The next morning, as the servants brought breakfast to the table, everyone gathered around, ready to eat.
Di Jianhan glanced at the empty seat beside him and asked a servant, "Where is Sisi?" She usually woke up early to help the servants prepare breakfast.
"Miss Lu hasn't come downstairs all morning," the servant replied.
Di Jianhan placed his chopsticks back on the plate and instructed, "Go up and call her down for breakfast." They couldn't start eating until everyone was present.
The entire family looked at the food, waiting for someone to come downstairs. Di Jianhan, impatient, turned towards the second floor. Footsteps sounded from the stairs, and then a servant approached.
"Where is she?"
"Miss Lu, she... she's not upstairs."
Upon hearing this, Di Jianhan became anxious. "Didn't you say she hadn't come down? How is she not in her room?"
The servants hadn't seen her come down, and they didn't know why she was no longer there. No one could provide an answer.
"All of you, go find her!" Di Jianhan kicked his chair aside, gave the order, and turned to go upstairs.
Jiang Ziyu stroked Qianqian's head and whispered in her ear, "It's okay, Qianqian, don't be scared." Compared to the old lady, Di Jianhan wasn't as close to Qianqian; rather, she was wary of him.
"Mingjue, you go up and take a look," the old lady said. Regardless, the person was living in the Di residence. If she suddenly disappeared and something happened, the Di residence couldn't escape responsibility.
Di Mingjue followed her to Lu Sisi's room. He looked at the neatly made bed and then went to the wardrobe.
"Sisi is gone!"
As the wardrobe door opened, Di Jianhan picked up a piece of paper from the bedside table. Her clothes were gone, so of course, she was gone too.
Di Jianhan looked at the contents of the note and then turned to Di Mingjue, accusing, "Did you say something to her? That's why she left without a word?"
Him? Di Mingjue's eyes were fixed on the paper in his hand.
The paper was thrown at him. Di Jianhan pointed at him, "Take a good look."
[Uncle, I thought about it and decided to go back. My presence made everyone unhappy, and I don't want to disrupt your happiness because of me. Although I was sad these past few days, I was also happy. Thank you for taking care of me during this time. I'm going back, and I'll visit you again when I have time.]
"Judging by the content, she's gone home. There's no need for you to be so anxious," Di Mingjue handed the paper back to him.
Di Jianhan slapped his hand, angrily reprimanding, "How can you be so unsympathetic? Her family is gone, and her home environment isn't good. How will she live going back alone?"
"Does that have anything to do with me?" Di Mingjue retorted, tilting his head.
"You!" Di Jianhan's hand stopped just before reaching Di Mingjue's face. He took a deep breath, clenched his fist, and brought it down from above in anger.
Di Mingjue quickly moved aside, and the door was slammed shut heavily. Hearing the deafening sound, Jiang Ziyu watched Di Jianhan leave the front hall as if he had ingested explosives, his face full of rage.
"They're fighting again!" the old lady sighed mournfully. Ever since Di Jianhan returned from the 'dead,' the household had been unsettled. They were father and son with a blood relation, yet they behaved like enemies.
Jiang Ziyu watched Di Mingjue descend the stairs and walked forward to greet him, "What's going on? You guys are fighting again?"
"No. Lu Sisi went back, and the old man blames me for driving her away." Di Mingjue glanced at the old lady, who looked worried at the dining table. "Let's eat."
"You all eat. I'm going back to my room to rest," the old lady said, picking up her cane and rising wearily from her chair. The butler next to her helped her, and they went upstairs.