Chapter 94 I Am Your Brother

“Little Huang, do you have any idea?” Zhang Hongmei asked Huang Ying. Zi Xiaoyin looked up at her too, waiting for an answer.
Huang Ying set the dishes on the small table, straightened her back, and said, “Let’s post photos of the snuff bottle on all the major forums. With the internet this advanced, maybe we can find it through big data.”

“Great idea!” Zi Xiaoyin nodded repeatedly, her excitement making her grasp Huang Ying’s hand. “Why did I never think of that? Thank you, Sister Huang.”
“Let’s do it at once,” Huang replied.

From her bag, Huang Ying pulled out a laptop and registered accounts on the biggest forum sites across Huaguo. The two of them drafted a post. Huang suggested that they should not reveal too many specific details—just mention the orphanage situation and their ages, and include a contact method only. It would help prevent someone from impersonating them. Then they photographed the snuff bottle and uploaded the images.

Posting the text and pictures on all those forums took considerable effort. A few netizens had already sent private messages to Zi Xiaoyin. Every time a message came, the two of them were thrilled. Each time, though, disappointment followed—either ads or harassment.

“Why should it happen so quickly?” Huang said gently. “We’ll bump the post every day so more people can see it.”

Seeing her daughter’s mood sinking, Zhang Hongmei persuaded her to go home and rest. When Zi Xiaoyin returned to the villa, it was already late. She guessed Su Hanyan was already asleep, so she opened the door quietly.

In the living room, Wang Mei sat on the sofa with a magazine in hand, yet hadn’t turned a page for ages.

“Xiaoyin, you’re back. Come and sit.”

Wang Mei snapped out of her reverie when she saw Zi and patted the sofa beside her.
“Wang Jie, you’re still not resting?”

Zi smiled and sat down.
Wang Mei rubbed her hands, hesitated, then turned slightly and spoke in a low voice. “Xiaoyin, how long have you known Huang Ying? Do you ... really know her?”

“We only met recently, but she is very kind to me, like a dear elder sister.”

Sensing the seriousness in Wang Mei’s voice, Zi asked, “Why are you asking this, Wang Jie?”

Wang Mei let out a sigh and shook her head. “I know Huang is good to you, but both Su Jiejie and I feel something is off with her. In front of you she always smiles. But when you turn away, her face changes. There is a hint of viciousness in her eyes—it’s unsettling.”

Hearing that, Zi felt a quiet irritation rise in her chest. Huang had helped her so much; to hear Wang Mei bad-mouth her before Zi was hard to accept. Her smile faded, as if a single gust might blow it away.
“Perhaps you’re worrying too much. I truly believe she would never do anything to hurt me.”

Seeing Zi so adamant, Wang Mei only shook her head helplessly and returned to her room.

The next noon, Wang Ke and Gu Xiangnan drove to the airport together. Zi was due to arrive soon, and Gu had already promised to receive her personally. When Wang Ke heard that Seventh Senior Sister would be coming too, she insisted on going along.

They stepped out of the parking lot just as the passengers from Zhang Baolian’s flight were filing out in a line. Across the road, Gu Xiangnan recognized Seventh Senior Sister at a glance.

Baolian was dressed in a yellow Dao robe, dragging a huge suitcase with one hand and livestreaming while holding a selfie stick with the other.
“Babe, I’ve arrived safely.”

The arrivals exit was at the top of a short flight of stairs, twenty or thirty steps or so. Then they just had to cross the road to meet Gu Xiangnan.

Baolian reached the top of the steps, scanned her surroundings, and spotted him quickly. She waved with excitement; he returned her smile.

“Nan Brother, that beautiful Daoist nun—is she your senior sister? You’re incredible—you can even pull off a Daoist nun, and she’s gorgeous too!”

Wang Ke’s eyes widened in surprise.

Just then, Baolian suddenly stopped short, as if struck by a bad instinct. She began counting on her fingers, muttering under her breath. When she finished, a cold light flashed through her eyes. She bit her lower lip. Then, to everyone’s shock, she stumbled and tumbled down the steps.

Gu Xiangnan and Wang Ke rushed forward, alarmed.
“Are you all right?” Gu asked.

Baolian nodded once, picked up her phone, and checked the screen. The phone was not broken; the livestream was still running. She exhaled with relief. “Thank goodness. It wasn’t damaged.”

With that, Gu’s rising panic settled.

The livestream exploded in the comment stream.
“Haha, fake Daoist nun took a tumble.”
“You’re so capable, how did you not foresee your own fall?”
“Catastrophe, haha!”

Baolian gave her round eyes a hard look and defended herself: “You don’t get it. That was called ‘ground-skimming flight.’ Only experienced Taoist priests can do that.”

The comment field lit up with versions of, “You’re full of praise for yourself.”

Then came the scream of brakes.

“screeech—”
Then a sharp “thud!”

A car burst out from the side and charged straight past the place where Gu Xiangnan had just been standing. If Gu and Wang Ke had not arrived in time to lift Baolian, they might have been hit. The out-of-control car slammed into a roadside flowerbed and spat out thick smoke. The three of them moved aside in one motion.

“Followers, I’m going offline now. See you tonight!”

Baolian waved to the screen and tapped the live-end button. As soon as the stream ended, she collapsed as though all her strength had drained away.
“Ah—so tired...”

“Seventh Sister, are you hungry? Let me take you out to eat.”

At once she brightened. Slinging an arm over Gu Xiangnan’s shoulder in a swaggering way, she said, “Sister wants mountain and seafood delicacies. Little brother, can you arrange it?”

“No problem. Wang Ke, to Jiangning Grand Hotel.”

The three got in the car, Gu Xiangnan and Baolian taking the back seat together.
“Should we invite Senior Sister?” Gu asked carefully.

“No, absolutely not.”

Baolian shook her head as if it were a paddle fan. Gu groaned inwardly, clearly knowing he’d have to convince her somehow.

“By the way,” he said, “Seventh Sister, were you deliberately falling just now?”

Baolian laughed softly, then patted his shoulder with praise. “You’re a keen one, little Nan—you read it all.”

From the rearview mirror, Wang Ke looked at them in confusion. “Brother Nan, what do you mean deliberate fall?”

Baolian nodded calmly. “I had calculated that you were in danger. I deliberately fell to take that misfortune onto myself.”

“Seventh Sister, Niu-arm! I really owe you one,” Wang Ke said, both excited and slightly shaken.

Baolian gave a crooked grin. “If you want to thank me, take me out for a grand meal.”

The cafeteria of the University of Traditional Chinese Medicine was humming with noise. Zi Xiaoyin and Huang Ying sat face to face and ate.

Zi’s phone rang. WeChat flashed a friend request.

The note read: “I might be your brother.”