Lan Yamei thought she was locked in a dark room until she felt her stomach churning. Only then did she realize that she was definitely on a boat. This feeling of seasickness was so familiar.
Lan Ya Mei became uncomfortable lying down for too long and tried to sit up, but after struggling several times without success, she gave up and slowly rolled around to relieve her fatigue. Finally feeling a little better, her eyes adjusted to the darkness, and she noticed several other people in the corner looking just like her. However, they were all still unconscious and motionless.
...
Qiu Zeyu watched as Xiao Hongtao's bridal sedan chair was carried away before letting out a long sigh of relief. He then picked up his horse and headed towards Longyang Town. He was filled with unease; he hadn't returned home all night, and he hoped he wouldn't be scolded by that girl when he saw her.
Back at the shop, everyone had just finished breakfast and was clearing away the dishes when Qiu Zeyu stepped in. They greeted him. It was Aunt Guan who noticed something was wrong first and asked, "Why didn't you come back with Lan Yatou?" As she spoke, she went outside to look to see if he had fallen behind.
Seeing Aunt Guan's expression, Qiu Zeyu felt uneasy and asked, "She hasn't come back?"
"He hasn't come back," said Aunt Guan.
Neither of the two returned, and Aunt Guan didn't sleep well all night. This girl is too bold. She can't let herself act recklessly. She must explain the pros and cons to her so that people won't laugh at her for rushing to get married.
The staff assumed the two had been talking about romance and had delayed their return journey. After finishing their meal, they all rushed back to work, since business had been declining recently. They were afraid the manager might lay off anyone they didn't like, so they all squeezed in work whenever they could.
Seeing that Qiu Zeyu had returned first, Aunt Guan became uneasy.
Upon hearing this, Qiu Zeyu dared not waste any time. Without saying a word, he mounted his horse and rode back to Lin'an City, his heart filled with panic. He was really worried that this was no joke.
"Why did you leave again?" Tie Tou served the rice, but no one asked.
"Go about your business!" Aunt Guan was annoyed, and Tie Tou, not daring to say another word, quickly turned around and disappeared.
At this time, no one knew that Manager Lan had disappeared.
...
After searching around Lin'an for a long time and confirming that no one was in the city, Qiu Zeyu returned to Longyang Town.
At that moment, the barbecue business at the shop was booming, so Qiu Zeyu had to go to the clinic to find Aunt Guan first. Before Qiu Zeyu could even speak, Aunt Guan, seeing him at the door, quickly put down her patient and, avoiding the crowd, asked, "Where is he?"
With time running out, Qiu Zeyu told the truth, "We had a little argument that day and went our separate ways. Now it seems we've lost it."
"Lost?" Aunt Guan lowered her voice, her face full of disbelief. "Hurry up and look for it. I'll close the door first and call Tie Tou to get everyone to look together."
"Don't panic, listen to me! Lan Ya's disappearance is very suspicious. If we start searching for her now, firstly, we might find nothing and alert her. Secondly, telling them won't do any good. If everyone in Longyang Town knows she's missing, how will she face doing business here in the future? Besides, she's doing well now; we don't know if people will be happy for her or kick her when she's down. So don't make a fuss. You should also pretend you don't know anything about this. I will search secretly. Trust me, I will find her. Nothing bad will happen. If anyone asks, just say we've been visiting famous doctors and invited them to our clinic."
"Now that things have come to this, I'm completely panicked. You're so thoughtful. Yes, yes, we can't tell anyone, we have to keep it a secret. You must tell me as soon as you have any news." Aunt Guan didn't dare to let her mind wander and forced herself to continue examining the patients.
Qiu Zeyu then rushed to Lin'an City.
He needs to meet with Murong Xingchen first. Could it be that this kid is the one causing trouble?
By the time they reached Lin'an, it was already dark. Under the dim moonlight, Qiu Zeyu left his horse deep in the alley, covered his face, and leaped onto the roof of the mysterious house. But after only a few steps, before he could even check his surroundings, he was spotted.
The newcomer was none other than Murong Xingchen, who was patrolling the house. Upon seeing someone sneak in, he leaped onto the roof with a single swing of his arm and blocked Qiu Zeyu's path.
Qiu Zeyu, who was worried about not being able to find the person, subdued him in a few moves and asked, "Where is Lan Yamei? She didn't show up for our appointment at Sifang Teahouse today. Did you hide her?"
"Be reasonable! You asked me for the person, but you didn't hand them over to me." After Murong Xingchen finished complaining, Qiu Zeyu let go of her. Murong Xingchen was right; there was no basis for her claim at all.
Seeing that Qiu Zeyu, whom they had tried to invite all day, had come to their door on his own, they decided to be open about the place and said, "The master is staying here. Since you're already here, please come in and pay your respects."
The Qiu family lived a carefree life in the martial world and never relied on the imperial court. There was no need for them to associate with the court. "No need, I have urgent business to attend to, I'll be going now."
"Aren't you looking for your girl? Maybe if you meet the master, you can get some clues you wouldn't expect." Murong Xingchen had no choice but to speak directly.
"Really?" Qiu Zeyu asked, half believing and half doubting.
...
Leaving the mysterious mansion once again, Qiu Zeyu and Murong Xingchen collaborated for the first time in their lives. The two hid behind the rocks by the sea, waiting for an unknown large ship to sail on the sea.
The bay was empty, the night was pitch black, and apart from the rows of waves rhythmically lapping against the shoreline, there was really no sign of any suspicious boats.
"Is this a mistake? There's not a soul in sight." Qiu Zeyu couldn't wait any longer. Lan Yamei's whereabouts were unknown, and he was wasting time hiding behind a reef. He was anxious to leave.
Just as Murong Xingchen was about to offer some advice, a fishing light suddenly lit up on the dark sea, and the two hurriedly hid themselves.
As the boat drew closer, dozens of people suddenly appeared from the shore. By the light from the bow, a dozen or so people, bound like dumplings, were seen being carried onto the boat in order, motionless. The entire process was silent and perfectly coordinated.
Seizing the opportunity, the two approached the boat from underwater. Fortunately, everyone's attention was focused on the people on the bow, and the two were able to successfully board the boat from the other side and hide when no one was looking.
This ship was very mysterious, unlike the usual noisy and sluggish vessels used for deep-sea fishing. Here, everyone was cautious and quick in their actions. Unlike other fishing boats that slack off and eat and drink aimlessly, everyone was like a wound-up toy, seriously doing their job to prevent any mistakes.
The two men lying on top of the cab found a rough burlap sack, covered themselves with it, and fell asleep. As the boat rocked with the current, it finally stopped at an unfamiliar island just before dawn.
While the guards were conducting an inspection, the two dived back underwater and came ashore from the other side of the island.
In the dead of winter, the two men, shivering from the cold in their wet clothes, wanted to start a fire to dry their clothes but were afraid of disturbing each other. Just when they were at their wits' end, they discovered a spring of warm water bubbling up in a thorny ravine.
He quickly jumped in, and his frozen body gradually regained its flexibility.
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