Volume One, Chapter 10: Shao Shanshan Calls and Yells at Me!

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The sky in late autumn darkened swiftly. By the time Su Qiuyu hurried through the bustling city center and reached the industrial zone, the streetlights were already blazing one by one. Two police cars were parked by the roadside where Aunt Li had said, their sirens flashing red and blue, the colors stretching and shifting on the wet pavement through the mist.

It was now rush hour, and the industrial area was crowded with people, especially around the cluster of street food stalls. The throng pressed close together, and the rainy sky did nothing to dampen the lively atmosphere.

Su Qiuyu quickened her pace. Suddenly, her phone rang—it was Zhu Lizhen calling. Once connected, Zhu Lizhen sounded puzzled: “What’s going on, Xiaoyu? You sent me a package from the same city, but the contents are so ordinary. I’ve looked through it, and nothing special stands out.”

“No, I resigned. Something happened with my mom, so I had it sent to you first,” Su Qiuyu replied.

“Ah! Something happened? What is it? Is it serious?”

“I’ll explain later. I have to hang up now; there’s an emergency here. Sorry, Zhenzhen.”

Ending the call, Su Qiuyu hurried toward the police cars. The officers were still reviewing nearby surveillance footage. One camera indeed captured Jiang Zifei being forcibly dragged into a vehicle by two men. During the struggle, one of her shoes fell off, and a man picked it up and threw it back into the car with great force—as if to slam it in.

This footage was enough to file a case, and it was a criminal abduction. However, not long after, the vehicle entered a blind spot of the cameras, and it was confirmed that the occupants changed cars multiple times—at least five—on the way. All the license plates were fake.

Because this area was densely crowded with people and vehicles, tracking them was an enormous task. Furthermore, none of the cameras captured the men’s faces clearly; it seemed they wore highly realistic human skin masks. The skin tone looked very natural, but the facial features on the masks were deliberately blurred.

Though Su Qiuyu wore a mask herself, the injuries on her face were still obvious, attracting the police’s attention. Fortunately, the prior staged accident had generated a confirmation text, and after review, the police confirmed her wounds were unrelated to this case and asked no further questions.

Night deepened, and the rain intensified. Su Qiuyu politely declined the invitation to take shelter in the police car, choosing instead to stand alone under the eaves between two shops, silently watching the crowd flow by.

Her attire was simple and inexpensive—a loose, vintage caramel-colored knitted sweater paired with black-gray high-waisted pants and a pair of retro brown Martin boots. But her proportions were exceptional: a slender neck, narrow waist, and long legs, making even the simplest outfit appear stylish and fashionable, drawing many glances.

Her hair was no longer tied back but softly curled and left loose. The volume was remarkable, flowing over both shoulders, making her face appear even smaller, which, combined with her mask, helped conceal her wounds.

Throughout this time, every few minutes, she persistently called Uncle Liu. When her phone’s battery was down to nine percent, the call finally connected. Feeling a surge of helplessness, Su Qiuyu’s nose tinged with sadness, but she kept calm and steady, suppressing all emotions as she recounted the events.

On the other end, Uncle Liu’s footsteps sounded heavy. After listening quietly, he spoke in a tired, hoarse voice: “Don’t worry. I’ll immediately send people to investigate. Keep your phone close; if it’s really them, they might call you.”

“Okay.”

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“If they call, remember to contact me right away!”

“Got it.”

Liu stopped walking for a moment. “Xiaoyu, are you still outside? I hear rain and cars passing.”

“Yes, the police are still here.”

Liu sighed deeply. “Take care of yourself.”

“I will. I’ll protect myself.”

“You’ve always been a brave girl. Don’t worry, your mother will be fine. Don’t be scared.”

“Mm.”

By nearly 10:30 p.m., the police finally wrapped up. Su Qiuyu declined their offer of a ride and took a taxi home alone. The last bit of her phone’s battery died as she stepped inside.

She didn’t turn on the lights; all her strength seemed to have drained away. Sitting on a stool, she looked up at two black-and-white photographs on the wall. The only illumination came from the streetlights outside. The silence made the rain’s sound especially clear, as if it were striking everything around.

Her brows knit lightly.

If asked how much affection she felt toward Jiang Zifei, it was pitifully little. Yet after all, she was family.

Though Su Qiuyu often felt she wasn’t biologically related—no mother would treat her that way. Still, she resembled Jiang Zifei so much that anyone would never doubt she was her biological daughter.

“What am I supposed to do?” Su Qiuyu looked at her father’s portrait, finally revealing a fragile side. “Dad, what should I do?”

In the following two days, Su Qiuyu waited anxiously for news. The only good news was that Uncle Liu confirmed Jiang Zifei’s disappearance was not the work of those ruthless criminals from years ago.

Su Qiuyu exhaled deeply.

Those villains were merciless. If it had been them, Jiang Zifei would almost certainly have been killed. Even if alive, she would likely be suffering abuse, waiting to be murdered.

Those criminals wanted nothing—no money or possessions—their sole purpose was revenge.

Knowing it wasn’t them was a heavy relief to Su Qiuyu.

During these days, besides waiting, she packed everything she could into cardboard boxes. It was strange; even though she had returned less than a month ago, there was so much stuff.

Jiang Zifei’s belongings filled five boxes. Her own, three.

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She temporarily set aside old class notes and books. Reading and reviewing problems was the only way she had found over the years to distract herself when her mind was in chaos.

But lately, that method seemed to fail.

She often stared at the yellowed notebooks, her gaze drifting far away.

Another day passed with no word.

Finally, Su Qiuyu began packing her own things. Opening a drawer, she took out a metal box and looked at the note inside.

Could it be Jiang Hongfang?

For the first time, Su Qiuyu dialed the number written on the note. Quickly, the voice on the other end informed her the number was out of service.

She didn’t know how to react for a moment, then quietly placed the note back into the box.

Taking her keys and coat, she turned and left.

It didn’t matter; whoever gave her the note was at least still around.

If she wanted to know who Jiang Hongfang was, she could just ask Lu Xiaoqian.

Stepping outside, the sun was shining brightly.

As she reached the bus stop, her phone rang again—it was Zhu Lizhen.

“Damn it, I’m furious!” Zhu Lizhen was seething. “Xiaoyu, that shameless woman Shao Shanshan actually called to curse me!”

Su Qiuyu kept one hand in her sweatshirt pocket, holding her phone with the other, casually glancing around at the street scene. “Didn’t she say she didn’t want to have anything to do with you anymore?”

“It’s about Lu Xiaoqian’s stay in the sanatorium. She yelled at me for hiding Little Tao’s grandmother and not telling her! What nonsense! Why would I tell her? She’s crazy! Who is she anyway? None of my family even knows who Lu Xiaoqian is. Why should I go and greet Shao Shanshan, ask if she knows Lu Xiaoqian? And who knows how long she’s been sticking around Gu Moting and Little Tao like a fly! Her tone made it sound like Little Tao was hers or something!”

Su Qiuyu had almost forgotten Shao Shanshan’s face. Even though she had seen her once in a café, the makeup had blurred her features. The only thing she remembered were the harsh words Shao had hurled years ago.

Su Qiuyu said, “Shao Shanshan really knows how to curse. She talks so fast.”

“Hmph! I want to punch her. I want to beat her to death!”

Su Qiuyu smiled. “Calm down. Forgive and forget; patience brings peace. If you keep fighting, you’ll end up with blocked milk ducts.”

“Hmph, I’ll get her sooner or later! Hey, by the way, Xiaoyu, I still have your documents here. You said you’d tell me later, but you haven’t yet.”

There was a long pause before Su Qiuyu replied softly, “Zhenzhen, can I take a little more time? I’ll tell you later.”

Zhu Lizhen’s expression turned serious. “Xiaoyu, what exactly happened? I’ll come find you!”