On Monday afternoons, during the weekly departmental meetings, Bai Qing was sitting in her seat listening to her superior assign tasks when her phone vibrated twice. Her eyes followed the movement.
The content of the message caused her great alarm, so much so that she stood up abruptly during the meeting, drawing everyone's attention.
"Bai Qing, what are you doing?"
"I apologize, I have something very important to attend to and cannot make the meeting today. I will personally explain to President Zhan later."
With that, she rushed out of the conference room, hailed a taxi outside, and gave the address of the sanatorium.
She arrived at the sanatorium in a hurry and, when asking the nurse to take her to Bai Yan's room, still harbored a sliver of hope. However, upon opening the ward door and seeing it empty, her hope was completely shattered.
"Where is he? Where did my brother go? Is this how irresponsible your sanatorium is, unable to keep track of a patient?"
As she berated them, the nurse looked bewildered. "Miss Bai, please don't worry. Perhaps he's somewhere else. I'll notify everyone to search."
The young nurse quickly ran out and used the broadcast system to inform all doctors and nurses in the facility to search. Bai Qing leaned against the wall, taking deep breaths to calm her nerves, repeatedly chanting in her mind that they must find him.
An hour later, the director of the sanatorium stood before her with a face full of apologies, accompanied only by the facility's doctors and nurses, with no sign of Bai Yan. This plunged Bai Qing's heart into despair.
"I'm sorry, Miss Bai. We failed to look after our patient properly. We've searched the entire facility and haven't found your brother. On behalf of all our staff, I apologize."
The director bowed ninety degrees in apology, but what was the use? The person was gone.
She rubbed her throbbing temples. "I don't want your apologies. My brother is missing, and I need a solution. A living person can't just disappear without a reason. What about your sanatorium's surveillance footage? Please bring it out so we can search."
"Miss Bai, I've already asked security to retrieve the surveillance. As soon as we find footage of your brother, we'll take you there immediately."
Bai Qing waited anxiously in the lobby until someone from the security room came to report that they had found surveillance footage of Bai Yan leaving the sanatorium. She then hurried to the security room, led by the director.
The surveillance footage showed that Bai Yan had slipped out during the lunch break when the security guard at the door was dozing. He wasn't wearing the standard patient uniform issued by the sanatorium.
It didn't look like he had wandered off in a fit of illness, but rather as if it had been meticulously planned.
At this point, a doctor spoke up. "Miss Bai, are you certain your brother has a mental disorder? I am his attending physician, and my examinations indicate no mental issues. However, based on the situation you described upon arrival, he indeed requires treatment. This was personally instructed by Young Master Jing, which is why he was admitted."
Hearing this, Bai Qing became furious. "What do you mean by that? Who would send a relative who isn't sick to a place like this? Are you implying that Young Master Jing and I deliberately harmed him?"
The doctor, startled by the mention of Jing Yan, repeatedly apologized. "That's not what I meant, I was just pointing something out."
The director shot the doctor a stern look, signaling her to stop talking. It was their facility's responsibility for losing the patient, and their priority should be to appease the family's anger, otherwise, they would all face severe consequences.
Bai Qing had no interest in arguing with them. Finding her brother was the priority.
However, everyone she knew in Pengcheng was connected to Jing Yan, and she did not want him to know about this matter.
After much deliberation, she decided to report it to the police.
Yet, the waiting time for the results was long, and she couldn't rest easy until the matter was resolved.
Meanwhile, Wei Yumeng was preparing for a final interview with a major client the next day. She took Huo Xiao out to buy a gift for the client.
They spent time browsing in the mall and by the time they left, it was almost dinnertime.
Huo Xiao, carrying Wei Yumeng's bag, invited her to dinner. "Master, we're not far from our school. I know a small restaurant with delicious food, a famous local eatery. You've always treated me before. I just received my first month's internship pay; let me treat you this time."
Wei Yumeng smiled and patted his head. "My little apprentice has grown up, knowing how to treat his master to a meal."
Huo Xiao's face darkened. "Master, don't people say that when a woman pats a man's head, it means she sees him as a son? Do you have any improper thoughts about me?"
Upon hearing this, Wei Yumeng immediately slapped his head. "You, a little brat, calling yourself a man? You're just a boy. What improper thoughts could I have about you? My son is much more handsome than you."
Huo Xiao was not pleased. "Master, how old is your son? What if, I'm just saying, what if he turns out badly in the future?"
Wei Yumeng shot him a glare. "Even if he turns out badly, he'll still be more handsome than you."
"Why?"
"Because my husband is the most handsome man in the world!"
Since taking on this young apprentice, Wei Yumeng felt she had become childish, arguing with a little brat in the street. She rolled her eyes, shook her head, and walked ahead.
"Master, where are you going?"
"Didn't you say you were treating me to dinner?"
"The restaurant is this way."
After some detours, Wei Yumeng found the small eatery Huo Xiao mentioned. Though it was in a remote location and the shop was small, it was packed with customers, many of them university students, indicating that Huo Xiao was right about the excellent food.
Getting out of the car, Huo Xiao sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "Heh heh, Master, please don't mind it. It looks small, but everything is very hygienic, and the owner is very nice. I can't afford to treat you to a fancy meal yet, but once I'm a full-time employee, I'll definitely take you for a good meal."
Wei Yumeng smiled and patted his head. "Alright, I've heard you. Go find us a seat quickly, before it gets too crowded."
Huo Xiao quickly went inside and found a seat, then thoughtfully wiped the chair for Wei Yumeng. "Sit here, Master. I've cleaned it. You can have some water while I order."
With that, he got up and went to the ordering counter.
Looking at the naive faces of these students, Wei Yumeng couldn't help but sigh. She had graduated so many years ago. Recalling the youthful days of university, so much time had passed. Youth was often the period people cherished the most, which was why she was willing to spend time with Huo Xiao.
Compared to the treacherous world of the workplace, chatting with her apprentice felt like returning to their student days.
Soon, Huo Xiao returned with a tray. Two dinners were placed before them. There were no lavish side dishes, nor was the environment elegant, but Wei Yumeng enjoyed the meal.
While eating, Huo Xiao told her how kind the owner was.
"There are many construction sites nearby, and the owner often helps out the migrant workers. Our meals are priced as they are, but for migrant workers, it's half price. So, this place has basically become their canteen. And for some homeless people, if they walk into the shop, the owner will also give them a free bowl of hot noodles. He's a very kind person."
Seeing Huo Xiao with a greasy mouth, still giving a thumbs-up to praise the owner's character, Wei Yumeng couldn't help but look around and indeed saw many migrant workers.
After a while, she saw the owner, who was busy at the cashier, suddenly walk out of the shop and say something to someone at the entrance. Soon, both of them entered the shop.
Huo Xiao glanced over and immediately understood. "Probably a homeless person."
Wei Yumeng nodded and stared at the homeless man for a long time, feeling that he looked very familiar.
Soon, the owner came out with a steaming bowl of noodles and handed it to the homeless man. Wei Yumeng then asked Huo Xiao to call him over to their table to eat.
"You can do this, Master. Are you moved and planning to perform a good deed for the day?"
"Stop joking and ask him to come over and eat."
Huo Xiao didn't object and, with a few words, called the homeless man to their table.
Watching the homeless man devouring his food opposite her, Wei Yumeng's eyes were fixed on him. She tried hard to recall where she might have seen this person before.
"Sir, have we met somewhere before?"