Heidi

Turning that street corner, he saw the little girl again.

It was on the way back from the Ye Family Martial Arts School to the Huang Family villa. Every day, after finishing homework and watching TV at the Ye place, it was already around ten at night when he got ready to sleep. Under the streetlight, the black-haired mixed-race little girl, dressed in tattered clothes, looked over hesitantly and uncertainly.

He had seen this little girl again three days ago, also at night.

Jianghai City was a big city after all. Though it was nearly midnight and close to the outskirts, this street wasn't entirely desolate. Some shops were still open, and a late-night fried noodle cart was always parked by the roadside. Because there was a construction crew living at the other end of the street, workers would gather here in twos and threes late at night for a late snack. It was in front of that noodle cart that he had accidentally spotted the mixed-race little girl, and she had spotted him at the same time.

Unlike the doll-like, delicate image from over a month ago, the little girl now wore a ragged, dirty dress—Jiaming could still recognize it as the clothes Shasha had given her—her face smudged with dirt, her feet still bare. She spread her arms, carefully walking back and forth in front of the noodle cart, occasionally lifting her small face to glance at the cart, twitching her grimy little nose. When she saw Jiaming, she was clearly puzzled for a moment, then watched him walk away into the distance.

Only her eyes remained as crystal clear and flawless as before.

Jiaming didn't know why the little girl had ended up like this. From the first time he saw the mother and daughter, their family seemed quite wealthy—fine clothes, so many bodyguards. Even in a foreign country, if they needed help, they could go straight to the embassy. Besides, the money Shasha had given them, though not much, was more than enough for an overseas call. So why had it come to this? And... where was her mother?

Jianghai City had developed rapidly in recent years. Further down the street, there were several construction sites, but also a Dangerous Building slated for demolition and rebuilding. Due to various reasons, nothing had been done yet, and it was now often used by vagrants or beggars as shelter. Judging by the little girl's appearance, were she and her mother living in that building now?

He wasn't the type to be easily moved by sympathy. In his years as a killer, he had long understood that the world lacked nothing except people in need of help. Even if he gave his life, how many could he save? Still, when he saw the little girl's eyes, he couldn't help but feel a flicker of compassion. Nine or ten years old—that was around the age he had been taken away and turned into a killer.

The second and third days, they only exchanged glances each night, the little girl timidly watching him leave. The fourth and fifth days were the weekend, and he spent the night at the Liu Family villa. By Monday night of the following week, after staying too late at the Ye place, he passed that street at nearly midnight. There were almost no pedestrians left, and the noodle cart was getting ready to close. The little girl stood in front of it, raising her hands and struggling to say something to the vendor.

Even a genius couldn't learn a foreign language in a month, especially one like Chinese, widely considered one of the hardest languages. The little girl stammered, and the noodle cart owner, annoyed by her persistence, shouted loudly, "Kid, get lost! You're here every day. I'm not running a charity. Move it, move it..."

After a brief tussle, the little girl finally realized it was hopeless. She turned around, crouched by a nearby drainage ditch, and sobbed quietly. Hugging her knees, her whole body curled up tightly, she occasionally glanced toward the road. But Jiaming was hidden in the shadows, and she couldn't spot him at all. Though it was already summer, the weather hadn't fully warmed up, and midnight was still cold. The little girl's bare feet rubbed together carefully.

Watching for a while, Jiaming finally sighed and walked over helplessly.

At the sudden appearance of Jiaming, the little girl jerked her head up, as if she wanted to run over, but she held back. In her heart, she believed Jiaming was the one who had saved her and her mother that night, though he had always denied it.

Walking up to the noodle cart, Jiaming said, "Boss, any fried noodles left?"

"Ah, yes, yes, have a seat, coming right up. Hey, you're just in time—I'm about to pack up."

"Oh." Jiaming nodded. "Three portions, one to go, thanks."

As he spoke, he waved at the little girl. Her eyes lit up, and she ran over to him, saying in English, "Brother..."

"Sit." Speaking English as well, Jiaming had the little girl sit beside him. He took off his jacket and draped it over her, gently wiping the dirt from her face, but said nothing.

A moment later, the first plate of fried noodles arrived. Jiaming pushed it in front of the little girl and watched her wolf it down. He patted her back lightly and asked the vendor, "Boss, does this little girl come here every day?"

"Oh, she's only been here a few days. Looks like a foreigner. Seems to be waiting for someone every day. She didn't find them yesterday or the night before, so she stayed until I closed up, refusing to leave, just crouching nearby and crying. Ah, pitiful, but I'm just a small-time vendor—can't really help. Do you know her, kid?"

"Oh, she's a distant relative of mine, just back from the US. Got separated a few days ago, and I've finally found her. I'm taking her home now."

"Ah, the US, what a great place..." The vendor launched into a ramble about America's virtues. Jiaming wasn't listening. He poured a glass of water and brought it to the little girl's lips as she choked, saying softly, "Slow down."

"Mm... thanks... brother..."

"Eat slowly... What's your name?"

"I... Heidi. I'm Heidi Tang."

"Heidi Tang..." Jiaming repeated. A mixed-race child, as expected.

Soon, another plate of noodles came. Jiaming finished it in a few bites. Heidi ate frantically but still left some unfinished. Then, with Heidi leading the way, Jiaming carried the takeout noodles toward the Dangerous Building at the other end of the street. As he had guessed, the mother and daughter were indeed living there.

What Jiaming didn't know was that two years ago, many vagrants and beggars had lived in that building. But around the New Year, a small section had collapsed without warning, and since then, fewer and fewer dared to stay there. Through the pitch-black, deep hallway, they climbed to the third floor. At the end, a faint flicker of firelight seeped out. The little girl turned to speak to Jiaming, but he, able to see in the dark, suddenly covered her mouth.

From the end of the passage came the weak sounds of a woman struggling and calling for help...