Lin Feng turned 30 degrees to the left while reading a reportâHe turned his body because Officer Maâs neck was turned and placed in front of him.
âDamn Ren Ziling, something is wrong with my neck after a few minutes of rest.â
âForget it, Iâm going to a Chinese Massage for help. Itâs inconvenient to keep my neck like this.â
âWhat are you whispering there? Are you busy?â Officer Ma with an immobile neck wanted to transfer his anger to anyone he saw, including Lin Feng. He was furious and wanted to rebuke people!
âOfficer Ma, I have an appointment.â
âGirl? Your girlfriend?â
Lin Feng smiled, and scratched his head shyly, âNo, just a female net friend, we appointed to watch a concert a moment later⦠you seeâ¦â
Officer Ma whispered, âItâs quite a famous activity in the 70-thousand-people gymnasium.â
âOfficer Ma?â
Ma Houde waved his hand, âOK, you can go and ask your colleague to take over your work. Go quickly, donât be late.â
âThank you Officer Ma!â
Ma Houde rolled up his eyes, firing a cigarette and thinking about the two cases⦠48 hours had passed, it was getting harder and harder for them to complete the investigation.
Officer Ma felt more and more agitated, so he cleaned up everything and left the officeâ to go to the Chinese medicine doctor.
Unexpectedly when he walked to the gate, he saw a policeman, a policewoman, a taxi driver, and a little girl were quarreling, âWhatâs happening? What are you doing here?â
âOfficer Ma!â the male saw him and salute to him, âThis driver took a little girl to make a report, saying that this little girl may be lost or ran away from home after a quarrel. But when we asked her, she denied and asked to send her to the gymnasium. Sheâs not a missing girl or someone that ran away from homeâ¦â
âAh?â Officer Ma gaped.
That old driver explained, âSir, this kid jumped into my car, she didnât say anything about her parents⦠and said if I donât send her to the gymnasium, sheâll accuse me of inappropriate grouping! My god, sheâs at the age of my granddaughter! Could I do this? Sir, Iâve been working following the law for a dozen years! Nobody has ever queried my moral integrity! Donât believe her! And this is my proof, have a look!â
âOK, fineâ¦â Ma Houde waved his hand, and glanced at the little girl.
He found her gaze to be a little scary. âLittle kids mature so fast so quickly.â
So, Ma Houde squatted and patted her head, saying politely, âLittle friend, do you have any trouble? Tell me and Iâll help you⦠did he touch you inappropriately?â
âSir! I did not! If I did, how could I drive her here?â the old driver turned emotional and his face turned red, âI cannot do such immoral things! If I did, Iâll go to hell forever!!â
âOK, I was just asking her, calm down!â Ma Houde glared at the old driver.
Now, the girl⦠the true dragon felt she became completely evil.
She never thought the driver would take her to the police station.
âWhere are your parents? Are you alone? What is your name? Where do you live?â Officer Ma kept asking her.
âCan youâ¦â Long Xiruo took a deep breath, âCan you send me to the gymnasium first before asking these?â
âGymnasium? Are your parents there? They work there or?â Officer Ma had very good patience toward kids.
âCan you stop askingâ¦â Long Xiruo had no idea; she shook her body and raised her head.
Who knew what she experienced in this short time⦠Long Xiruo eyes opened wide and blinked, saying in a baby voice, âUncle, youâre handsome, and must be a kind man! Can you take me to the gymnasium? My grandmother said sheâs waiting for me there!â
Terrible⦠too terribleâ¦
Long Xiruo felt she should drink herself drunk⦠terrible⦠too terribleâ¦
My god⦠âIâm the True Dragon of China, but have to act cute in such a place??â
âWhat is your grandmaâs name? Or we can contact her directly.â
Officer Ma communicated with the little girl patiently. This reminded him of his childhood.
He lived so happily.
âNo, just send me there, please. Can you pleaseâ¦â
âIt was too cute, way too cute!â Officer Maâs heart was almost melted, âWhat a cute girl she is!â
âOh⦠well, whatâs your name?â Officer Ma nodded, âPoliceman should know your name.â
âLongâ¦â
âLong?â
âLong, Long Erâ¦â
âLong Er?â Ma Houde nodded, and patted her head softly, âGood, Iâll send you there now.â
âCan you please not pat my headâ¦â
âOfficer Ma, are you going to send her?â The policeman asked, âWe can settle such tiny issues.â
Ma Houde shrugged, âItâs OK, Iâm going in the same direction to look for the Chinese medicine doctor. Look at my neck, I cannot stay like this all day.â
After saying that, Ma Houde laughed and pulled Long Xiruoâs hand, âCome on, Long Er, let me send you to your grandma!â
The policemen thought Officer Ma had really a heart full of.
âBear it, you need to bear itâ¦â
âCalm down, calm down⦠Long Xiruo, you need to calm down!!â
The true dragon forced herself to calm down. And finally, she got on the car!
Ma Houde was in a good mood; he hummed a song, wiping the front windshield slowly, then helped Long Er fasten the seat belt.
As Ma Houde fastened his seatbelt, he patted her little head again, âLong Er, are you hungry? Do you need some food?â
Uncle, can, can you⦠start the car?â Long Er fingers slightly bent and caught the leather of the seat.
âOh, right! Start the car! Sit tight!â
Ma Houde nodded, inserting his key to start the engine, then he turned back, âI forget there is some chocolate here! Let me take it.â
âAh⦠I cannot bear anymore⦠not anymore!!!!!â
Long Er little hands clenched, jumping up and pinching Maâs neck and shaking, âDrive the car!!!!!â
âOK, stop⦠let me go, cough⦠let me go firstâ¦â Ma Houde patted Long Erâs arm in pain.
âWhat a fierce girl! It must be caused by her family.â
âHuh, does she lack love? Grandma, is she a stay-at-home child, so she becomes easily agitated? What a poor girlâ¦â
Ma Houde collected himself and shook his neck after the kid released him. He deeply breathed and stepped on the gas.
Oh?⦠Oh?
âMy neck got well!â
He didnât expect the little girl to cure him through shaking⦠Good! It saved him some money⦠is this kid a little angel?
âAh⦠sheâs so cute!â
â¦
â¦
Neon lights, night fell, people came and went.
Cheng Yiran sat below the footbridge alone. He wore a cap covering his eyes, along with sunglasses.
Carrying a wooden guitar, with fingers plucking the chord⦠This song was very easy, so he didnât need to use some skills.
The box to carry the guitar was opened, with some coins and banknotes in it.
All banknotes were 1 yuan, except a 5 Yuan, which was left by an aged woman.
They passed by and didnât stay here to listen; they just threw the money and left hastily.
Nobody listened⦠nobody knew he had been staying here for a whole afternoon.
Cheng Yiran throat turned hoarse. He played one after another, starting from nervousness at the beginning, but singing numbly now.
He sang âAgainâ, âBlue Lotusâ and âLostâ⦠nobody stayed to listen.
He expected that, but nobody stayed.
Sure enough, since he lost that guitar, he couldnât touched anyone, even if he sang himself hoarse and with heart.
The songs were easy, but playing the whole afternoon made his fingers too painful to feel anything.
But⦠what was he insisting here for?
Cheng Yiran thought he should have gotten used to the emptiness⦠He experienced too much in Houhai and San Litun in Beijing with Hong Guan previously.
Hong Guan⦠did he have the same feeling when staying alone in the square?
âDid he hope someone could stay and listen to his music?â
He stopped the performance that lasted the whole afternoon⦠He looked at the time⦠the competition would start soon.
He collected everything. He thought he would comprehend something if he went back to his original state, in a lonely street; but he got nothing this afternoon, just feeling even more confused.
âItâs me. Can you order a car to send me there?â Cheng Yiran called Cheng Yun, âIâm at Huanshi Dong Road⦠Okay, Iâm waiting here. Thank you, Manager Cheng.â
âGo see Hong Guanâs performance.â Cheng Yiran took a deep breath, taking a glance at the advertisement on the huge screen.
But his cellphone rang, Cheng Yiran found it was a strange number. He frowned but still chose to answer it.
âHello?â
âWhoâs this?â Cheng Yiran wasnât sure, but he thought he had heard this voice before.
âYeah! Iâm Fish-Ball Qiang!â
âFish-Ball Qiang?â Cheng Yiran was stupefied.
âYeah, itâs me! The boss selling Fish-Ball noodles! Didnât you say youâre looking for someone from Beijing something? I met that person!â
âWhere are you now?â Cheng Yiran asked with excitement.