Chapter Ninety-Six: The Mysterious Man at the Old Wharf

When I woke, it was already morning.

I had been placed back in the old single room from before.

I rubbed my forehead. My head felt as though it were splitting open, yet my mind was unnaturally clear.

But when I looked down at the clothes I was wearing, I frowned.

My clothes had been changed?

I sat up abruptly and looked around.

The room was still arranged just as I remembered: the old clock on the wall ticking softly, the curtains stirring under a gentle breeze, a sliver of morning light slipping in. Yet all that calm could not hide the unease and doubt churning within me.

Who had done this? And why had they changed my clothes?

I tried hard to recall last night, but my memory was like a shattered mirror, unable to fit itself back together. I only vaguely remembered drinking a few glasses of liquor, and then... then everything went blank.

Just then, I heard faint footsteps outside the door.

I held my breath and fixed my eyes on it. The door opened slowly, and a figure appeared in the doorway.

It was Suli. She looked at me coldly.

Then she tossed a bag toward me.

"This is from Sister Hong. You can leave now. Sister Hong said that if you ever come back, remember to let her know in advance."

After speaking, Suli glanced around the room.

"And from now on, this room is mine. Honestly, I don't really like this arrangement of Sister Hong's. I always feel like anywhere you've stayed ends up smelling like a dog."

I caught the bag she had thrown and had no time to deal with her.

My mind was full of doubt.

Why was Sister Hong giving me this bag?

I opened it. Inside were my old ID badge from the karaoke club and a few small trinkets, nothing of any real value.

After thinking it over, I wondered if Sister Hong was simply trying to erase every trace of me.

I looked up at Suli. There was a trace of contempt and indifference in her eyes.

"Did you and Sister Hong do something to me last night?" I could not help asking.

Suli gave a cold laugh and shook her head.

"You know very well what happened."

She turned and left, leaving me alone in the room, facing a chaos of broken memories.

I forced myself to recall last night. Fragments flashed through my mind: the sound of glasses clinking, unfamiliar faces... something rolling? And maybe light? There was also a blurred silhouette, as though it had been saying something to me.

I took a deep breath and decided to leave this place.

Whatever had happened, I had more important things to do than linger here over meaningless speculation.

As I stepped out of the room, I took one last look at that old clock. It was already getting late.

I left the house, and morning light spilled across my face with a faint warmth.

Yet my heart was filled with coldness.

Once I walked out this door, Sister Hong and I would henceforth be as strangers passing in the river of the world.

When we met again, whether we would be enemies or friends, no one could say.

After leaving Sister Hong's villa, I decided to first go and take a look at the place where Xiaomi used to live.

I wanted to see whether I could find any clues.

The place where Xiaomi had lived before was on the outskirts of the city, in an old apartment building.

Walking into that narrow alley, I felt even heavier as I looked at the peeling graffiti on the walls and the trash piled along the roadside.

I stood in front of the apartment building and looked up at that familiar window.

In my memory, Xiaomi was always standing by the window, smiling and waving at me.

Now, however, the place felt especially quiet.

I pushed open the apartment building door and climbed the creaking staircase.

Each step felt as though it were pressing down on my heart, and memories surged back like a tide.

When I reached Xiaomi's door, I took a deep breath and knocked lightly.

The door opened, and a strange middle-aged man poked his head out, clearly surprised by my visit.

"Who are you looking for?" he asked.

I froze. I had not expected the room Xiaomi had rented to be sublet again so quickly.

"Before you, a girl lived here. Have you heard anything about her?"

"A girl? You mean the girl who ran off after owing rent? Ha! You're not the only one looking for her. The landlord told me to keep an eye out too!"

My heart sank. It seemed this lead had gone cold as well.

I thanked the man and turned to leave.

As I walked out of the apartment building, I could not help feeling a wave of disappointment.

In this city where I had drifted alone, Xiaomi was the closest person to me.

But the two of us were like an anthill caught in a flood: too small, too fragile. Even if we vanished, we would not leave the slightest trace behind.

Just then, my phone suddenly rang. It was an unknown number.

I answered, and a low voice came through on the other end: "If you want to know where Xiaomi is, come to the Old Pier tonight at eight."

I gripped my phone tightly. A flicker of hope passed through me, but wariness was far stronger.

The voice was unfamiliar and cold, clearly belonging to someone no good.

The Old Pier was a place I knew all too well. It had once been the old gathering place for all of us, but now it had become a dangerous signal.

It was still early, so I decided to go back and gather my thoughts first.

Along the way, Xiaomi's smiling face and those eyes that had always been full of hope kept flashing through my mind.

Where had she gone? Why had she fallen behind on rent? These questions tangled together like a ball of knotted thread, tightening around my heart.

When I got back, I quickly tidied up and changed into clothes that would be easier to move in.

I looked at myself in the mirror, my gaze steady.

No matter how dangerous the road ahead might be, I had to find Xiaomi.

Night fell, and I arrived at the Old Pier on time.

It had once known a brief season of prosperity, but now it looked dilapidated and desolate.

Under the dim lights, I saw a figure standing not far away. He was wearing a black trench coat, his face hidden in the shadows.

"You came," his low voice sounded again.

"Who are you? Where is Xiaomi?" I asked directly.

He gave a cold laugh and took a photograph from his pocket, handing it to me.

In the photo, Xiaomi looked haggard, locked inside an unfamiliar room.

"If you want to save her, you'll have to listen to me," he said slowly.

My heart lurched downward. I knew this game had only just begun.

I clutched the photograph tightly, rage and anxiety boiling within me.

This mysterious man clearly knew where Xiaomi was, but what did he want?

"What exactly do you want me to do?" I asked, forcing down the turmoil in my chest and keeping my voice calm.

He pulled a slip of paper from inside his trench coat and handed it to me.

"This is the task you need to complete," he said. "Finish it, and you'll see Xiaomi."

I took the note. It bore an address and a string of passcodes.

Looking at the information, my doubts only deepened.

"You'd better move quickly," he added coldly. "There's not much time."

He wasted no more words, turned, descended the pier, and left on a fishing boat.

I drew a long breath and nodded.

I had no choice. I could only do as he said.

I turned and left the Old Pier, my mind constantly turning over the plan for what came next.

When I returned to my place, I carefully studied the information on the note.