Pampered By My Fake Boyfriend's Brother
Chapter 174: Rot in the Stomach

Chapter 174: Chapter 174: Rot in the Stomach

"Why not stay home for another day?" An Ying took a sip of water and said slowly.

"It’s almost final exams, I need to study harder." An Yin wasn’t wrong, seeing as there was only one month until winter break, she had to juggle her time between studying and working part-time.

"Remember to bring your down jacket." An Ying reminded her.

"I know."

The time at home passed quickly. After lunch, the mother and daughter chatted for a while, then An Yin carried her bag and headed back to school. An Ying saw her off downstairs, not turning to go back upstairs until her daughter’s figure completely disappeared.

Returning home, looking at the empty house, a trace of loneliness flashed across An Ying’s face, and she walked towards the bedroom with a slightly dejected demeanor.

She slept until seven in the evening before waking up leisurely.

Eating alone, she didn’t bother much, heated up the leftovers from lunch, ate a few bites, then lost her appetite and didn’t force herself to continue. She cleared the dishes and went to the bathroom to wash up.

For some reason, since returning from the mall, she couldn’t calm her mind.

Until after ten, her phone rang, and that sense of anxiety swept through her.

An Ying picked up the phone, answered, and before she could speak, the other person hurriedly said, "An Ying, the bookstore is on fire, come quickly, I’ve already called the firefighters..."

The next words weren’t very clear to An Ying, she just felt a moment of dizziness, and when she propped herself up to sit, the voice continued, "An Ying, are you listening?"

"Yes." An Ying calmed herself down before speaking softly, "Thank you, I’ll be right there."

After the call ended, An Ying got up, changed out of her pajamas, found a warmer coat to put on, grabbed her phone, and headed out.

Walking through the alleys dimly lit with thin black light, she saw Doctor Huang waiting anxiously downstairs.

"An Ying." Doctor Huang, sweat on his forehead and clothes covered in dust, had eyes only for the woman in front of him, "Don’t worry, the firefighters are here, they are putting out the fire now."

The two walked side by side towards the bookstore.

An Ying glanced sideways. Under the moonlight, the man looked quite disheveled, even with ash in his hair, resembling large flakes of dandruff.

Seeing her silence, Doctor Huang thought she must have been scared, turned to comfort her, only to find her gaze fixed on him, making him blush. He assumed she found him dirty, quickly reached out awkwardly to scratch his head, appearing sincere and honest, "I rushed to inform you and forgot to clean off the dust."

An Ying withdrew her gaze, a hint of astonishment in her eyes, "Did you go to put out the fire?"

The man was blackened, any observant person could see that.

"The fire was too big, I couldn’t put it out." Doctor Huang apologized sincerely.

"Next time, don’t do anything so dangerous, ensure your own safety first." An Ying gazed solemnly at the dark sky and murmured.

"I will." Doctor Huang felt encouraged by An Ying’s words.

After traversing the bumpy road, they finally reached the flat cement road. They walked for a few minutes, and then An Ying’s bookstore was within reach.

A crowd had gathered at the bookstore entrance, everyone talking loudly.

Doctor Huang saw her worried face and felt uncomfortable too. He walked ahead to make a path for An Ying, allowing her to reach the store smoothly.

Smoke billowed from the store, and people covered their mouths, engaging in loud discussions.

The fire was out, the firefighters were finishing up inside.

Stepping into the bookstore, it was dark all around, and the floor was strewn with book debris.

A firefighter, seeing a woman enter, was about to stop her when Doctor Huang quickly explained the situation. Seeing An Ying silent, he assumed she was devastated, so he handled the subsequent talks with the firefighters.

It was late at night, and the crowd at the entrance had long dispersed, with the firefighting team following suit.

Inside the store, it was pitch black, with a bit of light from the streetlamp spilling onto the bookstore entrance.

An Ying turned on her phone’s flashlight and approached the store’s counter. The computer there was charred, and the surveillance footage inside was destroyed.

The only solace for An Ying was that the firefighters arrived quickly, preventing the fire from spreading upstairs—only her bookstore suffered.

An Ying’s bookstore had been in business for twenty years, all her efforts turned to ashes in an instant!

The books inside, along with the chaos left behind... compensation issues ahead were quite tricky.

Seeing An Ying’s empty gaze, Doctor Huang stammered, "I was passing by your store on my way home from work and saw smoke coming from beneath the rolling door. I peeked through the floor-to-ceiling window and saw flames, so I found something to break the window, intending to put out the fire. But the fire spread too quickly, so I stepped out and called the firefighters..."

Doctor Huang stood by, recounting the incident.

The burnt smell in the air was intense, but An Ying seemed untouched by it. As she turned, her body trembled, and she felt dizzy. Her whole body swayed to the side, and as she closed her eyes, Doctor Huang’s anxious face reflected in her pupils, growing larger...

Across the street, a luxurious car stood out.

Soon, a masked man sneaked over and knocked on the back window. When the window lowered, the man leaned down and whispered to the lady inside for a long time.

After a while, the driver in the front seat handed a heavy red envelope disdainfully to the man, who curved a satisfied smile, bowing repeatedly, "Thank you, thank you."

Before he finished speaking, the window went up, and the driver tossed out, "Keep this to yourself forever."

"Don’t worry—I’m very discreet."

"Get lost."

The man left, pocketing the money joyfully, unbothered by the rude remarks.

The driver turned, "Madam, should I drive directly home?"

Madam Su in the back remained silent, and the driver dared not rush her.

Madam Su’s eyes were fixed on the old housing complex across the street, mostly ramshackle buildings.

Recalling her encounter with An Ying at the mall today, Madam Su felt like it was a nightmare. After being supported by the manager and leaving, she quickly regained her composure and instructed her people to follow and investigate the mother-daughter duo’s situation over the years.

In just a few hours, her subordinate gathered some information about An Ying.

The gathered information was brief and concise.

Operates a bookstore, single mother, leads a reclusive life, with little social interaction!

After describing it, Madam Su uttered a sneer!

A woman once cherished in someone’s palms, now living such a desolate life, residing in an old apartment without even an elevator...

The atmosphere inside the car turned increasingly eerie.