Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
The camera had not captured any close-ups of the womanâs features, since she had her head dipped low the whole time. No matter how much they zoomed in, they couldnât find a frontal view of her face.
The only characteristics they knew were:
1. She was skinny.
2. She wore a mask.
3. She hits hard, and presumably knows a little kungfu.
And that was all.
âSwitch to the entrance camera,â commanded Lu Yi, sitting with one leg crossed over the other. His dark eyes were fixed on the screen. For some reason, he felt a vague pain in his heart. Something...inexplicable was eating at him and gnawing at his nerves.
âIâm on it,â said Lei Qingyi as he immediately got to work. Gaining access to those footages was a piece of cake for him, since his status allowed him to bypass any time-consuming procedures.
Without a word, Lu Yi sat before the computer, contemplating the skinny and pathetic woman.
That was when his phone at the side of the table rang. He picked it up and glanced at it; it was from Ye Shuyun.
He answered the call and brought the phone to his ears.
âIs there something wrong, Mom?â
âCome back right now, Lu Yi!â There was a chaotic ensemble in the background, compounded by Ye Shuyunâs anxious voice, Xunxunâs heart-rending wails, along with Lu Qi and Lu Guangâs howling.
Lu Qi and Lu Guang were normally well-behaved, but the sight of their sister crying had inspired them. They didnât know why she was crying, but that didnât stop them from joining in.
âIâll be right there,â said Lu Yi. He hung up with a contemplative look in his eye, before tossing one last glance at the blurry figure on the screen.
As he approached his house, he could hear Xunxunâs wails from afar. He hastened up. When he got closer, he saw Ye Shuyun coaxing Xunxun to stop crying, while Lu Jin and nannies dealt with Lu Qi and Lu Guang.
Lu Yi received his daughter from Ye Shuyun. Xunxun looked pitiful with her eyes and nose red from crying. Her dainty face was full of tears, and even her long lashes were wet.
She kept sniffing, and the tears kept falling.
âIs she hungry?â Lu Yi stroked her tummy. It felt flat; she must be hungry.
âSheâs not drinking her milk,â said Ye Shuyun as she picked up the baby bottle. Most of the time, Xunxun cried because she was hungry, and would quieten as soon as she was given her milk.
This time, however, she refused to eat or drink anything and just kept crying. Under her lead, Lu Qi and Lu Guang bawled their eyes out as well.
âLet me do it,â said Lu Yi as he took the baby bottle from Ye Shuyun. He dropped a few drops onto his arm; it was still warm.
With his daughter in one hand and the baby bottle in the other, he walked to the French window and drew the curtains.
In her great sorrow, Xunxun had sniveled and whimpered until her voice turned hoarse. She settled a little in her fatherâs arms, her face still red from crying. The redness, exaggerated by her milky-complexion, made her look extremely pitiful.
âHere. Drink up,â cooed Lu Yi as he offered her the bottle.
Little Xunxun received it with both hands. She was obedient toward her father, and she wasnât alone in that regard. The difference was, Xunxunâs obedience stemmed from her unconditional trust and love, while Lu Qi and Lu Guangâs acquiescence was driven by their groundless fear towards Lu Yi. They loved their father, but their love was outweighed by fear.
Xunxun drank her milk obediently enough, but her tears kept falling. A girl at her age should not even know what sadness is, and it was rare to see her cry with such vigor.
Since Yan Huan went missing, Xunxun often cried when she couldnât find her mother, but never to this extent.
Even after finishing a bottle of milk, Xunxun wasnât looking very spirited. Perhaps the crying tired her. She leaned her head against Lu Yiâs shoulders and continued sniffing.
Lu Yi rubbed her head.
âDonât be afraid, baby. No matter what happens, Papa will always be here.â
Xunxun looked up and tugged at Lu Yiâs sleeves with her tiny finger.
âWhatâs wrong?â asked Lu Yi, touching her face gently.
Xunxun moved her lips, but no sound came out.
Lu Yi stood before the window with Xunxun in his arms. Xunxun liked to look at the scenery from there, and wouldnât throw a tantrum as long as she was there.
âPapa...â The mellow voice came with another tug of his sleeves.
Lu Yi couldnât believe his ears.
Did Xunxun just talk? Did Xunxun just call him Papa?
âPapa...â repeated Xunxun clearly, her eyes meeting his eyes.
Lu Yi touched her face with tremulous hands. He felt a warm sensation in his eyes, and had to blink back tears. To think a man like him nearly broke down at the two syllables uttered by her daughter.
His daughter, his Little Xunxun, had finally spoken.
Xunxun huddled up close to him and pouted indignantly.
âPapa...â
âMhm,â answered Lu Yi.
âWant Mama.â
Lu Yi covered her head with a large palm.
âPapa will definitely find Mama for Xunxun. Okay?â
âMhm,â agreed Little Xunxun. That gave Lu Yi another shock. He then reached for his phone.
âHello, Yibin? Lu Yi here. Come to my house. Xunxun has learned how to speak.â
Soon, He Yibin arrived, puffing wildly as though he had ran there on foot. He was drenched in sweat, and the back of his shirt stuck to his back uncomfortably.
But there was no time to care about that. When Lu Yi first told him the news, he was beyond belief. How did it happen? He knew Xunxun wasnât a mute, and was only reluctant to talk, but how did the change happen so quickly?
It usually takes a lot longer to overcome such hurdles.