Nyoi-Bo Studio

  Nyoi-Bo Studio

  She spent two hours searching for President Ba to no avail. It was so nerve-wracking that Qin Shu could not sit still.

  Upon seeing Ye Luo enter, she hurriedly asked, “How is it? Have you found him?”


  “No, Young Madam.” Ye Luo had been running back and forth in search of the wayward cat, with beads of perspiration glistening on his forehead.

  Unconsciously, Qin Shu clenched her hands and legs, acutely aware of her sweat laced palms.

  President Ba had suddenly disappeared. Although she was anxious, she comforted herself with the knowledge that he was an intelligent cat. He would be fine.

  However, no matter how she reassured herself, she found it near impossible to wrest control over her fears.

  “I’ll continue looking for him. Don’t worry.” As Ye Luo was about to hurry out the door, he saw a black figure dash in. Its movements were so swift that in a short while, it ran past him.

  The black shadow was none other than President Ba!

  He stopped, staring at President Ba bewilderedly. Had all his effort been for nought?

  President Ba, ignorant of the effect he had on Ye Luo’s psyche, shot to Qin Shu’s side, meowing excitedly. “Meow!”


  Nothing could describe the sense of relief she felt when President Ba burst into view. Her worry-filled heart finally settled. President Ba was exceedingly bright for a cat; there was no way he would place himself in a position he could not escape.

  “Where did you go? Do you know how concerned I was for your safety? What took you so long to return?”


  Qin Shu fired a rapid stream of questions at her beloved cat. Yet, before she could hug him, President Ba skipped aside, sauntering in a particular direction.

  President Ba strolled on with a rolling gait, turning around every once in a while to make sure Qin Shu was keeping up.

  Qin Shu paused, somewhat startled by President Ba’s behaviour, but after being together for so long, it was not hard to piece together what her cat was trying to convey. He wanted her to follow him.

  Not wanting to be left behind, Qin Shu trailed after President Ba. It must have been something significant since he was so insistent that she accompanied him.

  Ye Luo shadowed the duo without complaint.

  President Ba led them from the living room to the northeast corner of the backyard.

  Along the way, President Ba would jump up and down, chasing its tail and doing everything a mischievous cat like him would do.

  Qin Shu walked at a leisurely pace, unconcerned.

  President Ba’s antics let her know that it was not an urgent matter.

  After walking for a few minutes, they arrived at the northeastern corner of the courtyard.

  President Ba stopped and looked up at the wall. Failing to see Lan Qi, he meowed, “Meow!”


  Qin Shu looked in the direction of President Ba’s line of sight. There was not anything around. Curious, she edged closer.

  “President Ba, what is it you wanted me to see?” She asked her feline companion fondly.

  “Meow!” President Ba swivelled around to look at his mistress, gingerly sniffing the air in search of Lan Qi.

  With his nose up in the air, tracking Lan Qi’s scent, President Ba seemed more like a dog than a cat, but that did not stop him from locating where Lan Qi was hiding. Having caught Lan Qi’s scent, he traced it to a tree in one corner of the yard.

  Lan Qi was lounging on a branch, kicking his legs back forth. The moment he caught sight of President Ba, his face turned black.

  “Meow!” President Ba ignored Lan Qi’s displeasure with a triumphant flick of his tail.

  Qin Shu, who had been tailing her cat, spotted a young man with his back against the tree’s trunk. Though he appeared laid-back, his expression proved otherwise.

  With just a glance, she recognized the young man sitting on the tree’s bough. It was Lan Qi.

  Her kidnapping and the snatching of President Ba left a deep impression on her.

  It had been a long time since she last saw him. He had grown up.

  She now understood why President Ba had gone missing just now. Lan Qi must have spirited him away.

  President Ba was familiar with Lan Qi because of everything that transpired during the previous kidnapping incident; thus, he obliged when Lan Qi picked him up earlier.

  Had it all panned out the way it was supposed to, Lan Qi would have been President Ba’s owner. Unfortunately, he was a step too slow, and President Ba was sold to her instead.

  She could still vividly recall the day it took place; how President Ba had picked her in the end. Since then, President Ba had been her most faithful companion.

  Eyeing Lan Qi warily, Qin Shu asked, “What are you doing here?”


  Lan Qi’s lips formed a thin line. He jumped down from the tree, landing steadily with his feet firmly planted on the ground. “I’m here to look for you.” His gaze fell on Qin Shu’s stomach.

  With a child-like curiosity, he reached out, wanting to touch Qin Shu’s bulging belly.

  Qin Shu’s reaction was immediate. She swatted his hand away and snarled fiercely, “If you have something to say, say it. Keep your hands to yourself, or I’ll beat you up!”


  “I’m not a child. I’m just curious. Why is your belly so big? You are pregnant, aren’t you?” Lan Qi’s piercing gaze continued sizing her up.

  Qin Shu rolled her eyes. “Have you not met a pregnant woman before? Why else would my belly be so big?”


  “Oh. So it’s a baby.” Lan Qi muttered.

  Cutting straight to the point, Qin Shu repeated her question, “Why are you looking for me? Were you the one who took President Ba away just now? I’ve been searching all over for him.”


  “That’s not what you called him in the beginning. I thought you were going to name him Pretty Wife,” Lan Qi corrected her. Then, answering as an afterthought, he acknowledged his part in President Ba’s disappearance. “I was the one who drew him out. I was looking for you.”


  For a moment, Qin Shu lamented the loss of her memories. There was something about him that resonated with her lost memories. The more she looked at him, the more familiar he seemed.

  Had her memories not been stolen from her, she would have known that Lan Qi was four years younger than her.

  As for their relationship……

  “I’m sorry, but what did you call me?”


  Lan Qi answered quickly, “Xiao Bao.”


  Ugh!

  Wasn’t that her nickname?

  She did a double-take when she heard Lan Qi using that nickname of hers. Could it be that they had known each other in the past?

  “What do you want from me?” She ventured again.

  “Jun Li has been unconscious for two days. He only woke briefly after being in a coma for the past week. I came looking for you to inform you of his condition and ask if you wanted to go and see him.”


  Lan Qi continued inspecting Qin Shu’s round belly even as he spoke.

  Qin Shu was shocked to the core. Grabbing Lan Qi’s arm, she demanded, “What did you say? Is Jun Li unconscious? Was he unconscious before too? Why wasn’t I told sooner?”


  “If he didn’t tell you, how would you know?” Lan Qi inquired with his head tilted to one side.

  “How could he have told me if he’s been unconscious all this while? Is his poison acting up again?” Qin Shu grumbled in exasperation. Perhaps Gu Yan might have some way of helping Jun Li. This thought of hers was a spark of hope, the light at the end of the tunnel. Yes. There was no doubt in her mind that Gu Yan would be able to save Jun Li.

  “Do you want to see Jun Li?” Lan Qi asked.

  Qin Shu agreed without hesitation. “Yes, of course; I want to go and see him.”


  Lan Qi was delighted. “Alright, then let’s go now.”


  “No, give me a second. I need to make a few phone calls.” Qin Shu did not have a moment to spare, and she called Gu Yan and Fu Tingyu in quick succession.

  As soon as the call connected, she spoke in a hurry, “Gu Yan, where are you now? Jun Li is unconscious.”


  “I’m out of town.” Gu Yan pursed his lips in thought when he heard that Jun Li was unconscious. “It’s probably the poison in his system. The poison has significantly weakened his body’s ability to function from day to day. It’s no wonder he has fallen into a coma.”


  Qin Shu already suspected as much, but hearing Gu Yan put it into context made it all worse.

  “I’m not far from Jiangcheng. I’ll go and check on his condition.”


  “I’m going too. Meet me at Jun Li’s place. I have yet to consult my husband for his thoughts.”


  Qin Shu hung up on Gu Yan and dialled Fu Tingyu’s number.

  No sooner had Fu Tingyu answered the phone than Qin Shu fired off her intentions, “Jun Li has been unconscious for two days. Gu Yan and I are going to see him.”


  Fu Tingyu was startled by the news. It was a throwback to when he was suffering under the effects of a debilitating poison himself. “Let Gu Yan have a look. You are seven months pregnant; the journey back and forth will be hard for you.”


  “I want to go and see him.”