"Taken long enough... Never mind, let's hurry back." Bai Qing scoffed at Zhang Xinyi's attitude during their call, but she couldn't help but glance back at the hospital as she walked.
Yongde Alley was far from the hospital, almost on the outskirts of the city. Bai Qing hadn't had much money back then, and Zhang Xinyi was heavily in debt. Plus, they needed to keep a low profile, making a small, secluded place ideal.
It was just too far.
There was still no news from the bodyguards sent, and Zhan Mohan's phone was like a stone cast into the sea. Wei Yumeng's eyes flickered, and her hands, resting on her lap, unconsciously clenched.
Zhan Mohan, keenly sensing his little wife's emotions, put an arm around Wei Yumeng's shoulders and ordered in a deep voice,
"Drive faster."
The driver jolted and quickly agreed, slowly pressing down on the accelerator. The Rolls-Royce shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, speeding towards their destination.
Mu Linjing, sitting in the passenger seat, felt the wind outside the car window sting her face. She rolled up the window and touched her precious child's face.
Under the driver's accelerated speed, the Rolls-Royce screeched to a halt at the entrance of the alley, leaving deep tire marks.
The Zhan family's bodyguard cars were parked in a neat row at the alley's entrance. The three recognized them at a glance and hurried into the alley.
They found themselves easily, spotting a group of bodyguards surrounding house number 120. The landlord stood in the middle, stammering.
"Young Master, Young Mistress, Second Young Mistress."
The bodyguards bowed deeply as they saw Zhan Mohan and his entourage.
The landlord, upon hearing that the main figures of the Zhan family had arrived, was so frightened that he stood in the middle, utterly lost, and followed the bodyguards in bowing.
"Shi Qing, where is Shi Qing?" Wei Yumeng frantically searched for Shi Qing's figure. She stepped into the small attic of house number 120 and then looked at the bodyguards.
There wasn't the slightest trace of Shi Qing, nor was there Shi Qing's voice, which she remembered.
"What's going on?" Zhan Mohan's brows furrowed, and he swept a sharp gaze over everyone present, his voice chillingly devoid of emotion.
"When we arrived, we found the door locked, so we climbed over the wall," the leading bodyguard reported to Zhan Mohan, his head bowed, describing the situation. "But there was no one inside. We asked the neighbors for the landlord's phone number and called him for information."
The landlord, a middle-aged man, felt his legs go weak as soon as he was mentioned. Zhan Mohan's sharp gaze fell upon him, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud, terrified.
"Mr. Zhan! I'm just an ordinary person. This is my old house, yes, but I'm just a landlord. I don't know anything!"
Seeing his cowardly demeanor, Zhan Mohan looked at Wei Yumeng. The landlord didn't seem like someone who would conspire with Zhang Xinyi.
Wei Yumeng bit her lip and turned to walk into the attic, searching every corner meticulously.
"Shi Qing, Shi Qing, are you there?"
Seeing Wei Yumeng's expression, Mu Linjing sighed inwardly and followed Wei Yumeng's pace, searching the attic with her.
The attic had two floors. Clothes were casually piled in the room, and trash, including milk cartons, was still on the table in the trash can.
It was obvious someone had been living there, yet they couldn't find a single person.
Wei Yumeng pushed open one of the rooms. On the bed lay Shi Qing's school uniform from the day she was abducted. She stood frozen, her beautiful eyes widening, reflecting the small uniform and underwear.
"This is... Shi Qing's clothes!"
Mu Linjing, standing behind Wei Yumeng, couldn't help but cover her mouth and let out a gasp.
They had thought they were deceived by Zhang Xinyi, but unexpectedly, Shi Qing had indeed been here before!
Wei Yumeng tightly clutched Shi Qing's school uniform, holding it to her chest as if embracing Shi Qing. She looked up and surveyed the scene in the room.
"Yumeng..." Mu Linjing opened her mouth, unsure what to say. The Zhan family's bodyguards would never miss a spot, and although Shi Qing had been here before, she was no longer here now.
Wei Yumeng walked out of the attic and immediately looked at the trembling landlord. She furrowed her brows and asked,
"How many people were living here?"
Mu Linjing suddenly looked at Wei Yumeng. This question clicked. Zhang Xinyi was still detained at the hospital. The only other person who could have moved Shi Qing must be someone else.
"Only one woman rented my house," the landlord recalled, answering truthfully.
Zhan Mohan raised his hand, signaling a nearby bodyguard to show the landlord a photo. The landlord immediately recognized Zhang Xinyi and nodded, confirming it was her.
"Bring the neighbors from around here," Zhan Mohan commanded, a sharp glint in his eyes. Several bodyguards then called over some neighbors who had been peeking from outside.
"How many people did you usually see in this house?" Wei Yumeng stepped forward and gently inquired.
"Not just the woman in the photo, another woman often came at night."
"Sometimes we could hear a child's voice, but it was rare."
"The other woman seemed to have left with a small child not long ago."
The neighbors, seeing such a scene for the first time, dared not speak carelessly and quickly replied.
Receiving clues from the neighbors, Wei Yumeng and the other two were startled. It seemed that someone else was involved in the plan to kidnap Shi Qing.
"Do you know who the other woman is?" Wei Yumeng continued to press, determined to get to the bottom of it.
"We're not very clear. She usually only appeared at night. She did come once during the day, but she always came and left in a hurry. We're not familiar with her, so we didn't feel comfortable asking."
The neighbors shook their heads, all stating that they didn't know Bai Qing's background.
Wei Yumeng looked in Zhan Mohan's direction. Both of their brows furrowed.
"It seems Zhang Xinyi still has things she's hiding from us," Zhan Mohan narrowed his long, dark eyes, a hint of ice visible within their depths. "You stay here and keep guard."
The bodyguards acknowledged the order in unison.
"We'll go back to the hospital. This time, we'll make her confess everything," Zhan Mohan said to Wei Yumeng in a low voice. He suddenly clenched his fist, the veins on the back of his hand bulging.
"Okay," Wei Yumeng nodded, her brows furrowed even tighter. She had been full of joy, only to find they had come up empty-handed!
The three quickly got into the car, and the Rolls-Royce immediately started, heading back the way they came.
At a small shop not far away, Bai Qing walked slowly, holding Shi Qing. She looked at her phone irritably; Zhang Xinyi's call wouldn't go through.
Zhang Xinyi had been gone too long. Bai Qing began to suspect she had been discovered, which was why she had hastily taken Shi Qing.
Bai Qing glanced at the still-sleeping Shi Qing in her arms, a smirk forming on her red lips. This was a Zhan family child, a very valuable bargaining chip.
Regardless of whether Zhang Xinyi was discovered, she didn't want to share this chip with anyone else!