Chapter 52

"What?! What do you mean Yu Xi is missing?!"

When Qi Xiao first heard the news, she didn't find anything strange about it. Yu Xi was a free spirit. But after hearing Qi Kai's tone on the phone, she gradually realized that something was wrong and immediately came to tell Zhou Mo about it.

While Qi Xiao was still wondering what to do, Zhou Mo had already booked her return ticket.

Qi Xiao was surprised, "Momo, are you going back now?"

"Yu Xi is missing, how could I still be here?"

Zhou Mo had other roommates in her dormitory, and they had never seen her so anxious before.

While packing her luggage, Zhou Mo called her advisor. The advisor had a good impression of Zhou Mo and immediately granted her leave after hearing that her family member was missing.

When Fan Nannan heard the name Yu Xi, she blinked subconsciously, but because everyone's attention was on Zhou Mo, no one noticed her strange reaction.

Qi Xiao: "Momo, I'll go back with you."

Zhou Mo pulled Qi Xiao out of the dormitory with a serious expression. "Don't leave the school recently. If anything happens, contact Qi Kai first. If you can't reach Qi Kai by phone, go to Wei Huai. Xiao Xiao, I don't want anything to happen to you when I come back."

Qi Xiao was speechless and could only follow Zhou Mo's instructions, saying, "I will take good care of myself."

Zhou Mo doesn't know what's going on, she only knows that she has to arrange everything she can to avoid creating more problems due to panic.

With a mix of trepidation and anxiety, Zhou Mo embarked on her journey back to Ming'an.

As soon as she got out of the car, the people Qi Kai had arranged to meet her came looking for her. Zhou Mo pondered a lot in the car, such as why Qi Kai was so concerned about this matter. He and Yu Xi had already broken up long ago, and she didn't think that the incident with Sun Zhe last time would have such a great impact on their reconciliation.

But now is not the time to get to the bottom of things; she needs to make use of every available resource.

Qi Kai's network of contacts is a great resource.

“Ms. Zhou Mo, Brother Kai said that you can tell us what kind of help you need, and we will help you as long as it is within our power.”

"Thank you, but not for now. I'd like to go back and check on things first."

The man understood Zhou Mo's meaning and didn't insist. The two added each other on WeChat and then went their separate ways.

Zhou Mo hadn't walked far when she was about to hail a cab to go home. A luxury car worth a fortune stopped in front of her. Before she could even wonder what was going on, the window rolled down, revealing He Ru's familiar face.

"Get in the car."

Zhou Mo didn't hesitate and got into He Ru's car.

He Ru didn't waste any words and went straight to the point, "I had someone check, and this matter has nothing to do with Zhengyang. It should be... You should know that Yu Xi has a special identity, and he can't leave Ming'an."

"He left Ming'an?"

Mentioning this matter makes He Ru feel choked up. He never expected Yu Xi to be so audacious as to leave Ming An and go to Zheng Yang to find Zhou Mo. However, it seems that Zhou Mo doesn't know about this either.

That kid went to all that trouble to go to Zhengyang without telling Zhou Mo. Was it just so he could catch a glimpse of Zhou Mo from afar?

“He didn’t take the high-speed rail. Instead, he hired a private car and took a long detour to a neighboring city. He then changed cars and went to Zhengyang. I asked the school about it. The teachers there said that Yu Xi had been running a fever, so they let him stay home to rest. I’ve seen the medical records from the school clinic, and he really did have a fever at the time.”

He Ru said this in a heavy tone with a hint of resentment.

Ultimately, he still valued his younger brother Yu Xi more.

"I... I didn't know he had come to see me. So, are those people trying to completely restrict Yu Xi's freedom because of this?"

"It should be."

"Ha." Zhou Mo sneered, "Just because of that ridiculous information, they're willing to gamble away Yu Xi's freedom for life?! His father is a bastard, and these people are a bunch of idiots!"

"Zhou Mo, are you willing to stay in Ming'an forever to be with Yu Xi?" He Ru suddenly asked.

Without thinking, Zhou Mo said no. He Ru slammed on the brakes. Due to the vehicle's inertia, Zhou Mo's body lurched forward. Luckily, she was wearing a seatbelt, otherwise she would have definitely hit her face.

"Zhou Mo".

Before He Ru could finish speaking, Zhou Mo stared straight at him, "Is Yu Xi the one who's wrong? Why does he have to stay here for the rest of his life?! If he likes Ming An, he can stay here for the rest of his life, that's his freedom, but does he have freedom now? Does he like Ming An? He Ru, you know Yu Xi, right? He's used to being unrestrained, he wants to get out of here more than anyone else."

“I know you blame me, because of me, he went to Zhengyang.”

"But is that just because of me? I'm actually very happy, happy to be an excuse for Yu Xi to take the first step. Even if the timing isn't right, when I find Yu Xi, the first thing I'll say to him won't be that he shouldn't have done that."

“I want to take him out into the world, to let him live his own life. No matter what happens in the future, whether we live together or not, I will always be his family. I’ve made up my mind, and I don’t regret it.”

“I will bear all the consequences, and so will Yu Xi.”

He gripped the steering wheel tightly, veins bulging on his knuckles. With a sigh, the strangeness subsided. "Yu Songjing might still be in Ming'an. As long as we find him, Yu Xi will be free."

Zhou Mo looked at him in shock. "Didn't he escape? He committed arson and murder; he's a wanted criminal."

“The matter was suppressed, that’s how it is according to the law, but it wasn’t even recorded in the file. Yu Songjing’s value is higher than the arson and murder.”

"Bullshit!" Zhou Mo couldn't help but swear. "That's his own son! What has his own son suffered all these years because of him! And he's comfortably hiding right under his own son's nose, maybe even checking on him every now and then." Zhou Mo's eyes reddened. She didn't dare to think about what Yu Xi would do if he knew about this. She still didn't understand why some parents didn't love their children. If they didn't love them, they shouldn't have brought them into the world. And if they did, they felt they were a burden.

All of Yu Xi's suffering to this day is thanks to Yu Songjing.

"Zhou Mo, this is the way of the world."

"A black-and-white world is too idealistic."

"It should be said that the black-and-white dichotomy only applies to people like us. If we go down the wrong path, there is no turning back, but you and Yu Xi do."

He Ruxu was infected by Zhou Mo's sadness and revealed an expression that he would not normally show.

"Alright, I've already sent people to investigate Yu Songjing's whereabouts. But don't get your hopes up too high. I've been investigating him all these years, and the fact that he's suddenly been found recently might just be bait."

"Where can I find out about Yu Xi?"

“We can’t go in there, but don’t worry, Yu Xi won’t be in any danger.”

"I understand. Please let me know immediately if you find out where Yu Songjing is. I want to go with him."

"good."

There were walls on all four sides, and not a single ray of light inside. Even if Yu Xi opened his eyes wide, he couldn't see anything. He didn't panic, and he didn't even react. He had long been used to this kind of treatment in his childhood.

His maternal grandfather, and even his father, treated him this way.

Now, it's just a replay of the scene.

Because of the deprivation of sight, his other senses become unusually acute. For example, his hearing allows him to hear the footsteps walking around outside, which are irregular and even somewhat impatient.

He could even tell whose footsteps they were.

The door was opened, but not a single ray of light came in.

Zhang Xing wore special glasses that allowed him to see clearly even in the dark. He could see Yu Xi sitting quietly on the floor, leaning against the bed. The large room contained only the bed and a small bathroom. Calling it a bathroom was an exaggeration; it was just a place to relieve oneself, without even a partition.

"Zhang Xing."

Zhang Xing was somewhat surprised that Yu Xi would recognize him. He walked up to Yu Xi and waved his hand in front of him, but Yu Xi did not react at all. Just as he was about to withdraw his hand, Yu Xi suddenly moved and grabbed Zhang Xing's wrist.

Even the well-trained Zhang Xing couldn't dodge Yu Xi's movements.

"Don't tell Zhou Mo, let her go to school in peace."

How did you know it was me?

“You have an injury on your left leg, and the sound of your walk is different from others.”

Zhang Xing's expression changed. He shook off Yu Xi's hand and took a few steps back. Many people didn't know about the injury on his leg, but the changes in his physical functions couldn't be hidden from others. It was precisely because of this that it was difficult for him to continue his career in the army, so he came out to find another way out, met that man, and took his orders.

"How long are they planning to lock me up this time? Will I be able to go back to school?"

"Yu Xi, you left Ming An without permission."

"Unauthorized?" Yu Xi smirked. "I remember we're in a civilized society now, right? This is illegal detention. Of course, you have the right to say it, I'm just saying."

Zhang Xing's argument was obviously flawed, but so what?

Whoever holds the power has the final say.

"Someone outside is looking for you."

"Even if we find it, we can't get in, so don't worry."

Yu Xi, in turn, comforted Zhang Xing.

Zhang Xing: "Yu Xi, you're a monster. Look at your life, it's laughable. If I were you, I would have ended it all long ago. Why struggle to live?"

"End it all? Are you trying to persuade me to die?" Yu Xi slowly sat down on the bed, supporting himself on the ground. The bed wasn't much softer than the floor, but the texture under his palms was different. The grainy texture of the sheets reminded him of the linen sheets Zhou Mo bought for him in the summer. They were cool to sleep on and more suitable for him than air conditioning.

“If it had been sooner, I might have really died. If I had died in that earthquake, that would have been better.” Taking advantage of the darkness, or perhaps taking advantage of Zhou Mo’s absence, Yu Xi revealed a vicious sarcasm. “I’ve thought about this many times, but every time, there is always a figure at the end of my death. I’ve never seen him, but his blood always flows through my body.”

Having gone without water for a long time, Yu Xi's voice was hoarse, and in the darkness it sounded like a monster's seductive murmur, easily drawing people into his thoughts.

"It's not too late now, Yu Xi. You're useless now. We've found your father, Yu Songjing."

Yu Xi still did not react.

Zhang Xing suddenly leaned closer to Yu Xi and whispered, "You'll be stuck here for the rest of your life. You'll never see Zhou Mo again."

Yu Xi suddenly looked up and glared at Zhang Xing.