In the early hours of the morning, around two or three, the streets of B City were unusually clear, with no traffic in sight. The surrounding low, dilapidated cement buildings had no lights shining from their windows.
Most of the streetlights along the road were broken. Some still had dark bulbs in their lampshades, while others didn't have bulbs at all.
The road was pitch black, illuminated only by the headlights of passing cars.
However, the curbs on either side of the road remained outside the reach of the headlights, still shrouded in darkness and difficult to see.
Low shrubs and tall trees were mixed together, shaking the view in the dark, making it hard to see clearly.
At this moment, a car sped by on the road, its engine roaring with thunderous power. It was going so fast it made one's heart race, and if someone had crossed the street at that moment, they would surely not have been able to avoid the car.
Because there were no people or other cars on the road, this car drove recklessly, even with its glaring high beams on.
The sound system inside the car seemed to be turned up to the maximum, blasting "Linkin Park" at deafening volumes, with the bass shaking the seats.
Accompanying the loud rock music, the woman beside the driver slouched down, her long hair covering her face, messy and flowing.
The man driving the car appeared to be very young, with hair that naturally curved to cover half of his neck.
His bangs were parted in the middle, one side casually swept back, but because of his hair's natural curve, it stubbornly bounced out, giving him a look that, together with his indifferent gaze, made his youthful face seem more mature, even seductive, and rebellious.
Compared to that, the left side of his bangs was much tidier, tucked behind his ear, revealing a small earring on his left earlobe.
The earring was a small hoop, almost as large as a stud, snugly fitting against his earlobe.
It was silver, but with a black flame pattern on it.
The flames on the earring looked as if they could burst out at any moment, spewing fire and swallowing anyone in its path, turning them to ashes.
The dark flames seemed like the fires of hell: evil, gloomy, full of death, and carrying a sense of negativity that made anyone who looked at it feel their mood grow darker.
Even in the night, the man's face was surprisingly young, and despite his mature gaze, his face still looked like that of an 18 or 19-year-old.
... ..."Stop! You can't take these! You can't take them anymore! If you take these, we won't have money for food! Give them back! Give them back!" The woman's sharp, desperate cries were so loud that the neighbors could hear them clearly.
"Get out of the way! Once I win some money, not only will I buy you abalone and lobster, we'll be able to move into a big house and won't have to live in this dump anymore!" The man's face was twisted with madness, his greedy eyes reluctantly shifting from the envelope filled with money to the face of his wife, who was desperately pulling at him.
"You still want to gamble! You heartless monster! You've lost everything, and you've never won! Pay off the debts you owe first!" The woman screamed through her tears.
"I'll pay them off once I win!" The man sneered, pushing her off. "You keep pulling at me; you'd better find some more money! This little bit won't win much!"
Finally, growing impatient with his wife's attempts, he forcefully shoved her to the ground and stormed out of the house.
"Waa—!" The woman sat on the floor, crying out uncontrollably, then suddenly lunged forward, clutching tightly at the man's ankle. "You can't take it! I can't let you take this money! Our daughter still needs to eat, pay tuition, and buy books!"
"For all these years, you've done nothing for the child! I'm begging you, please, don't ruin her future! How can she have a future with you like this? The teachers and classmates at school look down on her! Please, just return the money! I don't care if you go gambling again, but return the money, please! Please!"
"Get off!" The man kicked his wife's head with his other foot, forcing her off him. "I can't gamble without money! I'm telling you, if you stop me, I'll win and still not give you any! You can forget about having a good life with me!"
He cruelly kicked her back, and then he rushed out of the house.
"Wuwuwuwu, good life... with you... how could there still be a good life... Without you, there will finally be a good life!" The woman cried.
She froze for a moment, then suddenly stood up, her face blank as she muttered to herself, "That's right, without you, there will be a good life! I can live a good life with Ranran, and she will never be looked down upon again! I'll kill you... I'll kill you... Once you're dead, there's nothing left... You die, and those loan sharks won't have anywhere to claim their debts... I'll kill you…"
The woman seemed to lose her mind as she rushed into the kitchen, opened a drawer, grabbed a kitchen knife, and ran toward the door holding the knife.
The little girl was hiding under the dining table, trembling and crying.
When she noticed the house had gone quiet, she crawled out, still crying. "Mom... Mom..."
Seeing the door wide open, she ran outside, crying and calling out, "Mom... Wuwuwu... Mom..."