Chapter 16: Cinderella After Midnight

After hanging up the phone, Wang Chuan turned his gaze toward the single-person booth. Mi Xiaoyue was curled up, clutching her head in the e-sports chair, with a man and a woman standing before her.

The man was Mi Fenjin, his face rough and beefy, and the woman was Sun Tao, whose sharp features gave off a cruel impression. They were Mi Xiaoyue’s foster parents.

Wang Chuan was no stranger to parents coming to internet cafes to drag their kids away. As long as they didn’t damage the property, he usually pretended not to notice.

Getting involved in others' affairs was just asking for trouble.

But today, something stirred within Wang Chuan. It wasn’t that he had a particularly close relationship with Mi Xiaoyue; rather, he had a strong, vague premonition that helping her today might net him a big advantage tomorrow.

Just as Sun Tao raised her palm again, Wang Chuan trusted his instincts and strode over, grabbing the woman’s wrist politely.

“Sis, that’s not how you discipline a child. Calm down… Besides, I have work to do, and you’re disturbing the business.”

“Mind your own business! How dare you tell me how to raise my daughter?”

Sun Tao yanked back her wrist, then glanced outside the booth. The crowd gathering around to watch was sizable, and a hint of hesitation flickered in her eyes.

“Get up! What a disgrace. Come with me!”

Sun Tao yanked Mi Xiaoyue by her tangled hair, dragging her out forcibly without even bothering to let her put on her shoes.

“Mom… it hurts! It hurts! I twisted my ankle.”

The sharp pain tearing through her scalp made Mi Xiaoyue plead desperately, but she received no mercy.

“Cry all you want, you worthless loser! All you know is to cry!”

Sun Tao’s grip tightened, and Mi Xiaoyue’s cries grew even more pitiful.

“Enough, you two have made enough trouble.”

Mi Fenjin, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke, playing the stern role. Then he ordered Mi Xiaoyue, “Go put on your shoes properly.”

Mi Xiaoyue still dared to plead with the fierce Sun Tao, but before Mi Fenjin, she was trembling and speechless.

Sun Tao’s beatings left only superficial wounds, but if Mi Fenjin struck, it was likely to cause serious injury.

Mi Fenjin, who had spent twenty years slaughtering pigs, was infamous for his brutality. The last time he slapped Mi Xiaoyue, two of her molars were knocked out, and she still couldn’t eat hard food.

“Did you take time off for her teacher?”

“Not yet. I told them we shouldn’t have let her attend that lousy high school. Staying in the village and waiting to marry off would’ve been better. She could’ve helped with chores, but now she’s gotten wild.”

“It’s nothing serious. Lock her up for a couple of days, and she’ll behave.”

“That’s right, starve her for a few days first.”

“Also, can you be a little more careful? Don’t mess up her face. I’ve already taken the bride price from Old Li’s family.”

...

Limping from the twisted ankle, Mi Xiaoyue returned to the booth. Her eyes had lost all light. Though she hadn’t heard the conversation between Mi Fenjin and Sun Tao, she could guess its content.

They had come all this way only for one reason: to make her marry someone.

When registering her age, the couple had deliberately added a year, making her officially nineteen on her ID card. She would turn twenty in December, just the legal age for marriage.

Mi Xiaoyue put on her shoes and returned to Mi Fenjin’s side, hanging her head as if resigned.

As the three were about to leave the internet café, Wang Chuan suddenly stepped forward to block their way.

“Hey, Mi Xiaoyue, you haven’t paid your tab here yet!”

Mi Xiaoyue looked up in surprise; she had never run a tab at the café.

Mi Fenjin frowned. “How much does she owe you?”

“A little over ten thousand.”

“Ten thousand for internet usage?”

Mi Fenjin grabbed Wang Chuan’s collar, threatening fiercely, “You’re trying to scam us, huh? Believe it or not, I’ll smash your shop!”

Wang Chuan smiled calmly. “Debts must be repaid. Either pay up, or I hold her here. Otherwise, I call the police!”

Even someone as naive as Mi Xiaoyue could tell Wang Chuan was deliberately stalling.

But what good would stalling do? Who could come to her rescue?

Sun Tao grabbed Mi Xiaoyue’s ear sharply. “You worthless thing, do you really owe him ten thousand?”

“It hurts! Mom… it hurts!”

The searing pain made her eyes water as she begged for mercy.

“Are you deaf? Answer me!”

“I…”

Before Mi Xiaoyue could respond, a tall figure rushed in and forcefully threw Sun Tao aside.

Yan Xuan didn’t hold back. Sun Tao crashed into several computer screens and fell to the floor in a heap.

“Ouch…”

Sun Tao’s scream drew Mi Fenjin’s attention.

“Who are you?”

Yan Xuan didn’t answer Mi Fenjin, or perhaps had no time. His focus was entirely on Mi Xiaoyue.

Her eyes were bloodshot from crying, her delicate face marred by red palm marks, and bruises stained the left corner of her mouth.

“Brother Yan, it hurts…”

Yan Xuan reached out to touch her mouth, but she flinched away.

“Where else hurts?”

He suppressed his anger and asked gently.

“My shoulder… wrist… and I feel dizzy…”

Seeing Yan Xuan, the bottled-up pain and sorrow poured out in sobs.

Yan Xuan carefully parted her thick hair and saw the swelling bruises on the back of her head. She was even clenching her teeth.

He had seriously underestimated how brutal this couple was.

They beat Mi Xiaoyue without hesitation, not caring if they caused a concussion.

After more than ten years of raising her, even a dog wouldn’t be treated with such cruelty.

They had no love for this bought daughter.

Perhaps, to them, Mi Xiaoyue was no different from the pigs in their pen—just livestock fattened to make money…

“Who exactly are you?”

Mi Fenjin tried to pull Yan Xuan away but was grabbed by the wrist instead.

“Hey, you wanna start something!?” Mi Fenjin shouted.

Yan Xuan had no interest in arguing. He kicked hard at Mi Fenjin’s abdomen but underestimated him.

Though shorter and less muscular, Mi Fenjin’s years of slaughterhouse work had hardened his strength, and his thick skin made him a formidable brawler.

He had been the first to charge in village fights.

Yan Xuan, lacking formal combat training, relied on brute force, and after wrestling, he found himself slightly outmatched.

“Everyone get out, or I call the police!”

Wang Chuan shouted, and Mi Fenjin immediately stopped. Yan Xuan seized the moment to deliver a fierce kick to Mi Fenjin’s groin.

“Damn you! Just wait!”

Mi Fenjin trembled in pain, glaring at Mi Xiaoyue. “Come with me!”

This was the first time Mi Xiaoyue defied him. She hid behind Yan Xuan, clutching his clothes, sobbing.

“Brother Yan, I don’t want to go back…”

Yan Xuan gently patted her head, signaling her to calm down.

“Oh, so you’ve got some wild man backing you up? Don’t you ever come back, or I’ll break your legs!”

Mi Fenjin wanted to continue threatening when Wang Chuan suddenly spoke.

“Hello, 110?”

Those three digits hit a nerve, making Mi Fenjin snatch Sun Tao and rush out of the internet café.

Wang Chuan put down his phone and shook his head with a wry smile.

He didn’t actually dare call the police—if they showed up, his business would be shut down for at least half a month.

“Thanks, Brother Wang. I’ll pay for the broken screens,” Yan Xuan apologized, then carried Mi Xiaoyue quickly out.

They went to the county hospital, where Yan Xuan registered an emergency visit. A nurse took Mi Xiaoyue in to treat her wounds.

“It hurts! It hurts!”

Mi Xiaoyue’s cries echoed from the infirmary. Soon, the nurse came out, smiling apologetically.

“Sir, you’ll need to hold your girlfriend so we can apply the medicine.”

Yan Xuan didn’t explain their relationship and quickly entered.

Mi Xiaoyue’s school uniform was removed for treatment, leaving only a black bra outlining her underdeveloped, delicate frame.

Yan Xuan sat beside her, looking at the bruises covering her body with a heavy heart.

She collapsed into his arms as the nurse applied medicine to her back. Every time the swab touched her skin, Yan Xuan felt her slight tremble.

“It hurts…”

She had cried out many times today, each cry tightening the grip on his heart.

After more than two hours, they left the hospital.

Carrying her on his back, Yan Xuan stumbled slightly. Concerned, Mi Xiaoyue whispered, “Brother Yan, put me down, you still have a fever.”

“It’s okay. I took medicine; I’m much better.”

“Did my dad hurt you?”

“Do you think? You’ve been hit by him too.”

“Sorry, Brother Yan…”

She apologized quietly and began to sob softly.

“It’s not your fault. You don’t have to apologize.”

Yan Xuan comforted her gently, then asked, “So, why did they come for you today?”

Taking a deep breath to stop her crying, Mi Xiaoyue replied, “They want me to go back and get married.”

“Marry who?”

“The lame son of Old Li’s family, or the village chief’s slow grandson…”

“What do you plan to do?”

“Not sure yet. Maybe talk to them?”

“You!”

Yan Xuan almost lost his breath hearing she planned to return to the Fenjin couple.

“They’re my parents after all…” Mi Xiaoyue sighed.

“They’re not your parents!” Yan Xuan’s anger surged. “Tell me, do you want to see your real parents?”

“They abandoned me. Besides, there are so many people; it’s not like I can just see them whenever I want.”

“Don’t make excuses. Just answer me—do you want to or not?”

Mi Xiaoyue thought for a long moment, then softly nodded.

At the vocational school’s female dormitory, Yan Xuan set her down and patted her head again.

“Go get some rest. When you wake up tomorrow, maybe your real parents will have found you.”

“Okay, Brother Yan. Goodbye.”

Mi Xiaoyue took it as a comfort and didn’t take it to heart, turning to go upstairs.

Yan Xuan watched her retreating figure, pulled out his phone, and opened the Cyber Girlfriend app, viewing Mi Xiaoyue’s profile.

Name: Mi Xiaoyue

Quality: Purple Epic! (Wow, Epic! Congratulations on obtaining a 5% chance epic-level cyber girlfriend. Keep it up; next time, maybe orange!)

Affection Level: 70 (Edit feature unlocked)

Age: 18 (All subjects are adults; please enjoy responsibly.)

Body Measurements: Height 152 cm, Weight 85 kg, Bust-Waist-Hip 75-53-80 (Small, soft, cuddly... ahem, in short, small and very cute!)

Relationships: None yet.

Background: At one year old, Mi Xiaoyue was kidnapped by traffickers and sold to a remote county. She was purchased by a couple who had lost fertility. At three, when her foster parents regained fertility and had a daughter, they began to resent and mistreat Mi Xiaoyue. She was burdened with heavy chores and frequent beatings, leaving deep scars on her young heart, forcing her to endure and become strong. Emotionally isolated, she struggled to trust others but always longed for a family.

Currently enrolled at XX County Vocational and Technical High School, she often skips classes to hang out at the XX internet café, earning living expenses through gaming boosts.

Yan Xuan edited the profile, adding a brief note at the end:

October 9, 202X: Mi Xiaoyue was found by her biological parents.

———

Exhausted in body and soul, Mi Xiaoyue slept until dusk. Checking her phone, it was already 11:50 p.m.

“Xiaoyue, you’re awake. Want something to eat?”

A roommate handed her a cold white steamed bun. “The cafeteria’s closed. This is all I have left. Want it?”

“Thanks.”

Having eaten nothing all day, Mi Xiaoyue took the bun and nibbled at it.

Another roommate, Huang Xiuxiu, suddenly leaned in. “Mi Xiaoyue, how far have you and your boyfriend gone?”

“Brother Yan isn’t my boyfriend,” Mi Xiaoyue answered seriously. But whenever this topic came up, the others burst into laughter.

To them, Mi Xiaoyue was only making things obvious.

Huang Xiuxiu, who loved teasing her, mocked, “Stop pretending. Someone saw you and him sharing a hotel room over the holiday. What, did he just play with you and dump you?”

To her, Yan Xuan was just a fling; after a holiday, he’d lose interest.

Timid Mi Xiaoyue never argued back, just swallowed her bun quietly.

“Come on, tell us—did he wear a condom or did you take pills? Did you give him a blowjob...?”

Huang Xiuxiu continued with crude jabs, making everyone laugh uproariously.

Their laughter left Mi Xiaoyue feeling hollow. She wanted to message Yan Xuan for comfort but feared disturbing his rest. After hesitating, she crawled into bed alone, trying to process her emotions silently.

Past midnight, October 9 arrived.

Suddenly, someone exclaimed, “Wow! Look downstairs! So many luxury cars are clearing the way for a van!”

“Amateurs. That’s not a van; it’s a chauffeur-driven Alphard! Ever heard? Celebrities ride in those!”

“Who are they?”

“Don’t know. Maybe here for a school inspection?”

“Who inspects a school at midnight?”

Mi Xiaoyue, buried in her covers, barely listened to her roommates' chatter until she heard hurried footsteps.

A crowd of twenty or thirty people appeared outside their dorm. Leading them was a middle-aged couple in their forties.

The man was tall and stern-faced; the woman gentle and kind-eyed.

“Who is Mi Xiaoyue?” the woman asked urgently.

All eyes turned toward Mi Xiaoyue’s bed.

Hearing her name, she slowly emerged from under the covers, her gaze meeting the woman’s.

“Hello, I’m Mi Xiaoyue. May I ask why you’re looking for me...?”

Before she could finish, the woman ran up, threw open her arms, and sobbed, “My daughter, my daughter! I’m sorry for letting you suffer!”

In that instant, Mi Xiaoyue was stunned, her mind blank.

The man followed, “I’m your father. Look at me…”

Unlike his wife’s tearful display, his eyes were only reddened; his trembling voice betrayed his overwhelming joy.

“This is your uncle, and this is your aunt…”

He introduced a group of over twenty relatives behind him, but none of it registered with Mi Xiaoyue.

She inhaled the woman’s familiar scent and felt an indescribable warmth.

Her body instinctively told her, this was what a mother smelled like.

“Mom…”

She whispered, then turned to the man, “Dad!”

The couple stared in surprise, then answered in unison.

“Oh, daughter!”

Sharp-witted Huang Xiuxiu sidled up, feigning emotion. “Congratulations, Xiaoyue! This is wonderful... I’m so moved...”

Mi Xiaoyue glanced at her. The same girl who mocked her most often now cried and sniffled as if her closest friend.

She wanted to say something, but then the man’s assistant began handing out thick envelopes. Not only roommates but even students and dorm supervisors nearby received them.

“Come on, everyone, share the good fortune! Thanks for taking care of our young lady.”

From the thickness of the envelopes, it was nearly a thousand. The recipients all smiled widely and bowed to Mi Xiaoyue, their attitude completely transformed.

In the end, Mi Xiaoyue swallowed her words.

The soft-hearted girl felt pain even when someone skipped paying her a hundred yuan for game boosting; how could she ruin someone else’s sudden windfall?

“Let’s go home,” the woman wiped her tears and took Mi Xiaoyue’s hand.

Mi Xiaoyue did not resist. She followed quietly, climbed into the chauffeur-driven car, and gave a final glance at the worn vocational school dormitory before the curtain was drawn closed.