CHAPTER 45: CHAPTER 45: FLASHBACK

Two days had passed, yet Yue Chen’s mood hadn’t lifted. At lunch, she sat across Kang Beichen, carelessly poking at her food while having a distracted look. Her usual spark was gone, replaced by a tightness in her jaw and a shadow over her eyes.

Kang Beichen frowned, leaning closer. "Chen’er... you’ve barely touched your food. Is something wrong?" He asked worriedly.

"Nothing... I’m just... tired, I guess." Yue Chen let out a soft sigh, unable to meet his gaze.

Her tone was clipped, and her fingers drummed impatiently on the table.

Kang Beichen’s brows creased further. He adored her, yes, but this was unusual—even for her perfectionist streak.

Something about the way she avoided his eyes, the subtle tension in her shoulders, made him uneasy.

"You’re thinking about something," he said softly, lowering his fork. "What is it? You can tell me." He persuaded.

She finally raised her head to stare at him, and forced a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. "I said it’s nothing. Really, you don’t have to be that bothered about me."

But her clenched fists and the sharp exhale she tried to hide spoke louder than words. Kang Beichen’s lips pressed into a thin line.

He might not know exactly what was happening, but the way she carried herself, so worked up, made a seed of suspicion take root in his mind.

Something—or someone—had rattled Yue Chen deeply. And he would find out what. No matter what it takes.

While Yue Chen had no outlet to let out her suppressed anger, an older man was seated in an office staring at a file with a dark look in his eyes.

The man was naturally Lu Jiang. He raised his head to stare deeply at his elder son, Lu Quan.

"You finally got a lead." After what seemed to be an eternity, Lu Jiang spoke up with his deep voice. His face was taut, not allowing any cracks.

Lu Quan nodded his head. "Yes Father. After several days, this is what I’ve been able to find out. But rest assured, I’ll get to the bottom of it."

Lu Jiang nodded, satisfied with his son’s willingness to personally investigate this matter.

"Xiao Ning must be found and brought home to be acknowledged." Lu Jiang muttered while staring out the glass windows in his office.

Lu Quan could only sigh. His little sister’s disappearance not only hurt his mom and dad, but it hurt him as well.

More than feeling hurt, he felt guilt. He always felt like he was the one responsible even though everyone knew it was an honest mistake.

He would always dream about what had taken place twenty-one years ago.

FLASHBACK

The sun was bright that afternoon, birds chirped loudly. There was a large crowd, and it was lively.

A boy no older than ten held tightly to his little sister’s hand as they paraded the streets of Shanghai.

"Xiao Ning, stay close," Lu Quan warned, puffing his chest like an adult. He was proud to be trusted with her, even if it was only for a short while.

The little girl with round cheeks, and wide curious eyes tilted her head. "Gege, can we go look at the stalls? They have candied hawthorns."

[A/N: Gege means Older Brother in China. I think it will be fun to integrate a few Chinese habits here as it will make it seem more realistic.]

He hesitated for a while before he nodded. "Only if you promise not to run."

"I promise, Gege." She promised with her big eyes staring at him.

The boy had a smile on his face as he led her to the stall. But she was small, lively, and the world was big. Before they could even reach the stall, her tiny fingers slipped from his.

Feeling his empty hands, he turned sharply, and called out. "Xiao Ning?"

The crowd surged as voices rose and feet shuffled. Panic clawed at his chest as he searched frantically. He called her name over and over while running with his voice breaking, but there was no reply.

Minutes stretched like hours. His throat burned from shouting, his eyes stung with tears. By the time his parents showed up, she was gone... forever.

Lu Quan was pulled from the memory by his father’s voice.

"We will find her. I believe she’s still alive." Lu Jiang said.

Lu Quan’s fists clenched around the file in his hands as he nodded positively. Even after twenty-one years, he could still feel the warmth of her small hand slipping from his grasp. He had vowed that if she lived, then he would find her.

Meanwhile, at Huo Feng’s mansion, Yue Ning was currently on the sofa while she read a novel.

Due to the injury on her leg which worsened due to the scalding which took place two days ago,she couldn’t accompany Huo Feng to the office.

Yue Ning’s attention wasn’t on the novel. Instead, she was thinking about the mission... perhaps her biggest one yet.

"System, if this mission is part of the beginners’ missions, what would the coming ones look like?" Yue Ning couldn’t help but ask the question which gnawed at her mind.

’The Host will understand when the time comes,’ the System replied.

Yue Ning rolled her eyes slightly. But her mind was certainly focused on the mission.

If this week ends, she would have only two weeks left. Thankfully, she had Huo Feng to help her, or she might actually be stranded.

All of a sudden, her phone rang and an unfamiliar number flashed on the screen.

Feeling curious, she picked the call, and it connected immediately.

"Xiao Ning!" A loud voice resounded from the other end.

Immediately, Yue Ning shifted the phone from her ear. The sheer volume could make her go deaf.

She blinked, then froze. That voice—familiar, bright, and a little too dramatic.

"Yun Li?" Yue Ning asked cautiously, her lips curving slightly.

"Finally! You still remember me!" The woman on the other end practically squealed. "Do you know how long I’ve been trying to get your number? I nearly thought you disappeared off the face of the earth!"

Yue Ning remembered her. She was mentioned a couple of times in the original novel. Yun Li was probably the only one who stood on ’Yue Ning’s’ side in the novel. She was a lovable character. There was no way she’d forget about her.

Of course, she would have a good memory of this best friend of hers. Perhaps, it wasn’t bad to have her by her side.

Her chest softened. "Of course I remember you. How could I not?"

"Good! Because I’m not letting you off. I’m back in Shanghai, and you owe me a meet-up. No excuses, no running."

Yue Ning let out a faint laugh, the tension on her shoulders easing. Yun Li had always been like this—straightforward, warm and impossible to ignore.

’Host, she’s loud enough to break eardrums,’ the System grumbled in her head.

Yue Ning only smiled faintly. Maybe loud was exactly what she needed right now.