Searching for Fan Qiuming

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It was already close to noon.

Fan Qiulin remained curled up on the sofa in the apartment.

Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door, startling her. She looked up anxiously toward the entrance.

"I'm coming," she called.

Struggling, Fan Qiulin eased herself into her wheelchair and hurried to the door, harboring the desperate hope that it would be Fan Qiuming standing outside.

But when she opened the door, it was Mao Shiyi who stood there, which left her somewhat disappointed.

Mao Shiyi, however, was worried at the sight of her condition.

"Qiulin, are you alright? Did you not sleep well last night? You look terrible."

The transformation in Fan Qiulin’s appearance had truly shocked Mao Shiyi.

Fan Qiulin didn't answer; she merely dabbed at the corners of her eyes and gave a faint sigh.

"Qiulin, you haven't eaten yet, have you? I just made some food. Why don't you join your brother and Sister Wanwan to have some together?"

Mao Shiyi glanced into the apartment, not knowing the situation, but noticed no one else was present.

"Where is everyone?"

At the mention of her brother, Fan Qiulin’s eyes grew red again, clearly wounded by the memory.

"No… Shiyi, I don't feel like it. I'm sorry."

With that, Fan Qiulin closed the door.

But Mao Shiyi sensed something was wrong and knocked again.

"Qiulin, what's happened? Tell me—maybe I can help."

When the door opened once more, Fan Qiulin could no longer hold back her tears.

"Shiyi… my brother… he…"

Her words were barely coherent through her sobs.

"What happened to Fan Qiuming?" Mao Shiyi pressed, growing anxious.

"My brother is missing… Last night, he went out to buy something and didn't come back, not even by midnight. I called him, but his phone was out of service…"

Fan Qiulin dissolved into tears again.

"What about Sister Wanwan?"

"She went out searching last night and hasn't come back since."

"How could this happen? Did you call the police?"

Mao Shiyi was at a loss, unable to understand how someone could simply vanish without a trace.

"But the police said they can't open a case unless it's been twenty-four hours."

"Don't panic. He’ll be fine. Trust him," Mao Shiyi tried to steady Fan Qiulin's nerves, hoping at least to prevent her from doing anything rash.

"But he's never done this before. To disappear so suddenly… I'm terrified something's happened to him."

Fan Qiulin's words were full of distress. Mao Shiyi, moved by her pitiful state, tried to comfort her.

"It's going to be alright. Let's eat first."

With that, Mao Shiyi wheeled her into her own apartment.

Page 2 of 3

"No matter what, your health comes first. Eat something, and then I'll help you search for him."

After calming Fan Qiulin for the moment, Mao Shiyi swiftly returned to her room, coming back out soon after.

At the dining table, Fan Qiulin seemed utterly distracted, her mind consumed by thoughts of Fan Qiuming.

Her demeanor left Mao Shiyi with little appetite herself. She watched Fan Qiulin and couldn't help but envy the deep bond between the siblings.

She thought to herself that if her own legs weren't crippled, she wouldn't have just waited at home either.

Suddenly, Fan Qiulin could sit still no longer. She slammed her chopsticks down, wheeled herself toward the door in a rush.

"I can't just sit here and wait. I need to go look for him now."

Seeing her so agitated, Mao Shiyi hurried to stop her.

"I'll go with you! It's too dangerous for you to go alone."

She tidied up the table quickly and left with Fan Qiulin in haste.

The two of them wandered the streets of Peng City, searching every place they'd been before.

All afternoon, they scoured every possible location, but there was still no sign of Fan Qiuming.

"Maybe he's not in Peng City anymore," Mao Shiyi wondered aloud, wiping sweat from her brow.

"I… I… I don't know," Fan Qiulin stammered.

Just then, Fan Qiulin's phone rang. The caller was Shangguan Wanwan.

"Hello, Qiulin? Has Fan Qiuming come back to the apartment?"

"I don't know, I'm not home. Wanwan, did you find my brother?" Fan Qiulin asked anxiously.

"No, but I heard from a shop assistant at the mall that they saw him heading in the direction of the park after leaving the shopping center."

"The park?" Mao Shiyi echoed, puzzled.

"What would he be doing at the park?"

"We can ask later—let's go check the park! Wanwan, let's meet at the park entrance."

Without further discussion, they all made their way to the park as quickly as they could.

Arriving at the entrance, they saw Shangguan Wanwan had already been waiting for them.

Once together, they began searching the park meticulously, nearly turning every inch of ground.

Finally, in a secluded grove, Fan Qiulin discovered the jacket Fan Qiuming had worn the previous day. The garment was torn in two.

Around it were signs of a struggle and dried blood.

Fan Qiulin could hardly believe her eyes, but reality left her no room for doubt.

Only Shangguan Wanwan’s expression seemed strange, yet she shook her head.

Tears welled in Fan Qiulin’s eyes.

"Brother… how could this happen? Call the police—there might still be time! Hurry!"

She fumbled for her phone and dialed 110.

Mao Shiyi stood by, lost and chilled to the core. She couldn't explain the heaviness in her chest, but it felt like a stone was crushing her.

When the police arrived, they quickly set up a cordon and began investigating the scene and questioning Fan Qiulin and the others about what had happened.

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Fan Qiulin recounted everything in detail, tears still streaming down her face.

"Aside from the blood, the signs of struggle, and the clothes, there’s nothing else at the scene, correct?"

"Please, don’t worry. Judging from the evidence, your brother is most likely still alive. Leave the rest to us."

Escorted by the police, the group returned to the apartment and were told to wait for news.

Back at the apartment, they all sat in silence on the sofa, no one uttering a word.

Seven o’clock came and went, but there was still no news.

Then, the shrill ring of a phone shattered the silence, immediately putting everyone on edge.

All eyes turned to the source—the call was for Mao Shiyi.

The caller ID showed it was her mother.

Fan Qiulin’s hope instantly faded.

Mao Shiyi answered, but her expression quickly changed.

"Hello… Mom? What… you’re coming over? Something important?"

"I’m still out… Alright, I’ll be right back."

"Okay, I understand."

After hanging up, Mao Shiyi turned apologetically to Fan Qiulin.

"I’m sorry, my mom needs me for something important. I have to go."

Fan Qiulin shook her head and managed a weak smile.

"It’s alright. Thank you for helping me look for my brother today. I should be the one apologizing."

"If you have something urgent, go ahead."

Mao Shiyi felt reluctant to leave the heartbroken Fan Qiulin, but her mother’s summons left her no choice.

"If you need to go, hurry. I’ll stay with Qiulin," Shangguan Wanwan assured her, seeing her worry.

"Alright, I’ll go then. Don’t worry too much—he’ll be fine," Mao Shiyi said and left.

The apartment returned to silence.

Fan Qiulin lay with her head on Shangguan Wanwan’s lap, sobbing.

"Wanwan, where do you think my brother has gone? Why is there still no word? Has something really happened to him?"

Shangguan Wanwan gently stroked her hair in comfort.

"It’ll be alright. What could really happen to your brother? He probably just ran into some trouble and will come back soon."

"You didn’t sleep at all last night, did you? Your dark circles could rival a panda’s. And you haven’t eaten dinner either."

"I’ll go make you some noodles. Eat, and then try to sleep early."

She got up and headed to the kitchen. Soon, she brought out a steaming bowl of noodles.

As soon as the bowl was set down, Fan Qiulin wolfed them down, paying no mind to her appearance.

Shangguan Wanwan said nothing, her mind occupied with thoughts of Fan Qiuming.

Late into the night, after Fan Qiulin had finally fallen asleep, Shangguan Wanwan did her utmost to mobilize her connections to search for Fan Qiuming, but there was still no news.