The moonlight filtered through the curtains, casting long, soft shadows across the hallway. Tang Ning, barely two years old, padded quietly down the hall, her tiny feet making no sound on the cool marble floors. Her mind, far sharper than that of an ordinary child, was always churning with questions—questions that no one would answer. Questions about her parents, about why they weren't there, and about why her life with her grandfather felt so isolated.
Tonight, she would find something—anything—that would help her understand.
As she reached the slightly ajar door to her grandfather's study, she heard his low voice. He was speaking on the phone, the tone serious, a tone he only used when discussing things of great importance.
Tang Ning's heart sped up. She knew she shouldn't be here, but something told her this was about her. Her fingers lightly brushed the doorframe as she peered through the gap, her small body hidden in the shadows.
"Demitri is still in hiding. They're not safe yet. We can't afford to let the Fedorov's find them. And the girl... she's growing up fast. We can't let her know."
Tang Ning doesn't fully understand what it means, but she catches a name—Demitri. It stirs something in her, and she understands instinctively that this is important. But just as she tries to slip away, her grandfather's voice calls out softly.
"Tang Ning... what are you doing out here, little one?"
Her heart stops, and she freezes at the sound of her name. Caught.
Her grandfather, Tang Zheng, doesn't show any anger. Instead, he smiles softly, walks over, and picks her up, cradling her like the precious child he believes she is. His demeanor is calm, warm even, as if nothing unusual is happening.
""What were you doing, sneaking around at this hour, Hmm?" Tang Zheng asked with a chuckle, as though it were all a game. "You didn't hear anything you shouldn't have, did you?"
Tang Ning, with the innocence of a two-year-old, plays along.
"No, Grandpa. I was just coming to say goodnight," she replied sweetly."
He chuckles, believing that she's too young to grasp any of the conversation he was having. He carries her toward her room, gently swaying her to distract her from any thoughts of what she overheard. As they entered her room, he gently tucked her into bed, pulling the blankets up around her small body. He kissed her forehead before turning toward the door.
"Sleep well, my little Ning'er," he said softly.
The door closed behind him, and Tang Ning waited, listening carefully as his footsteps faded down the hall. Once she was certain he was gone, she pushed the blankets off and slipped out of bed. Her tiny feet carried her back to the small desk in the corner of her room.
Hidden underneath her toys was a laptop—a gift she wasn't supposed to know how to use yet. But her past life's experiences had left her with skills far beyond her years. She powered it on, her fingers moving across the keys with ease, and began searching.
©Beersheba