Chapter 140: Picking Up Baibai

Early in the morning, An Feng drove to the police station and was slightly surprised by the sight that greeted him. These two fellows had clearly been beating the man all night—he was still bleeding. It was ruthless, though he supposed the man deserved a severe thrashing. An Feng had already used his ability yesterday to verify that the location of the temple was indeed what Xiao Lin had disclosed to the boss.

An Feng stepped forward and nudged the stool Liu Fei was sitting on. With just a slight application of force, Liu Fei was jolted awake, jumping to his feet in a start. He opened his eyes wide, looking around in a daze, and his face flushed when he caught sight of An Feng.

"C-Captain An Feng, g-good morning," Liu Fei stammered, clearly terrified of him.

Xiao Qi, hearing the commotion, opened his eyes. Upon seeing An Feng, he immediately leaped up, offered a crisp, standard salute, and said, "Good morning."

An Feng glanced at the two of them; they acted like mice seeing a cat. He looked over at Xiao Lin, who was tied to a tree, and said sternly, "Why haven't you untied him yet? Do you think it looks good if others see this? If you can't find a decent physician, just send him to the Mo family and let Elder Xian take a good look at that face."

Liu Fei nodded and hurriedly released the man. Privately, he was disgruntled; the man had committed so many evil deeds that he would have preferred to see him die from his wounds.

"I won't be at the station today, so you two handle everything. Keep your wits about you and don't let yourselves be used by others. You were lucky this time, but who knows about the next." With that, An Feng turned and strode out.

An Feng drove straight to the residence of Principal Bei. He felt gloomy throughout the journey. Upon arriving, he parked, closed the door, and walked toward the gate.

The servants, seeing the distinguished-looking man—though they had only met him once before and didn't know exactly how important he was—politely welcomed him inside.

It happened to be a holiday, and Bai Bai was happily painting. Because Principal Bei’s wife doted on her, she allowed her to pursue her interests. The Principal’s wife was a very dedicated mother who always prepared Su Bai Bai’s meals herself.

Hearing from a servant that a guest had arrived, the Principal’s wife set down the greens she was cleaning, untied her apron, and walked out with measured steps. Principal Bei was still at school, and the house could not be left without someone to receive visitors.

As soon as An Feng entered, he was invited to sit, and a servant thoughtfully poured him tea, asking him to wait a moment. An Feng carefully observed his surroundings; both the servants and the household items exuded a sense of quiet serenity.

"You must be Miss Mo Lan’s boyfriend, right? Hmm, is Miss Mo Lan not with you?" the Principal’s wife asked softly as she approached and recognized him.

An Feng looked up at the gentle, dignified woman. She was truly a person of scholarly breeding, her every movement elegant. He offered a polite smile and replied, "Mo Lan did not come. Something has happened to Qian Yin, and I would like to take Bai Bai to see her and keep her company."

"Something happened to Miss Qian Yin? Is she seriously injured?" The Principal’s wife looked shocked, her eyes betraying genuine concern.

She gestured for a servant to hurry. "Quickly, go fetch the young lady."

A young girl immediately went to call her. She was a companion student brought to the house—a beautiful and well-behaved girl who not only accompanied Bai Bai at home but also attended school with her; they were very close.

"I don't really know where to begin, but rest assured, she will recover," An Feng said. He didn't know how else to answer, so he offered a vague excuse to smooth things over. How could he say it wasn't serious when she might never wake up?

"That is a relief." Hearing she was safe, the Principal’s wife let out a sigh of relief.

As soon as Bai Bai heard someone was looking for her, she came skipping over. Upon reaching the hall, she spotted An Feng and asked, "Didn't they come?"

An Feng was momentarily speechless. Was this little one always so blunt? Was there no room for pleasantries? Did they all dislike him?

"Bai Bai, you mustn't speak like that. You should ask your brother why the two older sisters didn't come," the Principal’s wife chided gently, taking Bai Bai’s hand.

"I know. Brother, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have spoken that way." Bai Bai was obedient and immediately apologized, bowing at a perfect ninety-degree angle.

"It's fine. Let's go quickly; we shouldn't keep Sister Qian Yin waiting," An Feng said, eager to leave so he could see Mo Lan and talk to her.

When Bai Bai heard they were going to the Mo family, she happily ran off to pack her clothes. An Feng had no choice but to wait. Fearing he might be bored, the Principal’s wife sat nearby and asked about recent events.

Feeling that this woman was as gentle as a mother, An Feng began to talk about the recent cases, omitting the more terrifying details so as not to cause the gentle woman to frown.

Throughout their conversation, the Principal’s wife offered much advice, and An Feng listened intently, finding no reason to disagree. Where he had acted incorrectly, she pointed it out immediately, preventing him from dwelling on his frustrations.

After this exchange, An Feng had an epiphany; many things that had puzzled him suddenly became clear. It was true that those on the outside often saw things more clearly than those involved.

Bai Bai had been packing for some time. When she emerged and saw them chatting so happily, she curiously hugged the arm of the Principal’s wife, flashing a smile and blinking at them both.

The companion student, Mu Mian, had also packed her bags, as Bai Bai had decided to bring her along to meet the two sisters. She was sure the sisters would love her.

The Principal’s wife frowned. Bringing her along? That didn't seem appropriate, as they didn't know her.

"Mother, I want to take Mu Mian with me. I want the two sisters to meet her." Seeing her mother’s frown, Bai Bai immediately stood in front of the girl, as if to protect her.

An Feng felt a sense of déjà vu; it was exactly like the way Qian Yin used to run in front of Mo Lan. It was truly similar. Perhaps this girl would be helpful for Qian Yin’s recovery; he would take her along.

An Feng stood up, looked at the two young girls, then at the Principal’s wife. He smiled and said, "It's alright, let's go. I'm in a hurry, Madam. I will come to trouble you again another time."

The Principal’s wife stood up and said resignedly, "Then I wish you a safe journey. You are always welcome to visit."

An Feng nodded. The two girls happily ran ahead with their belongings. The Principal’s wife saw An Feng to the door, offered a few final words of advice, and bid him farewell before letting them depart.