Evening, 7.30 pm.
Qian Lihua’s life will end in less than forty minutes.
Dong Xuebing grabbed his phone and called Liu Chenlong. He must save Sister Yu’s mother at all cost.
“Sorry. The number you just called is not available….” Liu Chenlong’s phone should be out of battery.
What should he do now? Call the police? How is he going to contact them? Call Qian Lihua and ask her to leave because a car will crash into the café? Who will believe him?
Wait…. Don’t panic.
There’s still enough time.
Dong Xuebing looked at the time and grabbed his keys. He runs down the stairs and calls Yu Meixia on his way.
“Hello, Uncle.” Yu Qianqian answered.
Dong Xuebing asked anxiously. “Where’s your mother?”
“She is in the toilet.”
“Hurry, give her the phone.”
“Ok. I will get her now.” Ta… ta… ta…. Yu Qianqian runs to the toilet. “Mum… mum…. Uncle is looking for you urgently.”
Yu Meixia answered a while later. “Xiao Bing.”
Dong Xuebing doesn’t have time to explain. “Bring Qianqian to the City now!”
“What happens?”
“Your mother might meet an accident! Come over now!”
“Ah?! She… she….”
“Stop asking. I don’t have time to explain. There might not be any bus services to the City now. I will give you Yan Tai County Public Security Detective Team Leader Feng Lei’s number. Call him and ask him to get someone to send you to the City now. Tell him it’s my request.”
“Ok…. I will call now.”
Yu Meixia is scared out of her wits when she hears something has happened to her mother.
Dong Xuebing had reached his car when he hung up. He sped out of the quarters towards Nan Shan District Luo Gu Street. Nan Shan District Luo Gu Street is located between Nan Shan District and Xi Ping District. More than a decade ago, Luo Gu Street was under Xi Ping District, far from its current location. He knows there’s not much time and started calling people for Qian Lihua’s mobile number while speeding to the scene.
Thirty minutes to 8.10 pm.
The reported time on the papers might not be accurate, and the accident might happen in less than 30 minutes. Dong Xuebing has less than 30 minutes to reach there.
After a while, Dong Xuebing got received a phone number. He doesn’t know if this number belongs to Qian Lihua or not, but he still called it.
Ring… ring… ring…. No one answered.
Dong Xuebing tried again, but no one answered.
Dong Xuebing threw his phone in the passenger seat and held the steering wheel with both hands. The traffic in front was heavy, and he drove up the pedestrian walkway to avoid it. All the drivers and pedestrians were shocked, and they quickly rushed to get out of the way.
Faster!
Faster!
Dong Xuebing speed through the streets.
At the same time.
Nan Shan Luo Gu Street.
Qian Lihua and Liu Chenlong are sitting opposite each other at a Japanese theme café. They are sitting by the window.
Liu Chenlong is wearing a formal suit and is looking great. His hair is combed back neatly, and he looks much younger than his age. Qian Lihua is in working attire and looks calm. She had put on light makeup, and her wrinkles could be seen.
“Your phone has been ringing several times.” Liu Chenlong looks at her. “Why are you not answering?”
Qian Lihua stirred her coffee slowly. “I don’t recognize the number.”
Liu Chenlong shook his head. “What if it’s an emergency?”
Qian Lihhua interrupted Liu Chenlong coldly. “I will answer when I feel like it. It’s none of your business.”
Liu Chenlong replied helplessly. “Lihua, it was my fault. I shouldn’t indulge in alcohol after Dandan went missing and vent my anger on you. I had realized my mistake many years ago, and I have been thinking about you and Dandan all these years.”
Qian Lihua got mad. “Don’t mention my daughter!” She shouted.
Liu Chenlong sighed. “After our divorce, I continue to look for Dandan. I believe she is still alive and is living well somewhere. Maybe she had gotten married and have children by now.”
“Did you ask me out to talk about these?”
“I want to say….” Liu Chenlong paused for a second and looked at his ex-wife’s eyes. “We are old and going to retire now. Have you thought about the future?”
Qian Lihua glances at Liu Chenlong. “What do you mean?”
Liu Chenlong continues. “I am asking if you want to resume our marriage. At least we can care for each other in the future.”
Qian Lihua firmly replies. “Impossible!”
“I know I had treated you badly after Dandan went missing. I have reflected on myself and hope I can repay you during my remaining time.”
“Don’t even think about resuming our marriage.”
“Lihua, I promise I will quit drinking. I will treat you well.”
“I don’t need your promises unless you can bring Dandan back to me.”
“I will continue to look for her, but….”
“Then wait until you find her first.”
“You remain single for so many years, and I know you still have feelings for….”
“Do you have anything else to say?” Qian Lihua picked up her handbag and stood up. “I am leaving.”
“Wait….” Liu Chenlong quickly stops her. “Can you finish your coffee first? I will not talk about resuming our marriage.”
Qian Lihua suppressed her anger and sat down.
Liu Chenlong sighed in his heart. He knows his ex-wife still has not forgiven him. Their daughter had gone missing when she was five, and they argued and finally divorced because of this incident. It’s just like what Qian Lihua said. If they can’t find their daughter, their problem will not be settled.
But their daughter had been missing for almost thirty years.
It’s almost impossible to find her now.
Liu Chenlong felt pain in his heart when he thinks about Dandan.
Qian Lihua is also quiet, as she is also thinking about their daughter. She remembers their daughter running behind them and calling out to them.
Is she doing well?
Where is she now?
Qian Lihua and Liu Chenlong are thinking about their daughter. They did not notice a silver Jetta had turned right and drove up the walkway towards the café at the T-junction.
“I will continue to look for Dandan.” Liu Chenlong puts down his coffee and says. “I will continue to look for her as long as I am alive.”
Qian Lihua continued to eat her food and did not say anything.
Suddenly, someone in the café screamed. “Ah!”
“A car… a car is speeding towards us!”
“Watch out!”
“Hurry! Get away!”
Qian Lihua and Liu Chenlong looked at those people and saw they were looking at them. They turned and looked out of the window.
A Jetta is speeding towards them!
The car is heading towards where Qian Lihua is seated.
“Lihua!” Liu Chenlong stood up. “Be careful!” He wants to grab her, but he can’t reach her as there’s a table between them.
Qian Lihua is stunned. She wants to move out of danger, but it’s too late.
The silver Jetta is approaching her fast.
“Lihua!”
“Watch out!”
“It’s going to crash into her!”
Everyone is screaming in the café. Some even closed their eyes.
That Jetta is too fast, and the café’s glass windows can’t stop it. No one can save Qian Lihua if the car crash into the café.
A man’s figure dashed towards the café from outside at the last moment.
Qian Lihua stood up and tried to jump out of the car’s way, but she was blocked between the chair and table. When Liu Chenlong tries to grab his ex-wife, a young man appears outside the window. He smashed the window with a heavy object and dived into the café. The Jetta is inches behind him.
Crash!
The young man’s body landed on the table between Liu Chenlong and Qian Lihua, and he jumped again with one arm around Qian Lihua’s waist, pushing her to the ground.
The next second.
The Jetta crashed into the café, and the chair Qian Lihua was sitting on was smashed into pieces.
Crash!
A loud crash echoed in the café.
“Ah!!!”
“Lihua!”
Liu Chenlong rushed towards Qian Lihua like a madman. He held her and asked. “Are you alright?! Answer me!”
Qian Lihua’s body was cut by the glass pieces and is bleeding.
“Ambulance! Call for an ambulance!” Liu Chenlong shouted.
A café staff quickly took out his phone to call for an ambulance.
The young man who crashed into the café is Dong Xuebing. He had a bad fall and lay two meters away from Qian Lihua. He is lying there panting.
Just in time!
I finally got here in time!
Dong Xuebing struggled to sit up and saw Liu Chenlong back facing him. He is very worried about his wife, and Dong Xuebing is speechless. Shouldn’t you show some concern for me after I risked my life to save your wife?
All the bystanders are looking at Dong Xuebing as if they had seen a ghost.
Who would expect someone to be so daring to save others from a speeding car?!
Translator’s notes:
Volkswagen Jetta
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Jetta
