The sky over Wangjing in early winter was always overcast and drizzly.
Six-year-old Shen Lishu sat obediently under the eaves. Though her porcelain-white little face was already tinged with purple from the cold and her nose was bright red, she still craned her neck eagerly, peering incessantly toward the wrought iron gate in the yard.
Finally—
There was a faint sound from beyond the high wall, but no one pushed open the iron gate to enter.
A flicker of disappointment appeared in Shen Lishu’s dark, moist, round eyes.
The sky was already growing dark. It seemed Aunt Xu wouldn’t be back to make dinner today either.
Shen Lishu comforted herself silently: It’s okay, cookies and milk can fill me up too.
Although this place was within the affluent villa district of Wangjing, due to years of neglect, it exuded a desolate and dilapidated feel.
No one knew Shen Lishu’s origins.
She had been brought here at the age of four, with only a nanny surnamed Xu to take care of her daily needs.
At first, the nanny had taken diligent care of Shen Lishu, but later, realizing no one was actually looking after the girl, she began to entertain dishonest thoughts.
After all, the kindergarten Shen Lishu attended provided three meals a day and transportation. On weekends, a few cookies and some milk to stave off hunger wouldn’t kill her.
Unable to hide her disappointment, Shen Lishu turned to go inside. But after just a few steps, she couldn’t resist looking back again.
As she was about to enter the house, glancing back every few steps, Shen Lishu suddenly noticed something dark moving near the wrought iron gate.
It hadn’t been there just a moment ago.
A puppy?
Shen Lishu hesitated for a while, then turned and slowly walked toward the iron gate.
Only when she got closer did she realize it wasn’t a puppy, but a little boy.
The boy curled up in the corner by the iron gate wasn’t very old. He was covered in mud and looked utterly wretched.
Beneath his dark bangs, a pair of inorganic, deep blue eyes stared intently at Shen Lishu. His gaze was fierce, radiating the oppressive aura unique to a top predator.
Being stared at so closely by such eyes, Shen Lishu felt a bit frightened.
But seeing him in such a pitiful state, her heart softened. She asked cautiously, “Are you alone too?”
Looking so wretched, was he, like her, abandoned by his birth parents?
Pei Yu pressed his lips tightly together, offering no response. He continued to stare at Shen Lishu with an obsessive gaze, as if she might vanish in an instant if he so much as blinked.
A gust of wind carrying the chill of early winter blew through. The boy, dressed in thin clothes, shivered from the cold.
He’ll get sick if this continues.
Looking at the boy before her, Shen Lishu thought of herself, and her eyes grew slightly red.
“Don’t cry…”
The boy finally spoke. His voice was hoarse, as if he hadn’t spoken for a long time, and his intonation was a bit strange.
But Shen Lishu heard him clearly. She sniffled and, without further hesitation, stood on tiptoe to open the wrought iron gate. She walked over to the little boy, crouched down beside him, reached out to hug him tightly, and asked softly, “Come home with me, okay?”
Shen Lishu led Pei Yu into the house.
Many items in this standalone villa had been secretly sold off by that nanny surnamed Xu, leaving the place looking rather empty.
She had intended to settle Pei Yu on the sofa first, then go find a small blanket to drape over him.
Unexpectedly, Pei Yu refused to let go of Shen Lishu’s hand after taking hold of it.
“I’ll go get the small blanket for you,” Shen Lishu whispered in explanation.
Pei Yu stared intently at Shen Lishu, but his grip only tightened.
Her right hand ached slightly, but having experienced a deeply painful abandonment early on, Shen Lishu could well understand Pei Yu’s insecure behavior now.
Shen Lishu blinked and negotiated in a childish voice, “Shall we go together then?”
Knowing that Pei Yu might not respond, Shen Lishu tried leading him by the hand toward the other side of the sofa.
As long as Shen Lishu didn’t struggle to free her hand from Pei Yu’s grasp, he wouldn’t resist.
The small blanket was made of plush material. After draping it over him, it didn’t take long for the bluish-purple pallor of Pei Yu’s lips, which had been frozen pale, to gradually recover.
On the other side.
The Pei family, who had just returned to the country and moved into this villa district, was thrown into utter chaos.
Because no one knew when the Pei family’s precious and only heir had slipped past the tight security and snuck out.
What was even more alarming was that this heir of the Pei family had suffered from severe autism since childhood and had never experienced being outside alone before.
Now that night had fallen and it was the middle of winter, the search became even more difficult.
Father Pei, busy with company affairs, was rushing back as soon as he heard the news.
“Mr. Pei, the surveillance footage we have only shows the young master appearing briefly at the fork in the road, and then there are no further clues,” the man in charge of the Pei family’s security reported cautiously over the phone.
Father Pei was both anxious and furious, but he understood that now was not the time to blame anyone, so he suppressed his anger: “Seal off all exits of the entire villa district, and bring in some reliable personnel from the old residence to continue the search.”
This villa district was vast; searching inch by inch would take until tomorrow.
The driver sitting in front was also worried: “Mr. Pei, should we inform Madam about this?”
“We must keep it from her,” Father Pei said gravely.
Several years ago, Pei’s mother, a scientific researcher, had signed a confidentiality agreement for a research project.
The agreement stipulated that she could not leave casually. Telling her now would only add to her worries.
Father Pei rubbed his sore temples, lowered his eyes, and seemed lost in thought.
.
Winter night.
A bleak wind swept through, blowing off the few remaining leaves on the small tree branches in the yard.
The wrought-iron gate was pushed open.
Father Pei signaled for the people following him to wait outside the wrought-iron gate.
The inner door was not completely closed, and a sliver of light seeped through the crack.
Father Pei intended to knock, but the scene he inadvertently glimpsed through the crack left him frozen in place.
In the bright and warm living room, Pei Yu held a girl of similar age, who was fast asleep, tightly in his arms. His dark blue eyes were vigilant and defensive, watching every movement around him.
Pei Yu had already noticed the commotion outside the door and was staring fiercely at Father Pei like a young wolf cub.
Since childhood, Father Pei had noticed Pei Yu’s unusual traits.
He was unnaturally intelligent but rarely spoke, resisting closeness with anyone. He would often sit by the window, gazing into the distance in the same direction with those dark blue eyes.
The psychologist treating him had also tried to figure out what Pei Yu was gazing at, but so far, no conclusion had been reached.