The wedding proceeded smoothly.
So smoothly that Su He found it unbelievable.
Could it be that Rong Qiao was just playing a prank on her, aiming to make her anxious and distracted during the wedding? Or perhaps to embarrass her in public?
Su He linked arms with Lu Yanbei. After exchanging a look, they shared a knowing glance.
"It's a good thing nothing happened," Lu Yanbei murmured close to her ear, reminding her to watch her step.
After serving tea to their elders, the newlyweds returned to the changing rooms to change for the subsequent wedding banquet.
Su He was assisted by Jiang Xiaoxiao back to the lounge. The pre-prepared outfit was a shimmering golden Western-style dress, backless and adorned with large embroidered roses, exuding great elegance.
"This dress is so beautiful, it could be a family heirloom!" Jiang Xiaoxiao exclaimed, seeing the banquet attire for the first time.
"That's the idea," Su He replied, changing her clothes and searching for matching jewelry. "Where's the diamond necklace? Do you remember?"
"I think it's in the safe. I'll go check." To secure her valuables, the hotel had installed safes in every room, and Su He's was no exception.
The safe was located inside a cabinet in the inner room. Jiang Xiaoxiao, without bothering to change her own clothes, directly lifted her skirt and went in.
Su He sat on a stool, allowing the makeup artist to touch up her makeup.
Time ticked by, and Su He's eyelids grew heavier. Due to waking up so early and the heavy wedding attire, she felt dazed and unconsciously drifted off to sleep.
"Mrs. Lu?" The makeup artist, having finished, saw that Su He had no reaction and couldn't help but reach out and touch her shoulder.
Su He remained motionless, unresponsive.
This greatly frightened the makeup artist, who quickly went out to call for help.
However, in that brief moment, Su He had vanished.
"What was the safe combination again? I've tried several times but couldn't open it..." Jiang Xiaoxiao emerged from the inner room, muttering her complaint to Su He, only to find the room empty. "Meow Meow?"
When the makeup artist arrived with others, they bumped into Jiang Xiaoxiao as she rushed out of the lounge.
"Did you see Meow Meow?" Jiang Xiaoxiao asked urgently.
"Wasn't Mrs. Lu in the lounge?" the makeup artist said, out of breath.
The lounge was some distance from the banquet hall. Her quick trip there and back took less than five minutes.
Jiang Xiaoxiao grew frantic. "She's not in the room!"
"Could she have gone to the restroom?" Su Ying, one of the first to arrive, gestured for everyone to calm down.
"I just came from the restroom, and I didn't see Mrs. Lu," a female guest said.
Given the gravity of the situation, Jiang Xiaoxiao dared not delay and immediately sent someone to find Lu Yanbei.
Su Ying grabbed Jiang Xiaoxiao's arm and asked, "Tell me what happened from beginning to end."
Jiang Xiaoxiao recounted the events from the moment she entered the lounge, explaining how she came out to ask for help when the safe wouldn't open, only to find that the person was gone. "The makeup artist said she was dozing off during the touch-up. It's impossible for her to disappear in the blink of an eye!"
"Could something have happened to Meow Meow?" Jiang Xiaoxiao was beside herself with worry.
She felt like she had failed miserably as a bridesmaid!
"Don't worry for now," Su Ying said, entering the lounge and carefully surveying the entire room. "Go call the hotel manager."
The makeup artist, with a pale face, hurried out.
Two minutes later, the manager arrived, sweating profusely.
"Besides this door, are there any other exits from this lounge?" Su Ying asked directly.
The manager wiped the sweat from his forehead. "No. This was originally a storage room. Because it's close to the lobby, it was later converted into a lounge."
"What's next door?" Su Ying pointed outside the window.
There was only one window. If no one outside had seen Su He leave, then there was only one possibility: she left through the window. But this was the second floor, about eight meters above the ground. Wearing a wedding dress, Su He couldn't have possibly jumped down from here. Furthermore, according to the makeup artist's description, Su He was sitting motionlessly in the chair at the time, breathing weakly, it was uncertain if she could even walk.
If she was taken away by someone, the probability of them jumping out the window with another person was also very small. Unless, someone was waiting below to assist. Another possibility was using the window as a springboard to reach the adjacent room.
"There are no other rooms next door," the manager replied after thinking.
"That's not right, I saw a small room next to the restroom," someone in the crowd said.
"That's a broom closet, a tiny space used for cleaning supplies," the manager quickly explained.
Su Ying's heart sank upon hearing his words. "Did anyone see a cleaner pushing a cart out from this direction earlier?"
Her question jogged someone's memory. "I did! Just now, a very tall man in an employee uniform was pushing a cart towards the other end of the corridor."
"Where does that direction lead?" Su Ying's expression turned grim.
"There's an elevator there, leading to the back kitchen," the manager said, his forehead beaded with cold sweat, his face also looking grim.
That was Lu Yanbei's wife!
If something truly happened at the hotel, they might all have to resign collectively!
*
Lu Yanbei was mingling with guests in the banquet hall when he was called away.
Upon hearing that Su He was missing, he simply pursed his lips, his expression still composed. "Excuse me, I need to step away for a moment."
The guests surrounding him expressed their understanding.
The moment he turned, Lu Yanbei's face instantly turned cold.
"What's going on?" he demanded.
Cheng Jue opened his mouth, hesitating to speak.
When they arrived at the lounge door, Jiang Xiaoxiao was sobbing, her eyes swollen. "It's all my fault. I shouldn't have let Meow Meow out of my sight..."
"Miss Jiang, could you please recount the events again?" Cheng Jue handed her two tissues.
Sobbing, Jiang Xiaoxiao repeated the story. "Sister Su Ying has already requested the hotel's surveillance footage. They shouldn't have gone too far..."
Without a word, Lu Yanbei went downstairs and left the banquet hall.
"Cheng Jue, you stay here and comfort the family."
Cheng Jue paused and respectfully acknowledged.
Lu Yanbei hurried to the surveillance room and then contacted the island's owner, requesting assistance in the search. "Pay special attention to the docks."
The island was surrounded by the sea, with very few places to hide. For the perpetrator to take Su He away, they would have to use a boat.
"Mr. Lu, rest assured, I will do everything in my power to help." The island's owner, Mr. Sang, was also furious that such an incident had occurred on his territory.