CHAPTER 436: CHAPTER 436: GRANDFATHER AND GRANDSON

But, having agreed to meet at the mountain summit, where was Xiao Yue?

"Has Xiao Yue arrived?" Qin Anyu looked around; the place indeed resembled the rooms of a hostel, with just a simple bed and table, and then nothing else.

"No." Chu Hong took advantage of her silence to add: "Maybe they didn’t make it to the summit."

"That’s impossible." Qin Anyu shook her head. "They definitely came; you’re lying to me."

Qin Anyu stood up and searched the place thoroughly, from upstairs to downstairs, but found no trace of Tang Yue. She exclaimed anxiously, "How could she not be here!"

"I never saw them at all. Perhaps they never even came up to the summit?" Chu Hong’s response was confident, deep down, he hoped that Tang Yue and her party wouldn’t make it to the summit and that he could have a quiet time with Qin Anyu.

In the evening, Chu Hong specifically asked the staff and indeed received no news of Tang Yue. At that time, he only felt happy and didn’t think too deeply about it.

"That’s impossible." Qin Anyu stared at Chu Hong and asked, "Are you lying to me? Did you actually not leave a message for them?"

"No." Seeing her disbelief, Chu Hong pulled her out to confront the staff.

What the staff member said made Qin Anyu have no choice but to believe them. The employee was a middle-aged woman who seemed exceptionally trustworthy, and she wouldn’t likely deceive her.

Does that mean Xiao Yue really didn’t make it to the summit?

A sense of unease surged in Qin Anyu’s heart: "Could Xiao Yue have met with an accident? No, I must go down the mountain, I need to make a call."

"This is the summit, where would you find a phone?" consoled Chu Hong: "Maybe they felt tired and didn’t climb up to the summit..."

Even as he spoke, Chu Hong himself felt uneasy towards the end.

What kind of person Tang Yue was, he didn’t know, but Mo Siyu’s character was very clear to him - straightforward and reliable; since Tang Yue promised Qin Anyu she would come to the summit, logically, she shouldn’t stand her up...

"That’s impossible. Xiao Yue has never failed to keep a promise, something must have happened." Qin Anyu was restless, looking into the vast darkness. The evening summit was quiet without the noise of tourists, and the evening breeze made it even eerier.

"Anyu, don’t scare yourself," Chu Hong tried to comfort her.

Qin Anyu shook her head: "You don’t understand, if nothing had happened, Xiao Yue would never have broken her promise."

"Can’t we really go down the mountain?" Qin Anyu looked at Chu Hong, asking for his opinion. She didn’t blame Chu Hong; she only blamed herself for indulging in food and later falling asleep. If she hadn’t, she would have noticed sooner that something was amiss.

Qin Anyu was filled with self-reproach and guilt.

Chu Hong saw clearly; he looked towards the staff member, who hurriedly said: "Although Yan Mountain is not a dangerous place and is a scenic site, it’s still very easy to encounter danger when descending at night, and look, it’s even started to rain outside."

Following the staff member’s words, Qin Anyu realized that a light rain had started to drift from the sky at some unknown time.

"Do you have a phone here?" Qin Anyu asked, clutching at her last hope.

The staff member shook her head: "Sorry, this is the summit, and phone lines can’t be installed up here; there’s no signal."

"Sigh." Qin Anyu’s spirit drooped as if she were a frost-stricken eggplant, the thought of Tang Yue encountering some unknown trouble making her more agitated.

Chu Hong stepped forward to comfort her: "Anyu, Xiao Yue has Bai Qing with her, and Bai Qing is quite capable, right?"

Although he didn’t know who Bai Qing was, he could not fake Bai Qing’s capabilities; Chu Hong had once witnessed them firsthand.

"Yes, there’s also Lian Qingyang." A hopeful gleam burst forth from Qin Anyu’s face. With Bai Qing and Lian Qingyang by Tang Yue’s side, nothing should go wrong.

Qin Anyu gradually felt a sense of relief in her heart. Seizing the opportunity, Chu Hong shifted Qin Anyu’s attention. It was not easy to find a chance to be alone together, and naturally, Chu Hong didn’t want to waste it. He said, "Come, I brought quite a lot of snacks."

Chu Hong took out all the snacks, coaxing Qin Anyu to cheer up.

*

Inside the alleyway.

Zhang Tingyu had waited a long time and still didn’t see Tang Yue and the rest. As she walked higher up with Cheng Feng, by the time Zhang Tingyu turned back, she couldn’t find them anymore.

Zhang Tingyu was anxious, and Cheng Feng stayed with her the whole time, escorting her back home. Zhang Tingyu then went to Tang Yue’s place but didn’t see her there either. Zhang Tingyu grew even more worried; she couldn’t eat her dinner and just waited at the door.

Unfortunately, Zhang Tingyu missed the moment when Bai Qing delivered things, so she kept waiting until darkness fell, until it started to drizzle, but still did not see Tang Yue.

"Eh?" Wei Jiajia’s family of three was returning from the hospital and happened to pass by Tang Yue’s residence. When they saw Zhang Tingyu, Wei Jiajia asked, "You’re Xiao Yue’s classmate, right? What are you doing here?"

"Are you Xiao Yue’s little aunt? Where’s Xiao Yue? We went on a spring outing today, but we lost sight of her later." Zhang Tingyu said with concern, "I’ve been waiting here since I got back, and Xiao Yue hasn’t come home either."

"Don’t worry, there’s nothing wrong. One of Xiao Yue’s classmates had a little mishap, and Xiao Yue is at the hospital. She might not come back today." Wei Jiajia explained.

Zhang Tingyu wanted to ask more, but Tang You’an was not willing, and Wei Jiajia said, "Classmate, don’t worry, Xiao Yue is fine. You should head home now, you’ll see her tomorrow."

"Okay." Zhang Tingyu wanted to visit the hospital, but Wei Jiajia and her husband left with Tang You’an, leaving Zhang Tingyu with no way to get in touch with anyone.

*

Early in the morning, Old Master Meng headed out early.

In a quiet breakfast diner.

Mo Siyu, dressed in a white shirt, watched as Mr. Meng finished his breakfast before he approached and said, "Mr. Meng."

Mr. Meng looked up, and Mo Siyu in his white shirt looked dashing, even his crew cut could not conceal his handsome, cold features.

"You must be Mo Siyu?" Even though Mr. Meng was advanced in years, he was not entirely out of touch with external affairs. Due to his old age and his frail health, he seldom appeared in public and had therefore never met Mo Siyu.

Although he had never seen him, he had heard many people praise Mo Siyu.

All the words of excellence seemed to rightfully belong to Mo Siyu.

Mr. Meng looked at Mo Siyu, not expecting Mo Siyu to be so striking in appearance, with handsome and distinguished features that felt familiar and amiable to him.

"Yes." Mo Siyu sat down opposite him.

Having arranged to meet Mr. Meng last night, Mo Siyu hadn’t expected Mr. Meng to choose such a simple breakfast diner.

"Not bad." Mr. Meng nodded in appreciation and said, "Your fiancée is beautiful, and you both are quite a match."

"I think so too." A gentle look appeared in Mo Siyu’s eyes as he thought about Tang Yue. But remembering the purpose of his visit, he composed himself and handed over the documents, saying, "We’re already engaged, just waiting for Xiao Yue to turn twenty to get our marriage certificate."