"You're back! You're back!" Lin Xiaojuan called out to Feng Linlin from afar, "How was it?"
Feng Linlin shrugged and spread her hands: "I didn't go."
"Didn't go?"
Gu Yifei and the other two panicked, looking at each other without any idea what to do.
"Could she really have gotten lost?" Lin Xiaojuan murmured.
Feng Linlin ran over and reported to them.
"Aunt Xu, who runs the bathhouse, said she didn't see any strangers go in."
Meng Zihan ran over quickly after her. Her physical fitness was not as good as Feng Linlin's. After she stopped, she put her hands on her knees and was panting heavily.
She gasped for breath and said with difficulty, "I...I think she...is definitely in the bathhouse..."
"I told you to go in and look for it, why didn't you go in?" Feng Linlin immediately questioned.
"Didn't you... also not go in?"
“She’s not inside, so of course she doesn’t need to go in,” Feng Linlin reasoned. “We know it’s a public bathhouse, but does she?”
As soon as she said that, everyone else realized what she meant.
Yes, they know that's a bathhouse and know which way to go, but Ye Linchen just came from the countryside today, so he definitely doesn't know it.
“There are no bathhouses like this in the countryside; she’s definitely never seen one before,” Lin Xiaojuan asked anxiously. “What should we do? Where could she have gone? What if she really gets lost?”
“Go look for her!” Gu Yifei thought for a moment and made a decision. “She definitely hasn’t left the dormitory in this short time.”
Leaving the compound and reaching the main gate, there are only a few roads leading to the residential area. Gu Yifei, used to being a squad leader, immediately assigned tasks to everyone.
"Zihan will wait here. We'll split up and search. If we don't find her, come back when we reach the gate, and we'll think of something else."
"Okay, everyone run there, and hurry up."
Everyone was young and decisive; once they received the task, they ran out of the compound as fast as they could.
"No need to look for her, she's good at putting on an act, my aunt already said..." Meng Zihan quickly stopped everyone.
Unfortunately, no one listened to her. Even Guan Minghao advised her, "Why don't you wait downstairs in the building? Don't get your clothes wet."
He ran away after saying that.
Watching the group's departing figures, Meng Zihan stomped her feet in anger.
This country bumpkin caused discord in the family from the moment she arrived, and now everyone is running around trying to help her.
What makes her so special?!
Meng Zihan retreated to the bottom of the building and pondered whether or not to tell her aunt and uncle about it.
I volunteered to come out, so if I go back like this, won't they think I didn't do a good job?
Maybe Gu Yifei and his group can find Ye Linchen?
Isn't that redundant?
Just as I was still undecided, Feng Linlin, who was the fastest runner, returned.
She returned alone, clearly having not found Ye Linchen.
Then the others returned one after another, all empty-handed.
"You didn't find it either?" Feng Linlin asked anxiously.
Gu Yifei shook his head with a sullen face, his dislike for Ye Linchen growing stronger.
I didn't say anything to her, so why did she throw a tantrum and run so far away that we couldn't even see her anymore?
She has such a bad temper!
She's really not as likable as Meng Zihan.
No wonder the Ye couple wanted to beat her.
But he couldn't show these emotions; he could only say, "We need to notify the parents to come out and look for him together, in case he really gets lost."
Meng Zihan strongly opposed it.
Auntie was afraid that someone would see Ye Linchen's injured face. If the adults were called out, how could she keep it a secret that she had hit Ye Linchen?
"You all go back and eat. Don't worry about it. I'll get my aunt and uncle to come and look for it."
Feng Linlin wouldn't listen to her and ran towards her house: "I'm going to call my parents!"
The other three children also ran home to notify their parents.
Unable to dissuade them, Meng Zihan stamped her foot and went to inform Ye Zhenghua and Meng Xueyun as well.
Ye Linchen had no idea that her running away had caused such a commotion.
These people were all students in the senior year of high school, the elite class. In his previous life, Ye Linchen transferred to this school and went to the regular class, so he didn't have much contact with them.
So I never expected that Feng Linlin and Lin Xiaojuan would care about me so much, worry that I would get lost, and even look for me.
All she wants now is to get through these two days peacefully, finish the transfer procedures on Monday, and then start working on moving.
————
The steel mill's bathhouse was similar to a public toilet, with a men's bathhouse on one side and a women's bathhouse on the other, with a table in the middle. The bathhouse attendant sat behind the table and was responsible for collecting bath tickets.
At this time, the bathhouse was bustling with activity.
There were quite a few people coming and going.
You can hear Aunt Xu's loud voice from afar.
When Ye Linchen got closer, he saw that Aunt Xu was holding onto a middle-aged woman who was carrying large and small bags.
"A fine is necessary. I've told you so many times not to wash clothes in the bathhouse, but you just wouldn't listen. And now you've brought so much stuff—did you bring all your family's clothes?"
Washing clothes is not allowed in the steel mill's bathhouse; violators will be fined ten yuan.
Notices were posted everywhere in the bathhouse, but unfortunately, the bans were repeatedly ignored.
Thinking that everyone is a neighbor, Aunt Xu usually turns a blind eye and doesn't take things too seriously.
But this woman is so tactless. She brought up so many things without even trying to hide them. She did it all so openly and honestly.
They completely disregarded her, a living, breathing person.
She couldn't let this blatant slap in the face go unpunished!
The woman was unwilling to pay the fine and argued with Aunt Xu with a flushed face.
Seeing that Aunt Xu was too busy to attend to him, Ye Linchen put the bath ticket on the table.
"Aunt Xu, the tickets are on the table."
Aunt Xu took a moment to agree, then went off to argue again.
Ye Linchen carried the bucket into the bathhouse and took a refreshing hot bath.
By the time she came out, it was completely dark and all the streetlights were on.
The dim yellow light shone on the ground, and the raindrops glittered in the light, making it feel warm when they fell on you.
Ye Linchen combed her hair as she walked along the community road toward the courtyard.
I had only taken two steps when I saw a young man running hurriedly towards me, looking around as if he were searching for something.
The man was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, tall, and wearing a trendy black short coat that made his broad shoulders, long legs, and handsome figure stand out.
Even under the dim streetlights, it is very eye-catching.
His face was sharply defined, with a hint of coldness and authority between his brows, and his gaze swept over you, giving off an inexplicable sense of oppression.
Looking at this face, which resembled Gu Yifei's but was more mature and rugged, a name popped into my head.
Gu Jingran...
Gu Yifei's cousin.
In her previous life, Ye Linchen had never interacted with him; she only knew that such a person existed.
His parents had a very influential background, and after graduating from university, he gave up a coveted job at the Municipal Finance Bureau and instead started a company with his classmates, which became very successful.
He and Ye Linchen were from two different worlds, separated by a deep chasm.
Like two parallel lines, they can never intersect.
Because of his connection to Gu Yifei, Ye Linchen naturally disliked him, finding even his handsome face repulsive.
Seeing that he seemed to be about to pass, Ye Linchen moved aside and continued walking on his own.
Gu Jingran did not go over, but stopped and stood directly in front of Ye Linchen.
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