Chapter 490 - 1168: ’80s Drama Queen Forced to Act as a Top Student (3)

Chapter 490: Chapter 1168: ’80s Drama Queen Forced to Act as a Top Student (3)

Even at a time like this, Ren Xingchen was still painstakingly trying to brainwash Sheng Leyun, attempting to justify her actions and distract the girl, who wasn’t very bright to begin with.

Sheng Leyun remained silent, but the unconcealable fear and curiosity she felt about this strange place were written all over her little face.

"I’m going to find a bathroom. Come with me. Ugh, the smell on this train is terrible, and the line is so long. I’m about to wet myself."

As she spoke, she dragged Sheng Leyun toward an abandoned factory building next to the railroad tracks.

The station was crowded, and people often took detours to dodge the fare, so no one found it strange. No one paid the mother-daughter pair any mind, other than to gloat silently, hoping they’d be caught red-handed by the station staff.

Time was of the essence. Once they reached the factory, Ren Xingchen couldn’t wait to show her true colors. She shoved Sheng Leyun into a room that had only a single small, high window and tied the door shut from the outside with a rope.

"Sheng Leyun, I’m sorry. It wasn’t easy raising you. You can take care of yourself now, so don’t follow me to the Capital City. Stop ruining my life and holding me back from having a good one."

"I guess this is where our bond as mother and daughter comes to an end."

Inside the room, Sheng Leyun’s face was blank, but her voice was choked with sobs. "Mama, I’ll be good. Please don’t abandon me."

This was, after all, the child she had raised. Ren Xingchen’s eyes welled with tears, and she sniffled. "If you were as well-behaved as you used to be, Mama wouldn’t have to be doing this."

"Since you feel so wronged, then... then go live the life you want to live."

"Take this money. And remember, don’t trust strangers. After you get out of this room, the first thing you have to do is find a police officer..."

As she spoke, Ren Xingchen took out all the money she had and shoved it through the crack under the door. "Yunyun, I’m not a good mother. If we have a next life, let’s not be mother and daughter."

With that said, she wiped away a tear. A great weight lifted from her heart, and she sprinted back the way she came without a single glance back.

The moment she left, a tall, sturdy man stepped forward. With a single, forceful tug, he snapped the flimsy rope. "Kid, hurry! The train’s about to leave!"

Sheng Leyun was startled by his appearance. She froze for a second, then immediately joined him in a mad dash for the train, managing to leap onto the very last car just in time.

Ren Xingchen’s timing was impeccable. She had also sprinted back to the train. Only after it had picked up speed did she cover her face with her hands and go to Xiao Xuezhen, sobbing, "Xuezhen, I... I don’t want to live anymore. I lost Yunyun..."

Xiao Xuezhen froze, an indescribable feeling washing over him. "What on earth happened?"

"It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have been too impatient to wait in line for the bathroom, so I pulled Yunyun off the train with me. Then, when I... when I came out, she was gone!" Ren Xingchen sobbed. "I called for her for a while, but the train started to leave, so I had no choice but to run back on board. We have to find her quickly."

"She’s never traveled far on her own, and she’s just a little girl. What if we don’t find her in time, and she gets targeted by... by traffickers first..."

At this, she began to cry even more wretchedly, pounding on her own chest with her fists. "It’s all my fault! I’m a terrible mother!"

"My poor baby... She’s been so thoughtful and obedient since she was little, always helping me with the housework. I was just thinking that the two of us had finally made it through the hard times, that we could go to the Capital City together and live like people in the city."

"I never thought... I never thought I would actually lose Yunyun!"

"She’s my only child... I’ve failed Brother Sheng, and I’ve failed Yunyun. I don’t deserve to be a mother..."

Her wails were so heartbroken and gut-wrenching, a complete departure from her previously serene and gentle demeanor, that they tugged at the heartstrings of everyone around her.

The other passengers, who had felt a sense of distance from her before, forgot all about the earlier unpleasantness. They crowded around her, offering earnest advice. "Hey, ma’am, don’t cry! Just tell us clearly what happened. We need to find a conductor right away, explain the situation, and have them make a call at the next station..."

"That’s right. That little girl seemed pretty sharp. She’s probably already at the station office waiting..."

Ren Xingchen was so frightened she started hiccupping. ’Why are these people so damn competent?’

’Each suggestion is more terrifying than the last. If they actually find Sheng Leyun, given how disobedient that brat is now, won’t she just tell them exactly what happened?’

’Then what was the point of going through all this trouble?’

Ren Xingchen couldn’t help but regret her over-the-top performance. Her plan had relied on Sheng Leyun not being found. With Xiao Xuezhen being busy with his work, she figured she could just muddle through his questions, and the whole affair would be quietly dropped.

’But who could have possibly imagined that reality would be so different from her plan?’