Chapter 214

Xia Xi froze.

You found Xia Chenggang so quickly? At 3:30 a. m., Officer Lu still said Xia Chenggang had fled; if he had contacted his family, they should be told immediately.

Xia Yue no longer knew how to describe their father; even the harshest words would not be too much for him.

"He was driving drunk, caused a fatal hit‑and‑run, the circumstances are serious; the traffic police detachment and the Public Security Bureau conducted an overnight investigation and caught him this morning after five at the highway exit." Xia Yue had just come out of the Public Security Bureau, after learning the details of the accident, she was relatively clear: "The person he killed was the family's main breadwinner, with an ill mother above and three children below. The body has already been taken back by the relatives."

Xia Xi stood by the artificial lake; at noon, everyone had gone to the cafeteria to eat, leaving her alone here, so quiet it made her heart feel uneasy. She rested one hand on the white stone railing, her fingernails scraping off a layer of white dust.

Recently the temperature dropped, strong winds blew, the sky was perpetually overcast, with no hint of spring's brightness, and people's moods easily grew gloomy.

Xia Xi wanted to exhale, but couldn't; it was unbearable, even breathing was difficult.

Before the call ended, Xia Yue fell silent, not wanting to pressure her but also not wanting to hide the truth: "Dad… Xia Chenggang didn't lie; the money in his hands really has all been lost." The usually gentle and tranquil Xia Yue no longer wished to call Xia Chenggang "Dad," feeling he didn't deserve it: "After discussing with Grandma and Mom, we've decided to sell the house, first give the compensation to the injured workers; dragging this on isn't a solution. Xiao Xuan is in the second semester of her senior year of high school, a critical time—she can't miss classes. The relatives keep coming to cause trouble, so she can't study in peace."

Xia Xi grew tired from standing, walked a bit forward, sat on the grass, absentmindedly pulled a few blades, and with her head lowered asked, "Is that enough?"

The house they lived in was getting old; Grandma, sentimental about it, had never wanted to replace it, but if they needed to sell quickly, the price would be hard to raise.

Xia Yue wasn't sure either. Her recent fundraising efforts hadn't gone smoothly; human nature can't withstand temptation, and many people fawn on the powerful and trample on the weak. When the family was well‑off, relatives came calling, flattering and borrowing money on various pretexts; now that misfortune has struck, each of them claims to be struggling and says they can't spare any money.

One shouldn't bear resentment just because they refuse to lend money; helping is a favor, not helping is simply duty.

On the contrary, the longtime employees of the hotel, who had worked there for decades and whose families were of average means, hearing she was raising funds, were willing to contribute a portion to help—far more sincere than the actual blood‑relatives.

But that was merely a drop in the bucket, and she refused their goodwill.

Much of the grass around Xia Xi had been pulled up; aside from listening and comforting, she could do nothing useful, feeling utterly dispirited. She used to boast in front of her family that she had grown up, but when real trouble came, she realized she was still a child.

Xia Xi drew her legs up, forehead resting on her knees, chest tight and breath short, her voice low and hoarse: "Then… what about the person Xia Chenggang killed? Do we also have to compensate them?"

Definitely.

Compensation, compensation, compensation—those two words filled Xia Xi's mind.

How vile Xia Chenggang is—one man, wreaking havoc on how many families; his own kin are dragged down with him, fallen from heaven to hell, with no idea when they might see the sun again.

Xia Yue fell silent on the other end of the line—not because she hadn't considered this question.

The victim's family hasn't come knocking yet, likely because they're still immersed in the grief and pain of losing a loved one, unable to accept the fact so soon. Once they react, they certainly won't let it go.

Just thinking about that scene made Xia Yue tremble involuntarily, a deep sense of despair welling up inside her.

Xia Xi: "Sister…"

Xia Yue didn't let her negative emotions show; her voice remained gentle as she soothed her: "Take care of yourself, I'll think of a way—if anything comes up we'll get in touch, okay?"

After the call ended, Xia Xi felt utterly limp, fell backward onto the lawn, closed her eyes, and placed her palms over her eyelids.

Her sister said she would think of a solution, but what could she possibly do? She was just an ordinary woman, not a deity. Xia Xi clearly understood that her sister was merely comforting her.

Xia Yue also knew she had no solution at all, and her words couldn't fool Xia Xi.

The worry came quickly: Xia Yue returned home, sat down to rest for less than half an hour, and received a call from someone claiming to be the victim's brother‑in‑law. The caller was looking for the wife of the driver who caused the accident—that is, Su Jinru—and Xia Yue answered the phone on behalf of her mother.

The man's tone was extremely fierce, even more unreasonable than the families of the several injured workers; right off the bat he hurled insults and threats, claiming they had consulted a lawyer and that, in this situation, Xia Chenggang must pay funeral expenses, death compensation, living costs for dependents, mental‑damage consolation money, and various other miscellaneous fees.

Now that Xia Chenggang has been arrested, only his family can provide the compensation.

"My brother‑in‑law still hasn't been buried; the old and young in my family are wailing their hearts out. You damn well wait for me—I'll bring people over tomorrow and drag a crystal coffin to your doorstep, and we won't leave until the money is in place! I know your Peishan Grand Hotel isn't short of cash, so for everyone's sake, hurry up and produce the money so the deceased can rest in peace! By the way, I heard you have a student taking the college entrance exam this year, right? If worse comes to worst, I'll park the crystal coffin at the girl's school gate."

Xia Yue trembled all over; before she could utter a word, the other end hung up.

A few minutes later, she received a text message containing the amount the other side demanded and their bank account number.

That figure frightened Xia Yue; she counted it over and over.

The normal procedure is for a lawyer to calculate an amount based on the victim's family circumstances, then, after both sides negotiate and confirm there's no issue, carry it out—not simply give whatever the other side demands on the spot.

Xia Yue called them, hoping to say a few kind words and resolve the matter peacefully, but they flatly refused to answer.

The man assumed the Peishan Grand Hotel had plenty of spare change, not realizing the hotel had long since ceased to exist.

Xia Xi's roommates returned after dinner and found her lying flat on her bed in the dorm, the bed curtains not drawn, she wasn't asleep, her eyes staring straight at a certain spot.

Zhao Lei patted the bedside rail and asked, "Have you eaten?"

Xia Xi blinked, turned her head, not wanting to lie any longer, and said, "I didn't eat because my appetite isn't good."

Zhao Lei tiptoed to touch her cheek: "Are you not coming down with something?"

Xia Xi shook her head: "No."

Zhao Lei had wanted to ask yesterday, but considering Xia Xi might not be able to talk about it, she held back; however, seeing her condition really wasn't good, after some thought she whispered, "Has something happened at your home?"

Xia Xi said nothing, still shaking her head.

Wang Qiuyu didn't know what the two were whispering about; she bounced over, phone in hand, her face bright with a smile: "I've got news—I'm dating! Speaking of which, Xi Xi still plays matchmaker; my boyfriend tonight is treating everyone in our dorm to dinner, and you all have to come."

Zhao Lei's attention was instantly diverted by her words; she widened her eyes in surprise and asked, "You've got a boyfriend—who is he?"

Wang Qiuyu had her hands behind her back, eyebrows lifting as she spoke: "He's a high‑school classmate, a big shot in our school's Computer Science Department. Last time Xi Xi asked me to have him help look up an IP address, we got back in touch. Although we hadn't been in contact for ages and our connection had faded, as we chatted we developed feelings and confirmed our relationship."

"Whoa, that works too."

Zhao Lei didn't offer congratulations; with a mournful face she hugged Wu Qinglu as she came out of the bathroom: "Lulu, in the dorm we're the only two single dogs left."

Wu Qinglu patted her back with a carefree expression: "My mom's been setting me up on blind dates lately; if you want to stop being single, I can introduce you, though I'm not interested myself."

Zhao Lei: "…"

Xia Xi sat up, sensing the cheerful atmosphere in the dorm, yet her mood wouldn't lighten; she scratched her cheek, struggling to find an excuse: "Um… Xiao Yu, I'm not going tonight—I've got something to do."

"Huh?" Wang Qiuyu pouted, furrowed her brows, and asked, "Is it something really important?"

Xia Xi couldn't say what the important matter was, just giving an "uh." She simply couldn't muster the enthusiasm for a group meal; forcing herself to go would only spoil the mood, so she'd rather stay put.

Wang Qiuyu said: "All right then, let's get together again when the chance comes."