Rookie Strikes

As for Heidi and her mother, Jiaming naturally kept them hidden from Lingjing and Shasha. Every noon and evening thereafter, he brought them things, making it feel as though he were secretly keeping two mistresses.

Afraid that Marilyn's cold might linger and develop into pneumonia or something similar, Jiaming looked through some medical books and spent all day making fritillaria porridge, garlic porridge, pork lung stew with fritillaria and snow pear, and other such dishes for her. A few days later, her fever finally began to subside, and only then did Jiaming relax. Still, every day he had to stick needles into the ample-bodied beauty's backside. He had seen it all and touched it all. Whenever he saw her put on those nearly skin-tight clothes that outlined the lovely curve of her hips, Jiaming always felt something strange stir within him. Outwardly, of course, he acted as though nothing had happened.

He did not spend much time there each day, but little Heidi was extremely clingy. Every time he came, she stuck close to him and made him play with her. A few days later, Jiaming learned that the little girl was especially fascinated by Chinese martial arts. Seeing how formidable Jiaming was despite being so young, she thought he was one of those legendary martial arts masters. Her mother probably thought much the same. Jiaming could only smile wryly. What they imagined was the sort of kung fu that could fly through the sky, burrow through the earth, and accomplish anything—how could he possibly know that?

Four or five days passed like that, and Marilyn's illness finally settled down. Jiaming was relieved. He spent Saturday and Sunday playing with Lingjing and Shasha at the secret place where the three of them lived together. When he came over at noon on Monday and pushed open the door, a figure suddenly threw itself at him with a cry, then burst into sobs.

The one who ran over and hugged him was naturally little Heidi. Had he not already sensed the girl's identity beforehand, anyone who charged at him so rashly would have been instinctively killed. However, the girl's reaction was so dramatic that it gave Jiaming quite a fright. Before he could peel the octopus-like girl off himself, a dagger flashed into his right hand.

He cautiously swept his gaze through the room and happened to see Marilyn emerging from the inner room. She had apparently just taken a bath. Her half-wet, half-dry golden hair hung lazily loose, while the open collar of her shirt revealed a large expanse of fair, enticing flesh. The rosy peaks clearly protruded beneath the high swell of her chest. She wasn't wearing a bra underneath... The thought drifted through Jiaming's mind. Once he confirmed that everything was safe, he put away the dagger and let out a breath.

Meanwhile, Marilyn had been stunned by the murderous aura Jiaming had released in that instant. She had just finished bathing and had not yet properly dressed. Hearing someone enter, she knew it was Jiaming and came out with a smile still on her face. Yet the moment she saw his expression, that smile froze rigidly in place. She had not done much evil and had never killed anyone, but she had grown up in a Mafia family. Her father had been the boss, so she had naturally seen plenty of assassins, mercenaries, and desperadoes. Yet she had never seen such icy, soul-piercing killing intent. She had once thought the boy was so extraordinary because he had truly learned some kind of Chinese kung fu, but now she understood: someone who had not struggled countless times between life and death could never possess such an aura.

And someone with such an aura was capable of anything.

But when those shoulders slumped helplessly, he returned to being what looked like a harmless fourteen-year-old boy.

"What's wrong, Heidi? You're crying so hard. Who bullied you?"

The little girl had her legs wrapped around his waist and her arms tightly locked around his neck, crying so hard she could barely breathe. Jiaming himself was having trouble breathing from being strangled, so he could only pat her shoulder and close the door behind him. Hearing his question, the little girl clenched her tiny fists and thumped his back a few times.

"You! You're the one! You're a big bad guy..."

"Uh..."

"You deserve it." By then, the blonde beauty had recovered her smile. "Who told you to suddenly disappear for two days without even coming by to say hello? Look how much Heidi cried these past two days."

After saying that, she turned and went back into the bedroom, closing the door to change clothes. Jiaming turned the little girl's face toward him. Her small face was covered in tears, and her once bright, sparkling eyes were swollen red like walnuts. Then he was hit twice more on the back. "You're a big bad guy."

"Fine, it was my fault. I'm a big bad guy. Heidi is a sensible girl, so will you forgive your big brother? If you cry yourself into this state, our little beauty won't be pretty anymore."

Holding the little girl, he sat down on the sofa. She still refused to let go of him, her arms around his neck and her legs tightly wrapped around him. If they had both been older, it would practically have looked like some standard sex position... Uh, of course that wasn't the protagonist's thought. It was merely the author's shameless association...

"You're a big bad guy, a big bad guy... sob... I thought big brother wasn't going to take care of us anymore..." The little girl wept, giving Jiaming's back a few more painless punches. Helplessly, he coaxed her gently, "How could that be? Big brother still wants to teach Heidi Qigong. I was wrong these past two days. Forgive me, okay?"

The moment the word "Qigong" left his mouth, the little girl seemed to light up all over. She choked out, "R-really?"

"Of course it's true. But Qigong is hard to learn, so you can't complain that it's tiring or difficult." He took a tissue from nearby and carefully wiped her face until it was once again as smooth and delicate as carved jade. Only then did he withdraw his hand in satisfaction. "Now that's pretty. What kind of sight is a face covered in snot and tears?" The swelling around her eyes, however, could not be wiped away so quickly.

"Heidi... Heidi isn't afraid of hardship..." The little girl laughed through her tears. Yet it was still hard for her to stop crying so suddenly. She sniffled as she desperately wiped her tears with her sleeve, all while trying to put on her prettiest smile. The sight was especially heart-wrenching.

Jiaming was moved by that expression as well. He smiled, then had the little girl sit cross-legged on the sofa. Chinese martial arts were not as miraculous as they appeared on television, but many Qigong practices did have good calming and focusing effects. With long practice, they could also build resistance against minor ailments. After teaching her the basics, he saw the little girl sitting cross-legged with her eyes tightly shut, not daring to move a muscle, and could not help laughing.

By then, Marilyn had emerged from the room. Jiaming regarded her as an equal, mature woman he could sleep with, but she clearly only regarded him as a child. Looking at the two on the sofa, her face was filled with a mother's tenderness. That unequal gaze made Jiaming feel as though he had already suffered one humiliation.

"You two really look like brother and sister. If only I had a child like you..."

"If I'm not mistaken, the next thing you'll say is that after you die, I should take good care of Heidi?"

Those words made the meditating little girl's body tremble. Jiaming stroked her shoulder to reassure her. Marilyn's gaze, meanwhile, clearly became flustered. "I... I..."

"I don't care what you're planning to do. What I mean is, the two of you stay here until someone from your family comes to pick you up. Then nobody will have any trouble. If that still can't convince you, think about what Heidi's situation will be like. Also, I'm just a child. Don't think I'm omnipotent!"

After saying that coldly, their gazes met in the air, throwing off tangled sparks.

Women were probably creatures beyond reason—Jiaming had known that for a long time. Judging from Marilyn's words and actions over the past few days, she had always seemed to intend to entrust Heidi to him. Jiaming had done everything he could to warn against it, but he had never expected it to happen anyway.

It was Thursday evening. The setting sun had dyed Jianghai City's streets and buildings a beautiful orange-red. Not long after school let out, students walked home in twos and threes. Jiaming, Lingjing, and Shasha were naturally among them. The moment Jiaming saw the little girl crying and looking around anxiously from across the street, he immediately understood that something was wrong.

Heidi did not know the exact location of his school, but she roughly knew the roads he might take home. For her to be waiting here meant Marilyn had gone out and had not returned, forcing her to risk coming out to find him.

Almost at the same moment Jiaming spotted Heidi, sharp-eyed Shasha noticed her as well. Pulling her two companions along, she said, "Look, it's that mixed-race little girl we saw that day. We even gave her clothes. Why is she alone? Did she get separated from her mother?"

"Let's go ask her. We can't let bad people take her away." Jiaming went along with it, and the three headed across the street. At that moment, the little girl saw Jiaming too. A flash of delight appeared in her eyes, and just as she was about to wave, a yellow van abruptly stopped beside her, blocking their view of each other.

Oh no...

Before Lingjing and Shasha could react, Jiaming had already shot forward like an arrow. Bracing himself with one hand, he nimbly vaulted over the human-shaped barrier more than a meter high. Just as he was about to rush onward, a car horn blared. He jerked backward, and a sedan sped past, barely grazing him.

The van drove away.

This stretch of road was a no-parking zone. The sedan driver who had nearly run Jiaming over did not stop, merely sticking his head out to curse something behind him. The two girls, still shaken, ran over and pounded Jiaming through the railing.

"What are you doing? Performing acrobatics..."

"Think you're amazing..."

"Do you know you almost got hit to death just now..."

Shasha's face was flushed red with anger. Recalling what had just happened, tears had already welled up in Lingjing's eyes. Jiaming stared across the street, where the little girl had vanished. "That little girl was abducted by the van just now."

"Ah..." A moment later, the two girls stopped scolding and hitting him. Looking across the road, they said in unison, "Call the police!"

Calling the police was naturally not a path worth relying on. By the time darkness fell, Jiaming had finished preparing everything in the house. There, he found the note Marilyn had left behind. It roughly said that she was going to find Tang Jingyao, that she hoped Jiaming would take good care of Heidi, and that he should not get involved in this matter again.

"Big breasts, no brains..."

What he muttered aloud came in a slightly raspy voice like that of a middle-aged man. Jiaming was dressed in a suit and bow tie, with soft leather shoes on his feet. His face had changed drastically, making him look like a middle-aged dwarf performer from some circus troupe. Taking his height into account, this was one of the identities he had prepared for himself before he truly became an adult.

A somewhat comical dwarf assassin.

He was an assassin, and he firmly believed that offense was the best defense. Therefore, even before Marilyn's illness had improved, he had already gathered information and calculated the steps he would need to take in case of an emergency.

"First mission, rookie." One hand pressed over his heart, the other against a makeup mirror half his height, reality and illusion meeting upon the mirror's surface.

"Good luck!"