Born in the 1980s, she was remarried and became a stepmother; a cold, rough man doted on her, pinchi

Chapter 99 Why Don't You Come With Me?
Jiang He's life in the city of Tsinghua and Peking University was like being mired in a quagmire, with every step filled with hardship and bitterness.

The search for Lin Yanqing was shrouded in mist, and hope was as faint as a candle flickering in the wind. Her meager savings were also dwindling day by day.

In order to survive in this city, she finally managed to find a job washing dishes in the kitchen of a small restaurant.

The kitchen environment was truly terrible; the cramped space was filled with an overwhelming greasy smell that could practically engulf anyone.

The sink seemed perpetually piled high with filthy dishes, like a small mountain that could never be moved. The water gushing from the tap mingled with the clatter of pots and pans, creating a cacophony that was incredibly unsettling.

Every day, before dawn, Jiang He would rush to the kitchen. She would skillfully tie on her worn-out and stained apron and then throw herself into her arduous work.

Her hands were soaked in the icy water for a long time. The detergent made her skin rough and wrinkled like dry tree bark. Her fingers were also red from the cold, and there were faint traces of blood at her joints.

Even so, Jiang He never complained. The hope of finding Lin Yanqing always burned in her heart, which was the driving force that supported her to continue to move forward in this difficult life.

However, the peaceful life was only a brief respite before the storm.

The restaurant's chef, an overweight, greasy-faced middle-aged man, had harbored ill intentions towards Jiang He ever since she started working in the kitchen.

At first, he would only brush against Jiang He's body intentionally or unintentionally when passing by her, or deliberately get close to her while talking and utter some flirtatious words.

Jiang He was filled with disgust, but she knew her situation well. This job was crucial to her, so she could only silently endure it, swallowing her grievances and anger.

On this day, the kitchen helper had to take leave, leaving only Jiang He and the chef in the kitchen.

Seeing that no one was around, the chef's usually suppressed evil thoughts swelled up instantly and became unrestrained.

He strode slowly to Jiang He's side with lewd steps, his lecherous eyes fixed on her face, as if he wanted to devour her alive.

He stretched out his greasy hand, trying to touch Jiang He's face, while uttering vulgar and offensive words: "Little He, you have such a pretty face, it's such a waste that you're doing this kind of rough work every day. Come with me, and I guarantee you'll live a life of luxury and won't have to suffer like this anymore."

Jiang He's eyes widened in terror. Her body instinctively shrank back, filled with both anger and fear. She shouted, "Don't do anything rash! Or I'll call for help!"

However, the chef didn't care at all and continued to press on, a disgusting smile on his face: "Shout all you want, no one will hear you even if you shout yourself hoarse. It's just the two of us in this kitchen. If you give in to me today, you'll have a good life from now on."

Jiang He was cornered with nowhere to retreat. Her eyes were red with anger and fear, tears welled up in her eyes, and her heart was filled with despair, as if the whole world had collapsed at this moment.

Just as the chef's sinister hand was about to touch Jiang He's face, Jiang He suddenly found a surge of courage, grabbed a plate from the side, and smashed it at the chef with all her might.

The plate, carrying Jiang He's anger and fear, flew past the chef's face and shattered on the ground with a crash. The broken pieces seemed to represent Jiang He's broken heart at that moment.

The cook, terrified by the sudden action, turned pale. Enraged, his fat face trembled with rage as he yelled, "You little bitch, how dare you hit me!" With that, he raised his thick hand and viciously struck Jiang He. Jiang He closed her eyes, her body trembling instinctively, awaiting the painful blow.

However, at this critical moment, the restaurant owner happened to walk into the kitchen. Seeing the chaotic scene before him, his face instantly darkened, and he shouted, "What are you doing!"

Seeing this, the chef immediately dropped his arrogance and put on a fawning smile, saying, "Boss, this little girl is clumsy at her work, I'm just disciplining her."

Jiang He cried as she told her boss, her voice filled with endless grievances and fear: "Boss, he... he harassed me, I had no choice but to smash it."

The boss frowned, his eyes filled with dissatisfaction and disgust towards the chef. He looked at the chef and said coldly, "You always like to cause trouble, and this time you've even brought it to the kitchen. Get out of here, I can't tolerate someone like you."

Upon hearing this, the chef panicked, his fat face trembling even more violently. He hurriedly protested, "Boss, you can't fire me! I've worked here for so long, I've put in a lot of effort even if I haven't made any great contributions."

The boss remained unmoved and said firmly, "I've tolerated you because you've worked here for so long, but this time you've really gone too far. I can't let this kind of behavior go unpunished."

After saying that, the boss turned to look at Jiang He, his eyes showing more gentleness and concern: "Jiang He, don't be afraid, I've already fired him. You can continue to work here without worry. If anyone bullies you again, just tell me."

Jiang He looked at her boss gratefully, tears welling up in her eyes like a burst dam. She choked out, "Thank you, boss. I will work hard."

After this incident, things returned to normal in the kitchen for the time being. However, whenever Jiang He recalled the chef's disgusting face and lewd behavior, a strong sense of disgust and deep fear would still well up in her heart. That shadow followed her like a shadow, always looming over her.

However, fate seemed determined not to let Jiang He off the hook. One day, Jiang He was busy in the kitchen as usual when suddenly, a strong wave of dizziness hit her. She felt the world spinning and everything before her eyes became blurry.

She instinctively reached for the sink to steady her swaying body, but her legs felt as heavy as lead, and she couldn't muster any strength.

Seeing Jiang He's pale face and unsteady gait, her colleagues quickly gathered around her. A kind colleague asked with concern, "Jiang He, what's wrong? Are you too tired?"

Jiang He opened her mouth, wanting to say that she was fine, but before she could speak, everything went black and she collapsed to the ground.

My colleagues were terrified and panicked for a moment.

At this moment, the boss heard the commotion and rushed over. He immediately made a decision, dialed the emergency number, and sent Jiang He to a nearby hospital.

In the hospital, Jiang He slowly woke up amidst the noise and chaos.

She opened her eyes groggily and saw unfamiliar white walls around her and the pungent smell of disinfectant, feeling a sense of bewilderment.

The doctor entered the ward, looked at Jiang He, and said with a serious expression, "Since you are pregnant, your body is already weak. Coupled with prolonged overwork, that's why you suddenly fainted. You need to rest more and strengthen your nutrition, otherwise it will be bad for both the fetus and your own health."