The Legend of Cinderella's Counterattack

Old Li drove fast. I clutched the letter tightly, my palms wet with sweat. Outside the car window, the nightscape of the city rapidly receded, and my heart grew heavier. What could this abandoned factory on the outskirts of the city be?

The car finally stopped in front of an abandoned factory on the outskirts of town. In the night, the factory's silhouette resembled a dormant beast, exuding a sinister aura. I took a deep breath, opened the door, and stepped out.

As soon as I stepped through the factory gate, a rotten smell hit me, making me frown. All around me was silence, with only the sound of my footsteps echoing in the empty factory.

“You’re here?”

A deep voice suddenly sounded from behind me. I turned around suddenly and saw a figure in a black cloak standing not far away. He was wearing a silver mask, revealing only a pair of cold eyes.

“Who are you? Where are Mr. K and Ashley?” I asked warily.

"Don't worry," the man in black sneered, "you will see them soon."

As soon as he finished speaking, dazzling lights suddenly lit up all around me, and a group of men in black emerged from the darkness and surrounded me. I immediately realized that I had been ambushed, and I thought to myself, this is not good.

"What do you want to do?" I said calmly, "Release Mr. K and Ashley, and I can pretend nothing happened!"

"Do you think it's still useful to say this now?" The man in black said with disdain, "If you know what's good for you, just follow us. Otherwise..."

He suddenly pulled out the dagger from his waist and pressed it against my neck. The cold touch made me shiver all over.

The cold blade touched my skin, and at that moment, I smelled the breath of death. I closed my eyes, and countless images flashed through my mind: Lu Yuxuan, Mr. K, Ashley... Finally, they settled on Chenxi's face, which always had a sunny smile.

"Where's Ashley? What did you do to him?" I snapped my eyes open, my voice trembling with fear.

The man in black scoffed, "You don't seem to know yet? Your friends can barely protect themselves now, so who has the time to care about you?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the phone in my pocket suddenly rang. I answered the call tremblingly, as if grasping at a lifeline.

"Lolo, it's me..." A weak voice came from the other end of the phone. It was Lily, my college classmate and one of the participants in this counterattack plan.

"Lily, are you okay? Where's Ashley?"

"Ashley...he escaped to protect me..." Lily's voice choked. "They, they smashed our studio and took away all my designs..."

My heart sank, and a sense of foreboding came over me. "Lily, where are you now? What happened to Ashley?"

"I don't know either. When I woke up, I was in the hospital... The doctor said that Ashley..." Lily's voice became weaker and weaker, and finally turned into suppressed sobs.

My hand, gripping the phone, dropped limply, a chill running from my feet to my head. Ashley, that always optimistic, cheerful, and energetic boy, how could he...

"It seems you already know." The man in black looked down at me, a hint of mockery in his tone, "Your friends paid a heavy price for you."

I collapsed to the ground, tears blurring my vision. Ashley, Chenxi, and so many others who had helped me, all of them because of me… I bit my lip tightly, letting the pain and self-blame consume me.

I wandered the streets like a zombie, Ashley's smile, Chenxi's instructions, Lily's crying constantly replaying in my mind... Every scene was like a sharp knife, piercing my heart.

The phone rang again, and I answered it mechanically. A strange man's cold voice came from the other end: "If you want to save Lawrence Lu, come to the abandoned factory on the outskirts of the city alone. Remember, don't call the police, otherwise..."

I didn't wait for him to finish, hung up the phone and rushed into a taxi on the side of the road.

The empty factory was filled with a smell of decay. Under the dim light, Lawrence Lu was tied to a pillar. His once bright and beautiful clothes were now tattered and stained with blood.

"Yuxuan!" I rushed over, but was stopped by a man in black.

"Lolo, don't come over!" Lawrence Lu saw me and struggled to stand up, but he was too weak to stand up, and eventually he collapsed to the ground helplessly.

Only then did I notice that his originally fair face was covered with scars, with blood still at the corners of his mouth. His eyes were empty and lifeless, like a broken puppet.

"What on earth did you do to him?!" My eyes were bloodshot and I wished I could tear these people in front of me into pieces.

"Heh, we're just giving him a taste of betrayal." The man in black sneered and threw a document in front of me. "Sign this, and the Lu Group will be yours."

I opened the document with trembling hands. It was an equity transfer agreement. As long as I signed it, it would mean that Lawrence Lu would lose everything.

"How is it? Have you thought it through?" The man in black pressed on. "You don't have much time. Whether you choose love or career, it's up to you."

I bit my lips tightly, my nails dug deep into my flesh, blood flowed down between my fingers, but I didn't feel any pain, I only felt bone-chilling cold and despair.

I lost, lost miserably. Not only did I lose my love and friendship, but even my own dreams were about to be shattered.

I collapsed on the ground, tears blurring my eyes. Everything in front of me became blurry and unclear. I was left with only despair and helplessness...

Just when I was about to give up, an old but loud voice echoed in the empty factory: "Stop!"

I looked up suddenly and saw an old man with a cane walking slowly towards me, surrounded by a group of men in black. Although he was old, his eyes were sharp and he exuded an aura of authority without even being angry.

When the men in black saw the newcomer, they all bowed their heads and respectfully called out, "Master."

Patriarch? Could it be that…he is Lawrence Lu’s…grandfather?! I covered my mouth in surprise, staring at everything in front of me in disbelief.

"Grandpa! Why are you here?" When Lawrence Lu saw the old man, a glimmer of hope suddenly ignited in his originally dull eyes.

The old man ignored Lawrence Lu, but walked straight to me, looked me up and down, and said slowly: “Are you Lin Luoluo?”

I felt a little scared by his look, but I forced myself to remain calm and nodded.

"Hmph! Do you know that it's because of you that our Lu family has become what it is now!" The old man suddenly shouted harshly, scaring me so much that I trembled all over.

I opened my mouth, wanting to explain, but the old man interrupted me: "You don't have to explain! I know what you're thinking! Who do you think you are? Do you think you're really worthy of Yuxuan?"

"Grandpa! What are you talking about! Lolo is innocent!" Lawrence Lu struggled to get up, but was held down by the man in black.

"Shut up! You have no right to speak here!" The old man shouted angrily, then turned to look at me, a complicated look in his eyes, "Ms. Lin, I know you are sincere to Yuxuan, but our Lu family is not something you can afford to marry! Go away, leave Yuxuan, I can guarantee that you will be safe."

I was stunned. I didn't expect him to say such a thing.

"Grandpa! I love Luo Luo! I will marry no one else but her!" Lawrence Lu roared desperately.

"Shut up right there! You rebellious son!" The old man was so angry that he was shaking all over. "Someone! Take the young master back!"

"No! Grandpa! You can't do this! Lolo! Save me!"

"Yuxuan!"

I watched Lawrence Lu being forcibly dragged away by the men in black, and my heart was broken.

"Don't worry, I won't hurt him." The old man looked at me coldly, "But you must leave here!"

"Why? Why are you doing this?" I asked with red eyes.

The old man didn't answer my question. He just looked at me deeply, then turned and left, leaving only one sentence echoing in my ears: "Some things are better left unseen..."

What exactly did he mean? What did he mean by "some things are better left unseen"? Could it be that... Lawrence Lu still had some secrets?