Of course, besides kindhearted people, there were also many who were drawn by the generous reward.
But none of that mattered anymore; as long as they could find her, that was enough.
The longer time passed, the more dangerous it became.
Gong Zhi Jing certainly couldn't wait around at the Gong family's place with peace of mind. She had to do everything she could.
So, early in the morning, she brought Ling Le You back to the Ling family home.
With Grandma missing, no one would be more heartbroken than Grandpa.
She walked through the Ling family gates, holding Ling Le You.
The atmosphere at home was incredibly heavy, a low-pressure aura that made everyone's faces solemn.
Qiao Xin Yue followed beside her, unable to hold back her tears.
She had grown up in the Ling family since she was little and loved the Ling family's relaxed and harmonious family atmosphere the most.
The last time things were like this was when the Madam went missing and the Young Madam had an accident.
Why did the kind and benevolent Ling family have to endure so much misfortune? She truly couldn't understand.
But life was unpredictable, and in this world, natural disasters and man-made calamities were unavoidable.
In the living room, Old Master Ling still sat on the sofa, dazed, foolishly waiting for his wife to return.
Having not slept all night and having neither eaten nor drunk anything, his complexion was somewhat haggard.
Beside him sat Zhu Yun Fei, quietly wiping away her tears.
"Grandpa, Mom."
Gong Zhi Jing stood at the doorway and called out softly.
Old Master Ling looked at her woodenly, his lifeless eyes showing no flicker of emotion.
Zhu Yun Fei subconsciously wiped her eyes before standing up to greet her.
"Why are you back? Have you had breakfast?" Her voice was hoarse from crying, making others feel a pang of sympathy.
"I have."
Gong Zhi Jing, suppressing her own sorrow, asked with concern, "What about you? Has Grandpa eaten?"
Zhu Yun Fei didn't answer, only letting out a heavy sigh.
Seeing this, Gong Zhi Jing sat down by Old Master Ling's side with the child in her arms and said gently, "Grandpa, why aren't you eating? If Grandma sees you like this when she returns, how heartbroken will she be?"
Old Master Ling seemed not to hear her words. His gaze slowly lowered, falling upon Ling Le You.
Ling Le You blinked her large, innocent eyes. Completely unaware of what was happening, she was bewildered.
But when Old Master Ling looked at her, she immediately broke into a bright, radiant smile. Her adorable little appearance could melt anyone's heart.
Old Master Ling's gaze instantly softened.
Seeing this, Gong Zhi Jing immediately said, "For our precious Le You, Grandpa must eat too."
As she spoke, she moved the child forward. Ling Le You immediately cooperated, waving her little arms, wanting her great-grandfather to hold her.
Old Master Ling's eyes gradually reddened, but he managed a smile.
He couldn't bring himself to be cold to such a small child, but he also couldn't stop himself from feeling sad.
If his old wife had truly met with misfortune, he truly wouldn't be able to go on living.
"Dad, the kitchen just finished making some porridge."
Seeing his expression soften, Zhu Yun Fei immediately went to the kitchen and brought out a bowl of congee.
Old Master Ling didn't want to eat at first, but with Gong Zhi Jing holding the baby and looking at him intently, he couldn't refuse.
As soon as he took the bowl, Zhu Yun Fei's expression immediately eased.
She feared that if the one who had gone missing wasn't found, then the one at home would also have trouble.
And Old Master Ling was only eating for the sake of the child.
At this moment, Ling Chen Chen, who had been out all night, walked in looking weary.
He showed a flicker of surprise when he saw Gong Zhi Jing, but quickly masked it.
"Where's your dad? Have you all had breakfast?"
As a mother, Zhu Yun Fei always prioritized everyone's well-being.
Ling Yu Chen nodded slightly, saying nothing more, and walked directly up to the group to ask,
"Has Grandma shown any unusual behavior these past few days? Or has there been anything she's been wanting to do for a long time?"
The memories of people with Alzheimer's are usually fragmented, but they often become fixated on one thing, or one object, or one place.
There are many cases with typical examples that can be found online.
For instance, a patient might not remember anything else, but they would only remember their child.
At such times, their subconscious would always focus on the child, remembering what the child liked to eat or play.
If you were to look for such a person, you could find clues from the child.
Or, if they only remembered their spouse, then their obsession would be with their spouse.
Therefore, the question Ling Yu Chen asked could only be answered by Old Master Ling and Zhu Yun Fei.
This was because they were the ones who usually took care of Old Madam Ling.
However, this didn't guarantee that the person would be found.
If she left the house and forgot her purpose, wandering around aimlessly, it would be very difficult to find her.
Old Master Ling immediately listed several place names.
They were places they often went on dates when they were young.
Ling Yu Chen noted them down one by one.
Zhu Yun Fei, on the other hand, remembered something. Her gaze immediately fell upon a wall cabinet in the living room.
"Your Grandma often pointed at that cabinet, wanting something from it, and sometimes she would even climb up to reach it herself."
Everyone followed her gaze, but none of them had any clues.
Ling Yu Chen immediately stepped forward to examine it, but the cabinet was empty. There was nothing inside.
Gong Zhi Jing fell into thought. She suddenly said, "Grandma definitely wouldn't have gone far. If she took a car, shouldn't we start by checking nearby buses and taxis?"
Ling Yu Chen said calmly, "We've already checked. No results yet. We've also posted missing person flyers online."
With Gong Ye's help, the police departments in every district of the capital were assisting in the search.
All they could do now was wait, racing against time to find her.
Just then, Ling Yu Chen's phone rang.
He answered it immediately, and a professional yet steady voice came from the other end.
"Hello, Mr. Ling Yu Chen. I am Officer Zeng Xiao Fan, assisting in the investigation of the missing Old Madam Ling. We have retrieved surveillance footage from the bus route seventeen.
Around 10 PM last night, Old Madam Ling boarded this night bus and alighted near North City Park at 10:52 PM."
Ling Yu Chen's face immediately lit up with surprise and hope. This meant they now had a general idea of his grandmother's location.
"I understand. I'll send people to look for her immediately. Thank you."
This call brought a glimmer of hope to everyone.
They could only hope she was somewhere nearby and wouldn't wander off again.
"What if Grandma boards another bus or a taxi?"
Gong Zhi Jing's brow furrowed with worry. Although Grandma had Alzheimer's, she wasn't completely incapacitated; she still had her own thoughts and abilities.
Ling Yu Chen frowned deeply and said, "I'll try to contact the transportation authorities to help, to ask them to notify drivers to keep an eye out."
"Yes, go quickly and bring Grandma back soon," Gong Zhi Jing urged.
Ling Yu Chen nodded and left without daring to delay.
Zhu Yun Fei watched him leave and murmured, "Let's hope we can find Mother."