"Oh no, what if the boy has run away?" Mama exclaimed, pacing nervously in the courtyard while everyone else stood around in confusion. Hao and Kai had just returned from Fen's house, where Min had directed them to go in search of answers about why Zhan hadn't come home, even by morning.
"Run away? Why would he do that?" Kai asked, frowning.
"Who knows? Kids these days—who can tell what's going on in their minds? Ever since I saw Zhan crying endlessly in this house, I've had a bad feeling about him. Something isn't right."
Hao shook his head. "Come on, Mama. Let's be rational. Why would Zhan just leave without a word? Where would he even go? Everyone here knows Zhan isn't the kind of person to do something like that. Something must've happened."
Mama sighed heavily, knowing deep down that Hao was right. But her worry was overwhelming her logic. The truth was, she hadn't slept properly the night before, plagued with anxiety over Zhan's disappearance.
Even Ning had asked first thing in the morning, "Has Zhan come back yet?"
"And the woman you mentioned—are you sure she really doesn't know where Zhan is?" Kai asked, adjusting his stance.
"That's what she said. She claims that after he finished work in the evening and left as usual, she hasn't seen him since."
Min, seated in the corner on a low stool, swallowed hard as she listened to the discussion. The story Fen had told everyone now didn't align with what she'd told Min the day before. Min's mind was racing. She felt torn, tempted to reveal everything she knew but also reluctant, knowing that doing so might ruin her chances of salvaging the situation.
After all, Fen had a way of escaping any kind of trouble. If Min spoke up, Fen would walk away unscathed, leaving her to deal with the consequences. So Min sat silently, calculating her options while listening to the conversation unfold.
"So, Min, are you saying you really have no idea where Zhan might have gone?" Kai turned to her, his tone direct. Min shook her head.
"Honestly, no. Everyone knows Zhan doesn't go anywhere except for lessons or Rui Jie's house."
Hao shook his head in frustration. "This is exactly why I've never trusted that woman Fen. None of us even know her, yet you all said Min's friend took her and Zhan to her place."
Wei, who had been standing silently nearby, finally spoke. "But weren't you Min and Zhan supposed to be working together? Why did Zhan go alone, and why didn't you go with him?"
"Exactly!" Mama exclaimed. "Even I assumed both of you were there together when Zhan didn't come back."
Ning shot Mama a sharp look, irritated by her indifferent attitude. It was Ning who had pressured Mama to call Min the night before and ask where they were. If not for that, Mama would have simply brushed it off.
"We had split our workdays. I told Zhan to go yesterday, and I'd take over from today since Fen knew about the recent loss in our family," Min lied smoothly, her voice steady.
"This matter is truly serious. We need to figure out where to go from here," Mama said firmly.
"I was just about to say the same thing. A missing person is no small issue," Ma Jing added, and everyone turned to look at her. This was probably the first time anyone had heard her agree with Mama on anything in the household.
"We'll head to the police station and file a report now," Hao said. "Wei and I will take care of that, while Kai, since you know more people, can continue searching. Maybe someone saw him yesterday."
The mention of the police station made everyone tense, their hearts sinking further. Fear crept into Min's chest as she watched them leave. Once they were gone, she slipped out of the house as well, heading straight to Fen's place.
When she arrived, Fen wasted no time leading her into the privacy of her room, which only heightened Min's unease.
"This is about Zhan, right?" Fen asked, cutting straight to the point before Min could say a word. "Your brothers were here earlier, and I told them the same thing: since he left here, I haven't seen him."
Min shook her head. "But you told me you sent him somewhere and even asked me if he could find his way from there."
"I did send him somewhere," Fen replied calmly. "And from there, he was supposed to go home. That's why I ask if he could find his way. Since he left, I haven't seen him again, and that's the truth."
Min frowned. "But you said you'd make sure he got home."
"Look, Min, I have so much on my plate that I forgot all about it after our call. I only remembered when your brothers showed up asking about him."
Min swallowed hard, struggling to process the conflicting story Fen was telling her. Still, out of fear of provoking Fen or causing a bigger problem, she nodded reluctantly.
"Please keep looking into it," Min said quietly. "We're all on edge, and we don't know where he might have ended up."
"Don't worry," Fen replied with a reassuring smile. "You know I'm just as concerned about Zhan's disappearance. I'll do my best to find him."
Fen escorted Min out, soothing her with kind words that seemed to ease her tension slightly. But as soon as Min was gone, Fen returned to her room and pulled out her phone. Her hands trembled as she dialed the number of the officer she'd been in contact with since the night before.
It took three tries before he finally answered.
"Ma'am, I apologize for the delay. We've been processing reports all morning, and the station is packed. Also, people are demanding that Zang be released immediately," the officer explained.
"Released? What do you mean?" Fen asked, her voice sharp.
"His father has been sending people here, trying to have the case closed by claiming that Zang wasn't at the house when the police arrived. But that won't work. Zang was the first to see the body and the one who called the police. Plus, he and the security guard are the only ones who truly know what happened. We found five people at the house, claiming they were just attending a party and had no idea what was going on when the police arrived."
Fen let out a heavy sigh before replying, "I need you to ensure the security guard doesn't mention seeing Peng with anyone else. He needs to stick to saying that the only person who came to the house after Peng was Yibo. Nothing about another boy being with him. Please, make that clear to him. If he keeps quiet, I'll make it worth his while."
"Don't worry, Ma'am," the officer assured her. "Since we haven't found the murder weapon in the house yet, there's nothing to suggest another boy was involved. I'll keep the security guard on our side."
Fen exhaled deeply. "Good. I'll send you something shortly."
With that, the call ended. Fen sat still, staring at her phone. For the first time in her life, she felt like things were spiraling out of her control. Despite all her connections and influence, she knew a murder case was no small matter. If her name surfaced, escaping it would be nearly impossible—even if she wasn't entirely sure Zhan had anything to do with the crime. But prevention was better than cure. In her mind, anything could happen, especially after sending Zhan along with Peng.
Her thoughts raced as she tried to calculate her next move, the same way she always did—manipulating and influencing people to cover her tracks. It had worked with others before, and she hoped it would work this time too. Yet a nagging doubt lingered in her mind. This time, things felt different.
Zhan's face flashed in her thoughts, and she frowned. From the moment she first met him, she'd sensed something unusual about him. But she hadn't realized he'd bring her trouble instead of the benefit she'd imagined.
She glanced back at her phone, quickly transferring money to the officer as promised. Fen was willing to do whatever it took to protect herself—no matter what.
:-*:-*:-*:-*:-*
Yibo sat in his car outside the house, the radio softly playing a soothing tune. He could hear it, but he wasn't really listening. His eyes were fixed on the address written on his phone screen, studying it, committing it to memory. He had already made up his mind—he was going. No one needed to convince him otherwise; he knew he needed help now more than ever. The challenges ahead were too great for him to face alone. Just as Shan Tunan needed him, he, too, needed Shan Tunan. All that remained was to confirm whether their need for each other was real, and that could only happen once they met face to face.
Even so, the weight of losing Peng still clung to him, refusing to let go. The image of everything that had happened and how Peng had been left behind played on an endless loop in his mind. But Yibo had already made his choice. His heart had weighed the two tragedies of the previous night, and he'd chosen one—the one he hadn't realized was etched deeper into his soul than his fear of death itself. He'd chosen Zhan over Peng's lifeless body.
In truth, it wasn't even Zhan he had seen at that moment. It was his sister, Liu. She was all he could think of, and he felt as though this was his chance to save her, in some strange, inexplicable way. As he'd carried Zhan away, countless memories of the past had flashed through his mind, but this time, they felt different. This time, they carried a sense of relief, as though a burden had been lifted from his chest—a burden he'd lived with for so long that he barely noticed its weight anymore.
Just then, Yi Fan emerged from the house, followed closely by Zhan, who wore wrinkled pants and his torn shirt from the previous night. The women of the house peeked out, bidding Zhan farewell. Yibo noticed the brief glance Zhan cast over his shoulder toward them. Whether Zhan said anything in response, Yibo couldn't tell, but he was sure there was no smile on his face. The morning sunlight now illuminated Zhan's features clearly, and Yibo felt something lodge in his throat unexpectedly. Liu's face flashed in his mind, and his gaze shifted back to Zhan. The only real difference between the two was skin tone, with Liu being fairer, and, of course, their gender.
Zhan's eyes found the car, and for a moment, their gazes locked through the windshield. Yibo felt a strange pull, as though the look in Zhan's eyes was reaching out to him, piercing through the glass as Zhan walked toward the car. In that instant, Yibo wished the universe would grant him a chance—just a fleeting moment—to change so many things.
He ran two fingers over the bridge of his nose, then rested his hand on the back of his head, his eyes never leaving Zhan as he approached. The tattered shirt Zhan wore reminded Yibo of how he'd looked the night before. Instinctively, Yibo closed his eyes, telling himself that the first thing they'd do before beginning their five-hour journey—or maybe longer—was to get Zhan a change of clothes.
Short chapter is better than nothing.🤗😄
Zhanxianyibo💚❤️💛