Xia Wan Tang.
You won't get away with it for long.
The corners of her lips curled up slightly, and a cold laugh escaped her lips, her sinister eyes instantly turning frenzied.
Under the cover of night, she revealed her true nature without concealment.
"Sis."
Just then, someone called out softly from behind her.
Situ Jing turned around abruptly, but her expression had returned to normal, as she recognized it as Situ Jun's voice.
Situ Jun stood there gazing at her. His face, usually adorned with a smile, held no trace of it now, nor any of his usual flippancy.
Situ Jing frowned, feeling a little uncomfortable. She asked casually, "When did you get back?"
"Just now."
After answering, Situ Jun turned and left directly.
His mood was very low at the moment.
He was the last to know about the major incident concerning the Ling family; not a single person had informed him.
He had only found out by chance online.
He had a feeling that he was being excluded by the other three.
Situ Jing watched his receding figure, her eyes full of confusion.
What was wrong with him?
After a moment of fluctuating emotions, she finally regained her composure and returned to the Situ residence as if nothing had happened. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
...
Xia Wan Tang didn't go to bed until very late.
It was late at night. The tree shadows swayed in the light outside the window. The small patch of brightness was enveloped by endless darkness, making one feel very insecure.
This was the first time she had slept alone since being with Ling Yu Chen.
Lying on the large bed, she felt an emptiness in her heart. Despite being very tired, she had no sleepiness.
Without his embrace, without that sense of security, Xia Wan Tang was very unaccustomed to it, and even afraid to turn off the lights.
She reached out and touched the spot beside her, sighed, and pulled the pillow into her arms. There was still a faint scent of him on it.
She wondered how he was doing.
Was her mother okay?
Tonight was destined to be sleepless.
And at this moment, Ling Yu Chen was still in the dilapidated temple on the mountain.
The night was deep, and a cold wind swept across the mountain. The darkness seemed to swallow everything. The chirping of insects rose and fell. In the light, countless flying insects spun and swirled.
Ling Yu Chen and the others stood in the ruined temple, the atmosphere particularly somber.
The place was overgrown with weeds, dilapidated, covered in dust everywhere, and there wasn't even a place to stand. Their footprints were scattered everywhere they went.
Ling Yu Chen stood in the main hall, looking up at the aged and decaying statue.
It was so dilapidated that its colors had long faded, covered in dust and cobwebs. In the bleak autumn wind, it looked utterly desolate.
Despite this, the contours of its face were still clearly visible.
Its eyes were half-closed, gazing down at you from a high position.
In front of the statue, the offering table was still intact, but the incense burner was overturned.
"It's so run-down here, no one should have come," Jiang Ze Xi said, looking around the room and waving away some dust.
Li Bo Wen, on the other hand, was observing his surroundings cautiously. He replied, "Indeed, the ground is covered in dust, with only our footprints. If anyone had been here, it's impossible they wouldn't have left a trace."
Ling Yu Chen remained silent, his eyes sharpening further.
Others had searched this place repeatedly, leaving marks everywhere, so it couldn't be definitively concluded that no one had been here.
Moreover, it was just after the tea seed harvesting season, and there were signs of people walking everywhere on the mountain.
Otherwise, that person wouldn't have been able to conceal their tracks so easily.
After all, the mountain was densely covered with trees and overgrown with weeds. It was impossible not to leave any clues wherever they went.
And if his mother had gotten lost, she wouldn't have left any markers for others to find her.
Ling Yu Chen's previous suspicion grew stronger: she had likely been abducted.
Jiang Ze Xi clapped the dust off his hands and called out, "Yu Chen, let's go."
They wouldn't linger here for long; they still had to continue searching for Zhu Yun Fei's whereabouts.
As the others left, the light in the ruined temple gradually disappeared, finally vanishing without a trace.
When the light had completely receded and silence returned to the surroundings, a faint glimmer of light appeared from the corner of the temple wall outside.
...
The next day.
Xia Wan Tang had essentially spent a sleepless night, staring blankly for most of it. After dozing off for half an hour, she woke up again.
Ling Yu Chen had not returned last night, and there was no news from him.
She didn't want to disturb him, so she could only worry in silence.
She got up, washed, and changed her clothes.
Looking at the dark circles under her eyes in the mirror, she sighed and used some foundation to cover them. Only when she looked more energetic did she leave the East Courtyard.
It was still early, around six in the morning.
She figured her grandparents wouldn't be up this early.
To her surprise, when she reached the front yard, she found them already sitting in the living room.
Both of them looked a bit listless, clearly having not rested well last night.
Xia Wan Tang adjusted her emotions before walking in, trying to keep her tone relaxed.
"Grandpa, Grandma, why are you up so early?"
Her appearance surprised them a little, as Xia Wan Tang usually slept until seven or eight.
Old Mrs. Ling frowned and said with concern, "Goodness, dear, didn't you sleep well last night? Why are you up so early?"
"No, Grandma."
Xia Wan Tang's eyes inexplicably welled up with tears, and her voice trembled slightly.
"It's okay, child."
Old Master Ling, leaning on his cane, walked over shakily. He gripped his cane tightly and said, "It will be alright, everything will be fine."
It was unclear whether he was comforting Xia Wan Tang or himself.
A moment of silence filled the room with a melancholic atmosphere.
"Alright, alright, the kitchen should have breakfast ready. Let's eat first."
Old Mrs. Ling stepped forward to support Old Master Ling and then said to Xia Wan Tang, "Come, let's go eat. After eating, we'll go find the master."
"Okay, Grandma."
The three of them sat at the dining table, with a sumptuous breakfast laid out before them.
Although they had no appetite, the three of them forced themselves to eat, as if to avoid worrying each other.
Xia Wan Tang absentmindedly picked up something from her bowl and put it into her mouth, not even knowing what it was.
But after chewing twice, she immediately felt a wave of nausea.
She covered her mouth and immediately ran to the trash can, retching violently.
She hadn't eaten much earlier, and it was early in the morning, so she only threw up stomach acid.
"Oh, my dear, what's wrong?" Old Mrs. Ling quickly stepped forward and patted Xia Wan Tang's back.
Old Master Ling also looked at her with worried eyes.
Aunt Ou ran out from the kitchen, anxiously asking, "What's wrong, what's wrong?"
Xia Wan Tang gasped for air, her mouth feeling sour and bitter. She said hoarsely, "I'm fine, I just felt nauseous when I ate the egg."
"How could eating an egg..."
Old Mrs. Ling's words stopped halfway. Her face froze for a moment, then a look of ecstatic realization dawned.
Xia Wan Tang hadn't had a problem eating eggs before, so why would she suddenly feel nauseous from eating one?
She remembered when Zhu Yun Fei was pregnant with Ling Yu Chen, she felt nauseous from eating garlic.
So?
She was pregnant.
This was truly an unexpected joy!