RYEY -Chapter 329 Playing Dead

“Sorry, Brother Fan. That day I took the child to a guesthouse. By morning, the child still wouldn’t wake up—no matter how much I called, he wouldn’t open his eyes.

I thought maybe you had given him medicine, so I locked the door and went to the bank to get money. By the time I returned, the child was gone.”

“Gone~”

Wu Fan was shocked, his eyes instinctively darting toward Cheng Qiao and the others.

“Yes, gone. I was frantic, so I went out to search. I looked for days but couldn’t find him. I wanted to find you, but I couldn’t.”

“Did you ask the staff?”

“Yes. The staff said the child ran out on his own. She even asked if an adult was accompanying him. The child said his mother had come and was waiting at the door.”

“Mother came…”

Wu Fan felt a wave of relief. So Cheng Qiao had already taken her son home. But seeing Cheng Qiao’s pale face, his heart skipped a beat—he really had lost her child.

Cheng Qiao closed her eyes. Li Huan took a deep breath, exchanged a few words with someone nearby, and then that person approached Wu Fan and A San.

Looking at the man approaching, Wu Fan noticed the bulging temple—he could tell this was a master. Someone like him, even at his peak, would stand no chance against this person.

“Gentlemen, come with me.”

“Where to?”

A San felt uneasy and tried to run. He had money; he could go anywhere. Besides, the child had run off by himself—it wasn’t his fault.

But he barely took two steps before the man locked his hands behind him. The pain made him scream and grimace. Wu Fan’s heart shook, and he wisely froze in place.

“Going or not?”

Wu Fan quickly nodded. Seeing Wu Fan, skilled in fighting, intimidated, A San dared not resist. Before all the bystanders had gathered, they followed the man into a car.

“Lead the way—to the guesthouse you stayed at.”

Cheng Qiao got in as well, sitting next to Wu Fan. She casually fed him a pill. Wu Fan’s face twisted in panic—the taste was different from the ones he had taken in the last couple of days.

“What medicine are you giving me?”

Wu Fan wanted to ask but couldn’t speak. He felt his heartbeat speeding up, as if he could hear it pounding in his chest.

The car arrived at the Hongxin Guesthouse. Li Huan and Cheng Qiao led A San inside. Seeing the staff, A San ran over: “Comrade, do you remember me?”

The staff frowned at him, then suddenly smiled: “You’re the one who took the child away, right?”

“Yes, yes, but it wasn’t the child’s mother. I’m not married yet.”

“Not married and you have a child? That’s a serious crime; I should report you.”

“No, that child belongs to my friend. Yes, it’s their child.”

The staff turned to look at Li Huan and Cheng Qiao. Her eyes lit up, immediately believing A San. The man was handsome, the woman beautiful, and the child resembled them—it had to be theirs.

“Comrade, my son hasn’t returned home. Can you help describe the woman who took him?”

The staff shook her head. She only remembered the child passing by her desk; she had asked out of concern. Since the child said his mother had come for him, she didn’t interfere, especially as two others were checking in.

“Which room was my son in? Can I see it?”

Cheng Qiao pleaded with the staff.

The staff looked hesitant. The room was occupied, and entering would require the occupant’s consent.

She knocked on the door but got no response. She shook her head—perhaps they were out. Without permission, she couldn’t open it.

Cheng Qiao and Li Huan decided to wait for the occupant to return. Meanwhile, A San was taken away. Before leaving, Cheng Qiao subtly squeezed his hand tightly. A San felt a tingle in his palm. Just as he tried to pull away, Cheng Qiao released him.

Cheng Qiao looked at the man with the bulging temple. He blinked once, then turned and left, taking A San and Wu Fan with him, leaving only a faint trace behind.

They didn’t wait inside the guesthouse but searched around it. Once they confirmed which window was the room where little Cheng Li stayed, Li Huan acted.

The window was pried open. Little Redhead silently slipped inside. Soon, he returned to Cheng Qiao’s space. The room had changed occupants multiple times—there was no trace of little Cheng Li.

“Qiao, we’ll have to wait until night when no one is around. Then Little Redhead can sniff around the door to see if he can find any trace of the little one.”

Cheng Qiao nodded, though irritation gnawed at her. She suspected little Cheng Li had escaped A San’s control and managed to flee.

Being young and good-looking, he might have been abducted by traffickers. If so, where would she find him?

Li Huan thought the same but refused to speak the word “traffickers.” If that were true, finding little Cheng Li would become even more dangerous.

The sun finally set. The heavens were on their side—the moon hid behind thick clouds, the night pitch-black.

Little Redhead quietly prowled near the guesthouse entrance, even climbing up to the room door, then crawling in a certain direction.

But Little Redhead was slow, often pausing, shaking his large snake head, adjusting, and continuing.

After some time, Li Huan and Cheng Qiao realized Little Redhead had crawled to the long-distance bus station. Their hearts sank.

The bus station had multiple buses leaving for different directions daily. Little Redhead could no longer pick up little Cheng Li’s scent.

“My little Cheng Li…”

Cheng Qiao gently moved her hand, bringing Little Redhead into her space. She appeared in the space, sitting on the black earth, wailing loudly. Could little Cheng Li still not escape the tragic fate of his previous life?

Little Cheng Li, who was crying out in Cheng Qiao’s arms, quietly lay on a big kang bed, recalling the past few days.

That night, he had looked up at the colorful fireworks, smiling brightly. Someone appeared behind him; he thought it was his uncle, so he didn’t pay attention.

Only when his neck was cut did he realize his mistake. When he woke, he saw a strange man sleeping nearby. Now little Cheng Li understood he had been kidnapped.

He wanted to escape but didn’t know where he was or the punishment if he failed. So, he patiently pretended to be asleep.

Little Cheng Li waited for the right moment. When morning came and the man called him, he kept his eyes tightly shut, successfully playing dead.