Chapter 109: Sister Vanished

The Mid-Autumn Festival had been an utter disaster. Lu Zhixia returned from the Shen Family Grand Courtyard and promptly fell seriously ill.

Yan Fanghua called in sick for her. She refused to eat or drink, sleeping for two full days and nights.

During that time, both Lin Xuan and Guan Xiuhe phoned.

Lin Xuan, whom Lu Zhixia had introduced earlier, was Yan Fanghua’s sole disciple. She likely suspected it had something to do with Shen Wanqing and wanted to put in a good word for her.

Yan Fanghua, however, showed little reaction. Instead, she urged them to take good care of themselves and make it through their secondary differentiation smoothly.

Jiang Menglai and Ye Lanxi came to visit Lu Zhixia together. She slept fitfully, mumbling in her dreams or breaking into tears.

Ye Lanxi let out a soft sigh. “Falling in love really is a killer. I’ll stick to playing the field.”

“You’re just finding excuses for your wandering heart,” Jiang Menglai said, giving her a light punch. She sighed too. “The real issue is we still don’t know what happened that night.”

That night, Lu Zhixia had emerged through the main gate, filthy from head to toe, her head hanging low. After thanking them, she climbed into the car and stared blankly ahead.

Worried, they escorted her home before doubling back to retrieve the car.

The miniature intelligent camera that Jiang Menglai had pinned on Lu Zhixia was smashed and wouldn’t open anymore.

Lu Zhixia said nothing when she got home, and Yan Fanghua didn’t press her.

She took a long bath. When she finally emerged from the bathroom, her hair still damp, she collapsed onto the bed and passed out.

In the end, Yan Fanghua dried her hair for her. She lay perfectly still, obedient in a way that felt all too unnatural.

In that moment, Yan Fanghua realized that her long-cherished hope for the girl to be perfectly well-behaved had been a mistake.

Such unnatural docility was heartbreaking.

Lu Zhixia dreamed endlessly: her father drowning in blood, Shen Wanqing weighed down by shackles, countless rabid dogs snapping at her heels…

She awoke exhausted, drawing in a long breath as if she’d just clawed her way back to life.

Memories flooded back, and pain stabbed through her chest like a knife. Shen Wanqing’s disappointed gaze and icy tone cut deep, all too real.

It felt like a prince charging through brambles and thorns to the castle, heart ablaze with fervor, only to have the newly awakened princess douse him with a bucket of ice water—straight to the soul.

Yan Fanghua brought her a bowl of porridge. Lu Zhixia wouldn’t let her feed her; she took it and sipped it herself.

When Yan Fanghua asked questions, her voice came out raspy, her answers slow and mumbled without so much as lifting her head.

She was more obedient now, but colder too. Yan Fanghua sat on the edge of the bed, watching her in silence.

After finishing the porridge, Lu Zhixia slid quietly out of bed and shuffled toward the door. Her slippers dragged across the floor, her steps slow and deliberate, her very posture radiating sorrow.

Soon, the sound of running water echoed from the bathroom. Once clean, Lu Zhixia settled in the living room to watch TV.

Her phone buzzed in the bedroom. She ignored it, so Yan Fanghua fetched it and set it nearby.

It rang once more, then fell silent. Lu Zhixia kept towel-drying her hair.

A knock came at the door. Without glancing up, Lu Zhixia let Yan Fanghua answer it. It was Qin Zheng.

Qin Zheng had held off visiting, afraid she’d burst into tears at the sight of her.

Now, face-to-face with Lu Zhixia’s ashen expression, her own eyes welled up.

Lu Zhixia shot her a sidelong glance. Their eyes met, and Qin Zheng’s tears spilled over.

“What are you crying for?” Lu Zhixia rasped helplessly. “I’m okay.”

Lu Zhixia even asked about Qin Zheng’s situation. She’d aced the written exam and was awaiting interview results.

“What about Gu Yanming?” Lu Zhixia pressed. “Has he been looking for you?”

“He hasn’t sought me out or anything…” Qin Zheng wiped at her eyes and looked down. “I ran into him once at the bookstore while buying exam prep books. He recommended some titles and practice sheets. A lot of the questions on this exam were straight out of them.”

Lu Zhixia arched a brow faintly. “He’s that generous?”

“I don’t know.” Qin Zheng wavered, unsure whether to treat him to a thank-you meal.

“If you want to thank him, go ahead. Just stay safe.” As Lu Zhixia chatted with Qin Zheng, Jiang Menglai dropped by after work—much to their mutual surprise and delight.

That evening, they all gathered around the dinner table. Conversation was scarce.

Shen Wanqing hung unspoken in the air like a taboo. Jiang Menglai asked when Lu Zhixia would return to work. She set down her bowl and chopsticks. “Tomorrow.”

That night, Lu Zhixia stayed up late drafting an email to the mysterious email. With two days lost to sleep, she had little to report.

She typed a few lines about that night, then deleted them.

That was Shen Wanqing’s business—not work, not her purview.

Finished at last, Lu Zhixia crawled into bed unusually meekly. Prone on the mattress, she found sleep elusive.

When Yan Fanghua eased the door open, Lu Zhixia squeezed her eyes shut. Her mother lingered at the bedside for a long moment, set something on the nightstand, then quietly withdrew.

After the door clicked shut, Lu Zhixia didn’t open her eyes. She remembered that one night when she’d been lying naked under the covers, eager to share some intimate fun with Shen Wanqing. But then her mother had walked into the room and seen everything, completely killing the mood.

People, she thought, eyes still closed as she let out a soft sigh. The harder she tried not to dwell on it, the more the memories flooded her mind unbidden.

To this day, she still didn’t understand—didn’t even want to consider—Shen Wanqing’s side of things. That night, Shen Wanqing had truly hurt her, and even now, just thinking about it made her want to cry.

All her life up to that point, Lu Zhixia had believed her father’s death was the saddest thing she’d ever endured. But after meeting Shen Wanqing, it felt like all her deepest emotions were tethered to her. The moment Shen Wanqing had fixed her with that disappointed, indifferent gaze and declared it was over… the pain in Lu Zhixia’s heart had been different from the grief of losing her father, yet just as profound.

She was heartbroken, furious, disappointed. She vowed to herself that if Shen Wanqing didn’t make the first move, she never would again.

She wasn’t undesirable. She didn’t need Shen Wanqing specifically. Worst case, she’d spend the rest of her life single.

She drifted in and out of sleep that night, and every time awareness flickered through her haze, her thoughts circled back to Shen Wanqing.

Dawn light filtered in, and Lu Zhixia finally opened her eyes. There, on the bedside table, sat a brand-new wallet.

She stared at it blankly for a moment before flipping through it. All her usual items were inside, along with the Red Heart Shen Wanqing had given her.

She didn’t understand Shen Wanqing. She wasn’t worthy of opening that Red Heart. She didn’t even love her. Annoyed, she tossed it straight into the trash bin.

After her shower and breakfast, she packed her things for work and slipped the wallet into her bag.

But that Red Heart kept tugging at her, fluttering right at the center of her chest. She hesitated—should she fish it out?

Shoes on, Lu Zhixia stood at the door, stamped her foot, kicked them off, and hurried back inside. Yan Fanghua looked puzzled. “Forget something?”

“Yeah.” Lu Zhixia dashed to her room. The trash bin was empty. Her heart stuttered, like a piece of it had been sliced away. She bolted back to the doorway. “Mom, where’s the stuff from the trash bin?”

“Trash? I left it by the door.” Yan Fanghua blinked in confusion.

Lu Zhixia raced out and dropped to a squat in the hallway, digging through the garbage bags.

Bathroom trash, kitchen scraps, living room odds and ends… it was all crammed into one bag.

She rummaged for what felt like forever, and finally unearthed the Red Heart from a corner. She breathed a deep sigh of relief.

Lu Zhixia pulled out a wet wipe, cleaned off the Red Heart, wiped her hands, then turned the corner and headed downstairs.

Yan Fanghua stood in the doorway, peering through the cat’s eye on tiptoe. She saw the whole thing clearly and shook her head with a sigh.

Haijing Senhua buzzed along as usual, and the 22nd floor was no different. No Shen Wanqing. No Yan Menghui.

But one thing stood out: Shen Wanqing’s LT, which was always active, now showed a gray avatar.

Lu Zhixia yanked the newspaper off the sofa. Beneath it sat the Wolf Dog Plushie she’d been sewing—nearly finished.

With Shen Wanqing gone, Yan Menghui had assigned her tasks. Lu Zhixia threw herself into the work without a word.

A precarious balance hung between them, a fragile peace that could ignite into full-blown conflict at the slightest spark.

For days on end, Shen Wanqing might as well have vanished.

Lu Zhixia even completed the Wolf Dog Plushie, hand-washing and drying it in the President’s Office before stuffing in the filling.

She hugged the plushie and rubbed her cheek against it. It felt wonderfully soft.

She stared at the Wolf Dog for a long while, hugging it tight, then let out a quiet sigh. In a soft voice, she murmured, “How about I call you Mi Xiu? From now on, you can keep her company in my place. As for me…” She paused. “Truth be told, I still love her. But she’s disappeared without a trace, ignoring me completely. It makes me so sad, and part of me wants to hate her. Sigh.”

She knew full well how tangled and contradictory her feelings were.

Lu Zhixia chatted with the Wolf Dog plushie, tugging and pinching its tail. “I sewed my love right into your body. I thought about cutting it out, but that would’ve left you incomplete, so I left it there. She probably won’t notice anyway.”

She even entrusted the Wolf Dog with caring for Shen Wanqing, speaking to it as if it were alive.

Shen Wanqing truly seemed to have vanished. It felt like they’d never shared any connection at all.

If the housekeeper from Cloud Water Manor hadn’t called, Lu Zhixia might have convinced herself she’d never met Shen Wanqing.

The Cherry Blossom Grove at Cloud Water Manor had withered long ago from drought. The housekeeper asked if she wanted him to water it for her.

Lu Zhixia’s expression dimmed. She rested her cheek on the cool desk. “I don’t mind either way. No idea what President Shen would say. Maybe you should ask her.”

“We don’t disturb President Shen for anything non-urgent. It’s fine to mention it casually if we run into her, but tracking her down specifically wouldn’t be right.” The housekeeper, too, hadn’t laid eyes on Shen Wanqing in some time.

“Is President Shen not at the estate?” Lu Zhixia couldn’t help asking, though she hated her own ulterior motive. She didn’t want to admit it, but she was genuinely worried. She berated herself for being pathetic, yet she couldn’t stop.

“I’m not sure, but we definitely haven’t seen President Shen around the estate in ages.” The housekeeper’s words weighed heavy on Lu Zhixia’s heart once more.

Lu Zhixia drove over that evening. She was standing in the familiar spot again, chin raised as the machine scanned her palm-sized face and the gate slid open automatically.

The cherry blossom seedlings had been sprayed with pesticide once before. Now their leaves were a tender green, thriving nicely.

Lu Zhixia finished watering them, rinsed the dirt from her hands, and started packing up the hose.

The housekeeper came over to help, and they loaded it onto the car together. Lu Zhixia stomped her feet lightly. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” The housekeeper had a kind face, in his forties or fifties. He smiled. “If you don’t mind, feel free to call me Uncle Zhou.”

She called him Uncle Zhou obediently. He asked, “You look down in the dumps. Want to head over there and have some fun for a bit?”

He pointed toward the horse ranch. Lu Zhixia shook her head. Things weren’t the same between her and Shen Wanqing anymore. She forced a smile. “No need to trouble you. I’ll get going.”

Back home, Yan Fanghua was flipping through a book in the living room. She stood up. “Have you eaten?”

“Not yet.” Lu Zhixia glanced at the food on the table. She hadn’t even taken off her shoes and was still standing in the doorway. “I want Mala Tang.”

Yan Fanghua paused. “Is it that good?”

“I like it.”

“Then I’ll try some too.”

Now it was Lu Zhixia’s turn to be stunned. She and her mother headed downstairs and ordered Mala Tang together.

As usual, Lu Zhixia got a bottle of Dayao. She ate big mouthfuls without looking up.

Yan Fanghua saw how glum she was and took the initiative. “Want to check out the night market later?”

Lu Zhixia shook her head. She was suddenly far too well-behaved, and it tugged at Yan Fanghua’s heart. She had always wanted her daughter to be more obedient, but now it just hurt to see.

Mala Tang wasn’t really to Yan Fanghua’s taste, but Lu Zhixia was eating it with such relish that it was clear she loved it.

After dinner, Lu Zhixia stopped by the supermarket to say hi to Grandma and bought two popsicles.

Yan Fanghua took a bite. The cold bit into her teeth, but she still ate the whole thing to keep Lu Zhixia company.

On the walk home, Lu Zhixia stayed completely silent. Yan Fanghua tried to draw her out. “Lately, it seems Lanxi hasn’t been asking you to hang out.”

“Mm. Didn’t you say you didn’t want me going out?” Lu Zhixia’s tone was calm. Yan Fanghua coughed lightly. “Going out now and then is fine. Just don’t get into any trouble.”

“Okay.” Lu Zhixia clasped her hands behind her back and kicked at pebbles along the roadside.

Lu Zhixia had grown much quieter lately. Yan Fanghua felt like someone was missing from the house.

Neither of them mentioned Shen Wanqing, but she was on both their minds.

Yan Fanghua suspected Lu Zhixia’s mood had something to do with Shen Wanqing. For her part, Lu Zhixia had never stopped thinking about her.

Tomorrow marked the start of National Day holiday, and Shen Wanqing had been gone for a full sixteen days.

They had just reached the downstairs lobby when Yan Fanghua’s phone buzzed. She stopped to check the message as Lu Zhixia headed inside.

“Little Xia.” Yan Fanghua called after her.

Lu Zhixia turned, her expression neutral. Those deep black eyes, dark as the night itself, gazed quietly at her.

“Nothing.” Yan Fanghua caught up and walked on ahead.

When Lu Zhixia emerged from the bathroom, she spotted a green light blinking at the top of her phone.

A new message. The moment she opened it, her breath caught.

After so many days, Shen Wanqing had finally reached out.