Chapter 30: The Missing Child Part 1

Zhu Mingyue was eight years old. Although she was old enough for primary school, she was still enrolled in kindergarten.

She was the tallest child in her class, but also the most introverted.

Zhu Hanxing was usually busy filming, so she left the girl in the care of a nanny provided by a domestic service agency. She paid the woman thirty thousand yuan a month to live in and care for Mingyue.

Regarding the girl’s education, Hanxing had a specific plan.

Mingyue was deaf and could only manage simple syllables like “un,” “ah,” or “okay.” However, her hearing loss wasn’t congenital; it was a sequela of a high fever. Hanxing held onto a sliver of hope, wanting the girl to receive treatment first. She wanted her to start primary school only after she had recovered, rather than sending her to a special education facility.

Mingyue didn’t see it that way. She had already expressed her desire to attend primary school twice. Knowing she couldn’t delay it any longer, Hanxing had promised that Mingyue would start regular classes in the second half of the year, regardless of her progress.

With the deadline approaching, Hanxing had been consulting various renowned specialists. Mingyue had been skipping school lately, splitting her time between ENT specialists, psychologists, and the hospital.

When Hanxing had stopped by the house two days ago, she hadn’t dared to let Mingyue see her. She was afraid that if the girl saw her, she would burst into tears, and then Hanxing wouldn’t be able to leave for work.

After arriving at this small southern town to begin filming, Hanxing had video-called the girl. Mingyue had been sitting in the living room watching television, acting listless and barely acknowledging her. Hanxing had spent a long time trying to coax a smile out of her, but the production crew had been rushing her, forcing her to hang up and get back to work.

Today, Hanxing finally had a break during the day. She was about to call the nanny to check if Mingyue was still upset when her phone rang first. It was the nanny.

Hanxing answered with a smile, only to hear the woman stammering that Mingyue was gone. She had disappeared in the park right next to their home.

To provide a better life for Mingyue, Hanxing had borrowed money from her agency shortly after her debut. She had signed several years of “unequal treaties” just to afford their current home—a luxury apartment worth over twenty million yuan in a high-end complex. Even now, she still had several million left on the mortgage.

She had chosen the location specifically because everything was within reach: hospitals, supermarkets, and parks. It was the perfect environment for Mingyue’s recovery.

She never imagined Mingyue would go missing in the park next door.

Hanxing’s first instinct was that Mingyue had wandered off on her own. Over the past two years, Mingyue visited that park almost every week. Although she couldn’t hear, she was extremely bright; she could find her way home from the park with her eyes closed.

But the nanny said she had already checked the apartment. Mingyue wasn’t there.

They had gone for a walk together, so Mingyue had no communication devices on her. Even her GPS watch had been left at home to charge.

Hanxing had no way to track her. She told the nanny to call the police, but the woman claimed they wouldn’t accept a missing person report until twenty-four hours had passed.

Trapped thousands of kilometers away, Hanxing was frantic. She immediately booked a flight back to Jingan, but the earliest flight wasn’t until five in the evening. She wouldn’t arrive until after seven. If Mingyue hadn’t been found by then…

Hanxing didn’t dare to finish that thought. She quickly dialed Ming Li’s number, placing her last thread of hope on her friend.

Ming Li’s first thought was also that Mingyue had wandered off, but she knew they had to find her immediately just in case. She began leading Ms. Ming and Ming Xi toward Hanxing’s home while comforting Hanxing over the phone.

“Li, I’m counting on you,” Hanxing said, taking a deep breath. “The scene here is quite heavy, I have to go.”

The background was noisy, filled with people shouting, “Teacher Zhu! Teacher Zhu!”

Ming Li told her not to worry and promised to send word as soon as Mingyue was found.

“Okay,” Hanxing said. “I’ll try my best to get back tonight.”

“If we find her, you don’t have to come back.” Ming Li knew Hanxing had already taken a lot of leave for this project. The production lost a fortune every day the lead actress was gone. Moreover, this opportunity hadn’t come easily for Hanxing. Since the shoot was almost over, she needed to leave the director with a good impression—even though she had already exhausted most of his patience with their previous major argument.

Ming Li offered a few more words of comfort before hanging up.

As soon as the call ended, Ming Xi asked, “Was Mingyue kidnapped, or did she run away from home?”

Ming Li paused. She still leaned toward the girl being lost. Shaking her head, she said, “Running away at that age? I doubt it.”

“Why not? She’s very mature for her age,” Ming Xi countered. “Hanxing has been so busy lately she hasn’t even been home. Mingyue is probably upset.”

Ms. Ming sighed beside them. “Poor children, all of them.”

Ming Li smiled. “Let’s just focus on finding her.”

When they reached the apartment complex, Ming Li didn’t want the frail Ms. Ming to exert herself further. She suggested Ming Xi take their mother home in a taxi, but Ms. Ming refused. “I’ll stay. What if I can help?”

Seeing her determination, Ming Li couldn’t bring herself to say no. After thinking it over, she gave her the simplest task. “Stay at Hanxing’s place. If Mingyue comes home, call us immediately.”

“…Fine,” Ms. Ming agreed.

Ming Li and Ming Xi dropped her off and went to meet the nanny. As they headed back down, Ming Xi whispered, “Do you feel like Mom has changed these past few days?”

“A huge change,” Ming Li remarked.

Ms. Ming looked the same, but her spirit was entirely different. In the past, she would have wallowed in self-pity, feeling that her biggest contribution was staying out of the way. Now, she wanted to be involved.

“You noticed it too!” Ming Xi said. “Ever since she said she wanted to work, she’s been different. Do you know she’s been cooking four dishes for me every meal? My god.”