Chapter 18: A Glimmer of Hope

Wang Jian continued to inquire, “So, little Tang Xiao, do you have any maternal grandparents, or perhaps a paternal grandmother or grandfather, living at home?”

He aimed to glean as much useful information as possible from Hao Yang’s words, hoping to simplify his subsequent investigation.

Hao Yang fell silent upon hearing the question.

The mere thought of Tang Shan’s death brought an inexplicable sorrow welling up in Hao Yang’s heart. Suddenly, she, too, yearned for death, wishing to follow Tang Shan to heaven.

In that instant, the world seemed to lose all its allure for her.

Wang Jian observed Hao Yang through the rearview mirror, every one of her movements captured in his gaze.

Hao Yang’s head drooped unconsciously, making it impossible to discern any expression on her face. Despite no strenuous activity, she was panting heavily, and her body trembled slightly.

His colleague in the backseat caught Wang Jian’s eye in the rearview mirror, shaking their head subtly.

Wang Jian understood, and no further words were exchanged. A profound silence settled within the police car, broken only by the occasional blare of a horn from outside and the crunch of tires on asphalt and snow.

‘What is happening? Why do I feel such overwhelming grief, yearning for death right now?’ Hao Yang wondered.

‘Tang Shan held no significant connection to *me*, only to this body I inhabit. So why does his death cause me such profound sorrow?!’

Hao Yang pressed a hand to her chest, her thoughts racing. The relentless sorrow threatened to drown her, her heart feeling like a small sailboat adrift in a vast ocean.

This grief, a tempestuous storm, could capsize her fragile vessel at any moment, sending it plunging to the seabed.

Stealthily, Hao Yang moved her hand, inching her palm closer to the car door’s release. The depth of her despair stirred an unconscious impulse to do something utterly reckless.

She glanced at the vehicle behind them: a large truck, moving at a steady, unremarkable pace. If she were to open the door now and roll out, the truck would surely crush her.

Such an act would be an unforgivably foolish stunt, and Hao Yang knew it. Her rationality screamed that she couldn’t do it; she was barely sixteen years old, with a bright future awaiting her and so much left undone.

‘Is this sorrow Tang Xiao’s lingering emotion?’ she pondered, her mind reeling.

‘This feeling impacts me so profoundly, making me want to die. But I can’t die! My parents are waiting for me to come home. I also promised to help you find your mother. I cannot die!’

At this thought, Hao Yang suddenly recalled something important.

With an effort, she organized her words internally before speaking to Wang Jian.

“Officer, is my backpack with you?” Hao Yang managed to ask, forcing the words past the lump in her throat.

“Oh, all your belongings are here with me, right on the passenger seat. I’ll hand it over,” Wang Jian replied.

Having already noticed the girl’s unstable emotions, he spoke calmly, extending the backpack with one hand from the passenger seat.

Hao Yang quickly snatched the backpack, then urgently fumbled inside, pulling out a photo from a hidden compartment.

Her movements were perhaps a bit dramatic, almost exaggerated, yet the two police officers merely watched in silence, making no move to intervene.

The photograph was somewhat yellowed with age, but remarkably well-preserved, devoid of any creases or folds. It clearly depicted a beautiful woman, dressed in the fashionable attire of the era, leaning against a railing.

As Hao Yang gazed at the woman, a sudden surge of hope pierced through her overwhelming sorrow. It was as if a beam of light had broken through the storm clouds, illuminating the small sailboat that represented her heart.

Drawing strength from this newfound positive emotion, Hao Yang finally managed to suppress the crushing sadness within her.

Her gaze fixed on the woman in the photograph, Hao Yang’s ragged breathing gradually normalized. The negative emotions slowly receded, and rationality began to prevail.

She scrutinized the woman in the photo once more, then carefully returned it to the backpack’s hidden pocket.

Afterward, she turned her head slightly, gazing out at the passing scenery.

The large truck, perhaps impatient with the police car’s speed, honked its horn before accelerating and overtaking them.

Neither of the police officers spoke. They had clearly witnessed Hao Yang’s intense emotional state moments ago, and understood it was best not to question or say anything, allowing her to compose herself in silence.

Wang Jian had observed Hao Yang’s extreme emotional instability, yet a single photograph had brought her back to a calmer state.

He found himself intensely curious about what, or rather, who, was depicted in that picture.

Despite his strong desire to know, he held his tongue, aware that her emotions had only just stabilized. However, this did not stop his internal speculation.

‘The photo must be of a person,’ Wang Jian mused silently, a police officer whose intuition was usually spot-on. ‘Judging by the child’s reaction, this person must be incredibly important to her, likely a close relative.’

He was already ninety percent certain of the relationship between Hao Yang and the individual in the photograph.

Hao Yang rested her hand on her head, gazing out the window. She found it difficult to fathom the magnitude of the emotional turmoil the original girl must have experienced before her death.

Had Tang Shan not given the girl that photograph, offering a final glimmer of hope, it was highly probable she would have committed some desperate act.

Tragically, despite not committing a foolish act, the girl still perished, freezing to death. It was almost ironic, even laughable, that someone could still freeze to death in this day and age.

From now on, she resolved to stop thinking about Tang Shan. Otherwise, the body’s residual emotions might resurface, and those feelings were genuinely unbearable—a form of psychological torture that had even made her contemplate death.

A fresh wave of unspeakable sorrow suddenly washed over her, prompting Hao Yang to quickly fix her gaze on the passing scenery, trying to distract herself.

As the grief slowly dissipated, Hao Yang finally let out a sigh of relief. It was best not to dwell on the girl’s tragic past. Her only task now was to remember her promise: to help the girl find her mother.