Chapter 9: Like Cornered Prey
Ming Fei couldn’t understand why she was experiencing such a rare and unsettling episode.
The stinging in her gland made her lightheaded. Ignoring Zhu Yiqiao beside her, she slid down the wall, crouching down and covering her face with her hands.
Slender, pale, vulnerable—like cornered prey.
Zhu Yiqiao, who had emerged from the bathroom after noticing something amiss and grabbed her pistol, didn’t press the issue further. She picked up Ming Fei’s phone and waited quietly beside her.
The encroaching darkness made Zhu Yiqiao seem even more dangerous. Her grip on her pistol remained firm, seemingly casual yet fully in control of the situation.
Fortunately, the stinging sensation didn’t last long.
After a few minutes, Ming Fei’s mind cleared. She lowered her hands, looked at Zhu Yiqiao, and spoke, her voice slightly hoarse.
“…Sorry,” she said. “I don’t know why the system malfunctioned.”
“When the system fails, all the doors lock automatically, activating the highest level of security. My computer is in Zaozao’s room, so I can’t diagnose the problem… We’ll just have to wait for it to fix itself before we can go back to our rooms.”
Zhu Yiqiao asked calmly, “How long will that take?”
Ming Fei replied, “Eight hours.”
She could understand how the Court officials had silently bypassed her security system during their earlier visit. The Court, along with the military and government, had access to the most advanced technology and personnel. But tonight, besides deliberate hacking, Ming Fei couldn’t fathom any other reason for her meticulously designed security system to malfunction and activate the highest level of security protocols.
She mentally reviewed her life. She was a gentle and kind person, never making enemies. And since Ming Zaozao’s birth, her days had been peaceful and fulfilling, free of conflict.
So… who would deliberately sabotage her system, illegally invading her home?
After a brief contemplation, Ming Fei arrived at a conclusion.
“Chief Justice Zhu.”
“Hmm?”
“May I ask, does anyone else know about… what happened between us, regarding Zaozao?”
Zhu Yiqiao answered without hesitation, “The list of gene theft victims was revealed during a meeting. My name is on it.”
Ming Fei paused for a few seconds, then shared her suspicion with Zhu Yiqiao. Zhu Yiqiao wasn’t surprised. She toyed with her pistol, her gaze darkening.
She stated, “Someone’s getting desperate.”
“I could find you quickly, so someone else is just a step behind me.”
“The faster the Court moves, the more anxious they become. Tonight, they’re desperate enough to target you.”
Ming Fei wasn’t privy to the power plays between these factions. She was an ordinary person whose biggest worry was her work. She never imagined she’d be caught in the crossfire.
She asked, puzzled, “Target… me?”
Zhu Yiqiao explained slowly, “Ming Fei, as you said, the circumstances surrounding our… situation are quite coincidental. If one element were different, things wouldn’t have unfolded this way. And anyone involved would scrutinize these coincidences. If they can extract any secret from you about these coincidences, it could create a scandal, making me a target.”
Ming Fei argued, “But you’re innocent. You haven’t done anything wrong. You’re the victim in this.”
Perhaps finding her naivety amusing, Zhu Yiqiao elaborated, a rare occurrence, “But power attracts malice.”
Ming Fei remained silent for a long time, finally saying, “I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
Ming Fei met her gaze. “For the genetic sample. I didn’t know it was… misplaced. I’m truly sorry.”
Before undergoing the gene matching procedure, the staff had explained the process in detail. Although there were numerous compatibility requirements, generally, after completing all the tests, candidates would match with several genetic samples and then choose one.
But in her case, out of the entire gene bank, there was only one match.
—Sample YQ1123, Zhu Yiqiao’s genetic sample.
“Ring, ring, ring… Ding, ding, dong—”
The incoming video call ringtone interrupted their conversation.
Ming Fei murmured another apology before quickly answering the call.
Ming Zaozao’s round face appeared on the screen, her cheeks flushed from sleep. She yawned before asking softly, “Mama, where are you?”
“It was dark just now, Huahua turned on the light for Baby.”
Ming Fei briefly explained the situation to her daughter and reassured her, telling her to sleep with the nightlight on, and they would see each other in the morning.
Ming Zaozao was obedient. “Okay!”
“Mama and Auntie are fighting monsters, Baby will sleep.” She added, “And Mama and Auntie, don’t get hurt.”
Charmed by her daughter’s innocent logic, Ming Fei relaxed unconsciously, the tension easing from her shoulders. Her gentle features softened further as a smile touched her lips. Zhu Yiqiao watched her quietly for a few seconds before looking away, her expression unreadable.
As the call ended, Ming Zaozao said goodnight to Ming Fei and then, in her sweet, childish voice, to Zhu Yiqiao.
“Auntie, goodnight.”
Zhu Yiqiao appeared on screen, her voice losing some of its coldness. “Goodnight.”
“See you tomorrow, Auntie!”
Ming Zaozao hugged her giant goose plushie and hung up the call.
Silence returned to the hallway outside the bedroom. Ming Fei, using her phone as a flashlight, led the way. “Chief Justice Zhu, let’s go to the living room.”
They walked to the living room, one after the other.
Pale moonlight streamed in from the balcony, illuminating the potted plants. Ming Fei turned on the small pumpkin nightlight beside the cabinet, casting a soft glow across the room, improving visibility.
With the system malfunctioning, the heating and electricity in the entire apartment were affected.
They were trapped inside, and no one could get in.
Ming Fei looked around the living room and decided to offer the blanket and sofa to Zhu Yiqiao, planning to stay up all night herself.
“Chief Justice Zhu—”
“Ming Fei—”
Their voices overlapped. Ming Fei looked at Zhu Yiqiao, who was standing to her southeast, a question in her eyes.
“Chief Justice Zhu, you first.”
“Your records indicate you’re in excellent health, but ten minutes ago, you seemed unwell.” Zhu Yiqiao set down her pistol. “What happened?”
Ming Fei offered a casual excuse, “I might have eaten too much at dinner. My stomach feels a bit upset.”
“Then you should rest.”
Ming Fei shook her head. “You take the sofa; I’ll stay up.”
“I wouldn’t make someone with an upset stomach suffer.” Zhu Yiqiao corrected her. “And as I’ve already mentioned—”
“—We are not in a superior-subordinate relationship. There’s no need to be so formal.”
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