Gu Siyu stared at the flyer for a minute, raised her head, and as the day approached dusk, she lowered her head again. Her emotions were complicated.
Huo Junxian wanted her dead.
Was she sick? She actually put her on a flyer.
Gu Siyu kicked the flyer hard, the tip of her foot viciously turning it half a circle. She crushed the flyer to pieces. Later, realizing it was her face, she looked at the mud on it and felt a bit uncomfortable.
Damn it.
No wonder the middle-aged women today ran away when she saw her face.
The boss of the motel stood at the door, peering at her with a fearful expression, as if afraid of retaliation. He quickly closed the door.
Taking advantage of this, Gu Siyu gripped her backpack strap, lifted her leg, and ran.
The boss probably contacted Huo Junxian or had already contacted her. If she was a minute slower, she might have encountered Huo Junxian.
The wind whistled past her ears. It was just the beginning of autumn, but the cold wind of winter had arrived, sharp like little knives cutting her face.
Whether it was an illusion or she really heard voices behind her, she heard Huo Junxian calmly talking to the boss. She asked where the person went, and the boss said the person had run away.
"Why didn't you keep her here?"
The boss, frightened, quickly said she had a knife and asked Huo Junxian to call the police quickly to bring her back, so she wouldn't go crazy and kill people.
Then, Gu Siyu heard Huo Junxian getting angry. It wasn't the anger of Huo Junxian but the people around her venting their anger. They called the supervisory bureau to report the motel for illegal business and hoped they would be severely punished and investigate this illegal activity. The boss thought they were trying to lure law enforcement and got angry, scolding Huo Junxian and pointing at her nose, asking if she was the sick one.
As the sky gradually darkened, there seemed to be a line between Huo Junxian and her. No matter how she struggled, it was always connected. Huo Junxian was the end, a dot of ink in the darkness. The whole world followed her blackness, surging like a black tide, trying to ensnare Gu Siyu. Gu Siyu desperately ran, panting heavily. She breathed through her mouth, and her throat was almost cut by the airflow.
She had chosen this remote place intentionally to hide from Huo Junxian. Now she didn't dare to move easily, as Huo Junxian had a lot of money and hired people to block parking spots.
Huo Junxian was so capable; she might as well become a secret agent.
Gu Siyu covered herself tightly with a mask and hat. She looked around and saw a few middle-aged women distributing flyers. Not only were they distributing, but they also included one or two packs of hygiene paper from a hospital specializing in infertility treatment. Gu Siyu guessed that the flyers contained her super clear photo.
Damn it, couldn't these women have some professional ethics?
To avoid suspicion, she decided to wait until it got darker before taking off the hat and just wearing the mask. Calming herself, Gu Siyu tore down a missing person poster from a utility pole and looked at herself in the mirror. Afterward, she fussed with her hair.
Usually, her hair was loose, with a slightly center parting, making herself look clean and trendy. She randomly messed it up, making herself look messy. Then she thought of Huo Junxian saying she had mental problems in the missing person notice.
Wasn't this messy enough to be considered a problem?
Honestly, a woman's hairstyle often changed her entire image, not to mention makeup.
She also had a cold, sneezing all the time. Gu Siyu looked sickly with a mask, constantly coughing, but not many people suspected her. She didn't run around in the city, avoiding people and entering a nearby hair salon. She asked them to cut her hair short.
Tony said she was pretty and always recommended hairstyles, suggesting the latest and trendiest styles. He said she had a face that suited Korean-style haircuts and confidently gestured to compare.
Gu Siyu suspected Tony might be sent by Huo Junxian. When she tried to stand up, Tony pressed her down, saying, "Okay, what kind of hairstyle do you want?"
"Just make it...," Gu Siyu couldn't say the last two words. After hesitating for a while, she said, "Make it look plain. It's better to have bangs covering half of my face."
Tony asked, "Did you break up?"
"Yes, yes, make it look plain," Gu Siyu didn't want to waste time.
Maybe Tony couldn't tell beauty from ugliness. The result wasn't plain but rather "trendy"—a short Japanese-style haircut with fluffy air bangs and slightly curled ends.
"Satisfied?" Tony asked.
In normal circumstances, Gu Siyu would be satisfied, but she looked at the missing person notice and was blocked by the word "trendy." She wore a black short-sleeved top and sports pants, fitting into the overall casual style Tony chose for her. The whole set wasn't cheap, costing her 250. She paid and walked out, feeling like she made a big mistake, swinging her backpack onto her shoulder.
As she walked, she kept thinking about whether to grab a lump of mud from the ground and smear it on her face. Maybe that way, Huo Junxian wouldn't find her.
Walking along, Gu Siyu decided to let it go. She looked at the missing person notice and waited for a bus at the stop. A bodyguard passed by her, and Gu Siyu tried to calm her breathing, suppressing her heartbeat. The prearranged driver came over, opened the car door for her.
The bodyguard didn't notice her.
Gu Siyu quickly named a location, and the driver took her to a place near a school. After paying, the driver asked her to scan his WeChat payment code. Glancing at it, she happened to see the driver's chat group, where her "missing person notice" was being circulated.
Many drivers were reminding each other that if they encountered this person, they should quickly contact the phone number above, as she was rumored to have a knife.
Observing the driver's expression, Gu Siyu asked, "What about this girl..."
"Poor thing, her family has been looking for her all along. I just came from there and even saw her sister. The family looks pretty wealthy, and I guess they're quite anxious. It's easy for a girl to run into trouble outside. By the way, as a girl, you should also be careful..."
Gu Siyu thanked the driver, her voice hoarse to the point that her true emotions were indiscernible.
"Are you going back to school?" the driver asked while handing her the change.
"Oh, yes," Gu Siyu nodded.
At this moment, she slowly remembered that she was only 23 years old. Normally, people at her age would still be in school, working on their graduation projects, preparing for exams, or aiming for a stable government job, talking about how to secure employment early...
Unfortunately, she wasn't.
She was drowning in the sea.
Gu Siyu went to an internet cafe, willing to spend a bit more money. Without presenting her ID, she rented a private room and planned to stay overnight. Unfortunately, she dared not stay in a hotel. Huo Junxian was in real estate; surely, she had collaborations with hotels. Registering at a hotel would make it easy for Huo Junxian to find her.
Sometimes, money was the best passport.
Another reason she hesitated to stay in a hotel was that, after changing her appearance and traveling this far, she had spent more than 300 yuan in a short period. She had no spare money left. If she didn't find a way to make some, honestly, life would become unbearable.
Huo Junxian had not only isolated her socially but had also arranged people near hotels and motels. She had calculated that wherever Gu Siyu went, she would need a place to stay.
Huo Junxian was really...
During her student days, Gu Siyu used to frequent places like this. She was a bit of a gangster, surrounded by a few lackeys. She would pick on honest people for some easy money.
After a while, the police educated her, and as Gu Siyu had a fierce temper and was good at fighting, the owner of the internet cafe asked her to be a network administrator. She could earn five to six hundred yuan a month.
Thinking back to those difficult days, Gu Siyu asked a waiter for a pot of hot water. Using a paper cup, she brewed a packet of cold medicine, stirring the medicine bag into the water.
After leaving the internet cafe job, she vowed never to step into such a lowly place again, never take even half a step inside for the rest of her life. Whenever she recalled those past days, she felt humiliated.
Gu Siyu drank the medicine, took out all the money from her pocket, and began counting. At the moment she slapped the table, even if she had billions in her bank account, she only had one thought: too poor.
Two one-hundred yuan bills and the rest were coins. Added together, it was 403 yuan.
What could she do with 403 yuan?
Gu Siyu pinched her brow, checked for train tickets on the computer, and found that taking a plane would be faster. A ticket over 200 yuan could take her out of the province. Huo Junxian had pressed her too hard, causing her two attempts to escape without detailed plans. This time, she definitely needed to organize properly.
She took a notebook, copied down the place name, closed her eyes, pointed randomly, and circled the location where her finger landed.
She opened her eyes, looked at the place name, and drew a circle with a pen. Taking a deep breath, it was an unfamiliar place she had never been to before. It was good, a chance to start anew.
Next, she checked travel guides, determined how to earn money and where to stay. She didn't want to end up with problems related to food and accommodation.
Finally, she bought a ticket. Gu Siyu dared not use her identity to purchase it. If Huo Junxian reported to the police and they found information during the check, she would be caught within a second after getting off the train.
After much consideration, the safest option was carpooling.
Gu Siyu found a carpooling public account, joined a carpooling group, and decided to observe for a night. Once she confirmed it was safe and reliable, she would arrange a meeting time with them. Carpooling would be a bit more expensive, and after getting off the car, she would only have money for meals.
Gu Siyu absentmindedly opened the trending search page. What caught her eye were familiar words. She didn't intend to click on it but accidentally moved the mouse, and a photo popped up.
She remained expressionless, unable to force a smile.
Sure enough.
As soon as Huo Junxian's missing person notice came out, netizens started circulating it online. Unsurprisingly, it quickly gained attention and attracted a group of do-gooders. Besides gossiping about her and Huo Junxian's story, most of the comments were filled with laughter at the amusement provided by this missing person notice.
Because the notice gained popularity so quickly, with high levels of discussion, official responses were received promptly, stating that the matter was under investigation.
Under investigation...
Huo Junxian, you really leave no stone unturned.
With the effect of the medicine kicking in, Gu Siyu lay on the table, massaging her temples. She gritted her teeth, trying to console herself. It would be fine; when Huo Junxian used to play games with her, she never found her. How could she easily locate her this time?
She pressed her temples, her throat burning and sore, breathing causing pain. She dared not drink too much of the medicine, poured hot water, and waited for it to cool down. However, as she waited, she fell asleep.
Indeed, Huo Junxian left no stone unturned. It wasn't just the police or the public; even some well-meaning netizens joined the search. Influential bloggers, detective enthusiasts, and suspense authors all flocked to participate, analyzing online where Gu Siyu might run to.
Gu Siyu, without money, would certainly not go to a hotel. So, internet cafes and cheap motels were the best choices. If she were more cautious, she might choose internet cafes under lax management, places she knew well.
Some netizens were even more idle, staying up late into the night. They mentioned the authorities while marking on maps all the black internet cafes in the city.
The information online changed dramatically. Those night owls, not eating, not drinking, not sleeping, thoroughly investigated Gu Siyu's background and guessed her plans.
Huo Junxian visited a black internet cafe for the first time. The smell and environment were entirely incompatible with her style. She wore expensive black ankle boots, straight black trousers, showcasing her long and slender legs, with a hint of ankle peeking out, radiating a powerful aura.
Her imposing presence was too strong, causing the people using the internet to glance at her, thinking that she was a wealthy person coming to discipline rebellious children.
The internet cafe's curtains were tightly drawn, the smell of cheap smoke lingered, and the table was littered with various snacks. The mixture of pungent cigarette smoke and the strong smell of instant noodles made the place nauseating.
Various vulgar curses and keyboard sounds mingled together, causing Huo Junxian to furrow her brows.
Chen Tao handed her a handkerchief, and Huo Junxian stood at the door, covering her nose. She didn't step further inside.
Chen Tao called someone over to investigate. During the investigation, from head to tail, a few troublemakers thought they were being targeted and stood up to confront Chen Tao's team. Chen Tao pressed them back with a slap, and when one troublemaker started hurling insults, Chen Tao delivered several more slaps to his head, leaving him immobilized.
Gu Siyu had a headache all day. The medicine finally took effect, and she was peacefully sleeping with her head on the table. Amid the occasional sound of objects being thrown outside, she drifted in and out of consciousness. Not fully awake, she suddenly remembered Huo Junxian upon hearing the commotion, instantly snapping to attention.
The door was knocked loudly, and the outside voices were somewhat chaotic. The person speaking had a calm tone, "Break the door, you'll pay for it later."
A few bangs, and the door was kicked open.
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Translator's note: Wahahaha... Ala~~ Gu Siyu was about to be captured 😂. Siyu, wake up and run for your life! Wahahaha...
TO BE CONTINUE...