If You Could Hear My Heart

“Aiyo, where did you find this little gem?” she exclaimed. “She really knows how to talk. You’ve instantly lifted my spirits.”

The men outside hurriedly nodded and smiled, “Mei Mei, as long as you’re happy, that’s all that matters. You should take this girl under your wing and train her well.”

“Don’t worry, don’t worry, I’ll definitely teach her. Little sister, you agree, don’t you?” the woman laughed behind her hand.

Xu Chaomu had a stampede of imaginary alpacas racing through her mind. Why can’t you wear some clothes and talk like a normal person?

“Sister, they’re really scary, I’m afraid of people. Make them go out, and I’ll talk to you,” she pleaded.

Xu Chaomu deliberately moved closer to the woman, darting glances at the surrounding environment while pretending to hide.

As expected, the woman patted Xu Chaomu’s shoulder and said to the others, “It’s rare that I hit it off with this little sister. All of you go out; I want to talk to her for a while. Besides, I’m tired.”

“Sure, Mei Mei. Take a break then. We’ll go have some dinner.”

“Okay.”

Xu Chaomu, still avoiding eye contact, was putting on quite the act, a skill she had well in hand.

Once everyone had left, the woman finally put on some clothes. Standing up from the bed, she asked Xu Chaomu, “How old are you?”

“Eighteen.”

“Oh, so young. No wonder you look so fresh and vibrant. No one left in your family?”

“Yeah, I came out to find work.”

“Well, you’ve come to the right place. Our film crew has both fame and fortune. Work hard, and we won’t treat you unfairly. It’s much better than those odd jobs out there. Stick around, and who knows, you might even become famous.”

Xu Chaomu’s face was striped with imaginary black lines, and all she could do was nod along.

“Look at our equipment here; it’s the highest-end stuff in the world. Stick with us, and you won’t lose out,” she boasted.

“Amazing. I’ve never seen these things before. They look so high-end, so luxurious!”

Xu Chaomu thought, this woman is quite a character.

Touring around, Xu Chaomu spotted the candle on the table.

The woman led the way, and she followed, running behind her.

Whatever the woman said, she echoed, always picking the most pleasant things to say.

Just as the woman was engrossed in bragging about a camera, Xu Chaomu’s hand reached for the table.

“Look at this camera, even the tripod is top-grade. The effects it captures can rival Hollywood blockbusters. Every time it points at me for a shot, I just really enjoy it,” the woman said blissfully.

“Look at these props, they’re made to look so real. This tiger-skin coat, this golden nanmu wood bed, they’re worth a fortune. But they spare no expense when it comes to me. There’s also this dressing table, all the best stuff in the world…”

Xu Chaomu thought, this woman has been utterly brainwashed.

While the woman’s eyes were closed, lost in the “high-end” technology, Xu Chaomu took her chance. She grabbed the candle and violently threw it onto the bed!

Soon, a blaze erupted!

The blankets and pillows caught fire in an instant!

No sooner had the fire lit than Xu Chaomu jumped out the window!

She dared not exit through the door for fear of being caught red-handed, but the window was a fine escape route.

Snow was falling outside, the road was narrow, and in the distance, there was a forest—a clear avenue for escape.

“Ah! Help!”

The woman, finally realizing what was happening as Xu Chaomu landed with a “thump” from the window, started screaming hysterically!

“Help, help!”

Xu Chaomu quickly covered her ears and ran forward without looking back.

The snow in the woods was deep, making every step difficult. Her shoes were quickly soaked through with snow.

She ran fast, without stopping, just kept running…

After covering quite a distance without seeing anyone following her, she looked back.

The fire was blazing, casting the sky in crimson hues.

The snowflakes falling on the burning house did nothing to tame the fierce flames. Even from a great distance, Xu Chaomu could no longer hear any cries for help. She glanced back, clutched her thumping heart, and kept running forward.

The fire brought back her worst nightmare. When she was ten, a similar blaze had left an indelible mark on her.

That fire, which lingered in her mind, had become the nightmare of her life.

She remembered, in the time that followed, she’d often have nightmares where she’d cry and shout for her “mother”, screaming to rush into the flames.

If Uncle Mo hadn’t held her back, she thought, she might have joined her mother that year…

After which, none of this would have happened.

The Shen Family had given her hope, only to sever it again.

Her step faltered as a cold snowflake landed on her brow…

The cutting wind blasted against her, and her exposed eyes quickly fogged up with moisture.

After escaping that place, she had been wandering alone.

Not only was she hungry, but she was also bitterly cold, with her little hands numb from the freeze. Her steps were faltering, as if she might be blown away by the wind at any moment.

She leaned against the trees beside the road, moving slowly…

Soon, her little face turned a ghastly shade of blue-gray, and she struggled to breathe.

She was so hungry that she couldn’t walk anymore.

The snow was falling more heavily, and her feet had lost all sensation. She had no choice but to stop and rest by the roadside.

As darkness fell, she didn’t know where she was. Staring at distant neon lights, her consciousness began to fade.

Was it a dream or reality?

She could no longer tell.

She squatted down, curling into a ball, huddling against the cold stone wall behind her, drawing on it for a bit of strength.

As her gaze drifted and her mind blanked, she thought she saw someone.

A familiar figure from six months ago…

She almost called out, Nie Chenglang!

But her head grew heavier, and she could no longer distinguish between dreams and reality…

“Cheng…” She had barely uttered a word when Xu Chaomu passed out on the roadside.

Snowflakes settled on her face and tangled in her hair, quickly covering her with a layer of pristine white snow.

Nie Chenglang was out on a project. After he finished, captivated by the particularly appealing snowfall, he lingered, strolling along with his umbrella.

It had been years since he last saw such heavy snow.

His mood was buoyant as he strolled along the roadside with his hands in his coat pockets.

There’s a unique pleasure in walking through the snow.

He loved snow, always feeling it was the purest thing in the world, unblemished and unstained.

Suddenly, as he reached the roadside, he found a girl lying on the ground!

He hurried over, “Miss, wake up!”

Brushing the snow off her face and hair, his eyes widened in surprise—it was Xu Chaomu. How could it be her…

He was certain he wasn’t mistaken; this was Xu Chaomu.

“Chaomu, what brought you to Paris?!” Nie Chenglang’s eyes were full of urgency as he held her up.