After Mad Dragon was released from prison, I shocked the world!

"Twenty...twenty thousand?"

The middle-aged man's eyes widened upon hearing Lin Li's words. "Isn't that too much?"

"many?"

Lin Li pointed to the bloodstains on the ground: "Doesn't this floor need washing? Cleaning fee. My dog ​​bit your dog, what if there's a bacterial infection? Medical expenses."

"besides……"

He looked at Gu Xiaomeng and Zhou Juan: "You two just scared my friend and this shop assistant. You owe them compensation for emotional distress. Plus lost wages, it's 20,000 yuan, not a penny less."

"Are you going to give it to us or not? If not, I'll have the fourth brother have a good talk with you."

"Woof!"

The fourth brother grinned in agreement.

"Give it to me! I'll give it to you!"

The middle-aged man didn't dare to say anything more. He quickly took out his phone, his hands trembling, scanned the store's QR code, and transferred 20,000 yuan.

"Get lost."

After confirming that the money had been received, Lin Li waved his hand in disgust: "Don't let me see you guys on this street again, or I'll beat you up every time I see you."

"Yes, yes, yes..."

The middle-aged man didn't dare say a word, grabbed his wife and children and ran away, ignoring even the dead dog on the ground.

The shop finally quieted down.

The crowd dispersed when they saw there was no more excitement to watch, but before leaving, each person couldn't help but take another look at Lin Li and the fierce black dog.

Lin Li looked at Gu Xiaomeng and asked softly, "Are you alright?"

Gu Xiaomeng smiled and shook her head, gestured to Zhou Juan behind her, then pointed to Lin Li, then to the fourth brother lying on the ground, and finally gently waved to the fourth brother.

Lin Li raised an eyebrow, instinctively wanting to remind him, "Fourth brother won't listen..."

Before he could finish speaking, his words caught in his throat.

The fourth dog obediently lowered its head, nuzzled its large head against Gu Xiaomeng's palm, made a "woofing" sound, and gently swept its tail across the floor.

Gu Xiaomeng laughed even harder and took the fourth brother directly into the operating room.

Lin Li didn't stop them. After waiting for a while, Gu Xiaomeng finally brought out the fourth brother.

"Thanks."

Seeing that the wounds on the fourth brother's body had been treated, he laughed and said, "I never thought you would become a veterinarian."

Gu Xiaomeng smiled shyly and made a "you're welcome" gesture.

Zhou Juan, who was standing to the side, had been observing the interaction between the two.

"etc……"

She stared at Lin Li, her gaze suddenly sharpening. "Xiao Meng, he... is he the 'Xiao Li' you used to write down on paper all the time?"

Gu Xiaomeng was stunned for a moment, then nodded generously, a blush rising on her face.

Snapped!

Lin Li's face was slapped to one side, and a clear finger mark appeared on his cheek instantly.

The slap came so suddenly that even a master like him didn't have time to react.

Or rather, Lin Li never imagined that he would be attacked by an ordinary girl in this environment!

"roar--"

The fourth brother, who was originally lying at Gu Xiaomeng's feet, suddenly bristled and made a move to pounce on Zhou Juan!

"Fourth brother! Sit down!"

Lin Li turned around abruptly and shouted.

The fourth dog roared at Zhou Juan in frustration, scratching deep marks on the ground with its front paws. Finally, it whimpered and lay back down on the ground.

Gu Xiaomeng was also frightened by this scene.

She spread her arms to block Zhou Juan, waved anxiously at Lin Li, and made rapid "ah ah" sounds.

Lin Li forcibly suppressed the anger in his heart.

He touched his burning cheek and looked at Zhou Juan with icy eyes: "Give me a reason."

"If it weren't for Xiaomeng's sake, you would be dead by now."

Although Zhou Juan was so frightened by the fourth brother that her face turned pale, her anger did not disappear.

"Reason? You have the nerve to ask me for a reason?!"

She pointed at Lin Li, her voice becoming shrill: "Lin Li! You heartless man! Scumbag!"

"Xiaomeng has suffered terribly these past few years, all because of you! You toyed with her feelings, abandoned her, and now you have the nerve to talk to her?!"

Lin Li frowned, puzzled, and asked, "What are you talking about? What do you mean by playing with feelings? When did I ever abandon her?"

"You're still pretending?!"

Zhou Juan pulled Gu Xiaomeng over and rolled up the sleeve of the other woman's left hand.

What should have been fair arms were now covered with hideous scars, including burns and cuts, a truly shocking sight.

Gu Xiaomeng pulled her hand back in a panic, desperately pulling her sleeve down, tears welling up in her eyes.

Lin Li's pupils constricted sharply, and he asked, "What's going on?"

"What happened? This is all your fault!"

With tears welling in her eyes, Zhou Juan roared, "Do you even know that Xiaomeng's beastly uncle seized the house her parents left behind and drove her out onto the street!"

"That's not enough! To pay off her debts, her uncle actually sold her to the mentally challenged son of the chairman of the Disabled Persons' Federation as his wife!"

At this point, Zhou Juan's voice choked with emotion, and tears welled up in her eyes: "Do you know how twisted that idiot is?"

"On our wedding night, that idiot tried to tie Xiaomeng up and torture her... Xiaomeng bit off one of the idiot's ears and jumped from the third floor!"

"If she hadn't fallen right onto the haystack, she would be dead!"

Zhou Juan stared intently at Lin Li, gritting her teeth: "If you didn't like Xiao Meng, why did you provoke her in the first place? Why did you give her hope only to let her despair?!"

Lin Li froze, looking at Gu Xiaomeng's tear-streaked face, a feeling of indescribable sorrow welling up in his heart.

He never imagined that the mute girl who always sat quietly next to him and would secretly give him candy had gone through so much!

"I……"

Lin Li opened his mouth, his voice a little hoarse: "Xiao Meng, you..."

He couldn't continue, and after a while he could only look at Zhou Juan and explain earnestly, "I think there's something you've misunderstood."

"Xiaomeng and I have never been in a romantic relationship."

"What?"

Zhou Juan was stunned. "Never dated? Then why did Xiaomeng...?"

Lin Li turned to look at Gu Xiaomeng, his eyes frank: "Xiaomeng, we used to be deskmates and very good friends, but I've never made any promises to you about love, right?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Xiaomeng trembled slightly, and tears streamed down her face.

She nodded slightly, gesturing anxiously to Zhou Juan, her meaning clear: Don't blame him, it's my own unrequited love, it's my own choice to wait, it has nothing to do with him. He has never lied to me, nor has he abandoned me.

Zhou Juan was completely dumbfounded when she saw Gu Xiaomeng's gesture.

"Xiaomeng, you...you mean, it's always been you..."

Gu Xiaomeng lowered her head, her fingers twisting together, looking extremely awkward and sad.

Back then, Lin Li was the eldest son of the Lin family, full of vigor and surrounded by countless outstanding girls.

She was just a mute woman who was disliked by everyone.

Lin Li's care for her was only out of kindness and sympathy; it was she who turned that gratitude into love and took that tenderness as salvation.