Chapter 265: In The Thick Of Things
Translator: EndLessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Lu Wen remained anxious. It wasn’t until he saw the police pull out of the biological project base that he fulfilled his promise to send the photo to Lu Zhao.
“President Lu.” Lu Zhao and Luo Ying were enjoying a meal in the dining room when the secretary hurried over with an envelope. Lu Zhao gave Luo Ying a brief summary of recent events.
“What is this?” Luo Ying looked at the envelope curiously.
“Lu Wen promised to send the photos over.” Lu Zhao felt conflicted as he examined the envelope in his hand. Too many times over the years, he had felt this glimmer of hope, only to be dashed.
It was a very ordinary envelope. The only thing inside was a plain Polaroid picture.
A flower shop by the seaside could be seen in the background. A woman in a flower shop uniform was walking out with a large bouquet of untrimmed flowers.
Although the lady seemed to be getting on in years, her youthful beauty shone through in her eyes. The softness in her expression complemented the flower shop’s vivacious and harmonious ambiance.
It appeared to be a snapshot of a tourist. Someone had even taken the time to write the date and the words “Encounter with a beautiful shop owner” in
marker on the back.
Lu Zhao clutched the photo even more tightly at that moment. Even though it had been years since he had last seen his mother, the deep connection
between mother and son allowed him to recognize her instantly.
It was really her!
Luo Ying, noticing this, stood up and took a seat next to Lu Zhao. In a soothing gesture, she held his hand. “Is that her?”
“Yes.” Lu Zhao appeared to have finally regained control of his emotions. “It’s
her.”
Luo Ying let out a sigh of relief and cracked a broad grin. “That’s fantastic!”
Lu Zhao carefully set the photo down and held hands with Luo Ying. “I finally
found her.”
For a long time, he had had people scour various cities for any sign of his mother. At long last, he got to see his mother as she appeared now.
“Then let’s get moving and find her,” Luo Ying suggested. “Now?” Lu Zhao seemed apprehensive. He had never asked his mother if she
wanted to see him, so the search had always been one-sided. Now that all the pieces were in place, Lu Zhao was having trouble letting it sink in.
“Yes, now is the time. You gain nothing by pushing forward unnecessary complications!” Luo Ying said affirmatively. She knew the plot of the original novel. All villains were bound to experience a rocky road. The smoother the road was for the protagonist, the rockier it was for the villains.
This time, Lu Zhao had a foothold that fell outside Old Master Lu’s plan. If he did not hurry, he might get caught up by the plot again.
“All right, we’ll book the plane tickets right away.” Lu Zhao trusted Luo Ying. They touched down the next day.
“Lu Zhao, don’t be nervous. I’ll be by your side. No matter the outcome, I’ll be by your side.” In the car, from the airport to the flower shop in the photo, Luo Ying snuggled up to Lu Zhao and gave him warmth.
“Yes.” The scene changed to one on a strange city street. Lu Zhao looked out the window and pondered. Did his mom live here?
Slowly but surely, the car made its way to the scene of the photo. The photo’s streets, intersections, and stores were all suddenly visible to them. Luo Ying, however, caught a glimpse of something unsettling out the car window.
Lu Zhao’s once-anticipatory expression vanished as well. It was the middle of the day, but the flower shop was locked up tight.
“Temporarily Closed.” Lu Zhao noticed the black and white words affixed to the flower shop’s shutter door as soon as they stepped out of the car.
Lu Zhao’s heart sank.
Luo Ying’s heart ached when she saw this. She reached out and shook Lu Zhao’s arm to reassure him. “It’s okay. Maybe she’s just out for lunch. Let’s just hang out for a couple of days. Maybe…”
“No, Old Master Lu’s fingerprints are all over this place.” Lu Zhao rubbed the bridge of his nose wearily. “It’s been like this for so many years. I thought it would be different this time.”
In her mind, Luo Ying hurled a curse at Old Master Lu. How vile. “Why don’t we ask the surrounding merchants?” But Luo Ying was not about to give up. “We should try every avenue. They may know something.” Lu Zhao agreed. He could not wallow in despair now that things had reached this point.
“Hello, I was wondering if you knew what happened to the proprietor of the shop next door?” Luo Ying took the lead and walked to the shop next to the flower shop..
