Hearing Cao Gao’s words, the girl doubted him again. *I knew him? Maybe he is talking about Bro Jiang? But I never met him even when Bro Jiang mentioned him to me. Yes, I certainly don’t have any impression of him. But surprisingly enough, I feel like his gaze contains warmth.. or maybe I’m overthinking it. Okay let’s just listen to what he’s got to say.* Xi Jingfei only lightly nodded at his question and looked at him curiously only to find he had never retracted his eyes from her face.

The man, in his ever calmness spoke, “You were in your higher secondary school that time. A peon in your school, Mr Zhao, wasn’t letting his daughter study due to lack of funds, while his two sons, supposedly going to school, were happily wasting his hard-earned money on gambling and other stuffs. When you got to know about it, you paid for the girl. Not from your father, Mr Xi’s money, but yourself. That peon was someone I knew so he mentioned this to me. I was really glad that someone was willing to pay for Zhao Li’s education. So I asked Mr Zhao to bring me along when he went to you. Thus, we once came to you to express our sincere gratitude. That was when you earned my respect.”

Xi Jingfei thought for a few seconds before responding, “Now that you mention it, yes, I do remember Mr Zhao, though I still don’t quite recall your face, but there was more to it. I coincidentally met Zhao Li, that young girl, in one of the shops in the market place. I was standing on the opposite side in the shop looking for the things I needed to buy while she was at the billing counter. She was dressed in a cheap plain frock while next to her stood her two brothers, wearing not that cheap of clothes as their sister. The two boys were even ordering her around as if she wasn’t their sister but a maid, saying it loud that they went to a school while she didn’t, so how could she compare to them. Standing aloof next to her they were as proud as a king could be in front of common people. I quite didn’t like their attitude. But the next moment surprised me even more. Soon as the shop keeper gave them their commodities, he was taking out calculator to count the price. But this little girl was quick with numbers like a human calculator. She counted it and told the sum total before the shopkeeper counted using his calculator. I was quite impressed. I made my way to them and had a conversation with the girl,

“I’ve been watching the whole time. It looked like you don’t go to school while your brothers do. Why?”, I asked her.

“Zhao Li was quite taken aback by my question and it was a stranger asking her, so of course as taught at home, she let her guard up. Girls are usually taught to not talk with strangers. I could see it all over her face, her confused expression, her guarding against me and also the irony of the question. But soon she said,

“My family isn’t capable enough…”

“For the rest of the things she didn’t want to disclose and thus left. I didn’t know what more could I say, so I too left the matter at that. ”

“A few days later, the girl had come to deliver lunch box to her father in the school during the lunch break. Though I had only vaguely met her once, but since I was impressed by her, I recognized her immediately when I saw her from the school corridor in my passing. That was when I got to know she was Mr Zhao’s daughter. Later, I talked about it with Mr Zhao. Getting the gist of the situation the Zhaos were in, and also because I had already seen her capabilities earlier, I wanted to help Zhao Li pay her tuition fee so she can go to school again. I came back home intending to ask Dad for money but things didn’t go as planned as I overheard his conversation with Mom. Dad had paid for an operation of some boy back in his hospital that cost him a fortune but he willingly did it as he had already paid mine and Melodrama Baby… I mean Bro Jiang’s fees in advance and had no further costly dealings in the near future. Dad had always taught us to fight for what we believe in and also to return the society in some way. Given that Dad didn’t have much money at the moment, but I still had it set in my mind that I was going to pay the school fees for Zhao Li, I took a part time job.”

The girl continued to describe the turn of events in the past.

“Though it didn’t pay me as much as needed, but being a newspaper agency, it gave me enough contacts and exposure to a lot of wealthy people who could pay for the girl. Subsequently, I found her a sponsor who bore all her educational expenses and given her sharp, curious and dedicated mind, she didn’t let us down. In the coming years, Zhao Li won many awards and was even sent abroad for further studies. Even until recently, she kept in contact with me, showing her thankfulness every now and then and also asking for guidance when needed. Though I didn’t pay for her myself but yes, I served as a mediator and so did my work at that news agency.”

“You know I really feel proud when anyone said, I was just like my Dad, helping the needy with all I have…” The girl once again thought of her family and subconsciously held onto the the bedside tightly.

After their conversation ended, Cao Gao parted his ways, leaving Xi Jingfei with the packet containing her new ID card, visa, passport and other documents. Cao Gao had a hunch that the demeanor of the girl was rather cold and the aura she imitate in this very moment was dangerous but he had to leave her for now anyway, inside he had already decided to keep a watch on her in case his instincts are correct.

But not even in the wittiest of his dreams had he thought she could take such a step without him noticing it. He had never thought Xi Jingfei could be so decisive and swift in her actions that could leave him with no solutions. He would be at the ends of his wits, was something someone as capable as Cao Gao hadn’t never imagined.

Cao Gao went back to his place and instructed his most trust-able lackeys to keep a close watch on Xi Jingfei as her behavior in the last few minutes of their confab gave him goose bumps all over.

The people Cao Gao had appointed to pull the job, were going to come in the morning, but no one’s brain wave could match Xi Jingfei’s. Right after their chat, as Cao Gao left, Xi Jingfei too absconded. Taking away the packet the man had brought, her luggage that she bought earlier and also the newspaper carrying her news. She had enough money to leave the country even after paying the nominal amount that Cao Gao had asked for the services he provided.

……..

After paying for fabricated documents and the motel room, the girl still had more than a hundred thousand dollars remaining. Xi Jingfei made her way to the streets wearing a cap, her big round glasses, black ripped jeans and light blue T- shirt. Since she had changed her look, she did not attract much attention this time.

She passed a newspaper stand and saw a few people reading the papers there. As the thought of the news infiltrated her mind again, subconsciously, her perspiring hands gripped the newspaper tightly. The whole article that she couldn’t read earlier because of Cao Gao’s episode, she brought it to her line of sight…

The news read….

{An Administrative Chief or an Army Officer’s Murderer}

[It is recently reported by the secret agencies and also known as Special Military Cell that the Administrative Chief of City U, Ms Xi Jingfei, allegedly killed a Commander of SMC or is accomplice of the killer. The incident took place around half a month ago when the Martyr Soldier was on his mission and reportedly, before sacrificing his life the last words he said were, ‘Administrative Chief Xi Jingfei…’ According to the information given by SMC, Miss Xi has been missing since the next day after the incident, so it is speculated that she has something to do with the Soldier’s sacrifice. ]

[It’s worth pondering that the Administrative Chief of City U has always been famous for being a true public servant, so as soon as the news came out, a lot of people demanded that we dig further because Miss Xi has always conducted herself with law and dignity. ]

[Following the public demand, we looked into it further. We contacted some of her close people, Miss Xi was well acquainted with who remained unavailable to comment. We also contacted her fiancé, Lu Cheng, who was the last person to talk to her before she went missing. According to him, Miss Xi was not someone everyone believed her to be. In actual fact behind the frames, she was a corrupt official herself. But Mr Lu had never expected her to do something so heinous and he feels disgusted by her now. ]

[Hence as a matter of fact, it is believed that Ms Xi Jingfei has really cheated her own nation and thus the police and SMC have issued warrants to arrest her. This news was released because the police still hasn’t found any trace of the person in question thus they seek people’s support. If anyone has any news regarding the Official, please contact the nearest police stations.]

………..

The moment the girl read about the twisted truth that her fiancé had told the world, once again she felt a pain in her heart as she held her chest with her right hand and bent down in the street. The street lights were glimmering and passer-byes looked all cheerful yet her heart sank in a bottomless black pit with her feelings shattering again and again. Her eyes were filled with tears but didn’t let it fall down for she had to be stronger. The one she was going to trust her life with was the one to throw her in this fathomless depths of the abyss.

Her heart shattered and with that shattered her trust in people.

The girl once again composed herself and went ahead.

……..

Xi Jingfei took a train back to City U to avoid police checking. As she reached in City U, she felt as if the air in the city had changed a lot. She didn’t have time to waste because she had to deal with her stuffs and hide back.

“Stop right there!!”

A loud voice caused Xi Jingfei to pause her saunter. Her heartbeat was audible to herself as she broke in cold sweat. Her hands started to perspire while her legs shook uncontrollably.

*Has someone found me out? Who could it be? Cao Gao? Police? SMC? Or……*

Her hands were trembling in fear and anxiety but she turned around to look gulping down her saliva. A loud sigh of relief and panting, as she realized the command wasn’t directed towards her but someone else.

6PM. City U. Country K.

Xi Jingfei arrived at a park near a lake. It was close to a hospital and thus a lot of patients used to come out for a walk and get some fresh air. This place wasn’t that close to her quarters that she used to live in when she was an Administrative Chief there, but wasn’t that far either , around 20 minutes’ walk from there.

Since it was a prime time, there were a lot of people. Kids playing around while their parents having fun watching them and chatting among themselves. Some exercising in different corners while some other taking a walk. Some old folks were sitting on benches across the park and having some good time, chatting and laughing while reminiscing their youth.

Xi Jingfei looked around and spotted a dog near the gate to the lake. Soon as she went nearer to it, a Siberian Husky jumped over her. She grabbed him in her hands and petted its head. The dog walked around her a few times as if reminding her of its presence while she was looking around. The dog wasn’t quite friendly so people feared it but there was more of a relaxed attitude on her face. Though she was well aware that this behavior of the dog would result in attention of the onlookers, but right in this moment she could care less about that.

In the evening, after her work finished, Jingfei used to come in the park and would watch and play with the kids sometimes. The guard of the place had this Husky as his only friend. Since coming almost every day, Jingfei had befriended the guard and as the days passed by, the Siberian Husky too got included in her friend list.

That night, after the SMC Commander had left, Jingfei too climbed the wall of her own house and came to keep the Hard Drive in the Husky’s care and protection so that no one else except for herself, would be able to take the Hard Drive. Even in that dead of the night that she came, Xi Jingfei didn’t inform the guard about it so as to avoid any mishaps that might follow.

Pretty guarded. In a place no one could guess about. Under a pile in the dog house, was the Hard Drive.

Xi Jingfei then avoided the guard and left after a few minutes game with the dog. She was well aware that the police would certainly come and ask around here, given that she frequented this place. If she talked with the guard, he might tell them seeing her here today. So, she left before the guard made his way back.

After taking away the Hard Drive, Xi Jingfei carefully left the park and also City U. But didn’t arrive in City L instead she went to look for an old friend of hers in another city. They weren’t really friends but were quite acquainted with each other’s style of work.