"Auntie, I'll be good. Please don't lock me up, okay?" Li Xiaoya raised her face, her eyes downcast, looking pitiful.
The woman across from her showed a flicker of softening, but Uncle Li's cold voice quickly followed: "Her grandfather said she likes to play pitiful, but she's actually very stubborn."
Hearing this, the woman instantly withdrew her compassion and pushed Li Xiaoya into the small room opposite.
"Auntie!" Li Xiaoya stumbled, and by the time she got up, the door was already closed.
Uncle's voice sounded coldly again: "You just need to behave for a few days, and then you can have your mother's belongings. Don't you want them?"
Li Xiaoya didn't say anything more through the door.
Uncle was very satisfied with the result of his carrot-and-stick approach. He gave his wife a look and left first.
Li Xiaoya took two steps back, desperately reaching up to feel for the light cord.
But all she felt was the wall covered in thick soundproofing foam. No light cord, no switch, just bare and pitch black, with only a faint glimmer of moonlight.
The small room wasn't big, and the window was sealed tightly.
Li Xiaoya stretched out her hand, touching the thick glass and a bit of elusive moonlight.
She only shed two tears before wiping them away fiercely.
She had to grow up quickly.
She had to read many, many books.
She had to leave this place and go far away.
Li Xiaoya stayed in the small room like this for a night.
The woman leaned against the door to listen and said in surprise: "How come there's not a sound from inside? Isn't she crying at all?"
Uncle Li, unsurprised, said: "She's tough. It's only been one night, why would she cry? She didn't even cry when her father ran away and the villagers came banging on the door to collect debts."
The woman was shocked.
At this moment, Uncle Li muttered: "...Good genes indeed, worth the money."
The woman didn't hear the first half clearly, so she asked: "What?"
Uncle Li didn't answer, just straightened his tie and left for work.
The woman didn't pursue it further, turning to wake up her son and instructing him: "Go bring your sister a bowl of hot soup. This way she'll become close to you."
The boy silently took the bowl and opened the door with the key.
The next moment, the boy shouted loudly: "Mom!" "Why is she lying on the floor not moving?"
*
Qin Sui hadn't slept all night and got up as soon as it was dawn.
The production team was about the same, fearing that something big would happen and affect the normal recording of the show.
"We've got the address. Let's drive to Li Xiaoya's great-aunt's house first," the production team arranged.
Qin Sui paused for a moment and said: "Call the police."
The production team widened their eyes: "But we haven't confirmed if Li Xiaoya is missing yet..."
"She's a minor, not even ten years old." Qin Sui paused, his tone becoming darker, "Call the police."
"What if it's just a false alarm?"
"I'll take responsibility."
"It's not about responsibility. Maybe Li Xiaoya will feel very embarrassed..."
"Fools always think more than they do." Qin Sui spat out these words.
The production team: "..."
[This statement is so arrogant, but at this time we need someone to take charge with an iron fist!]
[I'm starting to understand why Young Master Sheng dislikes him]
[Ah, stop talking and go find her!]
Under Qin Sui's lead, the production team, not wanting to be fools, immediately contacted the local police.
Then they also got in their cars and headed to the great-aunt's house.
Grandpa Li might have lost his feet, but not his ears. He heard the commotion inside and couldn't help but crane his neck, muttering to himself: "Why such a big fuss?"
He started to feel a bit nervous.
Qin Sui, sitting in the car, suddenly spoke up: "Something's off about Grandpa Li."
"What?"
"Someone needs to keep an eye on him."
"Huh?"
Qin Sui held out his hand: "Give me the phone."
The executive producer could only hurriedly hand it over. Qin Sui immediately called his bodyguard.
After all, being a wealthy heir, how could he come to such a remote place to record a show without bringing bodyguards?
"Go watch Li Xiaoya's grandfather," Qin Sui instructed the bodyguard.
"Do you think this has something to do with Grandpa Li, Young Master Qin?"
"If something's wrong, it must be related to him," Qin Sui said with certainty, then frowned, his expression becoming even darker. "It's not enough."
"Huh?"
"This area is economically backward, local facilities can't keep up. The roads are difficult, the cars are old, and there's not enough manpower. We can't rely solely on local police to search for her."
The production team hesitated and said: "Actually, we haven't even reached Li Xiaoya's great-aunt's house yet. There's no need to be so urgent."
Qin Sui said in a flat tone: "Do you know what the golden period is?"
Qin Sui took the phone and called home.
But his father wasn't home, and his mother answered the phone.
His mother exclaimed when she heard: "What? That little girl is missing? Oh my goodness!"
His mother was prone to tears, and after just a few words, tears were already streaming down her face. She even asked her son in return: "So, so what should we do?"
"It would be best if we could borrow people from the provincial and municipal levels," Qin Sui said, pressing his forehead in exasperation.
"Oh, oh, then... then wait a moment, I'll go find your father. He needs to handle this."
The call ended.
Qin Sui stared at the phone, thinking it would have been faster to ask Sheng Yuxiao.
Sheng Yuxiao, still unaware of what had happened, sat in the hospital room, staring at his father and asking: "When are you going back?"
Sheng Jun laughed: "So now that you think I'm useless, you're in a hurry to send me away?"
"Don't you need to get back to work?"
"Alright, as you wish." Sheng Jun shook his head and good-naturedly walked out.
Li Qingqing followed behind.
She was more concerned about Li Xiaoya than anyone else, so she knew as soon as Li Xiaoya went missing.
She deliberately didn't mention this.
But just as she and Sheng Jun were walking out of the hospital room one after another, Sheng Yuxiao's phone rang.
"Qin Sui's call?" Sheng Yuxiao frowned, "Is he sick? Calling me?"
Li Qingqing immediately felt something was wrong and hurriedly turned back.
While Sheng Yuxiao was cursing, he had already answered the phone: "Hello, don't you know how to do Li Xiaoya's hair?"
Sheng Yuxiao's tone was still a bit smug.
But in the next moment, everything changed.
"What did you say?!" Sheng Yuxiao jumped right out of the hospital bed.
He was still in his hospital gown, and he rushed out just like that, wearing slippers.
Sheng Jun turned back in astonishment, only to see his son's retreating figure.
"Sheng Yuxiao! Where are you going?!"
Sheng Yuxiao's brow furrowed, his face full of anger as he cursed, "I've said it before, Qin Sui is useless! He can't even keep track of one person!"
"Start the car! I'm going to the police station to file a report myself!"
Sheng Jun realized something was wrong and quickly found someone from the production team to ask what had happened.
"What? That young girl is missing?"
"No, no, it's not confirmed she's missing yet. She just hasn't returned home all night," the staff member explained awkwardly.
Meanwhile, Qin Sui put away his phone and was already standing in the courtyard of Li Xiaoya's great-aunt's house.
Her great-aunt, having never encountered such a situation, was startled and hurriedly rushed out asking, "Who are all of you?"
To facilitate communication, Qin Sui had brought a guide with him when he left.
The guide stepped forward and asked coldly, "Is Li Xiaoya here?"
The great-aunt thought to herself, "Oh no!"
That little girl hadn't been lying after all. There really were... so many, so many people coming to look for her!
