Chapter 150 Holding a Funeral for Them
Xie Li grew increasingly terrified as he thought about it. The hairs on his body seemed to stand on end, making him tremble all over. Even with the door tightly closed and him curled up in bed, he couldn't feel at ease.
After all, that feeling of fear and dread was everywhere, tormenting him repeatedly, as if it would only be satisfied if it drove him crazy, causing Xie Li great pain.
"Damn it, damn it, damn it!" He frantically rubbed his hair, scratching it furiously as if he were about to tear his scalp apart, refusing to give up. "Why can't they just let me have some peace?!"
He felt that his life over the past year had been absolutely terrible, and the reason was mainly due to Yan Yu and Shen Jin. If it weren't for the two of them, he would still be the elegant and aloof young master of the Xie family.
He's nothing like he is now; he's practically a madman!
They didn't know whether the two of them were dead or alive, but even if they were dead, they wouldn't get away with it!
When someone does something wrong, they are always afraid of being haunted by ghosts, and they repeatedly try to find some comfort, otherwise they will find it difficult to feel at ease.
Several more days passed, and there was still no news of Shen Jin and Yan Yu. Some people had begun to despair, thinking that they might have died on the run...
Even so, Xie Li was still worried. He lived in constant fear, always afraid that Yan Yu and Shen Jin, who might have died, would come looking for him, and also afraid that the living ones would come looking for him with the police.
He lived in constant fear and anxiety during this period, with nothing able to put his mind at ease.
Finally, he thought of Duan Yi, so he found an opportunity to secretly call Duan Yi, thinking that he probably knew something about the situation.
"Hmm, what's wrong?" Duan Yi was a little surprised when he saw the caller ID. Although he had used Xie Li, Xie Li was just a pawn to him. He would discard him after he was done with him and didn't take him seriously.
After the call connected, Xie Li felt as if he had found his pillar of support, and instantly breathed a sigh of relief. He both respected and feared Duan Yi, and respectfully addressed him as, "Master Duan... Master Duan..."
Now that he feels guilty, he only hopes that if something really happens, Duan Yi can help him, which would put his mind at ease.
"It's so late, why aren't you resting?" Duan Yi chuckled softly, a smile that, even if feigned, was comforting. "Is there something you need?"
"Come on, come on! Something's up!" Xie Li nodded quickly, her emotions running high. Knowing that Duan Yi was usually quite busy, and now that it was evening, he probably needed to rest early. Afraid that he might get annoyed and hang up, Xie Li quickly got to the point, "It's about Shen... Shen Jin, and Yan Yu!"
Duan Yi narrowed his eyes slightly. When he received Xie Li's call, he had already guessed his purpose. However, Duan Yi always appeared calm and collected on the surface and was very good at pretending to be innocent and denying anything.
Therefore, when Xie Li asked this question, he seemed to be stunned for a moment, like an observer, and asked in confusion, "The two of them? Is there any news now? Have they been found?"
Xie Li's lips twitched slightly. He naturally did not believe that Duan Yi could be completely unaware of anything, after all, he knew that the person who kidnapped Shen Jin was originally one of Duan Yi's people.
Even though Duan Yi didn't directly give orders like "kidnap Shen Jin," he was far from innocent. He must have known, and perhaps even tacitly approved of their actions.
That's why those two people were so fearless.
However, the so-called silent acquiescence is different from speaking out on the surface. The former has no evidence whatsoever, and no one can do anything about it.
Seeing his reaction, Xie Li grew anxious and stammered, "Patriarch Duan, do you think... those two are still alive? Where could they be? Don't you... have any clues at all?"
When speaking, Xie Li needs to mentally rehearse repeatedly to avoid offending him with the wrong tone or words.
"What do you mean?" Duan Yi asked, somewhat puzzled. "The Duan family, the Yan family, and even the police are conducting a thorough search, but they haven't found anything. How could someone as busy as me possibly know?"
He spoke so earnestly and so matter-of-factly that Xie Li almost couldn't help but believe him.
"But..." Xie Li's face was full of bitterness. After hesitating for a long time, he cautiously asked, "Those two people...aren't they your people, Patriarch Duan? Now they've disappeared, is it because you..."
"What?" Duan Yi seemed not to understand his words. "I don't quite understand what you're saying. My people? Hmm? What happened to my people?"
Xie Li: "..."
How can this person be so shameless in trying to distance themselves and feign innocence!
"Patriarch Duan, stop making a scene. I know they're your people," Xie Li gritted his teeth. "They wouldn't have kidnapped Shen Jin without your approval. Now that things have taken an unexpected turn, you can't just ignore it like this..."
Duan Yi remained unmoved, inwardly scoffing at his foolishness, before asking without changing his expression, "Oh, I didn't know that either. What nonsense are you talking about?"
Knowing that this person wanted to renege on their promise, Xie Li's temper flared up, and she asked through gritted teeth, "Now you want to distance yourself from me? Aren't you afraid that if something happens to those two people, or if something happens to me, the investigation will implicate you?"
Duan Yi squinted and smiled, a sarcastic smile playing on his lips.
He thought, "You really think too highly of yourself, Xie Li."
Duan Yi remained silent for a moment, which made Xie Li think that he was wavering. Xie Li was secretly pleased and immediately pressed his advantage, saying, "Now that something like this has happened, we are all in the same boat... I know you have a way to deal with it, but... if something really happens to me, it will most likely implicate you too..."
Duan Yi couldn't help but sneer inwardly. He loathed these self-righteous people. With a smirk, he said indifferently, "Young Master Xie, don't you know the saying, 'A straight body casts a straight shadow'?"
Xie Li, who had thought he had succeeded and moved Xie Li with his words, suddenly turned pale with anger and said, "You!"
"Instead of thinking about threatening people here for protection, Young Master Xie would be better off minding his own business and not giving others an opportunity to expose his true colors," Duan Yi said calmly before hanging up the phone.
Xie Li stared blankly at the black screen of her phone, feeling incredulous. Her face turned red with anger, and she almost wanted to kick the phone away. She frantically grabbed her hair and screamed, "Ah!"
He was on the verge of a breakdown.
Why does everything go wrong for him? Why does everyone seem to be against him?
Enraged, Xie Li grabbed the teacup on the table and smashed it on the ground with a loud "crack," sending shards of glass flying that nearly injured him.
This also brought him to his senses, making him realize that he couldn't rely on Duan Yi now. He needed to stay calm and not give himself away, or things would get complicated...
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, Shen Jin and Yan Yu fell off the cliff and their fate is unknown. Half a month has passed, but there is still no clue.
They seemed to have vanished from the world in an instant, leaving no trace.
Madam Rong has lost a lot of weight recently, and Luo Zheng also looks sickly because she hasn't had a proper rest. Everyone is feeling unwell.
Half a month later, they found Shen Jin and Yan Yu's torn clothes, stained with blood, hanging on tree branches at the bottom of a steep cliff on the other side.
Therefore, some speculate that they may already be dead...
In those desolate mountains and wilderness, there are many ferocious wild animals; who knows what they might be...
Some things, people who stand on the sidelines always feel that they already have the answer, but no one dares to actually say it out loud.
Then, a month passed.
Madam Rong had more gray hairs, all from crying so much lately. Her face looked much more haggard. She muttered to herself, "He's gone again...gone again, just like last time..."
“We’ve never been able to protect him… He was injured and we were separated for so many years before, and now that he’s finally back, we still haven’t been able to protect him, and he…” Madam Rong’s eyes were unfocused, and tears streamed down her face as she spoke, “Where is he now? Is he alright…”
Everyone was shrouded in gloom, and any words of comfort seemed superfluous and utterly useless.
Time is always merciless; it doesn't stop for anyone. It keeps turning as it always has, and after one month has passed, two more months follow...
Sixty days have passed since they disappeared, and there is still no trace of them.
Many people have already given up hope and no longer hold out any expectations.
Xie Li spent two months in a state of anxiety, and when he saw that there was still no news from them, he breathed a slight sigh of relief, although he felt guilty and remorseful towards Yan Yu.
But in the end, Xie Li was inherently selfish. If he had to choose between himself and someone else, he would naturally choose the other person to die without hesitation.
Over the past two months, they have found Shen Jin and Yan Yu's blood-stained, tattered clothes and shoes... almost like their belongings.
The police believe that they may have really left, and that their initial cautious investigation has now become lax, even asking them to accept their condolences.
Some, more bluntly, even suggested, "If another month passes and there's still no news, we should hold a funeral for them. We hope they can have a good life in their next life, a life with a beginning and an end..."
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