Chapter 267 - Why Didn’t You Tell The Family About Such An Urgent Issue (1/2)

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Yu Qianyin 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 Qianyin.

“Where did Song Yu go? Why is her phone battered? She’s carrying a child now! What happened to her?” Yu Qianyin uttered between sobs. “I’m so sorry. Stupid tantrums. If I just forgave Qi Chengzhi, Song Yu wouldn’t have to visit home alone all the time. If she came with Qi Chengzhi, this wouldn’t have happened. Lao Song, it’s my fault, my fault. Song Yu… Song Yu, she…”

“Let’s stay calm.” Song Donglin suppressed the worry in his heart and consoled Yu Qianyin with a reassuring tone. “It’s just a phone. It may not even be Song Yu’s. And even if it is, it doesn’t mean that something bad had happened to her. There may be an explanation.”

“Xiao Fan, go get a clean plastic bag to put the phone in. Refrain from touching it with your bare hands,” Qi Chengzhi ordered through the phone.

Xiao Fan nodded and went to ask Song Donglin, who kept his wits about him. “Sir, do you have a clean plastic bag?”

“Yes.” Song Donglin released Yu Qianyin and went to the kitchen. He took out a roll of plastic bag and tore one off to contain the phone.

Xiao Fan switched on the phone. Upon checking the call log, he told Qi Chengzhi, “Young Master Cheng, it is the missus’s phone.”

Qi Chengzhi felt his leg became jelly-like and his body shook. He clutched the backrest of his office chair for support.

From the phone, he could hear the sobs coming from Yu Qianyin. He gritted his teeth.

“Bring the phone to the police,” Qi Chengzhi spoke through his clenched jaw.

“Yes, sir.” Xiao Fan nodded and turned to Song Donglin and Yu Qianyin. “I’m going to the police station.”

“We’ll follow!” Yu Qianyin said through her tears. Her eyes were bloodshot.

“That…” Xiao Fan was uncertain if that was the best course of action.

Song Donglin stepped in. “Qianyin, you stay at home. There might have been a misunderstanding. If Song Yu comes back, there should be someone home to open the door for her. I’ll go with Xiao Fan.”

Yu Qianyin knew the possibility was slim but she wanted to hold onto whatever sliver of hope there was, so she agreed. “Call me if there’s any information. I want to be kept updated.”

“Stay home and don’t think too much. Don’t worry,” assured Song Donglin.

Once Song Donglin was out of the house, tears sprang from his eyes. He could no longer keep a lid on his emotions.

In the office, Qi Chengzhi took his car keys and was ready to leave. He took a step and found his legs shaking. The fear in his heart made him choke back a sob. This would be the first time in his thirty-five years on Earth that he felt true fear. He thought that his worst fear would be the revelation about the truth behind the Song family’s bankruptcy—he was proven wrong.

At that point, even if Song Yu did not forgive him, she would still be healthy and safe. Now, Qi Chengzhi had no clue about her status or whereabouts.

He was shaking so badly that breathing was becoming difficult.

He willed himself to walk out of his office. He placed his keys on Cheng Dongge’s desk and said, “Drive me to the police station.”

A bewildered look appeared on Cheng Dongge’s face as he looked at the pale-faced Qi Chengzhi. Despite not knowing the context, he took the car keys wordlessly.

“Xiao Fan, tell me again. Exactly what happened when you dropped Song Yu off,” Qi Chengzhi spoke into the phone. While Qi Chengzhi was still on the line, Xiao Fan did not dare put down the phone.

“There were a lot of cars around the apartment block so I couldn’t find a parking spot. The missus got off at the main entrance and I watched as she walked into the building. I only drove off to find parking after she was inside.” Xiao Fan realized where the gap was. “I should have accompanied her up the stairs. It must have been then, the missus…”

The blood drained from Xiao Fan’s face. He blamed himself for the incident. “Young Master Cheng, I’m sorry. It was my negligence…”

“Go to the police first,” Qi Chengzhi said. He was at wits’ end with the situation and hung up the phone. He and Cheng Dongge strode out of the office building.

Once in the car, Qi Chengzhi sat motionless in the backseat. His hands were clenched tight and his body grew cold as his thoughts drifted to Song Yu.

Qi Chengzhi shut his eyes. His jaw muscles were strained. After a while, he moved his thumb to wipe his eyes. He rested his thumb and forefinger on his eyes.

Cheng Dongge watched him from the rearview mirror but did not know what to say.

There was a long silence before Qi Chengzhi’s hoarse voice spoke from behind, “Song Yu’s missing.”

Cheng Dongge’s eyes widened in shock. “What happened?”

He had never heard of Qi Chengzhi’s voice crack so badly. Although Qi Chengzhi was not crying, he could hear the occasional choked-back sob.

Qi Chengzhi felt that he needed to talk to someone about this. To crumble at such a critical time point, he had never felt this weak and useless before.

He breathed in with his nose. With a tremble in his voice, Qi Chengzhi spoke, “Song Yu went back to her parents’ house today. Xiao Fan saw with his own eyes, Song Yu entering the apartment building but her parents said she didn’t come home. No one saw her and Xiao Fan found her phone shattered in the apartment stairwell.”

After hearing the news, Cheng Dongge picked up speed and they drove in silence.

…

…

As Xiao Fan was driving, Grandmother Qi called. He hesitated but fear made him answer the call.

“Xiao Fan, where are you guys? Why can’t I get to Song Yu’s phone?” Grandmother Qi’s voice blared through the phone. “How’s the situation at her place? I thought about giving her mother a call.”

Grandmother Qi thought that if Song Yu could not move Yu Qianyin, she would personally talk to Yu Qianyin. She figured Yu Qianyin would not outright reject a request from an old lady of nobility.

“This…” Xiao Fan struggled to answer her question.

Song Yu’s disappearance was so sudden and Xiao Fan’s mind was scrambled. He had no time to think through how he should tell the family. He also forgot to ask Qi Chengzhi about informing the family.

The stutters from Xiao Fan immediately aroused suspicion. Grandmother Qi sat up straight and adjusted her prescription glasses. She spoke with a stern tone, “Xiao Fan, be honest with me—did something happen?”

“Ma’am…” Xiao Fan’s face turned pale. He was almost in tears as he replied, “It’s my fault… I lost the missus…”

“What happened?” Grandmother Qi’s heart jumped to her throat. Her hands gripped the arms of her chair. “What do you mean you lost Song Yu?”

“Let me talk to her.” Song Donglin realized that Xiao Fan was too anxious to speak, so he volunteered to deliver the news. He did not want Xiao Fan to be distracted from driving. “Grandmother Qi, it’s me, Song Donglin.”

“Xiao Song, what happened? Xiao Fan’s story didn’t make sense. Is Song Yu with you?” Grandmother Qi asked hurriedly.

“Song Yu is missing. Xiao Fan saw her walked upstairs but we were home the whole time and she didn’t appear. It’s been two hours and no one has seen her. Then, Xiao Fan found her shattered phone in the stairwell while he was walking up. Now we’re heading to the police station.” As Song Donglin finished, tears streamed down his eyes. He quickly rubbed them away and continued, “You don’t worry too much. It might be a misunderstanding. We’ll talk to the police first and update you as soon as we know what’s going on.”

“Okay… Okay…” Grandmother Qi placed the phone back into its cradle absentmindedly. She started to feel light in the head and darkness descended over her as her vision blurred.

“What happened?” Grandfather Qi was listening on the side but could not make out the whole story.

“Song Yu… Song Yu’s gone missing…” Grandmother Qi told Grandfather Qi what Song Donglin had said on the phone. She was in low spirits—it felt like the end of the world. “Everything was going so well. Why did this happen?”

The news took Grandfather Qi by surprise. He sat there, not knowing what to do. There were some tea cups on the side table so he tried to calm his mind by making tea but his hands were trembling feverishly. He resigned himself to clasping his hands together to stop the trembling.

A sudden realization dawned on Grandmother Qi. “Do you think this is happening because of the fortune lot Song Yu drew that day? It was foretold that something bad will happen”