At eight-thirty in the evening, the nanny van carrying Mu Shanyi slowly pulled away from the company building, blending into the wide streets of Cloud City under the cover of night.
The car radio played financial news, with the volume turned very low as per Mu Shanyi’s habit. The host’s rich voice mixed with static, like raindrops pattering against the windows.
Mu Shanyi glanced lightly at her phone.
The location share she had sent an hour ago received no response.
“President Mu, where to?” Lu Zheng asked, keeping the speed steady.
Mu Shanyi pondered for a moment. “Has the music festival ended?”
“Miss Miao’s performance was the finale. Based on the program schedule, it should have ended by now.” Mu Shanyi didn’t mention Miao Zhu by name, but Lu Zheng understood immediately.
Mu Shanyi’s fingertips lightly swiped across the phone screen. A moment later, she hummed in affirmation of Lu Zheng’s guess.
It had indeed ended. Xingran had updated her Moments not long ago, sharing photos from Miao Zhu’s performance.
Miao Zhu was immersed in the performance; every snapshot captured her vividly.
They were together.
“Head to Jinyuan,” Mu Shanyi said, setting her phone down.
Lu Zheng quickly observed Mu Shanyi through the rearview mirror. Mu Shanyi leaned against the seatback, her profile turned toward the window.
Her boss seemed to be at odds with Miss Miao right now, and her current state…
She appeared calm, but Lu Zheng, who had followed her for years, knew this calm was different from usual. Not long ago at the energy exchange conference during the intermission, her boss had been in this state after taking a phone call.
Lu Zheng couldn’t find the right words to describe it, because in her mind, her boss came from a prominent background, was successful in her career, and handled everything with ease. She was powerful and composed—those words simply didn’t fit her.
The financial news played for about ten minutes. When it ended, cheerful transition music came from the speakers, followed by local Cloud City news, which Mu Shanyi had never been interested in. Lu Zheng was about to turn off the radio when the music faded unexpectedly, and the host’s heavy voice followed: “We interrupt with breaking news. Around 8:10 p.m. this evening, a knife-wielding man carried out a random attack at the school anniversary music festival at Cloud City University. According to eyewitnesses at the scene, the man burst into the performance backstage area and assaulted staff and members of the symphony orchestra who had just finished performing, injuring multiple people to varying degrees. The victims have been rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment, and the perpetrator has been subdued by campus security. Further details are pending…”
The volume was extremely low, yet it exploded like thunder in their ears. Lu Zheng yanked the steering wheel sharply and glanced at Mu Shanyi in the rearview mirror again.
Mu Shanyi sat up straight, picked up her phone, and dialed.
“The nearest hospital to Cloud City University is Mercy Grace Hospital, about an hour’s drive from here,” Lu Zheng said, gripping the wheel tightly. “I’ll call them now to confirm.”
Miao Zhu’s phone was off. Mu Shanyi spoke curtly: “Hurry.”
Lu Zheng floored the accelerator, and the black car shot through the intersection just before the light turned red.
Mu Group had long-standing close cooperation with major hospitals, so Lu Zheng’s call was quickly transferred to the emergency triage desk at Mercy Grace Hospital. As soon as the receiving nurse answered, Lu Zheng asked: “Hello, regarding the random knife attack at Cloud City University half an hour ago, were all the victims sent to your hospital?”
“Yes.”
Lu Zheng was about to ask more when Mu Shanyi leaned forward: “Two of my family members were at the scene and are currently unreachable. One is a symphony orchestra performer named Miao Zhu, female, 24 years old. ID number…”
She rattled off the digits without hesitation. “The other is Sheng Xingran; your system should have her identified. Are they on the patient list?”
“The system hasn’t flagged any VIP admissions,” the nurse replied. She knew she was speaking to Mu Group’s actual controller and was already on edge; this exchange made her even more nervous. Though the other woman’s speech was clear and logical, the tension in her voice was unmistakable. Fearing any mistake, she said: “Please hold; I’ll check the other one for you right now.”
The scenery outside the window blurred past in a rush of lights and buildings smeared into vague colors.
Every second felt endlessly long.
“Found it! There’s a patient matching the information…”
–
The white cashmere coat draped over the seatback had large bloodstains blooming across the front and cuffs.
The electronic clock on the wall ticked forward half a minute, pulling Miao Zhu’s time back to right after the performance ended.
She and Jiang Jingjing bowed in thanks amid the enthusiastic atmosphere and walked off stage. At the edge of the stage, Tao Anhe hurriedly handed them their coats, bouncing around with another rainbow of compliments. The incident happened too suddenly—Miao Zhu was still putting on her coat when Jiang Jingjing’s scream filled her ears. Then she was shoved by Jiang Jingjing into the stage rigging. Turning around, she saw the sharp blade plunge into Tao Anhe’s body.
Everything that followed blurred into slow motion.
Multicolored stage lights swept across the attacker’s ferocious face. Jiang Jingjing clutched her hand in panic, blood dripping steadily from between her fingers. Chaos erupted around them as security bravely subdued the attacker, and nearby people ran toward them.
And Tao Anhe—Tao Anhe staggered into her arms, then slid softly downward.
Miao Zhu instinctively caught her, her fingers brushing the knife’s back and the gushing wound on Tao Anhe’s body. The icy, slick sensation made Miao Zhu’s legs go weak, and she sank to the ground with Tao Anhe.
“…Tao’er?” Jiang Jingjing’s voice trembled like chaff.
Tao Anhe, in Miao Zhu’s arms: “Teacher, I think… it hurts a bit…”
“Call the police! Hurry!”
“Where’s the on-site doctor? Get emergency aid to the hospital now!”
“Bring a stretcher! Someone’s been stabbed! It’s serious!”
“…”
“The photo…” Tao Anhe gasped heavily. Her hand struggled into the flap of her buttoned coat, pulling out the signed photo from her inner pocket. The moment she saw it, tears spilled out: “…It’s all blood. It’s ruined; I can’t give it to her now…”
