June 17, 1994, Friday, sunny turning cloudy.
Vincent was severely injured. He crouched silently by the small alcohol stove, slowly stirring the cornmeal porridge in the iron pot. In the firelight, his head appeared enormous, partly due to swelling and partly because of the layers of cloth wrapped around it. The bloodstains were gradually spreading.
His injury was the result of my decision.
For the past few days, I have been washing clothes. After repeated scrubbing and rinsing, my school uniform finally looked less dirty. However, it would take some time to dry in this dark underground space. Sometimes, I had to take the damp clothes with me when I went out to work at night, hoping the wind would help them dry faster.
The white sneakers were much more challenging to clean. The stains from the dirty water were manageable, at worst leaving the shoe surface slightly yellowed. But the blue ink spots left by Su Zhe were impossible to remove.
Vincent probably couldn’t understand why I was so persistent in cleaning these sneakers. From his perspective, shoes were fine as long as they could be worn, regardless of their color.
He didn’t know my thoughts or intentions. So, while I was vigorously scrubbing the sneakers, he would crouch beside me, looking at me and then at the shoes with a puzzled expression.
He might have guessed that I wanted to remove the blue ink spots. Consequently, this guy did something stupid—he thought he could scrape off the ink spots with a knife.
While I was sleeping, my genius Vincent began his experiment. He stuffed a wooden block into the shoe to raise the surface and repeatedly scraped it with the blade. Indeed, the ink stains faded somewhat. Encouraged by this progress, he applied more force—resulting in a large gash across the shoe’s surface.
I lashed out at him in anger, then broke down in tears. My heartbreak wasn’t just about the shoes. They were still wearable, just not perfect anymore. I couldn’t understand why the things I cherished were always so easily destroyed. Was it because I didn’t deserve them? Even a pair of old, ink-stained shoes I had worn for so long?
Vincent was terrified by my reaction. When he called me to go out and work that night, he was extremely cautious. Of course, I ignored him. He left alone, dejected. This absence lasted all night and the entire next day.
During those twenty-some hours, my emotions shifted from anger to confusion, then to fear, and finally to deep worry. The food he left behind kept me from going hungry, but I truly believed he had left me forever. After all, why would he want to stay with a girl who wasted his food, water, and candles, often made strange requests, and had a terrible temper?
Just as I decided to go to the surface to look for him, Vincent returned.
When I saw him crawl through the iron door, I suppressed a small cheer in my throat.
In the candlelight, his appearance was terrifying.
Half of Vincent’s face was covered in congealed blood, with bruises and swelling visible on the rest. Yet he looked happy, almost elated as he ran up to me.
I grabbed his arm. “What happened to you?”
He made “ah ah” sounds. I looked at his head and saw that the hair on the left side was matted with sticky liquid. When I touched it, I felt fresh blood.
Frantically, I found some alcohol and tore off a piece from the bottom of a pink autumn shirt he had brought back from somewhere. I dampened it with water and gently wiped the blood from his head. Vincent lowered his head, allowing me to tend to him while mumbling incoherently. I could only make out words like “east” and “several people.” I tore off another piece of cloth from the shirt, dipped it in alcohol, and dabbed at the wound. He flinched, pulling his hand from his jacket and tossing a paper package on the ground, crying out “Ah ah.”
“Don’t move, don’t move,” I said, holding his shoulders. “Bear with it, it’ll be over soon.”
He stopped struggling obediently. However, his trembling body told me he was in pain.
I steeled myself and continued cleaning the wound. Then, I tore the autumn shirt into several long strips and wrapped them around his head.
Vincent now looked like he had an enormous head, both pitiful and comical. I sat in front of him, looking into his eyes, and asked seriously, “Where did you go? How did you get hurt?”
He still stared at me blankly, mumbling about “east” and such. Then, he smiled broadly, reached down to pick up the paper package, opened it, and looked at me triumphantly.
It was a pair of sneakers. Snow-white. Brand new.
I stared at the sneakers without blinking until my vision blurred.
I finally understood that Vincent had gone to the dump in the east. It wasn’t his usual “work area.” I couldn’t imagine how he had managed to snatch some valuable items under the hostile gaze of his “colleagues,” nor did I want to think about how he had argued, shouted, and fought with them, ultimately returning bloodied with something valuable enough to exchange for these white sneakers.
That must have been a Vincent I had never seen before, as ferocious as a wild beast. He had fought so hard just to fulfill my ridiculous wish.
Now, the beast-like Vincent crouched by the alcohol stove, humming an off-key tune while stirring our dinner, seemingly having forgotten about the still-bleeding wound on his head. And I sat in the corner, writing down these words. My heart was filled with pain, sorrow, and a tiny bit of joy.
Because Vincent had shown me that I was worthy, that I deserved it.
The phone rang.
“Hello?”
There was silence on the other end. Gu Hao’s heart skipped a beat, wondering if it was Du Qian. He was about to ask when Jiang Yushu’s voice came through.
“Old Gu, this is Jiang Ting’s mother.”
“Yes, I recognize your voice,” Gu Hao said, somewhat surprised. “Is… is the child alright?”
“I’m sorry for losing my temper with you yesterday.”
“It’s fine, really,” Gu Hao quickly replied. “I was inconsiderate, after all. Jiang Ting is still a child.”
A soft sigh came through the receiver.
“I’ve talked with Tingting. How should I put it… our situation is rather delicate, so we have to be careful about many things,” Jiang Yushu said, her mood seeming low. “The child tells me you didn’t find Su Lin?”
“No, we didn’t. However, we found a place that looked like a reservoir and discovered a woolen coat. So, I need to go to the City Public Security Bureau in a while.”
“The City Public Security Bureau? Why?”
“I’m not sure yet. It seems to be related to another case. Also, a relative of mine at the Public Security Bureau will give me a map of the underground rainwater network. With that, I won’t be fumbling around aimlessly in the sewers anymore.”
“So, you’re still going to look for that child?”
“Of course. At this point, we need to see this through to the end.”
“I see.”
Jiang Yushu was silent for a moment. “When are you going to the City Public Security Bureau?”
“I’m about to leave now.”
“Alright.” Jiang Yushu seemed to have made a big decision. “I’ll go too.”
“You’re coming? Is that… necessary?”
“Let’s meet at the entrance of the City Public Security Bureau,” Jiang Yushu said quickly. “We’ll talk when we meet.”
As soon as they met, Gu Hao noticed that Jiang Yushu was preoccupied, her smile forced. After a brief, distracted exchange of greetings, Jiang Yushu’s gaze turned to the guard post manned by armed police and the five-story building not far away.
“Is this your first time at a public security bureau?”
“It is,” Jiang Yushu said with a wry smile. “As an ordinary citizen, I’ve never had any dealings with the police.”
Gu Hao thought for a moment. “Then why did you want to come with me?”
“As you said, we need to see this through to the end,” Jiang Yushu sighed. “We think so too. But from now on, let me join you in the search.”
Gu Hao’s eyes widened in surprise. “Where did this come from?”
“This matter has become a knot in Tingting’s heart,” Jiang Yushu shook her head. “We had a big argument yesterday. She insists on helping you find Su Lin. As for me… I don’t want my child involved in such matters.”
She looked at Gu Hao. “Old Gu, I hope you don’t think I’m being selfish. I’m very concerned about that child too. Especially after meeting her parents, I wish I could find her immediately and bring her to my home.”
Gu Hao smiled. “You’re a good person.”
“I wouldn’t say that,” Jiang Yushu blushed slightly. “In the end, Tingting and I reached an agreement. She’ll focus on her studies, and I’ll search for Su Lin.”
“What about Ma Na… won’t she cause trouble for your child?”
“She wouldn’t dare!” Jiang Yushu blurted out. “She slapped Tingting once, and I haven’t settled that score yet! Everything in this world comes down to reason. I don’t believe good people should be bullied. That’s unacceptable!”
Gu Hao nodded. “You’re right.”
At that moment, Tai Wei walked out of the five-story building. Seeing Gu Hao standing with an unfamiliar woman, he looked puzzled.
“Uncle Gu,” he approached Gu Hao and glanced at Jiang Yushu. “Who is this?”
“It’s a long story,” Gu Hao gestured for Tai Wei to lead the way. “I’ll explain inside.”
Two men were sitting at the long conference table in the meeting room, one middle-aged and the other much older. They stood up as Tai Wei entered with Gu Hao and Jiang Yushu.
“This is my godfather, Gu Hao,” Tai Wei introduced them. “And this is…”
“This is someone I brought along, surname Jiang,” Gu Hao extended his hand to them. “We’re sorry for the trouble.”
“Not at all. I’m Wang Xianjiang, Dawei’s mentor,” the older man shook Gu Hao’s hand. “This is Teacher Chen from the City Planning Institute.”
After exchanging greetings, everyone took their seats. Wang Xianjiang cleared his throat. “Let’s get straight to the point. Dawei mentioned that you found a purple women’s woolen coat in the underground rainwater network?”
Gu Hao nodded. “That’s correct.”
Tai Wei took a file folder from the table and pulled out a photograph, handing it to Gu Hao.
“Uncle Gu, is this the coat?”
The photo appeared to have been taken in the city park. A woman was crouching on the ground, holding a small boy in her arms, smiling and making a V-sign at the camera. She was wearing a short purple woolen coat.
Gu Hao examined the photo carefully and nodded. “Yes, it’s the same style.”
Tai Wei clenched his right fist and pumped it, his expression excited.
Wang Xianjiang’s expression remained calm. “Where exactly did you find it?”
Gu Hao briefly recalled and then described the general layout of the space. Wang Xianjiang looked toward Mr. Chen from the City Planning Institute. Mr. Chen adjusted his glasses and pondered for a moment. “Based on your description, it sounds like a stormwater detention tank in the underground drainage network.”
Wang Xianjiang blinked. “What’s the purpose of this stormwater detention tank?”
“Unlike sewage, it would be a waste to simply discharge rainwater. So our city’s stormwater network has several detention tanks to collect rainwater. If needed, it can be utilized.”
Wang Xianjiang turned back to Gu Hao. “Old Gu, can you find that place again?”
Gu Hao leisurely lit a cigarette. “Officer Wang, can you first tell me what exactly that woolen overcoat I found was?”
Tai Wei glanced at Wang Xianjiang, who nodded.
“Uncle Gu, remember the rape and murder case in Wei Hongqu I told you about?” Tai Wei gestured toward the photo. “We strongly suspect the coat you fished out belonged to one of the victims.”
Jiang Yushu let out a short gasp, quickly covering her mouth.
Wang Xianjiang said, “In other words, the place you went to could very likely be the body dump site.”
“I see.” Gu Hao’s expression grew serious. “I think I can retrace my steps if needed.”
“No need for such trouble,” Mr. Chen waved his hand. “Which stormwater manhole did you enter from?”
“The exact address…” Gu Hao turned to Jiang Yushu. “Miss Jiang, why don’t you tell him?”
Though visibly uncomfortable, Jiang Yushu provided the name of her residential complex to Mr. Chen.
Mr. Chen took out a stormwater network blueprint, carefully searched, and circled a manhole location.
“It should be here.” He pushed the blueprint toward Gu Hao. “Old Gu, which direction did you go after entering?”
Gu Hao studied the blueprint, its crisscrossing lines transforming into dark, damp concrete pipes in his mind.
“After I went down, I turned right…” Gu Hao took the pencil Mr. Chen offered, slowly tracing the path on the blueprint. “Made a few turns, then entered a larger, wider horizontal pipe…”
Mr. Chen nodded. “The main pipeline. Then?”
“Continued right, kept going…” Gu Hao recalled the route, glancing at the scale on the blueprint. “We used three rolls of fishing line in total…”
The pencil tip stopped on a rectangular area beside the main pipeline. “It should be here.”
Mr. Chen leaned in to examine. “The stormwater detention tank under the museum.”
Tai Wei immediately stood up and rushed to the large map hanging at the front of the conference room, looking up. A few seconds later, he turned back, meeting Wang Xianjiang’s inquiring gaze.
“Zone B.”
“Excellent.” Wang Xianjiang finally showed excitement. “Let’s…”
Suddenly, the conference room door opened, and a bespectacled young man poked his head in. Everyone turned to look at him. Jiang Yushu furrowed her brow—this person seemed familiar as if she’d seen him somewhere before.
The young man looked confused. “Excuse me, which one of you is Officer Wang Xianjiang?”
Wang Xianjiang looked him up and down. “That’s me.”
“Oh, the police station called and told me to find you at the city police department,” the young man said as he entered. “I’m Zhou Xijie.”
“Zhou what?” Wang Xianjiang frowned, then suddenly slapped his forehead. “Tai Wei, take him to find Old Du.”
“Officer Wang,” Zhou Xijie’s confusion remained, “may I ask why I was called here?”
Wang Xianjiang pointed to Tai Wei. “He’ll tell you what needs to be done.”
Zhou Xijie hesitated, then nodded and followed Tai Wei out of the conference room.
Wang Xianjiang stood up. “I’ll go find the technical team now. Everyone, please wait a moment. We’ll head out once Tai Wei returns.” He looked at Gu Hao. “Old Gu, we’ll need you to come with us later.”
Gu Hao nodded. “No problem. Can I get a copy of that underground network blueprint?”
“Of course. I’ll have Tai Wei take care of it.” Wang Xianjiang then turned to Jiang Yushu. “Miss Jiang…”
Jiang Yushu’s face paled slightly. “I’ll go too.”
Over an hour later, as Jiang Yushu followed a large group of police officers into the stormwater network through a sewer near the museum, she finally admitted she had overestimated her courage.
Despite being surrounded by police officers and powerful flashlights illuminating the concrete pipes like daylight, just thinking about the three bodies that had once floated here made her scalp tingle and her breathing quicken.
Guided by the map, they quickly found the so-called stormwater detention tank. The damp purple woman’s woolen coat Gu Hao had left by the circular iron door excited the police. Soon, spotlights were set up in the pipes, and crime scene investigators examined the iron door. Several young officers stripped down to their underwear and entered the water to search. Camera flashes and flashlight beams flickered constantly across the wide, empty water surface.
The purple woman’s coat was sealed in a large plastic bag. Soon, more items were retrieved from the pool.
A waterlogged leather wallet. Rusty keys. A belt. Jeans. A bra and women’s underwear…
Jiang Yushu remained in the main pipeline. Despite wearing the rain boots Tai Wei had brought her, she still felt cold all over. Seeing the items brought out by the police made her shudder even more.
It was terrifying.
She could imagine the dark place just meters away where three naked, lifeless women had been carelessly discarded in the cold pool. Due to a sudden downpour, they had helplessly floated up, drifting and colliding with each other. Finally, in the rapidly rising water, they had filed out through the narrow iron door, floating in the main pipeline, their tragic and grotesque faces rushing toward an unknown downstream destination.
The thought that the water at her feet may have bathed their pale bodies filled Jiang Yushu with even more fear, yet she had nowhere to hide.
Gu Hao remained by the iron door, silently watching the police work. Wang Xianjiang stood beside him, his expression equally grave.
Tai Wei sealed an evidence bag, looking at the dark red makeup case inside. He turned to Gu Hao and said, “Uncle Gu, you’ve done us a great service this time.”
Gu Hao smiled. “Just a lucky coincidence.”
Wang Xianjiang glanced at Tai Wei. “How did that Zhou Xijie perform?”
“He was cooperative. Unlike others who keep asking questions,” Tai Wei shrugged. “He left after giving blood.”
Wang Xianjiang thought for a moment. “What did Old Du say?”
” Chief Hu pulled some strings. We’re first in line at the Liaoning Provincial Department,” Tai Wei looked confident. “Should have results in about a week.”
“Contact Old Du when we get back. Have the Liaoning Provincial Department check the samples from Zone B first.”
“Understood.”
Gu Hao suddenly remembered something and tugged on Tai Wei’s sleeve. “Dawei, did you make a copy of that blueprint for me?”
“I almost forgot.” Tai Wei slapped his forehead and pulled out a folded copy from his pocket. “Your matter isn’t resolved yet.”
Gu Hao opened the blueprint copy, quickly scanning it before instinctively looking toward Jiang Yushu. She stood alone in the shadow of the lights, arms wrapped around herself, looking terrified.
Gu Hao walked over, took out his thermos from his bag, poured some hot water into the cap, and handed it to her.
“Have some. It’ll warm you up.”
Jiang Yushu gratefully accepted, sipping slowly. “Old Gu, when will they finish?”
“I don’t know. Probably quite a while—looks like they want to drain the pool to check for anything missed.”
“Then we…”
Gu Hao thought for a moment, then looked toward Mr. Chen, who was smoking idly on the other side of the iron door. He walked over with the map. “Mr. Chen, may I trouble you for a moment?”
“No trouble at all. They don’t need me right now,” Mr. Chen said, cigarette in mouth. “What is it?”
“We need to find someone in the stormwater network.”
“Hmm?” Mr. Chen raised an eyebrow, nodding toward the busy police officers.
“It’s not related to that,” Gu Hao shook his head. “The person we’re looking for might still be alive.”
“Here?” Mr. Chen was even more surprised. “Who?”
“This stormwater detention tank gave me some ideas,” Gu Hao pointed at the blueprint. “I wanted to ask, are there any places in the stormwater network where someone could survive for a while?”
Mr. Chen pondered for a moment. “It’s unlikely in the pipes themselves. There’s standing water year-round, so you can’t sit or lie down. But the stormwater detention tanks you mentioned might be possible.”
“Really?” Gu Hao glanced at the circular iron door letting light through. “But that one’s full of water too.”
“Stormwater detention tanks are usually built under green spaces, typically in low-lying areas. During heavy rains, water flows into the tanks through pipes. Once full, it flows into the main pipeline,” Mr. Chen scratched the back of his head. “The water in this tank is probably from the major storm on May 23rd. However, if the pipes are blocked, there might not be as much water in the tank.”
“So there could be relatively dry areas?”
“That’s right.”
“Blocked pipes…” Gu Hao muttered to himself. Suddenly, he remembered the newspaper he had read on the morning of May 24th.
“How many stormwater detention tanks are there in the city?”
“Four.”
“Is there one under the green space at Culture Square?”
“Yes,” Mr. Chen looked at the blueprint. “There were reports of repairs needed there recently. Might be construction debris carelessly buried, blocking the pipes.”
“I see.” Gu Hao’s eyes lit up. “Mr. Chen, if I wanted to go to that detention tank, which manhole would be most convenient to enter from?”
Mr. Chen leaned over the blueprint, moving his finger across the markers while muttering to himself. Finally, he pointed to one of the marks. “This one. It should be the closest.”
“Thank you very much.”
Gu Hao shook his hand and carefully tucked the blueprint into his canvas bag. He turned and called out to Tai Wei, “Dawei, I’m leaving now.”
Tai Wei quickly walked over. “Uncle Gu, you…”
“I still need to find that child,” Gu Hao nodded toward Wang Xianjiang. “Just let your mentor know.”
Tai Wei hesitated. “Uncle Gu, let me go with you.”
“No need. Don’t let me interfere with your work,” Gu Hao patted his canvas bag. “I have the blueprint. I won’t get lost.”
“Well… alright,” Tai Wei nodded. “Be careful.”
Gu Hao waved to Jiang Yushu. “Let’s go. We’re heading up.”
In the dark underground, people lose their sense of time. When the two emerged from the manhole, they realized it was already evening. It would take two bus rides to reach Culture Square. After changing out of their rain boots, Gu Hao and Jiang Yushu walked to the bus stop, craning their necks as they waited for the next No. 13 bus to arrive.
Gu Hao frequently checked his watch. Jiang Yushu kept sniffing herself, worried she still carried an unpleasant odor. Once on the bus, she stayed at the back, trying to avoid contact with other passengers.
About half an hour later, they reached Culture Square. The square was still bustling with people walking, flying kites, and taking photos. Gu Hao bought several glow sticks from a street vendor. Then, with the blueprint in hand, he hurried through the crowd, Jiang Yushu following closely behind, out of breath.
Guided by the blueprint, they quickly found the manhole on the asphalt path between two green spaces.
The location was relatively secluded, with a large cluster of shrubs providing cover. Gu Hao and Jiang Yushu put on their rain boots again. Gu Hao then moved the manhole cover and broke off a few shrub branches to place by the hole as a warning to other passersby. Then, one after the other, he and Jiang Yushu climbed down into the manhole.
With only two people, one flashlight, and a few glow sticks this time, Jiang Yushu felt much more nervous, staying close to Gu Hao. Fortunately, the markings on the blueprint were clear enough. After entering the main pipe from a branch pipe, they hadn’t gone far when the flashlight beam swept across a circular iron door on the pipe wall.
Gu Hao cautiously approached, shining the flashlight around the iron door before attempting to turn the sealing valve. Despite feeling rusty and stiff, the valve turned. With a creak, the door opened.
He glanced at Jiang Yushu, who stared at the gap in the door, her face illuminated by the green glow of the light stick, looking both excited and frightened.
Gu Hao pulled the door open and entered first.
As soon as he stepped onto the pipe floor, he realized it was dry. Simultaneously, an indescribable odor hit him—burnt candle wax, day-old meat buns, cold corn porridge, soap, spoiled beer…
For a moment, he felt as if he were in that communal kitchen.
Behind him, Jiang Yushu sniffed, clearly noticing the unusual atmosphere as well.
They passed through the pipe and climbed the granite steps. As the flashlight’s beam widened, everything came into view.
Gu Hao first noticed a mattress on the ground with neatly folded bedding. There were also beer bottles with candles, large containers of water, a stainless steel bowl with dried corn porridge, and what looked like homemade alcohol stoves made from cans…
He heard Jiang Yushu’s breathing quicken. Instinctively, Gu Hao looked at her, and she gazed back, her eyes shining.
Without a doubt, someone lived here.
Gu Hao picked up the stainless steel bowl and poked at the hardened corn porridge. The surface had formed a hard crust, but underneath it was still soft, indicating it hadn’t been there long. Moreover, the scattered, partially burnt candles in the open space proved that the occupant had been living there for quite some time.
Gu Hao’s heart began to race. Could Su Lin be living here?
He started searching the “room” quickly, trying to find other items or traces that might reveal the occupant’s identity. More and more things were discovered—pencil leads, cotton undershirts torn into strips, empty Red Plum cigarette boxes, small bottles of alcohol…
Suddenly, Gu Hao heard Jiang Yushu gasp. He looked over to see her staring at the wall in the darkness.
“Lao Gu, look, what’s that?”
Gu Hao shone the flashlight over, revealing a wire fixed to the cement wall with nails, with several pieces of clothing hanging from it. One of them was a blue and white tracksuit.
He felt his breath catch. Taking three quick strides, Gu Hao grabbed the garment and examined it closely before turning to Jiang Yushu.
“It’s the same as Jiang Ting’s.”
Suddenly, tears sprang to Jiang Yushu’s eyes. She grabbed Gu Hao’s sleeve, shaking it repeatedly, crying and laughing at the same time: “Lao Gu, we’ve found her!”
“Don’t get too excited yet,” Gu Hao still couldn’t believe it, his mind racing. “It’s just one piece of clothing, it doesn’t prove anything… What if someone else just picked it up?”
“It’s clean. If it were just trash, there’d be no need to wash it,” Jiang Yushu excitedly held the tracksuit to her nose. “Smell it, you can smell the laundry detergent.”
As Gu Hao took the clothing, Jiang Yushu snatched his flashlight and shone it into the darkness. A few seconds later, she cried out again and rushed towards the mattress. In an instant, she pulled out a schoolbag from under the blanket.
Impatient, she dumped the contents of the bag onto the mattress, picked up a notebook, flipped through it, tossed it aside, then grabbed a textbook-like book and opened it.
Immediately, Jiang Yushu knelt on the mattress, extending her arm towards Gu Hao with the textbook in hand.
Gu Hao took it and saw a line of text on the first page: Class 4, Grade 11, Su Lin.
Six characters. Gu Hao stared at them for a good ten seconds before a smile finally spread across his face.
“Xiao Jiang, we’ve found her.”
Jiang Yushu suddenly covered her mouth, sat on the mattress, and began to sob.
“This child… living in a place like this… eating these things…”
Gu Hao felt terrible for the girl but didn’t know how to comfort Jiang Yushu. He could only gather the items on the mattress one by one and put them back into the school bag. Then, he sat beside Jiang Yushu, lit a cigarette, and smoked silently.
A few minutes later, Jiang Yushu’s crying subsided. She wiped the tears from her face and said softly, embarrassed: “Ah, being a mother, I can’t bear to see this.”
“I understand,” Gu Hao smiled. “At least our efforts weren’t in vain.”
“But,” Jiang Yushu looked around, “where has the child gone?”
“Probably out looking for food?” Gu Hao pondered. “Don’t worry, if she lives here, she’ll come back.”
“But,” Jiang Yushu hesitated, “it seems she’s not alone here.”
Gu Hao nodded. Indeed, the cigarette boxes and empty beer bottles certainly weren’t Su Lin’s. Moreover, without help from others, he could hardly imagine a girl surviving underground for so long. As for whether she had to pay a price for this and what kind of price, he didn’t want to think about it.
“Let’s wait for her,” Gu Hao mused. “Once we see her, everything will be clear.”
Jiang Yushu was silent for a moment: “After we find her, what do you plan to do?”
Gu Hao knew what she meant. Su Lin’s “resurrection” would be an awkward situation for the Su family. They would inevitably have to make a choice. And that poor girl would still face the fate of being abandoned at any time. However, Gu Hao already had an answer in his heart.
“What can I do?” Gu Hao smiled at Jiang Yushu. “I’ll have to impose on you.”
Jiang Yushu raised an eyebrow: “Hm?”
Gu Hao’s smile faded, and he spoke solemnly: “I will adopt this child. If she feels uncomfortable living next door to her birth parents, we can move somewhere else.”
He stretched his back: “Although I’m old, I should be able to accompany her for another ten years, at least until she graduates from university.”
Jiang Yushu smiled, closed her eyes, and shook her head: “You are a good person.”
“I’m not that good,” Gu Hao sighed. “At my age, getting a daughter out of nowhere is quite a windfall.”
“Don’t think it’s that simple. The Su family might cause trouble.”
“Let them. I don’t care,” Gu Hao lit another cigarette. “After the child graduates from university, she can choose how to live her life.”
Jiang Yushu, touched by his words, lowered her head and fell silent. After a long while, she looked at her watch: “Lao Gu, are you going to wait for the child to return?”
“Yes,” Gu Hao nodded. “I won’t leave until I see her today.”
“But…” Jiang Yushu bit her lip, troubled. “I need to go home. Ting Ting is waiting for me.”
“Oh!” Gu Hao slapped his forehead. “I forgot to ask you, how did you have time to help me look for the child today?”
“It’s a two-day weekend,” Jiang Yushu stood up from the mattress. “It’s Saturday, so I don’t have to work.”
“Alright,” Gu Hao also stood up, extending his hand to her. “I’m extremely grateful. Wait for my call.”
Jiang Yushu shook his hand, still looking hesitant.
“Lao Gu, could you…” Jiang Yushu looked at the dark pipe outside the iron door, then at the glow stick in her hand. “Could you take me out? I’m… a bit scared to go alone.”
“No problem,” Gu Hao picked up the flashlight, then thought for a moment. “Why don’t we both leave today—do you have time tomorrow?”
Jiang Yushu blinked: “What do you mean?”
“Without your and Jiang Ting’s help, I couldn’t have found her so quickly,” Gu Hao looked at her, his tone sincere. “I hope you can see her, and she can meet you too.”
Jiang Yushu’s eyes welled up, and she nodded vigorously: “Okay.”
Gu Hao escorted her to the bus before leaving. Sitting by the window, Jiang Yushu watched the old man waving goodbye in the night, her heart filled with mixed emotions. After several stops, her desire to get home quickly intensified. Especially after seeing Su Lin’s underground living conditions, she longed to make a delicious dinner for her daughter and then snuggle comfortably on the couch together, kissing and hugging her.
After getting off the bus, Jiang Yushu almost ran the whole way. Panting as she climbed the stairs, she eagerly took out her keys to open the door, beginning to say: “Ting Ting, Mom’s…”
She froze in the doorway, the second half of her sentence caught in her throat.
Three people sat around the dining table. Directly facing her was Jiang Ting, waving at her while biting into a chicken leg. Sun Weiming and Lawyer Shi sat on either side of her.
Seeing Jiang Yushu enter, Sun Weiming forced a smile. Lawyer Shi stood up with a polite and professional smile, giving her a slight bow.
“Mrs. Jiang, excuse the intrusion.”
Jiang Yushu put her bag down by the door, her face turning cold: “What are you doing in my home?”
Sun Weiming’s smile disappeared: “Where have you been? Do you know what time it is? Don’t you know the child is hungry?”
Jiang Yushu rolled up her sleeves and walked towards the kitchen without a word: “Ting Ting, Mom will make you dinner right away.”
“What’s the point of cooking now?” Sun Weiming let out a loud, derisive laugh. “If I hadn’t gone downstairs to buy food for the child, who knows how hungry she’d be by now!”
Jiang Ting put down her chicken leg and leaned in mysteriously: “Mom, how did it go?”
Jiang Yushu pursed her lips and nodded slightly.
The girl immediately cheered: “Great! Tell me, how did you find her? Is she okay? Where is she living, what is she eating?”
Jiang Ting fired off a series of questions, making Jiang Yushu even more agitated: “Go to your room and do your homework first.”
Her daughter clung to her arm, whining: “Mom, please tell me quickly, I’ve been anxious all day.”
“Go to your room!” Jiang Yushu, both angry and anxious, pointed toward her bedroom. “Don’t argue with me!”
Startled, Jiang Ting quickly withdrew her hand, pouted, and stomped off to her bedroom.
Sun Weiming slammed his hand on the table, his eyes widening. “Why are you yelling at the child? You’re the wrong one!”
“This doesn’t concern you!” Jiang Yushu turned away. “You’re not welcome here either. Just leave!”
“Let’s stop arguing. Our goal is to solve problems, not fight,” Lawyer Shi intervened as a peacemaker. Adjusting his glasses, he asked, “Ms. Jiang, did you go out today to look for someone?”
Jiang Yushu replied irritably, “How many times do I have to repeat myself? It’s none of your business.”
“From what Jiang Ting said earlier, she knows this person and is quite concerned,” Lawyer Shi pointed at Sun Weiming. “My client has the right to know about his daughter’s situation.”
Sun Weiming immediately agreed, “That’s right.”
Jiang Yushu hesitated before answering, “It’s Tingting’s classmate. She’s missing, but Tingting knows her approximate whereabouts.” She paused, then emphasized, “I don’t want to involve the child, so I went to look myself.”
“Missing?” Sun Weiming was surprised. “Why?”
“She was bullied at school,” Jiang Yushu said tersely. “Tingting saw it when school let out.”
“I see,” Lawyer Shi nodded. “School bullying is quite serious these days. Who knows what these kids are thinking? Has Jiang Ting been bullied too?”
“I don’t know,” Jiang Yushu lowered her head. “But I think her decision to speak the truth was right, and I’ll support her.”
Sun Weiming snorted, “You’re just causing trouble for the child!”
“Is that so?” Jiang Yushu sneered. “My daughter will be an upright person, not a coward who swallows her anger.”
Sun Weiming’s face changed, about to explode, but Lawyer Shi signaled him to stay calm.
“Has the bully been dealt with?” Lawyer Shi asked.
“I don’t know the details. I just want to find that child so Jiang Ting won’t be distracted by this anymore.”
“Have you considered Jiang Ting’s future situation at school?” Lawyer Shi’s tone was calm. “I mean, could she face retaliation?”
“I don’t believe there’s no place for reason in this world.”
“Of course. Most people are reasonable,” Lawyer Shi sighed. “However, a disappearance might involve criminal cases. I still think it’s inappropriate for you to involve your daughter in this.”
“I haven’t,” Jiang Yushu glared. “I told you, I’m looking for that child on her behalf.”
” Jiang Ting is already involved,” Lawyer Shi suddenly smiled. “For instance, you allowed her to enter a sewer with another strange boy.”
Jiang Yushu was immediately dumbfounded. After a long pause, she stammered, “How… how do you know?”
“That’s a dangerous place,” Lawyer Shi shook his head. “As a mother, you really shouldn’t have.”
“No… I…”
“I think we should end our discussion here for today,” Lawyer Shi signaled to Sun Weiming. “We’ll take our leave now.”
As Jiang Yushu tried to explain further, she noticed Sun Weiming staring at the briefcase on the table, exchanging a questioning look with Lawyer Shi.
“What have you done?” Jiang Yushu reached for the briefcase. “What’s in your bag?”
Lawyer Shi quickly grabbed the briefcase, “I’m sorry, you have no right to check my personal belongings. Oh, by the way,” he held the briefcase tightly to his chest and pointed to an envelope on the table, “My client has already filed a lawsuit with the court. This is a copy of the complaint just delivered today—please prepare your defense promptly.”
With that, Lawyer Shi walked towards the door. Sun Weiming followed closely, wearing a smug expression. “We’ll see you in court.”
The iron door slammed shut with a harsh sound. Jiang Yushu stood motionless by the dining table, staring at the unopened envelope as a sudden, overwhelming sense of unease washed over her.
He parked the car, lowered the window halfway, and lit a cigarette while sitting in the driver’s seat. Late-returning neighbors passed by the car. Most walked by without a glance, carrying freshly bought vegetables and meat, ready to go home and cook. These days, car owners are still a minority, but this Toyota Camry had been parked here for over a year, so it no longer drew attention. Occasionally, a familiar neighbor would come over to say hello, and he would respond with a smile.
Just like usual.
He had been driving around the streets for most of the day, only deciding to return here after much deliberation. Although it didn’t serve much purpose, he still felt that maintaining an appearance of normalcy was ideal.
After finishing his cigarette, he slowly got out of the car, locked the door, and walked towards the building across the street.
He was prepared to show everyone his “usual” expression and attitude, but he didn’t encounter anyone until he unlocked the door and entered the apartment.
Standing in the pitch-black entrance hall, he nodded. This was also normal.
He had chosen to rent this apartment because of its relatively secluded location, with few residents and a generally quiet atmosphere. It was an excellent place to escape from real life. When he wasn’t working, he liked to stay here. Even if he wasn’t tinkering with cameras and film, just sitting quietly, he didn’t want to go home.
Why go back? To be an outsider and observer in a large family? To pick up exquisite tableware, eat expensive food, and then tell himself that he didn’t earn any of it? To spend every night alone in the living room watching mind-numbingly boring TV shows, just to wait for her to fall asleep first? Or to get up early and rush to work before everyone else wakes up as if escaping?
Yes, this place was much better. Alone, doing what he liked. No need to watch anyone’s face. No need to bow and scrape. No need to endure sarcasm and helpless sighs.
He walked into the bedroom, lay down on the bed in the corner, and took out his cigarette pack. See, he could even smoke in bed as he pleased.
The smoke rose, swirling above his head, then scattered by the wind blowing in from the window. As he watched the slightly trembling curtains and the exposed corner of the glass window, he remembered those eyes filled with primitive desire.
He still recalled the scream of the model he had hired, and her embarrassed look as she grabbed her clothes to cover her chest. His eyes left the camera and saw that dirty face on the glass window.
He chased after the peeper. Of course, the voyeur had escaped, leaving behind strange tinkling sounds, but a woven bag full of junk remained by the wall under the window.
He was furious because the model was making a fuss about leaving. He had planned to seduce her after the photoshoot. Because of that peeper, the originally pleasant evening was ruined.
However, when he discovered that this bastard had sneaked back in the middle of the night to try and retrieve the bag of junk, he found it both infuriating and amusing.
He didn’t make things difficult for this homeless man and even felt a bit sorry for him. This filthy, matted-haired, mentally deficient fellow had nothing but his basic instincts. He couldn’t even satisfy fundamental male needs. For instance, women.
Initially, it was purely out of mischief that he slipped a few nude photos of women into the vagrant’s bottles and cans. Then, not without malice, he imagined how the man would burn with desire, tormented and fidgeting.
He liked this feeling. Giving, while still allowing himself to tease the other person. Moreover, this ridiculous fellow increasingly liked to come to him, hoping to get that poison that couldn’t quench his thirst.
However, he gradually realized that the reason he and the homeless man could establish this strange relationship was because he saw in the other person a reflection of his unsatisfied self.
Of course, he couldn’t accept this, let alone admit it.
So, on that day…
The heavy object in his shoulder bag suddenly rang. He remained lying down, not wanting to move at all. He knew very well who was calling. He didn’t like carrying it around ostentatiously, nor did he like its extremely vulgar name, “Big Brother.” Therefore, only his family knew this phone number.
However, the ringing persisted, as stubborn as the lingering smell in this room.
He sighed, got up, and took out the mobile phone from his bag.
“Hello?”
“Are you coming home for dinner tonight?”
“No,” he lay back down on the bed. “I need to develop a batch of photos. The office needs them urgently.”
“Mm.”
Then there was a long silence until the woman on the phone sighed.
“My mom’s calling me for dinner.”
“Alright, go ahead.”
“We have some seafood tonight, sent by my dad’s friend. Should I save some for you?”
“No need, I’m not fond of seafood.”
“Okay.” The woman hesitated, then added, “By the way, do you remember those jeans you bought for me a while ago?”
“Yes,” he suddenly sat up. “What about them?”
“I told you then that they didn’t fit me and asked you to return them.”
“I lost the receipt, so I couldn’t return them,” he gripped the mobile phone tightly. “What’s wrong?”
“Never mind then. I’ll give them to my cousin. She’s thinner than me.”
“That’s fine,” his fingers relaxed slightly. “Do as you see fit.”
“Alright. Come home early.”
“Okay.”
After hanging up, he tossed aside the brick-like, heavy, and bulky object and lay back down. The muscles that had been tense to the point of almost cramping began to relax slowly. At the same time, he felt a stinging pain from the needle mark on his left arm.
He rolled up his sleeve and examined his arm in the light coming through the window. The needle mark was barely visible, but the surrounding skin was bruised. He remembered the forensic doctor’s advice to press firmly on the needle mark after drawing blood. He had done so, pressing very hard, so that no one would notice his fingers trembling violently.
“I can’t just wait like this,” he whispered to himself.
It was time to do something.