213: Chapter 213 Do you want to live?

Zhu Li didn't speak, just stared at him fixedly, the vigilance in her eyes not diminishing in the slightest.

She was now filled with fear toward all strangers.

Especially after she had made up her mind to do 'that thing,' anyone approaching her could potentially expose her plan.

Cao Kun could see her tension but wasn't in a hurry. He just quietly leaned sideways against the railing, his gaze also looking out over the river. His tone was relaxed and natural, as if chatting with an ordinary friend.

"The scenery of this river is quite nice, but the wind is a bit strong. It's easy for a girl staying here alone to catch a cold."

His tone was natural and his expression relaxed, without any prying or coercion, just simple small talk.

This non-aggressive attitude caused Zhu Li's tense body to relax ever so slightly.

She didn't answer, remaining silent.

But she didn't immediately get up and leave either.

Cao Kun knew the first step had succeeded.

She didn't reject his presence.

He continued to speak in a gentle, unhurried tone, casually mentioning trivial matters.

"I see your complexion is very poor. Have you run into some troubling matters?"

Zhu Li's fingertips jerked back suddenly.

Troubling matters?

Her trouble was a dark secret that could destroy her entire life if spoken aloud.

She still didn't speak, only lowering her head slightly. Her long eyelashes hid the churning emotions in her eyes, and her pale cheeks lacked even a trace of color.

Cao Kun saw this and sighed softly in his heart.

This girl was bearing far too much.

He slowed his pace, his voice becoming lighter and more patient.

"My name is Cao Kun. I'm not a bad person."

"You don't have to tell me what happened. Just think of it as... talking to a stranger to pass the time."

"Sometimes, keeping things bottled up inside for too long can crush a person."

Cao Kun's voice possessed an inexplicable stabilizing power.

Gentle, steady, and reliable, like an unshakeable mountain that made one subconsciously want to lean on it.

Zhu Li was silent for a very, very long time, so long that the river breeze made her cheeks feel numb.

She slowly raised her head and glanced at Cao Kun.

The man before her had clean eyes and an upright aura, without any hint of sleaziness, greed, or menace. He was the complete opposite of someone like Liu Ziqiang.

Over the past year, she had grown accustomed to threats, extortion, coercion, and ferocity. It had been too long since she had felt such kindness without any ulterior motive.

Her voice was very soft, carrying a hint of raspiness.

"I'm fine, thank you. You don't need to worry about me."

Cao Kun smiled slightly and nodded. He didn't press further, just quietly accompanied her in the river breeze, as if he truly were just a passerby met by chance.

Time passed bit by bit.

Five minutes, ten minutes, half an hour.

Cao Kun maintained a gentle posture throughout, without prying, coercion, or any unnecessary movements.

Zhu Li's taut nerves gradually relaxed in this silent companionship.

It had been too long since someone had stayed with her so quietly, without demanding anything, without any threats, just simply being there.

The thick barrier in her heart finally developed a tiny crack.

Only then did Cao Kun speak slowly, his voice so soft only the two of them could hear.

"Zhu Li, actually, I wasn't just passing by. I came specifically to find you."

When her own name came from this stranger's mouth, Zhu Li's entire body stiffened, and her face instantly turned deathly pale.

Her just-relaxed body tensed up again in an instant, and the vigilance in her eyes surged to the extreme!

She jerked back half a step, her hand clutched tightly over the utility knife in her pocket. She looked at Cao Kun with terror in her eyes, as if she were seeing something horrifying.

"How do you know my name? Who are you exactly? What do you want?!"

She had completely panicked.

This man not only knew her name but had come specifically for her.

Was he someone sent by Liu Ziqiang?

Was he here to test her?

Or to monitor her?

Countless terrifying thoughts exploded wildly in her mind, making her nearly suffocate.

Cao Kun looked at her suddenly pale face. Without panicking, he maintained a gentle and sincere expression and shook his head lightly.

"Don't be afraid. I'm not an enemy, and I'm certainly not one of Liu Ziqiang's people. I came to help you."

Liu Ziqiang!

Those three words were like a thunderclap, exploding in Zhu Li's mind!

He even knew about Liu Ziqiang!

Zhu Li's pupils shrank violently, her whole body trembling uncontrollably. Fear, shock, and panic flooded her in an instant.

She stared fixedly at Cao Kun, her voice shaking:

"You... what exactly do you want? How do you know Liu Ziqiang? Who are you?!"

Her secret, her humiliation, her fear—the secret she had hidden for three whole years and hadn't dared to tell even her beloved Zhang Haonan—was actually exposed by a stranger in a single breath!

Cao Kun looked at her on the brink of collapse. His tone was incredibly serious, each word clear and firm.

"I know what you've been through."

"What happened three years ago, being extorted a year ago, having over three hundred thousand taken from you this past year, and now he wants another hundred thousand. You've been driven to a dead end, so you decided to kill him and then turn yourself in."

Every sentence accurately pierced Zhu Li's deepest secrets.

Zhu Li's whole body shuddered. Her face was as pale as paper as she stumbled back a step, nearly falling onto the bench.

Her eyes were wide, filled with disbelief.

Only she herself knew about this!

She hadn't told anyone, hadn't written anything down, hadn't even dared to talk to herself about it. She had clearly hidden it so well, so deeply...

How on earth did this man know?!

"You... are you monitoring me?"

Zhu Li's voice was shaking uncontrollably.

"What exactly do you want? Did Liu Ziqiang send you?"

She had been pushed to the edge, a hint of desperate madness in her eyes.

Cao Kun shook his head slightly, his tone carrying a hint of a helpless joke as he tried to ease her fear:

"I'm not monitoring you, nor am I one of Liu Ziqiang's people."

"If I have to say it, I'm someone sent by Heaven to save you."

"Your experiences, your pain, your decision—Heaven told me all of it."

Cao Kun really didn't know how to explain it, so he had to talk nonsense.

Zhu Li, of course, didn't believe him.

Heaven? Saving?

Such words were absurd and laughable.

Having experienced so much darkness, she had long since stopped believing in Heaven or redemption.

Her gaze instantly became even colder and more vigilant, even carrying a hint of hostility.

"Stop trying to trick me! What is your purpose? If you're here to help Liu Ziqiang threaten me, then you can give up. I won't give any more money!"

She had already prepared for the worst.

If this person dared to act against her, she would strike immediately.

Cao Kun dropped the joking manner, his expression becoming incredibly serious and sincere. He looked directly into her eyes without flinching.

"Zhu Li, I know it's hard for you to believe."

"But I'll say it again: I'm here to help you."

"I know you hate Liu Ziqiang. I know you've been driven to a dead end. I also know you don't want to involve Zhang Haonan, which is why you heartlessly broke up with him."

"I can help you get rid of Liu Ziqiang completely. I guarantee you won't have to go to prison and can continue to live a stable life, and even... return to Zhang Haonan's side."

"And I will make Liu Ziqiang pay a price more painful than death, so he can never threaten, harass, or harm you again."

"I only ask you one thing: do you want to live? Do you want to live a normal life again?"

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