Two days later, Pu Yu boarded a train back to Nanhua.
The Spring Festival travel rush had just begun, and the carriage buzzed with voices, every face glowing with the joy of going home. Only Pu Yu sat beneath a black baseball cap, its brim pulled low, clutching an unremarkable canvas bag.
Inside the bag's hidden compartment was the eighty thousand yuan in cash she had withdrawn.
It was everything she had, and the bait she would use to "fish."
When she arrived in South Hua City, a hazy mist hung in the sky.
The small southern city was especially cold and damp in winter, the chill creeping up her trouser legs.
Pu Yu did not return to Small Town.
Instead, she checked into a chain hotel near the old district.
With so much cash on her, she did not dare stay at a cheap little inn.
For now, she had managed to fool Yuan Su.
But she still needed an excuse for Grandma.
Small Town was rather remote. If she returned to Wind Chime Alley and then kept heading into the city, she would not only waste time traveling back and forth, but also risk arousing Grandma's suspicions.
Pu Yu took a deep breath and called Li Suhua.
The call was answered after two rings.
"Hello? Yu?"
Grandma Li's voice was as strong as ever, carrying that comforting familiarity through the phone.
Pu Yu tightened her grip on her phone, trying to sound as though she were wheedling. "Grandma, something's come up at school. I might not be able to come home for another few days."
There were a few seconds of silence on the other end.
Li Suhua let out a long sigh, her tone softening. "All right, all right. Study hard at school. Oh... how's Yuan