SES Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Dejected, Mu Dai dragged herself back to the villa—it was nearly midnight. Too tired to go to her room, she slumped down on the sofa in the main hall like a corpse and stared blankly at the chandelier on the ceiling.

The villa’s vintage style lived up to its name. The chandelier was shaped like a brass monkey hanging upside down, its curled tail forming a hook that held the light.

What a shame they’d installed modern light bulbs. If it were an ancient oil lamp with a flickering flame on the tip of that tail, the vibe would’ve been perfect.

She didn’t know how long she’d been lying there when someone came over and sat down on the couch across from her. The man chuckled and teased, “Hey, kid, why so down?”

It was Wan Fenghuo. Mu Dai didn’t move, lying there listlessly. “I’m just mad, that’s all.”

Wan Fenghuo burst out laughing. “You look like a balloon that’s popped.”

That was exactly how she felt. You really can’t let yourself get too worked up—she’d gotten so angry, she’d worn herself out.

She made herself sit up a little and asked, “Why aren’t you asleep yet?”

“Just saw Li Tan off.”

Mu Dai was surprised. “He left?”

“Yep, he left.”

Made sense. It wasn’t like he’d come here to sightsee. Since there was no progress, of course, everyone would go their separate ways. She still felt a bit unwilling to let go of Luo Ren, but who had the time or energy to hang around in an unfamiliar place for someone whose background was a complete mystery?

Mu Dai sat up, a bit disheartened. “I’ll head back tomorrow too.”

The next morning, she packed her things, called a taxi, and headed to the airport. Not long after they pulled onto Renmin Road, they got stuck in traffic. Mu Dai rolled down the window and watched the scenery to pass the time, when suddenly someone on the opposite side of the street started waving wildly at her.

“Hey, Mu Dai!”

It was Cao Yanhua. This was his stomping ground, so no surprise he was out and about. Mu Dai waved back, meaning for him to stay put. But to her dismay, he dashed across traffic, dodging cars and curses, and came up to her window, leaning on it with a big grin. “Hey, Mu Dai! Where are you headed? The Three Gorges? Ciqikou?”

“I’m going home.”

It took him a full five seconds to process what she meant by “going home.” His face fell. “What? You’re leaving already? You’ve only been here a few days! What, is my Chongqing not good enough for you? And you didn’t even say goodbye—too heartbreaking. I should at least treat you to a meal…”

The light up ahead changed, and the driver impatiently shooed him. “Move it! We’re driving!”

Mu Dai gave Cao Yanhua an apologetic smile. But she’d underestimated his persistence. He ran alongside the taxi for a few steps, then suddenly yanked the door open and jumped in.

The driver’s face darkened at the dangerous move, but Cao Yanhua acted like he didn’t notice. “Perfect timing. I’m free—let me give you a ride.”

Mu Dai figured he must have something on his mind. Sure enough, after adding her on WeChat and repeatedly promising to visit Yunnan, he lowered his voice mysteriously. “Mu Dai, where’d you learn your fighting skills?”

She gave him a sidelong look. “Why?”

“I want to learn too! Your skills are perfect for my line of work. I’ve looked into it—every class out there is just tai chi for old folks to stay fit. Useless. You must’ve had a proper master, right?”

“Mm-hmm.”

Cao Yanhua lit up. “Mu Dai—no, big sis—what do you say, think you could take me on as a student?”

He was so tactful about it, but Mu Dai shot him down in one sentence: “No way. Don’t even think about it.”

He wouldn’t give up. “What, your master only takes one disciple?”

“No, there was one before me.”

She grinned at him. “But that guy had a bad heart. After learning the skills, he went down the wrong path and stole from people. When my master found out, he broke one of his legs…”

As she spoke, she slowly rested her hand on Cao Yanhua’s knee. He was so focused on listening, he didn’t notice, but at the last sentence, she suddenly twisted hard, bending his knee to the side. Cao Yanhua screamed like she was about to snap his leg. The driver flinched at the sound, and the car skidded a little in the lane.

Mu Dai calmly let go, tone serious. “Fat bro, it’s not that I look down on your career, but my master hates thieves most of all. If he knew what you’ve been up to… hmph…”

Those two cold snorts gave Cao Yanhua the chills, and he finally gave up on the idea. But to his credit, he didn’t take offense. At the airport, he even escorted her to security.

With time to kill before her flight, Mu Dai wandered the airport shops, debating whether to bring Hong Yi some local specialties. Someone called her name.

She turned and, to her surprise, it was Li Tan.

Another familiar face from this trip—she was genuinely glad. “Didn’t you leave last night?”

Li Tan smiled. “Some kind of air drill or traffic control—I had to delay till today.”

His flight was still a ways off too, so they sat and chatted. The conversation kept circling back to Luoma Lake. Li Tan seemed low-spirited—this trip had disappointed him.

Mu Dai didn’t believe Cen Chunqiao’s info was fake, but Li Tan’s account was so detailed too. It was hard for anyone to judge. She suggested, “If you came face-to-face with the killer, you should tell Uncle Wan. He’s got people and connections—he could help.”

“I talked to him privately this time, but…” Li Tan frowned. “Things are more complicated than you think. He suggested I see a hypnotist.”

A hypnotist? Mu Dai was puzzled.

Li Tan tried to explain, but didn’t give much detail. “At the time… honestly, I stumbled right into it. The guy tried to run, I fought him, he had a mask on, and then someone hit me on the back of the head…”

Mu Dai was shocked. “There were two of them?”

Li Tan sighed. “At first, I thought it was just one.”

He pulled out a pack of cigarettes and toyed with one in his fingers, but didn’t light it, probably because they were in the airport. “It happened two years ago—not five like Cen Chunqiao said—so I know her story doesn’t add up. But I don’t have a clear memory of their faces. I was dazed when I fell, and one had a mask on.”

Mu Dai understood now why they’d suggested hypnosis. “It could help. I’ve heard hypnotists are amazing. They can guide your subconscious to recreate the scene and even help you sketch what you saw. Can you draw?”

Li Tan smiled. “Well enough. I used to love drawing when I was young. I did decent pen sketches—even drew something for Yaqing for the Asian Youth Art Expo…”

He trailed off, head bowed, fingers flattening the cigarette.

Mu Dai felt a lump in her throat. Li Tan wasn’t young anymore; silver strands showed in his hair. Maybe he hadn’t been destined for great fame, but he’d had a stable career, a promising future, a happy family… until what happened to Li Yaqing.

A sudden thought struck her, and she blurted out, “Professor Li and his wife—Yaqing was their only child?”

“Not exactly,” Li Tan said casually. “I heard she was a twin. When they had the girls, they gave one up for adoption. After they got back to the city and life improved, they tried to find her, but no luck. Oh—hey, isn’t that your boarding call?”

Mu Dai snapped out of it and saw him pointing at the flight info display. She checked her boarding pass. “Yeah, that’s me.”

Her head was spinning. She walked a few steps, then turned back. “Hey—let’s exchange contact info.”

Li Tan nodded. “Got it. If I hear anything new, I’ll let you know. Two people looking is better than one.”

The past couple of days, Yi Wansan had been extra diligent. Uncle Zhang teased him, “The young boss lady’s back, and suddenly you’re a whole new man.”

“Who wouldn’t be?” Yi Wansan muttered. “You try getting smacked around.”

Besides, Huo Zihong had warned him—once Mu Dai got back, she’d start taking over the day-to-day operations of the bar.

If she took charge, the first thing she’d do would be to inventory or audit the books. Where would that leave him?

That evening, Mu Dai was sitting by the window reading when Yi Wansan brought over a coffee. The foam art was a girl’s face, done with milk and chocolate sauce—minimal lines, rich meaning, and fragrant steam. He couldn’t resist showing off, hoping she’d notice his “hard work.”

“Boss lady, check out the latte art I’ve been learning…”

Without looking up, Mu Dai took a sip. Half the girl’s face was gone. She stirred the coffee with a spoon, like it were too hot.

Yi Wansan’s heart shattered. This was like a cow chewing peonies—what a waste! What a wicked woman!

Tonight, he was going to post ten thousand words on his online forum thread!

Mu Dai called softly, “Yi Wansan.”

“Yeah?”

“Someone’s watching me.”

No kidding. I’m watching you right now, Yi Wansan thought, but he forced a flattering smile. “Boss lady, you’re beautiful. It’s normal for people to look at you.”

It wasn’t entirely a lie. The area was packed with tourists, photographers snapping away. As that poem goes, something about standing on the bridge and watching the scenery, and becoming part of the scenery yourself.

“No, Yi Wansan—don’t be obvious. Casually look around. See who it is.”

Her tone made him nervous. His heart pounded as he pretended to tidy the tables, glancing around. The only other customers inside were a couple too busy being lovey-dovey to notice anything else.

Had to be outside.

Across the street was another café. Through the window, he thought he saw a man in black sitting in the corner—but in the blink of an eye, he was gone.

Mu Dai’s phone vibrated on the table.

A message from Li Tan: “Tried several times, finally made progress today. The sketch is done—I’m sending you a photo.”

The picture loaded slowly. Sharp pen strokes carved into the paper. When the face emerged, Mu Dai’s eyes narrowed.

It was Luo Ren.