CHAPTER 84: 081 TOGETHER PERISH

Just as she entered the restroom, Kang Jinxian shook off Yun Ya’s hand and hurried into a stall, as if Yun Ya was some terrible plague.

Yun Ya hooked her lips up in a smirk. She really was afraid of her.

She followed into another stall, took out a cellphone from her small Hellokitty bag, and dialed a number she knew by heart.

She had left Miaomiao with a cellphone. If Miaomiao called, she could feel the vibration; there was no need for him to speak. He just had to knock three times on the floor with his finger, and she would know he was safe.

She told Miaomiao it was their secret code, a secret that no third person in this world knew.

The phone rang for a long time without an answer, and with each prolonged beep, Yun Ya’s heart sank further.

Then she comforted herself, thinking maybe Miaomiao was playing with puzzles or reading books, not noticing the cellphone’s vibration. It was conceivable.

But Miaomiao was such a sensitive child. Precisely because he was born deaf and mute, he was shockingly sensitive to his surroundings. How could he fail to notice the phone vibrating in the pocket of his clothes?

While she was lost in her anxiety, the call connected and Yun Ya felt a burst of joy. She narrowed her eyes and hesitated to speak first.

A long silence.

Yun Ya held her breath.

"Yun Ya, is that you?" A slow, pleasant female voice came through, tinged with a mocking laughter that suddenly made Yun Ya feel as if she were in a chilling ice cellar.

She controlled herself to calm down and asked sweetly, "Grandma, where is Miaomiao?"

"Miaomiao? Oh, he’s just fine. Why, are you worried I would do something to him?" Aunt Yun’s voice was gentle and warm, but to Yun Ya, it fell like heavy snow in winter over her world, turning her hands and feet ice-cold.

"Let him take the call," Yun Ya’s voice grew cold.

"Ji Yunya, do you think Miaomiao can take your call? He is not only deaf but also mute. Have you lost your mind? Heh..." Aunt Yun said mockingly.

"Just give the phone to Miaomiao, whether he can answer it or not is not for you to worry about." Yun Ya’s voice was icy.

"Okay, I’ll give it to him..." Her laughter trailed away.

Yun Ya bit her lip tightly, holding back tears, filled with regret. She truly regretted it. Why had she left Miaomiao alone at home, knowing Aunt Yun harbored malice? Miaomiao had no ability to protect himself; he couldn’t even cry out for help. Ji Yunya, why did you leave Miaomiao alone at home?

If anything happened to Miaomiao, she would never forgive herself for the rest of her life.

No, she would die with Yun Shen and Aunt Yun, and then go to be with Miaomiao...

Silence, still silence. In that moment, the quiet was such that she could hear her own heartbeat and, from the phone, the faint sound of breathing.

It was Miaomiao...

Her gaze darkened suddenly as she pushed open the stall door and strode out.

Kang Jinse had just opened the door, about to leave, when a small figure appeared out of nowhere, shoved her in the chest, and she stumbled backward, her spine crashing painfully against the wall, furrowing her brow in pain.

The door closed and locked in one swift movement.

Kang Jinse looked up in shock to see Ji Yunya’s cold and unfathomable eyes watching her quietly, causing her heart to skip a beat and her mind to blank on the words she intended to say next.

"Aunt Yun, if you touch a hair on Miaomiao’s head, I’ll make a cut on her body. If anything happens to Miaomiao, I won’t hesitate to bring the entire world down with him. Don’t push me," Yun Ya spoke into the phone, her voice calm.

Although the girl had such a sweet and lovely appearance, to Kang Jinse, she seemed like a ghost from Hell. Suddenly, she remembered the scene she had glimpsed a few days ago at the door and felt an immense fear as if someone were strangling her, rendering her unable to scream.

"Speak up, have you gone mute?"

She understood very well what Kang Jinse meant to Aunt Yun. In some ways, Kang Jinse was another Aunt Yun, the perfect being of Aunt Yun’s fantasies. How could she allow even a tiny flaw in her cherished creation?

Yun Ya hooked her lips into a cold smile and took out a small craft knife from her bag. It looked like a harmless child’s toy, but in Yun Ya’s hands, it could become a deadly weapon.

She grasped the knife and slashed Kang Jinse’s arm fiercely, a white line of skin instantly parting to reveal a wound oozing droplets of blood, a shocking sight.

Kang Jinse felt the pain belatedly and suddenly let out a cry, weeping. Yun Ya brought the phone close to her mouth and gave a cruel smile: "Your dear godmother wants to watch you die. Isn’t your mouth sweet? Beg for mercy..."

Ji Yunya, at this moment, would haunt her for years to come. Kang Jinse couldn’t understand how such a sweet and elegant little girl could slice her arm with a knife without a moment’s hesitation, looking so mad and resolute as if she had the courage to take on the world.

"Aunt Yun... Aunt Yun, save me..." She couldn’t think of anything else, aware only of the terrible pain and fear, instinctively seeking help.

After a long while, a voice ground out through clenched teeth from the phone: "Good... very good, Ji Yunya, stop right now!"