Meng Bai had many more questions she wanted to ask—like why things were this way, how long it had been like this, or what had caused it all.
But she knew better than to overwhelm Miao Bai. Asking too much would only make things awkward.
Miao Bai had already done her a huge favor just by showing her this.
“Scared?”
Meng Bai shook her head quickly. “No.” But her heart was still racing, and she had to admit the truth: “A little.”
She clearly heard Miao Bai sigh.
Meng Bai hurried to explain. “It’s more shock than fear, really. I believe you.” She lowered her voice. “No one else knows about this, right?”
“No.”
Meng Bai let out a breath of relief. “Miao Bai, you can count on me. Your secret’s safe.”
This little secret that belonged only to the two of them made her oddly happy. Could it mean Miao Bai trusted her?
“Miao Bai.” Meng Bai slipped the flashlight into her pocket, shut the iron gate with her other hand, and walked toward her.
The night was pitch black, the courtyard utterly still. In the past, darkness like this had always terrified her. But now? It felt almost comforting, even soothing.
Standing before Miao Bai, she spoke again. “You know a lot about all this, don’t you?”
“A fair bit.” Miao Bai sighed and turned away, breaking eye contact. “When did your friend go missing?”
“August thirty-first. It was raining that day. I wiped out on my bike right at your courtyard gate, and she came to pick me up.”
“And then?”
“She got me home safe. That night, when I went looking for her, she was gone.”
Miao Bai turned back, her eyes locking onto Meng Bai’s. “No matter what it costs, you want to find her. Right?”
Her voice had turned icy, as if she already knew the full story and was shoving this heartless dilemma at Meng Bai from some divine vantage point.
But Meng Bai had no other choice.
“Yeah. I have to find Zhou An.”
“What if it wasn’t Zhou An? What if it was some other girl? Would you search for her?”
The question blindsided her. Meng Bai hesitated. She’d never even considered it. Zhou An’s disappearance was a once-in-a-lifetime shock for their sleepy little town—decades might pass before anything like it happened again.
Why was Miao Bai asking this?
“I…” Meng Bai frowned. It was a tough one. “If another girl vanished the same way, yeah, I’d look for her.”
Miao Bai arched a brow. “Look how? Like your life depended on it?”
Meng Bai dropped her gaze. Truth be told, she felt ashamed. If it were a stranger or a casual acquaintance, she doubted she’d go to these extremes.
In that moment, the town’s cold indifference suddenly made sense.
Human nature had this ugly sameness to it—no one escaped the trap. Accepting her own selfishness, though? That stung.
Meng Bai turned it back on her. “Miao Bai, why are you even asking?”
“Because it matters to me. A lot.”
The words hung in the air as a gust swept through. The chill night wind rattled the leaves.
Meng Bai shivered, chilled straight through. She didn’t get Miao Bai—not really—but she’d mull it over seriously.
“It’s late. Head home.” Miao Bai glanced at the iron gate. “Next time, I want your real answer.”
The gate creaked open on its own, as if nudged by the wind. But Meng Bai knew she’d locked it tight; no breeze could manage that.
Oh. Miao Bai had done it. She didn’t even need to touch the thing.
After tonight’s revelations, Meng Bai barely batted an eye.
They weren’t even operating on the same plane of existence. Different worlds entirely.
No wonder she couldn’t always read Miao Bai’s intentions.
Truth was, Meng Bai didn’t want to leave. But she couldn’t linger forever.
“Alright. I’m off.”
Miao Bai nodded.
Meng Bai hurried to the gate, paused for one last look back. “I’ll come by tomorrow night. And any night I’m free after that.”
Miao Bai said nothing.
“Not talking? Fine, that’s a yes.”
She bolted again, just like always. On the walk home, it hit her: she always left in such a rush.
What did Miao Bai make of it? Clumsy? Amusing?
~~~
Meng Xingzhong gave her an earful when she got home about staying out so late.
She deflected with a few vague excuses and turned toward her room, but he called her back.
Old Meng started with some fake concern about her studies before cutting to the chase. “You haven’t been hanging out with anyone new, have you?”
Meng Bai shook her head hard. “Nope.”
Old Meng steepled his hands and eyed her sideways, clearly skeptical. “We need to have a serious talk.”
“Sure. Shoot.”
“You’re too young for romance. No dating. Got it?”
“Huh?” Meng Bai blinked, thrown. “Dad, what? I’m not dating anyone!”
She and Zhou An had sworn off it for life—single forever.
Maybe it was all the deadbeat guys in town, but she’d never dreamed about love, never pined for it.
Weirdly, while everyone else her age was crushing hard, Meng Bai couldn’t care less.
Love sounded exhausting and dull. Give her a good book any day.
Meng Xingzhong studied her face and relaxed. “Good. You’ve been out a ton lately, and you’re not chattering with A Xin like usual. I figured maybe…”
Meng Bai snorted. “Dad, seriously?”
“Listen, the guys around here? Trash. Your old man wouldn’t wish a single one on you.” He tapped her forehead lightly. “What do you even know about men at your age?”
Meng Bai pressed her lips together. “Nothing. And I don’t want to. All I care about is acing my college exams.”
His expression finally softened. “That’s my girl.”
Meng Bai shrugged it off. “Dad, school tomorrow. Get some rest.”
“Right. Night.”
Old Meng rose to his feet and ambled toward his room. After a couple of steps, he turned back, pointing at Meng Bai. “No dating, you hear me? Your mom insists you’re going through puberty, but I’ve noticed something off about you these past few days!”
Meng Bai’s ears were ringing from the constant nagging. “Got it, got it. Off you go.”
~~~
In the small town, nights were devoid of cell phones, lit only by low-wattage tungsten bulbs.
In her cramped little room, Meng Bai lay on her narrow bed, a book clutched in her hands.
She had scavenged it from a bookstall in town. Titled The Alchemist, it was a foreign tale that had somehow made its way to this remote stall.
It followed an adventurer on a quest for hidden treasure.
Meng Bai devoured it eagerly, utterly absorbed in every twist and turn.
Just as she lost herself in the story, a rustling sound came from the window.
It sounded like someone outside scraping at the wall.
At first, she thought she had imagined it, but the noise dragged on relentlessly, forcing her to set the book aside.
“Who’s there?”
“Me~~~”
From outside, Zhou Chuxing whispered, his voice hushed.
Meng Bai scrambled off the bed and hurried to the window. “What do you want?”
“Want to head to Zhou An’s house?” Zhou Chuxing kept his tone low, no doubt aware of how strict Meng Bai’s family was.
“Are you crazy? Do you even know what time it is?”
Zhou Chuxing replied, “Carpenter Zhou and Zhang Caiyun aren’t home. I’ve got a key to her place. Want to poke around a bit?”
Meng Bai hesitated for all of two seconds before making up her mind. “Wait for me at the door in ten minutes.”
She set the book down and crept quietly toward the main hall…
~~~
Old Meng and Lin Li kept to a strict sleep schedule. The small town offered little in the way of evening entertainment, and the TV programs were dreadful anyway.
Their ancient television set shorted out constantly, so the couple typically retired to their room by nine.
Meng Bai slipped stealthily from her room. The main hall stood empty, though the light still burned in the room across the way.
They weren’t asleep yet, but it wouldn’t be long.
She lightened her footsteps, edging slowly toward the front door, every movement deliberate and cautious. She couldn’t afford to let the adults catch her—not if she ever wanted to step out at night again.
Treading softly was simple enough, but unlocking the door posed a real challenge.
The wooden door was secured by a long shoulder pole. Removing it demanded finesse.
Meng Bai proceeded with utmost care and finally eased the pole free. But then a gust of wind swept in, and without its support, the door rattled noisily on its hinges.
Her heart thundered in her chest. She froze in place, straining to hear any stir from Old Meng’s room.
Then came a click—the light switched off.
They had gone to bed.
Meng Bai exhaled in relief and slipped outside.
Zhou Chuxing waited just beyond the door. He started to speak upon seeing her, but she signaled for silence and gestured for them to walk a ways before talking.
He nodded.
The two skulked along side by side down the dark lane, as if they were indeed engaged in something illicit.
After putting some ten meters between themselves and the house, Zhou Chuxing tested the waters. “Can I talk now?”
“Mm-hmm.” Meng Bai glanced at his hair, which gleamed under the night sky. “Can’t you ditch that yellow hair? It’s hideous.”
“It’s fashion. Ever heard of it?” Zhou Chuxing fished around in his pocket and produced a key. “Ta-da—key to Zhou An’s house.”
“How’d you get that?”
“Borrowed it from my dad. Zhou Qiang’s hardly ever home, and sometimes Dad goes over to feed their dog.”
Meng Bai wrinkled her nose in distaste. “But didn’t all of Zhou An’s dogs die ages ago?”
Zhou Chuxing shrugged nonchalantly. “The key was never returned. Must be a year now. I figure he’s forgotten all about it. I checked just now—no one’s home. Those old gamblers are probably off at the card tables again.”
The house was only two or three hundred meters away.
Just a single corner to round along the way.
It made Meng Bai mull over that nagging question once more: On that rainy day, over such a short distance, how could Zhou An have simply vanished?
It made no sense.
“Do you think your sister came straight home after giving you that umbrella?”
Meng Bai nodded. “I wasn’t sure before. But after crossing paths with Boss Zhang, I’m convinced she made it back.”
“So we should hunt for anything of hers inside?”
Meng Bai curved her lips in a sly smile. “Your brain’s finally firing on all cylinders.”
They soon arrived at Zhou An’s doorstep.
The place was pitch black, inside and out, without a sliver of light. Zhou Chuxing squinted as he fumbled with the key.
“Hey, damn it—you should’ve brought a flashlight. I can’t find the keyhole!”
“Hand it over.” Meng Bai snatched the key from him, slid it neatly into the lock, gave it a twist, and the door swung open in an instant.
Zhou Chuxing flashed her a thumbs-up. “You’re a pro!”
Meng Bai returned the key. “Aren’t you from a poor family? Can’t even manage a nighttime door?”
He chuckled awkwardly. “Heh, don’t rub it in. Our front door actually has a light~”
Meng Bai didn’t bother responding and stepped inside.
The interior was utterly dark; she could make out only the vague shapes of stools and tables.
Zhou Chuxing instinctively groped for the light switch, but Meng Bai clamped a hand on his arm. “Are you an idiot? Flip that on, and the whole neighborhood knows someone’s here.”
“What’s there to worry about? They’re at cards!”
“Not for sure. What if they’ve come back already?”
He paused, conceding the point with a grin. “Fair enough. Meng-jie, that bookish brain of yours sure is meticulous.”
It was hard to tell if he was mocking her or genuinely impressed.
“You’re older than me—don’t call me sis.” Meng Bai narrowed her eyes and pressed onward, calling back to Zhou Chuxing, “Stick close. I know where she keeps the flashlight.”
