Ah Bai blurted out, "First thing this morning! I slept until just now, and when I checked my phone—wow! A whole lot of money!"

"What? How much?" Sheng Xuan asked in confusion.

Ah Bai raised his voice: "Miss Ning paid us two years' worth of salary at once, plus holiday subsidies. She left a message saying that she has to go on a long trip and asked us to watch the store and protect you."

Sheng Xuan blurted out blankly, "Two years?"

Ah Bai replied, "Yes! Miss Ning is so generous! My meal tickets for the next two years are already secured! Brother Xuan, when are you coming back? I'll treat you to hot pot!"

Sheng Xuan froze on the spot, her voice trembling: "She...she didn't say anything?"

Ah Bai was completely confused. "That's it! They just told us to protect you, and that was it."

Sheng Xuan gasped for breath and slumped down on a bench in the corner.

...

It was evening at the Ning family's residence.

The servants all had their heads down, instinctively feeling that something extremely serious had happened in the house, otherwise why would the atmosphere on the first day of the Lunar New Year be so oppressive and uncomfortable?

The elders looked pale and anxious, while the younger generation hurried in and out, their faces filled with worry.

With red eyes, Shan Jueshan nestled beside her husband.

“My sister absolutely refused to say anything… She couldn’t violate her professional ethics, nor could she betray the trust of her clients by carelessly leaking patient information. I wasn’t reassured, so I checked the hospital’s surveillance footage. After watching it all afternoon, I finally found Ah Lang’s trail… She’s been seeing patients in the oncology department for the past three months.”

Everyone looked somber, and the hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The old man sighed wearily and asked, "Where's A-Lang? Haven't we found him yet?"

“No,” Ning Qi explained in a low voice, “She had already settled the accounts of several medicinal cuisine restaurants and quietly handed them over to the foundation for management. The last surveillance footage showed her entering the airport and then never coming out again.”

Ning Po quickly added, "She left through the VIP channel. She didn't book a ticket to fly; instead, she left in a small private plane."

The old man frowned, his long, white eyebrows furrowing, and asked, "Where did that small plane come from? Who owns it?"

Ning Po replied, "It belongs to the Yuan family in Y City. Surveillance footage shows the plane flew south, and there are no related records at other airports. It should have landed at a private airport."

Ning Qi explained helplessly, "I've already contacted Yuan Heng, but he said he was unaware of it. He seems genuinely unaware; he even greeted me and wished me a Happy New Year, showing no signs of anything unusual."

“The plane belongs to the Yuan family, how could he not know?” Ning Po asked.

Ning Qi explained, "The Yuan family has three small planes that fly around frequently, but Yuan Heng never gets one. That handsome guy is naturally afraid of heights, so he either travels by boat or car, and never by plane."

Dan Jueshan asked doubtfully, "Did you ask him about A Lang's whereabouts? He should be able to find out where their plane flew to quickly!"

"I've already checked, but there's no news yet."

The spacious, antique living room fell silent again, the atmosphere heavy and uncomfortable.

The old man sitting in the main seat raised his eyelids and slowly asked, "Where is Ah-Xuan? Where is he?"

Shan Jueshan's eyes flickered slightly as she replied, "This afternoon, he went to my sister's door and waited for her, relentlessly pressing her to tell me what illness A Lang had. My sister couldn't get rid of him, so she simply drove away and didn't even dare to go home."

Ning Rui, sitting in the corner, shouted angrily, "What the hell happened?! Ah Lang is in such a terrible situation, and he didn't know anything about it! He's a damn bastard!"