Chapter 139: Xia Yan Has Gone Missing
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This letter bore no signature, but from its contents, it was clear that the sender wanted to meet her today.
Xia Yan knew at once who it was.
“Zhuang Lili, I’d like to see what exactly you’re up to.”
That afternoon, after teaching one class, Xia Yan informed Principal Li and left the school early. She made her way to the place mentioned in the letter.
The location was some distance from the ranch, in a small grove of trees. It was certainly the sort of place where one could do things that were not meant to be seen. From afar, Xia Yan spotted Zhuang Lili’s figure.
“You certainly know how to choose a place.”
Hearing Xia Yan’s voice, Zhuang Lili turned to look at her. “I thought you wouldn’t come.”
Xia Yan stopped and glanced around. Seeing nothing unusual, she finally relaxed her guard. “Why wouldn’t I come? You said you wanted to settle things with me. If I didn’t show up, it would make me look as though I were the one who had done something wrong...”
At the same time, while Xia Yan was making her way there, Lin You received a letter as well. Its contents were much the same as those in Xia Yan’s letter.
Lin You frowned as he read it. He knew the place mentioned in the letter—a grove of trees. If anyone with ulterior motives happened to see them there, the rumors would become even harder to explain.
After a moment’s thought, Lin You crumpled the letter into a ball and threw it into the wastepaper basket.
Xia Yan found a tree stump, brushed away the dust, and sat down. “Go on. What did you want to tell me?”
Zhuang Lili gave her a smile that was difficult to read. “Xia Yan, this matter originally had nothing to do with me, yet you caused me to lose my job.”
Xia Yan found her words laughable. “Zhuang Lili, don’t you think that’s ridiculous? What do you mean, I caused you to lose your job? You certainly know how to accuse the victim first. In front of Principal Li and the others, you said that I didn’t care about Lin You’s reputation. Did you really think I couldn’t see through your little scheme?”
“Was I wrong? Have you ever cared about Lin You’s reputation?”
Zhuang Lili pointed at Xia Yan, her voice agitated. “I should have held up a mirror for you then, so you could see what your so-called concern looked like!”
“So you called me here today to lay all your cards on the table?” Xia Yan crossed one leg over the other, her tone calm.
“Lay all my cards on the table? I like Lin You. Ever since high school, you’ve been the center of everyone’s attention. Even after coming all the way to the great northwest, you’re still adored by everyone. Don’t you think that’s terribly unfair? Surely you can’t have every good thing for yourself...”
Zhuang Lili let out two mocking laughs.
Looking at her smile, Xia Yan suddenly felt a deep sense of foreboding.
The next second, a noise came from behind her. Before Xia Yan could react, someone clamped a hand over her mouth and nose. A strong medicinal odor flooded her nostrils, and her consciousness began to blur. Just before her eyes closed, however, she caught sight of the person behind her.
Huang Qiang!
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“Couldn’t you wait a little longer? I hadn’t finished speaking!” Zhuang Lili crouched down and checked Xia Yan. Only after confirming that she had merely passed out did she relax.
“What else is there to say?” Huang Qiang glared at Zhuang Lili. “I already sent the letter to Lin You. He could arrive at any moment. If you keep dragging your feet, our plan—”
Zhuang Lili cut him off and emphasized once again, “It’s your plan, not mine.”
“At a time like this, you’re still making such a distinction? If you regret it, you can leave right now!”
Huang Qiang kept glancing into the distance, afraid that Lin You might appear at any moment. “Stop standing there and come help!”
“Maybe we should forget it, Huang Qiang. I’m a little scared...” Zhuang Lili stood where she was, hesitating.
“Scared? Don’t you want Lin You for yourself? Hurry and help me tie Xia Yan up. Once Lin You arrives, we’ll tie him up too. Then Lin You will be yours, and Xia Yan will be mine!”
Huang Qiang took out a rope and shouted at Zhuang Lili, “Come here and help!”
The mention of Lin You stirred Zhuang Lili once again. Gritting her teeth, she ran over to help.
After tying up the “hostage,” the two of them sat on the ground, panting heavily. Zhuang Lili was even more flustered. Now that they had gone through with it, there was no turning back.
Her mind began working out how to make her “encounter” with Lin You appear natural, so that he would not suspect her and would believe that she, too, was a “victim.”
Time passed second by second, and the wind on the mountain gradually grew stronger.
Huang Qiang pulled his overcoat more tightly around himself. “Zhuang Lili, are you certain the letter reached him?”
“Of course. I’m certain Lin You saw it.”
“Then why hasn’t he come yet?”
Huang Qiang stared anxiously at the sun, already half-hidden behind the mountains. If Lin You did not come, everything he had done today would be meaningless—and he would never get another opportunity.
Meanwhile, Lin You finished his work for the day and returned home.
“Dad.”
Lin Hongzhuo was playing in the courtyard with his younger sister and Spark. Ever since the dog had arrived, it had grown quickly, thanks in large part to Xia Yan’s generous feeding.
“Have you finished your homework? And you’re playing here already!”
Lin You walked over and patted his son on the head.
“I finished it at school!”
“Where’s your mother?”
“This afternoon, I saw Mom leave the school carrying something. I don’t know where she went. I didn’t see her when I got home, either.”
Lin Hongzhuo had happened to look out of the window during class that afternoon and seen Xia Yan walk out of the school with her bag.
“She left this afternoon and still hasn’t come back?”
Lin You picked up his daughter. The settlement was not very large. Where could Xia Yan have gone?
“Dad, I’m hungry.”
“There are peach pastries in the cupboard. Take some with your sister first. I’m going out to look for your mother.”
Lin You went back inside and reminded Lin Hongzhe to look after his younger brother and sister. Then he took a military overcoat from the house before setting out to search for Xia Yan.
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He went first to Auntie Wang Guilan’s home.
At that moment, Wang Guilan was tending the vegetable patch in the backyard.
“Auntie, have you seen my Xia Yan today?”
Wang Guilan stopped what she was doing. “Little Xia? No, I haven’t. She didn’t come to see me this afternoon. I was actually thinking of looking for her. This batch of vegetables in my garden is ready to eat, and she asked me about them last time. Since you’re here, take some home to her.”
“You haven’t seen her?”
In the entire settlement, Wang Guilan was the person closest to Xia Yan. “Auntie, where does Xia Yan usually like to go?”
“What’s wrong? Has something happened?”
“Nothing’s wrong. Xia Yan hasn’t come home yet, so I came out to look for her.”
Wang Guilan did not think much of it. After all, this was a military settlement. How could a grown woman simply disappear? After considering it for a moment, she said, “Could Little Xia have gone to the supply cooperative? I heard they recently received a shipment of things for children. Maybe she went to buy something for the kids.”
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