final preparations to kill Liu Ziqiang.

She first went to a pharmacy to buy poison, then to a Supermarket to buy rope, knives, and some items to cover her tracks.

She didn't contact anyone, simply following her plan to arrange the meeting location step by step.

She sent a text message to Liu Ziqiang, arranging to meet him at an abandoned warehouse in three days.

Liu Ziqiang received the message and was beside himself with joy, immediately agreeing, completely unaware of any danger.

Meanwhile, Zhu Li waited for the final moment to arrive in a state of despair and calm.

She had already decided that after killing Liu Ziqiang, she would immediately dial 110 and turn herself in at the public security bureau.

She wouldn't run or hide; she would use her own life to pay for Liu Ziqiang's.

She would use this most extreme method to end this three-year-long nightmare.

Meanwhile, on the streets of Zhongzhou City center.

Cao Kun had just come out of Shang Yuya's residence and was driving along the road.

He saw Zhu Li by the roadside.

Suddenly, the cold and clear notification sound of the system rang in his mind.

【Ding! New mission released: Help Zhu Li escape the darkness and return to a normal life!】

【Mission Reward: 800,000 huaxia coins.】

Immediately following, a complete set of information flooded directly into Cao Kun's mind.

Zhu Li's full identity information, age, occupation, and family background.

The entire account of how she was raped by Liu Ziqiang three years ago and threatened with photos.

Fleeing her hometown for Zhongzhou, meeting Zhang Haonan, and the happy life of being about to get married.

Liu Ziqiang's reappearance a year ago, his continuous extortion of over 300,000, and now his demand for another 100,000.

Zhu Li being driven to despair, deciding to kill Liu Ziqiang, breaking up with her fiancé, and preparing to turn herself in afterward.

All the details, all the pain, and all the despair were clearly displayed in Cao Kun's mind.

Cao Kun's hand on the steering wheel suddenly tightened, and a surge of intense rage instantly welled up in his eyes.

He had originally thought that scum like Lou Dong was the limit, but he hadn't expected there to be something even less than human like Liu Ziqiang in this world!

Raping a young girl, threatening her with photos, three years of mental torture, and a year of continuous blackmail.

Driving a gentle, kind girl who was about to enter the halls of marriage to the point of murder and turning herself in to pay with her life!

Greedy, malicious, shameless, and utterly devoid of conscience!

A person like Liu Ziqiang didn't deserve to live in this world at all.

And Zhu Li, clearly the victim, clearly the most innocent person, was being forced to ruin her own life, to sacrifice her future and life just to escape a demon.

This was too unfair, too infuriating.

The system mission had to be completed, Zhu Li had to be saved, and Liu Ziqiang had to pay the price.

He absolutely could not stand by and watch an innocent girl ruin her life because of a piece of scum.

Cao Kun drove directly and quickly toward Zhu Li's location.

This time, he would not only complete the system mission but also ensure that an absolute villain like Liu Ziqiang received the harshest punishment and paid a bitter price for his actions.

...

Cao Kun followed Zhu Li.

Soon, they arrived at a riverbank.

This place was far from the hustle and bustle of the city center; the vegetation was lush, and the river water shimmered with a cold green light.

Usually, only a few elderly people took walks here. Now, with the afternoon sun shining obliquely, the entire area seemed quiet and empty.

He parked his car by the roadside.

After getting out of the car.

He immediately saw Zhu Li sitting on a bench by the river.

The girl wore a plain white hoodie and jeans, her hair simply tied in a low ponytail, revealing her slender, fair neck.

She lowered her head slightly, staring blankly at the river surface, her shoulders slightly hunched.

She looked like a kitten drenched by rain with nowhere to hide—lonely, fragile, and carrying a deathly stillness on the brink of collapse.

Even from just a quiet profile, the despair and exhaustion hidden in her eyes were clearly visible.

Breaking up with her beloved overnight, cutting off all warmth with her own hands.

Coupled with the extreme plan she was about to implement.

This twenty-six-year-old girl had long since been pushed to the edge of a mental breakdown.

Cao Kun didn't approach immediately but stood quietly in place for a few seconds.

He could feel the despair almost overflowing from the girl.

It was a deathly silence of someone with no way out, no longer even fearing death.

He lightly straightened his cuffs, his expression gentle and his aura steady. Without any sense of pressure, he walked toward the bench step by step.

His footsteps were light and slow, falling on the fallen leaves with almost no sound.

It wasn't until he was three steps away that Zhu Li suddenly snapped back to her senses. Like a startled animal, she instantly raised her head, looking at the newcomer with a wary and panicked gaze.

What came into view was a man with a tall, upright figure and a clean temperament.

He looked to be in his early twenties, wearing a simple black casual jacket. His facial features were well-defined, and his gaze was gentle yet deep, without a hint of malice, making one subconsciously lower their guard slightly.

Zhu Li's heart instantly leapt into her throat.

She subconsciously gripped the small utility knife she had prepared for self-defense in her pocket. Her fingertips were ice-cold, and her whole body was tense.

This was a place she had deliberately chosen so she wouldn't be disturbed. She didn't want to see anyone, let alone be bothered; she just wanted to be alone and quiet.

“Who are you? What do you want?”

Her voice was very soft, carrying an imperceptible tremble. Her eyes were full of wariness, like a small animal that could bristle at any moment.

Cao Kun stopped at a spot beside her, not getting too close. He maintained a safe and polite distance, his voice low and warm, as soft as the afternoon sun:

“Don't be nervous. I mean no harm. I was just passing by and saw you sitting here alone for a long time, so I was worried something might have happened to you.”

...