Bai Qing, holding Shi Qing, returned to the vicinity of their residence in Yongde Alley. The moment her front foot stepped into the alley, she sensed something was wrong and quickly retreated, only peeking her head towards the location of the 120th阁楼 (gé lóu - attic/loft).
A group of bodyguards stood guard, their eyes menacingly scanning passing pedestrians. Bai Qing's heart sank. She hastily withdrew her curious gaze and walked towards a nearby convenience store, still holding Shi Qing.
No wonder her eyelids had been twitching so much. Zhang Xinyi had definitely been caught! She had originally planned to see if Zhang Xinyi had managed to return.
Given the current situation, it was highly probable that Zhang Xinyi would not be coming back...
Bai Qing coughed lightly, avoiding the scrutinizing glances from behind. Although Shi Qing was still a child, she was quite heavy. Bai Qing entered the supermarket and cautiously glanced at the cashier.
The cashier merely looked at her before returning to her phone, engrossed in a TV show. Bai Qing pretended to be lulling the child to sleep, gently patting Shi Qing's back as she approached the shelves and busily stocked up on bread and bottled water.
After paying, Bai Qing stood by the roadside and hailed a taxi, getting in with Shi Qing.
The car slowly started moving. As they passed the entrance of Yongde Alley, Bai Qing observed the bodyguards through the car window, lost in thought.
She had told Zhang Xinyi long ago to wait a few days before acting, but she hadn't listened. Now, the Zhan family knew!
Bai Qing bit her lip nervously, her gaze falling on Shi Qing's exposed little face. A cold smile then spread across her lips.
It's fine. She held the bargaining chip, and it wasn't too late to make a comeback! The most important thing now was to leave Pengcheng!
Flying or taking a train with Shi Qing was out of the question. For now, they would leave Pengcheng, and she would make plans for the rest later.
Bai Qing relaxed comfortably in her seat. Looking forward, she saw her reflection in the rearview mirror. She touched her now beautiful face, and the smile on her lips widened.
After all, she had a new identity and no one would recognize her. She also had five million. As long as she left here, everything would be manageable!
"Miss, where would you like to go?" the taxi driver asked politely when Bai Qing hadn't stated her destination for a while.
Now that she was in the car, changing again would be troublesome...
"Driver, I just forgot to mention, my daughter and I want to visit my parents in the next city. Could you take us? You can name your price."
Bai Qing's eyes darted around. She smiled slightly and spoke politely to the driver.
"Madam, are you sure? This trip might cost two to three thousand yuan..."
The driver was surprised to have picked up such a big fare. A windfall like this was too good to refuse. He tentatively addressed Bai Qing again, his tone of address even changing.
"I'm not familiar with taxis. As long as you can get my daughter and me there, that's all that matters. I'm sorry to trouble you, driver." Hearing that it was feasible, Bai Qing, feigning wealth, responded with a poker face.
"Alright, I guarantee I'll get you there!" The taxi driver became more energetic. He turned on the radio, listening to the news as he drove.
Just as Bai Qing finished talking with the driver, the roar of airplanes filled the sky overhead. She sensed something was amiss and rolled down the car window to look outside.
Under the clear blue sky, several planes were patrolling, as if searching for something.
At that moment, the radio in the car slowly broadcast the latest news, a melodious female voice flowing into the car.
"Citywide announcement: Zhan family child is missing. The suspect's original name is Bai Qing, currently known as Jessica. Below is the suspect's photo. Land, sea, and air forces have been dispatched. Those who have any information, please call this number to report. A substantial reward is offered!"
This announcement was like a bucket of cold water poured down on Bai Qing in winter, chilling her to the bone. She suddenly realized that the planes overhead were the forces dispatched by the Zhan family!
That Zhang Xinyi, that idiot, couldn't even get herself out of trouble and dragged her down, leaking all her information!
"Driver, please drive faster," Bai Qing urged, her heart filled with anxiety. She held Shi Qing tightly in her arms.
"Alright, you're quite in a hurry, haha! Safety first, of course. I'll drive as fast as I can." The driver verbally agreed, his searching gaze lingering on Bai Qing through the rearview mirror, a hint of suspicion dawning on him.
"I just see that it's getting dark and I'm afraid it will be too late." Bai Qing subtly averted her gaze, softly coaxing Shi Qing. She deliberately exposed Shi Qing's sleeping little face. "I just lied to this child, telling her she'd see her grandparents as soon as she woke up. If she wakes up, she'll surely throw a tantrum."
"Oh, so your daughter is sleeping. Then I'll hurry. Don't worry!"
The driver finally got a clear look at Shi Qing's face. He had found the child unusually quiet and hadn't expected her to be sleeping. He didn't dare to look further, fearing Bai Qing's anger, and quickly said.
Bai Qing gave a listless hum. She dared not show any more expression on her face. She kept glancing out the window, her heart racing like ants on a hot pan.
She even took out her phone. Even her usual news alerts were about the Zhan family making a huge fuss, looking for their child and for her. Many people, driven by the Zhan family's substantial reward, were zealously searching everywhere with printed photos of Bai Qing.
The taxi driver was focused on driving, intending to get his passengers to their destination as soon as possible as per Bai Qing's request, and didn't dare to glance at his phone.
Otherwise, if he had just taken a look at the news on his phone, he would have seen that the person in the photo was sitting right there in his car!
Now Bai Qing didn't even dare to look at her phone. She was entirely focused on the driver and the situation outside the car. The taxi, swaying along, eventually arrived at the highway toll station.
Several cars were ahead of them, and they were unexpectedly stuck in traffic.
"That's strange, this road is usually not congested. Why is it blocked today!" the taxi driver grumbled, gripping the steering wheel. He then said to Bai Qing, "Madam, don't worry, we'll just wait a moment."
Bai Qing didn't pay attention to the driver's words. Her entire focus was on the toll station, her eyes wide open!
Her photo was posted at the toll booth windows. The attendant there stopped every car, carefully looking at the people inside and comparing them to the photo. Only after confirming they didn't match would they let the car pass.
Some even wearing sunglasses or hats were asked to remove them.
This is bad. She was sure to be caught on the spot!
Bai Qing gritted her teeth, her heart pounding violently in her ears. The toll station staff seemed to notice her gaze and habitually glanced in her direction.
Bai Qing quickly lowered her head and rolled up the car window, cutting off contact with the outside. But...
What should she do next?
As the car inched forward, Bai Qing became even more restless. She clenched her fists, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts.
The car window would surely be opened when demanded, and she wouldn't be able to escape then!