The Downtrodden Villain In A Redemption Romance Novel Chapter 20
byXu Wen felt that his heartfelt declaration had finally paid off.
Although Lu Qingrang was still taciturn, at least he no longer shrank into a corner and molded like before, turning into a complete “dark mushroom.”
Days passed uneventfully like this. Without the need to constantly be on edge watching someone, or spending endless effort coaxing, Xu Wen felt a long-lost sense of relaxation. The Redemption Value was also climbing slowly and steadily, and everything seemed to be moving in a positive direction.
But a stone always hung vaguely in his heart, never quite settling.
He knew the source of this unease: the two chosen ones from the original novel, Nan Gongchen and Su Xia, were still alive and thriving somewhere in the world, enjoying boundless glory.
They were like the Sword of Damocles hanging over his head; no one knew when it might drop.
Fortunately, Lu Qingrang’s condition had indeed improved significantly. He was no longer the fragile person Xu Wen had to fuss over and guard closely like a kindergarten child. He had regained basic self-care abilities and occasionally managed to whip up a few decent dishes in the kitchen.
“What are we eating today?” Xu Wen slumped loosely in his chair, lazily dragging out the question while aimlessly scrolling on his phone.
“Stir-fried pork, and radish and spare rib soup,” Lu Qingrang’s gentle voice drifted out, mixed with the aroma of cooking.
“Yay,” Xu Wen responded without much sincerity, his fingers still swiping across the screen. He was shopping for daily necessities on Taobao—tissues, toothbrushes, laundry detergent… he tossed items into the cart as he saw them.
“That’s about enough…” he muttered softly, skillfully opening the shopping cart, selecting the items, and proceeding to checkout.
The page jumped to the payment interface, and he completed the fingerprint verification in one smooth motion.
The next second, a glaring red alert box popped up on the screen—
“Payment failed. Your bank card status is abnormal and has been frozen.”
Xu Wen stared at the harsh notification on the screen, stunned for two seconds.
“What’s going on…” He subconsciously exited the payment page and tried again, but the result was the same.
A bad premonition surged through him. He exited the shopping app and dialed the bank’s customer service number directly.
Instead of the familiar prompt tone, however, a rapid busy signal came through the receiver. Disbelieving, he tried dialing a few more numbers, but the result was identical: his mobile communication had been completely cut off!
Cold sweat instantly broke out. Damn it, that lawless maniac Nan Gongchen must have made his move! Where was the System? Shouldn’t such crucial information be preemptively warned about?!
As if responding to his internal questioning, the mechanical voice that had been silent for a long time suddenly rang out in his mind:
Warning! High-priority threat detected approaching!
Source: Nan Gongchen’s forces.
Objective: Elimination.
Straight-line distance: 4 kilometers.
Estimated time of arrival: 12 minutes.
Twelve minutes?!
Xu Wen’s mind went blank with a loud buzz, and all the blood in his body seemed to rush to his head. Immense fear intertwined with anger ignited by the System’s belated warning.
“Twelve minutes?! You certainly pick a great time to deliver bad news!” he roared internally. “Why didn’t you say anything when the bank card was frozen?! Do you wait until the knife is at my throat before warning me?!”
Reality did not allow him to continue complaining. He sprang up from the chair, the chair legs scraping the floor with a jarring noise due to his rapid movement. He rushed into the bedroom, his voice distorted by extreme tension: “Quick! Pack up! We need to leave immediately!”
Lu Qingrang, who was just bringing out the stir-fried dish, was startled by the sudden action, his fingers tightening slightly around the spatula.
“What is it?” he asked, his voice still carrying the mild warmth from the kitchen.
“No time to explain! Trust me! Grab the essentials, hurry!” Xu Wen had already swept toward the bed like a gust of wind, snatching the worn backpack and haphazardly stuffing the charger, documents, and a small amount of cash from the bedside table into it without looking.
His hands were trembling, but his movements were astonishingly fast.
Lu Qingrang saw his pale face and the genuine panic in his eyes and asked no further questions.
He turned around silently and quickly, pulled open the wardrobe, and only took a few light changes of clothes. His movements still carried a certain ingrained orderliness, but his speed was not slow at all.
Only the rustling of clothes and the clatter of objects remained in the small room, the air taut like a fully drawn bowstring.
Thirty seconds, perhaps less, and two backpacks were slung over their shoulders. Xu Wen’s gaze quickly swept over the small room that had briefly sheltered them, finally settling on the corner of the bedside table, where Lu Qingrang’s phone lay—a screen that hadn’t been turned on for over half a month.
He practically lunged, grabbing the cold device and shoving it carelessly into the inner pocket of his jacket.
“Go!”
He pulled open the door, cautiously peered into the silent hallway, then grabbed Lu Qingrang’s wrist. The two of them, like shadows, quickly disappeared into the darkness of the stairwell.
“System! Point the way! Which direction has fewer people and can get us out fastest?!” He urgently sought help in his mind while nervously scanning their surroundings.
Optimal path has been planned for the Host.
The cold prompt sounded, and a faint cursor path flashed at the edge of his vision. “Finally doing something useful!”
About five minutes after they left, two inconspicuous black sedans silently pulled up downstairs.
Several men dressed plainly but with unusually sharp eyes got out and headed straight for the unit they had just fled.
Meanwhile, Xu Wen and Lu Qingrang, following the System’s guidance, had turned out of the intricate alleys of the Urban Village and merged into the bustling crowds and traffic of the distant street.
With his heart slightly settled, Xu Wen felt the sharp edges of the old phone in his pocket and the slightly cool temperature of the person beside him. A mix of lingering fear and confusion about the future washed over him.
“System,” he gasped, pulling Lu Qingrang to a temporary stop in a secluded alleyway, urgently asking in his mind, “Just running away isn’t a solution. What’s the next step?”
Currently assessing the Host’s situation…
Assessment complete. Priority recommendation: Proceed to the Dark Alley.
“Dark Alley?” Xu Wen repeated the name in his head, which sounded less than reputable.
The Dark Alley is located at the junction of this city’s old district, a gray area where the light of law and order struggles to fully penetrate. The area is a melting pot of people, with various forces deeply entrenched. Information flows extremely quickly, but confidentiality is also very high. Although Nan Gongchen’s influence is vast, he will have reservations about operating within the Dark Alley. Excessive fanfare is likely to trigger uncontrollable chain reactions. Infiltrating this location can effectively delay the speed of detection and lockdown, buying the Host valuable breathing room.
Xu Wen instantly understood. That place was like a swamp overgrown with various poisonous mushrooms; chaotic on the surface, but with its own unique ecosystem and rules underneath. Nan Gongchen, the powerful outsider, would indeed hesitate to overturn the table in such a place, or he might end up in a lot of trouble.
“Understood. So, we’re hiding out in the thugs’ lair for peace and quiet, right?” He quickly digested the information. “Lead the way!”
A covert route to the Dark Alley has been planned for the Host. Please note that the danger level in this area is relatively high. Maintain vigilance.