Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
After Ma Qiqi left the voicemail, she waited a full three days before Yin Shixiong called her back. “Qiqi, this is Yin Shixiong. I just finished a meeting and am on the way to campus to talk with you.” Yin Shixiong wore his Bluetooth headset and spoke solemnly. It was already 10pm, and Ma Qiqi had just returned from studying at the library.
She quickly replied as soon as she heard it was Yin Shixiong. “Brother Xiong, I’m at the dorm. I’ll come downstairs to meet you now.” She was just getting ready to shower, but she didn’t need to anymore. Quickly grabbing her phone and keys, she headed downstairs.
After waiting for ten minutes, a black Jeep with a military license plate drove over and parked in front of her. Yin Shixiong opened the door. “Get in.”
Ma Qiqi nodded and got in without hesitation. She had been stressed about Gu Nianzhi’s situation for the last few days now and had finally gotten in touch with Yin Shixiong, so she only had her mind on rescuing Gu Nianzhi and didn’t hear the person calling her name from behind.
“Qiqi! Qiqi! Get back! Qiqi! Qiqi! Where are you going?!” Senpai had come to visit Ma Qiqi with a bag of midnight snacks and witnessed Ma Qiqi getting into a Jeep with a military license plate. He caught a glimpse of a very handsome man inside… He desperately called for her to come back, but Ma Qiqi got in like she hadn’t heard him. The corners of Senpai’s mouth twitched as she took out his phone to call her.
Ma Qiqi was just about to speak with Yin Shixiong in the car when her phone rang. Looking down, she saw it was Senpai. She wasn’t in the mood to flirt with him right now, so she ignored it completely. To her surprise, he called relentlessly. Because she had no choice, she finally picked up and asked, “Senpai, what is it?”
Senpai inhaled deeply to calm himself down and asked purposely with a smile, “Qiqi? Are you at the dorm? I bought a midnight snack for you. Come down and get it.”
Ma Qiqi frowned. “I’m already asleep. Thank you, Senpai, for the snack. I’ll treat you tomorrow.” She then hung up.
Senpai froze with the phone in his hand and stood in front of the B University female graduate student dorm for a full minute before dropping his arms sullenly. Looking down, he glared in the direction Ma Qiqi left in and quickly walked down the steps of the dorm before throwing the snack into the garbage. Dusting his hands off, he stalked off.
….
Yin Shixiong drove Ma Qiqi to a parking lot in B University before stopping. It was already late in the night, and the parking lot was for teaching staff and students to use during the day, so very few cars remained. They wouldn’t have to worry about being overheard in an empty parking lot. Yin Shixiong turned to Ma Qiqi and asked solemnly, “Qiqi, tell me again. What video was it?”
Ma Qiqi didn’t say anything but unlocked her phone to log into her instant messaging app and open the video Gu Nianzhi sent. “See for yourself.”
Yin Shixiong stared at Ma Qiqi’s phone. On the 5.5 inch phone screen was the video of a young girl with half her face red and swollen. Her eyes were terrified, and her soft voice shook with fear, “Qiqi! Qiqi! I’m in Berlin! Save me!” The video was very short, only a few seconds long. It had obviously been sent in a hurry. This was Gu Nianzhi?! The young girl they’d coddled ever since she was young?! Half her face was puffed up and swollen. Because her skin tone was fairer than most, her injury and the resulting green and red bruises appeared even more terrifying and serious looking than usual. What shook him more were her eyes… In that moment, he seemed to see the 12-year-old Gu Nianzhi again—the little girl who was so scared, she covered her head whenever people spoke too loudly, and who would curl up in a corner to cry quietly.
Yin Shixiong jerked his head around to look at the dark night sky outside the window. One hand was balled into a fist as he put it by his mouth to block out the sobs that wanted to escape from his throat. However, he couldn’t stop the tears that flowed from the corners of his eyes and could only pretend he was looking away casually to use his left hand to discreetly wipe his tears. The video was so short, Ma Qiqi thought Yin Shixiong couldn’t understand it. When he looked out the window, she played it for him again. “Brother Xiong, look at it. Is this Nianzhi?”
Yin Shixiong closed his eyes and took out his phone as he said to her, “Send the video to me.”
Ma Qiqi glanced at him. “Brother Xiong, what’s your user name?”
Yin Shixiong thought about that. They weren’t allowed to install common instant messaging apps. They only used apps they created themselves and had specific communication channels, so it was much safer and much more secure than the common apps normal people used. “How about this, add my phone number and then save the video to your phone, then send it to my phone through text.” Yin Shixiong began to recite his number to Ma Qiqi. Although Yin Shixiong had called Ma Qiqi earlier, his phone had special settings that could conceal his number. So even though he had called her, she wouldn’t be able to see all the digits and couldn’t save his number. In order to add his number, Yin Shixiong had to tell her the complete set of digits.
Ma Qiqi looked at him and slowly saved his number in her phone before sending the video to him as he instructed. Yin Shixiong received Gu Nianzhi’s distress video and opened it to replay and ensure it was fine before saving it to his phone. “Qiqi, thank you. If it wasn’t for you, we really… really… wouldn’t know it was so serious.” Yin Shixiong thanked Ma Qiqi sincerely.
Ma Qiqi waved her hand as she shook her head. “Don’t say that, Brother Xiong. Nianzhi is my roommate and good friend. Who’s going to help her if I don’t?”
“Thank you, Qiqi. Nianzhi is lucky to have a good friend like you.” Yin Shixiong smiled and thought about how his Nianzhi had great luck with friends. Her undergraduate roommates were protective of her, and now she had such a kind roommate during her graduate studies. It was obvious they made the right choice allowing her to study.
“Brother Xiong is being too polite.” Ma Qiqi sighed. “I actually didn’t do much. I only made a few calls and sent some texts. Oh, Nianzhi went there with Professor He, so I didn’t think something like that would happen. I asked Professor He, he confirmed…”
“He Zhichu? What did he say?”
Ma Qiqi considered it. “Professor He confirmed Nianzhi was really missing and said he was looking for her.” She then showed Yin Shixiong He Zhichu’s “Waiting For You” German social media account.
Yin Shixiong finally remembered that He Zhichu was in Germany, too! He had taken Nianzhi there, so how could something happen to her with him there?! Cold sweat beaded on Yin Shixiong’s back. No one knew better than Yin Shixiong and his men about how capable and powerful He Zhichu was abroad. Yin Shixiong and Zhao Liangze had personally witnessed He Zhichu’s strength. Who would be powerful enough to cause even the influential He Zhichu to lose Nianzhi?! Yin Shixiong’s hands began to tremble slightly on the steering wheel. He tried his best to focus and answered Ma Qiqi evenly, “Ok, I understand. It’s late now, I’ll take you back.” He started the car.
Ma Qiqi sighed in relief now that she had finally relayed the message. Leaning back on the seat, she smiled. “Brother Xiong, is Nianzhi’s boyfriend with you guys?”
“Yeah.” Yin Shixiong answered absentmindedly as his mind kept thinking of ways to contact Huo Shao. However, recalling the Deputy Chief’s words, he didn’t dare go against his superior’s orders.
“Then, would you let him know?” Ma Qiqi asked desperately. She had nearly lost her mind over Nianzhi’s safety and knew that she hadn’t done her best if she didn’t tell Nianzhi’s impressive boyfriend.
Yin Shixiong didn’t know how to answer. There were military ranks just as there were different levels in executive positions, as well as a soldier’s complete conformity to all superiors’ orders. These were all things Ma Qiq didn’t understand yet, but they tossed and turned in Yin Shixiong’s mind. He turned around to look into Ma Qiqi’s huge and hopeful eyes. He replied slowly, “Are you talking about Huo Shao? He’s away on business, so I can’t get a hold of him for now.”
