The house was pitch black, an unusual feeling gripping him, as if something that originally existed here had disappeared.
He turned on the lights. “Xiao Chu? Xiao Chu?” He called her, inexplicably feeling uneasy.
She must be sleeping? She was probably exhausted by him? Or maybe she’s taking a bath? Yes, Xiao Chu likes baths, she must be playing in the water, or planning to surprise him, which is why she didn’t turn on the lights.
He rushed to her room, couldn’t find her.
He started running, searching everywhere in the house. Bathroom? No. Master bedroom? No. Kitchen? No. Spare bathroom? No. Not even a trace in the rarely used empty rooms.
”She’s just playing hide and seek with me,” he murmured.
He opened every large hidden cabinet where someone could hide. No, no, no sign of her!
Carrying the rose bouquet, he entered her room, still refusing to face the fact—
Xiao Chu was gone, silently, completely gone!
Only when he opened the dresser drawer and saw it was completely empty, even her brooch missing, did he turn and scan the entire room, realizing this was just a guest room.
The bedsheets were from the day she first moved in, the bed neatly made, the comforter folded precisely, the closet empty, the bookshelf without books, the bathroom clean, the sink with new towels, new toothbrush, new soap.
Her traces had disappeared, as if she had never existed.
He threw the entire rose bouquet against the wall, a thorn piercing his fingertip, blood quickly forming, rose petals falling to the ground like his torn heart.
No wonder she was so passionate last night. No wonder she hugged him so tightly, like absolute despair. No wonder there was a hint of melancholy in her eyes this morning when she sent him out. Starting over was real, they were to proceed separately, dropping out, transferring to Open University, feeling better – all lies. She was just distracting him.
Where could Xiao Chu go? She should know she has nowhere to go. They belong to each other. After their previous experience, she should know they only have each other, they can only find strength and support from each other.
He would find her!
He dropped the bouquet, summoning his most elite subordinates in the shortest time to track Xiao Chu’s whereabouts.
