She couldn't hear what was being said on the other end of the phone, but the call lasted a long time, over ten minutes.
After the call ended, she could clearly sense that Ling Yuchen's expression had become much more somber.
Xia Wantang dared not ask, but her heart tightened, fearing that it was bad news.
As she spaced out, a cool hand covered hers. Looking down, she saw it was Ling Yuchen.
Ling Yuchen held her hand, gripping it tightly.
Xia Wantang immediately wrapped both her hands around his, wanting to offer him some comfort.
Ling Yuchen stared straight ahead, his voice hoarse but extremely serious.
"Tangtang, you must stay at home and not wander around during this period."
Xia Wantang thought he was stimulated by the incident and feared she might also go missing. She smiled and reassured him, "Okay, I won't wander around."
Ling Yuchen's thin lips were tightly pressed, his disordered breathing revealing his unease.
He was very afraid, truly afraid.
The scene from five years ago was indelible, deeply etched in his mind.
It replayed over and over, as if reminding him how cruel reality was.
He didn't know if his mother's disappearance was man-made or an accident, but as long as she wasn't found for even a second, she was in more danger.
Amidst the torment and ordeal, the car finally stopped at the entrance of the courtyard.
The gate was wide open, and there were messy footprints on the ground, but no one was in sight.
Ling Yuchen led Xia Wantang straight into the house.
At the doorway, even before entering, they could hear sighs and soft cries from inside.
The sighs were from Grandpa, the cries from Grandma.
Ling Yuchen's steps faltered, his gaze darkening further.
The two walked into the house and saw Grandpa and Grandma sitting side-by-side on the sofa.
Their aged faces were etched with worry, their backs hunched, looking desolate and pitiful.
Upon seeing her grandson enter, Madam Ling's eyes grew even more teary, and tears streamed down uncontrollably, as if she had found her pillar of support.
"Yuchen, you're back."
Although Grandpa Ling was much calmer, his eyes clearly brightened.
"Grandpa, Grandma."
After greeting them softly, Ling Yuchen's gaze fell upon Grandpa Ling, his eyes filled with unconcealed concern.
His health had just begun to recover, and a shock might trigger his illness.
"Don't worry about me, go quickly and check on your father," Grandpa Ling waved his hand, indicating he was fine.
He was merely worried about his son. Their daughter-in-law's well-being was something he cherished greatly, even for a single strand of hair, and now with her disappearance, his emotional defenses had likely collapsed.
It was no wonder that their Ling family produced such devoted lovers. Regardless of how decisive and ruthless a person might be, when it came to their beloved, all reasoning capabilities would vanish.
"Yes, I'll go now."
Ling Yuchen looked at Xia Wantang beside him and, still uneasy, cautioned her again.
"Stay home and don't go anywhere."
"Okay," Xia Wantang responded obediently, taking his repeated warnings to heart.
Ling Yuchen felt slightly more at ease and then turned to leave.
After watching him leave, Xia Wantang was pulled by Madam Ling to sit on the sofa.
Only then did she learn how Zhu Yunfei had disappeared.
The Ling family owned a manor outside the city, filled with various fruit trees and plants. It was autumn, the season of ripeness.
Every year around this time, Zhu Yunfei would personally go to the manor to pick fresh fruits and also oversee the workers in making fruit wine.
Therefore, she and Ling Junye would stay there for two days each year.
The scenery around the manor was beautiful, with lush green and golden hues intermingling. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves, causing them to swirl and fall.
Coupled with the recent clear weather, it was neither too cold nor too hot.
On the afternoon of their first day at the manor, they went to a lake nearby for an outing.
Ling Junye was fishing, while Zhu Yunfei was busy taking photos, quite pleased with herself.
But in the blink of an eye, Ling Junye only went to the car to get some bait.
When he returned, the person who had been there moments ago was gone.
He initially thought Zhu Yunfei was playing a trick on him, but after searching and calling out for a long time with no response, he realized something was wrong.
He waited there for a while, then went to search the vicinity again, but still couldn't find her.
It was then he realized the seriousness of the situation; she had truly disappeared before his eyes.
He immediately called the manor, asking everyone to help search the surrounding area.
However, after searching all night, there was no news.
The next day, he reported it to the police and had more people dispatched from the Ling family to search.
The news of Zhu Yunfei's disappearance also spread quickly to various places.
Madam Ling's eyes were red, and as she spoke, tears fell again.
Having just gone through her husband's serious illness, she was already in a state of anxiety and insecurity. Now, with her daughter-in-law suddenly missing, how could she bear it?
Xia Wantang didn't know how to comfort her, so she could only say, "Mom will be alright."
But as long as the person wasn't found, these words offered no solace.
She simply wiped Madam Ling's tears in silence and stayed by her side.
...
After safely delivering Xia Wantang to the Ling family, Ling Yuchen rushed to the manor.
He went to the place where Zhu Yunfei had disappeared and met Ling Junye.
Ling Junye had been staying in the mountains since Zhu Yunfei's disappearance, refusing to eat or sleep.
He searched aimlessly, not letting go of any potential clue.
In just one night, he had become significantly gaunt.
Ling Yuchen didn't urge him to rest or offer any futile words of comfort.
Because he knew that at this moment, nothing would help except finding his mother. Only then would he be able to recover.
Not long after.
Li Bowen and Jiang Zexi also arrived.
The three converged and, by unspoken agreement, began to discuss strategies.
Since they had a suspect in mind, the first step was undoubtedly an investigation.
If their suspicions were correct, then this would be a prolonged battle, and the person behind it would eventually reveal themselves.
What they needed to do now was to wait and observe.
Once the other party made their next move, they would be able to follow the trail and find Zhu Yunfei.
However, a fish wouldn't bite without bait, and Xia Wantang was the bait.
Ling Yuchen found himself in a dilemma. On one side was his mother, and on the other, the woman he loved. What should he do?
He still dared not tell Ling Junye about this matter for the time being.
But these were just suspicions; the specifics would have to wait for the investigation results.
Perhaps it was just an accident, orchestrated by someone else. But Ling Yuchen feared this outcome even more.
If it were the Situ family, they would certainly not target Zhu Yunfei, but it was uncertain for others.
At this moment, the police deployed sniffer dogs to search, tracking the scent.
However, the dogs stopped when they reached the open road, indicating that from this point onwards, Zhu Yunfei's scent could no longer be detected.
Moreover, no trace was found along the path the police dogs had tracked.