Guan Liya drew a fortune lot for Qi Chenglin’s love life. The lot turned out to be of good fortune. Guan Liya exchanged the lot for a fortune slip so that she could interpret the lot herself instead of visiting the monk.
The fortune said, ‘Love is near you. Take the chance and all will be well’.
Song Yu looked at her belly. She did not wish her child to grow up ambitious and successful, but being born in the Qi family, the opposite was hard to imagine. She just wanted her child to grow up healthy and happy.
Song Yu shook the fortune lots holder and a lot fell out. She drew a below-average fortune lot.
Her hands trembled and her heart sank. While she had a certain degree of respect for the Goddess of Mercy, she was not particularly pious or superstitious. However, this did not mean that she was above getting upset over a bad draw of luck.
“What’s wrong? What fortune did you get?” Grandmother Qi asked curiously.
Guan Liya was in a happy mood since she managed to get a good fortune lot for Qi Chenglin. She figured that Song Yu would undoubtedly get a good fortune too.
Qi Chengzhi noted the pallor on Song Yu’s face and took the fortune lot from her hand. His eyebrow quirked after seeing the fortune.
He threw the fortune lot away without a second glance and helped Song Yu up. “This is just random luck. These fortunes are just to trick people—if they were actually accurate, people would just live their lives according to this.”
Song Yu remained silent, evidently still affected.
“Pei! Pei! Pei! Don’t run your mouth in front of Buddha.” Grandmother Qi was worried that Qi Chengzhi’s disrespect would upset the deity.
Grandmother Qi had always been a pious woman who led a kind and honest living preached in Buddhism.
She retrieved the fortune lot that Qi Chengzhi discarded. Once she saw the below-average fortune, her heart sank. She looked at Song Yu worriedly.
The look from Grandmother Qi made Song Yu even paler.
“Song Yu, what did you wish for?” Grandmother Qi asked.
Song Yu’s lips trembled and the words came out weakly. “I wished for Chengzhi and the baby to be safe and healthy.”
Grandmother Qi was shocked. She quickly exchanged the lot for a fortune slip. The omen was too profound for Grandmother Qi to grasp so she pulled Song Yu away to find the monk for an explanation.
After a brief perusal, the monk asked, “What did you wish for?”
“I wished for the health and safety of my husband and the baby in me,” Song Yu answered and gulped nervously.
The monk was inexplicably calm as he looked at the fortune. “Based on this, there will be some emerging complications. Since the child is still in you, the two of you are linked. This complication may befall your husband or you.”
“This… Master, will this be dangerous?” Grandmother Qi questioned in an agitated tone.
“This, I cannot say. You may cross this and come out on the safe side or–” The monk shook his head and kept silent.
“What… What should we do?” Grandmother Qi’s face was pale with fear.
Today was supposed to be a happy day for the family to pay their respects and return the gratitude. It was only a wish for their family’s health, nothing greedy, yet they ended up with a bad omen.
“How about this, head down and ask for two Buddha talismans. My master will bless the talismans for this lady and her husband to wear. While they cannot guarantee a safe passage, they can stave off some ill omens.” The monk clasped his hands in prayer.
“We finally get to the point. You guys must be earning a lot from all these merchandise.” Qi Chengzhi appeared behind Song Yu with a sardonic smile on his face.
“Chengzhi! Watch your tongue!” Grandmother Qi warned. She did not want the Buddha to be offended by his disrespectful remarks. After entering the temple, one should be humble. She did not know what went wrong with the Qi family boys. From the eldest to Qi Chengji, none of them paid heed to the religious traditions.
Being an unbeliever was one thing, but badmouthing the religion while being inside the temple was unacceptable. Grandmother Qi was also worried that Qi Youxuan would be negatively influenced.
“You’ve become too entrenched in the business,” Grandmother said in an annoyed tone and quickly apologized to the monk. “Master, I’m sorry. My grandson does not know much.”
The monk clasped his hand and without a temper, said, “Amitabha, those who believe will gain while those who do not, won’t. Perhaps, my words were misunderstood.”
Grandmother Qi returned the gesture. Then, with one hand holding Song Yu and the other holding Qi Chengzhi, she dragged them out. “Let’s go get the talismans.”
Qi Chengzhi was a non-believer and hence, was not happy with the suggestion.
Song Yu tugged on Qi Chengzhi’s arm. “I drew a below-average fortune. Regardless of whether it’s true or not, we should get the talismans just to be on the safe side. Else, it’ll keep nagging me and make me upset.”
Qi Chengzhi could that Song Yu’s face was a bit pale. The worried expression melted his defiance and he nodded in agreement.
Grandmother Qi found the situation amusing. Qi Chengzhi never had Buddha in his heart and usually would not even enter the temple and yet, here he was with Song Yu. Qi Chengzhi truly doted on his wife and did not want to upset her. Was this the advantages of a marriage between an older man and a younger woman?
Grandmother Qi pulled the couple to get the Buddha talismans and visit the master for his blessings. She made them wear the talismans immediately. “Best if nothing happens. But if something does, it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
Qi Chengzhi picked at the talisman with an irritated look on his face.
“Wear it, at least until the child is born,” Song Yu said as she took the talisman from his hand and put it around his neck. She tucked the necklace underneath his collar and straightened his shirt. The talisman was secured against his chest. “Maybe it’s because of that fortune lot but I’ve been feeling odd these days. At least this talisman will soothe my mind.”
Song Yu put on her talisman and tucked it inside her shirt. She patted the talisman and breathed out. “As Grandma said, best if nothing happens.”
Qi Chengzhi was a non-believer and did not care about the implications of the fortune lot. He took Song Yu’s hand and said, “Let’s avoid coming next time so you won’t be so down.”
Grandmother Qi felt a bit of regret for bringing Song Yu. She should have just brought Xia Wenna and Guan Liya.
“It’s alright, this is just a precaution. There’s nothing bad about being careful,” Song Yu replied. Perhaps it was a placebo effect, but she felt better with the talisman around her neck.
Grandfather Qi and the others were waiting outside. When they walked out, Xia Wenna quickly came over and asked, “How did it go?”
“We got the talismans,” Grandmother Qi spoke. “Song child, be careful when you’re out okay?”
Song Yu nodded. It might just be her paranoia.
Due to this incident, Grandmother Qi was no longer in high spirits. She prayed reverently. “Buddha ah, Buddha, if my eldest grandson, his wife, and their child, Qi Youjin, can have a healthy and peaceful life, I will give alms thrice a day. Please guard their safety and health.”
Grandmother Qi lit the incense stick and prayed to Buddha’s altar. Then, she joined the rest of the family and went back to the manor.
…
…
That night, Song Yu did not remove the talisman even when she was showering. When she got out of the bathroom, she saw Qi Chengzhi toying with his talisman.
“Why did you take it off again?” Song Yu sat on the bed and snatched the talisman from his hand. She placed it around his neck and said, “Keep it on you and don’t take it off. Grandma said that things that have been blessed shouldn’t be exposed. I know you don’t believe in this sort of stuff but it’s better to believe. Just take it as giving me peace of mind.”
Qi Chengzhi did not retaliate. With the talisman resting on his chest, he pulled Song Yu into his embrace and studied her face. There was a soft blush on her face from the hot water in the showers but the paleness was still present.
“What’s wrong? Did something happen that made you this worried?” Qi Chengzhi laid his palm on her cheek and caressed it gently. The color gradually returned to Song Yu’s face and she looked more stable than before.
She could feel the warmth spreading across her face as she shook her head in response to his question. “It may be the pregnancy making me a bit paranoid. Let me search online if pregnancy makes someone more sensitive.”
The corners of Qi Chengzhi’s lips twitched and he placed a kiss on her forehead.
…
…
On Monday, as Qi Chengzhi was heading off to work, Song Yu followed him to the door. Once he had his shoes on, she said, “I’m going back to my mom’s today. I’ll ask them if they want to attend Grandma’s birthday party. If they don’t, I’ll have some time to work on them.”
Qi Chengzhi nodded. “I’ll call Chang Lai over.”
“No need. I can ask Xiao Fan to drive me. After the temple incident on Saturday, Grandma has been worried. She told me to call Xiao Fan whenever I’m heading out. Let Chang Lai stay in the company with you, for your convenience’s sake.” Song Yu passed him his work bag.
Qi Chengzhi nodded. “Call me when you’ve reached your mom’s.”
“En.” Song Yu tiptoed and kissed him on the lips. “Drive safe. Pay attention to the road.”
Qi Chengzhi figured that Song Yu’s refusal for Chang Lai to come over was because she was also worried for his safety.
After he left, Song Yu called Xiao Fan to pick her up.
“I’m sorry that I’ve been troubling you these days,” Song Yu said in a shy tone as she got into the car.
“Not a problem. The master and his wife rarely use the car, so I would be paid to just loiter around the manor if it weren’t for you. That won’t do,” Xiao Fan answered jovially.
For some reason, the area around the Song family’s apartment saw an unusually high volume of motorists, and Xiao Fan could not find a parking spot nearby the apartment.
“Miss, I’ll drop you off at the main entrance before looking for a parking spot,” Xiao Fan said.
“Sure.” Song Yu nodded. Xiao Fan drove the car around and stopped in front of the apartment block to let Song Yu down.
As there were cars parked by the side of the road, Xiao Fan had to obstruct the road temporarily to make sure Song Yu had entered the apartment before going off to find a parking spot.
While climbing up the stairs, Song Yu took her phone out, wanting to inform Qi Chengzhi that she had reached her mom’s place. She rarely had calls from anyone other than Qi Chengzhi, so the first contact in her call log was his.
Just as she wanted to hit ‘call’, a gloved hand appeared in front of her eyes. In a moment of panic, her reaction was a second too late and the gloved hand stole the phone from her.
Song Yu realized that she was being robbed. When she lifted her head, her phone was thrown down the stairs.
The phone tumbled down the steps and the screen shattered while the phone case got bent out of shape. The phone switched off automatically in response to the physical violence.
Song Yu’s lips were pale and she looked up in fear. The man standing in front of her was approximately 1.8 meters tall. He had a slender frame and was wearing a baseball cap with a face mask. He looked exactly like the man she saw standing by the road from the car.
Immediately, Song Yu opened her mouth to scream but to no avail. The man covered her mouth and nose with his hand. There was a sharp, tangy smell on the glove. Song Yu’s eyes widened as she struggled to get out of the man’s grip. She was so frightened that fresh tears stung her eyes.
She lifted one hand in an attempt to break free or pull down the man’s face mask but she was locked in an embrace. Her back was against him and she could feel the sweat-drenched t-shirt. Her arms were losing strength as she tried to pull the gloved hand away.
The man started to move her down the stairs. Song Yu tried her best to hold onto the dusty railing but her vision was blurring. While she knew she had to hold on, her body no longer had the strength to.
In the end, her fingers slowly loosened their grip while her eyes fluttered shut. Stray tears stained the man’s gloves.
…
…
Qi Chengzhi had already finished his morning meeting but there was still no word from Song Yu. He did not know what time she left home, so there was no way for him to be sure of her whereabouts. Hence, he decided to call her but the dial tone suggested the phone was switched off.
A frown formed on his face. He called home. Aunt Yang answered.
“Has Song Yu left?” Qi Chengzhi walked back to his office and shut the door.
“Yes, she has. She left two hours ago so she should be back at the Songs’ house now,” Aunt Yang said.
Qi Chengzhi’s heartbeat quickened. He hung up the phone and dialed for Xiao Fan.
Xiao Fan was enjoying the air-conditioning in the car and scrolling his phone when Qi Chengzhi called. He picked up the call and heard Qi Chengzhi ask, “Where are you now?”
“At the Song family’s residential area.” Xiao Fan spoke again, “She went in already so I’m waiting in the car for her.”
“She’s already inside?” Qi Chengzhi’s eyes narrowed. There was a tenseness to his voice which made him sound sterner than usual.
The tone made Xiao Fan nervous. “Yes. She went in much earlier. I watched her walk into the building.”
Qi Chengzhi’s frown was growing deeper. “When was that?”
“An hour ago.” Qi Chengzhi’s agitated tone was making Xiao Fan anxious. “Young Master Cheng, what’s going on?”
Qi Chengzhi ignored his question and hung up the phone. The Song family’s landline was next on the list. At this point, he did not care about their sentiments toward him.
Song Yu has never gone back on a promise to him, especially if she knew that he would be worried. She would always inform him of her whereabouts. Before leaving for work, he had already explicitly reminded her to call him when she reached her mother’s house. She would not just forget to call.
Suddenly, the image of Song Yu drawing the fortune lot that Saturday flashed into his mind. A sense of foreboding simmered in him. Qi Chengzhi felt his heart rate increase, even his fingers were starting to tremble.
After scrolling through his contacts for the Song family landline, he rang them up. A short moment later, someone answered. Yu Qianying’s voice was heard.
“Ma, it’s me.” Qi Chengzhi kept his voice steady.
However, there was no reply—the line was already cut.
Qi Chengzhi continued calling. Fearing Yu Qianying would hang up on him again, when the call connected, he quickly said, “Ma, don’t hang up. I just want to ask if Song Yu reached your place?”
Yu Qianying initially intended to throw a few curses at Qi Chengzhi before slamming down the phone but she held her tongue. “No. What’s going on?”
“She never dropped by?” Qi Chengzhi’s grip tightened on his phone.
“I already said, no. She never mentioned that she was coming over today,” Yu Qianying spoke in a frustrated tone. “What’s going on? Did something happen to Song Yu? Did you two fight? Qi Chengzhi, are you bullying her? How dare you bully her! Because of you, she’s fighting with her parents. If you mistreat her, what kind of human are you?”
“No, we didn’t fight. She told me before I left for work that she wanted to visit you. The family driver, Xiao Fan, fetched her here. He says that she came in an hour ago and he witnessed with his own eyes that she walked into the building. Yet, you guys have not seen her.” The trepidation coming from someone who was usually calm and collected made Yu Qianying worried. “She promised me that she would call when she reached your house. But I didn’t receive any calls from her. I tried her phone but it was switched off. I called my house and Aunt Yang says she left two hours ago. Xiao Fan says that they arrived here an hour ago. Ma, were you guys home this whole time? Or did Song Yu drop by while you guys were away?”
“We were home this whole time. We never went out.” Even Yu Qianying was feeling anxious now. Her eyes were reddening and her anger toward Qi Chengzhi was no longer a priority. “This child! I already told her that I would visit her. She shouldn’t be running around with that belly of hers!”
At this moment, the doorbell rang. The sound raised some hope in Yu Qianying. “Someone’s here. That might be Song Yu!”
On the other hand, Qi Chengzhi was doubtful. Song Donglin opened the door to find the driver, Xiao Fan, holding a broken phone in his hand.
“Xiao Fan, why are you here? Where’s Song Yu?” Yu Qianying took the cordless phone and walked to the door. The absence of Song Yu doused her hopes and her heart sank.
Qi Chengzhi heard her across the phone and spoke, “Ma, let me speak to Xiao Fan.”
In this situation, Yu Qianying did not bother to argue with Qi Chengzhi. She passed the phone to Xiao Fan and said, “It’s Qi Chengzhi.”
“Young Master Cheng, I found the missus’s phone in the stairwell. The screen is broken and the phone might have shut down after tumbling down the stairs. Hence, your call couldn’t get through.” Xiao Fan was also sweating bullets. If anything happened to Song Yu, he would be responsible for it.
Grandmother Qi had specifically ordered him to look after Song Yu. Now, after just a few trips, he had already lost her.
Judging from the state of the phone, something had happened.
Yu Qianying stared at Song Yu’s phone and let out a loud cry. Song Donglin quickly wrapped her in his arms. He clenched his jaw and stayed strong, he needed to support Yu Qianying.
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Guan Liya drew a fortune lot for Qi Chenglin’s love life. The lot turned out to be of good fortune. Guan Liya exchanged the lot for a fortune slip so that she could interpret the lot herself instead of visiting the monk.
The fortune said, ‘Love is near you. Take the chance and all will be well’.
Song Yu looked at her belly. She did not wish her child to grow up ambitious and successful, but being born in the Qi family, the opposite was hard to imagine. She just wanted her child to grow up healthy and happy.
Song Yu shook the fortune lots holder and a lot fell out. She drew a below-average fortune lot.
Her hands trembled and her heart sank. While she had a certain degree of respect for the Goddess of Mercy, she was not particularly pious or superstitious. However, this did not mean that she was above getting upset over a bad draw of luck.
“What’s wrong? What fortune did you get?” Grandmother Qi asked curiously.
Guan Liya was in a happy mood since she managed to get a good fortune lot for Qi Chenglin. She figured that Song Yu would undoubtedly get a good fortune too.
Qi Chengzhi noted the pallor on Song Yu’s face and took the fortune lot from her hand. His eyebrow quirked after seeing the fortune.
He threw the fortune lot away without a second glance and helped Song Yu up. “This is just random luck. These fortunes are just to trick people—if they were actually accurate, people would just live their lives according to this.”
Song Yu remained silent, evidently still affected.
“Pei! Pei! Pei! Don’t run your mouth in front of Buddha.” Grandmother Qi was worried that Qi Chengzhi’s disrespect would upset the deity.
Grandmother Qi had always been a pious woman who led a kind and honest living preached in Buddhism.
She retrieved the fortune lot that Qi Chengzhi discarded. Once she saw the below-average fortune, her heart sank. She looked at Song Yu worriedly.
The look from Grandmother Qi made Song Yu even paler.
“Song Yu, what did you wish for?” Grandmother Qi asked.
Song Yu’s lips trembled and the words came out weakly. “I wished for Chengzhi and the baby to be safe and healthy.”
Grandmother Qi was shocked. She quickly exchanged the lot for a fortune slip. The omen was too profound for Grandmother Qi to grasp so she pulled Song Yu away to find the monk for an explanation.
After a brief perusal, the monk asked, “What did you wish for?”
“I wished for the health and safety of my husband and the baby in me,” Song Yu answered and gulped nervously.
The monk was inexplicably calm as he looked at the fortune. “Based on this, there will be some emerging complications. Since the child is still in you, the two of you are linked. This complication may befall your husband or you.”
“This… Master, will this be dangerous?” Grandmother Qi questioned in an agitated tone.
“This, I cannot say. You may cross this and come out on the safe side or–” The monk shook his head and kept silent.
“What… What should we do?” Grandmother Qi’s face was pale with fear.
Today was supposed to be a happy day for the family to pay their respects and return the gratitude. It was only a wish for their family’s health, nothing greedy, yet they ended up with a bad omen.
“How about this, head down and ask for two Buddha talismans. My master will bless the talismans for this lady and her husband to wear. While they cannot guarantee a safe passage, they can stave off some ill omens.” The monk clasped his hands in prayer.
“We finally get to the point. You guys must be earning a lot from all these merchandise.” Qi Chengzhi appeared behind Song Yu with a sardonic smile on his face.
“Chengzhi! Watch your tongue!” Grandmother Qi warned. She did not want the Buddha to be offended by his disrespectful remarks. After entering the temple, one should be humble. She did not know what went wrong with the Qi family boys. From the eldest to Qi Chengji, none of them paid heed to the religious traditions.
Being an unbeliever was one thing, but badmouthing the religion while being inside the temple was unacceptable. Grandmother Qi was also worried that Qi Youxuan would be negatively influenced.
“You’ve become too entrenched in the business,” Grandmother said in an annoyed tone and quickly apologized to the monk. “Master, I’m sorry. My grandson does not know much.”
The monk clasped his hand and without a temper, said, “Amitabha, those who believe will gain while those who do not, won’t. Perhaps, my words were misunderstood.”
Grandmother Qi returned the gesture. Then, with one hand holding Song Yu and the other holding Qi Chengzhi, she dragged them out. “Let’s go get the talismans.”
Qi Chengzhi was a non-believer and hence, was not happy with the suggestion.
Song Yu tugged on Qi Chengzhi’s arm. “I drew a below-average fortune. Regardless of whether it’s true or not, we should get the talismans just to be on the safe side. Else, it’ll keep nagging me and make me upset.”
Qi Chengzhi could that Song Yu’s face was a bit pale. The worried expression melted his defiance and he nodded in agreement.
Grandmother Qi found the situation amusing. Qi Chengzhi never had Buddha in his heart and usually would not even enter the temple and yet, here he was with Song Yu. Qi Chengzhi truly doted on his wife and did not want to upset her. Was this the advantages of a marriage between an older man and a younger woman?
Grandmother Qi pulled the couple to get the Buddha talismans and visit the master for his blessings. She made them wear the talismans immediately. “Best if nothing happens. But if something does, it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
Qi Chengzhi picked at the talisman with an irritated look on his face.
“Wear it, at least until the child is born,” Song Yu said as she took the talisman from his hand and put it around his neck. She tucked the necklace underneath his collar and straightened his shirt. The talisman was secured against his chest. “Maybe it’s because of that fortune lot but I’ve been feeling odd these days. At least this talisman will soothe my mind.”
Song Yu put on her talisman and tucked it inside her shirt. She patted the talisman and breathed out. “As Grandma said, best if nothing happens.”
Qi Chengzhi was a non-believer and did not care about the implications of the fortune lot. He took Song Yu’s hand and said, “Let’s avoid coming next time so you won’t be so down.”
Grandmother Qi felt a bit of regret for bringing Song Yu. She should have just brought Xia Wenna and Guan Liya.
“It’s alright, this is just a precaution. There’s nothing bad about being careful,” Song Yu replied. Perhaps it was a placebo effect, but she felt better with the talisman around her neck.
Grandfather Qi and the others were waiting outside. When they walked out, Xia Wenna quickly came over and asked, “How did it go?”
“We got the talismans,” Grandmother Qi spoke. “Song child, be careful when you’re out okay?”
Song Yu nodded. It might just be her paranoia.
Due to this incident, Grandmother Qi was no longer in high spirits. She prayed reverently. “Buddha ah, Buddha, if my eldest grandson, his wife, and their child, Qi Youjin, can have a healthy and peaceful life, I will give alms thrice a day. Please guard their safety and health.”
Grandmother Qi lit the incense stick and prayed to Buddha’s altar. Then, she joined the rest of the family and went back to the manor.
…
…
That night, Song Yu did not remove the talisman even when she was showering. When she got out of the bathroom, she saw Qi Chengzhi toying with his talisman.
“Why did you take it off again?” Song Yu sat on the bed and snatched the talisman from his hand. She placed it around his neck and said, “Keep it on you and don’t take it off. Grandma said that things that have been blessed shouldn’t be exposed. I know you don’t believe in this sort of stuff but it’s better to believe. Just take it as giving me peace of mind.”
Qi Chengzhi did not retaliate. With the talisman resting on his chest, he pulled Song Yu into his embrace and studied her face. There was a soft blush on her face from the hot water in the showers but the paleness was still present.
“What’s wrong? Did something happen that made you this worried?” Qi Chengzhi laid his palm on her cheek and caressed it gently. The color gradually returned to Song Yu’s face and she looked more stable than before.
She could feel the warmth spreading across her face as she shook her head in response to his question. “It may be the pregnancy making me a bit paranoid. Let me search online if pregnancy makes someone more sensitive.”
The corners of Qi Chengzhi’s lips twitched and he placed a kiss on her forehead.
…
…
On Monday, as Qi Chengzhi was heading off to work, Song Yu followed him to the door. Once he had his shoes on, she said, “I’m going back to my mom’s today. I’ll ask them if they want to attend Grandma’s birthday party. If they don’t, I’ll have some time to work on them.”
Qi Chengzhi nodded. “I’ll call Chang Lai over.”
“No need. I can ask Xiao Fan to drive me. After the temple incident on Saturday, Grandma has been worried. She told me to call Xiao Fan whenever I’m heading out. Let Chang Lai stay in the company with you, for your convenience’s sake.” Song Yu passed him his work bag.
Qi Chengzhi nodded. “Call me when you’ve reached your mom’s.”
“En.” Song Yu tiptoed and kissed him on the lips. “Drive safe. Pay attention to the road.”
Qi Chengzhi figured that Song Yu’s refusal for Chang Lai to come over was because she was also worried for his safety.
After he left, Song Yu called Xiao Fan to pick her up.
“I’m sorry that I’ve been troubling you these days,” Song Yu said in a shy tone as she got into the car.
“Not a problem. The master and his wife rarely use the car, so I would be paid to just loiter around the manor if it weren’t for you. That won’t do,” Xiao Fan answered jovially.
For some reason, the area around the Song family’s apartment saw an unusually high volume of motorists, and Xiao Fan could not find a parking spot nearby the apartment.
“Miss, I’ll drop you off at the main entrance before looking for a parking spot,” Xiao Fan said.
“Sure.” Song Yu nodded. Xiao Fan drove the car around and stopped in front of the apartment block to let Song Yu down.
As there were cars parked by the side of the road, Xiao Fan had to obstruct the road temporarily to make sure Song Yu had entered the apartment before going off to find a parking spot.
While climbing up the stairs, Song Yu took her phone out, wanting to inform Qi Chengzhi that she had reached her mom’s place. She rarely had calls from anyone other than Qi Chengzhi, so the first contact in her call log was his.
Just as she wanted to hit ‘call’, a gloved hand appeared in front of her eyes. In a moment of panic, her reaction was a second too late and the gloved hand stole the phone from her.
Song Yu realized that she was being robbed. When she lifted her head, her phone was thrown down the stairs.
The phone tumbled down the steps and the screen shattered while the phone case got bent out of shape. The phone switched off automatically in response to the physical violence.
Song Yu’s lips were pale and she looked up in fear. The man standing in front of her was approximately 1.8 meters tall. He had a slender frame and was wearing a baseball cap with a face mask. He looked exactly like the man she saw standing by the road from the car.
Immediately, Song Yu opened her mouth to scream but to no avail. The man covered her mouth and nose with his hand. There was a sharp, tangy smell on the glove. Song Yu’s eyes widened as she struggled to get out of the man’s grip. She was so frightened that fresh tears stung her eyes.
She lifted one hand in an attempt to break free or pull down the man’s face mask but she was locked in an embrace. Her back was against him and she could feel the sweat-drenched t-shirt. Her arms were losing strength as she tried to pull the gloved hand away.
The man started to move her down the stairs. Song Yu tried her best to hold onto the dusty railing but her vision was blurring. While she knew she had to hold on, her body no longer had the strength to.
In the end, her fingers slowly loosened their grip while her eyes fluttered shut. Stray tears stained the man’s gloves.
…
…
Qi Chengzhi had already finished his morning meeting but there was still no word from Song Yu. He did not know what time she left home, so there was no way for him to be sure of her whereabouts. Hence, he decided to call her but the dial tone suggested the phone was switched off.
A frown formed on his face. He called home. Aunt Yang answered.
“Has Song Yu left?” Qi Chengzhi walked back to his office and shut the door.
“Yes, she has. She left two hours ago so she should be back at the Songs’ house now,” Aunt Yang said.
Qi Chengzhi’s heartbeat quickened. He hung up the phone and dialed for Xiao Fan.
Xiao Fan was enjoying the air-conditioning in the car and scrolling his phone when Qi Chengzhi called. He picked up the call and heard Qi Chengzhi ask, “Where are you now?”
“At the Song family’s residential area.” Xiao Fan spoke again, “She went in already so I’m waiting in the car for her.”
“She’s already inside?” Qi Chengzhi’s eyes narrowed. There was a tenseness to his voice which made him sound sterner than usual.
The tone made Xiao Fan nervous. “Yes. She went in much earlier. I watched her walk into the building.”
Qi Chengzhi’s frown was growing deeper. “When was that?”
“An hour ago.” Qi Chengzhi’s agitated tone was making Xiao Fan anxious. “Young Master Cheng, what’s going on?”
Qi Chengzhi ignored his question and hung up the phone. The Song family’s landline was next on the list. At this point, he did not care about their sentiments toward him.
Song Yu has never gone back on a promise to him, especially if she knew that he would be worried. She would always inform him of her whereabouts. Before leaving for work, he had already explicitly reminded her to call him when she reached her mother’s house. She would not just forget to call.
Suddenly, the image of Song Yu drawing the fortune lot that Saturday flashed into his mind. A sense of foreboding simmered in him. Qi Chengzhi felt his heart rate increase, even his fingers were starting to tremble.
After scrolling through his contacts for the Song family landline, he rang them up. A short moment later, someone answered. Yu Qianying’s voice was heard.
“Ma, it’s me.” Qi Chengzhi kept his voice steady.
However, there was no reply—the line was already cut.
Qi Chengzhi continued calling. Fearing Yu Qianying would hang up on him again, when the call connected, he quickly said, “Ma, don’t hang up. I just want to ask if Song Yu reached your place?”
Yu Qianying initially intended to throw a few curses at Qi Chengzhi before slamming down the phone but she held her tongue. “No. What’s going on?”
“She never dropped by?” Qi Chengzhi’s grip tightened on his phone.
“I already said, no. She never mentioned that she was coming over today,” Yu Qianying spoke in a frustrated tone. “What’s going on? Did something happen to Song Yu? Did you two fight? Qi Chengzhi, are you bullying her? How dare you bully her! Because of you, she’s fighting with her parents. If you mistreat her, what kind of human are you?”
“No, we didn’t fight. She told me before I left for work that she wanted to visit you. The family driver, Xiao Fan, fetched her here. He says that she came in an hour ago and he witnessed with his own eyes that she walked into the building. Yet, you guys have not seen her.” The trepidation coming from someone who was usually calm and collected made Yu Qianying worried. “She promised me that she would call when she reached your house. But I didn’t receive any calls from her. I tried her phone but it was switched off. I called my house and Aunt Yang says she left two hours ago. Xiao Fan says that they arrived here an hour ago. Ma, were you guys home this whole time? Or did Song Yu drop by while you guys were away?”
“We were home this whole time. We never went out.” Even Yu Qianying was feeling anxious now. Her eyes were reddening and her anger toward Qi Chengzhi was no longer a priority. “This child! I already told her that I would visit her. She shouldn’t be running around with that belly of hers!”
At this moment, the doorbell rang. The sound raised some hope in Yu Qianying. “Someone’s here. That might be Song Yu!”
On the other hand, Qi Chengzhi was doubtful. Song Donglin opened the door to find the driver, Xiao Fan, holding a broken phone in his hand.
“Xiao Fan, why are you here? Where’s Song Yu?” Yu Qianying took the cordless phone and walked to the door. The absence of Song Yu doused her hopes and her heart sank.
Qi Chengzhi heard her across the phone and spoke, “Ma, let me speak to Xiao Fan.”
In this situation, Yu Qianying did not bother to argue with Qi Chengzhi. She passed the phone to Xiao Fan and said, “It’s Qi Chengzhi.”
“Young Master Cheng, I found the missus’s phone in the stairwell. The screen is broken and the phone might have shut down after tumbling down the stairs. Hence, your call couldn’t get through.” Xiao Fan was also sweating bullets. If anything happened to Song Yu, he would be responsible for it.
Grandmother Qi had specifically ordered him to look after Song Yu. Now, after just a few trips, he had already lost her.
Judging from the state of the phone, something had happened.
Yu Qianying stared at Song Yu’s phone and let out a loud cry. Song Donglin quickly wrapped her in his arms. He clenched his jaw and stayed strong, he needed to support Yu Qianying.
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