20 minutes ago.
Ruan Qingqing and Chen Muyun drove along the abandoned mountain road for more than ten minutes, and after that, they found that there was really no road ahead.
At the end of the road is a bare cliff. The surrounding area is covered with grass as tall as a person, which is vast and has the flavor of an alpine meadow.
Chen Muyun felt that looking for Zeng Xi in this way was a waste of effort. But he didn't say it, and he seemed to be accompanying Ruan Qingqing wholeheartedly.
Ruan Qingqing looked down at the last indentation on the gravel road, then looked up at the grass. There was a patch of grass that had signs of being pressed, so she followed that path to find it.
Chen Muyun immediately walked in front of her and pushed aside the grass for her. Where there were thorns, he blocked them for her, leaving red marks on the back of his hands. Ruan Qingqing said nothing.
After walking about fifty or sixty meters, the two stopped. They walked to the other side of the cliff. The grassland ended and in front of them was an open space full of stones, with a cliff next to it.
A black, semi-old SUV was parked in an open space with no one in the car.
There was actually a car parked in such a place.
Ruan Qingqing walked over immediately.
It looked like an ordinary off-road vehicle, with mud on the wheels and body. The interior was clean and simple, with no decoration on the black seats. There was only a gilded Buddha statue hanging on the windshield. On the center console was a box of wet wipes and a half-drunk bottle of mineral water.
Chen Muyun pulled her and said, "Someone is coming."
The two looked back and saw a figure looming along the path created by the car in the grass, and they could hear footsteps.
Ruan Qingqing took a step back.
A man came out, saw them, was stunned for a moment, and asked, "What are you doing here in my car?" Then he took out the car keys and looked alert.
Chen Muyun was about to ask, but Ruan Qingqing spoke first with a sweet smile: "Hello, excuse me, we were just walking around the mountain and saw your car, so we came over to take a look."
The man said calmly, "My car is nothing special."
Ruan Qingqing's smile remained unchanged: "Do you live in the mountains, or do you come here to play as well?"
The man replied, "I'm going fishing." After that, he opened the trunk and found a large fishing gear bag, as well as a tent, a folding bench, a fisherman's hat, outdoor cooking utensils, and so on. Looks complete and professional.
Chen Muyun felt that Ruan Qingqing was too suspicious, so he asked with a smile, "Hey, buddy, is there any place to fish here? What kind of fish are there? Are they big?"
The man seemed more comfortable communicating with people of the same sex. He pointed to the bottom of the cliff and said, "There is a path going down there. There is a pool of water. The water is very clear and the fish are very big."
Chen Muyun: "Then let's try it next time."
Man: "Then you better be careful, this road is not easy to walk on."
Chen Muyun: "Brother, I'll trouble you again. Have you seen a single girl on this mountain these two days? She should be about 17 or 18 years old."
While they were talking, Ruan Qingqing was standing by the car, looking it inside and out, but found nothing unusual. Hearing Chen Muyun's question, Ruan Qingqing looked at the man.
The man was of medium build, wearing a gray-brown windbreaker, black pants, and had a short flat head. He looked very strong.
He was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with a slightly dark complexion. He was not very handsome, but his eyebrows and eyes were neat, and he was quite handsome after looking at him for a long time.
His expression didn't change at all as he replied, "What single girl? I wasn't paying attention."
Chen Muyun: "A very pretty girl, but she is deaf and dumb, she can't speak and can't hear. If you have met her, you will definitely have an impression of her."
The man shook his head, smiled again, and said, "If it was a girl like this, how could you let her run to this desolate mountain alone? It's so unsafe."
Ruan Qingqing's heart twitched slightly. For some reason, the man's words gave her a strange feeling.
Looking at his handsome face again, I suddenly felt a little uncomfortable. I don't know why.
Chen Muyun replied: "Isn't it? The little girl likes to run in the mountains and weave bamboo strips. Brother, I'm in trouble. Her name is Zeng Xi. If you see her or anyone suspicious in the next few days, call me. My phone number is..."
The man took out his cell phone, wrote down his number, and said, "I'm afraid I'll disappoint you. I just came to the mountain this morning and will go down after fishing tonight. I'm afraid I can't help you much. But if I find anything, I'll call you and let you know."
"Thank you very much! Come, have a cigarette."
"I don't smoke. Who is she to you?"
"Oh, a sister at home."
"When did she go missing?"
"yesterday."
"Did you call the police?"
"I reported it, but it was useless. The situation was a bit complicated. I couldn't prove that she was definitely missing. The police didn't file a case."
"How can you do this? It's so irresponsible!"
Their conversation sounded normal, and Ruan Qingqing suspected that she was being too sensitive.
Although this man was alone and appeared in the deserted mountains where Zeng Xi liked to run, and his age was about the same, he did not look like the "graduate student" Zeng Xi mentioned, nor did he look panic-stricken and looked very normal. Maybe she was overthinking it.
Ruan Qingqing's heart sank - if nothing was found here, the clue would be lost. Then where should she go to find Zeng Xi? Or can I just go back and wait?
As Ruan Qingqing was thinking in a confused mood, her gaze inadvertently swept across the grass beside her, and suddenly, her eyes seemed to be stabbed by something. She rushed over in two or three steps, parted the grass, and picked up something.
It was a brand new little doll made of thin bamboo strips, probably only half the size of her palm.
Ruan Qingqing knew at first glance that the fine workmanship and the adorable shape could only be the work of Zeng Xi.
She turned the doll over and saw the front. Suddenly, all the blood in her body seemed to rush to her head.
Zeng Xi wrote about a man.
A man with a flat head wearing a windbreaker and casual trousers. Even though the doll had no facial features, Ruan Qingqing recognized it at first sight. This doll was the man standing side by side with Chen Muyun, less than five meters away from her.
Ruan Qingqing's back suddenly felt cold and her body stiffened. She subconsciously raised her head and looked at the man.
The man and Chen Muyun were originally standing next to the trunk with their backs to her, talking. At this moment, Chen Muyun was still unaware and smiled as he looked at the path on the cliff that the man pointed to. However, the man seemed to have noticed something and suddenly turned around and met the eyes of Ruan Qingqing who was squatting in the grass.
His eyes were calm and without a trace of emotion.
Then, his gaze slid down and landed on the doll in her hand.
Ruan Qingqing's heart skipped a beat.
He suddenly laughed.
It was a very strange smile, in stark contrast to the calm, orderly, and appropriately enthusiastic manner he had just displayed. The smile was sinister, revealing despair and excitement.
Ruan Qingqing suddenly realized something and yelled, "Chen Muyun!"
It's too late.
The man's hand was already grasping a baseball bat stuffed in the corner of the trunk. He picked up the bat and hit the defenseless Chen Muyun on the back of the neck. Chen Muyun groaned and suddenly fell to the ground.
Ruan Qingqing's breathing stagnated. Before she could take a closer look at Chen Muyun, the man rushed towards her with a baseball bat.
Ruan Qingqing turned and ran.
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