Upon this thought, Nuo Xiaoxi suddenly became anxious, fearful that something had happened to Mrs. Lin. She bolted out the door and ran along the highway, hoping to spot Mrs. Lin along the way. But as she ran, she didn't see a trace of Mrs. Lin.
She jogged along, sweat drenching her entire body in the scorching air. After running for over an hour, she arrived at the entrance of the Sanitation Bureau. The gates of the Sanitation Bureau had already closed, and the sanitation workers had gone off duty. The security guard at the gatehouse, seeing the anxious look on Nuo Xiaoxi's face, hurriedly asked, "Young girl, what... what's the matter with you?"
"I... I'm looking for my aunt," Nuo Xiaoxi said hastily.
"Looking for whom? Everyone has left work by now," the guard said with a smile: "There's nobody inside. Everyone has already left for home."
"What?" Nuo Xiaoxi was stunned, then said, "But... but why hasn't my aunt come back yet."
