Chapter 008: Finding Xiao'ai, Encountering an Old Flame

Xiao'ai's sudden disappearance threw Su Shu's thoughts into disarray, and she dashed downstairs with all her speed. In the residential area, she grabbed anyone she could to ask, "Have you seen a five-year-old girl?"

It was already night, and how could anyone in the residential area pay attention to such a small child? In her panic, Su Shu staggered into the police station to report the case. The officer on duty asked for detailed descriptions of the missing child, recorded every detail, and an older police officer brought Su Shu a cup of water, comforting her with the words, "Take a sip and calm down. Don't worry, we'll do our best to help you search. Think carefully, before the child disappeared today, did she do anything out of the ordinary?"

Su Shu looked up blankly. "Out of the ordinary?"

"Yes, any specific behavior. Think about it, you see, the child wasn't lost outside. According to what you said, she should have been sleeping, but then you found she was already gone which means the child left the house on her own initiative. Could there be any reasons that made her want to run away?" the police officer tried to analyze.

Clearly, the officer's words poked at a hidden nerve of unease in Su Shu, causing her face to turn deathly pale instantly.

"No, that's not possible," she repeated.

The middle-aged police officer said, "Relax, take your time to think. Any detail you can remember might increase the chances of finding the child."

"Okay."

Su Shu tried to recall carefully. She described how she brought Xiao'ai home from the welfare institution in B City and what their days had been like together since, even including the details of how Xiao'ai disliked certain snacks when they went to the supermarket, all the while nervously wringing her hands. The two officers on duty couldn't help but sigh as they watched her sit there anxiously.

Such a young girl, with no experience, tasked with care for a child who suffered from psychological wounds and refused to speak, it was indeed asking too much of her.

After some consideration, given the lack of additional useful information from the reporter, they decided to look around nearby, setting a range based on the walking distance of a five-year-old and starting their search, hoping to find her as soon as possible.

After some moments of restless panic, Su Shu gradually calmed down.

Why did Xiao'ai suddenly leave without saying a word? Before leaving, she noticed a stool placed next to the foyer. She suspected Xiao'ai must have stood on it to open the door. Why didn't she come to find her upon waking up, or drink any milk, but instead, out of character, she left the house? Su Shu couldn't come up with any reason for Xiao'ai's departure.

Did she no longer want to live with her? Or could it be that Xiao'ai... didn't like her aunt?

The thought that Xiao'ai might have run away because she didn't like her own aunt pierced Su Shu's heart with a pang of pain.

At night, the city's neon lights flickered, and the street lamps had long been lit.

Su Shu ran through every familiar yet strange intersection nearby, anxiously and worryingly searching for a glimpse of Xiao'ai.

Crazy thoughts ran rampant in her head.

Xiao'ai, just where have you run off to?

With every second passing, Su Shu had never felt time move so slowly or be so tormenting. She didn't know how long she searched, her anxious tears dried by the wind time and again, until finally, beneath a tree outside of a residential area, she saw a small, elongated shadow illuminated by a street light.

Across the wide asphalt road, Su Shu could clearly hear her own heartbeat like a drum falling to the ground.

"Xiao'ai?" Standing under the tree, she looked down with a trembling voice at the little person.

There was her Xiao'ai, still wearing the pink bunny pajamas. Wasn't she cold in the chilly night? Su Shu hastily wrapped her own coat around Xiao'ai and then embraced her tightly, as if afraid of losing her again.

Xiao'ai didn't speak or struggle, just allowed herself to be held obediently.

"You scared your aunt to death, do you know? I've been looking for you for so long, afraid something happened to you," she said, her voice trembling, clinging to speaking as a way to contain her inner excitement.

After a while, she looked up at Xiao'ai, "Xiao'ai, your aunt wants to ask you, do you hate me?"

Xiao'ai, with big, watery eyes, stared at her, blinked, then shook her head.

All the worry in Su Shu's heart dissipated. It was okay as long as she didn't hate her, as long as she didn't.

"Then next time, if you want to go out for a stroll, can you tell your aunt first? I'll take you out," she said.

Xiao'ai nodded.

Su Shu breathed a sigh of relief, bent over to pick Xiao'ai up with the intention of calling a taxi to go home, but just as she was about to raise her hand, a familiar voice suddenly sounded from behind her.

"Su... Shu?" The other person sounded uncertain.

The voice seemed to come from the depths of a distant memory.

Embracing Xiao'ai, Su Shu turned around blankly, and a face she knew all too well appeared before her eyes.

"Shen Han?"

Surprised, Su Shu could not fathom why he was here.