Chapter 1 : Help

~My baby is missing!~

“Knock knock knock…”

Zhao Xiangwan was awakened by a knock on the door.

It was quiet and dark everywhere.

The dormitory management at Hunan Public Security University is strict. The lights are turned off at 10 o’clock every night. After that, only girls from the same building or faculty members are allowed to knock on doors.

The knock on the door was soft and gentle, with a hint of worry. Although the person was in a rush, they remained polite and careful, clearly well-mannered.

Zhao Xiangwan, who was sleeping on the lower bunk, got up and walked to the door.

When she opened it, she saw a plump middle-aged woman standing in the dim light of the corridor. Her short hair was messy, her face looked tired, and there were traces of tears on her cheeks.

“Teacher Zhou?”

The woman at the door was Zhou Qiaoxiu, the teaching secretary of the Criminal Investigation College and the head teacher of the 1991 Criminal Investigation major. What was she doing here so late?

The call of “Teacher Zhou” startled the other three girls in the dormitory. Hunan Provincial Public Security University follows military-style management, and the girls, who had just completed a month of military training, quickly got out of bed, stood at attention, and greeted her with a salute.

It was still warm in October in Xingshi, the capital of Hunan Province. The girls were in cotton pajamas, with sleepy eyes, and they looked a little nervous seeing their teacher.

“Mr. Zhou, what can I do for you?”

“Did something happen in class?”

“Is there an emergency notice?”

The girls asked all at once. Zhou Qiaoxiu pursed her lips, as if she wanted to say something comforting, but she was so anxious that she couldn’t think of anything else. She clenched her hands, her lips trembling as she spoke, “Zhao Xiangwan, I…I need your help!”

[My child, my baby is missing! I can’t sleep. When I close my eyes, I hear my baby crying, looking for her mother.]

When these thoughts reached Zhao Xiangwan’s mind, her expression grew serious.

Zhou Qiaoxiu, the head teacher, was usually a very gentle woman. She was kind and caring toward all 38 students in her class. She often spoke softly and radiated maternal love. So, the fact that her child was missing must have made her very worried.

Zhao Xiangwan’s gaze moved from Zhou Qiaoxiu’s tightly clenched hands to the tear stains on her cheeks. “Teacher Zhou, what can I do? Please tell me.”

Zhao Xiangwan’s voice was calm and steady, giving off a sense of trust.

Zhou Qiaoxiu’s shaking hands began to calm down. She looked at her watch, then glanced around. There were several incandescent lights on in the long corridor, and all the dormitory doors were closed except for Room 316.

[It’s half past ten. I shouldn’t be looking for students this late. This goes against school regulations. I’ve disturbed the students’ rest and the children because of my own situation. What’s wrong with me? Why am I so upset? Lao Xu is right. I lost my mind when my baby went missing. I can’t think straight.]

Zhou Qiaoxiu reflected on herself, knowing that it was inappropriate to wake up students at such a late hour.

Zhao Xiangwan stayed quiet and waited patiently.

Zhou Qiaoxiu explained hurriedly: “Zhao Xiangwan, I remember you said during the orientation that you applied to Public Security University because you were interested in criminal investigation psychology. You also mentioned that people’s facial expressions and gestures can reveal their inner thoughts, right?”

Zhao Xiangwan nodded.

Zhou Qiaoxiu stared at her intently. “I want you to ask someone for me, can you?”

Zhao Xiangwan carefully listened to the thoughts of her teacher, Zhou Qiaoxiu.

[The baby is missing, Meimei is crying nonstop. The police have questioned her, but she only cries and won’t speak. Lao Xu says Meimei is scared and I shouldn’t push a 10-year-old. The police and Lao Xu’s colleagues sympathize with her, but… I don’t trust her! I just can’t believe her! What should I do? What should I do?]

Zhao Xiangwan has the ability to read minds. To openly show her skills, she applied for a criminal investigation major at the People’s Public Security University. She studied “Introduction to Human Kinesiology,” an American book, learning to detect lies through facial expressions, language, and body movements.

At the welcome party, Zhao Xiangwan stood out in a guessing game. She wasn’t intimidated by the sophomore students’ challenge. Her eyes scanned the crowd, as if to say: “No need to speak, I already know what you’re thinking.”

Though quiet and not very sociable, everyone knew no one could lie in front of her.

Teacher Zhou Qiaoxiu, aware of her ability, came to find Zhao Xiangwan that evening.

A mother who had lost her child, nearly falling apart, still respected her student enough to ask for help. Seeing Zhou Qiaoxiu in such distress, Zhao Xiangwan softened and said, “Teacher Zhou, don’t worry, I’ll go with you.”

Zhang Yalan, who lived with Zhao Xiangwan, looked worried and offered to go with her.

Zhao Xiangwan saw that Zhou Qiaoxiu seemed uncomfortable with too many people knowing, so she declined, saying, “Teacher Zhou lives nearby. I’ll go alone.”

Zhou Qiaoxiu appreciated Zhao Xiangwan’s understanding and said to the others, “You all go to sleep. I’ll send her back after.”

[Teacher Zhou is taking Zhao Xiangwan out so late. I still feel uneasy.]

[What kind of help do we freshmen can help with?]

[I heard Mr. Zhou’s lover is a high-ranking official in the police. Does this require Zhao Xiangwan’s involvement?]

Zhao Xiangwan overheard her classmates’ concerns. She felt their warmth and smiled, “Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon.”

The light from the hallway illuminated her face, making her cold yet gentle eyes appear even softer than usual.

Zhao Xiangwan is the youngest in dorm 316, reserved, and usually keeps to herself. Today, her smile brought her classmates closer.

“Okay, we’ll wait for you to come back,” said Zhang Yalan, reaching out to touch Zhao Xiangwan’s arm.

Zhao Xiangwan quickly pulled her arm back to avoid the intimacy. She grabbed a sweater and followed Teacher Zhou out of the dorm.

The campus was quiet, with only their footsteps echoing on the cement path.

Zhou Qiaoxiu took a deep breath in the night and said, “Zhao Xiangwan, I’m sorry for asking for your help.”

Zhao Xiangwan spoke gently, “Teacher Zhou, please tell me what happened.”

Due to anxiety, Zhou Qiaoxiu’s words were jumbled, but Zhao Xiangwan listened patiently and pieced together the story.

Zhou Qiaoxiu and her husband, Xu Songling, had been married for years but couldn’t have children. After medical treatments, they adopted a five-year-old girl from the Xing City Orphanage.

Meimei, the adopted child, was sensible, cute, and called them “mom” and “dad” with affection. Zhou Qiaoxiu poured all her maternal love into her, wanting to make up for the five lonely years Meimei spent in the orphanage.

Meimei grew even more beautiful. When she was seven and in primary school, Zhou Qiaoxiu discovered she was pregnant. The couple was ecstatic. Xu Songling spun Meimei around, calling her a lucky star who brought them a brother and sister. Meimei giggled with joy.

Every day, Meimei would sing and read stories to Zhou Qiaoxiu’s pregnant belly, awaiting the arrival of the baby, Xu Zhenbao.

At middle age, the couple treated their biological daughter like a treasure. Zhou Qiaoxiu worried about neglecting Meimei, but to her surprise, Meimei was a loving sister, always tender and never feeling overlooked.

Zhou Qiaoxiu’s voice became faster and more emotional as she continued, “I thought she was just a child. I thought she genuinely wanted to be a good sister. I never imagined she would intentionally lose the baby! But Lao Xu didn’t believe me. He thinks Meimei didn’t do it on purpose.”

Xu Zhenbao, their biological daughter, is three years old and doesn’t like going to kindergarten. She cries every time she is sent there. On a rare Sunday, the family planned to go to Benlong Park, but Xu Songling had to leave for a police assignment. So, Zhou Qiaoxiu took both children out.

Benlong Park’s amusement rides are unique to Xingshi and very popular with kids, especially on weekends. Xu Zhenbao wanted to ride a plane ride, so Zhou Qiaoxiu asked Meimei to stay with her sister while she bought tickets. But when she returned after ten minutes, both children were gone.

Zhou Qiaoxiu searched frantically through the crowded park and finally found the baby—only to discover she was lost.

Her heart shattered. As she spoke, Zhou Qiaoxiu cried, “The baby is only three years old. She can’t even find her way home. Where could she have gone? I told Meimei not to let go of her sister’s hand and to stay where they were. How could she disappear so suddenly?”

People around her suggested the baby was kidnapped, and Zhou Qiaoxiu called the police. However, something felt off to her. She couldn’t understand why Meimei, an 11-year-old who can go to school by herself, couldn’t take care of her younger sister. The baby is well-behaved and wouldn’t have left if Meimei hadn’t been there.

Zhao Xiangwan interrupted the crying and asked calmly, “Did the police question Meimei? What did she say?”

“She said she was so focused on watching the rotating airplane that she didn’t realize when the baby let go of her hand. When she noticed the baby was missing, she panicked and forgot to tell me. She just kept looking for her everywhere, crying, but there was no useful clue. Lao Xu blamed me for trying to put the blame on the child. Meimei was so good to her sister, and she was more worried than anyone else when her sister was lost. But…”

Zhou Qiaoxiu suddenly stopped, her eyes dull.

[Am I crazy? I lost one child, so why would I lose another? Meimei was lucky not to be kidnapped by kidnappers. How could I, as a mother, suspect that she deliberately lost the baby? She is usually very good to the baby. When there’s something delicious or fun, the first person she thinks of is her sister. She is more patient than me when playing with her sister. Yes, why would I suspect? Is it because she is not my biological child?]

Zhao Xiangwan heard her inner struggle but didn’t say much. It was too early to judge now. Whether Meimei did it intentionally or unintentionally, she would know as soon as she asked.

Zhou Qiaoxiu slowly came to her senses and said to Zhao Xiangwan, “Today, Lao Xu led the police team to search Benlong Park inside and out and had people guard the train station and bus station. My heart was boiling in oil. I begged Meimei to think again, to think about whether she met any strange people, or if she noticed where the baby ran off, but she just cried.”

Crying? Maybe out of guilt, maybe to escape, maybe to cover up real emotions.

Zhao Xiangwan’s eyes flashed as she pointed to a little girl in a flowery dress standing by the flower bed of the apartment building, asking, “Is that Meimei?”

Before Zhou Qiaoxiu could answer, the little girl came running over like a butterfly, throwing herself into Zhou Qiaoxiu’s arms and sobbing, “Mom, where have you been? I’m so scared!”