She picked up her phone from the stand and saw a message on her secure messaging app. The first tab, highlighted to indicate an unread message, was labeled "Zhizhen"—the codename for her hired detective. The chat screen opened, displaying the single unread message.
Zhizhen: I think I have a lead.
Yun Qingqing frowned at the message.
What does he mean by saying 'I think'?
She had hired Zhizhen a month ago, and in that time, the only communication had been a string of reports saying nothing had been found. Now, this vague message.
As she pondered this, another message popped up—this time, a photo. Her lips twitched as she saw the clear image.
It was a picture of a cat.
A cat? What does a cat have to do with her mother?
Yun Qingqing took a deep breath and typed back.
Yun: What does this mean?
Zhizhen quickly sent a reply back.
Zhizhen: Hear me out. I have a theory.
Yun Qingqing braced herself. She knew he might come up with something absurd, but she asked anyway.
Yun: What?
Zhizhen: I have been looking for the woman you have asked me to look for, but so far I have got nothing. However…
Yun: However what?
Zhizhen: However, I always see this cat, no matter where I go to investigate.
Yun: So…?
Zhizhen: So I wondered…what if your mother has turned into a cat?
Yun: You think my mother is a cat?!
Zhizhen: No, I think she has turned into one, otherwise why would I see this amber-eyed cat everywhere I go?
Yun Qingqing gritted her teeth at the reply. She jabbed at her phone screen as she typed, as if trying to poke holes through the screen.
Yun: If you can't find anything, how about you return my money? I'll hire someone else who can find something.
Zhizhen: Hey, it's not me who can't find anything. You're the one who provided so little information. Even someone else might not be able to give you anything.
Yun Qingqing's anger cooled slightly at this. She knew she had given him limited information, but she still hoped for something. After all, she had heard that amber-eyed people were quite rare.
She set her phone aside and closed her eyes.
A moment later, her phone buzzed, but she ignored it, not wanting to continue this pointless conversation. But Zhizhen was persistent, sending message after message.
She sighed and picked up her phone.
Zhizhen: Jokes aside, I really have found something.
Zhizhen: Hey, are you really angry?
Zhizhen: I was just joking with you. Why are you getting angry?
Zhizhen: Hello? You there?
She quickly typed a reply.
Yun: You better be serious this time!
Zhizhen: Yes, yes, I am serious. I have indeed found some information.
Yun: What have you got?
Zhizhen: I came across a man who claims to have seen a woman who claims to know an amber-eyed woman.
Yun: And then?
Zhizhen: I'm going to follow up on this lead to see if I can get anything.
This reply ignited a fire of anger in Yun Qingqing.
Yun: You haven't even followed up on it, and you call that lead? What are the chances this man is telling the truth? And what are the chances of that woman seeing someone wearing contact lenses? Or what are the chances the person she saw was even my mother?
Zhizhen: It's a little information, but it's something, and something is always better than nothing, right?
Yun Qingqing realized she was being impatient. She calmed herself and apologized.
Yun: I didn't mean to be harsh, but you have to understand, this matter is very important to me.
Zhizhen: I understand. Don't worry; I'll get you answers this time. I have a hunch this woman could definitely provide some useful details.
Yun Qingqing wanted to ask how accurate his "hunch" was, but she refrained, wanting to remain optimistic. Instead, she simply agreed and expressed her gratitude before ending the conversation.
She packed up to go to sleep. Before sleeping, she checked on Princess, making sure she was asleep, and then she turned off all the lights in the living room. Lying in bed, her thoughts drifted back a year.
A year ago, she discovered her mother wasn't dead, but missing. When she tried to learn more from her father, he became angry and shut her down. Left with no other choice, she ran away from home, determined to find her mother.
The only information she had was that her mother's surname was Yun, she shared the same distinctive amber eyes, and her mother was from Xia country. She'd also overheard her nanny say her father's family was from Phoenix City.
Arriving in Xia country, she discovered her bank cards had been blocked. Penniless and stranded in a strange land, she had only Princess for company. Luckily, she met Liu Jie, a manager at Horizon Media. Liu Jie asked if she had any talents, and the only thing that came to mind was makeup.
Liu Jie became her lifesaver, providing her with a job, shelter, and food. She also mentored her, offering advice on how to gain followers, what trends to follow, and even securing her jobs like photoshoots and advertisements.
A few months ago, having saved enough, she repaid Liu Jie the money she owed. However, the kindness Liu Jie had shown her was something she knew she could never fully repay.
Once her life was stable, she moved into this small apartment and began searching for her mother.
She felt like a headless goose wandering Phoenix City. Although Phoenix City was not huge, it was still sizable. Finding someone with so little information was incredibly difficult. So, she hired a detective.
But who would have thought the detective turned out to be so unreliable?
However, repeated failures made her wonder if she'd been looking in the wrong direction.
Maybe Mother isn't from Phoenix City. Maybe she just passed through and met Dad here?
Or maybe she is from here, but she's hiding somewhere?
What if she was kidnapped or harmed?
Tossing and turning with these thoughts swirling in her mind, she finally drifted into an uneasy sleep.