Chapter 71: Encounter with Luo Qianning

Su Yutao felt her stop, her body tensing slightly.

She pricked up her ears and heard a voice coming from ahead. That voice was sweet and cloying.

It carried a laugh, like a ripe fruit that would ooze juice at the first bite:

“Oh, isn’t this Lin Qingxue? What a coincidence.”

Su Yutao’s whole body stiffened.

She recognized that voice.

Last night, in the alley, that woman, Luo Qianning.

That woman had choked her neck, pressed a cigarette butt into her arm, hoisted her up as a human shield.

That voice had said, “Little thing, what’s your name?”

It had said, “This damn same scent makes me angry just smelling it.”

It had said, “I wonder if a burn will make you scream even more pitifully.”

Su Yutao started trembling. She clenched the fur of Qiansui, buried her face in Lin Qingxue’s shoulder, and curled into her arms.

Lin Qingxue felt Su Yutao’s shivering. She looked down at her, thought she was just shy, and didn’t pay it much attention.

She looked up at the person in front of her.

Luo Qianning stood by the roadside, wearing a beige trench coat over a floral print dress, her long hair draped over her shoulders. She had light makeup on, her lips a pale pink, and two dimples appeared when she smiled.

She held a folder in her hand, looking like she had just come out of school or was on her way somewhere.

Her gaze fell on Su Yutao, nestled in Lin Qingxue’s arms, lingered for a second, then shifted to Lin Qingxue, her smile growing sweeter:

“Where are you going so early, holding a little kid?”

Her voice was natural, like casual small talk between classmates.

Lin Qingxue said, “To the hospital. My friend here is injured.”

Luo Qianning tilted her head and glanced at Su Yutao’s exposed arm, wrapped with bandages and band-aids.

Her expression didn’t change, her voice still that sweet tone: “Oh dear, how did she get hurt like this? How pitiful.”

She stepped forward two paces, leaned in, and looked down at Su Yutao.

Su Yutao could feel that gaze on her, so close, just like last night.

She trembled even more, a hoarse “he he” sound escaping her throat, as if begging for mercy, or calling for help.

Luo Qianning watched her reaction, the corners of her mouth deepening.

She reached out and gently touched Su Yutao’s hair.

Su Yutao jolted as if electrocuted, shrinking back into Lin Qingxue’s arms, grabbing her clothes, her nails digging in.

Lin Qingxue frowned, took half a step back, pulled Su Yutao closer, and said in a flat voice:

“She’s shy. Don’t touch her.”

Luo Qianning withdrew her hand, smiled, not angry.

Her gaze paused on Lin Qingxue’s face for a moment, then fell back on Su Yutao. Her voice was light: “Little one, see you next time.”

She paused, her voice even lighter, with a meaning only Su Yutao could understand.

“The sound you made last time really pleased me.”

Su Yutao stopped breathing.

She remembered last night, when the cigarette burned her, the “wuwu” screams she made.

This person said “pleased me.”

She did it on purpose.

She knew who she was. She knew she was afraid of her. She knew she was trembling.

She had come to deliberately confront her.

Su Yutao buried her face in Lin Qingxue’s shoulder, curling into a tiny ball, like a small animal meeting its natural enemy, only able to huddle and wait, praying that person would leave soon.

Luo Qianning straightened up, looked at Lin Qingxue, and smiled:

“I’ll go now. See you at school.”

She turned, took two steps, then stopped, looking back at Su Yutao in Lin Qingxue’s arms.

Her gaze lingered on Su Yutao for a second, then she smiled, turned, and continued walking.

Her steps weren’t as light as yesterday. One hand was pressed against her side, and she walked a bit slowly.

That was the spot where Lin Qingxue had kicked her last night.

Her smile was still on her face, but she walked with difficulty. The hem of her trench coat lifted in the wind, revealing the creases of her floral dress.

She walked farther away, her footsteps fading, finally disappearing around the street corner.

Lin Qingxue stood there, watching Luo Qianning’s back, frowning slightly.

She felt something was off, but couldn’t put her finger on it.

Wasn’t the class monitor usually like this?

Loving to smile, teasing people, talking sweetly?

Maybe she was overthinking.

She looked down at Su Yutao in her arms. The little blind girl was still trembling, curled up against her, like a frightened little animal.

She said softly:

“It’s okay. She’s gone.”

“She’s my classmate, the class monitor.”

“She’s a nice person, just likes to tease a bit.”

Su Yutao couldn’t take it in.

All she knew was that the bad person had come again.

Su Yutao leaned into Lin Qingxue’s shoulder, listening to her heartbeat. Thump, thump, thump.

Different from last night.

Last night, that person had no heartbeat.

No, she did.

But did she really have a heart?

To be so harsh with a child, and yesterday like that…

She probably didn’t have a heart…

But now, hearing her heartbeat in the daytime, so steady, so slow, like a lullaby.

She closed her eyes and buried her face deeper.

She wanted to stay like this, not wake up.

But she knew she had to wake up, had to go back, had to wait.

***

On the other side.

Luo Qianning reached the corner of the street. Only when she was sure Lin Qingxue couldn’t see her did she stop.

She pressed her hand to her side, leaned against the wall, took out her phone, and dialed a number.

The phone rang twice. Someone picked up.

There was no voice on the other end, only breathing. Luo Qianning’s voice was low, lacking the earlier sweetness, with a bit more seriousness:

“Reporting.”

“Lin Xue still hasn’t prepared to deal with the little mute girl. She didn’t add any memory to this body. She took her to the hospital.”

There was a second of silence on the other end, then a voice, hoarse, like sandpaper scraping iron: “Are you sure?”

Luo Qianning looked back at the street corner. Lin Qingxue was already far gone.

She turned back, her voice even lower:

“Sure. I tested her. The little mute girl trembled with fear when she saw me, and Lin Xue didn’t react at all.”

“Lin Xue probably didn’t add any related memories.”

There was another silence on the other end.

Then a single “Got it.”

The call ended.

Luo Qianning put her phone away, held her side, and limped off in another direction.

The hem of her trench coat lifted in the wind, revealing her floral dress and the bruise on her side, a dark purple welt.

She walked very slowly, each step pulling at the wound, pain making her gasp.

But the smile was still on her face, that sweet, cloying smile, stuck to her like a mask.

Lin Qingxue carried Su Yutao along the road.

The sun was bright, shining on them, stretching their shadows long.

Su Yutao curled in her arms, hugging Qiansui, still trembling slightly.

She didn’t dare lift her head, didn’t dare “look,” just buried her face in Lin Qingxue’s shoulder, listening to her heartbeat.

People passed by on the road.

An auntie carrying a vegetable basket glanced at them, her gaze lingering on Su Yutao for a moment.

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