With the help of the teachers, they located the last known activity area of Xiaoran and Xingxing at the edge of the national highway in front of the tent. Upon learning the approximate location, Di Mingjue immediately took Ye Ziyu to where they were last seen.
The national highway was ahead, and they could only proceed on foot.
Di Mingjue abandoned the car by the roadside and led Ye Ziyu up a small path that had been trodden out.
The teachers at the tent were also not idle, coordinating with other teachers to search the surrounding area.
Halfway up the hillside, Ye Ziyu's sharp eyes spotted a small backpack discarded in the woods. Anxiously, she grabbed Di Mingjue, who was at the forefront, and said, "Look, what is that?"
Di Mingjue stopped and looked in the direction Ye Ziyu was pointing.
"Stay here, I'll go take a look." Di Mingjue took off his jacket, placed it in Ye Ziyu's hand, then parted the weeds in front of him and slowly walked towards the 'backpack'.
Ye Ziyu noticed the lush branches and vines on top of the weeds, with sharp thorns on them. She worriedly reminded him, "Be careful, watch your step!"
Di Mingjue glanced back at Ye Ziyu, gave her a reassuring look, and then he reached the object that looked like a backpack.
Upon picking it up, he saw it was just a plastic bag that resembled a backpack.
Di Mingjue held it up, feeling a sense of relief. If it were truly their backpack, the situation of the two children would be even more concerning.
After emerging from the weeds, he comforted Ye Ziyu's low spirits, saying, "Relax, no news is good news. Since Xiaoran left a note, they must be trying to find their way back. We have to believe in their ability to handle emergencies."
"Mingjue, do you think they might have been kidnapped?" Ye Ziyu voiced her unease.
Not long ago, someone had tried to run them over with a car, and the culprits had never been found. If they had now targeted the children, would Xiaoran and Xingxing still be safe?
Di Mingjue rubbed Ye Ziyu's shoulders, the rhythm of his hand conveying a sense of calm. "No, my people are looking for them. Those people's main task now is to hide to ensure their own safety. We need to find them as quickly as possible."
Once her emotions stabilized, Ye Ziyu took Di Mingjue's hand and continued forward.
Soon, they reached the edge of the national highway. Watching the vehicles speed past, Ye Ziyu's heart leaped into her throat. The cars were traveling so fast, how could they have ended up here?
Di Mingjue scanned the vehicles on both sides, his gaze falling on the backpacks placed on the ground to the left. The two small backpacks were placed tightly together, and upon closer inspection, he recognized a familiar jacket. Just as he was about to tell Ye Ziyu, she had already spotted them and was walking towards the backpacks.
Fearing that her distraught state might put her in danger from passing cars, Di Mingjue walked on her outer side, carefully shielding her.
"Mingjue." Ye Ziyu tightly grasped Di Mingjue's hand.
Picking up the backpacks from the ground, she saw the tags the teachers had affixed. These were indeed Xiaoran and Xingxing's backpacks.
But where were the children?
Di Mingjue looked around. Behind them was the path they had taken, and in front was another small forest. The note they left clearly stated they intended to return to the city center, so it was unlikely they would have gone from this forest to the one on the other side.
"They might have hitched a ride back to the city center. I'll call Shen Lin now and have him check if they've returned," Di Mingjue said.
"Should we go back now?" Ye Ziyu asked.
She felt a deep sense of unease, as if they weren't as safe as they seemed, and everything wasn't as stable as it appeared.