Chapter 2: Mind Reading

~Zhao Xiangwan, please help me!~

Zhou Qiaoxiu’s body stiffened. She stood in a daze, her hands at her sides, not hugging Meimei back as usual.

Meimei sensed her mother was acting strange and began to panic. She clung to Zhou Qiaoxiu, looking up at her little face, tears shining on her round cheeks. “Mom, where have you been? I was so scared. When I closed my eyes, I saw my sister crying and looking for me.”

Zhou Qiaoxiu looked down at Meimei, the child she had raised. Even though Meimei was not her biological child, she loved and cared for her deeply. Despite neglecting Meimei a little after the baby was born, Zhou Qiaoxiu believed she had fulfilled her responsibilities as a mother.

Now that the baby was missing, Zhou Qiaoxiu felt resentment when she saw Meimei.

[The child born with my blood is lost, but Meimei, who isn’t my biological child, is still here. We’re exhausted from searching for the baby, but she’s still crying and trying to get my sympathy and attention!]

Meimei’s big eyes, wet with tears, shone brightly under the streetlight. Her innocent eyes made others feel pity for her. But when her voice sounded in Zhao Xiangwan’s mind, it was chilling.

[Want to compete with me for my parents? Don’t even think about it! It’s because of you that mommy refuses to hug me or kiss me. She hugs you every day when she opens her eyes and kisses you from head to toe at night. You’re just a nasty little piece of trash. As soon as I get rid of you, my parents will be mine alone.]

Zhao Xiangwan carefully observed Meimei, recalling professional books she had read.

—Human activities consist of many subtle and habitual movements, and facial expressions reflect emotions like anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, surprise, and more. Zhao Xiangwan’s mind-reading ability lets her reach the correct conclusion and infer micro-expressions, making it the most concealed and effective method.

Zhou Qiaoxiu suppressed her inner emotions and softly said, “I can’t sleep. I’m going out to find the baby.”

Meimei, perceptive as always, noticed Zhou Qiaoxiu’s cold attitude. She pursed her lips and continued to act coquettishly: “Mom, I can’t sleep either. Let’s go find my sister together.”

Zhou Qiaoxiu ignored her and turned to Zhao Xiangwan.

Zhao Xiangwan squatted down and looked Meimei in the eye. “Meimei, where did you lose your sister? Let’s look for her together.”

Meimei stepped back, a hint of suspicion in her eyes. “Who are you? I don’t know you.”

The light from the streetlamp shone on Zhao Xiangwan, whose amber eyes gleamed brightly, deep and quiet, revealing all her frivolity and hypocrisy.

Meimei hid behind Zhou Qiaoxiu, guilty. “Mom, who is this sister? Is she here to help us find our sister?”

Zhou Qiaoxiu held Meimei’s shoulder to stop her from retreating further. “Sister is mom’s student. Whatever she asks, answer her properly.”

Zhao Xiangwan stayed squatted and began questioning. “Meimei really wants to help mother find sister, right?”

Meimei straightened up, trying to show her loyalty. “Of course.”

Zhao Xiangwan asked, “When did you realize your sister was missing?”

Meimei hesitated, tears falling like pearls from a broken string. “I don’t know either, I really forgot. I only remember watching the rotating airplane and not noticing when my sister let go of my hand.”

[My sister is bossy and cries a lot. She’s not as obedient as me, but mom and dad only love her. Isn’t it because she’s their biological child? If there was no such thing, they’d love and care about me as before. There were so many people in Benlong Park. I took my sister to the back door, let go of her hand, and watched her cry and look for mom. It was really fun.]

[Exit through the back door of the park, pass a community, an alley where a couple sells fried melon seeds. They wanted a daughter after having three sons. If I leave my sister at their doorstep, they’ll definitely take her in. She’ll have new parents and a new brother, and I’ll have my parents all to myself.]

When Zhao Xiangwan heard this, she narrowed her eyes and quickened her questioning pace.

“You were so focused on the spinning plane that you didn’t notice the baby let go of your hand?”

“No, I didn’t notice.”

His eyes unconsciously glanced to the lower right, a sign of a lie.

“There are many snack stands in the park, right? Did your sister want something? Candy figurines… marshmallows… fried dough twists… roasted melon seeds…”

When roasted melon seeds were mentioned, Meimei’s pupils widened, and her breathing became rapid, indicating fear.

“I didn’t notice those. I was too worried when my sister went missing.”

“Did Meimei hold her sister’s hand and go to the roasted melon seed stand? The front or back door?”

“No, I didn’t!”

“There’s a residential area at the back door. Is there a fried melon seed shop there?”

Every time Zhao Xiangwan mentioned “fried melon seeds,” Meimei’s expression grew tenser, and then she suddenly burst into tears and screamed: “I don’t know, I don’t know anything! I didn’t want my sister to go missing. I was scared and shouted her name everywhere, but I couldn’t find her. I lost my sister! It’s all my fault! Arrest me!”

Her crying and shouting were so loud that lights turned on in the apartment building one by one.

A middle-aged man in police uniform rushed down the stairs, hugged Meimei, and glared at Zhou Qiaoxiu.

“Zhou Qiaoxiu, what are you doing? I told you to leave everything to me! I’ve mobilized all the resources of the municipal bureau. We’ve been checking the park area, and we’ll definitely find the baby. We’ve also watched the train and bus stations. If it’s a kidnapper, they won’t get away from Xing City. It’s our fault that the child is lost, not hers. Why do you keep questioning Meimei? She’s scared and needs comforting. If you keep pressing her, do you want to drive her crazy?”

Meimei clung tightly to her father’s waist, face streaked with tears, looking pitiful.

This was the school’s family quarters. Zhou Qiaoxiu opened her mouth to respond but held it back, not wanting to disturb the neighbors.

Meimei choked, “Dad, I want to find my sister too. I’m so scared.”

Xu Songling had visited countless tourists at the park that day. His legs were nearly broken from the effort. He returned home after dark, overwhelmed by helplessness. After years of policing, he never imagined that his daughter would be lost, and he couldn’t find her even with the entire city’s resources!

His eldest daughter’s trembling little hands held onto him, and her body shook with fear. Xu Songling’s heart softened as he gently patted her back: “Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid. Dad doesn’t blame you.”

Zhao Xiangwan secretly shook her head. Who could have known that an eleven-year-old girl could hide such a cruel heart? Meimei was full of jealousy toward her sister, and had no qualms about hurting the family that raised her. She was the venomous snake in the fable of the farmer and the snake.

Zhou Qiaoxiu watched her husband comforting Meimei. Her chest tightened, and she couldn’t suppress her emotions any longer. She raised her hand and pointed at Meimei.

“Look at her! She’s crying, pretending to be scared. No matter how frightened she is, can it compare to the baby’s fear? The baby’s only three years old! She cries at the thought of being alone, and my heart breaks knowing she’s left alone to face the world. And you still want me to comfort Meimei? Do you know who your real child is, Xu Songling?!”

It was past eleven o’clock at night, the streetlights dim, and the noise from Zhou Qiaoxiu’s family was too much. Some neighbors came out to investigate, sensing something was wrong.

“Teacher Zhou, calm down. I understand you’re upset about your baby’s disappearance, but I don’t think Meimei wanted this. Don’t blame her.”

“Yes, Meimei is a good sister and a good student. This was an accident. Who knew there’d be so many people in the park? The baby ran off on her own.”

“The most urgent thing now is to find the baby and stop the kidnapper from taking her. Teacher Zhou, please calm down. We’ll figure this out together.”

Everyone urged Zhou Qiaoxiu to calm down. They obviously thought her rebuke toward Meimei was just an emotional outburst.

Zhou Qiaoxiu’s chest heaved with anger, and the fatigue and tension of the day made her irritable and oversensitive. Her husband and neighbors’ protection of Meimei only pushed her closer to a breakdown.

“Ah!” she screamed, rushing at Meimei, shaking her violently. “Tell me! Where did you throw the baby? You must’ve lost her! You’re just jealous of her! You can’t stand me loving her, right?!”

Zhou Qiaoxiu’s hair was a mess, and she didn’t even care that her shoelaces were undone. Usually, she was very concerned with her appearance, but in this moment, she was completely overwhelmed by emotion. Neighbors, startled, came forward to stop her.

Xu Songling, tall and quick, grabbed her shoulders, halting her from shaking Meimei. He spoke firmly, “Zhou Qiaoxiu! What are you doing?!”

Meimei’s head shook uncontrollably, her pigtails disheveled, tears streaming down her face as she repeated, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Mom! It’s my fault! I shouldn’t have let go of my sister’s hand! I’m so sorry for her!” Her voice weakened with each word, until, amid the neighbors’ exclamations, she fainted in Xu Songling’s arms.

“Oh, the child fainted! Quick, take her to the hospital!”

“Poor Meimei. If she weren’t my biological child, I wouldn’t feel sorry for her.”

“I didn’t know Teacher Zhou could be so cruel. She lost her child, but blames the adopted daughter. Outrageous!”

Xu Songling glared at Zhou Qiaoxiu with complicated emotions, then quickly ran out, holding Meimei. He started the police three-wheeled motorcycle parked outside the family building and left.

Zhou Qiaoxiu’s legs gave way, and she almost collapsed.

A neighbor came to support her and said softly, “Ms. Zhou, we all know you’re worried about your missing baby. But as an educated person, you should understand. Blaming Meimei won’t help—it will only make things worse. We need to find the child. Arguing with Officer Xu now isn’t helpful. Please don’t hold him back, it’s an important time.”

Zhou Qiaoxiu struggled to breathe, her heart heavy with discomfort. She turned to look at Zhao Xiangwan, who had been standing quietly beside her.

Zhao Xiangwan walked over to Zhou Qiaoxiu, bent down, and helped her tie the buckle of her cloth shoes, speaking softly but firmly, “Teacher Zhou, I believe you.”

“I trust your judgment, Meimei is lying.”

Zhou Qiaoxiu’s eyes brightened with hope at Zhao Xiangwan’s words. Her body straightened as if infused with new energy. “Zhao Xiangwan, please help me!”