The bodyguard glanced at the navigation screen and confirmed that the destination was indeed that sea area. He hesitated for a moment, but couldn't help but advise, "Mr. Gu, why don't you go home, apologize to your wife, and then not go? She is your mother after all; she will surely forgive you." His voice was very sincere.
However, Gu Qingyan glared at him and shouted irritably, "Just leave when I tell you to! What are you babbling about?!" His tone revealed obvious dissatisfaction and anger.
Gu Qingyan frowned, looking at the road ahead. He knew his decision might bring some unpredictable consequences, but he still resolutely chose to head towards that sea area.
"But, Mr. Gu..."
"No buts, and don't tell me anything. If you don't want to go, get out of the car, and I'll drive myself!" Gu Qingyan's tone revealed an unquestionable authority and decisiveness. The bodyguard sighed inwardly and started the car.
As dusk fell, the sky was bathed in a golden hue, and the sun slowly sank below the horizon. The black sedan came to a stop on the desolate coastline; the beach was deserted, save for the sound of waves crashing against the rocks.
Gu Qingyan stepped out of the car, a salty sea breeze hitting his face, causing him to shiver involuntarily. He stood there, gazing at the shimmering sea, a hint of confusion and despair flashing in his eyes. He didn't know Xiao Wanqing's exact location, only that she had last appeared near this area. However, faced with the vast ocean, he didn't know where to begin.
The thought of Xiao Wanqing forever sleeping at the bottom of the sea filled Gu Qingyan with unbearable pain, and tears streamed down his face. His knees buckled, and he knelt on the beach, facing the sea, his fists clenched tightly as he pounded the sand. He cried out in anguish, "Wanqing, where are you?! I'm so sorry!"
The bodyguard in the distance witnessed this scene. He shook his head helplessly and simply stood quietly not far away, silently watching Gu Qingyan without going forward to disturb him.
As night fell, the tide began to rise, whipping whitecaps onto the beach. Gu Qingyan remained kneeling there, facing the sea, as if waiting for something. His figure appeared exceptionally lonely and helpless in the moonlight.
He sighed, stepped forward, and gently advised, "Mr. Gu, you should go back. Even if you kneel here until the end of time, Miss Xiao will never come back."
Upon hearing this, Gu Qingyan suddenly raised his head and glared at the bodyguard. "What do you know?!" He was looking for a place to vent his frustration. "If you're so capable, then go to sea and find me!" His eyes revealed a kind of madness and despair, as if he wanted to pour out all his pain.
The bodyguard was startled by Gu Qingyan's reaction. He took a few steps back, his face blank, his mouth agape in shock. He couldn't utter a word for a long time, feeling extremely regretful for taking on this job.
"Mr. Gu, it's already late at night, and you can't see anything at sea. I have no way to look for it. Besides, I don't even know where it is. How am I supposed to find it?" the bodyguard explained patiently.
"Then what are you babbling about?!" Gu Qingyan suddenly stood up, pointed at the bodyguard and roared, "You good-for-nothing, you can't help at all, I don't know what you're even here for?!"
The bodyguard pursed his lips, his facial muscles twitching involuntarily. He wondered what he had done wrong and secretly vowed to resign as soon as he got back.
"You can leave. I'll go find it myself." Gu Qingyan turned his head coldly, looking towards the sea.
"Mr. Gu," the bodyguard said, still somewhat uneasy, trying to reassure him, "it's pitch black, we can't see anything..."
"Shut up and get out!" Gu Qingyan was furious and shouted sternly.
"Yes, Mr. Gu." The bodyguard acknowledged the order and turned to walk towards the car.
As he walked, he took out his phone and called Mu Ziqi, who answered immediately.
"Madam, Mr. Gu refuses to leave and insists on going into the sea to find Miss Xiao." The bodyguard looked helplessly at Gu Qingyan, who was already taking off his coat on the beach. "Madam, Mr. Gu is about to go into the sea. Should I go and stop him? If something happens, it will get darker and darker on the beach, and I may not be able to go into the sea to save Mr. Gu."
Before Mu Ziqi could answer, the bodyguard suddenly saw Gu Qingyan had already entered the sea and was swimming forward with all her might. However, because the waves kept crashing against her, Gu Qingyan was unable to swim against the waves and was instead pushed back by them.
"It's alright, Madam. Mr. Gu probably won't be able to see Miss Xiao tonight. What if he still insists on going tomorrow morning?"
"Let him go!" Mu Ziqi said angrily. "If he really is willing to risk his life for Xiao Wanqing and does something so morally reprehensible, then I'll pretend that the Gu family doesn't have this child!"
The next morning, sunlight streamed through the cracks in the car window and fell on Gu Qingyan's face.
Suddenly, a piercing phone ring broke the silence of the carriage. He groggily opened his eyes and fumbled for his phone on his seat.
Seeing the number flashing on his phone screen, Gu Qingyan tensed up instantly! His heart pounded as he pressed the answer button.
"Wanqing! Is that you? Wanqing?!" Gu Qingyan shouted excitedly into the phone.
"Qingyan, this is Wanqing's mother, Baixin." A slightly aged voice, full of fatigue, came from the other end of the phone.
Gu Qingyan was stunned, sighed in disappointment, looked at his phone screen and asked in confusion, "Aunt Bai? Isn't this Wanqing's number?"
“Yes, I haven’t been able to contact Wanqing since she disappeared from the hospital. I got a new SIM card… Qingyan, let’s not talk about that. Auntie has something to ask you.” Bai Xin’s voice was choked with emotion, and she looked exhausted. “Your Uncle Xiao and I received an anonymous message, saying, saying,” Bai Xin began to sob, “that something happened to Wanqing. Is it true?”
"Aunt Bai, Wanqing, she, she..." Gu Qingyan was also in a bad mood. He was still thinking about how to tell Bai Xin when he heard a trembling voice from the other end, "Qingyan, is something really wrong with Wanqing? She, she was thrown into the sea by Shen Zhi Qiu's friend, is that right?"
Gu Qingyan fell silent, his heart feeling as heavy as if it were being crushed by a boulder.
"Aunt Bai, I'm so sorry." Gu Qingyan's voice trembled slightly. "Wanqing really did have an accident. It's my fault for not protecting her."
Bai Xin's sobbing came from the other end of the phone, and Gu Qingyan felt as if his heart was being torn apart.
"What did you promise me back then?! Didn't you say you'd protect her for life?!" Suddenly, Bai Xin gritted her teeth and roared, "If you're a man, you should avenge Wanqing!"
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