"Go on inside; I’ll leave once you’re in," Yang Yunhai said as he brought Gu Lingling downstairs.
Gu Lingling nodded, unbuckled her seatbelt, quickly glanced around, found no one, and swiftly kissed Yang Yunhai on the cheek, "I’m going then."
After saying that, she didn’t wait for him to react, opened the car door, and ran off.
When she reached the entrance, she stopped and waved at him in the car.
Yang Yunhai smiled and waved her in, signaling her to hurry inside.
Once she was inside and he guessed she had reached the dorm, he drove away.
"Your boyfriend was looking for you, you know?" Wen Jing asked her as soon as she entered the dorm.
"Yeah, he just dropped me off," Gu Lingling said while organizing her things, "We went different ways."
Tong Sha, on the top bunk, had an indescribably faint smile on her lips.
That night, as she lay quietly in bed, Gu Lingling thought back on the day’s events, wondering about how the old man was doing. Had he woken up?
What Gu Lingling didn’t know was that, after she left, the old man was out of danger but hadn’t regained consciousness.
The people at the hospital had no way to confirm his identity, but since Gu Lingling had paid for his hospital fees before she left, the hospital could only arrange for his bed and have the nurse take good care of him.
Unexpectedly, the old man remained in a coma for several days without waking up.
The next morning’s oral class was Gu Lingling’s favorite. Mr. Meng, the young teacher, had been rated the most popular teacher among students for several years, and for good reason.
Not only was his teaching humorous and engaging, but his spoken pronunciation was also very standard, and he had unique insights.
"Due to some urgent family matters for Mr. Meng, this class is canceled. Everyone is free to study on your own," was the announcement made by class monitor Xu Xiongfei when they reached the classroom.
Gu Lingling didn’t mind this and focused on her book.
The old man said he was going out to exercise early yesterday morning but never came back.
"What’s going on exactly?" Su Rumei asked her older brother, Su Ende, anxiously.
Su Ende looked exhausted too. After searching for so long with no information about the old man, he couldn’t help but wonder if it was sabotage by some enemy agents.
The complete lack of any trace was starting to frighten him.
If that were the case, he’d have to consider a deeper scenario—was it an enemy of his?
"The old man said after breakfast that he was going out for a walk and hasn’t returned since," said Su Ende’s wife, Lin Xue.
"Then hurry up and search," Su Rumei said, "Do you think sitting at home will bring dad back?"
The second daughter-in-law, Fu Ling, sat silently nearby, casting a faint glance at this older sister-in-law.
With the old man missing, everyone at home was anxious, and they had searched everywhere they could think of, yet there was no trace.
Su Rumei’s comments made it seem like everyone else was just sitting around at home doing nothing, while she was the only one worried.
"Then... big brother, report it to the authorities," said the second son, Su Encai.
"Is it possible something happened to the old man?" Lin Xue asked.
"Sister-in-law, this isn’t a hospital," Su Rumei said, her voice raised, "Besides, dad has a check-up every year, and his health has always been very good. Of all people, you should know that best."
"Big brother, report it to the authorities," her last words were directed toward Su Ende.
Lin Xue pinched the bridge of her nose.
In this family, as long as Su Rumei said something, the husband who was hesitant would definitely agree.
It’s not that it couldn’t be reported; it’s just the implications...
In the Capital City, there might be another wave of actions coming.