Old Madam Bai Meiying sat in her room, restless. Her heart ached at the thought of her only daughter being sent abroad the next day. The idea of parting with Bai Meixiu was unbearable. After hours of tossing and turning, she sighed deeply and made a decision.
"I can't let her go like this," she whispered to herself, carefully slipping out of bed without waking Old Master Bai Jianguo.
She called for the family butler, Uncle Zhang, their trusted servant for decades. When he arrived, she instructed him, "Open Meixiu's door. I need to talk to her."
"But, Old Madam," Uncle Zhang hesitated, "it's late, and she might already be asleep."
"Zhang, I don't care," she said firmly. "I'm her mother. Open the door."
Uncle Zhang nodded and unlocked the door, which was always kept secured to prevent Meixiu from sneaking out. Old Madam Bai entered the room, her heart heavy with guilt and concern.
"Meixiu," she called softly, "are you awake?"
There was no response. Thinking her daughter might be in the bathroom, she approached the door and knocked. "Meixiu?" she called again. Silence.
A sinking feeling hit her chest. She pushed the bathroom door open, only to find it empty. Panic gripped her.
"Zhang!" she yelled.
Uncle Zhang, who had been waiting outside, rushed in. "What's wrong, Old Madam?"
"She's not here!" she cried, pointing to the empty room.
Uncle Zhang walked to the window and froze. His voice trembled as he said, "Old Madam… look here."
"What is it?" she demanded, hurrying over. When she saw the makeshift rope made of tied bedsheets dangling out of the window, she nearly fainted.
"She… she escaped?" her voice cracked.
"Yes, Old Madam," Uncle Zhang confirmed.
"Quickly!" she barked. "Wake up the entire household. We must find her!"
Uncle Zhang hurried to follow her orders, while Old Madam Bai rushed back to her room, tears streaming down her face.
"Jianguo, wake up!" she shook her husband awake.
Old Master Bai blinked groggily. "What is it, Meiying? It's the middle of the night."
"It's Meixiu!" she sobbed. "She's gone!"
Old Master Bai sat up immediately. "Gone? What do you mean?"
"She escaped through the window!"
In moments, the entire Bai household was in chaos. Bai Jianguo summoned his eldest son, Bai Yichen, and second son, Bai Jinghao.
"Yichen, Jinghao!" he barked. "Check the airport! See if there's any flight leaving tonight. Have it delayed immediately!"
"Yes, Father!" the two brothers responded and dashed off.
Meanwhile, Old Master Bai picked up the phone and dialed the Li residence.
---
At the Li residence, Old Master Li Weisheng was already in bed when the phone rang. The family butler, Mr. Zhou, answered it.
"It's from the Bai family," Mr. Zhou said hesitantly, handing the phone over.
Old Master Li frowned. "Those arrogant Bai people? What do they want now?"
When the phone rang again persistently, he finally answered. "This better be important."
"Important?" Bai Jianguo's angry voice boomed. "Your son has snatched my only daughter! Is he still in your house? Check now!"
Old Master Li's face darkened. "What nonsense are you talking about? My son would never—"
"Check now!" Bai Jianguo interrupted. "If he's not there, I'll make sure your Li family pays for this!"
Slamming the phone down, Old Master Li turned to Mr. Zhou. "Go to Wenjie's room. See if that rascal is there."
---
Mr. Zhou knocked on the door of Mr. Li Wenjie's room but received no response. Assuming he was asleep, he opened the door quietly.
"Young master Li," he called softly. Seeing a lump under the blankets, he approached and gently shook it.
"Young mast...—" His words caught in his throat as he pulled back the blanket to find only pillows arranged to mimic a sleeping figure.
Cold sweat dripped down Mr. Zhou's back. He ran back to Old Master Li. "Master! Young Master Wenjie… he's gone!"
"What?!" Old Master Li roared, slamming his fist on the table. His blood pressure spiked, and Mr. Zhou quickly calmed him.
"We need to find him," Mr. Zhou urged.
Old Master Li barked orders to the household staff. "Wake up the boys! Get the guards! If you don't bring him back, you'll all face the consequences!"
---
Back at the Bai residence, Old Master Bai received another call from the Li family confirming that Wenjie had also escaped. Furious, he smashed the phone onto the table.
"Jianguo, what happened?" Old Madam Bai asked, her voice hoarse from crying.
"He's gone too," he muttered.
At that moment, Bai Yichen and Bai Jinghao returned. "Father, we've found their flight," Zhenyu reported. "It's been delayed."
"Good!" Bai Jianguo said, standing up. "Go to the airport now. Take the guards with you."
The two Bai brothers nodded and left, their cars roaring to life as they sped toward the airport. On the way, they were joined by the three Li brothers, who had been sent by Old Master Li.
The convoy of luxury cars and guards raced through the city, determined to catch the runaway couple.