CH 13.1

While the two are bickering, Feng Xin and Mi Xi are walking past a bank with an ATM outside. Through the glass, Mi Xi can see people queuing up inside and also two people queuing up at the ATM. 

Mi Xi points; Feng Xin understands and tells her: “This is called a bank. It’s a place where everyone saves money. It’s not safe to keep money at home anymore. Instead it’s put here, and then you can get it when you need it. 

Mi Xi remembers and draws the size and shape of a card with her fingers. “Silver note1 card. Bank card.”

“Yes. After depositing money, the bank will give that person a card, and then they can take the card to withdraw money. And they can also remit the money to far away places for other people to use.” Feng Xin tries hard to think of how to say it in an easy and understandable way. “For example, if Mi Xi’s parents want to give money to let Mi Xi live here, they can do it. Through the bank, transfer the money to Mr. Chen’s account, so that Mr. Chen can receive the money and use it for Mi Xi.”

Mi Xi nods, feeling an ache in her heart—no one would transfer money to her. She no longer has parents.

Feng Xin points to the ATM again and tells Mi Xi that it’s an automatic withdrawal machine. Since everyone has a password, and withdrawing money is a private matter and there are issues of security, everyone will stand far away in line, and not let people think you are peeking with bad intentions. This is also courtesy. 

Mi Xi nods, seeing that there is indeed a distance between people in the line. “I won’t peek,” she assures Feng Xin with a serious expression, making her laugh.

At this time, an old lady who had just withdrawn the money comes out of the bank. She looks quite old, counting the wad of money in her hand as she walks, and puts it in a cloth bag after counting. When Feng Xin sees it, she is about to tell her not to show her wealth like this and to be more careful. In the end, before she could say anything, a figure in black rushes over from the side, grabs the old lady’s bag and runs away.

He has used too much force and pulls the old lady to the ground. Feng Xin, who was close, is also knocked to the ground. The old lady is stunned for a moment, and then yells in horror, “Catch the thief! Catch the thief! My money, my money! That’s for my grandson’s treatment and life. Catch the thief, catch the thief, help!” 

There are some people around—hearing the cries, they run over, and one of the security guards in the bank also comes out to check on the situation. But none of them are as fast as Mi Xi.

Feng Xin is extremely frightened. She gets up and shouts in Mi Xi’s direction, “Mi Xi, come back!”

But Mi Xi is running too fast and rushes off in front of everyone’s eyes. She’s about to catch the robber when the man reacts—he jumps on the back of a waiting motorcycle, and driver and robber speed away. 

Mi Xi is yelling, “Don’t run away!” She jumps up without stopping, stretches out her legs and kicks a tree by the roadside, jumps forward using her strength. With one foot landing on the roof of a parked car, she uses it to gain momentum, and then leaps forward a long way.

During this lively lunch hour, there are many cars on the road, and the motorcycle twists and turns in the traffic. Although it is not on a rampage to escape, it’s still very fast. The figure of the girl going ‘swoosh’ follows the motorcycle and disappears in front of people’s eyes.

“Awesome!” someone shouts.

“Damn, I read that right? Is it real or filming?”

“Who was that?”

“What happened?”

“Wow, what happened just now? Did you see it? Wow, did you see it? It’s a pity that I didn’t get the shot!”

Feng Xin is dumbfounded. She was knocked down earlier and twisted her foot. She got up to chase a few steps, but ended up injuring her foot even more. Now she can’t even stand anymore. She’s sitting on the ground, completely stunned. The old lady’s crying is loud in her ears, and she very clearly realizes that in less than a minute, she has lost Mi Xi!

Meanwhile, Chen Ying and Wu Hao are chatting without care, teasing each other, and sharing their thoughts on Wang Bing’s matter. Chen Ying sees that the time is about right and tells Wu Hao to have lunch together. 

When the two of them go out, they pass by Liu Meifen’s desk. Liu Meifen raises her eyes and glances at Chen Ying. Chen Ying is looking down at the phone, not paying attention. Wu Hao smiles at Liu Meifen, but Liu Meifen lowers her head and pretends not to see it.

At the elevator entrance, Wu Hao nudges Chen Ying with his elbow. “Just now the supporting actress beauty smiled at you, and I smiled back for you.” 

“Thank you, male lead.”

“You’re welcome.” Wu Hao has a smug expression.

At this time, Chen Ying’s phone rings just as the elevator door opens. There are people already inside and Wu Hao stretches out his hand to hold the door open. Wu Hao squeezes a space for Chen Ying who has answered the phone and gets blank stares from the people around him. 

Chen Ying walks in while saying, “Hello”.

The elevator doors slowly closes, but Chen Ying suddenly yells, “What?!”

The sound is so loud it feels like an explosion inside the elevator. Chen Ying suddenly stops the elevator doors from closing. All the people in the elevator stare at Wu Hao again.

Wu Hao is innocent! This is none of his business. He wasn’t the one who yelled loudly, and it wasn’t him who blocked the elevator doors. He turns his head and sees several familiar faces; they’re actually colleagues from the group. Damn, the Crown Prince doesn’t have eyes on the back of his head—you think if you just stare at him, he will fuck off and die? This is really embarrassing! He’s still staring back one by one, but Chen Ying has already strode out. 

Wait, are they not going downstairs anymore? Wu Hao quickly follows.

Chen Ying hurries back to the office while talking on the phone. Wu Hao doesn’t understand what’s going on, but he also feels that something serious has happened.

“Okay, I see, you go to the hospital first. Is there anyone nearby to help you? Okay. What color is Mi Xi wearing? Okay, I’ll take care of it.” Chen Ying hangs up the phone. 

He immediately dials Mi Xi’s number, but no one answers the phone until it stops ringing on its own. Chen Ying’s expression is rather ugly.

He raises his face. Wu Hao is waiting beside him, and Chen Ying says solemnly, “Ah Hao, my family’s little young miss is lost. The housekeeping service took her to the supermarket, and taught her to recognize a bank that they passed by. An old woman came out and was robbed. The robber jumped on a motorcycle that was waiting, and the little miss chased after him.”

Wu Hao is a little dumbfounded. “How young is the little miss?” How old is a person who needs to be taught how to recognize a bank? Isn’t she a little too brave to hunt down robbers at such a young age?

“The housekeeper twisted her ankle. Now a passer-by has called an ambulance for them. She and the old lady should be taken to the hospital. The problem is, the little miss is gone.”

“Isn’t it just a few steps? Come back after she can’t catch up with the motorcycle.”

“She chased until gone without a trace, you still wanna say how far?”

“Is she a female Liu Xiang?”2

Chen Ying ignores his question and opens the drawer to get his car keys, “Call your brothers to help find her. She was running east on Cuixi Road. The housekeeper said that some people helped to find her, but she was not nearby. They didn’t see the two robbers either, so she may have chased them far away. 

“The little miss is called Mi Xi—she’s wearing a light pink, casual sportswear; has long straight hair; and is seventeen years old. Well, she looks younger, maybe fifteen or sixteen? Her face—has big eyes, very beautiful. Stern look, very cold temperament.”

Chen Ying is already walking out while talking, and turns back when he reaches the door. “If your people find her sooner than me, don’t pull her in and for god’s sake don’t touch her—she will hit people! Just tell her that I am looking for her, tell her not to run away, and then call me immediately.”

Wu Hao is stunned. She would still hit people? Does she want to be so special?

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FOOTNOTES:

1Mi Xi says 银票; yin piao is a bank note with a value in silver.  China has had a banking system since the Tang dynasty in the 600s so she must have been familiar with the concept. 

2刘翔 Liu Xiang is an Olympic gold medalist and World Champion in men’s track and field. 

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