Lu Mingzhe didn't realize something was wrong until the third day.
Previously, when he messaged Xiang Wan, she had replied diligently.
But on the morning of the third day, when he tried to send another message, it wouldn't go through.
WeChat indicated he had been blocked.
Lu Mingzhe wondered if he was still groggy from sleep and had misread.
How could Xiang Wan possibly block him!
He sent several more messages, and only when the screen was filled with glaring red exclamation marks did he realize it was real.
What was going on?
They had said goodnight to each other before sleeping last night, and now he was blocked first thing in the morning?
He suspected a system bug and quickly called Xiang Wan.
His call also didn't go through, the phone indicated the number was invalid.
A sense of panic washed over Lu Mingzhe. He hurriedly got up, washed up, and called Xiang Yang, asking if Xiang Wan's phone had a problem.
“Did your sister lose her phone? Did someone hack her WeChat after cracking her password, and then cancel her number? Otherwise, it’s impossible!”
Xiang Yang didn't know how to explain his situation. Hearing the disbelief in Lu Mingzhe's voice, he felt immense pain and conflict, but could only say that his situation was the same.
“Something must have happened to your sister!”
Lu Mingzhe was extremely anxious.
“She’s pregnant, and there’s an elderly person with her. What if something happens…”
He dared not imagine the consequences.
“I’m going back to find her now. Do you want to take leave and come with me?”
Xiang Yang feigned panic and agreed.
They both took leave and returned to the small county town.
However, no one was home.
When they asked the neighbors, they were told that the two of them had already left the day before, and had taken a bus.
“Xiang Wan said she was taking Grandma out for a trip, we didn’t ask where.”
How could this be?
Could it be that something happened to Xiang Wan while she was traveling with her grandmother?
Lu Mingzhe was going mad with anxiety. He slammed his fist hard on the steering wheel and said,
“We’re going to Jingjing to report this!”
“Damn it, if anyone dares to mess with my woman, I’ll make them pay when I find them!”
At this point, Xiang Yang could no longer distinguish who was in the wrong between him and his sister.
But he absolutely didn’t want to see Lu Mingzhe running around like a headless chicken, hitting dead ends everywhere.
“Stop looking. My sister decided to break up with you and isn’t coming back.”
Lu Mingzhe suspected that his state this morning was off, because his entire body seemed to be malfunctioning all day.
His eyes weren’t working well, and neither were his ears.
“What did you say? Say it again.”
Xiang Yang then recounted Xiang Wan’s recent experiences and their mother’s actions to him.
“My sister didn’t know how to tell you she was breaking up with you face-to-face, so she left.”
“She said for you to live your life well and listen to your family. For me, she said to study hard and support myself in the future. She won’t be coming back.”
Lu Mingzhe was not only shocked, but also felt a strong sense of disbelief.
He had been fooling himself, telling himself that Xiang Wan’s recent troubles had nothing to do with his mother, but…
However, he had been through so much with Xiang Wan.
He had given her his whole heart and love every day. How could she doubt anyone, how could she doubt his sincerity?
“Nonsense! Impossible! She wouldn’t break up with me.”
“I even cut ties with my mother for her. Doesn’t she understand my true feelings? What more does she want me to do?”
“And she’s pregnant. Why should she break up with me? You two must have contacted each other. Give me your phone, I need to call her!”
Xiang Yang gave him his phone, allowing him to check it freely.
Similarly, WeChat showed he was blocked, and the phone number was invalid.
Lu Mingzhe still refused to believe it: “Stop lying to me! What did you two do that night you went out? Were you plotting to leave me?”
“Good for you, Xiang Yang! I’ve always treated you with such sincerity. At this crucial moment, you actually…”
“You two definitely have other contact methods. Don't force me to get physical with you, hand them over!”
Xiang Yang appeared completely unfazed, like a dead pig that fears boiling water.
“You can hit me or scold me as you please. Consider it payment for the benefits I received from you earlier.”
“I can’t help you with my sister’s affairs. I really don’t have her contact information.”
Lu Mingzhe was enraged and grabbed Xiang Yang by the neck.
“Impossible! You are her only brother, her biological brother! She said that the reason she worked so hard was all for you! How could she not be in contact with you?”
“Stop lying to me! Hand it over quickly, or you’ll suffer physical pain!”
But no matter how he threatened, Xiang Yang gave the same answer.
I don’t know, I really don’t. Take my phone, you can search it however you like.
Lu Mingzhe was almost driven to death.
The news of Xiang Wan’s departure was too sudden; he simply could not accept it.
He dragged Xiang Yang out of the car and slapped him hard several times.
“You thought I wouldn’t dare to lay a hand on you? You thought I had no way to deal with you? You’re so stubborn! I’ll cripple you today!”
“I don’t believe Xiang Wan is so heartless that she would watch you beat me to death without intervening!”
“Then beat me to death. Let’s see if she appears.”
Blood seeped from Xiang Yang’s lips, but he seemed not to feel any pain.
“You should actually be happy. Your family finally doesn’t have to be related to us poor commoners.”
“You can marry a woman who matches your social status in the future. Your mother will be happy, your whole family will be happy. Why put on such a show of deep affection?”
Lu Mingzhe’s hands trembled with rage.
“What utter nonsense! When did I ever look down on you? Huh? When did I ever look down on your poverty?!”
“If I looked down on you, I wouldn’t have started a relationship with her, let alone fallen out with my family for her! Do you have any conscience at all?”
“I’ll ask you one last time, are you going to hand it over or not? If not, I’ll drive this car and kill you today!”
He pushed Xiang Yang to the ground.
Xiang Yang closed his eyes, appearing resigned to his fate.
“There’s nothing to hand over. The phone is yours. You can monitor me with it 24 hours a day. If I tell a single lie, may lightning strike me down dead.”
Lu Mingzhe, consumed by fury, kicked Xiang Yang away. He took the phone, got into his car, and drove back to Nancheng, dusty and disheveled.
He went to confront his mother, questioning why she had harmed him this way.
His mother said earnestly, “I told you long ago, she’s not worth it. She’s involved with that Tang Haichao…”
Tang Haichao?
Lu Mingzhe recalled the business card he had seen earlier. He remembered the address and stormed towards Tang Haichao’s studio.
However, the security guard told him.
The studio had encountered major problems a while ago, and they were no longer operating.
“The lease was terminated, and they left several days ago.”
It felt as if someone had reached into his stomach and grasped his internal organs, causing Lu Mingzhe such pain that he couldn’t speak.
Xiang Wan was gone, and Tang Haichao’s studio was closed.
What the hell was going on?
He drove to Xiang Wan’s studio again.
To his surprise, when people saw him, they asked him instead.
“Sister Wan transferred the studio. Why didn’t she tell us?”
“The day before yesterday, someone came with the contract to finalize the handover. We were all stunned.”