Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
During a morning about half a month ago, there were people who had come and gone before the entrance of Cao Yang School of Arts. They were all students that had come for class and parents that were sending their children to school.
A white Nissan sedan drove over from the junction, then gradually stopped in a parking space by the side of the road. The car door swung open, revealing a graceful woman, who was dressed very fashionably. The woman had a yellow scarf tied around her neck, and was wearing huge black sunglasses that obscured much of her face and eyes. Hence, no one could tell much about her looks, nor guess her exact age.
After getting out of the car, the woman took out a scroll of drawing paper and a box of colored pencils from the back seat. She then placed all of the items on her front hood, unspooling the scroll of drawing paper.
On the drawing paper, was a drawing that had yet to be finished. The woman held a colored pencil, pretending to look at it, appearing as if she was preparing to complete the drawing.
Then, Lan Shuping’s daughter Niuniu was walking past the car, carrying her own drawing board behind her back. The woman quickly turned around and addressed her, “Hi girl, do you study drawing, too? Can you help me with this…”
The woman pointed at her drawing that was spread out on the car hood. The little girl originally didn’t want to answer, but after she saw the drawing, she got curious.
“I have been drawing this for a very long time…” the woman shook her head and said. “But this last part, I have no idea what color I should I paint it! Can you help me with it? If it isn’t nice, my teacher will penalize me!”
“Oh? Teacher?” The little girl asked curiously. “Auntie, are you a student too?”
“Yeah,” The woman replied. “Don’t you know that there is an adult drawing class, too? This is homework, given by my teacher. If I do well with it, I can teach art lessons in the future!”
“Oh…” Niuniu nodded and pointed at the drawing, answering solemnly, “Auntie, that part you can color with any darker color. Then, it would look nicer! But… Don’t use black or brown. Otherwise, it won’t look nice. Mm… If it was me, I would use purple!”
“Oh… Really… Thank you so much!” the woman said, as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. “Hurry up and head to school. Don’t be late!”
“Mm, bye auntie!” The little girl waved. Then, upon gazing at the woman’s scarf, she couldn’t help but compliment, “Auntie, your scarf looks beautiful!”
“Oh?” The woman was stunned, then smiled. “Thank you!”
“Bye auntie!” The little girl turned around and walked toward the school with joyful steps.
At around the same time, two days later, the woman, wearing the same yellow scarf, appeared at the same location in her white car. She was again holding an unfinished drawing.
This time, when Niuniu was passing by on her way to school, she took the initiative to greet the woman, providing a suggestion for the woman’s drawing. Then, as these meetings continued, the two of them grew closer. The little girl, who was naive, gradually took a liking to the woman, who was very friendly. She even treated the woman like her friend.
Besides giving suggestions about drawings, the two of them starting talking about all kinds of things. Sometimes, the woman would bring some delicious cakes for her. Each time, the woman would remind Niuniu that these meetings had to stay a secret. Otherwise, if the school teachers found out, the yellow scarf lady warned that it would affect her art school results.
The little girl promised the woman to keep the secret, but she couldn’t help but include the beautiful sunflower print scarf into her own drawings at home…
…
Fast forward to the present time…. in a child’s room that had been renovated exquisitely. Lan Shuping’s daughter Niuniu was drawing a new drawing in this room. On the drawing, the sunflower print scarf appeared, along with the little girl’s parents, who were drawn right next to the scarf…
Niuniu drew while she cried. Her tears splashed onto the drawing paper, smudging the color. Then, there was a light noise from the door knob, as the door was opened from the outside. It was Meifang, carrying a big bag of snacks.
“Niuniu!” Meifang spoke amiably. “Look what I brought for you. These are all the things that you like to eat! And, I bought some chicken. I will make you some Cola chicken, ok?”
“Woo…” The little girl put down her colored pencil and ran to Meifang. She pulled her clothes and cried, “Auntie, I want… I want to go home. I want Mommy… Woo…”
“Aiya! Niuniu, didn’t I tell you?” Meifang comforted her. “Your parents had things to do, so they had to head out for a few days. Listen to me, in two more days, you can go home…”
“I don’t want to listen to you… You are all liars! I want to look for my mommy, woo…” Then, the little girl pushed Meifang away and squeezed through the door gap.
“Hey!”
Meifang left the bag of snacks, turned around, and chased after the little girl. However, as she left the bedroom, she saw a tall man that looked ferocious standing there! And the little girl, who had just run out, was already in the man’s embrace!
“Ah?!”
Meifang got a shock and wanted to scream, but the man gave a gesture to signal her to keep quiet. His eyes looked extremely terrifying.
Meifang was completely taken by surprise. She quickly obeyed, leaning against the wall and not daring to make a sound. Lan Shuping’s daughter Niuniu stopped crying too, as she was similarly frightened.
The man, who had such an imposing manner, was none other than Zhao Yu! Then, another human figure flashed through the bedroom and living room. The three of them turned around and looked. It was Liang Huan, who was holding onto a gun, making his way to ransack the other two bedrooms. When they saw Liang Huan’s gun, Meifang and Niuniu quivered in fear.
“Shh…” Zhao Yu shushed them again.
Within a minute’s time, Liang Huan exited from the other two rooms and mumbled, “What the hell…. The bedrooms aren’t even renovated!”
“What?” Zhao Yu was surprised. He immediately turned around and roared at Meifang, who was next to him. “Tell me! Where is Feng Kuo?”
“Huh?” Meifang was shivering in terror. Her face was pale, and she couldn’t even speak.
“We are the cops!” Zhao Yu bellowed again. “Hurry up and tell me! Where is Feng Kuo hiding?”
“Woo woo woo…”
Zhao Yu bellowed, frightening the little girl into a crying fit again.
“Hey, little girl, don’t …” Zhao Yu panicked, quickly lowering his voice and saying, “I am a police officer, and I am here to save you…”
In the end, when she saw this stranger, Zhao Yu, smiling at her, Niuniu cried even harder.
Then, after Liang Huan was certain that there wasn’t anyone else there, he quickly handcuffed Meifang and shouted at her, “Hurry up, where is Feng Kuo?”
“I… I…” Meifang stuttered, “I… I don’t understand… What are you talking about…”
“The hell you don’t! Are you still playing dumb?” Liang Huan held his gun and shouted, “You’re done, can’t you tell? Hurry up and tell us honestly, maybe you can be given a lighter sentence! Otherwise, your punishment will be quite severe!”
“I… I was only asked to take care of the child. I don’t know anything else!” Meifang said with confidence.
“Aiyo? I think you are not going to break until you see your own coffin, right?” Liang Huan was getting upset. He was just about to completely lose temper, but Zhao Yu stopped him.
Zhao Yu put down Niuniu and looked at the environment carefully. It was a three-bedroom corner unit that was located on the seventeenth floor. The room that they had used to hold Niuniu captive was located to the north of the living room. It was a fully enclosed room that had no windows. Hence, even if Niuniu was crying in the room, no one would notice from the outside.
Looking at the other rooms, none were renovated. Even the kitchen only had minor items of cooking ware installed. It seemed that everything there was prepared solely for kidnapping Lan Shuping’s daughter.
Tsk tsk…
Something is not right.
Looking at everything laid out before his eyes, Zhao Yu felt odd. There wasn’t any male clothing, shoes, accessories or other things. Could it be that Feng Kuo didn’t live here at all?
And if he didn’t, then where did he go?
