Chapter 1

Chapter 1

August 10, 2009.

That was the day my younger sister went missing.

Back then, we lived in a dilapidated courtyard house in a peri-urban area where the city met the countryside.

My father worked as a laborer at a nearby chemical plant.

My mother ran a grocery store by the highway, and business was booming.

In the summer, many people would stop by the store at noon to buy popsicles and ice cream. My father would head over to help out after finishing his shift.

They were often so busy they didn’t even have time to eat.

As a result, throughout the summer break, it fell to ten-year-old me to cook for the entire family.

The kitchen didn’t have air conditioning, only an old electric fan.

Once the water started boiling, the steam would rise, and the fan would blow nothing but hot air.

I was always drenched in sweat while cooking.

On the day it happened, the weather was exceptionally hot. By the time I finished cooking, I was suffering from a mild case of heatstroke.

There was no one else at home. Although my grandmother lived in the neighboring courtyard, she was a spiteful woman. Not only would she refuse to help, but she’d also throw in a few nasty remarks for good measure, so I didn’t dare trouble her.

I splashed some water on my face, pushed through the discomfort, and served a bowl of cold noodles for my sister. I told her to eat first, then packed my parents’ portions into lunchboxes and placed them in a basket.

My sister shoveled a few mouthfuls of noodles into her mouth and said, “Sis, why don’t you lie down and rest by the fan? I’ll deliver the food today. I know the way. I’ll finish the rest of my noodles when I get back.”

It was a ten-minute walk from our house to the grocery store. There was only one road, and it wasn’t particularly secluded.

Normally, I would have walked that path with her countless times.

Still, I felt a bit uneasy.

“Are you sure you can handle it?” I asked, half-reclined with a wet towel pressed against my forehead.

“It’s fine, don’t worry, Sis. It’s just a short walk. I’ll be back in a flash.”

Without waiting for another word, she picked up the basket and headed out.

Because she was chronically ill, she was very thin. When she exerted herself to carry the basket, the bones in her shoulders protruded. Her small figure looked so fragile from behind.

Just before stepping out the door, she waved at me. “I’ll be right back! And Sis, you’re not allowed to sneak any of my noodles!”

“Don’t worry, I won’t!” I waved her off impatiently, telling her to go.

But she never came back.

“Do you think… if I had told her back then that I *would* steal her noodles, she would have come back just to make sure I didn’t?”

January 9, 2024. I officially started my job at the Municipal Public Security Bureau as a Probationary Police Officer.

Nine months later, I spoke to my mentor, Lao Yu, about this cold case that had haunted me for fifteen years.

“When did you realize something was wrong?” Lao Yu asked.

I rubbed my eyes and said, “Around two in the afternoon, I think. After she left, I forced myself to eat a few bites of noodles and then fell asleep. I was woken up by my father slapping me across the face.”

Even though so much time has passed, I still remember it vividly.

The moment I opened my eyes, I was met with my father’s livid face. “Why didn’t you deliver the food? Are you trying to starve us to death?”

I burst into tears. “Sister went to deliver it ages ago!”

As soon as the words left my mouth, I saw the half-eaten bowl of noodles on the table. It suddenly hit me that she hadn’t returned.

A chill crawled up my spine, and the terror instantly sucked the tears dry from my eyes.