When Xia Yan walked out of the company, she was completely dazed. She felt like she couldn't hear what people around her were saying or see what they were doing. Lost and disoriented, she wandered alone through the streets, weaving through the crowd, her mind filled with Ke Yaru's words. Her voice clung to her like a ghost, each syllable deliberate, sending a chill through Xia Yan—a bone-deep cold that reached its peak.
On the commercial street, it happened to be Zhan Meng's day off. Feng Yuan already had plans, so Zhan Meng was out alone to get some fresh air, wandering aimlessly. She never expected to see Xia Yan here. Delighted, she raised her voice and called out to her.
After calling several times without Xia Yan looking her way, Zhan Meng felt puzzled. She pushed through the crowd and strode over, tapping Xia Yan on the shoulder from the side. "Xia Yan, I called you a few times. Didn't you hear me?"
Xia Yan turned her stiff face to look at Zhan Meng, who had suddenly appeared before her. She moved her lips but said nothing.
"Oh my god, Xia Yan, what happened to you? How did you get so haggard? Look at you—pale face, red and swollen eyes. Did someone bully you? Tell me, and I'll go deal with them. I've been itching to throw a punch anyway."
Xia Yan shook her head, still silent.
Zhan Meng, a bit impatient, spoke with an urgent tone. "Xia Yan, say something, don't just shake your head. If you don't tell me, how am I supposed to know what's going on?"
"I'm fine."
"Come on, with that look on your face, anyone can tell you're in a bad state."
"Really?"
"Would I lie to you?"
As soon as she said it, Zhan Meng couldn't help but laugh a little. But when she saw Xia Yan's expressionless face, her smile vanished instantly, and she quickly sobered up.
"Did Xia Siyue give you trouble? That woman really can't change her ways. Wait, I'll go deal with her." Zhan Meng was a woman of action, acting before thinking. She grabbed Xia Yan's hand and headed toward the parking garage, where her car was. She planned to drive to find Xia Siyue right away.
Xia Yan let herself be pulled along without resistance. Right now, she desperately needed some sense of presence. Zhan Meng forcibly stuffed her into the car, even buckling her seatbelt, then turned to the driver's seat. "We're going to find Xia Siyue now. I'll get justice for you."
When Xia Yan didn't respond, Zhan Meng suddenly remembered something. While fastening her own seatbelt, she looked at Xia Yan and asked, "By the way, do you know where Xia Siyue is right now?"
"..."
"Xia Yan? Are you listening to me?"
"..."
"Xia Yan, did your soul leave your body? What are you thinking about?"
Zhan Meng finished buckling her seatbelt but didn't start the car. Instead, she stared intently at Xia Yan. She saw her vacant eyes fixed straight ahead—no, her gaze had been locked forward the whole time, never glancing left or right. She was like a puppet without a will of her own.
After sitting in the car for a while, Zhan Meng couldn't bear the heavy atmosphere anymore. She couldn't help but ask again, "Xia Yan, if you really don't want to talk, I won't push. But tell me, what do you want to do now? I'm off today, so I can keep you company."
"Zhan Meng, do you remember asking you to help me investigate the car accident?" Xia Yan finally spoke after a long silence.
Zhan Meng nodded without hesitation. "Of course I remember. That was the first time you asked me for help. Did something change with that case?"
"Maybe. Back then, you told me the accident was connected to Yang Jinkuan, right?"
"Yeah. Even though there's no solid proof that it's one hundred percent linked to Yang Jinkuan, most of the evidence points to him. He's the prime suspect."
"Evidence can be fabricated or misleading, can't it?"
"Well... technically, yes. Could someone be misleading me?" Zhan Meng said this, but even she didn't believe it. She always trusted her skills. If someone was actually leading her astray, her reputation would be ruined.
Especially since she had clashed badly with Ning Xi over this. Ning Xi told her not to get involved, but she insisted on meddling. She knew why Ning Xi wanted to stay out of it but had never said it out loud.
Xia Yan glanced at the lost-in-thought Zhan Meng and sighed. "Forget it. All that is in the past. The truth is too shallow. Even if I know it, what I've lost won't come back. Let's go."
"Go where?"
"Home. To pack. I don't want to stay here."
"You're leaving Jiangcheng? Xia Yan, something's really off with you today."
"I'm fine. Zhan Meng, can you take me back, please?" Xia Yan didn't want to deal with anyone or anything right now, especially anything related to Lu Zhengting. She resisted it completely.
Zhan Meng couldn't figure out what Xia Yan was thinking or what had happened before. All she saw now was Xia Yan's extremely low mood. Those red, swollen eyes from crying were a clear sign that Xia Yan was in a terrible state.
Should she tell Lu Zhengting?
"Zhan Meng, can you do me a favor?" Xia Yan closed her eyes, leaning back against the seat, speaking softly.
"What favor? If I can help, I will."
"I'm going to leave Jiangcheng."
"Leave Jiangcheng? Not coming back? Have you decided where to go?"
"I don't know if I'll come back. I've never been to my mother's hometown. I want to take this chance to visit."
"Where's your mother's hometown?"
"Yuzhou."
"That's not too far."
"Yeah. I hope you can keep it a secret. If anyone asks about my whereabouts, don't tell anyone—not Lu Zhengting, not Ning Xi, especially not anyone connected to Lu Zhengting."
"Well..." Zhan Meng tilted her head, thinking, then suddenly changed the subject. "You're going alone, right? Since that's the case, I'll come with you. I've got nothing to do anyway, and I've never been to Yuzhou. What do you think?"
Xia Yan was taken aback. "Okay."
"Great. I don't have much luggage. Let's go to your place first to pack, then we'll sneak off. Oh, and if you don't want Lu Zhengting to know where you are, I've got a plan. But you have to listen to me. I guarantee he won't find us."
"Alright."
With the deal struck, Zhan Meng flashed a mischievous grin, started the engine, and headed toward Xia Yan's apartment. Back at home, Xia Yan checked the weather in Yuzhou online and found it was similar to Jiangcheng's, probably because both were in the south.
Xia Yan packed a few things simply, took one last look around the apartment, and left without looking back with Zhan Meng. When they got to Zhan Meng's place, Xia Yan realized what it meant to have no room to stand—the sofa and floor were covered in stuff, either clothes or snacks.
Xia Yan stared in shock as Zhan Meng threw a few random clothes into a suitcase, zipped it up, and dragged it over to her. With a wave of her hand and no hint of embarrassment, she said, "I'm ready. Let's go."
Xia Yan nodded, took one last glance at the messy room, and silently followed Zhan Meng out.
Xia Yan had no sense of direction, so Zhan Meng didn't even consider relying on her for navigation. She studied a map for a while, finally settled on a route, and their mode of transport was the car—they'd drive themselves, since both of them could drive. Xia Yan's driving wasn't great, but it was passable.
And so, the two of them drove off to Yuzhou in style.
In a city of millions, two people leaving wasn't a big deal—just an insignificant event, given the daily flow of people far exceeded that number. But in Jiangcheng, their departure nearly turned the city upside down, and the only one bold enough to cause such chaos was Lu Zhengting.
He didn't realize Xia Yan was missing until a few days after she left. He ordered everyone to find her, but no one knew where she'd gone. They checked all transportation records without finding any trace of Xia Yan, even reviewing footage from every exit with no results.
Lu Zhengting's oppressive aura made everyone around him afraid to speak carelessly, terrified of saying the wrong thing. Li Ru, who was closer to Xia Yan, was summoned directly to the CEO's office. Usually cheerful, she now wore a serious expression.
"Mr. Lu, I swear, I really don't know where Xia Yan went. I don't even know when she left. If you want me to give you an address right now, I don't know what to say." The more Li Ru spoke, the more miserable she looked.
Lu Zhengting's icy gaze bore into Li Ru, making her scalp tingle. Under such high pressure, Li Ru felt she was going crazy. Her most important task every day now was to think of the most likely places Xia Yan might have gone.
But who knew where she'd gone?
Besides Li Ru, Lin Xujia was also dragged in by Lu Zhengting's people, forced to suggest places Xia Yan might go. Based on everyone's suggestions, he sent people to search, but none found Xia Yan.
Lu Zhengting's temper worsened by the day. When he returned to Dongshan Villa each night, even Xiao Han, who always wanted to see Xia Yan, dared not approach him. Jiang Mingxiu, initially happy to hear Xia Yan had disappeared, soon stopped smiling.
Lu Zhengting went all out, sparing no effort to find Xia Yan, even making it known across the city, which infuriated her.
He had thought of every possible place and sent people to search, but still no good news came. At that moment, fear crept into his heart. If he had known Xia Yan would leave so decisively, he would have told her the truth sooner.
Meanwhile, Ning Xi also sensed something was off. Zhan Meng, that troublemaker who loved stirring things up, had vanished too. When he asked Feng Yuan, she knew nothing.