After all, the current body was only that of a three-year-old child. No matter how strong Zhong Yuntong was, she couldn't overpower two robust bathhouse attendants.
Zhong Jin waited outside for less than an hour before a freshly cleaned Zhong Yuntong was brought out by the attendants. Her long, damp hair was tied up in a bun on top of her head, and her cheeks were flushed a soft pink from the steam, making her look even more like a fluffy little dumpling.
After leaving the bathhouse, Zhong Jin took Zhong Yuntong for a short walk along the street. Spotting a children's clothing store, he grabbed the back of her collar and dragged the curious child inside.
On the right side of the store hung a row of discounted clothes, with a label on the rack reading "50% off, special sale."
Zhong Jin casually picked out a T-shirt and shorts set from the discounted rack, printed with a cartoon avocado design.
While checking out, he noticed a row of underwear hanging behind the cashier and pointed to a pair with a pink bunny design. "Give me one of those too."
Zhong Yuntong showed no interest in the new clothes Zhong Jin had picked out. In fact, she didn't care for any of the clothes in the store. The clothes she used to wear were made of shiny fabric, adorned with beautiful embroidery and gemstones. Even the maids who served her wore more luxurious outfits than these.
After paying, Zhong Jin handed the paper bag to Zhong Yuntong. "Carry it yourself."
The child didn't take it and instead reached out her arms. "Carry me."
"Walk on your own," Zhong Jin replied, never one to indulge children.
Zhong Yuntong lunged forward, firmly grabbing Zhong Jin's pant leg and then locking onto his sturdy calf, clinging to him like an octopus.
As Zhong Jin tried to walk forward, the child was dragged along. Walking down the street in such a manner was far too awkward. Reluctantly, Zhong Jin scooped her up and carried her home.
With her arms wrapped around Zhong Jin's neck, Zhong Yuntong rested her head on his shoulder and drifted off to sleep. Her breathing grew heavier, but her arms remained tightly around his neck.
Zhong Jin had carried children before. During a human trafficking case, he and his fellow officers had rescued over a dozen children, carrying them back across provinces over thousands of kilometers.
But holding Zhong Yuntong felt different. There was a strange, warm sensation in his chest that he couldn't quite explain.
In the elevator, Zhong Jin caught a glimpse of himself in the reflective walls and noticed that his shoulder was soaked with the child's drool.
......
Zhong Jin closed his eyes and sighed. He really wanted to know who Zhong Yuntong's parents were. The kind of people who could raise a child like her must be quite something.
Back at home, Zhong Jin placed Zhong Yuntong on the sofa and haphazardly threw a blanket over her before heading off to take a shower.
While showering, he tossed his clothes and Zhong Yuntong's new outfit into the washing machine, planning to dry them afterward.
After his shower, Zhong Jin emerged wearing a black cotton T-shirt and loose cotton pants. Tall and lean, he looked like a silhouette in the dimly lit room. He towel-dried his damp hair and walked over to the sofa, intending to wake Zhong Yuntong and get her into her pajamas.
But the sofa was empty. The blanket was crumpled to the side, and the child was nowhere to be seen.
Zhong Jin glanced around the living room and noticed the bedroom door was open—a habit he always followed was to close doors behind him.
Entering the bedroom, he found Zhong Yuntong sprawled on the bed, her cheek pressed against the blanket, squishing her chubby face. Her arms and legs were spread out like a starfish, and her long, damp hair was splayed messily across the bed, leaving a small wet patch on the sheets.
Kids are such troublesome creatures.
Zhong Jin walked over, shook Zhong Yuntong awake, and carried the drowsy child to the bathroom to blow-dry her hair.
The little troublemaker was short, but her thick, long black hair took forever to dry.
Zhong Yuntong, with her eyes closed, waved her hand impatiently, ready to go back to sleep. But Zhong Jin stopped her, pulling out her clothes from the dryer. "Can you dress yourself?"
The child, still half-asleep, nodded her round head, her body slumping like a noodle.
Zhong Jin sighed. Fine, he'd just let her sleep like this. He'd clean up the bed after she was gone.
As soon as Zhong Yuntong was back on the bed, she snuggled into the blanket and fell into a deep sleep.
Zhong Jin returned to the sofa, lay down, and draped his arm over his eyes. He had trouble sleeping, but perhaps because of the exhausting day with the little troublemaker, he fell asleep quickly.
At 6:30 in the morning, Zhong Jin woke up on time. He had maintained the habit from his days at the police academy—waking up early to go for a run when he wasn't on duty.
As he sat up, he felt something on his forehead. Looking down, he saw Zhong Yuntong had somehow ended up on his pillow, sleeping soundly like a little puppy. Zhong Jin had been pushed to the edge of the pillow, his neck stiff and sore from the awkward position.
He rubbed the back of his neck, puzzled. How had he not woken up with all that movement?
With Zhong Yuntong in the house, Zhong Jin didn't feel comfortable leaving her alone, so his decade-long running routine was temporarily put on hold. Instead, he went downstairs to the neighborhood supermarket to buy a child-sized toothbrush, toothpaste, and a towel.
Around 8 a.m., Zhong Jin was working on his laptop at the dining table when he saw Zhong Yuntong suddenly sit up, her hair a mess, staring blankly ahead.
Just as Zhong Jin was about to call her, she mumbled sleepily, "I need to pee."
Zhong Jin immediately set his laptop aside, rushed over, and carried her to the bathroom.
After a night's sleep, Zhong Yuntong's silk top was wrinkled. Zhong Jin handed her the freshly washed clothes. "Can you dress yourself?"
"I can," Zhong Yuntong declared confidently.
Zhong Jin waited outside, and soon Zhong Yuntong emerged wearing the cartoon T-shirt and shorts, though the shorts were crooked and she was barefoot.
She looked up at Zhong Jin with a proud expression.
Zhong Jin adjusted her waistband without a word.
While Zhong Yuntong could dress herself, she had no idea how to use a toothbrush. Zhong Jin tried to help her brush her teeth, but the bathroom was soon filled with his frustrated voice.
"Don't bite the toothbrush."
"Don't swallow the toothpaste. Spit it out."
After brushing her teeth, Zhong Jin wrung out a warm towel to wipe her face. The child was a bit fussy, and even though Zhong Jin was gentle, she pretended to cry out in exaggerated discomfort.
When it was time to leave, Zhong Jin finally noticed the shoes Zhong Yuntong was wearing—a pair of embroidered tiger-head shoes, haphazardly tossed by the entrance. The dim light in the hallway made something on the shoes seem to glow.
Zhong Jin crouched down and picked up one of the shoes to examine it.
The shoes were made of glossy satin, with intricate hand-embroidered patterns. At the center of each tiger's forehead was a large bead that emitted a faint blue-purple glow.
Zhong Jin, with his wide-ranging knowledge from police work, recognized the bead as fluorite, which glowed due to its rare earth elements. While not particularly valuable today, fluorite was historically known as "night pearls" or "moon pearls" and was considered a precious gemstone.
In addition to the fluorite beads, each tiger's cheeks were adorned with small pearl tassels, resembling whiskers.
The craftsmanship and materials of these tiger-head shoes were exquisite, far from ordinary. A quick investigation into the brand or artisan behind them would likely lead to the buyer.
Zhong Jin placed the shoes in an evidence bag. Carrying the barefoot Zhong Yuntong downstairs, he stopped by a commercial street and bought her a pair of plastic sandals to wear for the time being.
*
Mao Feixue, the deputy director of the He'an District Police Station, arrived at the station early that morning. As she reached the entrance, her colleague Rao Shishi pulled up on her electric scooter.
"Morning, Mao," Rao Shishi called out from a distance.
Mao Feixue smiled at her and stood at the bottom of the steps, waiting for Rao Shishi to catch up. The two of them walked together toward the station.
"By the way, how’s the child you found yesterday doing?" Mao Feixue casually asked.
Rao Shishi’s face instantly lit up with a spark of gossip. She leaned closer to Mao Feixue and lowered her voice, "The moment that kid saw Director Zhong, she started calling him 'Daddy' and refused to let go of him. In the end, Director Zhong took her home with him."
Mao Feixue furrowed her delicate brows, "What kind of nonsense is this?"
"It’s true," Rao Shishi insisted, her eyes shining brightly—thanks to the eyeliner she’d applied that day. "The kid shares the same surname as Director Zhong, and she’s absolutely stunning, dressed like a little princess. There’s no way she could’ve been abandoned. Xiao Wang and I were speculating—what if she’s actually Director Zhong’s daughter? Maybe there’s some hidden story behind it."
"Don’t talk nonsense," Mao Feixue chided.
Rao Shishi wanted to keep gossiping, but a sharp look from Mao Feixue shut her down. After sending Rao Shishi away, Mao Feixue didn’t give much thought to her words. The matter concerning Zhong Jin in Jing City was something only Mao Feixue at the station knew about. Given what had happened there, it was impossible for Zhong Jin to have a daughter.
The day was packed with too many tasks, and Mao Feixue quickly forgot about the incident. That is, until she saw Zhong Jin walking into her office carrying a child. She was momentarily stunned, "Where did this child come from?"
Zhong Jin set the little girl down on the floor, "A lost child. Do you know how to do hair? Fix hers for me."
Mao Feixue looked at the little girl in front of her. She was wearing a wrinkled, greenish round-neck T-shirt, a pair of ill-fitting plastic sandals, and her hair was a complete mess, as if it had been through a bombing.
Wait a minute—hadn’t Rao Shishi said the child was dressed like a princess? How had she turned into a little refugee after just one night in Zhong Jin’s care?
