The two of them circled the moat once and noticed it was getting late.
Su Banxia looked at Zhang Shanshan and asked, "Where do you live? Are we heading the same way?"
If they were going the same direction, they could share a taxi back.
Zhang Shanshan replied, "I live nearby, just a short walk away. What about you? Is it far from here?"
Fang Shiqing shook her head. "Not far, just a little ways."
Zhang Shanshan glanced at her watch and said, "It's still early. Want to grab some food over there?"
Fang Shiqing didn't really want to go, but since she'd been invited, she couldn't exactly refuse. So she nodded and said, "Sure, let's go!"
The two women bought some snacks and chatted as they walked, mostly about food and fun activities.
They managed to keep the conversation going.
Since Zhang Shanshan lived nearby, Fang Shiqing figured it was on the way and decided to walk with her for a bit, planning to take a taxi home after seeing her off.
After walking a stretch, Fang Shiqing noticed the surroundings were a bit rough. She didn't think much of it, just casually asked, "Did you rent this place yourself?"
Zhang Shanshan nodded. "Yeah."
Fang Shiqing nodded too, thinking it seemed a bit remote. With Zhang Shanshan's salary, she could easily afford a nicer apartment complex.
Noticing Fang Shiqing's slight frown, Zhang Shanshan guessed what she was thinking and smiled. "Are you wondering why someone like me, a white-collar worker, lives here?"
Fang Shiqing apologized, "Sorry, I didn't mean it that way."
Zhang Shanshan laughed, unconcerned. "It's fine. I've been at Dingsheng for years, and making it to executive assistant isn't bad."
She paused briefly, then continued, "But in this world, I guess fate really exists. Some people can never break free from the ties of family, even if it chokes you to death, you can't let go."
She spoke vaguely, but Fang Shiqing understood somewhat. She wasn't one to pry or comfort others easily.
So she just stayed quiet.
Maybe wanting to share something about herself, or for some other reason, Zhang Shanshan suddenly let out a bitter laugh. "When I was sixteen, my dad took us out for a drive. We got into a car accident halfway. He died on the spot, and my mom had to have her leg amputated..."
She trailed off, feeling a bit foolish, and smiled at Fang Shiqing. "Do you think I'm boring?"
Fang Shiqing shook her head. "No."
She felt for Zhang Shanshan, but didn't know what to say about something like that.
Because anything she said would feel redundant.
So she chose silence.
After a long moment, she spoke. "Things will get better eventually, won't they?"
After all, the future held hope.
Zhang Shanshan smiled. "Yeah, they will."
They walked a bit further until they reached a small alley. Zhang Shanshan looked at Fang Shiqing and said, "You don't need to see me off anymore. Take a taxi back from here."
Fang Shiqing glanced at the alley ahead and asked, "Is it safe for you to walk alone?"
Zhang Shanshan gave a faint smile. "I'm used to it. It's fine. You go ahead and call a cab."
Seeing it was getting late, Fang Shiqing opened her phone and ordered a Didi. A driver accepted, estimated to arrive in about two minutes.
Fang Shiqing looked at Zhang Shanshan. "You should head back now."
The alley was incredibly dark and secluded—it was surprising she dared to walk around here alone at night.
Zhang Shanshan nodded and asked, "How long until your ride gets here?"
"Almost there."
Zhang Shanshan checked the time, said goodbye, and headed down the alley toward home.
Fang Shiqing waited where she was, watching the car on the map, a little distracted.
She and Zhang Shanshan weren't close, so her impression of her hadn't been great. Running into her tonight, though, felt different somehow.
"Ah..."
A sudden scream cut through the air.
Fang Shiqing froze and turned to look. It seemed to come from the alley Zhang Shanshan had gone into.
Worried, she called out, "Executive Assistant Zhang!"
Then she heard someone crying for help.
On instinct, she walked into the alley.
After a few steps, she vaguely saw several figures blocking the way ahead. The alley had no lights, making it very dark.
Fang Shiqing wasn't sure what was happening.
She called ahead, "Executive Assistant Zhang, are you there?"
Zhang Shanshan's tense voice came from the alley. "Get out of here!"
Before Fang Shiqing could react, she suddenly sensed someone closing in from behind.
Then she heard several men's voices. "Damn, what a catch—two at once. I haven't had any action in months."
Fang Shiqing couldn't see clearly and instinctively backed away, but both ends of the alley were blocked.
She pressed herself against the wall.
The men approached, and slowly she made out four of them. Three were up front, two grabbing Zhang Shanshan by the hair and covering her mouth.
Another man had blocked her from behind.
They closed in on her, leering. "Not bad, she's got some looks."
With that, the three shoved Zhang Shanshan over to Fang Shiqing, sealing off their escape in the alley.
Zhang Shanshan stumbled into Fang Shiqing, who caught her on reflex.
Looking at Fang Shiqing, Zhang Shanshan whispered, "Did you call the police?"
Fang Shiqing shook her head. She hadn't had time to think before rushing in, and once inside, she realized the situation was bad. These guys looked like thugs.
Her phone was still in her hand, and she fumbled to secretly call for help.
But the alley was dark, and the phone screen would be obvious if it lit up.
One of the thugs noticed her reaching for it and strode over, roughly snatching the phone and tossing it aside.
He glared at her. "Bitch, play nice and let us have some fun, and we'll let you off easy."
From his tone, they were probably young punks.
Fang Shiqing tried to stay calm. "If you want women, I can give you money. You can—"
"Slap!"
Before she could finish, a thug grabbed her and slapped her across the face.
He then kicked her in the stomach. "I'm sick of hookers. I want to screw a bitch like you."
With that, he started unbuckling his pants.
Fang Shiqing panicked. "This is against the law!"
"Shut up and let me have my way. It's been too long since I've had this kind of thrill."
He pressed toward her.
The alley was narrow, and the way was completely blocked.
Fang Shiqing had no way to escape.
Seeing the danger, Zhang Shanshan spoke up. "You'd better not do anything stupid. She called the police before coming in. Rape is a prison sentence!"
"Slap!"
She was hit across the face. Another thug scoffed, "I've killed before, so screw prison."
From his tone, they were likely hardened criminals.