Chapter 4 – Song Zhenzhen Is a Human Trafficker

Song Yun shot a cold glance at Song Weiguo.
“You’re saying just because I went out for a while, I might get you all killed? Then what about your precious son and daughter teaming up to push me down, slamming the back of my head against the corner of the table—nearly killing me? Wouldn’t that count as attempted murder?”

Song Weiguo’s expression changed drastically. He hadn’t expected her to say this in public. He reached out, trying to cover her mouth, but Song Yun had already strode swiftly upstairs.

In the hallway, Li Shulan was stir-frying with a cloth over her nose and mouth, coughing from the smoke and swearing between gasps,
“That damn girl—who knows where she ran off to! Making me cook and choke on oil smoke like this! Lazy trash! Just wait till she gets back—see how I deal with her!”
Ever since Song Yun learned to cook, Li Shulan hadn’t touched kitchen work in years.

Even when Song Yun was going to school, she had to get up at the crack of dawn to prepare all the meals for the day before she left. Otherwise, she wasn’t allowed to go.

Song Yun stormed in like a gust of wind, completely ignoring Li Shulan’s cursing as she passed by, and kicked open Song Zhenzhen’s bedroom door. Zhenzhen was admiring herself in the mirror when Song Yun grabbed her by the collar.

“Where is my brother?”

Zhenzhen was stunned.
“What are you screaming about?! Hongwei is at school—where else would he be? Let go of me! You’re wrinkling my clothes—are you insane?!”

Song Yun released her collar—and immediately grabbed her by the hair instead, yanking hard as Zhenzhen screamed in pain.

“I’ll ask one more time: my biological brother, Song Ziyi—where is he?”

Zhenzhen’s heart skipped a beat. She even forgot to cry out—how could Song Yun know about that?

She tried to stay calm. “Your real brother is with your real parents. Why ask me? Let go!”

Seeing she was lying, Song Yun didn’t hold back. She slapped Zhenzhen’s already swollen face back and forth, growling with each slap,
“Will you talk or not?!”

Song Weiguo and Li Shulan rushed in. Seeing his beloved daughter getting beaten, Weiguo’s face turned black.
“What the hell are you doing? Let go of Zhenzhen!”

Li Shulan didn’t hesitate—she charged in with the spatula in hand, ready to strike Song Yun on the head.

But Song Yun wasn’t about to stand there and get hit. She shoved Zhenzhen toward Li Shulan with force. The two women collided, their heads knocking together with a painful thud, followed by twin screams.

Ignoring the chaos, Song Yun stared coldly at Zhenzhen and repeated word by word:
“Where is my brother, Song Ziyi?”

Zhenzhen, of course, refused to admit anything. Holding her forehead, she shrieked defiantly,
“Your brother is with your real parents! How would I know where he is?! If you don’t believe me, go ask them!”

Zhenzhen thought she was safe—there was no way Song Yun could know where Song Hao and Bai Qingxia had been sent, or anything about Song Ziyi. As long as she kept her mouth shut, no one would find out. Soon enough, Song Hao and Bai Qingxia would die in the countryside, and no one would be left to testify. She would get away with it.

But Song Yun stared her down with icy contempt.
“You don’t want to talk now? Fine. Let’s go to the police then. You think no one saw you leave the Jingbei University faculty dorm? You were seen. A child vanishing into thin air—you think no one will notice?”

She turned toward the door.

Looking back at Song Weiguo’s stunned face, she sneered,
“Surprised? This darling daughter you just ‘reclaimed’—she’s a human trafficker. Wonder how many years you get for selling a child? Maybe she’ll even face a firing squad. Won’t that make the Song family famous at the textile factory?”

Zhenzhen turned ghostly pale at the word police. She shook her head frantically,
“You’re lying! I’m not—I didn’t—I’m not a human trafficker!”

Song Yun walked toward the door.
“Then explain it to the police.”

Song Weiguo had lived long enough to know what guilt looked like. One glance at Zhenzhen’s panicked expression, and his heart sank. If this really involved human trafficking, it could ruin them all. He lunged to block Song Yun from leaving and quickly shut the half-open door.

Truthfully, Song Yun had no intention of actually going to the police—not yet. She still didn’t know where her brother was. If Zhenzhen refused to talk and they waited for an official investigation, it could take ages. She needed answers now—was he alive or dead?

She stopped in place and turned slowly, meeting Weiguo’s gaze.

“You planning to hit me again? Go ahead, but you better think twice. I’m no longer your daughter. You lay one finger on me, and I will report you.”

The old Song Yun had been obedient and timid. If you told her to go east, she wouldn’t dare go west. You could hit or scold her and she never fought back. But this version of Song Yun—her eyes cold, her tone sharp, her actions ruthless—was nothing like before.

Weiguo slowly lowered his raised fist. Frustrated and angry, he grunted,
“Do you have to shout about calling the police every time? Can’t you just talk like a normal person?”

“I would like to talk,” she snapped. “But look at her attitude—stubborn as a mule. If she won’t talk sense, let the police do the talking.”

Li Shulan screeched, pointing at Song Yun,
“Zhenzhen already said there’s no such thing! Why are you accusing her?! Calling the police? You’ve lost your damn mind! I’ll beat you to death, you little wretch!”

Still holding the spatula, she charged at Song Yun and swung it toward her head.

But Song Yun sidestepped, grabbed Li Shulan’s wrist, and twisted it hard. Shulan’s scream echoed through the entire apartment building.

Weiguo’s eyes widened. Was this girl possessed?! Fighting back against her elders?

Song Yun flung Shulan aside and said coldly,
“Go ahead. Make a scene. I don’t mind letting everyone know your precious daughter is a human trafficker.”

Voices from curious neighbors were already drifting in from the hallway. Weiguo rushed over and clamped his hand over Li Shulan’s mouth, shooting a warning glare at Song Yun.

“Calm down,” he said in a low voice. “Nothing’s been confirmed yet. Don’t go shouting nonsense. It’s bad for everyone.”

Song Yun scoffed. “You’ve got five minutes. If I don’t get the truth in five minutes, we’re going straight to the police station.” She checked her watch, then sat down on a bamboo chair.

Weiguo took a deep breath. Ignoring the massive shift in Song Yun’s demeanor, he turned and glared at Li Shulan, warning her not to cause more trouble—at least not right now. Then he stormed into the bedroom and fixed his gaze on a pale-faced Song Zhenzhen.

“Tell me the truth. What really happened?”

Zhenzhen opened her mouth to lie, but he cut her off.
“Think carefully before you speak. If you didn’t cover your tracks properly, don’t count on luck to save you.”

Zhenzhen wrung her hands nervously, trying to recall the day she left the Jingbei University campus. In her hurry to leave, she hadn’t been cautious at all. Now that she thought back, she did remember passing some familiar faces—teachers, even. Worse, Song Ziyi had greeted two of them and told them where they were going…