It was nearing evening, and with the typhoon weather and no lights around, the surroundings were quite dim.
Zhang Qiumei had just been thinking that Xingxing and Yueyue were dead.
Imagine this: one second, you’re thinking someone is dead, and the next second, that very person emerges from the darkness and suddenly appears right in front of you.
Wouldn’t you be scared?
At any rate, Zhang Qiumei was terrified. She let out a sharp scream and gasped for breath.
Her scream startled all the military wives nearby and made Xingxing and Yueyue frown.
“Brother, this auntie is so strange. Is she saying we’re ghosts?” Yueyue asked.
Xingxing examined Zhang Qiumei with a scrutinizing gaze, gave a soft “Hmm,” and then seemed lost in thought.
“Mrs. Lin, what are you screaming about? How can you call these children ghosts?”
“They have shadows, you know.”
“Besides, ghosts are feudal superstition. You shouldn’t talk about such things.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Not ghosts? They have shadows?
Zhang Qiumei immediately looked over.
Though the light was dim, there was still some illumination where they stood, casting faint shadows behind Xingxing and Yueyue.
Just then, another figure emerged from the darkness, startling Zhang Qiumei once more.
It was Amber, who had returned with Xingxing and Yueyue.
Amber stepped forward slowly, shielding the two children behind her, her cold eyes fixed on Zhang Qiumei.
Zhang Qiumei clutched her chest.
So, these two weren’t ghosts.
They were… alive?
This realization was even harder for Zhang Qiumei to accept than if they had been ghosts.
If they were ghosts, it would mean they were dead.
But now, since they weren’t ghosts, it meant they were still alive!
Why? Why weren’t they dead?
Zhang Qiumei had to restrain herself with all her might to keep from rushing forward and frantically demanding answers from Xingxing and Yueyue.
She couldn’t ask. Doing so would expose her.
Besides, she needed to calm down now.
Her earlier exclamation about “ghosts” had already revealed too much. She couldn’t say anything more.
Without another word, Zhang Qiumei turned and ran away.
“That Zhang Qiumei is really strange.”
The military wives had never held much respect for Zhang Qiumei to begin with. Now that she was gone, the polite “Mrs. Lin” was replaced with her direct name.
“Wait, aren’t these Dr. Gu’s kids?”
“Yeah, why are they coming back from outside?”
Just then, Huijuan and Goudan also came out and called Xingxing and Yueyue back home.
The two children returned to the Zhao household, where Huijuan began busily preparing dinner.
Xingxing, however, had been sitting on a chair since coming back, chin in hands, deep in thought.
After a long while, he seemed to finally make a decision.
He stood up and called out to Huijuan in the kitchen.
“Auntie Zhao, I want to call my mom.”
“You want to call her now?” Huijuan glanced outside. It was already dark.
But since they were inside the military compound, safety wasn’t much of a concern.
After seeing Xingxing nod, she said, “Alright, then let your brother Goudan go with you.”
“Okay.”
So, accompanied by Goudan, Xingxing quickly arrived at the communications office.
As soon as he got there, Xingxing overheard a soldier saying that communication between Huansha Island and the outside world seemed to be cut off.
However, internal island communications were still functioning.
Xingxing breathed a sigh of relief—that was good.
At least he could still call his parents.
When the soldier learned Xingxing’s identity and that he wanted to call Dr. Gu at the county hospital, he agreed.
Soon, the call was connected to the county hospital, specifying that Dr. Gu’s son was looking for her.
Over at the county hospital, Sheng Zexi and Gu Jianing were informed by a nurse that a call had come in from the military base—their son was looking for them.
“Xingxing is calling?” Gu Jianing frowned. Calculating the time, Xingxing and Yueyue had only just returned to the military base not long ago.
Why was he calling now?
“I’ll take it. There might be something urgent.”
“Alright, go ahead.”
Soon, Sheng Zexi answered the call.
“Dad, it’s me, Xingxing. Yueyue and I are back at the military base, but…” Without hesitation, Xingxing recounted their encounter with Zhang Qiumei and how she had reacted upon seeing them, calling them ghosts.
Sheng Zexi understood almost immediately after Xingxing finished speaking, his face darkening.
But he didn’t interrupt, letting Xingxing continue.
“…Dad, no one else in the military base could have known about what happened to Yueyue and me today.”
“And she shouldn’t have known either.”
“But from the way she acted, it was like she thought Yueyue and I would have an accident- or even… die. Like she thought we’d become ghosts.”
“So when she saw us, she was terrified and shocked.”
“But who would know that Yueyue and I might die?”
“If she didn’t hear it from someone else, then she must be the one who wanted us dead!”
Finally, Xingxing made his conclusion.
As he spoke those last words, his little face was filled with solemn seriousness.
Only after finishing did he seem to revert to a child’s demeanor, asking nervously and uncertainly, “Dad… was my analysis correct?”
“Yes, Xingxing. Your analysis is correct.”
“Xingxing, you’re amazing. You pieced this together from small details—you’re very sharp.”
Xingxing hadn’t expected such praise from his father.
The compliment made his cheeks flush slightly with shyness.
“Alright, Dad understands the situation now.”
“Mm.”
Sheng Zexi gave a few more instructions before hanging up.
When he returned to the hospital room, he relayed the conversation to Gu Jianing.
After hearing it, her expression turned grim.
Her emotions surged. “If Zhang Qiumei said that, she must be involved in this.”
“What’s wrong with her?”
“We’ve never provoked her, yet she wants to kill Xingxing and Yueyue!”
“Disgusting. Absolutely disgusting!”
“Ningning, don’t get too worked up. Take care of your health.” Seeing how angry she was, Sheng Zexi quickly went to comfort her.
Of course, Sheng Zexi was furious too. After all, Xingxing and Yueyue had faced a life-and-death crisis today—they were his and Ningning’s flesh and blood.
He was barely holding back his own emotions.
“Ningning, I’ll report this to the superiors and have them investigate Zhang Qiumei’s involvement. Don’t worry—if she’s responsible, she won’t escape punishment.”
“Good. Brother Zexi, we absolutely cannot let those who hurt Xingxing and Yueyue get away with it.”
Gu Jianing had never been a saint.
She knew that showing mercy to enemies was cruelty to oneself.
So since someone had harmed her family and children, they would pay the price!
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