307— Missing

Still annoyed, Qiao Mingran nevertheless kept quiet while Gao Lanmei spoke apologetically, "Sister-in-law, I'm sure something urgent came up for them as well. They surely wanted to be here. They even sent me to bring gifts for their niece. Besides, I think Gao Dilin said he would try to make it."

Qiao Mingran snorted but said nothing. They couldn't fool anyone. With their actions, they had made their positions very clear.

Li Chuanmo didn't acknowledge Gao Lanmei. He just resumed walking with Pei Yueran to their seats, while Gao Lanmei watched them go with a thoughtful expression.

*****

Out in the cold air, Han Leifeng raggedly drew a breath to cool his burning lungs. For long minutes, he just focused in breathing, as if he didn't have the strength to do anything else.

Still unwilling to believe what his eyes had clearly seen, he brought out his phone, his hand fumbling as he searched for the pictures he had saved from the websites the other time.

No matter how many times he scrutinized it, nothing changed. The man in the starched suit was the same man sitting in the hall, beside his woman.

"Leifeng? What are you doing outside? Are you leaving already?" Gao Tinghua, who had just come out for some fresh air after drinking too many glasses of champagne asked when he saw Han Leifeng in a daze.

"Tinghua, tell me. Is she really your sister?" Han Leifeng asked urgently.

One thing he could not understand was how Pei Yueran became Gao Tingyue.

Gao Tinghua nodded once, "Yes she is. It's a long story, but we only found her recently after many years." Somehow, he trusted him enough to tell him the truth.

Han Leifeng leaned on the balustrade, feeling the breeze on his face. It all felt like a dream.

It was when his face felt overly cold that he reached up to find his cheeks wet. He didn't know when the tears began falling softly.

Beside him, the redness on Gao Tinghua's face receded as he touched his shoulder, "Should I introduce you to her husband? He's the chairman of a group of companies that have their headquarters in City M."

Han Leifeng shook his head, then nodded. He didn't want to have anything to do with that man, but on a second thought, he had to confirm for himself. He would confront Pei Yueran and hear what she had to say.

The last image he saw before leaving the hall, of them putting heads together and looking so loving, brought on such a great sense of betrayal that he wanted to groan under the weight of it.

He needed to ask her, "How could you do this to me?!"

Filled with purpose and a mix of emotions he didn't want to name, he strode back into the hall, eyes set on the front-most table.

When he didn't see the figures clad in red, he stopped, scanning the entirety of the hall systematically.

Behind him, Gao Tinghua's voice suddenly rose, "What? Damn!"

Looking back at him in bewilderment, Han Leifeng wanted to say something but was interrupted by Gao Tinghua, "Leifeng I'm sorry, but let me introduce you another time. Something very urgent just came up now. I've got to run."

He turned and left quickly, as if he was being chased. It couldn't be helped.

He had just checked his phone to find countless missed calls and messages— a few from Li Chuanmo, but mostly from Qiao Mingran, whose choice of words showed that she was almost in full panic mode.

Because Pei Yueran had been missing for five minutes and counting.

******

Twenty Minutes Ago....

On their way back to their seats, Pei Yueran and Li Chuanmo were "accosted" by an close acquaintance of the Gao family. The madam spoke enthusiastically as she held Pei Yueran's hand and gushed about how nice it was to finally see her in person.

Pei Yueran smiled politely and responded as quickly as possible, but it wasn't easy to extricate herself from the madam's overly friendly grasp.

Li Chuanmo wanted to intervene, but she signaled him not to. This was just harmless socializing, she could handle it.

So as fast as she could without being rude, she ended the conversation.

Only that it was just the beginning. More and more people began moving over to speak to her, trying to sound her out.

Whenever anyone stylishly asked who Li Chuanmo was, she politely steered the conversation away from him and towards something else. Those who were more daring directly asked Li Chuanmo.

Of course he didn't even bother to respond, and although annoyed, they had to give up.

Just when Pei Yueran was approaching her limit, she felt Li Chuanmo's hand, which was hanging loosely on her waist, make some strokes on her back. Concentrating on the sensation, she made out the word "now."

Relieved, she nodded and they moved together, determined not to respond to any other attempts at conversation.

They had just gotten near the side door when Gao Lanmei cornered them with a Madam by her side.

"Tingyue, here you are. This is Madam Jiu, a good friend of mine. She wants to have a quick chat with you."

The woman introduced as Madam Jiu smiled, "Ms. Tingyue, it's nice to make your acquaintance. Forgive my brazenness, but I just want to discuss something very important with you. I hope you're not in a hurry?"

Pei Yueran was about to tell her that as a matter of fact, they were actually in a hurry, when from the side, a careless waiter suddenly bumped into them.

Gao Lanmei probably had very quick reflexes as she instinctively leaned to the side and avoided the contents thrown their way, but the others were not so lucky.

At once, their clothes were married by a mixture of red wine and the remains of what looked like a runny chocolate dessert.

Shocked, Pei Yueran gasped softly. The noise attracted tens of eyes to their direction.

Madam Jiu looked angry and embarrassed at the same time even as she glared at the waiter.

Frightened, the waiter repeatedly bowed, almost crying as she apologized profusely.

Pei Yueran told her that it was okay, but she could stop crying. Finally annoyed, Li Chuanmo interrupted her tearful apologies, "Stop that and leave, now."

Startled, her tears stopped and she moved away to the side. By then, Qiao Mingran had reached them and asked about the situation in concern.

Seeing the terrible state of their outfits, she offered to take Pei Yueran to the hotel room they booked to go and change. Although Pei Yueran had rejected the idea of changing clothes multiple times throughout the event, Qiao Mingran had kept an extra set of clothes just in case.

Li Chuanmo's situation was a bit trickier because she didn't prepare a change of clothes for him.

She thought for a moment and suggested, "Yue'er, why don't you go with Madam Jiu to change and let's meet back here in fifteen minutes?"

Madam Jiu agreed immediately. She had a change of clothes in her car and offered to drive Pei Yueran so that they could both go and change, and then talk by the way.

Li Chuanmo said firmly, "She stays with me."