Chapter 4: The Piercing Gaze

Pushing open the door of Spring Tea House, I saw a man in a black casual jacket sitting inside. The teahouse wasn't very crowded today, so he was likely the one who had called me earlier. The man's name was Sun Xingye. He had a younger sister named Sun Xingmei, an 18-year-old sophomore in college. She was supposed to return home for break a month ago, and after getting off the train, she made one last call to her family, saying, "I'll be home soon." But after that, she vanished—no trace of her, dead or alive. A few days ago, Sun Xingye's mother had a dream in which her daughter came home, saying, "It's too cold outside, and I don't even have a coat." When she woke up, the old woman felt something was wrong. She feared her daughter might no longer be alive. The police had been searching for over a month but had made no progress. Desperate, the family sought help from a so-called Master Li. After performing a ritual, Master Li predicted that the girl was likely no longer in this world. The most urgent matter now was to find her body and lay her to rest. But this was easier said than done. Even with over a hundred officers searching the area, they found nothing. What could the family possibly do on their own? Left with no other choice, Master Li gave them my contact information, and that's how Sun Xingye found me. After hearing the full story, I recalled the man I had met a few days ago—Uncle Li. I had thought he was just some errand boy for that Kuang guy, but judging by what Sun Xingye said, he was clearly someone with real skills! Desperate to find his sister, Sun Xingye promised me a reward of 30,000 yuan if I could locate her. Even if I failed, they would cover all my travel expenses, food, and accommodation. I immediately asked, "Where do you live? Is it far?" Sun Xingye glanced at me and replied, "My home is in Ya'an, Sichuan." I had never been to Sichuan before. It was now July, and the climate here was hot and humid—something a northerner like me wasn't used to at all. Sun Xingye's family lived in a small county in Ya'an. After the major earthquake in 2013, most of the buildings were reconstructed, making the town's layout particularly well-planned. On the surface, it seemed like a fairly prosperous place. As soon as we got off the train, Sun Xingye arranged for me to stay in a local inn called "Bashu Inn." He must have had high hopes for me because he took great care of me throughout the journey. This made me feel a bit guilty—after all, I couldn't guarantee success. If his sister had been kidnapped by traffickers, there wouldn't be much I could do. The innkeeper at Bashu Inn was a woman from the northeast. She greeted me with unusual enthusiasm. Was it my irresistible charm, or was she just this friendly to all guests? "Handsome, first time in Sichuan?" she asked with a big smile. I didn't answer directly but instead shifted the conversation. "Boss lady, you have a northeastern accent. Where are you from?" She sized me up before replying with a laugh, "Heilongjiang. I got married here a few years ago, but my husband died in a car accident. So, I had no choice but to run this inn on my own." After some small talk, I took my room key and went to Room 305. As soon as I opened the door, a musty smell hit me, making me wrinkle my nose. Seeing my reaction, Sun Xingye looked embarrassed. "The climate here is pretty humid, so the rooms tend to smell a bit moldy. Northerners like you probably aren't used to it." As he spoke, he went to the window and pushed it open. I smiled and reassured him, "It's fine. I'll get used to it." Relieved by my attitude, he said gratefully, "Brother Jinbao, you must be tired after traveling. Get some rest today. I'll pick you up tomorrow morning and take you to my house." I nodded. "Alright, you should go rest too." Once he left, I let out a long sigh of relief. Finally, some peace and quiet! But the moment I lay down, I realized the bedding felt damp, as if it had just come out of a washing machine. The thought of spending the next few nights in this room made me miserable. Bashu Inn was in a great location—right next to a street market. It wasn't too bad during the day, but at night, it turned into a bustling night market. The shouting of vendors and the chatter of people made it impossible to sleep early. Left with no choice, I got dressed and went downstairs to take a stroll. The street was more of a food market than a typical night market, with vendors selling all sorts of Sichuan snacks. I tried a few, but by the time I was done, my mouth was numb from all the spice. It seemed like everything here had one common trait—numbing heat. Just as I was focused on eating my skewers, I suddenly felt a piercing gaze from a distance. My heart jolted, and I quickly turned to look! But with so many people coming and going, it was hard to spot who had been watching me. I had always trusted my instincts. I didn't know if that gaze carried malice or not, but one thing was certain—someone was watching me closely. Being a complete outsider in a place like this, getting noticed was definitely not a good sign. With that in mind, I quickly paid my bill and left. Back in my room, I still felt uneasy. Peeking through the curtains, I scanned the street below, but I didn't see anything suspicious. I had no dreams that night. Normally, I would have slept soundly, but either from eating too much spicy food or from the damp bedding, I found myself waking up multiple times to use the bathroom. The next morning, Sun Xingye arrived before 8 AM. I understood his urgency—his sister was missing, and there were no leads. His anxiety was justified. After a quick breakfast, we drove straight to his house. Sun Xingye's home was a two-story building. The front yard housed a motorcycle parts factory, while the backyard was filled with semi-finished products. Judging by this, their family was fairly well-off. His parents were simple farmers. The moment they saw me, their tear-filled eyes locked onto mine, full of hope. Being looked at with such expectations made me uneasy. Sun Xingmei's room was on the second floor. Before coming, I had told Sun Xingye that I needed something his sister loved most to use for tracking her. But according to him, he didn't really know his sister well. That made sense. He was in his thirties, while she was only 18—the generation gap was obvious.