"My daughter…" Her mother hugged her tightly.
Her father smiled, then gently patted his daughter's head before walking to the main entrance and closing the door.
He Mei pulled away from the embrace, moved to the luggage she had brought, and began unpacking item after item, neatly arranging them on the floor.
Her mother's eyes widened in shock. "Why are you wasting money? You should have saved it for your college tuition fees!"
"Mother, I'll be getting another 50,000 after finishing the costume, so I'm not short of money right now. Just consider these things a way to ease your burden this month," He Mei said with a gentle smile.
"He Mei, your father is useless," her father said, tears welling in his eyes.
Her expression hardened. "Don't ever say that again, Father. If you hadn't cared for me, supported my studies, and sent me to university, I would never have achieved anything. Unlike those villagers who think women belong in the kitchen, you worked hard and encouraged me against all odds to keep studying."
"Here, this is your favorite handbag. And here are your favorite cigarette packs," she said, handing them to her mother and father.
Her mother stroked the bag with trembling hands, while her father caressed the cigarette packs, longing shining in his eyes.
"You old lady, stop fussing over that handbag and get busy in the kitchen. Our daughter has come home after so long—she must be hungry. Make all the meat dishes today. We should celebrate her return!" her father said with a beaming smile.
The villagers had mocked him when he borrowed money to send his daughter to university instead of marrying her off to a rich man from the city. But after today, every one of those villagers would turn green with envy.
---
Meanwhile…
Knock, knock…
Chaithanya, who was meditating on his bed, heard the sound and stopped. He stepped down, walked toward the bedroom door, and opened it.
"What is it, beauty? Did you miss me?" he teased, brushing the bangs from her ear.
She swatted his hand away and thought, Miss you? I'm already getting nightmares because of you.
"Did you forget about the recording for Speak from the Heart?" Xiuying asked, frowning.
Chaithanya's eyes widened, and he quickly denied it. "How could I forget? I just walked a lot today and felt tired, so I was resting."
"Hmph. Freshen up in ten minutes and meet me in the main hall. We need to leave for the Dragon TV studio in an hour." Without waiting for a reply, she turned and walked toward the guest room.
That room held her clothes and makeup kit, ready for whenever she needed to spend the night at the mansion or head directly to film shoots, recordings, or openings.
She freshened up, dressed neatly, and applied light makeup. Even though Chaithanya was the one being recorded, as his secretary walking by his side, she needed to look polished and attractive.
Though she took only five minutes to get ready, Chaithanya spent ten. He finally appeared in the main hall, standing before Xiuying.
"Since you're ready, let's go," Xiuying said, calling his driver to prepare the mansion's best luxury car.
At the main gate, a sleek black car stopped in front of them. They boarded, Xiuying gave the driver the Dragon TV studio address, and the car pulled away.
---
Meanwhile…
A mother and her two children, a boy and a girl, were eating spoiled food out of hunger when a group of thugs surrounded them. Without a word, they grabbed her and dragged her to their base on the next street.
Everyone in the neighborhood shut their windows, unwilling to interfere. She was just a beggar—it wasn't their problem.
The mother resisted fiercely, but the thugs beat her until she lost consciousness and continued dragging her away. Her children followed, crying helplessly.
The little boy turned to his sister, two years older than him. "Sister, I'll follow them. You run to the police station and report it. These thugs are strong—we can't fight them alone."
The ten-year-old girl nodded fiercely and sprinted to the nearest police station, bursting in and gasping for air.
"What do you want, kid?" an officer asked, looking at her.
Panting, she pleaded, "Please help my mother! A group of thugs took her away!"
Pranks from children had become common these days, often done for social media attention. The officer waved her off. "Alright, kid, we'll look into it. You can leave now."
"But—" she started, only to shrink back at his harsh glare. Intimidated, she left in tears, too timid to press further.
When she returned, her brother lay on the ground, bloodied and covered in wounds. With effort, he stood with her support. Together, they begged for help from the people in the street, but no one stepped outside.
Exhausted, the siblings dragged themselves to the main road, pleading with passersby and drivers halted at traffic lights. But no one listened.
---
Meanwhile, inside a run-down apartment…
"Put her in that room," ordered a thug who seemed to be their leader, pointing at a nearby door.
The others nodded, dragging the unconscious woman and tossing her inside. A few women already in the room recoiled in fear but sighed with relief when the men shut the door without staying.
These women—orphans and beggars with no families—had all been caught the same way. The thugs sold them overseas for huge profits. This was human trafficking.
"Why didn't the cops come to save us? Don't tell me they abandoned us," one of the young women whispered, her voice trembling with fear and anxiety.
Under the dim light, another woman beside her answered with despair etched across her face. "We are orphans, single women without families. Who would even report our disappearance to the police?"
Though softly spoken, her words echoed again and again in the silent room. The women shuddered, sobbing quietly, their cries heavy with fear and helplessness.
"Buddha, please save us from this hell," one woman prayed, clutching her chanting beads as tears slid down her cheeks.
On the main road…
Screeh…
A black luxury car screeched to a halt. Standing in front of it were two siblings, trembling as they clung to each other with their eyes tightly shut.