novelzi Chapter 26: Everyone is Looking for Someone
Chapter 26: Everyone is Looking for Someone
Chapter 26
"Auntie, I'll be good. Please don't lock me up, okay?" Li Xiaoya raised her face, her eyes downcast, looking pitiful.
The woman across from her showed a flicker of softening, but Uncle Li's cold voice quickly followed: "Her grandfather said she likes to play pitiful, but she's actually very stubborn."
Hearing this, the woman instantly withdrew her compassion and pushed Li Xiaoya into the small room opposite.
"Auntie!" Li Xiaoya stumbled, and by the time she got up, the door was already closed.
Uncle's voice sounded coldly again: "You just need to behave for a few days, and then you can have your mother's belongings. Don't you want them?"
Li Xiaoya didn't say anything more through the door.
Uncle was very satisfied with the result of his carrot-and-stick approach. He gave his wife a look and left first.
Li Xiaoya took two steps back, desperately reaching up to feel for the light cord.
But all she felt was the wall covered in thick soundproofing foam. No light cord, no switch, just bare and pitch black, with only a faint glimmer of moonlight.
The small room wasn't big, and the window was sealed tightly.
Li Xiaoya stretched out her hand, touching the thick glass and a bit of elusive moonlight.
She only shed two tears before wiping them away fiercely.
She had to grow up quickly.
She had to read many, many books.
She had to leave this place and go far away.
Li Xiaoya stayed in the small room like this for a night.
The woman leaned against the door to listen and said in surprise: "How come there's not a sound from inside? Isn't she crying at all?"
Uncle Li, unsurprised, said: "She's tough. It's only been one night, why would she cry? She didn't even cry when her father ran away and the villagers came banging on the door to collect debts."
The woman was shocked.
At this moment, Uncle Li muttered: "...Good genes indeed, worth the money."
The woman didn't hear the first half clearly, so she asked: "What?"
Uncle Li didn't answer, just straightened his tie and left for work.
The woman didn't pursue it further, turning to wake up her son and instructing him: "Go bring your sister a bowl of hot soup. This way she'll become close to you."
The boy silently took the bowl and opened the door with the key.
The next moment, the boy shouted loudly: "Mom!" "Why is she lying on the floor not moving?"
*
Qin Sui hadn't slept all night and got up as soon as it was dawn.
The production team was about the same, fearing that something big would happen and affect the normal recording of the show.
"We've got the address. Let's drive to Li Xiaoya's great-aunt's house first," the production team arranged.
Qin Sui paused for a moment and said: "Call the police."
The production team widened their eyes: "But we haven't confirmed if Li Xiaoya is missing yet..."
"Oh, oh, then... then wait a moment, I'll go find your father. He needs to handle this."
The call ended.
Qin Sui stared at the phone, thinking it would have been faster to ask Sheng Yuxiao.
Sheng Yuxiao, still unaware of what had happened, sat in the hospital room, staring at his father and asking: "When are you going back?"
Sheng Jun laughed: "So now that you think I'm useless, you're in a hurry to send me away?"
"Don't you need to get back to work?"
"Alright, as you wish." Sheng Jun shook his head and good-naturedly walked out.
Li Qingqing followed behind.
She was more concerned about Li Xiaoya than anyone else, so she knew as soon as Li Xiaoya went missing.
She deliberately didn't mention this.
But just as she and Sheng Jun were walking out of the hospital room one after another, Sheng Yuxiao's phone rang.
"Qin Sui's call?" Sheng Yuxiao frowned, "Is he sick? Calling me?"
Li Qingqing immediately felt something was wrong and hurriedly turned back.
While Sheng Yuxiao was cursing, he had already answered the phone: "Hello, don't you know how to do Li Xiaoya's hair?"
Sheng Yuxiao's tone was still a bit smug.
But in the next moment, everything changed.
"What did you say?!" Sheng Yuxiao jumped right out of the hospital bed.
He was still in his hospital gown, and he rushed out just like that, wearing slippers.
Sheng Jun turned back in astonishment, only to see his son's retreating figure.
"Sheng Yuxiao! Where are you going?!"
Sheng Yuxiao's brow furrowed, his face full of anger as he cursed, "I've said it before, Qin Sui is useless! He can't even keep track of one person!"
"Start the car! I'm going to the police station to file a report myself!"
Sheng Jun realized something was wrong and quickly found someone from the production team to ask what had happened.
"What? That young girl is missing?"
"No, no, it's not confirmed she's missing yet. She just hasn't returned home all night," the staff member explained awkwardly.
Meanwhile, Qin Sui put away his phone and was already standing in the courtyard of Li Xiaoya's great-aunt's house.
Her great-aunt, having never encountered such a situation, was startled and hurriedly rushed out asking, "Who are all of you?"
To facilitate communication, Qin Sui had brought a guide with him when he left.
The guide stepped forward and asked coldly, "Is Li Xiaoya here?"
The great-aunt thought to herself, "Oh no!"
That little girl hadn't been lying after all. There really were... so many, so many people coming to look for her!