Even committing evil deeds requires a catalyst, let alone a planned disappearance?
Amy has now been apprehended, and Wen Yulan was on a ship bound for country B at the time. Who else would have a grudge against Mu Linjing?
Unable to decipher this, Wei Yumeng couldn't make a judgment, which greatly troubled her.
"If it were a kidnapping for ransom, we would likely receive a call demanding a ransom within forty-eight hours."
Hearing him say this, Wei Yumeng inexplicably asked, "What if it's not for money, but for her life?"
She was startled by her own question, trembling. She didn't know why she asked it, but she felt it was a bad omen.
The two went to the place where Mu Linjing had disappeared and searched in vain. So much time had passed since the start of the workday, and the area was now bustling with people, leaving no traces behind. They returned empty-handed.
Elder Master Zhan naturally knew about such a significant event and summoned them all back that evening.
At the dinner table, the atmosphere was heavy. No one picked up their chopsticks. Thinking of the two people who had disappeared consecutively that day, their fates unknown, none of them had an appetite.
Zhan Yichen was undoubtedly the most distraught. The two missing individuals were his beloved and his closest kin. Losing either one would be unbearable, let alone both disappearing on the same day.
Seeing him like this, Elder Master Zhan felt pained and comforted him, "We will not give up searching for either of them. Yichen, you should rest and recuperate for a few days. Leave the other matters to Mo Han and me."
Although he knew Zhan Yichen wouldn't be in the mood to rest, his continued distress would surely break him.
Zhan Yichen remained silent. The dinner concluded with few words. Back in their rooms, everyone felt oppressed.
Wei Yumeng was not particularly worried about Wen Yulan, but Mu Linjing's disappearance was too peculiar. She also felt it wasn't about money.
As expected, the two were not found after days of searching.
Perhaps Wen Yulan had already perished in the sea, but what about Mu Linjing? She had no fatal enemies; how could her disappearance be explained?
While searching, Wei Yumeng also held onto the faint hope of the ransom call Zhan Mohan had mentioned. However, things unfolded as she feared. Three days had passed, and the phone had not rung, clearly indicating the other party wasn't after money.
As time dragged on, Zhan Yichen's spirits sank further, as if he had finally realized what he had lost. He began to drown his sorrows in alcohol, neglecting his company and any investigation.
Zhan Mohan went to his home. As soon as he entered, a wine bottle rolled to his feet. Zhan Yichen leaned against a table leg, surrounded by empty bottles, with no room to step in the entire apartment.
Zhan Mohan, burning with rage, grabbed him and pulled him up from the floor. "The two people you care about most are missing and their lives are uncertain. Look at what you're doing!"
"Missing and uncertain? Heh... it doesn't matter. My life is already without ties. Let me go with them."
Seeing his incoherent state, Zhan Mohan dragged him into the bathroom, turned on the shower, and let the cold water pour over him, drenching him to sober him up.
Even so, he couldn't stand straight and slumped against the wall, squinting at Zhan Mohan.
"Brother, don't bother with me. I'm a good-for-nothing. I couldn't even protect them, and I personally sent my mother onto that ship. Heh... I'm a murderer."
These past few days, whenever he closed his eyes, he saw Wen Yulan's departing figure on the ship that day. He never imagined it would be their final farewell.
If he had known, he would never have let her board that ship.
He also regretted not keeping Mu Linjing by his side. If he had, she wouldn't have disappeared.
All of this was his fault.
Seeing him like this, Zhan Mohan turned off the water, grabbed his collar, and yelled, "Zhan Yichen, open your eyes! Be a man, won't you?"
But no matter what he said, Zhan Yichen remained the same.
In his frustration, he threw a punch, landing squarely on Zhan Yichen's face.
Zhan Yichen fell to the ground but turned his head to look at him and smiled faintly, "Brother, just kill me."
Zhan Mohan was so exasperated that he lost his temper and crouched down, placing his hands on Zhan Yichen's shoulders. "If I told you now that I've found Mu Linjing, would you still be like this?"
Hearing this, Zhan Yichen finally stopped squinting. He grabbed Zhan Mohan's arm. "Brother, are you serious? You found her? Where is she?"
Pulling him up from the ground, Zhan Mohan released his fist. "Clean yourself up, and I'll take you to see her."
He looked down at his current state. How could he go to see Mu Linjing like this? He immediately changed his clothes and showered, tidying himself up before following Zhan Mohan.
He hadn't expected Zhan Yichen to take him to the harbor. The sight of this place made him feel uneasy.
The two boarded a ship and left, with Zhan Mohan taking him to a nearby island.
"Brother, where is this? It looks like a private island."
Looking at the villas on the island, he guessed it was a small island someone had bought. Zhan Mohan confirmed his guess.
Arriving outside a villa, Zhan Mohan rang the doorbell, and a butler soon came to greet them. "Are you Mr. Zhan?"
Zhan Mohan nodded. The butler opened the main door. "My master has been waiting for a long time."
The brothers followed the butler inside. Zhan Yichen felt a sense of unease.
After sitting down in the living room, the host seemed to be deliberately playing coy, delaying their appearance.
Zhan Yichen grew impatient. "Brother, how did you find this place? Is Linjing really here?"
If Linjing had been rescued, why was this person playing games now? Shouldn't they be allowed to see Linjing first?
His intuition told him that the host who was taking so long to appear was not a good person.
Zhan Mohan was also observing the villa's furnishings. "I didn't find this place. I didn't track down Mu Linjing's whereabouts either. They called me themselves and informed me that Mu Linjing was here."
Upon hearing the full story, Zhan Yichen found it even stranger.
He raised his voice, "Since they called us to pick her up, why isn't she coming down? Are they trying to trick us?"
Although he considered himself and his brother to have no enemies, caution was still necessary.