HBWMA -Chapter 304 The Prayer of Xilin District

A small coffee shop.

“Mmm~” Su Miao closed her eyes tightly, her brows furrowed, her facial features twisting as she forced down a sip of iced Americano stuck in her throat. “Ah!! So bitter!!”

Jiang Huashan squinted at her sideways glance and finally couldn’t hold back. She stood up and gave Su Miao a sharp flick on the forehead.

“Are you sick? What if you mess with Zhou Qishan’s mindset doing things like this?”

Su Miao rubbed her forehead in pain, unconvinced. “How would I mess it up! I’m doing this to motivate her, okay? Do you think Area 313 is easy to survive in? One wrong step and someone dies! I need her to stay alert all the time and take care of herself properly!”

“Heh.” Jiang Huashan let out a laugh out of anger. “Zhou Qishan having you really is her blessing.”

Su Miao felt a little guilty and quickly changed the subject. “Forget that. I asked you out today because I have something to discuss with you.”

Jiang Huashan was still annoyed about earlier and responded flatly, “What is it?”

Su Miao looked around, then lowered her voice. “It’s about my identity. I’ve got a new idea I want to talk through with you.”

Jiang Huashan asked, “What idea?”

Su Miao said, “I think… I shouldn’t be so pessimistic. Even if I’m not the Su family’s biological daughter, they must still have feelings for me! The Su family is so rich, they wouldn’t just throw away the adopted daughter the moment their real daughter shows up.”

Jiang Huashan looked her up and down. “And what made you suddenly think this way?”

Su Miao chuckled awkwardly. “It’s thanks to you, actually. Look at you—you’re also an adopted daughter, right? And your mother isn’t exactly reliable either, but you’re still doing fine. So I should stay optimistic too.”

“……”

Jiang Huashan didn’t know whether to praise her or hit her.

Su Miao clenched her fist and took another sip of coffee. “I plan to become friends with Su Wen first. As long as I’m around, no one will dare bully her. After things calm down, I’ll confess everything to Grandpa.”

A fake daughter and the real daughter becoming friends?

Jiang Huashan glanced faintly at the top of Su Miao’s head. Influenced by labels and “story tropes,” things probably wouldn’t go that smoothly. Still, it wasn’t a bad thing that Su Miao had this intention. Let her try first—it would at least be a small breakthrough.

Thinking this, Jiang Huashan didn’t interfere further and stood up. “Figure out your own life yourself.”

Su Miao was dissatisfied. “That’s it? We’re not going to discuss it more?”

Jiang Huashan spread her hands. “Discuss? Fine, transfer me money first.”

Su Miao’s expression changed slightly. “I’ve already fallen to the point of being a thief. Where would I get money to give you?”

“That’s your problem.” Jiang Huashan suddenly thought of something and looked at her meaningfully. “By the way, just a reminder—there’s a twenty-million gap. Your grandfather will probably find out it’s you soon. So… you don’t have much time left.”

Su Miao bit the straw, annoyed. “You don’t need to tell me.”

Since she dared to steal it, she had already prepared herself for exposure.

“Alright.” Jiang Huashan waved her hand and walked out of the café.

By the roadside, Gao Zhi had been waiting outside the car. When Jiang Huashan came out, he immediately walked up.

“Miss Jiang.”

Jiang Huashan had originally planned to wander around, but Gao Zhi’s sudden appearance surprised her. “Why are you here? Did Shen Lanxi also come to stroll through a commoner street?”

To keep a low profile, Su Miao had deliberately chosen an ordinary café. Compared to the wealthy CBD area of Whale Harbor, this place was worlds apart. In Jiang Huashan’s mind, a young heir like Shen Lanxi probably wouldn’t even know such streets existed.

Gao Zhi replied, “Young Master asked me to follow you and ensure your safety.”

Jiang Huashan frowned. “Shen Lanxi told you to follow me?”

“……”

Gao Zhi remained expressionless, but inside he was screaming like a thousand groundhogs. Did I say it like that just now?!

“—To ensure your safety.” He repeated again, swallowing his frustration. Working for money was hard.

“To ensure my safety?” Jiang Huashan’s expression turned complicated.

No way. Since when did Shen Lanxi change his personality settings? Wasn’t he always cold, harsh, and ruthless? Why would he suddenly care about someone?

She didn’t believe it. She waved her hand. “No need. Go back. I still want to walk around.”

Gao Zhi casually glanced around—and in just one look, he spotted at least three men deliberately stealing glances at Jiang Huashan, and a sleazy, overweight man even holding up his phone as if trying to take photos.

After a brief silence, Gao Zhi said respectfully, “Miss Jiang, please wait a moment. I’ll confirm with Young Master first.”

After saying that, without waiting for Jiang Huashan’s reaction, Gao Zhi turned and walked back to the car, dialing Shen Lanxi’s number.

“Young master, Miss Jiang is out there attracting admirers and still won’t let me follow her.”

A moment later, Gao Zhi got out of the car again and handed the phone to Jiang Huashan. “Miss Jiang, it’s the young master.”

“……” Jiang Huashan reluctantly took the phone. “Hello?”

Shen Lanxi said, “Gao Zhi must follow you.”

Jiang Huashan protested, “I don’t like being monitored.”

“This isn’t surveillance. If you don’t like Gao Zhi, I can replace him with someone else, but someone must follow you.”

What Jiang Huashan hated most was Shen Lanxi’s cold, authoritarian tone. She snapped, “Must this, must that—everything is ‘must’? I already said I don’t like it, and you still insist. If you care so much about my safety, why don’t you come watch me yourself?”

Shen Lanxi froze for a moment, before he could react, the call was already hung up.

Jiang Huashan glanced sideways at Gao Zhi. Gao Zhi said cautiously, “How about… letting the young master come instead?”

That useless young master—always needing others to clean up his mess.

“I said don’t follow me.” Jiang Huashan shot him a glare, tossed the phone back to him, and turned to cross the street.

During this time, she had been intentionally provoking Fu Xiaoxiao, trying to trigger the plot where Fu Xiaoxiao would hire someone to ambush her.

If Gao Zhi kept watching her like this, how would Fu Xiaoxiao ever get the chance?

Westwood Parish.

Inside the church.

Zhao Tang held Su Yun’s hand warmly and intimately. “A-Yun, you’re amazing. I’ve never seen Father Han appreciate someone like this before. You really don’t want to consider joining the order? This is a rare opportunity. With Father Han’s guidance, you might even become a true disciple of the bishop.”

Su Yun looked at the devout believers around her and said softly, “Xiao Tang, you know I’m really not interested in the church.”

“Alright then.” Zhao Tang didn’t insist. “Wait for me here. I’ll go get some documents and be right back.”

Su Yun stood up, looking slightly awkward. “I suddenly need to use the restroom.”

Zhao Tang subconsciously glanced at her digital watch, her eyes flickering slightly. “How about I go with you? I need to go too.”

“Okay.”

The two of them stood up from the wooden pews and walked through the praying congregation toward the exit.

Not far away, two tall black arched doors faintly glowed with a dim, misty light—this was the only exit connecting the church to the outside world.

Su Yun walked in front, her back to Zhao Tang. Looking at her figure, Zhao Tang’s heart pounded violently.

“Boom—”

Just as they reached the door, the church bell suddenly rang.

Biting her teeth, Zhao Tang raised her hand from behind, like a devil’s claw reaching out.

I’m sorry, A-Yun.

The moment her hand was about to land on Su Yun’s shoulder, the person in front suddenly shifted aside, dodging it and forcefully pushing her down the steps instead.

Their eyes met briefly in midair.

One was decisive and ruthless; the other, stunned and panicked.

“Boom—”

Another bell rang.

The doors slowly began to close.

Su Yun turned and ran toward the sliver of light. In the final moment before darkness swallowed everything, she returned to a world of light.

“No—!”

Zhao Tang lay on the ground, letting out a desperate scream.