The sound of footsteps drew closer and closer.
Su Jiuyue had one child slung over her shoulder and another cradled in her arms.
She also had to stay behind the other children to protect them…
There was no way she could run any faster. Her lungs felt like they were about to burst, and sweat blurred her vision.
The man chasing them was almost upon her.
Despair welled up inside Su Jiuyue. Instinctively, she was about to set Jiaojiao down and let the little girl run on her own.
Just as she prepared to stay behind and block the pursuer—
A tall figure strode into the light at the mouth of the alley.
Dressed in an olive-green military uniform with a straight, imposing posture, it was Huo Tingxuan.
The moment he saw the crowd rushing out of the alley—especially the disheveled Su Jiuyue carrying a child over her shoulder—his sharp brows knitted tightly together.
“Commander Huo! Behind us… child traffickers! They’re chasing us!”
Su Jiuyue shouted between ragged breaths. Her legs gave way, and she nearly collapsed to her knees.
Huo Tingxuan’s gaze instantly turned razor-sharp.
His orderly, Xiao Chen, reacted just as quickly. The two of them immediately charged toward the pursuers behind Su Jiuyue.
Inside the alley, Scarface and the accomplice who had driven the van had just caught up when they ran headlong into the two agile soldiers.
The outcome was never in doubt.
After a few brief sounds of fighting and pained cries, the two traffickers had their arms twisted behind their backs and were pinned firmly to the ground.
“Commander Huo, hurry! That courtyard is their hideout! There’s another trafficker knocked unconscious at the alley entrance!”
Without another word, Xiao Chen ran back and dragged the unconscious trafficker out.
Everything had happened in the blink of an eye.
Only after seeing all three traffickers subdued did Su Jiuyue finally manage to catch her breath.
She gently lowered the unconscious boy from her shoulder. Her legs went weak, and she sank to the ground, trembling uncontrollably.
Still clinging to her, Jiaojiao finally broke down in frightened sobs.
The seven or eight rescued children crowded around Su Jiuyue—some crying, some too terrified to speak.
The scene was complete chaos.
“It’s all right… Jiaojiao, don’t be afraid. Everything’s okay now…”
She patted her daughter’s back, though her own voice trembled just as much.
Huo Tingxuan walked over. He first glanced at the frightened children, his eyes lingering briefly on the unconscious boy before settling on Su Jiuyue’s pale face.
“Are you hurt?”
His voice remained calm, but beneath it was a trace of tightly restrained concern.
Su Jiuyue wanted to shake her head, but realized she barely had the strength left to do even that.
Without saying anything further, Huo Tingxuan turned to Xiao Chen.
“Go notify the Public Security Bureau. This is a major case.”
The city Public Security Bureau was brightly lit.
By the time everyone had finished giving their statements, dusk had already fallen.
Director Wang personally came over to thank Su Jiuyue. Grasping her hands firmly, he shook them again and again.
“Comrade Su, thank you so much! You’ve done an incredible service! This gang has been operating across several provinces for years. We’ve been tracking them for a long time, and today we finally wiped out the entire operation! Seven children… seven families…”
Embarrassed by the praise, Su Jiuyue merely shook her head.
“Anyone would have tried to help if they’d seen it. As long as the children are safe.”
“I spotted it first!”
Leaning against her mother’s leg, Jiaojiao raised her little face proudly.
“The shoe fell out of the sack!”
Director Wang laughed heartily and rubbed her head.
“That’s right! Our little Jiaojiao deserves credit too! What sharp eyes you have!”
The identities of the rescued children were gradually confirmed.
Parents who received the news rushed frantically to the police station. Soon, the courtyard echoed with cries, laughter, and endless words of gratitude.
Watching parents embrace the children they had almost lost forever, overwhelmed by relief and joy, brought tears to Su Jiuyue’s eyes.
Several emotional parents even tried to kneel before her in thanks, but she hurriedly stopped them, finally persuading them not to.
Only the boy rescued from the burlap sack remained quietly seated on a bench in the corner.
He was awake now.
He neither cried nor made a fuss.
His lips were tightly pressed together, and his dark eyes watched everyone around him with the wariness of a frightened wild animal.
When asked his name or where he lived, he remained silent, only hugging his knees even tighter.
After examining him, the doctor said that aside from superficial injuries and malnutrition, he was physically unharmed.
The shock had likely rendered him temporarily unable—or unwilling—to speak.
That left one problem.
Every other child had a home to return to.
What about him?
“Comrade Su,” a policewoman said softly, “this child seems especially attached to you.”
“If you move even a little farther away, he keeps staring toward the door. Would you… be willing to take him home for a couple of days? You’re a military dependent, so we’d feel at ease. As soon as we locate his family, we’ll notify you immediately.”
Su Jiuyue froze before hurriedly waving her hands.
“How could that work? I already have Jiaojiao to take care of, and my family’s circumstances aren’t exactly comfortable. I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to look after him properly…”
“Mommy, let’s bring Big Brother home!”
Jiaojiao tugged at her mother’s sleeve, looking pleadingly at the silent boy.
“He’s so handsome, and he doesn’t have anywhere to go. He’s so pitiful.”
As though he understood her words, the boy slowly lifted his eyes to Su Jiuyue.
His gaze was clear yet fragile, like a rain-soaked little animal with nowhere to hide.
Su Jiuyue’s heart softened instantly.
Director Wang also tried to persuade her.
“Comrade Su, just look at his condition. Keeping him here at the station really isn’t ideal.
“Please take him home for a day or two while we continue searching for his family. If… we truly can’t find any leads, we’ll discuss what to do next.”
Outside, Huo Tingxuan’s jeep was waiting.
He had just finished learning the details of the case and was now walking out, his military uniform immaculate, his stride brisk and commanding.
“Get in the car first.”
His eyes swept over the boy before turning to Su Jiuyue.
His tone left no room for argument.
“The military clinic is back at the compound. Let the army doctor give him another thorough examination. Tomorrow I’ll assign people to assist the city bureau with the investigation.”
Now that he’d said that, Su Jiuyue had no reason to refuse.
She returned to the bench and crouched down so she was eye level with the boy.
Her voice became especially gentle.
“Would you like to come home with Auntie and your little sister for now? We have food and a place for you to sleep.”
The boy gazed steadily at her.
His long eyelashes fluttered slightly.
He still didn’t speak.
But he slowly released his tight grip on his knees and gave the faintest nod.
Su Jiuyue sighed softly and took his icy little hand.
After climbing into the jeep, she suddenly remembered the things she’d bought.
“Oh no! My shopping is still back in the alley…”
“It’s in the trunk.”
Huo Tingxuan gestured toward the rear of the vehicle, speaking casually.
“Xiao Chen collected everything. Nothing should be missing.”
Jiaojiao immediately climbed onto the seat to look through the back.
“Mommy, it’s all here! Uncle Huo brought everything for us!”
Turning around, Su Jiuyue saw the bulging mesh bags and cloth sacks neatly stacked in the trunk.
She faced forward again, her face full of gratitude.
“Thank you…”
The words “Big Brother Huo” reached the tip of her tongue.
But in the end, she couldn’t bring herself to say them.
Instead, she simply said,
“Thank you, Commander Huo.”
Huo Tingxuan turned around from the front passenger seat.
Beneath the brim of his cap, he looked at her. One eyebrow lifted ever so slightly.
“From now on, call me Big Brother Huo.”
His voice wasn’t loud, but every word was perfectly clear.
“I’m not that old. If you keep calling me ‘Commander’ and your daughter keeps calling me ‘Uncle,’ people will think I’m seventy or eighty years old.”
Su Jiuyue blinked in surprise.
For a moment, she thought exhaustion had made her imagine the whole thing.
Just then, the jeep rounded a corner.
The roar of the engine gently swallowed the subtle silence that lingered between them.