Chapter 28

Chapter 28

The next day, the sky was just beginning to brighten with the first hints of dawn.

Wen Miao had a lot on her mind, so she woke up early. She checked her phone; it was almost five o’clock.

Nan Mu was still asleep. They had been tied up until very late the previous night, and as a patient who needed rest, he was currently in a deep slumber.

Wen Miao felt this was for the best. If Nan Mu were awake, she would have to come up with an excuse; since he wasn’t, she could take the opportunity to head out for a bit.

She intended to return to the scene of yesterday’s incident.

It was a construction site, after all. If she delayed any longer, the workers might arrive for their shifts. Once the site was crawling with people, any hope of finding clues would likely vanish.

She was still wearing the white dress from yesterday. Recalling Nan Mu’s repeated warnings for her to be careful, she put on his unworn black cardigan. She zipped it all the way up to her chin and donned a hat, pulling the brim low to keep her face completely hidden.

She hailed a taxi. Once inside, she looked at her phone, thought for a moment, and finally decided to power it off and remove the SIM card.

Yes, she suspected she was being followed.

Claiming the attacker was some pervert targeting women had merely been an excuse to comfort Nan Mu. In reality, she was perfectly aware that the person was coming for her.

Because yesterday, the moment that motorcycle brushed past her, she had heard the rider say in a soft, mocking, and utterly provocative voice, “Wen Miao! You can’t escape.”

The person knew her name.

He was after her.

But how had he found her?

She hadn’t told anyone about her movie date with Nan Mu, and it wasn’t part of her usual routine. Yet, the person had struck yesterday of all days. Thinking it over, Wen Miao realized that for him to find her there, he must have been monitoring her constantly.

But if someone had been tailing her from the school to the cinema and then to that secluded path, could they really have done so without her or Nan Mu noticing?

Unless…

He wasn’t tailing her; he was tracking her location.

That left only her phone.

While washing her face in the restroom the previous night, Wen Miao had checked all her belongings. Aside from her phone, nothing else could have been fitted with a bug or a tracking device.

She suspected that he had likely hacked into her phone’s system without her knowledge. Or perhaps her phone had been automatically sending her location to him all along.

She felt a surge of frustration-frustration at her own ignorance of being targeted. Worst of all, just as she had told Nan Mu, she still had no idea who the person was or even a single suspect in mind.

She didn’t know why they were doing this, or what their intentions were…

The taxi soon arrived at the site of yesterday’s encounter.

By six o’clock, the sky was fully light. People were scattered about, entering and exiting the construction sites on either side-a stark contrast to the silence of the previous night.

She walked over to where the motorcycle had crashed. The debris was still there.

It seemed Nan Mu had dealt the rider a heavy enough blow that they hadn’t had the energy to clean up the mess.

She recalled the moment Nan Mu had lunged toward the motorcycle. Even now, the memory made her heart race with fear.

His composure, explosiveness, and judgment had far exceeded her expectations.

She collected the motorcycle fragments and searched the surrounding area, but found no other useful leads.

Could she really find the person with just this?

Wen Miao felt a sense of uncertainty.

Just then, she spotted the wooden club she had used to hit the rider. It was stained with dried blood.

Blood…

Her eyes suddenly lit up. Right, there was blood.

She jogged over and picked up the club, hoping the sample hadn’t been contaminated yet.

***

She had originally intended to take the items back to the school, but fearing Nan Mu would wake up and search for her, she decided to store them in a locker outside a supermarket instead.

When she returned to the hospital and opened the door, she saw Nan Mu with his back to her, scrambling out of bed in a panic.
Wen Miao moved quickly, tossing her hat and coat onto the foot of his bed.

“Why are you up? Didn’t I tell you to stay in bed and rest?”

Nan Mu turned around at the sound of her voice, letting out a sigh of relief when he saw her. “Where did you go?”

“The restroom. Where else could I have gone?” Wen Miao blinked, looking at him with an innocent expression, deciding to take the initiative. “Why are you out of bed? You didn’t think I’d run off, did you?”

Nan Mu didn’t dare admit his lack of trust. He stammered, clutching his head and complaining that it hurt.

Wen Miao watched him with amusement but didn’t call him out. She went over to help him lie down, then asked what he wanted for breakfast, saying she would go to the place across from the hospital to buy it.

At this point, Nan Mu didn’t dare fuss about her going out. He figured it was broad daylight and just across the street, so it shouldn’t be an issue. He quickly ordered steamed buns and deep-fried dough sticks, wanting to send Wen Miao on her way.

“Aren’t steamed buns and dough sticks a bit too greasy? How about I get you some plain mantou and porridge instead?”

Nan Mu nodded, not daring to object.

Wen Miao went out and bought pork liver porridge and mantou. On her way back, she passed the nursing station and saw the kind, round-faced young nurse from yesterday.

“Good morning,” Wen Miao greeted her first.

“Good morning!” The young nurse smiled, her eyes curving into crescents, looking quite adorable.

Wen Miao glanced at her ID badge and saw that her surname was Ai. “Nurse Xiao Ai, could I borrow the phone at the nursing station?”

She gestured with the phone she had turned off earlier that morning. “My phone is dead.”

Nurse Xiao Ai was startled for a moment but quickly recovered. “Of course.”

She pressed a button on the phone and then gestured to Wen Miao from outside the counter. “Here, come in through there.”

Once Wen Miao was inside, the nurse handed her the receiver and said with a smile, “Go ahead.”

“Thank you.” Wen Miao took the phone, and Nurse Xiao Ai proactively stepped away to give her privacy.

Wen Miao dialed a string of numbers.

“Hello…” Wen Tangtang’s groggy voice came from the other end. “Who is this?”

“It’s me.”

As soon as she spoke, Wen Tangtang recognized her and fired off a series of questions in one breath. “Miao Miao? Why are you calling from a different number? Why are you calling so early? Is something wrong?”

Wen Miao kept it brief, picking out the important details and telling Wen Tangtang everything that had happened yesterday.

Wen Tangtang, who had been half-asleep, snapped wide awake the moment she heard that someone had intentionally tried to run Wen Miao over.

“I picked up the wooden club he used to hit him. Can we test it for blood?”

Wen Tangtang let out a cold laugh. “Don’t worry. Bring the item to me, and I’ll find someone to test it. Then I’ll have Wen Xin hack into the DNA Database for a comparison. Unless he’s a foreigner, I’ll definitely find that bastard!”

Wen Miao felt relieved hearing Wen Tangtang say that. Wen Tangtang had a bright personality and many friends; she knew people at almost every school in City A, not just their own.

As for Wen Xin, although he was in the Materials Science department, he was actually a computer expert.

Wen Xin had been brilliant since childhood, but his interests were broad. From a purely materials science perspective, he didn’t seem as exceptional as Wen Miao. However, that was only because he spread himself too thin, preventing him from reaching her level of specialization.

Still, that was only in comparison to Wen Miao. Compared to an average materials science student, he was already more than proficient-the type of person who was both an all-rounder and a top-tier talent.

When Wen Miao hung up, Nurse Xiao Ai happened to return.

“Finished?”

“Yes.” Wen Miao smiled as she picked up the breakfast, chatted for a few moments, and then left.

Nurse Xiao Ai stood at the nursing station, smiling as she watched her walk away.

Only after Wen Miao entered the room did her expression shift slightly, the corners of her mouth drooping.

She pressed a few buttons on the phone, then pulled out her own cell phone and dialed a number. “Don’t worry,” she said expressionlessly. “I’ve already recorded the contents of her call.”