A thunderclap exploded in Zhang Xin Yi's heart. She instinctively sped up, climbing over the guardrail and standing up.
With Shi Qing still on her back, cold sweat poured from Zhang Xin Yi. She could even hear the sounds of security guards waking up behind her.
Run!
Only these two words echoed in Zhang Xin Yi's mind. She didn't dare to look back, but instead dashed towards the car parked not far away as if she were flying!
"Who's running so fast?" The security guard stretched and saw Zhang Xin Yi's fleeing figure at a glance, shouting casually.
Zhang Xin Yi ignored the security guard's shouts from behind. She kept running forward until she was out of sight.
A car was hidden discreetly under the shade of the trees. Zhang Xin Yi hurriedly got into the car, removed Shi Qing from her back, and settled her in the back seat. She then covered Shi Qing's small body with a black jacket.
Shi Qing was still unconscious, her eyes tightly shut. A smug expression appeared on Zhang Xin Yi's face. She then completely covered Shi Qing's little face.
The car slowly started and sped away, leaving only a trail of exhaust fumes.
Meanwhile, at the school, a few minutes earlier, Mu Lin Jing noticed Shi Qing was not in her seat. She walked through the circle of parents and approached Jin Zhi.
"Jin Zhi, where did Shi Qing go?"
"Auntie, Shi Qing went to the restroom," Jin Zhi told Mu Lin Jing truthfully. A little boy next to him was asking him questions, and Jin Zhi hadn't realized Shi Qing hadn't returned yet.
"How long has she been gone?" Mu Lin Jing suddenly had a bad feeling. She frowned and asked Jin Zhi.
"About ten minutes." Jin Zhi thought carefully and glanced at his watch. "It's been a bit long. Maybe she has an upset stomach?"
"Jin Zhi, Auntie is going to look for Shi Qing. You wait here for Auntie to come back, and don't leave this spot, understand?" Mu Lin Jing's eyebrows furrowed even tighter. She gently stroked Jin Zhi's head and earnestly instructed him.
Jin Zhi sensed something unusual and nodded obediently.
Mu Lin Jing couldn't rest easy. She went to communicate with the homeroom teacher. The teacher's expression clearly became more solemn, and then he and Mu Lin Jing hurried towards the restroom.
The restroom was quiet, not as if anyone was there.
"Shi Qing, are you there?"
"Shi Qing, if you're here, answer Auntie and Teacher."
Mu Lin Jing and the homeroom teacher entered the restroom, searching from stall to stall while calling out.
There was no answer. The atmosphere was so quiet that a falling needle could be heard.
Every door was open, but Shi Qing's shadow was nowhere to be found.
She's a child from the Zhan family!
The homeroom teacher, frightened and flustered, quickly ran out to notify other teachers.
The wind blew in from the window, chilling Mu Lin Jing to the bone. Her eyes widened as she looked at the smooth floor.
A pink hairpin lay quietly on the floor. It was the one she had personally fastened in Shi Qing's hair when they left that morning...
Shi Qing was gone!
Mu Lin Jing felt dizzy. She took out her phone from her pocket and directly called the principal. The call was answered quickly.
"Hello, Principal. This is Mu Lin Jing. Our child, Zhan Shi Qing, has gone missing at school."
"What?" The principal was so shocked by the explosive news that the phone almost flew out of his hand. He wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Mrs. Zhan, I will notify everyone immediately. We will mobilize the entire school to search for student Shi Qing!"
Mu Lin Jing responded briefly and then began to search room by room. She bit her lip, filled with regret.
If only she hadn't left her seat, if only she had stayed by Shi Qing's side and accompanied her to the restroom, this wouldn't have happened!
"Major announcement, major announcement! Student Zhan Shi Qing has gone missing in the third-floor restroom. All personnel on campus, search immediately! Search immediately! The announcement will be broadcast again..."
Alarms blared throughout the school. All teachers on campus rushed out to search for Shi Qing, especially those from Shi Qing's class, who were all terrified. They neglected the parent-teacher meeting and ran around the corridors.
"Security room! Seal all exits of the school! Thoroughly inspect every person leaving, and detain any suspicious individuals immediately!"
The security guards, who had been leisurely hiding in the security room, quickly grabbed their electric batons and scattered to patrol every corner of the school.
Mu Lin Jing ran through every classroom. All the teachers and security guards searched every corner of the campus, wishing they could dig three feet into the ground.
However, Shi Qing had vanished into thin air, and they couldn't find her no matter what.
Shi Qing is a good child, she would never run off without a word.
Mu Lin Jing felt a growing sense of dread. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and clenched her fists.
There was only one possibility, and it was the worst one: Shi Qing... had been kidnapped!
"Mrs. Zhan, the surveillance footage from outside the restroom has been retrieved. Please come and take a look." The homeroom teacher ran to inform Mu Lin Jing.
She had intended to look at the surveillance footage outside the women's restroom first, but it seemed there was a problem with the camera, and the footage wouldn't load.
"Okay." Upon hearing that there was news about the surveillance footage, Mu Lin Jing didn't have time to think and headed straight to the monitoring room.
In the monitoring room, the principal, vice-principal, and several other people were present. Seeing Mu Lin Jing arrive, they quickly made way for her.
The security guard in front of the monitor was adjusting the footage, which had just stopped at the moment Shi Qing entered the restroom.
"Quick, play it again!" Seeing Shi Qing's small figure right before her eyes, Mu Lin Jing's heart felt like it was burning.
The security guard hurriedly pressed play. As Shi Qing entered, a pole suddenly appeared on the screen, with chewing gum stuck to it.
The pole poked at the surveillance camera. The chewing gum randomly stuck to the camera, and after a few jabs, it completely blocked the view, leaving only a faint glimmer of light, with no other scene visible.
Mu Lin Jing's heart instantly turned cold, and her hands, hanging at her sides, made cracking sounds as she clenched them.
The surveillance camera being covered with chewing gum meant that they had no idea what happened to Shi Qing in the restroom or who had abducted her.
For a moment, the monitoring room was eerily silent, and everyone held their breath, not daring to exhale.
The one missing from the school was a child from the Zhan family, the Zhan family!
"Mrs. Zhan, it seems that student Shi Qing was intentionally abducted," the principal coughed to cover his unease and said to Mu Lin Jing in a softened tone. "Please rest assured, our school will continue to search!"
Mu Lin Jing closed her eyes. It seemed Shi Qing wouldn't be found anytime soon. She had to quickly inform Yu Meng!
Mu Lin Jing quickly walked out of the monitoring room and dialed Wei Yu Meng's number.
"Hello, Lin Jing, what's wrong?"