Chapter 32 – Si Ranran

Baby and Pregnancy Store

Lin Xiaowen fiddled with her phone out of sheer boredom, absentmindedly opening Cheng Yishu’s social media moments. It had been a week since he last updated, right before he stayed overnight at Lin Xiaowen’s place. Did that mean he was busy lately? No time to post? Or…?

She tossed her phone aside, cheeks puffing as she muttered to herself, “Busy or not, what does that have to do with me? Honestly!”

Just then, the phone she'd thrown aside rang. Lin Xiaowen reflexively grabbed it—surprised to see it was Xu Ningning calling.

A flicker of disappointment flashed in her eyes before she answered the call, her voice listless, “What’s up, boss?”

Xu Ningning’s voice sounded chaotic, as if she was snatching a moment amidst a whirlwind of chores, shouting into the phone, “Xiaowen, Ranran’s almost out of school, right? When you pick her up, can you bring over some stock for me? It’s the new batch of pink silk maternity dresses…”

“Oh, sure!” Lin Xiaowen replied, puzzled, “Why? Are they all sold out over there?”

“Of course! I completely forgot today’s the start of the Qingming holiday! The mall is packed, my goodness… I can’t talk now, Xiaoying is overwhelmed on her own! Oh, and take a taxi with the child, don’t squeeze onto the subway! Everywhere is crowded today, so make sure to hold Ranran’s hand tightly…”

“I know! Go on, I’ll get the stock ready!”

Lin Xiaowen hung up, annoyed at herself for forgetting about the Qingming holiday rush. She’d even consulted suppliers in preparation… It must be her recent absent-mindedness that’s distracted her from her duties!

The mall was a sea of people. Lin Xiaowen struggled up the escalator, one hand clutching little Ranran, who wore her tiny backpack, the other lugging a heavy bag stuffed with goods. She sighed inwardly, ‘There really are so many wealthy people in this world, shopping at the department store as if it were a market! As for myself, I’d never set foot in such a high-end place without a real need…’

“Ah, Xiaowen… you’re finally here!” Before Lin Xiaowen and Ranran could even enter the shop, Xu Ningning spotted them and hurried over.

“If it weren’t for the crowd, I’d have fetched the stock myself. Sorry to trouble you!”

“Good thing you didn’t go, otherwise you’d be stuck in traffic who knows where!” Lin Xiaowen panted, setting the heavy bag down.

“You didn’t take the subway, did you?” Xu Ningning eyed them suspiciously. Ranran beamed, “Aunt Ning, Xiaowen is so clever. The taxi was too slow, so we took the subway instead!”

Xu Ningning looked at Ranran’s sweaty temples and flushed cheeks, her heart aching for the child. She bent down, using her sleeve to wipe the sweat as she fussed, “My darling, it’s Aunt Ning’s fault for forgetting about the traffic. You must be exhausted!”

Lin Xiaowen cut her off, “Don’t be so fragile! Let’s hang up the dresses and get them ironed.”

To Lin Xiaowen, missing this chance to sell with the crowds would be unforgivable.

Xiaoying had just seen off a mother and daughter, and, hearing their conversation, tactfully greeted Lin Xiaowen and went off to iron the clothes. Ranran called sweetly, “Sister Xiaoying!”

Xiaoying smiled, gently stroking Ranran’s cheek, “Your face is so red, are you hot? Want some water?”

Ranran nodded obediently and followed Xiaoying to the storeroom for a drink.

Xu Ningning scolded Lin Xiaowen, “If I’d known, I wouldn’t have let you make the trip. Take Ranran home for a rest soon. She’s sweating, and with her weak immunity, all these crowds…”

“It’s fine!” Lin Xiaowen comforted her with a smile. “We just hurried a bit, probably overheated… Are you managing here? I can stay a while longer.”

“No need!” Xu Ningning glanced at the bustling crowd, “There are plenty of people, but not many buyers. Go home, don’t worry…”

“Excuse me, how much is this anti-radiation maternity apron?”

A young woman with a pronounced belly approached Xu Ningning.

“Oh, right away…” Xu Ningning patted Lin Xiaowen’s hand, who nodded in understanding. Xu Ningning hurried over.

After dinner was indeed the busiest time in the mall! One customer after another streamed into the store. Lin Xiaowen quickly got into her role, introducing brands, quality, and ingredients.

About twenty minutes passed before she suddenly realized she hadn’t seen Ranran since she went for water!

Her heart skipped a beat. She put down the item she was packing for a customer and looked toward the storeroom.

There, a small sofa and water dispenser were set up for customers. Ranran always sat there obediently each visit—but now, not a trace of the child could be seen.

“Ranran…” Lin Xiaowen hurried from behind the counter toward the storeroom.

‘Maybe she went into the storeroom to play?’

“What’s wrong?” Xiaoying heard her call and came over, “Xiaowen, is Ranran missing?”

“Have you seen Ranran?” Lin Xiaowen clutched Xiaoying’s hand, trembling. Xiaoying realized the gravity of the situation, squeezing back, “Don’t worry, I saw her on the sofa just now. I’ll go look outside!”

With that, Xiaoying let go and rushed out.

Lin Xiaowen swallowed hard, her hands and feet icy, forcing herself to stay calm. Xu Ningning ran over, anxiously grabbing her arm, “What’s happening? I just heard Xiaoying say she’s looking for Ranran—is Ranran missing?”

Lin Xiaowen shook her head blankly, walking out as she muttered, “It’s fine, I’ll go look, don’t worry… it’ll be fine…”

“Xiaowen…”

Seeing Lin Xiaowen’s unnaturally calm demeanor, Xu Ningning’s heart trembled. She seized her hand, gazing intently into her vacant eyes, and shouted, “Xiaowen, don’t panic. I’ll go to the office—no, I’ll go to the service desk and ask for an emergency announcement. Wait here, okay? Don’t… Xiaowen…”

Before Xu Ningning could finish, Lin Xiaowen summoned all her strength to push her aside and ran out.

“Ranran… Ranran…”

Against the flow of people, Lin Xiaowen called out, searching desperately for that tiny figure.

A security guard halted her, saying she was disrupting order. Lin Xiaowen grabbed his arm tightly, suppressing her rising panic, her voice trembling as she asked, “Have you seen a little girl? Big round eyes, two braids, wearing a pink dress… Have you seen her? Her name is Ranran, her name is Si Ranran…”