Chapter 91 - 91 - Following The Bread Crumbs Part 2

Zou Yue continued massaging the spices into the cabbages when the girl murmured something to herself. "I did not get that?"

"I said she left some stuff behind if you want.. I can..."

"I want it!" Yue urgently shouted.

"Okay, okay, I'll take you there."

Just as this girl promised, she showed him the small basement room Tian used to live in.

The room was so small that it was smaller than his bathroom.. There was only one rolled-up mattress and some old newspaper scattered in the corner.

"When Tian left, she left in such a hurry that she left everything behind. After she left, no one wants to stay here. It's too small you see." the girl murmured, switching on the small light.

Yue gently touched the dirty, dust covered mattress. It had so many patches on it and some of the bedding was seeping out of some torn edge. He gently sat on it glancing around at the room. 'This must be the place she stayed.... what did she think when she was sleeping here. How lonely it must have been for a young girl to live in solitude,'

He could not help but think about his time he spent in the apocalypse. He was all alone in the world filled with hostile creatures and humans, constantly hungry, sleepless and lonely...

'Was that what she felt when those cold Murong's rejected her.

He swiftly wiped away the tears that was pooling in his eyes.

"Why did she leave in a hurry?" he sniffed softly.

"I don't understand what pushed the girl to leave like that. She stayed her for two years after she was deported," the girl mumbled, picking up the newspapers and tidying it up.

Yue frowned slightly. He had an inkling of a clue what might have happened. Something must have happened with the Murong family. 'Those bastards! fuck them! I will make sure to kill them all after finding her! I swear!'

He suddenly noticed the old newspaper in her hand. There were a few things marked on it in red. It was job offer in H city. 'She was searching for a job in H city.'

"Give that,"

The girl confusedly handed him the paper.

He hurriedly searched through it. Many job listings were rounded up, but only one of the job offer seems to have been noted as selected in red. "this. Did she ever mention about searching for a job!"

The young girl scratched her head with a pout. "She did I guess.... I don't know. She doesn't like to share much,"

"oh..Thank you," Yue shot up. "Thank you so much! Thank you for helping me and also for taking care of my sister for so many years!" he bowed low.

"It's not a problem. She was well natured and very hard working..."

"Even so, thank you for giving her a warm place to stay in." He smiled and hurriedly ran out of the horse in search of the next destination.

He pulled out his trusty phone and searched for the listing.

The job listing was quite close to the Murong's mansion. 'She must have moved there after she found out about her family.'

Zou Yue caught a cab and rushed to the next location.

To his surprise, it was a preschool. He asked around and found that she used to work there part-time but she quit just a few years ago.

no one knew where she went.

But after a few days of questioning around, he found out that she got a job in a nursery.

Like breadcrumbs, he could find a path she left behind for him. 'Maybe this was accidental, but I believe Tian Ai must have wanted her family to find her...' that was his belief, of course.

After days of searching, he found the nursery Tian ai used to work in. It was quite far from the Murong's mansion. I was called sunshine glory.

The owner said that Tian Ai quit awhile ago. But she vaguely mentioned that Tian Ai seemed to be anxious about something so she left without a word.

Walking out the door, Yue bit his lips hard. 'What was she anxious about?..'

Day by day, his worries grew dire. His search had not come to fruition.

His days in H city were numbered. It was already 20rd April ten days before the apocalypse.

'That means I have only five days to search for her.'

Yue wanted to make sure that he was with his parents when the apocalypse hit. Because last life... he did not have the luck to be with his parents during their final moments.

'This life if they pass.... I will also follow them irrespective.' he hugged himself tightly lying on the dirty hotel bed.

Right then, he got a call. It was from uncle Cai.

"Uncle..." he tiredly mumbled, wiping away his tears.

"Yue... are you crying?"

"No... yes. I'm sorry I'm just not In the mood to talk." he whispered slightly.

"I found out something about your sister,"

"What!" Yue sat up. "What did you find to tell me everything?"

"An old colleague of mine said that she spotted someone similar to your stature near a gas station."

Yue frowned deeply. "How does she know how I look like?"

"Kid, your face was literally in every newspaper just days ago!"

"ohh..." Yue sniffed softly, wiping his snot away. "Can you give me the address of that place?"

"Yeah,"

Zou Yue got the address. It was close to the first hotel he was staying in. so he checked out of this hotel and booked another room there.

After settling down, he went on his wild goose chase.

The gas station had a constant influx of customers and was very busy. He waited until everyone left before starting his questioning.

But sadly, he found out that Tian Ai quit from this job as well.

The other workers did mention that she got another job that she was very secretive about.

"Do you know the reason she quit?"

They all shook their head no.

"if you remember anything about her. Please call me," he gave them his number and dejectedly walked away, but a worker stopped him.

"Wait, I remember something. A young man used to follow her about. He was some big shot conglomerate's son. Xiao Tian was very annoyed with his constant flirting," one of the gas station employee said softly.

"Do you know his name? Or... his face."

"We can check it. Let's try talking to the manager," he led him to the manager.

Yue smiled softly at the old aged grandpa. "sir I am here for Tian Ai. Do you have any clue where she might be?"

"Who are you to her, young man." the old man smiled softly.

"Her brother,"

"Oh..." the man looked at him up and down. "I see the resemblance. But sadly, I can't tell you anything related to her. She does not keep in touch with us."

"Do you have her number,"

"I do." the old man gave her number to him.

Yue thanked him, but he hesitantly stood there.

"Anything more?"

"Can... can I see the surveillance video... I heard a creep has been following my sister. I want to see how he looks"

The old man hesitated for a while. "Well.. I'll see what I can do about it. Wait a minute please," he slowly typed it into his computer.

Yue anxiously bit his lips. 'If by chance I can see her face, I will be able to search for her easily. But in five days will I be able to do it....'

"Here.." the old man turned the screen over to him.

A pixilated video was shown. A young man dressed flashily in shiny clothes stopped in front of the gas station and walked off towards a young lady. "That is Tian Ai?" he whispered, peering intently. The video quality was so bad that he was not able to see her face, but he did notice her figure her hair length and such.

She looked about five foot seven. Her black hair hung down to her waist. It was right at the top where she had tied it up in a pony tail and it was slightly curled up at the bottom.

She was wearing a cap hiding her face almost entirely.

The flashy young master walked to her and said something with a sleazy smile. She just ignored him, but suddenly he grabbed her hand.

Yue shot up tensely.

But to his surprise, his sister punched the man on his face, making him run in fear.

Zou Yue sat back down, letting out a loud sigh. "Did this happen a lot?"

"Hmm, that young master was persistent, but Tian hated his advances and always retaliated with force."

"That's good. Do you... do you know where she is now?"

The old man shook his head. "She was a mystery. She came and went like a wind. We barely even talk."

"Okay thank you...." he mentally noted the car number.

He left the gas station with renewed hope. She was close. He could feel it in his bones.

The search was coming to an end...

He swiftly sent uncle Cai the car plate and told him to find its owner.

"This stalker might be of help...."

'If this guy is her avid stalker, then he might know where she must be now,'

Two days later, uncle Cai let him know that the young master was from Bai family. He was recently sent to jail and visitor's right for him has been rejected.

Yue sighed loudly. He called his mum and relayed everything that has been happening.

"Come back home." his mum whispered in a soft tone.

"I'm so close mum..."

"Yes, the apocalypse is also close. Come home Yue. come home...."

"Just three more days.. I'll come home... please..." he begged.

His mother did not say a word. She cut the call on him.

Yue hopelessly glanced out the hotel window. 'Where is she now?. Will she survive the apocalypse? Will she be okay?'

'I need to clear my mind.' he left the hotel walking through the familiar yet unfamiliar streets. Somehow his feet led him over to the location of the destroyed orphanage.