As Lu Lin entered the house, Lu Changcheng's booming voice echoed from the living room, "Idiot! You managed to lose track of a grown man!"
The tall, burly bodyguard kept his head down, not daring to utter a single word.
Lu Han helped Lu Changcheng up and whispered, "Dad, Xiao Chi likes to play. Maybe he's gone off to play somewhere."
"He's the only grandson of the Lu Family. He's been missing for a day, and we can't even get through to him on the phone. If something happens to him, none of you will have a good time!" Lu Changcheng was so angry that his chest ached. He sat back on the sofa, picked up the landline, and dialed.
Lu Lin didn't react, changed his shoes and went upstairs.
Lu Changcheng caught a glimpse of Lu Lin, exchanged a few words with the person on the other end of the phone, quickly hung up, stood up and called out to him, " A-Lin!"
Lu Lin stopped and glanced sideways. "What is it?"
Lu Changcheng was angered by his attitude and stomped his cane forcefully, "You heard your nephew was in trouble and you didn't react at all?"
Lu Lin still didn't respond. "He's an adult; it's normal not to be able to contact him for a day."
"Don't make excuses! You never treated him like your nephew!" Lu Changcheng's blood boiled, and he swayed. "From the bottom of your heart, you never acknowledged me as your father! If it weren't for your grandfather's dying wish, you wouldn't even come back to this house!"
Lu Han quickly helped Lu Changcheng up and patted him on the back to help him catch his breath. "Dad, don't get agitated. The doctor just said you need to rest and recuperate."
Lu Changcheng looked at Lu Lin, "The best way for me to recover is for him to stop making me angry."
Lu Han glanced at Lu Lin, also looking rather unhappy. " A-Lin, work is important, but family is important too. Dad talks about you every day. Just go along with him, and everything will be fine."
Just then, the landline in the living room rang. The butler quickly answered, and a few seconds later, he covered the receiver and exclaimed with delight, "Master, we've found the young master! He's back at his villa!"
Lu Changcheng's expression softened, and he sat back down on the sofa, leaning on his cane. Lu Han followed suit, smiling and saying, "Now I'm relieved, Dad, you can go and rest now, right?"
Lu Changcheng nodded, then looked towards the stairs again. Lu Lin was no longer there. His blood pressure rose again in anger. "Unfilial son!"
*
Lu Muchi searched for Yan Heqing for a whole day and night, covering the entire capital and even going to Yan Heqing's home, but still couldn't find him.
He searched every hotel, big and small, including train stations, airports, and bus stations, but Yan Heqing seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving no trace.
Lu Muchi slammed the car door shut, feeling uneasy for the second time.
The first time was when Xu Qiaoyin disappeared.
When he came home from school, he didn't see the figure that was always waiting for him at the door.
At first he didn't think much of it, but when he saw Xu Qiaoyin again the next day, the third day, the fourth day... he saw her again the day before yesterday.
Before he could even rejoice, Yan Heqing vanished.
Fearing that his grandfather and father would find out, he had someone take Xu Qiaoyin to his vacation villa, and drove around looking for Yan Heqing. He even went to the Rainbow Bridge Welfare Home, but Yan Heqing did not appear at all!
Lu Muchi hadn't rested for a day and a night, and his eyes were bloodshot. Only then did he return to the villa to rest for a while. When he got to the door, his shoe bumped into something, and he kicked it away in frustration.
Thump! That's the sound of a heavy object falling to the ground.
Lu Muchi didn't care at all and pushed the door open to go inside.
In the bathroom, as the hot water poured down, Lu Muchi's mind kept flashing back to the scene of him choking Yan Heqing the day before yesterday.
Why don't you explain?
Even though she was clearly concerned about him and helped him find Xu Qiaoyin, Yan Heqing remained silent, like a mute.
Lu Muchi angrily slammed his fist against the wall, breaking his joint, but he didn't even feel it. He cursed under his breath, but in his heart, he was worried: would Yan Heqing be alright?
He was now certain that Yan Heqing liked him.
Therefore, not wanting to be Lin Fengzhi's substitute, she quietly helped him find someone to take care of him after learning that he missed Xu Qiaoyin.
idiot.
Lu Muchi brushed the water away from his head.
Did you think that would move him and make him like you?
The image of that snowy night flashed before his eyes again, of the boy walking towards him with an umbrella. Lu Muchi abruptly turned off the shower, the sound of water instantly disappearing, while the increasingly rapid beating of his heart grew louder and louder in the bathroom.
Lu Muchi couldn't control himself; he desperately missed Yan Heqing.
If Yan Heqing were in front of him right now, he swears he wouldn't do anything but just watch over Yan Heqing.
He had never missed even Lin Fengzhi this much.
He closed his eyes, then opened them again. Lu Muchi strode out of the bathroom, grabbed a towel to dry himself off, changed his clothes, and set off again to find Yan Heqing.
--
For the next few days, Yan Heqing stayed at Lu Lin's residence, didn't go out, and quietly finished reading those books.
As he had predicted, Lu Lin never returned.
Two days before the Lunar New Year, Yan Heqing packed his things and thoroughly cleaned Lu Lin's residence, polishing every brick and every pane of glass until they shone.
As darkness fell, Yan Heqing went downstairs, withdrew five crisp 100-yuan bills from an ATM, and then went to the supermarket to buy a red envelope.
Back at Lu Lin's residence, Yan Heqing neatly placed five banknotes into a red envelope, left a note, and put it on the dining table, weighing it down with a napkin box.
One last check of the kitchen and bathroom, making sure all the stove and faucets were tightened and nothing was missed, then Yan Heqing carried his things and left in the elevator.
Stepping out of the building, a damp, cold air swept over her. Yan Heqing tilted her head slightly, and fine, scattered snowflakes fell from the sky. They were small and melted as soon as they landed on her eyelashes.
I caught the last subway train and arrived at Beijing University Metro Station around 10 PM.
The snow was falling heavily, blinding everyone. Someone was selling umbrellas at the subway entrance.
These are very low-quality transparent umbrellas, but they're cheap, only 10 yuan each.
Yan Heqing bought one.
Perhaps it was too cold, or perhaps the flower sellers had gone back to their hometowns for the New Year, but the roadside was unusually deserted, with only the small lanterns hanging on the trees on both sides shining brightly.
Yan Heqing walked slowly forward, holding up his umbrella.
He wasn't sure if Lu Muchi was waiting at the door right now.
If not today, then tomorrow.
Having exhausted all methods to find him, Lu Muchi had no choice but to wait and see.