An Earlier Meeting - Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Thursday morning.

Yu Wen rubbed her sleepy eyes and sat up in bed. She caught a glimpse of her reflection in the TV screen—her hair slightly messy, with faint dark circles under her eyes.

She pouted, feeling like she was getting lazier about tidying herself up.

Her schedule for the day was clear in her mind:

1. A thorough cleaning of the house.
2. Organize the documents sent by Zhong Li.
3. Sort through the photos and re-examine the clues.
4. Write a preliminary conclusion.
5. Then, sleep.

Yes, she was very satisfied with this plan.

Meanwhile, downstairs, Huang Xiaozhi was nestled in her sofa, hugging a soft pillow, plotting a completely different “grand scheme”—to play all day! Play until she was tired, sleep, and then continue playing when she woke up. When she was hungry, she’d order takeout. It was going to be an amazing day!

This was her definition of youth.

Uh… sorry, but her youth might be rotting away at home.

…

In the morning.

Yu Wen took a deep breath and began her spring cleaning.

Garbage that needed to be thrown out was unhesitatingly tossed into a bag. Useful items were sorted into categories. Her movements were swift, carrying a sense of “if you’re going to do it, do it right.”

Life was like a bitter melon; the first taste was astringent, but she was used to it.

Cleaning was essential, but she was too lazy to hire someone, finding the communication more troublesome than just doing it herself.

She spent the entire morning like a tireless spinning top, moving around the apartment. Sweeping, mopping, dusting, organizing clutter… sweat dampened the stray hairs at her temples.

When the last book was placed upright, she stood in the center of the spick-and-span living room and let out a long sigh.

Looking at the clean, orderly home, a sense of satisfaction was mixed with her fatigue.

So tired. I really want to just collapse on the sofa and watch a movie. Watching movies was one of Yu Wen’s few hobbies. She wasn’t picky and would watch anything that helped her relax.

She walked onto the balcony to get some air. The cool breeze brushed against her hot cheeks.

Her phone screen lit up with the documents Zhong Li had sent, dozens of pages of densely packed text. She tapped to open them, and the sheer volume of information instantly tensed her newly relaxed nerves. Her temples throbbed.

My head is going to explode! Her mind, already full of various clues, was now overwhelmed by these complex timelines. It was a disaster.

She forced herself to calm down, her finger gliding across the screen, looking at the two dozen unread messages. She decided to organize them in the afternoon.

She exited the chat with Uncle Zhong and her gaze fell on the pinned chat with “LittleZhi.”

Huang Xiaozhi’s profile picture was a photo of a girl with her arm playfully covering her eyes, revealing only the smiling curve of her lips. Yu Wen recognized her immediately.

She looked so bright and infectious. Her Moments were also full of shared snippets of her life, like a girl who was blessed by the sun and knew how to enjoy the moment.

The chat log was still from last night. Yu Wen looked at the time, her finger hovering over the screen for a moment, and finally typed a message:

Wen: What are you up to?

The reply was almost instant.

LittleZhi: Playing at home. What’s up?

Wen: You didn’t go to school?

LittleZhi: Nope. I took two days off.

Wen: I’m also at home. I didn’t go to school either.

LittleZhi: ?

LittleZhi: Why didn’t you go?

Wen: Something came up.

LittleZhi: What’s a busy lady like you up to, Miss Yu?

Yu Wen looked at the message, her fingers pausing. How should I reply? Tell her I’m investigating the Zhang family? That I’m tracing the truth behind my parents’ car accident? Tell her the progress? That was obviously impossible.

As she was still trying to figure out what to say, another message came.

LittleZhi: If that’s a private question, you can refuse to answer.

Wen: Okay.

LittleZhi: Wanna hang out this weekend?

Wen: Where to?

LittleZhi: How about Jinshui Park? Wanna go? You can take pictures for me, Photographer Yu.

Wen: Sounds good.

LittleZhi: How about we head out at 8?

Wen: Okay. Should we ask Cherry to join?

LittleZhi: She’s going back to her hometown Friday night. She can’t make it.

Wen: Okay.

LittleZhi: Why? Were you really hoping she would go?

Wen: The more, the merrier, right?

LittleZhi: Yeah, I guess so. We’ll see.

LittleZhi: Can I come over for dinner tonight?

Wen: Probably not. I won’t be home.

LittleZhi: Okay, another time then. You’re busy.

Wen: Okay.

Yu Wen put down her phone, feeling a little conflicted. She wasn’t really not at home. She just didn’t know how late she’d be working.

If Huang Xiaozhi really came over, she would have to stop her work, and her progress would be delayed. This made her uncomfortable, so she had to politely refuse.

Although she told a small lie and said she was out, she did have important things to do. Ugh.

She had a change of heart: If I finish quickly, I can make dinner for Huang Xiaozhi, right? Then I can make it and bring it down to her, and say I got it as takeout on my way back.

Hmm, that story should work.

In the afternoon.

The afternoon light was blocked out by heavy curtains.

Yu Wen drew all the curtains, only using the lamp on her desk to create a safe and focused atmosphere.

She printed out all the documents Zhong Li had sent her—for safety and convenience, she had even bought her own printer.

A thick stack of papers lay on the table, smelling of ink.

Before reading the content, she first numbered each page in order.

Then, she picked up a pen. Her expression was focused and serious. Her hair was casually draped over her shoulders. She began to read each page, highlighting key information with a fluorescent pen and marking time points next to them.

Contradictions between different timelines were circled in red, with a question mark next to them, signifying “something else is going on.”

…

As she read the documents, Yu Wen’s brows furrowed more and more.

Zhang Yulin’s mother, Li Qian, wasn’t her biological mother? That was so strange! Could Zhang Yulin and her younger brother have a different mother? No wonder Li Qian was so determined to have a son, was she afraid of losing her status?

Then who was Zhang Yulin’s real birth mother? Did the Zhang family know?

Or was it that after the sisters were born, the “mother” who appeared in front of them was Li Qian? What exactly was the Zhang family doing? Murder? Using women as tools for reproduction?

The documents stated that Li Qian was from C City, but she never went back after a trip to H City. Was she controlled by the Zhang family? But Li Qian was just an ordinary person. Why would someone as important as the Zhang family control her? Just to make her give birth to a son?

No, there must be a deeper story behind this.

How could an ordinary woman suddenly be targeted by the Zhang family and kept in H City? Unless… Li Qian had a weakness of the Zhang family in her hands? Or, was Li Qian herself being blackmailed?

All of this was just speculation, with no concrete evidence.

The clues were a tangled mess.

Outside, the rain had started again sometime in the afternoon. The pattering sound seeped through the window cracks, drumming on Yu Wen’s strained nerves.

She closed her eyes, pressing on her temples, trying to sort out the logical connections between the people, times, places, and events.

It seemed to have a thread, but upon closer inspection, it was awkward everywhere. What exactly went wrong?

Her biggest question now was: Were Zhang Yulin and Zhang Yunzhen twins, or were they the same person playing two different roles?

If they were twins, then who was the one representing the Zhang family and dealing with her now, Zhang Yulin or Zhang Yunzhen? There were no clear clues pointing to the answer. She needed to investigate further.

Yu Wen was glued to her desk all afternoon, immersed in the mountain of information.

The desktop was covered with pages filled with notes and lines.

Finally, she put together a relatively clear relationship chart.

She took this new chart into the secret room.

The photos and old notes on the display board seemed a bit outdated.

She went over and carefully peeled off the old notes, then pasted the new pages full of her deductions below the corresponding photos.

Was the truth really what she had deduced? Questions twisted around her heart like vines. But she had to stop for today.

If she continued, she was afraid she would be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information, and her thoughts would fall into chaos.

Even though she was in a hurry, she knew this matter required time and patience; it couldn’t be rushed.

She closed the door of the small room and carefully locked it. It was time to prepare dinner.

What should I cook? She thought for a moment. Tomato and egg noodles. Simple, quick, and comforting. She’d cook it and bring it down to Huang Xiaozhi later.

Downstairs.

Huang Xiaozhi had a completely different afternoon.

After finishing her takeout, she sprawled out on the sofa, sighing contentedly. She played games, listened to music, watched videos… it was just too awesome! When she got tired, her eyelids started to droop. She found a comfortable position on the sofa and fell into a deep sleep.

What to do tonight? I’ll figure it out when I wake up.

Evening.

Huang Xiaozhi was woken up by the increasingly loud sound of rain outside the window.

She groggily opened her eyes, grabbed her phone, and saw that it was already 7 p.m.! How could I sleep so long? Was I tired from playing or from school? She laughed at herself. I really am a “fragile shark.”

She sat up and scratched her messy, naturally curly long hair, then casually threw on a jacket. Should I eat dinner? Or… maybe skip it? It’s not a big deal to skip one meal, right? She thought lazily.

Just then, the doorbell rang. The “ding-dong” sound was extra clear in the quiet room.

Huang Xiaozhi instantly sobered up. She walked to the door with caution, tiptoeing to look through the peephole.

Yu Wen was standing outside. Her hair was down, and she was wearing a pair of black-rimmed glasses, which added a touch of studiousness and a “top student” vibe.

Huang Xiaozhi immediately opened the door, a look of surprise and joy on her face. “Oh! Why are you bringing me food?” Her words were filled with surprise, but her hand was already honestly reaching out to take the warm bag.

Yu Wen, standing in the doorway, had no intention of coming in. The hallway light was a bit dim. “I figured you wouldn’t go out since you’re at home, so I brought you a bowl of tomato and egg noodles from outside. I hope it’s to your liking.” Her eyes rested on Huang Xiaozhi’s face, with a hint of subtle concern.

“Tomato and egg? I love that!” Huang Xiaozhi’s eyes curved with her smile. “Thank you so much! Come on in and sit for a bit?” She moved aside to let her in.

The motion-sensor light in the hallway happened to go out at that moment, leaving only the warm light from Huang Xiaozhi’s apartment.

Yu Wen shook her head, her gaze behind her glasses gentle. “No need. You should eat it while it’s hot. I still have things to do, so I’ll go up now.” There was a calm, older-sister-like tone in her eyes.

Huang Xiaozhi didn’t insist. She nodded. “Okay, then. You go do your thing. Thank you for dinner! I’ll treat you to dinner on Saturday!” The last sentence was firm, leaving no room for refusal.

In the dim light, Yu Wen nodded. “Okay. I’ll get going now. See you.” She turned and walked toward the elevator.

Huang Xiaozhi leaned out halfway and called out to her back, “See you, classmate Yu!” She didn’t close the door until the elevator doors closed.

Huang Xiaozhi stood in the entryway, looking down at the heavy bag in her hands.

The aroma of tomato and egg was already wafting out of the bag. The plastic bag was covered in tiny water droplets.

Did she really get this from outside? A tiny hint of doubt arose in her heart.

…

After Yu Wen left, Huang Xiaozhi enjoyed her unexpected dinner in the warm, yellow light.

The noodles were chewy, the tomato broth was sour and savory, and the eggs were tender. It was so delicious that she almost bit her tongue.

She drank every last drop of the soup, sighing with satisfaction. If she had bought this from a restaurant, she would definitely want to know which one.

However… she had a strange feeling that this taste was somehow familiar, a bit like her mom’s cooking? It was exactly to her liking.

She guessed that this bowl of noodles was likely handmade by Yu Wen.

Of course, it was just a guess.

As for what to do with this ordinary noodle bowl with a simple pattern on it? A normal person would probably just throw it away.

But Huang Xiaozhi wasn’t a “normal person.” This was from the person she liked! She would wash it and keep it! That was its proper destination and meaning.

It turned out that falling for someone really made you different from before. Liking Yu Wen, for Huang Xiaozhi, was something that happened so naturally, a crush at first sight.

…

Unexpectedly, Wei Qingwen returned two days earlier than planned! And she didn’t tell Huang Xiaozhi.

Huang Xiaozhi was nestled in the sofa, engrossed in the adventures of Pleasant Goat on TV, when she heard the sound of a key turning and suitcase wheels rolling at the door. It startled her so much she almost thought it was a robbery.

“Xiaoxiao! Your old mom is back!” Wei Qingwen’s voice, though tired from the trip, was full of joy.

“Mom—!” Huang Xiaozhi jumped up in surprise and flew over like a little bird returning to its nest, hugging Wei Qingwen tightly. “I missed you so much, old mom!” Her voice was sweet and clingy.

Wei Qingwen was still in her neat business suit, her face tired, but she was smiling happily. “Oh, really? It looked like you were living quite comfortably on your own?” she teased, patting her daughter’s back.

Huang Xiaozhi just hung on her mother like a koala, laughing without refuting her.

The feeling of having her mom nearby was reassuring and happy.

Wei Qingwen let her daughter hug her, enjoying this moment of affection.

The mother and daughter hugged in the entryway for a while before moving to the living room together.

Wei Qingwen practically “unloaded” herself onto the sofa and let out a long sigh, her face showing “I’m exhausted, I never want to go on a business trip again.”

Huang Xiaozhi considerately poured a cup of warm water and placed it on the coffee table in front of her mom. Then she sat next to her, resting her head gently on her mom’s shoulder, just like when she was a child.

The living room fell silent for a moment, with only the faint sound of the cartoon from the TV. Wei Qingwen was too tired and closed her eyes, dozing.

Huang Xiaozhi didn’t disturb her, quietly leaning against her, enjoying the long-missed peace.

No other shoulder felt as safe and secure as her mom’s. It was better than any man’s.

The mother and daughter stayed like that, nestled together in the deepening twilight.

The rain that had started in the afternoon didn’t stop in the evening; it only grew heavier. The raindrops beat against the windowpane, making a continuous sound.

She didn’t know if the heavens were crying for the sorrows of the world or shedding tears of emotion. But to Huang Xiaozhi, the sound of the rain was more like a symphony played for the warm reunion of a mother and daughter.

The living room lights weren’t on. Only the faint city lights from outside and the flickering light from the TV screen illuminated the dim room, but their faces were still clearly visible to each other.

Wei Qingwen’s breathing was steady and long. She opened her eyes slightly and said softly, “Are we going to see your uncle tomorrow?” She remembered Huang Xiaozhi had mentioned it a few days ago when she asked for leave.

“Yeah,” Huang Xiaozhi rested her chin on her mom’s shoulder, looking at her in profile. “I’ll call Uncle in a bit. Shall we go visit together tomorrow?”

Wei Qingwen gave a small nod and didn’t speak. A deep sleepiness washed over her.

Huang Xiaozhi saw her mother’s fatigue and said considerately, “You should go wash up and rest. I’ll go to bed after I make the call.”

As soon as she said that, Wei Qingwen, who had been slumping on the sofa, sat up straight as if she had springs in her body. She looked at her slightly bewildered daughter with a serious expression that said, “I’m still fine.” “Okay, I’m going to sleep. Good night!” With that, she got up briskly and dragged her suitcase to the bedroom. Her steps, though tired, carried a sense of urgency, as if she was thinking, “I can finally sleep.”

Huang Xiaozhi looked at her mother’s instant “revival” and quick “shutdown” with a mix of amusement and frustration. Her mom wasn’t just tired; she was reacting to “work-related reflexes.” She shook her head and quietly said to the empty living room, “Good night.”

A notification sound from her phone broke the silence.

Cherry: What are you doing, LittleZhi?

LittleZhi: Playing. What’s up?

Cherry: The Arts Festival is next week. Have you thought about what to perform?

LittleZhi: Why does it have to be me?

Cherry: Because you’re so talented. You should show off a little.

LittleZhi: I don’t know. I’m okay with anything.

Cherry: Ah—well, it’s up to you then. I hope you can perform on stage.

LittleZhi: I probably will.

Cherry: Just keep what I said last night to yourself. Don’t tell anyone else.

LittleZhi: I know. I know you were just worried about me. I don’t blame you.

Cherry: Okay, then. I’ll go back to my homework. I’m not done yet.

LittleZhi: Alright.

The conversation ended somewhat abruptly.

Huang Xiaozhi looked at the profile pictures of Su Li and Yu Wen in her WeChat list. Her fingers unconsciously slid across the screen, her thoughts wandering. What secrets were hidden behind their profile pictures?

The phone screen switched from WeChat to her contacts.

Huang Xiaozhi searched through a long list of names for her uncle Wei Shun’s phone number.

There were too many people, so it took her a while to find it.

She tapped to dial and put the phone to her ear.

“Beep—beep—”

The call was answered.

“Hello? Who is this?” A clear male voice came through.

“…Uncle.” Huang Xiaozhi deliberately drew out the word.

“Ah? Oh, oh, it’s my Little One!” Wei Shun’s voice immediately became joyful.

“Uncle, you don’t even have my number saved?” Huang Xiaozhi accused.

“Ah, haha, well,” Wei Shun gave a dry laugh. “Maybe I forgot. I’ll save it right now! What do you need?”

“You better,” Huang Xiaozhi snorted. “How about me and Mom come over for dinner tomorrow?”

“Sounds great! A warm welcome! When are you guys coming?”

“In the morning. Are you cooking?” Huang Xiaozhi’s tone was full of doubt.

“Uh… I can’t,” Wei Shun said candidly. “You know me. I’m a top-tier kitchen killer. Can you really bear to see the kitchen suffer?”

“So… Professor Pei is cooking?” Huang Xiaozhi understood.

“What else?” Wei Shun said matter-of-factly.

“Okay, okay, I get it,” Huang Xiaozhi said helplessly.

“Anything else? Your uncle is a very busy person,” Wei Shun started to show off.

“Tsk,” Huang Xiaozhi suddenly lowered her voice with a mischievous smile. “I’m a little curious, what really happened that night you got drunk? Is your butt okay?”

“…” There was silence on the other end for two seconds, followed by Wei Shun’s exasperated voice. “You… Huang Xiaozhi! I really need to get your mom to deal with you! What kind of nonsense do you watch all day?!”

“Hey, hey,” Huang Xiaozhi retorted. “You’re only two years older than me. Don’t act all high and mighty! Besides, I’ll be an adult next spring!”

“…” Wei Shun was choked. He said testily, “…Just shut up! I’m not talking to you anymore. I have to go draw my design drafts. It’s a big order!”

“Okay, okay, you’re all so busy,” Huang Xiaozhi giggled. “I won’t disturb you, my great designer Wei, from making money~”

“That’s right! Your uncle is a very busy person! You should go to bed early!” Wei Shun tried to regain control.

“Okay~” Huang Xiaozhi dragged out the last syllable slyly. “You should also go to bed early to ‘rest’ with Professor Pei! Bye-bye~” With that, she quickly hung up before he could react.

“Hahaha…” Imagining her uncle’s likely red face on the other end of the phone, Huang Xiaozhi fell onto the sofa, laughing out loud.

On the other side, Wei Shun held his disconnected phone, listening to the dial tone, feeling both annoyed and amused.

What on earth was that little brat thinking about all day?! He and Professor Pei were… they were having a pure academic exchange! Just talking under the covers! Yeah, that’s it!

Tsk.

After the “warm family (butting heads)” phone call, the entire room fell into a complete silence again, so quiet it felt uninhabited.

Only the sound of the rain outside the window continued to sound persistently, without end.

Pitter-patter… pitter-patter…

It sounded throughout the whole world.

It sounded in every corner of the city.

And it was clearly and continuously heard in Huang Xiaozhi’s ears.

In a daze, she remembered something she had said when she was a child, something a bit poetic—the sound of the rain is the most ambiguous sound; it quietly seeps into your ears and never goes away.

At this moment, the curtain of rain outside the window seemed to confirm that statement, stretching this damp, secret-filled night even longer.