"Xiao Yu, what do you think? Does this look good?"

In the mall’s clothing section, Lu Yunzhi held a goose-yellow down jacket against Bai Dongqing’s frame, utterly delighted—though they already owned something nearly identical at home.

Jiang Qianyu cupped her chin and studied it. "Maybe another color would suit her better."

"Got it, I’ll check!" Lu Yunzhi dashed back to the racks, flipping through garments while a salesperson trailed behind, chattering nonstop.

This store was a recognized brand—nothing priced under 1,500 yuan. Yet Lu Yunzhi had already bought five or six items. All of them now piled high on Jiang Qianyu’s wheelchair.

Jiang Qianyu finally grasped the wheelchair’s *other* practical use: hauling shopping bags while strolling, saving effort. The trade-off? Being buried under a mountain of tote bags.

She sighed inwardly. Lu Yunzhi was caught up in a shopping high, wanting everything. Bai Dongqing was still a child—no way to make her carry all this.

"Xiao Yu, how about this?" Lu Yunzhi pulled a black cartoon-collab bag from a shelf. Jiang Qianyu glanced at the tag: 38,688 yuan.

"Too expensive."

"Yeah, pricey… but it’d suit Dong Qing so well."

"She barely leaves home. Let’s skip it."

"Okay." Lu Yunzhi returned it, then picked out a light pink fluffy crossbody bag for Bai Dongqing instead—8,000+ yuan.

Truth was, Lu Yunzhi wasn’t flush with cash. Her family was wealthy, but strained ties meant her father cut her off. Every yuan she spent came from completed missions and leftover allowance. She willingly poured it all on Bai Dongqing, regardless of whether the girl even wanted it.

Exiting the store, Lu Yunzhi spotted the food court on Floor 5.

"Let’s grab a bite, then hit the arcade!"

Bags in hand, she pushed Jiang Qianyu’s wheelchair briskly through the mall. Thank goodness for elevators—otherwise, she’d have had to carry Jiang Qianyu in one arm and haul the wheelchair with the other.

Floor 5 buzzed with even more people.

"What should we eat?"

Jiang Qianyu stared at the bustling snack street, eyes wide. Honestly? She felt like a total greenhorn.

In her past life, she’d never set foot here. After high school, she served in the military. Two years after returning, her father passed; she took over his orphanage. Until her death, she rarely saw the outside world—never dated a girl, never held hands while shopping.

"Didn’t Dong Qing say the takoyaki looked yummy? I’ll grab some—and other stuff. Save us a spot!" Lu Yunzhi hurried off.

Nearby tables stood empty.

"Mm, go ahead. Dong Qing and I’ll wait."

Crowds thickened. Sitting in a wheelchair as a strikingly pretty young woman, Jiang Qianyu felt subtle unease as glances kept flicking her way. Adapting to womanhood wouldn’t happen overnight. She felt the surreal sting of wearing women’s clothes under public scrutiny. Winter layers were a mercy. *Summer in a dress?* Terrifying.

"Mom, let me push you," Bai Dongqing murmured, gently guiding the wheelchair to the seat.

Jiang Qianyu scanned the bustling area—

—and froze.

A low, gravelly voice cut behind them:

"Didn’t I tell you to wait at home? Who let you run off? Don’t you know Dad’s worried sick?"

A large hand seized Bai Dongqing’s shoulder, yanking her off-balance. She stumbled. Jiang Qianyu whipped around—their shopping bags tumbled to the floor.

Behind them stood a man near 180cm, mid-thirties, in a grimy dark brown coat. Greasy hair, deep-set bloodshot eyes. Nothing overtly strange—at first glance. In a crowded mall, Jiang Qianyu hadn’t noticed him approach.

"Mom!" Bai Dongqing cried, struggling. The man had grabbed her scarf; the fabric tightened cruelly around her delicate neck. She gasped for air. Tripping mid-struggle, she lurched forward—only to be hauled up again by the scarf. Her feet dangled. The knot tightened.

He tried to bolt, but onlookers blocked his path. Ignoring the choking girl, he kept a death grip on the scarf with one hand, waving a knife from his pocket at bystanders.

"Move! She’s my daughter! I’m taking her home! GET BACK!" he snarled.

He lunged toward the stairs. Seeing Bai Dongqing still resisting, he pressed the blade to her forehead, voice vicious: "Come home. Or I’ll beat you to death tonight."

*Thud.*

Jiang Qianyu had tried to stand—legs buckled. She collapsed. Her wheelchair slammed into a chair behind her.

Propped on trembling hands, she screamed: "STOP HIM! SHE’S MY DAUGHTER! HE’S INSANE—PLEASE, HELP ME!"

"Yunzhi! YUNZHI!"

Calling out was all she could do. Normally, she managed a few shaky steps. Now, panic locked her limbs.

She watched helplessly as the man dragged Dong Qing into the crowd. Vision blocked.

"Please… someone… help me…"

Despair seeped deep. This crushing helplessness—she’d felt it once before. At the orphanage. The day she lost her daughter.

Chaos swirled. No one moved. Knife in hand, the man scattered the crowd. They’d gathered on instinct—too fast to process. Only the blade made the danger real.

"DONG QING!"

Lu Yunzhi burst back, dropped her bags, and sprinted full-speed after him.

Jiang Qianyu slumped into her wheelchair. Arms wrapped around her knees. Staring blankly where Bai Dongqing vanished. Eyes hollow. Motionless. Silent.

The crowd watched. No tears. No cries. Just stillness.

Their gazes softened with pity.

*What a pitiful young mother.*