The Quagmire of Desire: From Gambling Addict and Village Flower to Movie Queen

"I told you before, if anyone does this kind of thing in the store, don't blame me for being ruthless." Meiling stared at her. "Have you forgotten?"

"Sister Meiling, please listen to me..." Xiaoqin knelt down with a thud, her face covered in tears. "I really have no choice. If I don't take customers, he will beat me when he gets home. I can't take it."

"You hit me?" Meiling frowned. "Your husband?"

Xiaoqin nodded, then covered her face and cried even harder.

"Starting tomorrow, you don't need to come to work anymore." Meiling turned to leave.

"Sister Meiling!" Xiaoqin rushed over and hugged Meiling's leg. "Please, don't fire me! If I don't have this job, he really will beat me to death!"

Meiling stopped and looked down at her.

Xiaoqin knelt on the ground, trembling all over, her face covered in tears and snot.

"I really have no choice," she cried. "My daughter is still in his hands. If I don't earn money, he won't let her go to school. I really have no choice."

Meiling was silent for a moment, then squatted down and looked at her: "Then why didn't you say so sooner?"

"What's the use of me telling you?" Xiaoqin shook her head, crying. "Can you help me? That man, he's capable of anything, I'm scared."

Meiling sighed: "Your daughter, is she really with his mother?"

Xiaoqin nodded: "He said yes, but I've never seen her." She looked up, her eyes filled with fear, "I suspect he sold my daughter, but I have no proof. He always says she's with my mother, but whenever I say I want to go see her, he yells at me."

Meiling stood up, took out a cigarette, and lit it.

After a long silence, she looked at Xiaoqin and said, "Get up."

Xiaoqin stood up shakily, her face covered in tears.

"I'll figure something out for you," Meiling said, exhaling a puff of smoke. "But you have to promise me one thing."

"You can say anything."

"You can take clients from now on, but not for your good-for-nothing husband." Meiling stared at her. "You need to save money for yourself, understand?"

Xiaoqin paused for a moment, then nodded emphatically.

the next day.

Meiling's bodyguards crouched in the alley, their eyes fixed on the iron gate.

He saw it clearly: Li Dafu, holding the crying little girl, kicked open the door and went inside.

A strong smell of cigarettes and alcohol wafted from under the door, mixed with the clanging sound of dominoes.

He took out his phone and quickly sent a message to Meiling: "Found the place, Meiling, you guessed right."

After sending the message, he scurried along the wall to the iron gate and peered through the crack in the door.

The room was filled with smoke and fumes, with a few dim lights illuminating a few broken tables.

A group of people were gathered around the card table, their eyes red and cursing under their breath.

Li Dafu carried the child through the crowd and went straight into the innermost private room.

The bodyguard changed his angle and could barely see what was happening inside the private room.

Sitting on the sofa was a fat man wearing a silk Tang suit, with a gold chain around his neck almost as thick as a thumb.

He saw Li Dafu come in, slowly put down his teacup, and his gaze fell on the little girl.

"Is this the child you were talking about?" the fat man asked slowly.

Li Dafu bowed and scraped: "Boss, look at her, she's so pretty. She's only four years old, but she understands everything and is very obedient."

The little girl was put on the ground and cried in fright, reaching out to be held.

Li Dafu kicked her in the butt and cursed, "Stop crying."

The fat man waved his hand, and a bald henchman stepped forward and took the little girl away.

The little girl cried even harder, but the bald man ignored her and led her through the back door.

"One hundred thousand, full payment." The fat man pulled out a wad of cash from his pocket and tossed it onto the coffee table.

Li Dafu's eyes widened, and he grabbed the money and started counting it.

"Boss, don't worry, this kid is absolutely clean and healthy," he said while counting the money.

The fat man nodded, picked up his teacup, and took a sip.

After counting the money, Li Dafu pulled out another wad of cash, turned around, walked to the card table, and slapped it on a bespectacled man: "Fifty thousand, here you go!"

The man took the money and smiled, "Brother Li, this business makes money really fast."

"Of course!" Li Dafu plopped down at the card table. "It's my treat tonight! Everyone's drinking tonight, it's on me!"

The people at the card table started commotion, praising Li Dafu's skill all at once.

The bodyguard watched this scene, nearly crushing his phone in his hand. He took two deep breaths and continued to lie in wait.

Not long after, the bald man came out of the back door.

The bodyguard gritted his teeth, thought for a moment, and decided to follow.

He texted another bodyguard: "I'm following that bald guy to see where the kid is taken. You keep an eye on the casino."

The bodyguard who was left behind nodded and continued to squat in the corner.

Laughter erupted from inside the room, and the dominoes were slapped loudly against the table.

Half an hour later, hurried footsteps could be heard at the entrance of the alley.

Meiling and Xiaoyan rushed over with a woman, who was none other than Xiaoqin.

Xiaoqin's eyes were red and swollen, and her hair was disheveled; she had clearly been crying.

She spotted the casino's iron gate and was about to rush inside.

"Wait a minute," Meiling pulled her back. "Let's check the situation first."

"I can't wait any longer!" Xiaoqin shook off her hand. "My daughter is inside!"

She kicked the iron gate open.

The lively sounds inside the house came to an abrupt halt.

Everyone turned to look at the doorway.

Xiaoqin's eyes searched everywhere, and she quickly found Li Dafu at the card table.

She rushed over and grabbed his collar: "Where's my daughter! Where have you taken my daughter?!"

Li Dafu was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter: "Hey, isn't this my wife? What brings you here?"

"I'm asking you, where is my daughter!" Xiaoqin's voice trembled.

"Your daughter?" Li Dafu slowly pushed her away. "I sent her away. Anyway, she was raised by my mother, and she's raised by someone else, so it's the same as raising her. I can even make some money."

Xiaoqin froze completely.

"You...you sold her?" Her voice sounded like it was being squeezed out of her throat.

"What's it to you?" Li Dafu stood up, a head taller than her. "What business is it of yours? That's my daughter, I can sell her if I want."

Xiaoqin rushed forward like a madwoman and slapped him across the face.

"Give me back my daughter!"

Li Dafu was stunned by the slap, then his face darkened.

He slapped her hard across the face, sending Xiaoqin flying. She crashed into the mahjong table, scattering the dominoes all over the floor.

"Damn it, you're asking for it!" Li Dafu kicked her. "I feed you and clothe you, and you dare hit me?"

Meiling and Xiaoyan rushed in and protected Xiaoqin.

"What are you doing?" Li Dafu looked at the two men. "Oh, aren't these the two women from the card shop? What, want to get beaten up too?"

Meiling asked coldly, "Who did you sell the child to?"

"None of your business." Li Dafu spat. "If you two don't want to get beaten up, get lost."