"Hmph! I’m just telling the truth! How did any of them get to where they are today without stepping on your family to climb up? I’m not spouting nonsense!"

Cao Jiajia stuck her chin out defiantly, looking completely unrepentant, certain that every word she said was justified.

Liu Yingzi, of course, sided with her daughter, immediately jumping to her defense.

"What do kids know? Is it your place to pass judgment on adult matters? Jiajia’s right. Who gets into the government compound without some connections? Didn’t your parents have to beg people to pull strings for them back in the day?"

The moment she finished speaking, the atmosphere turned heavy.

A parent of another student happened to be passing by.

They frowned upon hearing this but didn’t say anything immediately.

But their exchange had already been overheard by people nearby, and someone immediately let out a cold snort.

"Heh, you talk a big game. Why didn’t you bring up your ’connections’ when your own daughter was fighting over lunch boxes in the cafeteria?"

In truth, the story about Cao Jiajia had already spread throughout the junior high division.

Who didn’t know about the things she’d done?

Everyone was well aware.

Cao Jiajia was young and didn’t yet understand the disgust and distance in the eyes of others.

But Liu Yingzi was an adult. Hearing a few snippets of gossip, she immediately realized something was wrong.

She grabbed Cao Jiajia by the wrist and turned to walk toward the entrance of the academic building.

The surrounding students automatically cleared a path. No one blocked them, but no one showed any goodwill either.

But before they could even exit the building, something else happened.

Meanwhile, Shanshan had just finished packing up her stall, having sold most of her sachets.

Just as she was about to take a break, a flash of light from someone in the crowd caught the corner of her eye.

’Huh? What’s that?’

She followed the glint with her eyes and froze.

Tucked in the man’s coat was a knife, gleaming with a cold light!

Shanshan’s heart began to race. Her first instinct was to find her dad.

But when she turned, she remembered that her dad and fourth brother had just gone to the restroom together.

Her heart clenched, and she stomped her foot in anxiety.

"Chang Le, you wait here for them, okay? I’ll be right back. When Dad gets here, you tell them..."

She leaned in and quickly whispered a few words in her brother’s ear.

Seeing the little guy listening intently, his eyes wide as he nodded vigorously to show he understood, she felt a little relieved.

After confirming he’d remembered, she straightened up and patted his shoulder.

She turned and ran, her quick steps slapping against the ground in a frantic rhythm.

To get to the security office at the school gate faster, she decided to take a little-used shortcut.

This path cut through a wooded area beside the academic building.

It was usually quiet, with few people, and would save a lot of time.

The wind rushed past her ears, whipping her hair back.

Who would have thought that as soon as she rounded a corner, she would run right into Cao Jiajia and her mother.

The two were strolling along slowly, carrying bags of snacks they had just bought.

Shanshan hadn’t expected to meet them here at all.

They were so close that she couldn’t avoid them, nearly colliding.

"Pah! You little bitch, you dare show your face in front of me again!"

The moment Cao Jiajia saw Shanshan, her expression twisted with rage, her anger flaring.

She lunged forward, her fingers spread like claws, ready to pounce and scratch.

Her movement was fierce and sudden, but her arm was caught in a death grip by Liu Yingzi.

Liu Yingzi’s expression was tense as she glanced around warily.

’This isn’t the time to cause a scene. There aren’t many people around, but you can’t guarantee a teacher or security guard won’t pass by. That girl has powerful connections. If we really make a scene, we’ll lose even if we’re in the right. We’ll be the only ones to suffer.’

She tugged her daughter hard and said in a low voice, "Don’t cause trouble. Let’s go."

Shanshan couldn’t be bothered to deal with her.

She scoffed, rolled her eyes, and brushed past, her shoulder grazing Cao Jiajia’s arm.

Held back and unable to move, Cao Jiajia stomped her feet in frustration.

But in the end, Shanshan’s conscience got the better of her. After taking a few steps, she paused.

"There’s a dangerous person inside. You’d better leave quickly. Don’t linger here."

Without waiting for a response, she turned and ran off.

The mother and daughter watched her retreating back and both snorted in unison.

"If there’s a dangerous person, why are you running back in? Who do you think you’re kidding, a three-year-old?!"

Liu Yingzi sneered, her face full of disbelief.

She tugged her daughter’s hand, her tone certain.

"Pay her no mind. Who would believe a lie like that?"

"Right! Mom, let’s make a point of not leaving. They’re selling their stuff here, so let’s go browse on the other side!"

Cao Jiajia puffed out her chest, looking utterly defiant.

She talked tough, but deep down, she was a little scared, though she forced herself to keep up the facade.

As they spoke, they changed direction and headed toward another bustling area of stalls.

The crowd was dense over there, packed with all sorts of food and game stalls.

The mother and daughter quickly blended into the crowd, looking at novelties and buying candy along with everyone else.

The earlier confrontation seemed to have been forgotten, and no one mentioned what Shanshan had said.

But sometimes, your worst fears come true. The more you tempt fate, the more likely it is to find you.

When people’s hearts are restless, accidents always strike when you least expect them.

Shanshan had just finished informing security and explaining the situation. Before she could even catch her breath, a sudden commotion erupted on campus.

Screams grew from a distance, as if all hell had broken loose.

Her heart tightened, and she looked back in the direction of the incident.

It turned out the attacker had sensed something was amiss. Realizing someone had called the police and fearing exposure, he decided to act prematurely.

He stopped hiding and drew a long, gleaming butcher’s knife he had been carrying, standing in the middle of the crowd.

"Everyone get down on the ground! I’ll cut down anyone who moves!"

He swung the knife fiercely through the air, its cold blade flashing.

The crowd instantly erupted in chaos, a sea of screams.

In the panic, people clutched their heads and scattered in every direction.

And as fate would have it, Liu Yingzi and Cao Jiajia were standing right near where it all happened.

They had been lining up to buy cotton candy.

Suddenly, they heard the shouting, and before they could react, they were knocked about by the surging crowd.

The moment chaos broke out, both mother and daughter’s faces went pale.

Liu Yingzi instinctively grabbed her daughter and tried to flee.

But in her panic, she ran blindly, like a headless chicken.

She had no idea which direction was safe; she only focused on getting away from the man with the knife.

After just a few steps, the two were separated by the surge.

Cao Jiajia was shoved aside by the crowd and, after stumbling a few steps, fell to the ground.

Liu Yingzi tried to turn back to pull her up, but she was cut off by the people surging from behind, able to do nothing but watch as her daughter’s figure was swallowed by the crowd.

"Mom! Mom, someone’s stepping on my foot! My hand... my hand hurts so much!"

Cao Jiajia cowered on the ground, shivering, her body trembling uncontrollably.

Tears streamed endlessly down her cheeks, soaking her collar and shoulders.

One moment her daughter was right beside her, the next she was gone.

When Liu Yingzi managed to catch her breath and realized with a start that her daughter was no longer beside her, she whipped her head around to search, only to find that her daughter had been seized by a brutish-looking man.

"Nobody move! I’ll stab her if anyone takes a step!"

The man roared, his voice coarse and savage.

He clutched a gleaming knife in his hand, waving it back and forth over Cao Jiajia’s neck.

The sight hit Liu Yingzi like a physical blow. Her mind went blank, and the blood in her veins seemed to freeze.

"Please! Save her! That’s my daughter! Don’t worry about me, just save her!"

She practically threw herself at a nearby security guard, crashing into him.

Tears and snot streamed down her face as she gripped the leg of his pants, refusing to let go.