RGL – Chapter 189

In the evening, after Su Changrong and Sun Qiufang came back, Su Min told them everything Xue Mian had said and reminded them to be careful when going out.

Sun Qiufang exclaimed in shock,

“This is real? That girl Su Wenwen really has that much nerve?”

“It’s still not certain. But the suspicion is strong.” Xue Mian said seriously. It was precisely because of this suspicion that he had rushed back from City B, worried that something might happen to Su Min.

Su Changrong said, “Your mother and I don’t have much to worry about. It’s you we’re most concerned about. She always targets you. We’re actually more uneasy for your safety.”

He felt that after living so many years, there was no reason he should be afraid of a little girl. But it was different for his daughter—she was too honest, too easy to bully.

Seeing that they didn’t take their own safety seriously, Su Min became anxious,

“I don’t care! You must remember to stay alert. If anything feels wrong, avoid it—whatever you do, don’t let anything happen to you.”

The thing she feared most in this life was losing her loved ones. That feeling of life and death tearing them apart, of being left all alone in the world—she never wanted to go through that again.

Xue Mian noticed her trembling palms. He reached out to hold her hand, silently lending her strength.

Seeing how upset her daughter was, Sun Qiufang quickly said, “Don’t worry. Your father and I are already at our age, we’ll definitely be careful. You also have to take care. Before the police from the South arrive, you and Xue Mian shouldn’t go out.”

She too was truly worried about her daughter’s safety, especially since Su Min had recently gone to confront Su Wenwen. Who knew what malicious thoughts that child might be harboring now.

But Su Min couldn’t just sit at home waiting. Ever since the last incident with the company, she realized how unbearable it was to feel like a lamb waiting for slaughter. She had to take the initiative and track Su Wenwen’s movements.

The next day, she and Xue Mian drove back to the county to check on Su Wenwen’s whereabouts.

When they arrived at the Su household, it was Su Changgui who opened the door. The moment he saw them standing there, his face turned ugly.

“What are you here for again?”

Ignoring his expression, Su Min asked directly,

“Is Su Wenwen home?”

“She’s not! The day you came looking for her, she was already kicked out. We don’t know where she went. Don’t come here looking for her again!” Su Changgui said, about to shut the door.

Halfway through, Xue Mian blocked it and frowned,

“You’re saying Su Wenwen was thrown out of the house and now no one knows where she is?”

“That’s right. Go find her yourselves, don’t bother us.” Su Changgui snapped impatiently. Life hadn’t been easy for him these days. Ever since their falling-out, Shao Yun no longer cared about the family, spending her days running her own business, keeping all the money to herself without telling him. Even his wages were taken by Shao Yun. In this household now, he had no position at all.

Hearing this, Xue Mian finally released the door, allowing Su Changgui to shut it.

He turned to Su Min,

“Where do you think she could’ve gone?”

“She has no job, and with her temperament, she wouldn’t look for one… Now that she’s been kicked out, don’t tell me—” Her eyes widened as she looked at him.

Xue Mian’s frown deepened. He quickly pulled her hand,

“Come on, let’s head back to the provincial capital. We’ll talk on the way.”

They hurried into the car. Once inside, Xue Mian immediately called the southern police department, reporting Su Wenwen’s disappearance. The other side told him they were already escorting the suspect this way, but since evidence was insufficient, they hadn’t contacted the local police yet.

On the road, Su Min kept trying to call her parents using her big “brick phone,” dialing both the office and home numbers. But the signal was so poor that none of the calls went through. She was extremely anxious, her heart pounding.

With one hand on the wheel, Xue Mian reached over with the other to squeeze her hand,

“Don’t worry, we’ll be back soon. Nothing will happen. Su Wenwen isn’t as capable as you think.”

“She was in City B and still managed to send people to the South to set fires. She’s a lunatic!” Su Min’s tone was agitated. The moment she thought her family might be in danger, memories she had buried deep resurfaced.

In a dim room in her hometown, her father, Su Changrong, had died of illness on the bed. Later, on a stormy night, their dilapidated house collapsed, and she and her mother, Sun Qiufang, perished as well. Those distant memories were like shackles she could never escape, always weighing on her heart. She had been reborn, changed the fate of many people, yet she still feared that the one destiny she dreaded most could never be altered.

Xue Mian didn’t understand why she was so terrified. To reassure her, he simply sped up, hoping to reach the provincial capital sooner.

When they arrived, they didn’t know whether to head home first or go to the company. Su Min quickly pulled out her phone and called home again. This time the call connected—but no one picked up.

“No one’s answering at home. They must’ve gone to the company. Let’s check there.”

Xue Mian immediately turned the car toward Rongfang Group’s office building.

Halfway there, the wail of sirens drew near—fire trucks. Every car on the road pulled aside to give way.

Moving his car aside, Xue Mian noticed that the trucks were turning down another street.

Su Min’s heart skipped a beat,

“That way… there’s a Rongfang supermarket.”

At once, Xue Mian followed the fire trucks. Sure enough, not long after, they saw thick smoke rising into the sky. The air was hazy, filled with the acrid smell of burning.

Because of the crowd, their car couldn’t get closer. Xue Mian parked at the roadside, and the two hurried over on foot.

Squeezing through the throng, Su Min saw clearly—it was indeed their supermarket on fire. Many employees in uniform stood nearby, craning their necks to look inside. She rushed forward and grabbed a middle-aged woman,

“Is anyone still inside? Is there anyone inside?”

The woman froze, then seemed to recognize Su Min and quickly said,

“I think so—Manager Jiang is still in there.”

Su Min knew she was referring to Jiang Ping, who in her past life had become a real estate tycoon. In this life, staying with their supermarket instead, her abilities had shone, and she had risen to become deputy general manager, handling the chain’s operations.

Even though it wasn’t her parents inside, the thought of anyone trapped made her uneasy.

And with such a massive fire, while her parents were still nowhere in sight, her worry deepened. If Su Wenwen had struck, then it was surely part of a well-laid plan.

So where had her parents gone?

Suddenly, a firefighter in uniform rushed out, carrying someone on his back. She hurried forward to look, and though the person’s face was blackened with soot, she could tell it was a woman. A female employee rushed over, shouting, “Director Jiang—it’s Director Jiang! She made it out!”

Jiang Ping opened her eyes, her voice hoarse. “There are still people inside—Director Su and Sister Sun are still inside.”

“What?!” Su Min was horrified. “My parents are inside?”

“They’re locked in the warehouse. I tried to break the door open just now but couldn’t.” Jiang Ping spoke weakly.

It turned out Jiang Ping had had a chance to escape earlier. After arranging for the guests and employees to leave, she was just about to go when she heard banging against the iron door of the warehouse. Realizing someone was inside, she hurried over, only to discover the door was not only locked, but also had an extra padlock. She had no key. When she heard the shouts from inside, she realized it was Su Changrong and Sun Qiufang. But by then the fire had already broken out. It was too late to run outside for help—she could only try to break it open herself. In the end, she didn’t have the strength. Not only did she fail to rescue them, but she had nearly been overcome by the smoke herself.

The moment Su Min realized her parents were inside, she lost all sense of reason and tried to rush in. “Dad, Mom—!”

But before she could get in, someone stopped her.

Xue Mian pulled her tightly into his arms. “The firefighters are rescuing them now—you can’t rush in and make things worse. Su Min, you need to stay calm right now.”

“But those are my parents! My parents!” Su Min screamed, her voice raw with panic. In all her life, she had never felt such terror. It was as if the sky was collapsing, as if all her happiness was about to be ripped away from her in a single night. She was about to become that person with nothing again—utterly alone.

“Let me go! I have to find my parents!”

If they really had to die, then she wanted to die together as a family. She could not lose them again.

Xue Mian held her even tighter, letting her pound on his chest and scream as much as she wanted.

Looking at the fear and grief in her eyes, he bit his lip, lowered his hand to the back of her head, and pressed her fully into his embrace, trying to let her feel some sense of safety against his chest.

“Don’t be afraid, Xiaomin. Don’t be afraid. Your parents will be fine. They will definitely be fine.”

Su Min cried until she had no strength left. The longer it dragged on, the deeper her despair grew.

At this moment, she would rather the people inside be her instead.

Finally, several firefighters rushed out from inside, flames still clinging to their gear, carrying two unconscious people. The others quickly sprayed them down with extinguishing agent.

Su Min’s heart clenched—she immediately ran over.

The two people carried out had both passed out from smoke inhalation, and Su Changrong’s back was badly burned. The injuries looked severe.

Su Min threw herself forward in panic, but the arriving medics blocked her. “We need to treat the patients first.”

Su Min dared not delay their rescue. She forced herself to hold back, biting her lip hard, restraining her urge to break through again. They were her parents—the very people she had just been laughing and chatting with yesterday.

Once they were loaded into the ambulance, Su Min went along as a family member. Xue Mian, worried, could only drive behind and at the same time call a contact he knew at the military district hospital, explaining the situation so they could prepare and offer help if needed. After all, the facilities in the provincial capital were not as advanced as those in the capital city.

After arranging matters with the hospital, he also called the police in the south, informing them that Su Wenwen had likely set another fire and escaped.

When Xue Mian arrived at the hospital, Su Changrong and Sun Qiufang had already been taken into the emergency room.

Su Min squatted outside the doors, curled into a ball.

Xue Mian had never seen her like this before—like someone who had lost everything, desperately trying to shield herself and rejecting the outside world.

He walked over, opened his arms, and sat down beside her, pulling her into his embrace without a word. Silent, steadfast protection.

Sensing his familiar presence, Su Min leaned her head against his chest, tears flowing down her face.

The rescue took three full hours.

When the patients were finally pushed out, Su Min’s legs gave way beneath her. She couldn’t stand, and had to lean against Xue Mian for support.

“Doctor, how are my parents?”

The bespectacled doctor pulled off his mask, his face heavy. “They haven’t passed the danger period yet. They need to stay in intensive care under observation—we’ll have to see how their condition develops.”

Intensive care—that meant danger could strike at any time.

Watching her parents being wheeled into the ICU, Su Min quickly followed alongside the medical staff. Xue Mian stayed behind to ask the doctor, “If we could contact medical resources in the capital, would it help?”

The doctor didn’t take offense. He answered seriously, “Right now, transferring the patients isn’t recommended. But if you have trusted doctors, you can have them coordinate with us here. As long as it helps the patients, we will fully cooperate.”

Xue Mian nodded. “Thank you.”

When he found Su Min again outside the ICU, she was staring through the glass at the people inside.

He didn’t walk over, but instead stepped aside into a stairwell and called Shu Jing’s husband, Zheng Kai.

“Brother Zheng, I need your help finding someone.”

Zheng Kai, once a major real estate developer, had deep connections and was well-respected on both sides of the law. Though not a gangster, his words carried weight even in those circles. Xue Mian, in the tech industry, had always dealt with upright people and had never approved of Zheng Kai’s way of doing business. But after everything that had happened with Su Wenwen, he realized that sometimes special situations required special methods. At least when it came to tracking someone down, those people from the underworld were often far more effective than official channels.

Zheng Kai was a shrewd man. He didn’t ask questions—he just told Xue Mian to give him some basic details about the person.

Though Xue Mian didn’t know much about Su Wenwen, with someone like Zheng Kai, just giving her name, age, and family address was enough. Even mentioning the name of a close relative would allow him to dig up her entire background in no time.

So Shu Jing quickly learned that the person Xue Mian wanted Zheng Kai to find was Su Wenwen—Su Min’s cousin.

“What does he want with her? Don’t tell me Xue Mian’s two-timing—eating from the bowl while eyeing the pot.”

Zheng Kai shot his wife a look as he searched for contacts in Jiangcheng. “If I ever wanted to find you, I would never use those people. You know what they’re like—I’d never entrust the person I love most to that kind of scum. That kid Xue Mian is definitely not stupid enough to do that.”

Su Min sat outside the ward all night. Xue Mian stayed with her. He thought it would take her some time to recover, but before dawn the next day, Su Min insisted on going home.

“With the supermarket in such a mess after the fire, it must be chaos. I need to deal with it.” She glanced toward the ward, where her most beloved people were lying. “They’ve always taken care of me. Now it’s my turn to shoulder the responsibility.”

Xue Mian held her hand firmly. “I’ll go with you.”

Though the fire at Rongfang Supermarket was extinguished, apart from the three top executives, the other injuries weren’t severe. Still, Su Min, now the only one who could take charge, had to handle the aftermath.

The police investigation confirmed it was arson. Witnesses said it was a girl in a cap. Su Min confidently told the police that person was Su Wenwen.

Of course, the police didn’t convict based on her word alone, but listed Su Wenwen as a criminal suspect.

After the police station, Su Min rushed to the supermarket’s office building to handle follow-up work.

The store itself couldn’t yet be cleared—it had to remain available for forensic evidence. But the injured employees needed compensation and comfort, while the unharmed staff had to be reassigned to keep operations running smoothly.

Although Su Min wasn’t a professional supermarket manager, she had helped with planning when Rongfang first started and knew the internal structure well. After consulting with the HR department and the other heads, she quickly had everything arranged in good order.