Chapter 210: Dust-Covered
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
"So the reason you collected those leaf specimens is because..." Ruan Yesheng finally understood some of the points that had puzzled her at that time.
They were not just simple leaf specimens, but a person hidden behind the leaves.
Xi Mo said sadly, "...Yes. Before my mother brought Yezi back, her life was very difficult. She couldn't afford toys, but the leaves on the trees were free, and they were different shapes and colors that changed with the seasons, so she collected all the leaves she thought were pretty. However, she was very young and didn't know how to make leaf specimens, so the leaves gradually rotted away. Later, my mother came to her side, and she finally had all sorts of toys, but she still kept the habit of collecting leaves. My mother named her Jian Ye and taught her the basic methods of making leaf specimens."
As Xi Mo spoke, her voice filled with even more anguish, she continued, "Yezi loved leaves and the name my mother gave her. She thought my mother must love her very much, and treated my mother as everything in her life. But… later, my mother died in a car accident.”
The one who hit Jian Yuan to death was the truck driver Zhang Dongyang.
After the accident, Zhang Dongyang became mentally unstable and had been recuperating in a sanatorium arranged by Xi Ji for the past few years. He often scribbled on paper. Before, Xi Mo and Ruan Yesheng found that what he drew had hidden meaning. In fact, at the time of the accident, there was another person in the passenger seat of the truck. Zhang Dongyang always said the one who hit the person wasn’t him, but another.
Xi Mo continued, “After that, Yezi came to the Xi Family Manor and lived with us. She was very attached to me. Wherever I went, she followed. We always played together. If she found something good, she would give it to me first. She said she wanted to treat me well. Mom was gone, so she would take her place to take care of me.”
Ruan Yesheng sighed and said, "So, she's more like your older sister."
Xi Mo said, “Maybe because she suffered too much before, although she was my younger sister, she was more mature than me. Even though she was young, she could already do many things on her own. Some of her thoughts were also different from children her age.”
Ruan Yesheng continued to listen quietly.
Xi Mo was lost in memories, and the sadness in her eyes grew deeper. “All that peaceful life ended on the day Yezi and I were kidnapped. The nanny’s main target should have been me. When she filmed those threatening selfies, she always forced only me. Yezi cried beside me and begged her, saying let her do it instead, not to hurt me. I remember the nanny said one thing. She said… filming me is what works.”
Ruan Yesheng felt a chill run down her spine and whispered,“Did she hate your parents deeply, so she targeted you? Maybe she thought only hurting their own child would make your family feel pain.”
Xi Mo nodded. “Because of that young lady, she really hated my parents. When she kidnapped us, her behavior was a bit crazy. She said many things I couldn't understand at that time, but once I grew up and thought back, the young lady she cared for might have already died, so she was shocked and lost her mind.”
Ruan Yesheng couldn't imagine how Xi Mo, who had been kidnapped, had gotten through that time. Xi Mo and Jian Ye were just children at the time, and this experience would undoubtedly become a nightmare that would never go away.
She could only gently place her hand on Xi Mo's body, slowly soothing her emotions.
Xi Mo closed her eyes, as if recalling something very painful. “One day, I had a high fever. I was dizzy. The nanny did not care if I lived or died. I was so sick I almost lost consciousness. Yezi talked to me, but I could not hear clearly. Then I fell asleep.”
She paused, then said, “I thought I would die. But when I woke up, I was already lying on a hospital bed. My family used every connection they had, and with the police, they found the nanny’s hiding place and rescued me.”
"...What about Yezi?" Ruan Yesheng asked hastily, observing her expression.
"That's what I asked when I woke up," Xi Mo said with a bitter expression. "My family told me that there was a fire at the scene, and since they hadn't found Yezi and the fire was getting out of control, they brought me out first."
"You mean..." Ruan Yesheng's breath caught in her throat.
Xi Mo's eyes reddened as she said, "By the time the fire was extinguished, that place was already in ruins. Anyone still inside couldn’t have survived. But even if bodies were burned, there would still be traces. The police checked carefully, but found no adult or child remains. They guessed the nanny and Yezi were not there anymore, but no one knew what happened. I hoped Yezi escaped and would contact us later, but as days passed, there was still no news.”
She hunched over, her head sinking into the pillow. “Since then, Yezi never came back. The police later said she probably escaped the fire, but the fire was too big. She might have been badly burned, and without treatment, that could cause infection and death. Maybe… she died somewhere no one knows. I did not believe it. I begged my family to keep searching. Year after year passed, and still nothing.”
Ruan Yesheng understood that Xi Mo must have been carrying a huge burden in her heart all those years, and that burden could not be lifted until she received definite news about Yezi.
Xi Mo seemed to be choked by these dust-covered, well-hidden, past events, and choked up as she said in a low voice, “Later, I grew up and had my own ways to handle things. I secretly asked people to keep searching, but still found nothing.”
Ruan Yesheng didn't know how to comfort her, she could only lower her eyes and fall into a brief silence.
Yezi cared so much about Xi Mo. If she was really alive, how could she not come back all these years? Not even sending a slightest message.
Ruan Yesheng knew this. Xi Mo also knew it.
Maybe after years of fruitless searching, Xi Mo had already lost hope.
But because there were no remains found, she still kept searching stubbornly. Sometimes she stared at those leaf specimens. Fans gave her many gifts, but she kept only that one set of leaf specimens.
When Xi Mo was sick and murmured “Yezi,” maybe that was the weight of regret and guilt she carried all these years. With no clue about Yezi, she might never find peace in her life.
Xi Mo curled up even more, and Ruan Yesheng noticed this and reached out to hug her.
“It was me who dragged Yezi into this. If she wasn't with me, the nanny would not have kidnapped her. From start to end, the target was only me.” Xi Mo said in a shaking voice.
“Don’t think like that.” Ruan Yesheng felt heartbroken. “You and Yezi are both victims. Why blame yourself? Only the one who kidnapped you is at fault.”
Xi Mo hugged Ruan Yesheng tighter, nestled in her arms, and said nothing more.
Ruan Yesheng patted Xi Mo's back gently and slowly, and said softly, "Have you told anyone else about this all these years?"
Xi Mo shook her head, her hair brushing against Ruan Yesheng.
“Sometimes you need to talk, so it doesn’t hurt so much.” Ruan Yesheng said softly. “If you want, I can always listen. Maybe I can’t help much, but I’ll hug you in these moments.”
“Of course I would, and if you are willing,” Xi Mo said, “I’ll be willing too.”
Ruan Yesheng froze, then understood. Xi Mo was saying she would listen to her too.
“We’re going to Feng Tangtang’s house for dinner tomorrow. I bet she might tell you something,” Xi Mo added.
"What is it?" Ruan Yesheng asked curiously.
Xi Mo said seriously, "Last night, I asked her a question about you. She cares about you. She might've felt it was strange why I asked, so out of concern for you, she might tell you.”
"You felt you couldn't hide it from me, so you chose to confess to me first?" Ruan Yesheng asked.
Something like that.” Xi Mo hesitated. “I didn't mean to hide it. I just thought maybe it’s not the right time. You may need time. But if she tells you, you will guess it, so I want to tell you first.”
"What question did you ask?" Ruan Yesheng subconsciously held her breath.
"I asked Feng Tangtang if your father's name is Yan Biechun and your mother's name is... Ruan Xijian."
Xi Mo's voice was very soft, but it was so clear in the quiet bedroom.
Those words carried past pain and pressed onto Ruan Yesheng.
Seeing her silence, Xi Mo moved her lips to speak, but Ruan Yesheng raised her hand and placed it on Xi Mo's lips.
"Don't try to apologize again." Ruan Yesheng said bitterly. “And don't think you crossed a line. I know you care about me. You just want to understand my trouble and see if you can help, right?”
Xi Mo quickly nodded, her lips brushing against Ruan Yesheng's fingers as she did so.
"Can you tell me why you want to confirm this?" Ruan Yesheng asked.
Xi Mo answered truthfully: "When you suddenly mentioned Xiao Hui Ling Landfill that time, I was a little concerned. On New Year's Eve, I asked my Dad if he knew about this landfill. His expression changed at that time, and he told me that a body had been found at Xiao Hui Ling Landfill, and a female college student had reported it."
As she spoke, Xi Mo could clearly feel Ruan Yesheng gripping her arm, and her breathing became heavier.
"...And then? What else did you ask?" Ruan Yesheng's voice trembled slightly.
“My Dad showed me some old case files. It clearly wrote the victim’s name and details, including family relations.”
Ruan Yesheng fell silent, her breathing was uneven.
“That female college student…” Xi Mo asked softly, “…was it you?”
After a period of deathly silence, tears rolled down Ruan Yesheng's face, wetting the pillow.
“…Yes.”
Xi Mo looked at her, her heart aching, but she could only reach out and gently wipe away the tears on Ruan Yesheng's face.
Although Ruan Yesheng was crying, she still managed to speak to her: "Don't you find it strange that I was there, and that I found... my father's body?"
Xi Mo busied herself wiping away her tears and nodded.
Ruan Yesheng said, trembling, "That day, I received several strange text messages. The first one said, 'I know what you're looking for, and I can help you.'"
She paused. “At that time, my parents were missing. I was searching but had no clues. When I saw it, my scalp went numb. Then I thought it might be a scam, deliberately sending ambiguous messages. But soon another message came.”
It said, “You are looking for your parents, right? I know where they are. I will tell you about your father first, okay?”
After hearing the contents of the text message, Xi Mo suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.
The third text message read: "Your father's name is Yan Biechun. I know where he is."
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
Ruan Yesheng tried to compose herself, but couldn't stop her body from trembling. She said, "Then another text message came in, which read: 'At Xiao Hui Ling Landfill'."
"So you actually went to check it out?" Xi Mo felt a chill run down her spine.
The person hiding behind the text messages is beyond description; even the word "mysterious" is insufficient to describe them.
“…I had no other choice. The messages were too pointed.” Ruan Yesheng’s voice was trembling with sobs as she spoke. “It was raining heavily that day. I went to the landfill and searched every corner of it, but I couldn’t find my father. In the end, I had to try a more terrifying idea. I started searching through the piles of garbage.”
Listening to this, Xi Mo felt that Ruan Yesheng must have been completely devastated at that moment.
How desperate must one be to search through the trash for someone? In that instant, she had probably already mentally prepared for the worst.
"I thought that text message might still remind me, so I searched through the trash while waiting for it," Ruan Yesheng said, her eyes already clouded with despair. "Finally... it really came."
The text message read: "See that red bucket? It's under the bucket. Look through it."
