Chapter 48

Chenchen had been woken up by the press of the cold floor. At first she didn't understand what had happened. She only remembered going home with a little jiejie from the photography class—her house really was very close, just around the corner from the park. Though it looked rather destitute, it was still fairly tidy.

The telephone hadn't been very useful, the connection always bad. The little jiejie had sworn up and down that she only had to yank on the wire to fix it, and had also brought her a chilled drink in a bottle.

With the straw in her mouth, Chenchen had sipped mango juice and thought that she was perhaps being too much of a bother. She'd been wavering over whether she should say "I should go back to school instead," but before she could speak, she'd felt as though she'd been yanked out of her body, all her limbs losing control. She'd struggled a few times, and after that she didn't know anything.

Chenchen's braid had come unravelled, she was covered in dust, and her limbs were bound. She must have been violently dragged over the floor, because all her exposed skin had been scraped raw and ached sharply. The duct tape stuck over her lips had a rubbery taste. She curled up with difficulty, desperately trying to hide—Su Luozhan was a few steps away, looking loftily down on her!

Su Luozhan had her head tilted, one long strand of hair falling from her temple. She twisted it around one long, slim finger next to her cheek, her cold eyes like those of some dangerous cold-blooded animal.

Then she pursed the corners of her mouth, sneering at Chenchen. "You're really despicable."

Chenchen trembled violently.

"I despise your type of clueless toady the most. You're all scheming sluts. At your age, relying on throwing tantrums, always needing someone to take you places, getting anything you want. At the least little thing, you act like you're a little kid, like the whole world has to accommodate you." As she spoke, Su Luozhan bent down and got a curved chopper out of the shoe cupboard at the door. The metal tool was a little too heavy for her thin hands; the knife scraped against the old wooden cupboard with a rustle.

Chenchen struggled violently. Her mouth was sealed; she produced weak little whimpering sounds like a small animal's, her face turning red from the strain as she fought to struggle free of her bonds.

"If he won't come, I can do it myself!"

Su Luozhan suddenly flared up, lifting the knife and charging towards Chenchen.

Under extreme terror, a person's latent strength can be limitless. In that moment, despite her bound condition, Chenchen somewhere found the strength to get the floor under her feet. Before she could stand, the knife had already drawn near. Chenchen closed her eyes and threw herself forward, scrambling out from under Su Luozhan's knife, bumping her head into the corner of the coffee table and instantly splitting open the corner of her forehead.

Chenchen was disoriented and dizzy from the bump. All she wanted was to wail and call for someone to help her, but she knew there was no use crying. She had to press her shoulder against the coffee table, again trying to stand up.

The knife in Su Luozhan's hand swung too fiercely; it stuck in a wooden cabinet in a corner. The knife was heavy, after all; using all her strength, she still couldn't pull it out. Flustered and exasperated, Su Luozhan went up and grabbed Chenchen's hair from behind. Chenchen felt like her whole scalp had been torn off. She could only bend awkwardly under the draw. Her unstoppably flowing tears had already soaked the edge of the duct tape. She was like a little lamb being taken to slaughter.

But it only aroused the other's desire to torment.

Su Luozhan raised a hand and slapped her. Chenchen, who had never had a finger laid on her, was nearly knocked out of her senses.

"Slut," said Su Luozhan, "you're just a slut!"

Under the influence of movies and television, the word "slut" was in fact widely used in middle schools and the higher grades of elementary school. There were always some children, developing a little earlier than their contemporaries, who had this sort of adult-flavored strong vocabulary hanging off their lips—even if at home each one of them played dumb, as if butter wouldn't melt in their mouths.

Su Luozhan fiercely pushed Chenchen towards the coffee table. Chenchen's lower back bumped against the short table. The dead person in the old photograph under the table's crystal top showed an intrigued not-quite-smile towards the two living, breathing girls. The duct tape on Chenchen's mouth, soaked with her tears, fell away during this struggle. Right away she cried out, "Help me!"

The first cry was hoarse and weak. Then, as Chenchen quickly became accustomed to the feeling of speech, her voice became resounding. "Help me! Help me!"

Su Luozhan froze at her shout. She had just felt that something had been missing; it wasn't quite "scratching the itch." Now she found it was that she hadn't heard screams. Chenchen's tearful "help me" stimulated her; she was like a child who'd received a present, looking at Chenchen with an expression of happy surprise. She stamped her foot, bringing it down on Chenchen's hand spread out on the floor.

At a certain point, the pain was so great Chenchen could no longer scream. She opened her mouth wide, silently sucking in air.

Su Luozhan said, "Scream! Why won't you keep screaming?"

Chenchen was crying so hard she couldn't breathe. Using her remaining strength she forced out some wavering words: "Su…uh…jiejie…I really…really like…envy you… You…you…"

At first Su Luozhan was indifferent; only the word "envy" made her pause slightly. Her hand, about to grab the girl's hair, stopped in midair, her large eyes like black beans staring at Chenchen.

Just then, someone pounded heavily on the door several times. A man's gruff voice said, "What's all that racket! Can't a guy get some sleep!"

Inside the room, Su Luozhan and Chenchen trembled simultaneously.

The man angrily said, "Open the door, or I'm calling the police! Are you watching horror movies at home in the middle of the night? All this shouting, do you think you're the only ones living here?"

Su Luozhan covered Chenchen's mouth. From a cardboard box near her, she pulled out some paper towels left over from who knew when, rolled them up, and stuffed them into Chenchen's mouth.

"Sorry, uncle." Su Luozhan took a deep breath. Her expression cooled. She spoke softly. "The grown-ups aren't here. I can't just open the door for a stranger. I'll turn the volume down."

The man at the door paused, then very severely said, "What's all this? A child? Get over here, I'll take your parents' place and teach you a lesson!"

Su Luozhan frowned. Before she had answered, the mental case at the door was already carrying on. "Proper behavior means being public-spirited. Do you know what public spirit is? The very minimum requirement is not to bother people. And you! What school do you go to? I'll have to give your teachers a call. What are they teaching you little devils!"

Seeing he hadn't finished talking, Su Luozhan's small, pretty face was cold. "Uncle, I'm sorry, is it all right if I apologize?"

"What did you say? I can't hear you! Weren't you plenty loud kicking up a fuss before?"

Su Luozhan only wanted to send this suddenly appearing weirdo away. She stuffed the paper towels more firmly into Chenchen's mouth and stood up, walking towards the door.

One step, two steps… Suddenly, on her seventh step, Su Luozhan stopped in place.

Although that person always cleaned the old house and paid the fees regularly, the residents around it knew that no one lived here. It had stood empty for a long time. Why would the person at the door, on hearing there was a child without adults there in the middle of the night, be wholly unsurprised?

Su Luozhan abruptly turned to run. At the same time, the old wooden door was forcefully broken open from outside.

A few criminal policemen charged in shortly after. Su Luozhan grabbed up the chopper stuck in the cabinet. Under severe pressure, the chopper that she hadn't been able to pull out no matter how hard she tried slipped easily from the crack in the cabinet. But the police were about to grab her—

Su Luozhan pointed the chopper at the back of Chenchen's neck. The point of the knife immediately tore open a cut on the girl's snow white neck. Su Luozhan screamed, "Stay away!"

The door that had been broken down was shaking restlessly along the wall; the atmosphere in the room had already congealed.

Su Luozhan immediately crouched down, hiding behind Chenchen, wielding the clumsy chopper as though about to drop it. It circled quickly, at last stopping at the side of Chenchen's neck.

Her hand was shaking uncontrollably. Her eyes stared up like those of a small wild beast fighting to the death, fierce and wrathful.

Tao Ran hastily stopped the approach of those beside him and stood cautiously some steps away. "Su…Su Luozhan, right?"

Su Luozhan didn't make a sound.

All kinds of thoughts spun through Tao Ran's mind. For a time he didn't know how he should negotiate with such a small suspect. Just then, Fei Du slowly appeared at the door.

He turned aside slightly, blocking his injured arm, his gaze absently sweeping a circle around the inside of the room. "Where's the person we want to arrest?"

Su Luozhan paused, involuntarily looking at him.

"Oh, there's a kid." Fei Du seemed to have just discovered her. Rather slightingly, he asked, "Where did the kidnapping murderer who was with you go?"

Su Luozhan looked at the knife in her hand. She looked at the person under the knife. She raised her head and looked at Fei Du as if she didn't know how to answer.

"Why don't you hurry and put the knife down? It's all right now, you don't have to be so nervous." Fei Du looked around the room. While the previous generations of owners were already dearly departed, the traces of their chaotic lifestyle had been left behind. The walls were stained faint yellow with smoke, and there was still a pile of liquor bottles in a corner. "It's really all right. Forcing a child to act as bait and hiding himself—this is my first time seeing such an evasive criminal. Little lady, set your mind at ease. There's a whole crowd of policemen outside. He won't get away. The police uncles and the laws protecting minors will protect you… It's really unfair to make you hold such a big knife. Isn't it heavy?"

It had been all right before he'd said it. As soon as he mentioned it, Su Luozhan at once felt that her wrist couldn't stand the burden; it would soon be numb from the weight of the large chopper. At the same time, she consciously understood Fei Du's words—the police thought this had all been done by that person, and she was only the pitiful bait!

The complacency of duping others rose in Su Luozhan's heart. She blinked her eyes red, actually seeming rather more pathetic than Chenchen, abjectly staring towards Fei Du.

Tao Ran moved forward a step at Fei Du's words. Seeing Su Luozhan cower, he kept a close watch on her hand holding the knife and crouched down, spreading his hands towards her, bringing his gaze level with the girl's. His gaze passed as quickly as possible over Chenchen, concentrating on Su Luozhan. "Is that true? Did someone coerce you?"

Su Luozhan only hesitated a few seconds, then nodded resolutely.

Tao Ran's voice softened further. He slowly, bit by bit, reached one spread hand towards her. "Give uncle the knife now, and then you'll take us to arrest the bad guy, is that all right?"

Su Luozhan stared at his hand, seeming undecided for a time. When Tao Ran's hand reached too close, she rather nervously raised the knife again, the constantly quivering blade leaving several small cuts on Chenchen's neck—she really wouldn't be able to hold the knife much longer.

Tao Ran duly stopped his hand in midair. "Is the bad guy called 'Xu Wenchao?' Did he use you to catch Qu Tong? Did he do bad things to you?"

Fei Du said, "When your mother was alive, in order to get close to him, did she often dress you up like a Western doll and do your makeup?"

Su Luozhan took a thin breath, seeming to use all her power to hold back her agitated emotions.

"She'd gotten old herself and didn't look like she had back then, so she used a child. She didn't permit you to wear other clothes, didn't permit you to cut your hair, right?" Fei Du fixed his gaze on her. "Did she abuse you? Did she hit you before?"

Su Luozhan's tears, real or fake, flowed swiftly as he spoke, obscuring her field of vision. Suddenly, she felt a tightness on her wrist. Tao Ran had taken the opportunity to grab her hand holding the chopper. Su Luozhan struggled subconsciously. Tao Ran quietly said, "Don't be afraid, it's all right now, it's all right. Uncle knows you're a good child. The bad guy forced you to do all these things, you don't have to worry…"

His voice was gentle and the strength he was using to hold her wrist was great. Su Luozhan had no way to resist. For a moment she didn't budge. Then she finally relaxed her hold and allowed Tao Ran to snatch away her knife.

A criminal policeman came up at once and picked Chenchen up, taking her out of range of Su Luozhan.

Luo Wenzhou, who had just arrived, heard a colleague say over his earbud, "Captain Luo, one of the suspects has been captured. She accuses Xu Wenchao of being her accomplice. Can we request a warrant for his arrest?"

"Yes, notify the guys keeping an eye on him at once. Don't let the joker get away." Luo Wenzhou turned and helped lift Chenchen's stretcher up into the ambulance. He turned to Su Luozhan, who had been contained by the police. "Where is Qu Tong? Is she still alive?"

Su Luozhan didn't speak, only shook her head at him. She seemed to think of something; the delicate corners of her mouth turned up uncontrollably. Then she noticed it and very meekly lowered her head.

Even though he'd been mentally prepared after seeing the music box, Luo Wenzhou still felt stifled.

His gaze flitted over the girl's slightly curled hair and long, thick eyelashes. Suddenly he felt a strain of hard-to-name, preposterous sadness.

He waved a hand, letting his colleagues escort Su Luozhan to a police car. He turned his head and looked towards the ambulance.

A few doctors were attending to the wound on Chenchen's forehead as they asked her some questions. Chenchen's family had already arrived as quickly as possible. The stifling loss and recovery caused Chenchen's mom's legs to give out; she nearly went to her knees. Beside her, her husband quickly helped her up. The temporary mutual accusations between the two of them had vanished in an instant. Supporting each other, they walked towards their daughter.

She had been missing for nearly eight hours. Although she'd had her fill of fright, aside from being covered in small wounds, Zhang Yuchen had been brought back safe and sound. It was already nearly a miracle.

After a night of bustle, at least they'd saved one.

Luo Wenzhou sighed, then raised a hand out of habit. But he waited an age, and the partner who normally would have given him a high five hadn't moved.

Luo Wenzhou turned awkwardly and saw that Tao Ran was circling Chang Ning. Chang Ning's tears were still flowing, and Tao Ran was quietly saying something comforting, getting a handkerchief out of his pocket and passing it to her. He'd entirely forgotten about having a partner.

Luo Wenzhou: "…"

There was actually a man on earth who valued sex over friendship this much!

Just then, the palm he hadn't yet pulled back was lightly patted. Flabbergasted, Luo Wenzhou turned his head. He saw that the crippled president Fei Du, his arm hanging, had strolled over beside him, and furthermore from some unknown motive had condescended to do such a superfluous thing.

Having done it, he unhurriedly put his hand in his pocket and looked at Luo Wenzhou with a smile that wasn't quite a smile. "How childish, Captain Luo."

Luo Wenzhou was speechless. He stared wide-eyed as this temporary staff member, as a matter of course, got into his car and composedly crossed his legs, waiting to be driven.

He would vouch for his own well-travelled, well-tested ability to read people; he had absolutely read a flavor of improper flirtation from Fei Du's tone and expression.

Luo Wenzhou thought in disbelief, Is he trying to climb all over me… No, climb up to the heavens?