Chapter 11
"Xiao Di, what's your last name? What's your grandma's name?"
The boy was still wearing that short-sleeved T-shirt and overalls. He had milky-white skin, a pair of bright, large eyes, and long, thick eyelashes that cast a fan-shaped shadow under his lower eyelids when he looked down. He sat on the carpet, his small, lotus-root-like hands gripping the edge of the table, staring intently at the things on it.
Hearing the question from the sister who saved him last night, he raised his soft, sweet face and shook his head in grievance. Dr. Xun peeled a box of jelly and handed it to him. The boy happily took it, scooped up a spoonful, and ate it with his mouth full of syrup.
Dr. Xun wiped his fingers with tissues while looking at Chi Xia and Xin Ran: "I asked him a long time ago. He doesn't know his own surname, and his grandmother isn't from a nursing home. He went to the toilet when the explosion happened, accompanied by a caregiver. The explosion occurred on the way back, and unfortunately, the caregiver died. He appeared on the main road in the blink of an eye, and then you two saw him."
After Dr. Xun finished speaking, he asked, "I still don't understand how you two were able to see him back then."
Xin Ran dropped the pretense once he got to the hospital, and sat comfortably without the protective gear. When he heard the question, he scratched his head, "I don't know, maybe it's related to the fact that we were watching a holographic horror movie?"
Dr. Xun raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
Chi Xia saw that the syrup on Xiao Di's lips was about to drip onto his chest, so she took out a tissue to wipe it off for him. "That's not the point. The problem now is, how do we find his family? Has no one put up any missing person notices or anything?"
Dr. Xun shook his head, sat down next to Xiao Di, and stroked his head, his eyes full of doting and fatherly indulgence. "I'm raising a big son for free. Nobody asks me to raise him."
Xiao Di wasn't shy at all; she smiled brightly and turned to call out to Dr. Xun, "Dad."
Xin Ran: "..."
Chi Xia: "..."
The table was full of snacks that Dr. Xun bought for him. He would recognize his father on the spot if there was something delicious to eat. He is a very open-minded child.
Dr. Xun couldn't stop smiling. The 30-something bachelor was thrilled to become a father. He smiled and agreed, "Hey, my good son, Dad will take you to buy some clothes to change into after get off work."
"Yes, thank you, Dad."
Seeing this harmonious scene and Xin Ran's indifferent expression, Chi Xia didn't want to reveal her true thoughts. She had a feeling that Xiao Di's background was not simple. Just by looking at his clothes, she knew they were expensive. Looking at his appearance and quick wit, she knew he couldn't possibly be raised by an unknown family.
Appearing at the explosion site, keeping even her family's surname a secret, and having awakened a talent at such a young age, why would her family not dare to search for her openly if she went missing?
First, this child's identity is not simple; they dare not reveal his disappearance for fear of trouble from their enemies.
Second, the explosion is related to this family, so they can't show their faces now.
Seeing that Chi Xia remained silent, Xin Ran smiled and patted her on the shoulder, "What are you thinking about?"
Chi Xia shook her head, "Since Xiao Di has Dr. Xun to help her, I'll be leaving now."
Xin Ran stopped her, "Have dinner before you go."
During the meal, Chi Xia kept observing Xiao Di. The child ate snacks happily but was picky about meals, which further confirmed that the child came from an extraordinary family. Although the family strictly disciplined him and did not allow him to eat snacks, they were not stingy at all when it came to food.
Chi Xia hesitated whether to remind him. Dr. Xun was completely immersed in the joy of having a child, and Xin Ran seemed carefree. The bombing case was unclear, and it was hard to say who the bomb was aimed at. If Dr. Xun took the child out and about, it would be difficult to guarantee his personal safety and property.
"Xiao Di, do you eat these things often?" Xin Ran's meals in the special care ward were quite expensive, not the usual home-cooked food. But Xiao Di picked them up without any curiosity, and was even a little picky. This was the gentlest way she could think of to remind her.
Xiao Di scooped up a spoonful of maca and cordyceps steamed egg, nodded, and said, "But I want to eat fried chicken, fries, and cola."
Dr. Xun smiled and said, "Dad will buy it for you tomorrow."
Xiao Di's face immediately lit up with a smile, "Okay!"
The reminder failed; the joy of becoming a father blinded Dr. Xun, preventing him from seeing that this child was extraordinary.
Chi Xia thought of another way, "Xiao Di, how many people usually eat in your family?"
Xiao Di counted on her chubby little fingers, "Brother, father, mother, aunt, grandfather, grandmother, third uncle, third aunt, cousin, cousin, and me, that's 11 people."
"Does this wealthy family have servants?" Chi Xia continued.
Xin Ran glanced at Chi Xia indifferently, remained calm, and continued showing off her food.
Xiao Di nodded, then counted out a bunch more on her fingers.
Chi Xia glanced at Dr. Xun, now she should be able to tell that something was wrong.
To everyone's surprise, Dr. Xun put his arm around Xiao Di's shoulder and said, "Wow, so many people are having dinner with Xiao Di. It's so lively. Does it feel lonely here?"
Xiao Di shook her head, "Uncle Xun is also very good to me."
Dr. Xun kissed the top of the child's head, "Good boy."
Chi Xia: "..."
After finishing her meal, Chi Xia got up to say goodbye, as it would be difficult to cover up her suspicions if she continued to hint at it.
As soon as Chi Xia left, Xin Ran looked at Dr. Xun and laughed, "Are you really not understanding or just teasing people? Teacher Xia gave such an obvious hint."
Dr. Xun laughed, "Didn't you say this new colleague is interesting? I just examined him, and he is indeed quite interesting. He clearly sees it but doesn't say it outright. He seems to be someone with a story, just like you."
Xinran assembled a robot and handed it to Xiaodi. The nurse collected the tableware and leftovers from the ward and replaced the blanket with a new one. Xiaodi sat on it and played with her toys.
Xin Ran recalled how Chi Xia strode across the street earlier, "She felt very familiar to me, like I'd seen her somewhere before."
Dr. Xun and Xiao Di were playing a robot battle when he took a moment to tease Xin Ran, "Being remembered by you is usually not a good thing."
"How dare you talk like that? I remember you've been giving me benefits, treating me to lavish meals every day. With your salary, you think you can afford to eat like that?"
As they were talking, the nurse knocked on the door and came in, bringing the two of them two bottles of the same whiskey they had last night.
Dr. Xun glanced at it and asked, "Why have you switched to drinking strong liquor?"
Xin Ran smiled and poured drinks for the two of them. After the nurse left, he picked up a glass and handed it to Dr. Xun. "I tried it last night, and it tasted good. Thank you for introducing me to such a good job. I'll drink it, and you can drink as you like."
Dr. Xun smiled and took a sip, "At least you said something sensible."
Xin Ran sat cross-legged next to Xiao Di. "Godson, what's your brother's name?"
Xiao Di said happily, "Xiao Feng."
Xin Ran: "Full name".
Xiao Di: "Ye Feng".
The name sounded familiar. Xin Ran recalled, "There seems to be a student named Ye Feng in Chi Xia's class."
Dr. Xun said with some regret, "What adorable children, they'll have to be sent back after a few days of playing. The students at the Magic Fishing Academy come from prominent families, especially your two scumbags, number 1 and number 2. Just pick one of their fathers and the New Territories will tremble. But the surname Ye is not common. Could Ye Feng have taken his mother's surname?"
Xin Ran nodded. "It's obvious that the more important a family is, the more secretive its descendants' surnames will be."
Dr. Xun: "Should we tell your teacher, Ms. Xia, that Xiao Di might be the younger brother of that classmate in her class?"
Xin Ran looked at Xiao Di, who was playing with his toys obediently, and reached out to stroke his fluffy head. "Don't rush. Let's see what's going on first. If the bombing is related to the Ye Feng family, then Xiao Di is actually safe here. The Ye Feng family must be in an uproar right now."
Dr. Xun frowned. "But why isn't your Director Ma here today? What does he have to do with the bombing?"
Xin Ran: "I don't know."
Dr. Xun: "What do you think of Teacher Xia?"
Xin Ran raised an eyebrow at the other person, "Don't you think your topic change was too abrupt?"
Dr. Xun also helped Xiao Di assemble a robot. "A bachelor in his thirties, seeing a decent single woman, casually asking her questions, that's normal, right?"
Xin Ran laughed, her shoulders shaking with laughter, "You're hopeless. You want a son, and you want women too. How lonely and isolated must you be to be so indiscriminate?"
"You don't understand. A young man in his early twenties like you has no idea how wonderful women and children are. A home without a woman and children is just as empty as a tomb."
"I've also heard that marriage is a grave."
"They say that, but aren't they all rushing to get married? The idea of 'marriage as a graveyard' is, in my opinion, just a disguised form of boasting. 90% of the people in this world simply can't stand being alone. Look, if your son looked like Xiaodi, wouldn't you work harder and be more eager to come home?"
Xin Ran glanced at him, thinking he was getting on in years. "Teacher Xia is a nice person. I've already talked to her, and we've agreed to help each other out at the hospital if we get injured. If you like her, go for it. Who knows, maybe she'll actually fall for you."
Dr. Xun laughed, "Don't you know how to talk? I'm handsome, educated, experienced, virtuous, and interesting. Whoever takes a liking to me is a lucky person. As for you, you should probably go back now. If you don't go back to your place soon, it'll be overrun by spiders. I really don't understand you. Why buy such a big villa all by yourself when you don't even live there? You have to hire people to clean it and make a fuss."
Xin Ran stood up, carrying a half-empty bottle of whiskey. "You don't understand. Big houses have a good view, and it's peaceful when no one's around."
"You're sick. You can't even afford the property management fee, yet you still have to work like a madman." Dr. Xun complained, but still got up and saw Xin Ran to the door. He handed her the half of his drink that he hadn't finished. "Take it back and drink it. Although it's not in the same league as what you drank before, it's at least better than mixed wine."
Xin Ran accepted it without hesitation, saying, "Bring Xiao Di over to play at home."
"Play my ass. Every time I go to your house, I have to be your free laborer and be exploited by you to buy groceries and stuff them into the fridge. I've never seen such a poor mansion owner. If I were you, I would have sold that damn big villa long ago."
Xin Ran patted him on the shoulder, "I'll treat you to dinner another day, and don't be so sarcastic."
Dr. Xun slapped his hand away. "Get lost! I'm tired of the meals in the special care ward. I'd rather have a bowl of wontons from a roadside stall that costs ten or twenty yuan. You stingy bastard, I always pay for everything."
Xin Ran smiled and blinked, his dimples making him look innocent and naive. "Brother Xun Jiang, am I not your best neighbor brother anymore?"
Xun Jiang pushed away his shameless, cutesy expression, "Get lost, get lost, just looking at you annoys me. We're not neighbors anymore."
Xin Ran stopped acting cute, glanced at Xiao Di, and became more serious. "Be careful. If anything happens, call me on the communications system, and I'll handle it."
Xun Jiang nodded, "I know, go ahead."
*
Chi Xia had just arrived home. Coming from the affiliated hospital, she had to take two subway transfers, which took nearly two hours.
She took out her key, opened the iron gate, and turned on the light. She was stunned. Although her house was messy, it shouldn't be this messy!
They ransacked the place and found many things lying on the floor. Had they been robbed?
Chi Xia quickly put down her bag, closed the door, and locked it. Her professional vigilance led her to take a dagger from the shoe cabinet by the door and hold it. This cramped basement had two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom.
She came in unguarded, but that didn't mean she could let her guard down and wander around carelessly. Holding the dagger, she tiptoed to the bathroom first. No one was there, but everything she could find was lying haphazardly on the floor, and her shampoo had spilled into a white puddle.
Then she went to the kitchen, where stacks of bowls and chopsticks were lying on the floor, several of them broken, and various seasonings were scattered all over the place. Next was her sister's bedroom, which was in the worst condition. The sheets, blankets, and pillows were all torn, with cotton and wadding spilling out. The wardrobe, bedside table, and wooden bed had been completely dismantled.
What are you looking for?
Such a ruthless search suggests it's not a home invasion or theft, but more like an enemy coming to the door.
She quickly glanced at her bedroom, which had also been ransacked, but not as badly as her sister's. She was certain that the people who came were after her sister.
I can't stay in this house anymore. My sisters' fate is already unknown, and now that their identities and whereabouts have been exposed, it's hard not to get involved.
Chi Xia quickly packed her important belongings, pushed open her bed, and used the dagger in her hand to dig out the box her sister had left her from under the bed. She took out the new gun and the note, buried the box back without keeping it, and put the bed back in its place.
Chi Xia looked around the basement where she had lived for several years. Apart from the time she spent with her sisters, there was almost nothing to miss, and she was too lazy to clean up the mess.
Sensing that the other party was likely staking out the place, Chi Xia fully disguised herself, not even showing her eyes. She carried a bag and went out without looking around. After leaving the house, she walked along the narrow passageway and turned into the nearest building from the side. This was the passageway where employees threw away their trash. She had walked through it several times and knew it well. After going in, she hid behind the trash can and squatted down.
About a minute later, a man in a black suit followed him in. He was wearing sunglasses and looked around. He was undoubtedly the one who had been staking out the place.
After he left, Chi Xia waited three minutes to make sure no one was following her. She quickly went to the staff restroom, found a staff uniform to change into, threw her bag into the trash can, and pretended to be a staff member taking out the trash before leaving the restroom the way she came.
While taking out the trash, she glanced towards her front door and saw three men dressed identically standing there, waiting for her to come to her.
Chi Xia pushed the trash can back into the building, just as she brushed past the man who had returned empty-handed.
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