The manager of the teahouse was momentarily stunned before quickly responding, "There's no one inside. Why don't you try calling your daughter? She might be somewhere else."
The undercover waiter didn't recognize Dalia. They had only communicated via phone and had never met in person. Now, hearing her shout, he mistakenly assumed she was Zuri's mother and avoided eye contact out of guilt.
Dalia struggled fiercely, her voice filled with desperation as she screamed, "She's inside! She's locked in the private room! Please, save her, save my daughter!"
The crowd around her whispered amongst themselves, but no one dared to rush in. The entire teahouse was engulfed in flames, and entering would be a death sentence. No one was willing to risk their life.
"Who would dare to go in with a fire like that?"
"Entering now would be suicidal."
"If there really is someone inside, they probably didn't make it."
"Poor thing."
Just then, the sound of fire truck sirens grew closer, and within moments, they arrived at the scene. The crowd parted to make way for the firefighters, who quickly sprang into action.
Seeing the firefighters, Dalia broke free from the teahouse manager and rushed toward them. "Please, save my daughter! Save her!"
Hearing that someone was still inside, the firefighters took the situation seriously and immediately began planning their entry into the burning building.
Dalia watched with hopeful eyes as two firefighters entered the inferno. Simultaneously, efforts were made to extinguish the flames from the outside.
Zuri stood amidst the crowd, her expression cold as she observed the scene, her gaze fixed on Dalia's face, which was filled with despair.
Forty minutes later, the fire was finally put out. The firefighters emerged, carrying a charred body. Upon seeing it, Dalia's legs gave out, and she collapsed to the ground.
She crawled toward the body, wailing in grief, "Saira, my dear daughter! What will I do without you?! Saira..."
Dalia's heart-wrenching cries moved the onlookers, and many faces reflected sympathy.
Zuri watched the woman on the ground for a moment, then turned and walked away.
Suddenly, Dalia sprang to her feet and rushed toward Zuri.
"Murderer! You murderer!"
Before she could reach Zuri, Lei Ting intercepted her, grabbing her hand and preventing her from taking another step.
Hearing the commotion, Zuri turned to face Dalia, offering her a faint smile. She stepped closer, leaning in to whisper, "Your daughter died by your hand. You were the one who drugged her, who locked that door, who set that fire."
"Saira probably never even realized it was her own mother who sent her to her death. At least she died unconscious, without having to endure the agony of the flames."
"Remember, Dalia, those who do evil will meet their end!"
With that, Zuri turned and walked away.
Dalia's only concern in this world was Saira. The one thing that tethered her to this life was Saira. But now, she had unwittingly sent her most cherished person to her death. Only those who have experienced such despair can truly understand the depths of her pain.
Seeing the emptiness in Dalia's eyes, Lei Ting let go of her hand.
Dalia staggered back a few steps, then began to laugh—softly at first, but growing louder. Suddenly, she rushed up to a passerby, eyes wide with madness, and said, "I killed my daughter. I killed her with my own hands. I killed my daughter..."
"Hahaha! I killed her. I killed her..."
The passerby, frightened, pushed her away.
The people around her backed off, looking at her with a mix of pity and fear, as if she were a madwoman.
"Has this woman gone mad?"
"Looks like it."
"She probably snapped from the shock."
The crowd whispered about Dalia, who was now sitting beside the charred body, alternating between crying and laughing. Her appearance was that of someone who had lost her sanity, evoking sighs of pity from those around her.
Half a month later, on a sidewalk, a disheveled woman sat on the filthy ground, rummaging through a trash can for food. She found a piece of moldy bread and began stuffing it into her mouth, a foolish smile on her face. But just as she started eating, a homeless man snatched the bread from her.
The woman tried to snatch it back, only to receive a beating from the homeless man. She curled up on the ground, her body trembling from the pain.
After beating her, the man spat on her head, cursed, and then walked away.
The woman lifted her head, her filthy face streaked with blood, her eyes vacant like those of a living corpse. She limped forward, muttering to herself, "I killed her... I killed her... I..."
Not far from her stood a slender figure, watching the wretched woman in the garbage-strewn alley with cold, indifferent eyes.
Zuri walked up to her, looking down at the woman in the corner. Without caring whether the woman noticed her, she spoke, "If you're mad, then stay mad for the rest of your life."
Zuri stared at her for two seconds. The woman showed no reaction. Zuri turned and walked away, not looking back.
After Zuri had completely left, the woman in the corner made a slight movement.
Zuri exited the alley and approached a parked Rolls-Royce. She got into the car, where Leo was sitting in the back seat.
"Let's go."
The car slowly drove away, and the filthy, wretched place faded from view.
An hour later, Zuri arrived at Oceanic City Airport. As soon as she got out of the car, Azura ran up to her, hugging her tightly and whispering in her ear, "Uncle Leo is so mean! He wouldn't let me come to pick you up."
Leo's cold gaze landed on her. "Don't think I can't hear you just because you're whispering."
Zuri smiled.
Azura stuck her tongue out at her uncle.
"Let's go."
An hour later, a private jet took off from Oceanic City, heading to the next destination. There, a new chapter of Zuri's life would begin.
Meanwhile, two men in black entered a secluded alley in Oceanic City where homeless people gathered. They headed straight for the woman curled up in the corner.
"Is this her?" one of the men asked.
The other man kicked the woman, making her fall flat on the ground. He used the tip of his shoe to push aside the hair covering her face.
After comparing her to a photo, they confirmed her identity.
"It's her."
One of the men took out his phone and made a call. Soon after, a group of people entered the alley.
The woman seemed oblivious to the approaching danger, continuing to mutter, "I killed her... I killed my daughter... I'm sorry, Saira..."
"Hahaha, I killed her... I killed her..."
As the group entered, the alley was filled with the sound of her cries, which quickly faded.
Twenty minutes later, the men in black left quickly. The madwoman in the alley had been left with her legs and arms broken, her tongue severed, unable to speak or write. She was now nothing more than a useless, broken shell of a person.
Not long after the men in black left, in a low-profile yet luxurious estate in the Imperial City, a person lying on a rocking chair picked up a phone and casually swiped through a series of bloody photos. After tossing the phone lightly onto the coffee table, they closed their eyes, savoring the rare sight of blue skies and white clouds outside.
"Useless trash! Then be a complete waste!"
Under the clear blue sky, a private jet slowly landed on a private helipad, where a car had been waiting. After Leo and his companions disembarked, they immediately got into the car, which quickly drove away.
The car headed toward a famous university district in the Imperial City, passing by several universities along the way. Twenty minutes later, it stopped at the gate of one of them.
Because it was the start of the school year, the entrance was crowded with people, as parents with their children flooded in, carrying large bags and packages.
Unable to drive further, the car pulled over.
"Pull over here."
The car came to a smooth stop by the roadside. As the doors opened, Azura was the first to step out, followed by Zuri, with Leo bringing up the rear.
Azura turned to Leo and said, "Uncle, we're here now. You can go back to work. You don't need to accompany us. We can handle it."
She had her own plans to find some cute guys without her uncle around.
"There's nothing on my schedule today, so I'll take the chance to see the place where you two will be studying for the next four years," Leo said, his tone leaving no room for argument, crushing Azura's little scheme.
Azura pouted, wanting to protest, but then Zuri said, "Let's go."
Leo carried all the luggage as Zuri and Azura walked ahead. The three of them, with their striking appearances and demeanor, attracted many stares.
Several upperclassmen turned their attention to Zuri and Azura.
"Wow, that girl in the red dress is gorgeous. Could she be a new student in the art department?"
"The girl next to her is quite pretty too."
"Beautiful people do tend to hang out together."
…
The three first accompanied Azura to register in the archaeology department, and then they went to the fashion design department. Though they were in different departments, they were in the same university.
"This is your dorm number and room key," the senior at the registration desk said, handing the items to Zuri.
A shy male student nearby asked, "Do you have any luggage? I can help you carry it."
A friend nudged him and gave him a signal to look behind Zuri. That was when the guy noticed the impressive man standing behind her.
He immediately backed down.
Leo carried the luggage as he followed Zuri to the dormitory. Along the way, they drew the attention of several students, who couldn't help but glance at Leo.
When they opened the dormitory door, two other students had already arrived, and their parents were busy helping them arrange their beds.
Their arrival immediately caught the attention of the two families, and the two girls' eyes were drawn to the handsome, composed Leo.
"Another new roommate," said a slightly plump middle-aged woman with a smile.
Zuri nodded slightly to the two families and glanced at the beds. She soon found her name on the bed by the window, but it had already been taken by someone else.
Leo noticed it too. The bed that was supposed to belong to Zuri had been claimed by another girl.
He stepped forward, placed the luggage on the desk, and said to the middle-aged couple, "You've set up the wrong bed."
"Oh! So you're Zuri! My daughter Feifei isn't in the best health, so she needs to stay by the window. As a classmate, you should help each other out. You wouldn't mind switching beds, would you?" Feifei's mother said with a smile.
Her words placed Zuri on a moral high ground, forcing her to give up her bed. If she refused, she would be seen as lacking the spirit of mutual help among classmates.
Azura stepped forward and sneered, "Sorry, but Zuri also needs sunlight and has to stay by the window."
Feifei's mother was surprised by their refusal, feeling a bit displeased.
"Young lady, why are you so difficult? It's just a bed. Why make such a fuss?" Feifei's mother said, annoyed.
"Exactly! It's just a bed. Why insist on taking someone else's? Do you have some weird habit of snatching other people's things?" Azura shot back.
"Watch your mouth, young lady!"
"I was just echoing your own words," Azura responded with a smile.
Sensing the growing tension, the father of another family stepped in to mediate.
"Everyone, calm down! You're all classmates and will be living together for the next four years. Let's not start off on the wrong foot. How about a compromise?" the father of Shen Menglai suggested.
Feifei's mother turned to Azura, "You're not Zuri, so why are you butting in? Mind your own business."
Then she addressed Zuri, "You're Zuri, right? You seem like a reasonable person. My daughter Feifei isn't well, so why not let her have the bed by the window? Auntie will be very grateful, and Feifei will remember your kindness. So, will you let her have the bed?"
"No! I'm not willing!" Zuri calmly replied.
They had just stood up for themselves, so if she gave in now, it would be like slapping Azura in the face. She wasn't about to let a random person cause harm to her friend.
Whether the other person was happy or not was none of her concern.
Feifei was furious and pouted at Zuri. She then turned to her father and said, "Dad, just give them money! That's what they want, isn't it?"
Feifei's father pulled out a thick wad of cash from his wallet and slapped it on the table. "This money is for your bed. Are you satisfied now?"
The Shen family looked at the stack of cash on the table, then at Feifei's father's bulging wallet, their expressions changing slightly.
Azura almost burst out laughing at the sight of the money.
Did they look like beggars who needed money?
She glanced at Leo and Zuri. Her uncle was dressed in custom-made casual clothes, with no visible brand. Zuri wore a… well, a somewhat cheap dress, but still, they didn't look shabby.
Leo simply said one word, "Leave!"
"Hey, watch your mouth!" Feifei's mother snapped.
Zuri, feeling a headache coming on, said, "If your family is so wealthy, why not just buy her a villa nearby so she can commute from there? Villas outside the campus are much better. Whether she wants a sunroom or a rooftop, she can choose whatever she likes. Squeezing into this crowded dorm doesn't really suit a lady of her status."
Feifei, feeling mocked, stood up and said, "I like staying in the dormitory. What's it to you?"
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