"Luna, I used to think that you were an unpolished gem and Colin was the sculptor. I thought he would shape you until you become the brightest gem in the world."But I was wrong. You polish yourself. You know how to project your own radiance."I chuckled out loud. While I was very confident in my painting techniques, I wasn't as good as he said. "You flatter me, Nico." I performed a curtsy, and that made Nico laugh.He held the painting, his tall frame bent slightly forward as his brows danced with delight and approval. "I'm serious. Don't doubt my words."Fine. I should accept his compliment. As we chatted, an unknown number suddenly called Nico. Nico picked it up. I heard some static noise for about 30 seconds until I heard the villager's voice. He told us that he was visiting his relatives tomorrow at the address he had given us.He would be staying there for a few days and asked if we wanted to come with him. If yes, he could be our guide in the mountains. Thanks to our mutu
Zuri talked a lot. While his words were harsh, they revealed the truth behind rural life. In rural areas, youngsters often left to work in the city, leaving behind the elderly and children. The imbalance of manpower between the city and the rural areas was a common phenomenon.In the city, many young people from rural areas gathered in one spot and held sign boards to look for employment. As they weren't highly educated and did not possess any technical skills, they could only provide manual labor.Mom told me that manual labor was paid a lot by the hour. However, since those people had no one to rely on in the city, they had to spend a lot to maintain themselves. Everything was expensive in the city. It was very difficult for them to buy a house in the city with their hard-earned money.Zuri was visibly upset when he talked about the predicament. He whipped out a wrinkled box of cigarettes from his jacket. He wanted to light one up, but when he saw that he was on a clean bus, he pu
Zuri's relatives were a friendly couple. When they saw us, they didn't ask a lot of questions.We chatted briefly before they disappeared into the kitchen to prepare dinner. Zuri had nothing to do, so he joined them in the kitchen to help out. Nico was already gone for some reason. I checked the backyard and couldn't find him.Suddenly, I felt fear and regretted coming here. I once read a news article that a Year 1 university student was very close to a Year 2 senior. Everyone in her school knew how close they were. One day, the Year 1 student went missing.The lecturers turned to the senior to ask about her. The senior said that he did not know where she went. However, he claimed that she missed her mother a lot and she had expressed the intention to quit school. He even showed the journal the woman had entrusted to him to the lecturers.The last entry in her journal mentioned her lack of ambition at the university and the bullying she suffered because of her modest background. Sh
As for me, I was locked in a pigsty by the buyer, surrounded by heaps of pig dung. A short, filthy man kept urging me to submit to him, promising that if I bore him a son, I could sleep in the house with him and avoid further suffering.I thought seriously about it and decided that if it ever came to that, I would rather die than endure such humiliation.Tears welled up in my eyes, but I bit my lip to keep them from falling. I clenched my cold fingers in fear and glanced repeatedly at the door, calculating my chances of escaping. However, the wilderness was vast and unfamiliar, making the path to freedom uncertain.Soon, it was mealtime. Nico buzzed around like a bee, serving food and drink in a manner that seemed overly hospitable. I was beginning to suspect this was a deliberate ploy to win me over and make me feel at ease.What scared me the most was when Zuri suddenly appeared with a bottle of unknown liquor. He bit off the cap and poured the liquid into several white porcela
Besides, if Nico was also being deceived like me, we might be able to form an alliance and plan an escape together. I could only hope he wasn't a bad person and wouldn't betray me.With so much on my mind, I was too anxious to eat more than a few shaky bites.Elijah sighed. "I forgot you city folks are used to fine food. I doubt you can handle these simple dishes." He then turned to look at his wife, saying, "Ava, get some goat milk for the city girl. We don't want her going hungry on her visit here."I forced a polite smile. "Well, great… Thank you, sir, for the kind hospitality…"After the meal, there wasn't much entertainment in the countryside, so we all gathered around the TV. Ava brought me a chair with a thick cushion and beckoned me to sit. "Here, sit on this. It's soft and comfy. The show's about to start."The chair was just the right height, and the cushion was indeed soft and comfortable. However, I felt like I was sitting on pins and needles, my mind racing with tho
Colin cleared his throat, suppressing a laugh, and gently reassured me, "It's okay. Just go to sleep. I'll stay with you.""Promise me you won't hang up until I'm asleep," I pleaded."Alright," Colin agreed softly.I was truly exhausted. Selfishly ignoring Colin's evident weariness, I fell into a deep sleep lulled by his deep voice.With Colin's voice as my companion, I slept peacefully. I was no longer afraid and didn't have any nightmares. Instead, I dreamt that I was immersed in a sea of flowers, surrounded by their fragrant scent.I woke up at 6:00 am. As soon as I opened my eyes and saw the dark ceiling, the terrifying events of the previous night came rushing back. It wasn't until I pulled back the covers to see myself still fully clothed that I could take a deep breath, calming my racing heart.After getting ready, I opened the door to find Ava quietly preparing breakfast in the kitchen. She greeted me with a welcoming smile, "Good morning, dear. There's hot water in tha
I felt terrible for my wild thoughts from the previous night. I couldn't believe I had mistaken these kind, elderly folks for human traffickers.As Ava spoke, Nico chimed in with his own playful jab, teasing that I was too shy to eat and that I was a pampered child from the city who couldn't handle any hardship.Colin sat beside me, trying hard to suppress his laughter, his ears turning red from the effort. If it weren't for my constant warning glances, he might have blurted out the truth, and I would have been the butt of everyone's joke.Despite my frustration, I couldn't say anything directly. To keep Colin in check, I subtly stepped on his foot, warning him to behave.Alas, Colin caught my leg the next time I tried and propped it on his own lengthy limb, even mischievously pinching my calf as a final taunt.With my body halfway suspended in the air, I was too afraid to move for fear of tumbling to the ground. I quickly sat upright and focused on my meal, not daring to try anyt
Seeing Colin so exhausted, I couldn't imagine asking him to carry me. That would make me the worst girlfriend in history."I'm not tired. I've been practicing my self-defense skills with Zara, and we could do squats for an hour. My stamina is really good now, and I can walk for miles!" I boasted to Colin, holding his hand and bouncing with excitement."Are you tired, Colin? When we get back, I'll give you a massage so you can have a nice, restful sleep," I offered.Colin replied, "I am a bit tired, but it's not too bad. I can still manage. But Baby, you better keep your promise. I'm looking forward to that massage. I won't be able to sleep well without it."I gazed at him. "Of course, I won't forget! You're tired because of me. How could I not repay such kindness?"With a playful glint in his eye, Colin asked, "Oh, really? And just how does my baby plan to repay her husband's kindness?"I cocked my head, trying to think of a good way to repay him, but nothing came to mind. "You t