Chapter 20: The Sharp-Witted Mi Xiaoyue

Mi Xiaomao?

Yan Xuan realized it wasn't Mi Xiaoyue and decisively deleted the friend request without a word. He had already seen how cunning Mi Xiaomao could be; her initiative to add him, even going so far as to travel all the way to Nanjiang University, was undoubtedly for the sake of Mi Xiaoyue.

The Mi couple had likely been taken into custody by the police, and overnight, Mi Xiaomao had become an "orphan," with Mi Xiaoyue as her only remaining hope.

Sure enough, Mi Xiaomao kept sending friend requests, leaving messages in the verification field:
"Brother-in-law, do you know where my sister is?"
"Brother-in-law, I need to find my sister, please, I beg you!"
"Brother-in-law, I can't go on like this anymore, please give me my sister's contact information."
...
Yan Xuan felt nothing but irritation and blocked her completely. He hadn't even managed to contact Mi Xiaoyue himself yet!

Opening his computer, Yan Xuan began searching for Yu Jiangxiong's address online. For a figure like Yu Jiangxiong, while he owned countless properties, there was very little public information to be found. Trying to determine Mi Xiaoyue's current location through the mix of truth and lies on the internet was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Difficult as it was, Yan Xuan still tried. With only three days left on the app's countdown, he had to do something.
Should he find an intelligence broker?
Or go to the headquarters of Yu Jiangxiong's company?
...

Without realizing it, the time reached midnight at the east gate of Nanjiang University. The security guard looked at the petite, adorable girl outside the gate and nudged his colleague.
"Why hasn't that girl left yet?"
"From three this afternoon until twelve at night—nine whole hours. Who is she waiting for?"
"Not sure. Should I go ask?"
"Wouldn't that cause trouble?"
"She's just a little girl, what kind of trouble could she cause? It would be more trouble if something happened to her at our school gate!"

The security guard walked slowly over to Mi Xiaoyue and asked gently, "Student, are you waiting for someone?"
Mi Xiaoyue, who was naturally reclusive, jumped in alarm and took several steps back: "I... I... yes, I am waiting for someone."
The guard kindly advised, "Student, waiting blindly isn't the way. Nanjiang University has seven gates in total, plus several hidden paths and alleyways. How do you know which one the person you're waiting for will take?"
"Sev... seven gates?"
Mi Xiaoyue was stunned, suddenly realizing that even her vocational high school had two gates; a university would certainly have more.
"How could I be so stupid!"
Mi Xiaoyue tapped her own slow-witted head lightly, hanging it in a sigh.

Compared to her, Mi Xiaomao was at the opposite extreme; Mi Xiaomao would have known to ask around at the men's dormitory and leave a note with the dorm manager if she couldn't find him. A bigger reason was that Mi Xiaoyue’s personality was truly too isolated. Never mind asking around at a men's dorm; she would stutter for a long time just trying to buy a bottle of water at a shop.

The guard took out his phone and said, "Student, look, it's already twelve. Would you like to leave a contact number and come back tomorrow?"
"I... no, thank you..."
Mi Xiaoyue had promised Bai Hui she would return by tomorrow afternoon. She turned and ran away from the school gate, wondering where to spend the night, eventually wandering in front of an internet cafe.

Mi Xiaoyue was not short on money; the credit limit on the card Bai Hui gave her was nearly unlimited. She could easily afford a five-star hotel, but old habits led her to the internet cafe, intending to make do for the night in a single cubicle.

Upon entering, she found the single cubicles full, so she had to settle for a double. Just as she sat down and turned on the computer, a young man with dyed yellow hair walked up, chewing a cigarette and whistling, intentionally blowing a puff of smoke toward her.
"Little sister, planning to stay the night alone?"

To meet Yan Xuan, Mi Xiaoyue had specifically let Bai Hui's personal stylist dress her up. The ability of a stylist earning nearly a million a year was no joke. A simple beige long T-shirt with a pleated skirt, white silk stockings over her knees, and chunky sneakers amplified her dainty, adorable features to the max. The light makeup on her face perfectly covered the dark circles from her long nights of staying up, making her eyes look even more vivid.

The moment she entered the cafe, most men's eyes were drawn to her. The yellow-haired youth was just the boldest and fastest among them, his eyes practically glued to her.
"I..."
Mi Xiaoyue was terrified by the yellow-haired man, quickly getting up to flee toward the women's restroom. After lingering for a while, she realized she had left her schoolbag in the cubicle.

Summoning her courage, she returned to the cubicle, only to find that the yellow-haired youth had vanished. There were drops of blood left on the keyboard, and an unrecognizable tooth sat in the ashtray—it looked exactly like the yellow-stained molar the youth had been showing off.

Suddenly, the internet cafe attendant approached and asked, "Miss, a single cubicle has opened up. Would you like to move?"
"Okay... thank you..."
Mi Xiaoyue sensed something strange, but her slow-witted brain couldn't quite grasp it.

She opened the computer and logged into the game. Since she had canceled her previous ID and phone number, her old account—which had been in the top fifty of the Canyon of the Peak—was gone. She had to register a new level-one account.

But the moment she engaged with the game, Mi Xiaoyue’s slow-witted mind seemed to suddenly sharpen. A genius idea sparked in her brain.
...

At one o'clock in the morning, Yan Xuan was still searching for information on Mi Xiaoyue at his computer. His head was heavy and he couldn't keep going; he was just about to shut down and wash up when Zhao Jie, who was playing a game with his online girlfriend, suddenly spoke up.
"Old Yan, an ID called 'I am Mi Xiaoyue' just added me as a friend in LOL."
"What!"
Yan Xuan sobered up instantly. He hurried over to Zhao Jie's computer and clicked accept.

*I am Mi Xiaoyue: Brother Yan, it's me, Xiaoyue! My old WeChat and phone were all canceled by my dad...*

Once the request was accepted, Mi Xiaoyue immediately sent a long string of text explaining herself, afraid that Yan Xuan would misunderstand. Yan Xuan didn't reply immediately, instead turning to look at Zhao Jie.
"Old Zhao..."
"Old Yan, I didn't see anything. You two chat, I'm going to take a shower."

Zhao Jie had seen the trending news today. As someone who had played games with Mi Xiaoyue, his shock was no less than that of the casual onlookers. However, he was a smart man; he knew some things should never be gossiped about, lest it bring harm to Yan Xuan.

"Thank you!"
After whispering his thanks, Yan Xuan added Mi Xiaoyue to his party and communicated via voice chat.
"Brother Yan!!"
Hearing that soft, sweet tone again, Yan Xuan let out a long sigh of relief. He checked the app, and the countdown for Mi Xiaoyue's erasure had finally stopped.

Yan Xuan asked, "Xiaoyue, how did you think of finding me through the game?"
Mi Xiaoyue giggled in the voice chat: "I don't know how to explain it. As soon as I opened the game, I remembered playing with your roommate, so I could find his ID through the match history, and then contact you through him..."
"Xiaoyue, you're so smart!"
"Brother Yan, don't tease me. You don't know how stupid I was today..."
Mi Xiaoyue recounted her experience of coming to find him in detail, then asked shamefully, "Brother Yan, am I very stupid?"
"Not at all, my Xiaoyue is very smart."

After murmuring a few sweet nothings, Yan Xuan changed the subject: "Xiaoyue, are you at an internet cafe near my school?"
"Yes, are you coming to find me, Brother Yan?"
"I..."
Yan Xuan wanted to agree, but suddenly realized something and asked again, "Xiaoyue, you mentioned a yellow-haired guy harassing you earlier—where is he now?"
Mi Xiaoyue wondered, "I don't know. While I was in the restroom, he suddenly disappeared."

Yan Xuan took a deep breath. As he expected, the Yu couple would not let Mi Xiaoyue run this far alone; someone must have been watching and protecting her in the shadows. He felt a secret sense of relief that he hadn't run into her today; otherwise, he would have been targeted by Yu Jiangxiong, and his entire family's background would have been laid out on his desk.

"Xiaoyue, it's not convenient for me to see you for a while. From now on, we'll communicate through the game."
"Why?"
"I can't explain it to you right now."
"Then when will I be able to see you again, Brother Yan?"
"Don't worry, it won't be long. But you must never do something as foolish as today, coming to the school alone to find me."
Yan Xuan didn't have much certainty himself; he could only pacify Mi Xiaoyue for now.
"Understood, Brother Yan, I will listen to you!"

With her affection level at seventy, Mi Xiaoyue was essentially obedient to Yan Xuan. Though she felt a little disappointed, she didn't dwell on it too much and instead asked, "Brother Yan, do you have any news about my foster parents, or Xiaomao?"
Yan Xuan was silent for a moment before whispering two words:
"None."