Chapter 43: White Mist in the Woods 8
Zhuang Ningyu stood by the window, watching the interaction between Yi Ke and Jiajia. He had been on many missions before, and completely harmless ones were not unheard of. Simply entering a rule zone to celebrate a little girl’s birthday wasn’t actually that strange.
“What are you thinking about?” A moment later, Yi Ke pushed open the door and came in.
“I’m thinking about Jiajia. Her health is very poor,” Zhuang Ningyu said, turning around. “She’s too thin and has no strength in her hands. She can’t even hold chopsticks tightly and has been eating with a spoon. Also, besides not being able to speak, she seems to have some intellectual problems.”
“The air in Qingquan Mountain is good. Before it was developed into a scenic area, the Fengming Mountain Bay area was also very quiet. Perhaps their family specially rented the small building to allow the sick elderly and children to recuperate,” Yi Ke said. “I just urged the investigation team. They said that Wang Li’s son, who has Alzheimer’s, is probably unreliable. He doesn’t know anything. As for the nearby residents, they’ve only found two households so far, but they only remember that this family lived in seclusion and don’t know anything else. So Captain Qin will issue a formal notice this afternoon to solicit clues from all citizens to find the identity of this tenant family.”
Before breakfast, Zhuang Ningyu had already handed over the motorcycle club list that Bo Siyu had sent to the investigation team. The Qingquan Mountain riders from over a decade ago were much wilder than they are now. At that time, the government didn’t manage them much, and with the influence of several popular movies, many “newbies” got hot-headed and came to play drifting with any random bike, causing a lot of trouble.
“Is there a girl similar to Jiajia on the car accident list?” Yi Ke asked.
Zhuang Ningyu shook his head. “No. Jiajia should like motorcycles, otherwise she wouldn’t have asked us to celebrate her birthday with her.” He pulled up a historical satellite map on the computer and pointed with his finger. “This road behind the house used to lead to a very famous racetrack. There were vehicles passing by every day, so it’s entirely possible that Jiajia made friends with racers.”
For a ten-year-old child with low intelligence, poor health, and who couldn’t speak, older friends were generally easier to get close to than peers. Because peers might dislike, laugh at, or bully her, but adults wouldn’t. Especially the group of riders, who always had a bit of the magnanimity of a master of Mount Akina. Faced with such a fragile little stranger, they would most likely contribute great patience and love.
All children, whether special or not, need friends.
The mountain wind was a bit strong. Yi Ke reached out to close the window, thought for a moment, and then pushed a small crack back open for someone who needed to breathe at all times. He Yu was still sweeping the yard. Zhuang Ningyu glanced down from the window crack and said, “Actually, Xiao He’s role is really good. Just like Xiao Tian during the doll party, she can openly go to many places that others can’t easily access.”
“That’s true, but you also have to consider the personality difference between He Yu and Tian Luxin. Xiao Tian could break into a haunted house in the middle of the night, but He Yu doesn’t even have the guts to look a monster in the eye,” Yi Ke said, taking out a few apples from his pocket, preparing to make him hot fruit tea. “But the rules don’t restrict our range of activities, so the third floor may not be accessible only to the cleaner. I’ll find a chance to go and see this afternoon.”
Zhuang Ningyu was puzzled. “Where did you get the fruit?”
“From the kitchen. We are guests. Eating fruit is a reasonable request, so I went and asked the nanny for them,” Yi Ke said with considerable self-righteousness. He then squatted on the ground and pulled out a collapsible kettle from his backpack. Zhuang Ningyu looked at the small kettle, which clearly couldn’t fit a whole apple, and reminded him, “The original design of this kettle probably wasn’t for you to enjoy life.”
“But it can trick you into drinking more water,” Yi Ke said, only boiling half an apple and munching on the other half himself. He looked both domestic and easy to raise. During the break while the water was boiling, he sat down next to Zhuang Ningyu, his chin naturally wanting to rub against the other’s shoulder. But he was stopped by Zhuang Ningyu’s two fingers. Yi Ke’s cheek was poked into a small dimple, and he cooed vaguely, “It hurts.”
Zhuang Ningyu was amused and tapped him on the forehead. “Just eat your apple. After you’re done, come with me to the third floor opposite.”
Yi Ke continued to lean over. He had always been formless around Zhuang Ningyu. No matter which part of his body, he had to be touching something to be content. Zhuang Ningyu pushed him twice without success and gave up, continuing to work on his phone, letting the person next to him “crunch crunch,” creating a sweet and crisp sound.
An hour later, the technical department sent over the app they had worked overtime to create. Qing Gang and Zhong Mu officially started the puzzle. Zhuang Ningyu, on the other hand, took Yi Ke and, under the pretense of idle chat and strolling, slowly wandered along the “冂”-shaped corridor. On one side of the corridor was a railing. Looking out, one could see the entire Qingquan Mountain wrapped in winter. The mountain road faintly wound, looking indeed a bit like a racetrack.
Grandpa usually didn’t go out. The nanny was still in the kitchen at the moment. Jiajia should be sleeping, so the third floor was very quiet. The light in the stairwell was dim, and there was a faint smell of mustiness in the air. Some cartoon figures were drawn on the lower part of the wall, looking like Jiajia’s handiwork. The most prominent ones were Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion. Yi Ke said, “It seems she really likes the story of The Wizard of Oz.”
“But not for long,” Zhuang Ningyu reminded him to pay attention to the details. “Most of the drawings look very old. Only these few characters related to The Wizard of Oz have been newly added, and the colors are still very bright.”
Their footsteps stopped in front of the first door, 301. This was the mysterious room whose curtains had never been opened.
Yi Ke tried to turn the doorknob, but it didn’t move. It was locked.
Zhuang Ningyu commanded, “Pick it.”
Yi Ke had just taken out a thin iron wire from his pocket. Before he could start, footsteps suddenly sounded from downstairs!
The monster nanny ran very fast. In the blink of an eye, she appeared panting at the top of the stairs. But the imagined intruder did not appear. She supported herself with one hand on the wall, her eyes suspiciously looking at the empty corridor.
The utility room was very small, barely able to squeeze in two people. Zhuang Ningyu was completely encircled in Yi Ke’s arms. He could only symbolically press his hands against his chest. The other’s warm breath fell on his forehead. He was a little uncomfortable but had nowhere to hide, at most turning his head slightly. In the dim light, Yi Ke looked at the cute, slightly reddened earlobe, his lips pressed together, and continued to tighten his arms as if nothing had happened.
“…”
Their chests were pressed tightly together, and their heartbeats gradually synchronized, eventually maintaining the same rhythm. It was hard to say what kind of emotion was behind the heart rate of 139 beats per minute, but it definitely did not match the “This tester can maintain a stable and controllable mental state when facing external stimuli or pressure, and has extremely strong environmental adaptability” on their entry physical examination reports.
Yi Ke didn’t wear cologne on missions like this, but Zhuang Ningyu was still enveloped in a ring of soft rose fragrance. Just as he was getting dizzy and felt he was about to be marinated, the nanny finally began to move forward, slowly returning to her own room, and then “bang,” she slammed the door shut.
Yi Ke’s voice was soft and serious. “Are we still going to 301?”
Zhuang Ningyu shook his head. “Let’s go back first.”
When they came out of the utility room, Yi Ke naturally took the hand of the person next to him. Zhuang Ningyu turned his head to look at him wearily, but Yi Ke was unmoved. He pulled him and ran downstairs—but he was actually nervous inside, which was evident when he almost ran into He Yu, who was carrying a basin at the top of the stairs, when turning a corner.
“Careful!” Water splashed everywhere. Yi Ke quickly helped her up, while Zhuang Ningyu covered her mouth. With this wild method of silencing someone after being caught in an affair, they forcibly dragged the girl back to the second-floor guest area.
“Wha-what’s wrong?” He Yu was terrified, her face full of horror.
“Nothing. We were afraid you would scream and attract the nanny downstairs,” Zhuang Ningyu apologized repeatedly. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. I was looking for you and Teacher Yi anyway,” He Yu said, putting the empty basin on the ground and saying nervously, “After I finished cleaning the kitchen, I thought I could come back, but the nanny asked me to clean 301. What should I do, Captain Zhuang? Can I not go?”
It came without any effort. Zhuang Ningyu gripped her arms. “You can’t not go.”
He Yu had a mournful face. “Huh?”
Yi Ke comforted her, “Captain Zhuang and I will go up with you. If the nanny doesn’t allow it, we’ll wait for you at the top of the stairs.”
He Yu had just been splashed with water. Now, with the wind blowing, she was shivering from the cold, so she went back to change her clothes first. With this interruption, the awkwardness Zhuang Ningyu had accumulated in the utility room also faded a bit. Although he had already adopted a “whatever” attitude and acquiesced to many of Yi Ke’s actions, the other had been pushing too hard recently, not just taking an inch but taking a mile.
For example, now, after Yi Ke had helped him wipe the water off his body, he tried to hold his hand affectionately again. “Are you cold?”
Zhuang Ningyu couldn’t take it anymore and grabbed the file on the table, “thwack thwack,” hitting him on the head.
Yi Ke smiled and dodged to the side. At this time, He Yu had also changed her clothes and was standing at the door, looking at the two of them, unsure if she should come in. Zhuang Ningyu handed her a micro camera. He Yu turned around and clipped it to her collar. After tidying up, she picked up the basin again. “I’m ready.”
The three of them walked through the long “冂”-shaped corridor together. At the top of the stairs, the monster nanny was mopping up the water that Yi Ke had just spilled. She didn’t seem angry about it, just diligently working. After hearing the footsteps, she stood up straight, her gaze cautiously falling on Zhuang Ningyu and Yi Ke.
Zhuang Ningyu smiled. “We wanted to walk around.”
The nanny spread her arms to block the stairs, her face sullen. Zhuang Ningyu nodded, his attitude friendly. “Understood.” He and Yi Ke took two steps back and said softly, “Xiao He, go on.”
He Yu’s steps were unsteady, and she looked quite terrified as she walked, but in the end, she didn’t run away. Compared to her jumpy state at the beginning, she had improved a lot.
Her small figure disappeared onto the third floor. Zhuang Ningyu and Yi Ke leaned against the railing and began to pretend to take pictures of each other. The camera on He Yu’s collar could transmit images in real time. A few minutes later, the signal showed that it was connected.
The camera was a bit shaky, but it was clear that the room was not large. A 1.5-meter bed already took up most of the space. The bedding was neat, with nothing to tidy up. So He Yu took the basin into the bathroom. The furnishings on the sink were also simple, with only the most basic toiletries.
“Lower the camera a bit,” Zhuang Ningyu said. “When you go out later, focus on the wardrobe and the table.”
“Okay,” He Yu replied, quickening her pace in cleaning the bathroom.
The nanny put her old-fashioned phone back in her pocket and looked up at them. Zhuang Ningyu immediately shut up, and he and Yi Ke both looked off into the distance. Although their acting wasn’t exactly perfect, it successfully fooled the nanny. She didn’t investigate further, wiped her hands on her apron, turned around, and went upstairs with the mop.
A noisy sound came from the earpiece. Then, the nanny’s face appeared on Zhuang Ningyu’s phone screen. At first, they were startled, thinking she had discovered something. But the other did not make any further moves, just pointed to the door, indicating that she would do the rest of the work and that He Yu should leave.
Zhuang Ningyu said, “Listen to her.”
He Yu was relieved and quickly went out with the basin.
“I haven’t seen such a clueless room in a long time. It doesn’t look like anyone lives here,” Yi Ke said, leaning against the railing and guessing, “Is the guest not here yet? Or, is the guest arriving soon, so it needs to be cleaned in advance?”
Zhuang Ningyu nodded. “Possible.”
At this time, He Yu had also come downstairs. She hurried over and asked, “Captain Zhuang, how was my recording?”
“Very good,” Zhuang Ningyu said, taking the water basin from her. “Let’s go, let’s go back to the room first.”
He Yu pouted. “Very good, that means not so good.”
Zhuang Ningyu said with a smile, “Very good means very good. Who told you very good equals not so good?”
“Are there any clues in that room? I didn’t see any.”
“Not for now. It’s fine, we’ll look again next time.”
Zhuang Ningyu sent her back to rest with a few words. In room 201, Qing Gang and Zhong Mu had already finished a large part of the puzzle. With the help of the app, the difficulty was basically zero. The only things that were tired were their eyes and necks.
At dinner time, it was Zhong Mu’s turn to guard the puzzle. Qing Gang sat at the round table, grimacing and doing neck exercises for a long time. Although the other few didn’t know how they were doing it, they still fully expressed their due admiration and gratitude. Li Hao diligently helped massage his shoulders while saying, “Brother Qing, I always thought rule zones were super dangerous, full of bloody old cases. I didn’t expect there to be this kind of 18th-century English textile worker labor type.”
Qing Gang asked, “So do you want a textile worker or an old case?”
Li Hao decisively replied that it was definitely the textile worker. It must be hard on you and Sister Zhong, and also, hard on Captain Zhuang and Brother Yi. He was quite impartial in his flattery, striving for completeness. Zhou Huanchang also expressed his thanks, saying that he would treat everyone to a meal after they got out.
He Yu brought the last dish to the table. “I’ve already portioned out Sister Zhong’s. I’ll send it up now. You guys eat first.”
“I’ll go,” Zhuang Ningyu said, picking up the food box on the table. Before he could even leave his seat, Zhong Mu’s slightly nervous voice came from the earpiece. “Captain Zhuang, you guys come up here quickly!”
“What happened?” Yi Ke asked.
“I don’t know,” Zhuang Ningyu said, striding upstairs. Yi Ke and Qing Gang followed closely behind. The remaining four at the dining table looked at each other. Zhou Huanchang said, “Well… should we go and see too?”
In the corridor, Zhong Mu was holding a rabbit in one hand and Jiajia in the other, covered in blood. Seeing the crowd, she urgently explained first, “I’m fine, it’s the rabbit’s blood!”
“What happened to the rabbit?” Qing Gang took it from her hands. Looking at the mangled wound, he couldn’t help but feel a toothache. “How did this happen?”
Zhong Mu looked at the little girl in her arms and didn’t speak, just told Qing Gang to help treat the rabbit’s wound. At this time, the other four also came over. When He Yu saw the rabbit in Qing Gang’s hands, her face instantly turned pale. She rushed over to check, and without asking any more questions, she went to the room to find medicine. Jiajia stared with wide eyes, seemingly not understanding what was happening outside, just twisting her fingers, which were covered in blood.
Zhuang Ningyu wrung out a warm towel and helped her wipe her hands clean. Jiajia turned her head to look into the room, still looking for the rabbit, but was completely blocked by the backs of the adults. So she pouted and “thump thump thump” ran away.
“What exactly happened?” Yi Ke asked.
Zhong Mu said helplessly, “I was in 201 just now when I suddenly heard an animal’s scream. When I came out to look, I saw Jiajia holding the injured rabbit upside down and shaking it.” The child’s thin fingernails were embedded in the not-yet-fully-healed fur, and the wound instantly bled profusely.
“She—” He Yu was so angry her eyes turned red, and she couldn’t speak. Chu Feifei also said with lingering fear, “What kind of child is this?”
Zhou Huanchang helped to put in a good word. “She’s obviously not very intelligent, so she doesn’t know how to control her strength. Children of this type are like this. She probably had no malicious intent, just wanted to play with the rabbit. It’s actually quite pitiful.”
“I agree with Boss Zhou’s view,” Zhuang Ningyu said. “She has no subjective malicious intent.”
He Yu pursed her lower lip and stood there without a word, rarely showing her anger so openly.
Zhuang Ningyu stepped forward. “Give me the rabbit.”
“Huh?” He Yu was stunned, holding the injured rabbit in both hands, unwilling to hand it over. “Why? I can take good care of it.”
“I know,” Zhuang Ningyu said, still holding out his hand and patiently explaining, “But Jiajia is obviously very interested in this rabbit. It’s possible she’ll come back for it at any time.”
“Oh my god, then you’d better give it to Captain Zhuang quickly,” Chu Feifei said, feeling a chill down her spine just from hearing it. “What if she comes knocking on your door in the middle of the night? No, she doesn’t even need to knock.”
He Yu’s face also turned pale for a moment. After hesitating for a long time, she still handed the rabbit over, but not without a worried reminder, “Then you must take good care of it.”
“Don’t worry,” Zhuang Ningyu said, taking it. “Alright, everyone continue eating.”
After this commotion, no one had any appetite. They hastily ate a few bites to fill their stomachs. The first day at 129 Nanping Road passed so normally and yet not normally. Yi Ke returned to 202, took out a blanket from the cabinet, and made a simple rabbit nest in the corner of 201. The rabbit limped into the blanket and soon fell asleep.
Zhuang Ningyu sat at the table and continued to work. The nights in the mountains would infinitely amplify the silence, so quiet that it seemed even the senses were stripped away by a black hole. This environment was actually not comfortable, so he tapped the table twice with his finger to clear his head. Seeing this, Yi Ke opened his phone and selected a tinkling, lyrical piano piece. The music flowed. Zhuang Ningyu listened for a while and found it somewhat familiar, so he asked him, “What song is this?”
Yi Ke replied, “It’s the BGM from our second meeting.”
Zhuang Ningyu: “I was asking about this piece of music… never mind, you don’t have to say.”
Yi Ke leaned in infinitely closer. “A Time for Us. You were reading Shakespeare at the time, Romeo and Juliet, Act III, Scene II. Lovers can bask in the glow of their own beauty, and even if love is blind, it pairs well with the night.”
Zhuang Ningyu: “Alright, alright.”
Perfunctory. Yi Ke pouted, but before he could scheme up the next round of new tricks, Zhuang Ningyu had already abandoned Shakespeare and slipped over to the rabbit’s nest. He squatted down and watched for a while, then couldn’t resist rubbing the fluffy, cute back with the back of his finger. Yi Ke immediately raised an objection. “Why do you pet me and it the same way?”
Zhuang Ningyu’s hand paused, then he switched from the back of his finger to the pad of his finger, but Yi Ke would definitely not let this happen. He grabbed his wrist high and then pressed his own face against it. Pet me, pet me as you please.
Zhuang Ningyu laughed and cursed, then gave him a light slap.
Yi Ke was satisfied with the slap, then pushed his luck and continued to get closer. “Can I stay here and sleep tonight?”
