Chapter 267: Qi Xiaosi Runs Into Trouble!

Qi Xiaosi walked into the dilapidated rented room.

The light was dim, and a musty smell permeated the air.

Liu Shuang lay on the bed, her face haggard, her brows tightly furrowed.

Qi Xiaosi walked gently to the table, set out the packed meal boxes one by one, and tried hard to force a smile onto his face.

"I'll take you to the hospital tomorrow. The doctor said that if you take your medicine on time and follow up with chemotherapy, your condition can definitely be effectively controlled."

Liu Shuang tugged at the corners of her mouth and responded with a bitter smile: "But that will cost a lot of money..."

Qi Xiaosi stepped forward and firmly grasped Liu Shuang's hand.

"Don't worry about the money; leave it to me to solve. Trust me, there will always be a way."

Liu Shuang naturally understood the "way" Qi Xiaosi was talking about.

Her eye sockets instantly turned red, and she said anxiously: "Don't take risks for my sake; I'm not worth you sacrificing so much..."

A smile of incomparable sincerity bloomed on Qi Xiaosi's face.

"I lost my parents when I was young, and I have no other relatives. If you were gone too, I really wouldn't know what the point of living would be. Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. Eat something first, okay?"

Although Liu Shuang had no appetite, she endured her physical discomfort and forced herself to eat one bite after another so as not to make Qi Xiaosi worry.

Qi Xiaosi saw it in his eyes and felt the pain in his heart, but he could only encourage her silently in his mind.

——Only by eating more would Liu Shuang have the strength to fight the illness.

After the meal, Qi Xiaosi took out a mirror and gently placed a hair clipper in Liu Shuang's palm.

Liu Shuang was full of confusion and looked up at him, "What... does this mean?"

Qi Xiaosi raised the corners of his mouth, "You're always nagging that my hair is too long, so today I'm handing the decision-making power for my hairstyle over to you. You can cut it however you like."

Liu Shuang held the clipper, hesitating repeatedly, unable to bring herself to start.

Qi Xiaosi smiled, took the clipper back from her hand, and stood in front of the mirror.

He decisively pushed it through the middle of his hair.

An abrupt patch of scalp was instantly revealed amidst the black hair.

Immediately after, Qi Xiaosi's expression gradually changed from playful to serious.

The clipper in his hand began to move slowly, and the black hair fell down like snowflakes.

Watching this scene, Liu Shuang was first stunned, then her eyes grew moist.

Tears slid silently from between her fingers.

She understood the intention behind what Qi Xiaosi was doing.

She had once mentioned to him her worries about hair loss from chemotherapy.

She was afraid of becoming bald!

And at this moment, Qi Xiaosi was using his actions to tell her: No matter what difficulties there are, I will face them with you!

Before long, Qi Xiaosi shaved all his hair off, washed his head simply with cold water, then turned around and gave Liu Shuang a brilliant smile: "Alright, I'm going out to take care of some business. You be a good girl and wait for me to come back at home."

Qi Xiaosi took a black travel bag from a hidden pit under the cabinet, slung it over his shoulder, and went out.

A sense of unease surged in Liu Shuang's heart.

She had a feeling that something bad was going to happen.

Half an hour later, the door was shaken by a burst of urgent knocking.

Liu Shuang dragged her weak body over to open the door.

Wan Ming and Tang Ye stood outside the door with hurried expressions.

Wan Ming controlled his expression and said in a gentle tone, "Where is Qi Xiaosi?"

Liu Shuang replied softly: "He went out to take care of some business."

Tang Ye immediately followed up: "Did he say what business he went to take care of?"

Liu Shuang shook her head and asked in return: "No. Did... did something happen to him?"

Tang Ye was afraid Liu Shuang would worry, so he reacted extremely quickly.

"It's nothing, don't let your imagination run wild. We came to bring him some good news; the hospital has connected with a medical fund and has already submitted your information. There is hope that your medical expenses will be resolved!"

A faint smile appeared on Liu Shuang's face, and she said gratefully: "Thank you both so much..."

Wan Ming waved his hand and said with a smile: "When Qi Xiaosi gets back, have him contact me immediately."

After Wan Ming left, Liu Shuang dialed Qi Xiaosi's mobile phone.

"The number you have dialed is temporarily unavailable..."

A feeling of unease began to spread within her heart.

Tang Ye and Wan Ming went downstairs.

Wan Ming said with an uneasy tone, "Qi Xiaosi has lost contact; he must have run into trouble."

Tang Ye reminded Wan Ming, "Think carefully, did he leave any clues for you!"

Splash...

A basin of ice water was splashed onto Qi Xiaosi's face.

The chill instantly penetrated his skin, and he shivered violently.

He woke up from his dizziness.

At this moment, he was sitting in a wretched state on a tiger bench.

His hands were tightly tied behind his back with ropes.

The hemp rope dug deep into his skin and flesh, leaving behind streaks of purple-blue marks;

His legs were also bound tightly, unable to move at all.

Qi Xiaosi slowly raised his head, staring viciously at the man before him.

Several hours ago, he had met with his contact, intending to turn the stolen items into cash to raise medical expenses for Liu Shuang.

He had not expected to walk into a trap woven by the owner of the stolen goods.

"Hu Ge, you actually betrayed me!" Qi Xiaosi gritted his teeth.

A trace of guilt flashed in Xu Hu's eyes, and he whispered a persuasion: "Xiaosi, your guts are truly too big, daring to steal from Zheng Daye's home. What kind of status does Zheng Daye have? He only needs to pull a few strings to know it was you who did it."

Zheng Kaibin walked slowly in front of Qi Xiaosi.

With a "slap," he struck Qi Xiaosi's face hard.

The force of this slap was immense, and Qi Xiaosi's face instantly swelled up red.

"You brat, you've grown some guts! Daring to steal from me. If you want to live, then confess quickly—besides the gold bricks, watch, and jewelry, where did you hide the document bag?" Zheng Kaibin demanded viciously.

Qi Xiaosi was left dazed and confused from the beating, his mouth filled with the taste of blood.

He licked the bloodstains at the corner of his mouth with his tongue, then with a "ptui," spat onto the ground!

"Zheng Laopi, you heartless, ungrateful traitor! The house you live in isn't yours at all; it was obtained by betraying your benefactor. I was merely helping the Liu family take back what belongs to them."

A look of shock and anger flashed across Zheng Kaibin's face.

He leaned down, staring fixedly into Qi Xiaosi's eyes, and interrogated him: "What is your relationship with Liu Jianguo?"

Qi Xiaosi tugged at the corner of his mouth and sneered: "What, feeling guilty? Haha, don't even think about getting those materials back from me. They are ironclad proof of your illegal activities."

Zheng Kaibin was thoroughly enraged; the muscles on his face twisted, and he gritted his teeth as he ordered his subordinates: "Damn it, beat him to death! I don't believe I can't pry this brat's mouth open."

The subordinates received the order and immediately picked up an electric baton, thrusting it toward Qi Xiaosi's chest.

The electric current instantly pierced through Qi Xiaosi's body; he began to convulse violently, his eyes wide open and bloodshot, then his head tilted to the side, his eyes rolled back, and he passed out again.

But not long after, a bucket of cold water splashed him awake again; just like that, he was tortured repeatedly four or five times.

Qi Xiaosi was on the verge of death, his face covered in a mixture of blood and sweat, his body slumped limply on the tiger bench, with only a faint breath remaining.

At this moment, a subordinate hurried over to Zheng Kaibin's ear and whispered a few words.

Zheng Kaibin's eyes turned sharp, a cold glint flashing through them, and he said in a low voice: "Understood, bring her here."

Before long.

Liu Shuang was shoved by two large men and brought before Qi Xiaosi.