Chapter 12 - Again?!

'Eh?'

'Ehhhhhhh?!!!'

Ling Mei immediately let go of the woman.

How could something like this happen? She was definitely gripping Tiffany's clothes, so why is it another woman's clothes she's gripping in the end?

Where is Tiffany? Where am I?

Ling Mei thought, panic rising when she was lost in an unfamiliar place.

Her eyes darted from one person to another, looking around, remembering where she came from but what she got was headache instead. Her breath and heartbeat quickened, not knowing what to do.

In the midst of her thinking, the lady asked her while smiling… "Are you lost child?"

When Ling Mei was about to answer 'yes', Ferr's voice appeared in her mind. *Don't say it and walk away.*

Ling Mei blanked a little, and was frightened after guessing what Ferr meant. Her eyes darted from side to side and stutteringly answered "huh? I, Ahh—N-no."

She went away quickly when the woman was about to touch her hand.

In her peripheral view, she saw 2 men approaching the woman and they talked while glancing at her.

Ling Mei's heart almost stopped beating, she was so nervous her hand and foot moved in the same direction.

After a few moment, the two men slowly walked in her direction, pretending to be walking casually on the street.

Even when she has anticipated it, Ling Mei still haven't thought of what to do.

Run? But if she acted like she knew their purpose and run, they might catch her quickly. She's just a child, and wasn't as fast on running as those ȧduŀts. With her small steps, how could she?

*15 steps from here, there's a man with a funny looking hat. Pretend to know him so you could shake away those people. *

While walking she also tried hard to find a man with a funny hat. After almost taking 15 steps, she saw a tall man that was wearing the hat and didn't hesitate to run towards him.

When the two men saw her suddenly running, their steps also became brisk, trying not to lose her.

Ling Mei hurriedly grabbed the funny hat man's arm, like finding her life line.

She wished this man is a good person.

"Uncle! You'y hewre! I've been looking for you ebriwherle!" Ling Mei shouted, her voice slightly trembling.

The man was shocked and confused. When did he have a cute niece? He doesn't even have a sibling or cousin.

"Huh? I'm not…a-aww" He couldn't finish his sentence when his arm was pinched hard. He looked down at the nervous girl. Then he noticed from the way there was panic in her eyes and cold sweaty hands gripping his arm, that something was wrong.

His eyes discreetly scanned the crowd and spotted two men looking at them. At this moment, he finally understood the situation.

His expression immediately changed, a warm comforting smile sported his face as he carefully patted the girl's head. "Sorry, Uncle…lost you for a while."

Ling Mei was startled, not thinking that this man would play along with her. Still, she couldn't put her guard down.

The man grabbed her hand and walked in the direction where most people were passing.

'Is this guy trustworthy?' asked Ferr.

*Well~ I don't know about that~* Ferr lazily replied and a yawn sound came to her mind. *ahhh… I'm going to sleep. You are on your own now.*

'Hey wait! Ferr! FeEeRrRrrr!' Ling Mei paled as she shouted in her mind.

The man walking with her noticed her pace slowing, he gently shook her hand to remind her.

Ling Mei looked at him after shouting so much in her mind. Her eyes glanced up and down, thinking she missed a lot of details before because of her nervousness.

Ferr was wrong, it's not his hat that looked funny but his fashion sense.

His clothes and hat were designed in polka dots or different polylines and colored in bright blue, red, yellow, green, and many more, making it so eye-catching and glaring at the same time.

But the most prominent was probably his face. A black and white mask was covering half of his white porcelain face, he got a tall nose, and plump bright red lips… with just these features you could guess he looked handsome if he took off his mask.

'he probably took a lip dye.'

They walked for a long time, took turns here and there, and then finally shook away the two men following them.

"Okay, they're gone." The man said as he confirmed the surroundings.

Ling Mei heaved a sigh, and then realizing she had been having a cold sweat.

"Little girl, where is your guardian? Did you lose them?" The man asked, snapping Ling Mei out of her reverie.

She nodded. Thinking about Tiffany, she wonders if she was looking for her too.

"Okay. Where was the place you separated?"

Ling Mei was embarrassed. She also didn't know and wasn't aware that she got lost.

"*cough* uhm… the f-fountwain at the xenter?"

The man frowned "The fountain at the center? That was too far away. How could you get here?"

Ling Mei's face changed from red then green then white. Tears started forming at the corner of her eyes.

This slightly caused the man to panic. "o-okay. Don't worry, I'll get you back to the center."

He handed a handkerchief to Ling Mei to wipe her face. "ohhh… don't cry anymore, okay?"

"ah- I'm not.. huhh *hic*" It's just that she has poor control on the emotions of this body.

"Do you want me to take you to the center? My carriage is parked near here."

Ling Mei hesitated. She still doesn't trust this man fully. But thinking she got no other choice, she bit the bullet and nodded her head.

The man smiled and lead her the direction where his carriage was parked.

When his carriage was in sight, a loud sound was approaching them.

They both looked over and saw the crowd running towards them in panic and disorder.

"RUN! SOMEONE IS KILLING PEOPLE! RUUUUN!"

A bad feeling rose from Ling Mei's heart.

"Uncle—" the loose grasp between Ling Mei and the man suddenly broke after another wave of people took her away.

The fright and nervousness that Ling Mei just put down, went back again as she was trying to grasp the man's hand and shouting at him. "UNCLE!"

"LITTLE GIRL!" The man was also panicked, trying to get Ling Mei as she was drowned into the sea of people… helplessly seeking her in the chaos.

…Until they lost each other.

Ling Mei who was swept away, was standing listlessly in another unfamiliar place. But this time… it's an alleyway not a street, which looked more dangerous and scarier than the situation before.

Ling Mei started to dread her situation.

WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO HER AGAIN?!