The three stood in a line, blocking the door to Xingxing's room. Qianqian, in the middle, reached out and knocked on the door.
"Xingxing, open the door!" Qianqian's soft voice called out.
There was no response from inside, and the three looked at each other.
"He's not here?" Xiao Ran asked.
Yu Ze countered, "No way, we've been downstairs the whole time."
"Right, if he went out, he would have to pass through the living room. Could he fly?" Qianqian tilted her head upwards towards the ceiling with a look of innocence.
Confirming that the person was still in the room, Xiao Ran took a step forward and knocked on the door again, "Xingxing, open the door, it's us."
Faint sounds from outside the door could be heard from within the room. Xingxing, dragging his aching spine, moved towards the door with the speed of a snail.
The doorknob was turned from the outside. Xingxing helplessly patted the door panel in response.
"There's a sound!" Yu Ze signaled for them to be quiet.
The children fell silent, staring intently at the doorknob.
"I can't come out."
A faint voice came from the crack under the door.
"What did you say?" Xiao Ran leaned down by the door.
Xingxing responded with disappointment, "The door is locked from the outside, so it can't be opened. You don't need to wait for me to come out."
After Xiao Ran heard this clearly, he disbelievingly jiggled the doorknob back and forth. After trying for a while, he finally believed it when it truly wouldn't open.
"I'll go get the key," Yu Ze turned and headed downstairs.
Beside them, Qianqian ran towards Ye Ziyu's room.
She pushed the door open, panting, to find Di Mingjue sitting by the bed, leaning on his arm, guarding Ye Ziyu.
After Qianqian entered and saw that Ye Ziyu was asleep, she thoughtfully slowed her steps as she approached the bedside. "Daddy, come out."
"What is it?" Di Mingjue picked her up and placed her on his lap.
Normally, Qianqian would cling to him and sit on his lap, but now she impatiently wanted to get down and was tugging at him, insisting he come out.
Di Mingjue glanced at Ye Ziyu. Afraid that the fussy Qianqian would wake her, he complied and walked out with her. As they reached the hallway, he saw Xiao Ran standing by Xingxing's room door.
"What happened again?" Di Mingjue walked over quickly.
Yu Ze, who had just gone downstairs to get the key, also returned, muttering as he walked, "No key."
"What's going on?" Di Mingjue asked again.
Facing his inquiry, the three children began to explain to him in a chattering rush.
"Xingxing is stuck in his room and can't get out."
"Big Uncle locked the door and won't let Xingxing out."
"We saw Big Uncle leave, so we came upstairs to find Xingxing, but Big Uncle locked the door, and Xingxing can't get out."
With the stream of sounds in his ears, Di Mingjue felt a splitting headache. He raised his hand to interrupt them, "Stop!"
At his command, the noisy clamor abruptly ceased.
"Yu Ze, you tell me what happened," Di Mingjue singled him out for an explanation.
Xiao Ran and Qianqian immediately looked at Yu Ze.
"Xingxing was locked in his room by Big Uncle. We don't have the key, and the door won't open, so Xingxing can't get out," Yu Ze explained calmly to Di Mingjue.
Di Mingjue tried to open the door, but it was indeed locked. "Since it can't be opened, you shouldn't wait here anymore."
"Daddy, that won't do," Yu Ze cried out. "Xingxing will be sad in the room, and his wrist is injured. He also needs to eat."
A door being locked without a key was indeed quite troublesome, making many things impossible to do.
But their anxiety was useless. If there was no key in the house, it must mean Ye Shaoting had taken it all, intentionally preventing Xingxing from coming out.
Without a satisfactory answer for the children, they wouldn't listen and leave.
"I'll make a phone call to ask. You go back to your rooms for now," Di Mingjue said.
Without a definitive answer, the children were unwilling to leave.
"You won't listen to me either?" Di Mingjue asked, slightly annoyed.
They dared not disobey his words any longer.
Di Mingjue stood in place, watching them return to their rooms.