Outside the train window, a fine drizzle drifted down. The large, purple hibiscus flowers were adorned with rain and dew, standing with their heads bowed in a gesture both pious and gentle. In bunches, the faintly damp, purplish iridescence was nearly enough to dazzle one's eyes.
Mei Ran first learned of this flower from *Compendium of Medical Classics*: "For white-flowered hibiscus, it is suitable for those suffering from lung-heat with coughing and vomiting of blood, and it also treats lung abscesses, by virtue of its sweet, tonifying, and mild, draining properties."
This flower was considered best when its color was pure white and unblemished, yet she alone cherished this bewitching purple blossom. It reminded her once again of that night in Provence, the lavender dancing across the mountains and fields under the cool moonlight and breeze...
A pity, hibiscus flowers bloom in the morning and wilt by dusk, forever waiting in vain for the gentle moonlight.
"Do you know the meaning of the hibiscus flower?"
Mei Ran was taken aback, then slowly shook her head.
The man chuckled softly; upon closer look, there seemed to be a faint purple glint deep within his somber eyes. "Gentle perseverance."
She did not dare ask him what he meant by that.
Fortunately, the train soon arrived at the next station. Many people started retrieving their luggage, the atmosphere growing noisy and bustling. Five minutes later, the surrounding passengers had changed over completely, and the carriage became even more crowded than before, with even the aisles packed with people.
A train attendant appeared pushing a trolley, loudly hawking her wares, "Roasted seeds, drinks, mineral water; beer, peanuts, eight-treasure congee..." When she reached this carriage, her calls changed entirely to, "C'mon now, move your feet outta the way!"
Fu Shijin had not slept well the previous night and was resting with his eyes closed. Mei Ran didn't dare to observe his sleeping countenance openly, stealing only occasional glimpses from the corner of her eye.
The two passengers opposite them had changed as well: one was a silver-haired old woman in a blue cotton tunic, the other a short-haired woman in her early thirties, holding a small infant in her arms.
The old lady struck up a conversation, "Young lady, are you taking the baby back home or somewhere else? Which station are you getting off at?"
The woman did not seem very receptive, offering only a curt reply or two.
"I must say, your little one looks so adorable, sleeping while sucking on his tiny finger too. Look at that drool, he'll surely grow up clever!"
The woman quickly turned away, just as the baby in her arms somehow began to wail loudly, mouth wide open, the crying sharp and hysterical.
Mei Ran glanced sideways at the man beside her; seeing him only slightly furrow his brow without opening his eyes, she looked again at the scene across from them, feeling a pang of distress.
The child was crying so intensely, yet the mother didn't make a move to comfort him?
The old lady could no longer bear it. "Girl, you can't just let the child cry like that. See, his little face has turned purplish-blue from crying," she sighed again. "You young people nowadays, most don't really know how to handle children. Here, give him to me, I'll help soothe him..."
Instantly, the woman's expression turned alert, like a hen suddenly bristling its feathers. The baby, however, cried even more fiercely, almost choking on his sobs, eliciting many discontented grumbles from the passengers trying to rest in the carriage. After a long internal struggle, she finally handed the child over.
The old lady, true to her experienced nature, managed to soothe the baby after a while; he not only stopped crying but even broke into a little "giggle" grin.
"Thank you," the woman said and immediately took the child back.
"Pfft, it's nothing!" The old lady waved a hand. "How old is your child?"
The woman's tone softened slightly compared to before. "Just over four months."
She took a bottle out of her bag and fed the infant about half of it. Soon after, the baby was obediently asleep in her arms again.
"Heh heh," the old lady laughed softly. "Still just a wee milk-fed baby, so adorable!"
Mei Ran stared directly at the tiny, dried red date the old lady had just teased the baby with and which the infant still clutched tightly in his little hand. Then she observed the woman's lukewarm, indifferent demeanor. She clenched her fists tightly, her nails digging into her palms.
There was very little time left. The aisles were packed, her phone was out of battery; everything aligned with such odd coincidence.
Fu Shijin suddenly felt someone lightly tugging his sleeve and immediately opened his eyes.
Mei Ran leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Can I borrow your phone?"
Without asking why, Fu Shijin handed his phone over directly. He then watched her dial 110, a quick flicker of surprise crossing his face.
The call connected quickly. Mei Ran spoke to the operator in fluent English, "Hello... I suspect an instance of illegal child trafficking..."
She stole another subtle glance, seeing the woman show no reaction, and continued.
Hearing this, Fu Shijin also swept his gaze over the opposite side. Indeed, the woman looked evasive and nervous. To avoid alerting her, he quickly withdrew his glance.
Mei Ran was trying her utmost to remain calm, yet her voice still trembled, causing her English pronunciation to falter a bit. "Yes, on D8463 from S City to Xijing City. I just overheard she plans to get off at the next stop. We should arrive in about ten minutes..."
It was her first time encountering such a situation; feeling nervous was inevitable. Of course, she could have chosen other discreet methods, like texting or moving to another carriage, but time simply did not permit it.
If that truly was a trafficked child, and if he were taken by that woman at the next stop... Mei Ran dreaded to imagine the consequences.
"Honey," Fu Shijin chuckled lightly as he leaned closer, finding her slender wrist, his long fingers sliding down to gently hold her slightly trembling hand. He also spoke to her in English, "Don't be too tense. Earlier, when the attendant checked the tickets, I happened to glance at hers. Her destination was the terminal station, Xijing City."
The man's voice carried a slight coolness, yet it conveyed a strangely reassuring power.
Mei Ran let out a soft breath and repeated his information to the operator. After receiving confirmation, she finally hung up.
At that moment, the woman opposite suddenly looked toward them. Mei Ran's clear eyes widened slightly, her heart squeezing into a tight knot.
Fu Shijin gently covered her eyes with his hand, turning his body slightly as he rested his head against her shoulder, using an intimate, couple-like gesture to block that probing gaze. "Don't be nervous. I'm right here, alright?"
The raised, gentle ending of his "alright?" felt like a soft feather brushing lightly past her earlobe.
Mei Ran's face flushed instantly, spreading all the way to her ears.
*Now she felt even more nervous.*
She was wearing a sleeveless chiffon top. He was so close, his face almost pressed against the bare skin of her shoulder, his long legs also tightly pressed against hers... Mei Ran's heart trembled uncontrollably with each light, measured breath so near her, unable to settle.
Two hours passed with excruciating slowness, but they finally arrived.
The woman holding the child seemed to heave a sigh of relief, never expecting that upon disembarking, two men showing official badges would apprehend her immediately, leaving her looking utterly hopeless.
Mei Ran accompanied them to the station police office to give a statement.
Only afterward did she realize someone had been holding her hand all along—so warm and strong. A secretive smile curved her lips.
After completing the initial questioning and statement, because further verification and interviews aligning with the statement were needed, the two had to wait. A young female officer was assigned to handle them.
"The woman confessed everything," she reported. "The baby was purchased by her husband from traffickers for twenty thousand yuan. The plan was to send the child back to their hometown to raise him first. During the trip, fearing the child's crying would attract attention, she even mixed sleeping pills into his milk formula..."
"But," she turned her curious gaze to Mei Ran, "how did you know she wasn't the birth mother?"
Fu Shijin also seemed curious and looked at her.
"I'd heard her say the baby was just over four months," Mei Ran explained. "But based on general development, babies around six months old can basically distinguish familiar from unfamiliar environments, show emotional reactions to external stimuli, and perform simple actions like sitting and grasping."
She glanced at the man beside her. "That baby was already able to grip a tiny jujube fruit tightly. He had to be at least six months or older. I don't think any mother would mistake how many months old her own child is. Moreover, at the time, she displayed very obvious nervousness and anxiety."
The young officer clicked her tongue in admiration. "Your observation is incredibly detailed and remarkable! If it weren't for you, another family could have faced the tragedy of losing their child. You rescued..."
"It was just the right thing to do," Mei Ran lowered her eyes, her dark, long eyelashes veiling a strange flicker of emotion within them. "Every child deserves to grow up safely and healthily alongside their parents."
Fu Shijin looked at her, his gaze deep and dark, seeming lost in thought.
Shortly after, someone else came out from inside. "Everything checks out; you can sign off and leave."
Mei Ran signed her name. The young female officer suddenly leaned in closer with a secretive air. "Isn't your Weibo username 'Think It Over Carefully'?"
"How did you know?" Mei Ran was astonished.
"Back in June, did you go to Xinjiang and take a photo under a Euphrates poplar forest?"
Mei Ran remembered posting such a photo on Weibo, but because of the intense heat, she had covered her face with a scarf, leaving only her eyes visible. "How did you recognize me?"
The girl smiled triumphantly. "When you bent down to sign just now, I spotted the tattoo on your chest—a sprig of red plum blossom. I am a devoted fan of yours! Previously, I even had a colleague from the forensic department enlarge that photo..."
She glanced up at the strikingly handsome man standing not far away. "Don't worry, I'll keep your secret. But you mustn't make my idol wait too long, okay! May you have a wonderful Qixi Festival!"
Mei Ran was left bewildered.
When they stepped outside, dusk had begun to darken the sky, and a drizzling rain continued to fall, wetting the streets. After grabbing dinner, Mei Ran glanced at her watch. Past nine o'clock.
They had missed their destination stop and had to spend the night in Xijing City, returning to A City the next day.
Multiple phone calls revealed all rooms booked, for Xijing City happened to be hosting a grand expo these two days; rooms in moderately large hotels had been fully reserved a month in advance.
To make coincidences even stranger, today was also Qixi Festival, falling on a weekend, leaving even mid-to-low tier inns fully occupied by eager couples.
Eventually, they walked into a family-run guesthouse. A young woman at the front desk, chewing gum, asked, "We've only got one king bed and one twin-bed double left. Which do you want?"
Mei Ran asked, "No singles available?"
"Nope."
Mei Ran sighed in resignation. "Then we'll go look elsewhere."
Lifting her head, the young lady revealed a surprisingly youthful face beneath her bobby-pinned, multicolored bangs. She swept a glance over them, her gaze lingering on Fu Shijin. "Hey there, handsome. These two rooms are probably the last ones I've got left. Sure you don't want them?"
Hardly had she finished speaking when a young couple pushed the door open. Complaining that they'd walked through the rain to nearly every guesthouse across half the city, all fully booked, they promptly booked the only king bed.
"And... now there's only the last one."
While Mei Ran hesitated, a long, slender arm reached out from behind her, offering a card. "We'll take it."
"Can I have your ID?
"Huh? Oh!"
While Mei Ran was still dazed, the man had already collected the room key and took her hand, leading her inside.
She stared dumbly at the sign hanging by the door, softly reading aloud, "Fenglin Wan Guesthouse?"
"What about it?"
"Nothing," Mei Ran bit her lip, "just... it reminded me of an ancient poem."
*He received a Western education; likely, he seldom delves into classical Chinese poetry, right?*
But he remained standing right there, bathed in the corridor's lamplight—tall and graceful as jade—with one hand slipped in his pocket. The soft lighting softened his facial outline, yet his cool, resonant voice rang distinct and clear. "You mean Tang Dynasty poet Du Mu's 'Mountain Trek'?"
Mei Ran felt a loud *clang* echo in her heart.
Fu Shijin narrowed his eyes slightly. "*Ascending cold mountain by the stone path slanting, White clouds arise over places hamlets haunting, I stop my cart midst the maple trees to gaze upon frozen leaves redder than flowers in a spring craze.* That’s it? 'Fenglin Wan' comes from 'parking amidst maple trees...' Very interesting."
He paused briefly. "You seem rather tense. Afraid of sharing a room with me?"
"No," Mei Ran shook her head, "I trust you."
Dark strands of hair over his brow concealed the glint of amusement that flashed through the corner of his eyes. "Trust me with what?"
"That you are a principled gentleman."
He threw her a profound look, swiped the card to unlock the door, entered, and turned on the light with a *click*.
Now her flushed face had nowhere to hide. As she lowered her head, she heard him say, "I'm not."
Not? Her mind clouded momentarily. Not what?
Oh! Not a principled... gentleman?