Chapter 35: A Restless Heart and Wandering Mind

Gu Yao had been left with a deep impression of this young man named Zhou Sheng yesterday. As the only son in the family, he was clearly the pampered one, having spent his life stepping on his three sisters to get ahead. Although raised in the same household, his material conditions were more than double theirs.

Even with such preferential treatment, he showed not a shred of gratitude toward his parents as an adult. His father was already in critical condition, yet he had come to stop the surgery, reasoning that if the old man lived, he wouldn't be able to inherit the property.

Whether this was the result of excessive indulgence or an innate trait, it was clear that his humanity had been lost; he could barely be called a person. Thus, it was no surprise that he would commit such heartless acts.

Thinking this, Gu Yao felt something was amiss and hurried to the door to take a closer look.

The people in the shop also stopped what they were doing and crowded over to watch the commotion; the area in front of the glass door was soon packed.

Across the street, Zhou Sheng was tugging at a young woman. In the freezing cold, she was dressed in thin layers, her shoulders hunched, looking pitiful. One hand clutched a roadside railing, her mouth open as she cried out, her voice distorted, though it was impossible to tell what she was saying.

Zhou Sheng was viciously prying her fingers off one by one. Seeing it wasn't working, he reached down to pick up a brick, posturing as if to smash it down: "Are you going to let go? If you don't, I’ll smash you to death!"

The girl was terrified. Only then did she sob and release her grip. He scooped her up by the waist and threw her into a van, his movements rough, with no concern for whether he might hurt her.

Passersby were whispering among themselves, seemingly wanting to intervene, but Zhou Sheng shot them a glare: "Mind your own business. This is my wife."

In less than a minute, the van’s doors were slammed shut and it sped away. The shopkeeper stood beside Gu Yao and muttered softly, "What wife? They’re probably trafficking that woman!"

Having said that, she turned back to her work, folding clothes with an expression that suggested she was unfazed. The glass door was jerked open, and when they looked again, the two customers who had been so generous with their purchases just moments ago were already striding out.

"In such a rush to reincarnate? Almost broke my door!" she grumbled, though she felt good about selling two items in such a short time and hummed a tune as she went to lock up.

Gu Yao and Su Yu practically sprinted to the car. As soon as the door was shut, Gu Yao quickly fastened her seatbelt and gripped the handle.

Without needing a reminder, the car lunged forward, giving chase to the van. It wove nimbly through the traffic, but the vehicle ahead was moving just as fast. Since Zhou Sheng was likely more familiar with the terrain, he managed to make sharp turns, ducking into narrow alleys at every opportunity.

It was nearly nine o'clock, and the number of pedestrians on the road was increasing. Su Yu had to slow down while driving to avoid the people constantly crossing the street. Within minutes, the van was out of sight.

Gu Yao pursed her lips, her eyes filled with regret. If she had reacted a second faster and rushed out before the van drove off, it might have been different, but she had been inside the shop, and the window of time was too short—it was impossible to have caught them.

"I memorized the license plate," she said to Su Yu, pressing her fingertips to her brow.

The man nodded, his face somber. He turned the car around and drove back, stopping at the shop where they had bought the clothes. They both stepped out and went inside.

The shopkeeper was sitting on a stool, eating breakfast. Seeing them, she looked up and asked, "Anything else you two need to buy?"

Su Yu picked up a woman’s scarf and tossed it onto the counter. "We'll take this."

The shopkeeper was pleased. "Would you like it wrapped?"

While she was writing the receipt, Gu Yao asked, "Boss, why did you say that man was trafficking women earlier?"

In a good mood, the shopkeeper replied casually, "Isn't it obvious? The locals all know this area is chaotic. Girls from out of town often go missing here—aren't they all being taken to the villages to be wives?"

"Do you know that man?" Gu Yao asked.

The shopkeeper grew guarded. "I don't. How would I know him? I was just guessing; maybe she really is his wife!"

Gu Yao said nothing more. She and Su Yu returned to the car. He dropped her off at the hospital entrance, leaned over to fasten the new scarf around her neck, and cautioned, "Be careful at the hospital. I'll come to pick you up this afternoon."

"Okay." She nodded. Dressed in her new clothes, she didn't feel the cold as much. She felt warm and rubbed her small cheek against the soft fur of the scarf. "Let me know if you hear anything."

Inside the hospital, Zhang Qingya ran up to her, smiling and looking spirited. "Dr. Gu, guess where I slept last night?"

"A hotel?" Gu Yao replied while taking off her scarf.

"A hotel, and the environment was great—a big suite, just for me!" Zhang Qingya couldn't hide her excitement. "It was much better than that dumpy dormitory. Dr. Gu, your friend has so much influence. The waiter even said the place was fully booked last night, but they specifically cleared a room for me!"

"That's good. You can stay there with peace of mind," Gu Yao said calmly.

Zhang Qingya pressed on, "Is he your boyfriend? I caught a glimpse of him from the water room window the other day. He’s very tall and has a great build. Your boyfriend is very handsome."

Gu Yao nodded, admitting it without false modesty, "He is very handsome."

Remembering something, she asked, "Go ask the family of the patient with the cerebral hemorrhage from yesterday if his son is married."

"Alright." Although Zhang Qingya didn't know why she was asking, she went obediently. A while later, she ran back to report, "No, he isn't. His mother isn't here, but his eldest sister replied, saying her brother isn't married yet and the family is still saving up money for his bride price."

Gu Yao said nothing more, but she felt restless all day. She took a moment to open her computer and search for information online about missing girls to see if any families were looking for them, but after scrolling for a long time, she saw no one resembling that girl.

Then, Su Yu called to tell her directly, "The license plate was cloned—it doesn't belong to the original owner. The police can't conduct a deep investigation because the evidence is insufficient. There were no surveillance cameras in that area, and the shop owners along the street refused to admit they had seen anything."

"They're afraid of retaliation, I suppose," Gu Yao sighed, talked for a few more moments, and hung up.

So, was the matter to be shelved just like that? Remembering the girl's helpless expression, she still felt a lump in her throat. She had wanted to find out Zhou Sheng's address and go check, but upon reflection, it wasn't realistic.

What would she say if she went? There was no evidence, and it would only alert the enemy.

While she was feeling dejected, she received a WeChat message from Gu Shisheng. It was a selfie of him looking pitiful and frowning, with a piano in the background. The caption read: "Got dragged back. My hands are going to cramp from practicing."

"Serves you right," Gu Yao replied with those three words.

Gu Shisheng had been taken back from the bar that night without even having the chance to say goodbye to Yi Xun. He was still fuming when he got in the car, but the moment he arrived home, his bravado vanished, and he became dejected.

His mother, Qin Manfeng, was sitting on the large sofa in the living room, her expression as cold as water. She had clearly just returned from a social engagement and hadn't even had time to change. Under the lights, her bright red lipstick, black culottes, and high heels accentuated her aura as a formidable businesswoman.

"Mom." Gu Shisheng lowered his head, mumbled a greeting, and tried to slip upstairs.

"Stop." His mother said only one word, and he stopped in his tracks, cowed.

"Where have you been these past few days?"

"Staying in a small hotel, playing games."

"Is that all?"

The mother and son went back and forth, like an interrogation.

Qin Manfeng’s strength lay in the fact that, unlike parents who resorted to physical force, she had never used corporal punishment while raising her children. However, her punishments were heavier than any beating. She would threaten you with what you cared about most, and she always followed through.

"I've dismantled the computer in your room and changed the home Wi-Fi password. You will stay home and reflect for a while. I’ve already requested leave from your school," she said in a flat tone, delivering the ultimatum.

Gu Shisheng sighed, calculating that he could at most buy more mobile data, but he didn't have much money left. Overall, his internet access would be severely restricted.

Then he heard his mother continue, "Don't sleep tonight. Make up for the piano practice you missed. Also, I’ve heard rumors that you’ve been hanging out with some disreputable women. I don't want to pursue this, but I forbid you from contacting them again."

This remark ignited Gu Shisheng’s temper. He turned back, eyes wide, and asked, "Who is a disreputable woman? Explain yourself!"

"What do you think?" His mother’s expression darkened.

The two argued back and forth until Gu Shisheng finally lost, sullenly heading upstairs. Ultimately, he didn't dare defy his mother and sat down in the piano room.

His phone rang, and he answered impatiently, "Who is it?"

"It’s me." After a moment, a female voice came through.

"Sister Yi Xun?" Gu Shisheng’s interest piqued.

"Yes. Where are you? I can't find you." Yi Xun's voice wasn't loud, but it was clearly anxious.

Gu Shisheng clicked his tongue. "Forget it. I'm not blaming you, so stop pretending."

"What are you talking about?" The other side paused, sounding confused.

Gu Shisheng banged randomly on the piano keys and lowered his voice. "I know you were the one who snitched. Now my mother has dragged me back. Are you relieved that there's no one at your place freeloading?"

He wasn't too angry when he said this; if it had been someone else, they wouldn't have been treated this way—he would have been cursing them out.

But for Yi Xun, no matter what she did, he couldn't stay mad at her. He couldn't help it; this was what they called preferential treatment.

To his surprise, after he finished speaking, Yi Xun didn't respond, and a moment later, she hung up the phone.

What was wrong with her?

Gu Shisheng was puzzled. He hadn't even lost his temper. Sister Yi Xun might seem gentle, but she had quite a temper...

After grumbling to himself for a while, he played with his phone. He scrolled back to the selfie he had mass-distributed, admired it for a moment, then felt the pores on his face looked too prominent. He zoomed in to touch it up, and only then did he notice the glaring bar sign in the background.