He called back, but Su Jianan’s phone was powered off.
Su Yicheng threw his phone remorsefully and said, “I just should have guessed what she was about to do when she asked me to go home.”
“Stop thinking about it. She wouldn’t let you know anything if she decided to hide it from you,” Luo Xiaoxi said. “It’s not difficult at all because even Lu Boyan is kept in the dark.”
“…” Su Yicheng could not refute.
“However, she isn’t at her previous apartment, or at my house. And she can’t be at Lu Boyan’s home…” Luo Xiaoxi could not get any idea though she racked her brain. “If so, where would she go in City A? Could she be in a hotel?”
When her voice died down, Su Yicheng’s phone rang.
“Boss Su.” It was Xiao Chen. “We’ve visited all the hotels above three-stars in the city, Miss Su hasn’t checked in. We’re now investigating the hotels and inns under three-stars, but it may take some time. I’ll call you later.”
Su Yicheng hung up and suddenly figured it out. “Jianan’s unlikely to stay in a hotel since she knows I will investigate it.”
Luo Xiaoxi’s idea was blocked. “But where would she go if she’s not in a hotel?”
“I have no idea.” Su Yicheng shook his head and said, “We can’t find her.”
Feeling puzzled, Luo Xiaoxi said, “Then who can do that?”
“Lu Boyan,” Su Yicheng replied, stressing each word.
…
Dingya Villas…
Lu Boyan did not sleep well and he seemed to be half-awake all night. He was out of breath for a time in his dream, with something wrapped tightly around his heart.
Lu Boyan woke up when it just dawned the next day. He turned over but found nobody by his side. All of a sudden, an invisible hand dug into his heart and took everything away.
After all that time, he was still unused to the days when she was not there.
Su Jianan’s water glass, books unfinished reading, clothing, and personal items… were the same as the first day she left, staying where they used to be. He did not ask Aunt Liu to clear them up, so no one dared to move her belongings without instructions.
The whole room had not been changed, as if Su Jianan still lived there.
However, these days, Lu Boyan was more and clearer that he was just deceiving himself and others.
It was only 7:20 a.m. after he finished his breakfast. Unexpectedly, Lu Boyan received a call from Su Yicheng when he was about to go to his company.
“Half-past eight. Meet you at the Business Cafe on Pujiang Road.” Su Yicheng did not say an extra word.
“I have a meeting at nine…”
Su Yicheng interrupted Lu Boyan. “Whether you come to meet me or not is up to you. But you will certainly regret it if you don’t.”
…
Seeing Lu Boyan walk out of the house, Uncle Qian got out of the car, opened the door, and asked as usual, “Are you going to the company?”
Lu Boyan hesitated for a while and said, “No, I’m going to Pujiang Road.”
The car passed through the morning peak traffic and arrived at the exact time in front of the Business Cafe.
There were few people sitting at leisure for coffee in the early morning, so Lu Boyan noticed Su Yicheng as soon as he entered the cafe. He walked straight toward him and asked, “What are you going to tell me?”
Su Yicheng unhurriedly put up his hand and asked the waiter to give Lu Boyan a menu. Lu Boyan ordered an espresso.
The espresso was soon ready. But Lu Boyan did not take a drink at all, waiting for Su Yicheng’s words.
“Jianan told me about your father and mentioned Kang Ruicheng,” Su Yicheng said. “Recently, I got a message about Kang Ruicheng as well as Han Ruoxi.”
Lu Boyan’s eyes dimmed. “About what?”
“It says that they are cooperating with each other.” Su Yicheng calmly spoke out the words that he had already organized. “You had close contact with Han Ruoxi, so I wonder if Kang Ruicheng would use her to take you down. I just wanted to give you a heads-up.”
In principle, Lu Boyan should express his thanks to Su Yicheng.
He did not say anything but just stared at Su Yicheng with his torch-like eyes, as if seeing through him.
However, Su Yicheng could totally bear the staring and looked right into Lu Boyan’s eyes relaxedly and calmly.
After their silence, Lu Boyan asked with a low and cold voice, “Why did someone deliberately tell you about their cooperation since you’ve never met Han Ruoxi and you just know of Kang Ruicheng?”
“…” Su Yicheng didn’t respond.
Lu Boyan seemed to figure out something and continued to ask, “Who is it that gave you the message?”
Su Yicheng said with a smile, “Don’t you already know?”
It was really Su Jianan!
In a flash, memories strung together one after another in Lu Boyan’s mind.
He had suspected that Han Ruoxi threatened Su Jianan with the loans of Huinan Bank, but he never realized that Kang Ruicheng was behind Han Ruoxi.
If it was Kang Ruicheng who manipulated everything from behind, then the case was entirely cleared.
Kang Ruicheng had something on him, so he and Han Ruoxi threatened Su Jianan. As a result, Su Jianan had to divorce him even though she was told that the financial crisis of Lu Enterprises was not a problem.
Though he thought there were some factors involved when Su Jianan asked for a divorce, he had never believed that Kang Ruicheng would contact Su Jianan.
Although the crisis of Lu Enterprises was removed then, Su Jianan still could not come back to him because of Kang Ruicheng’s threat.
That was why Su Jianan never changed her mind and even took relentless actions when he continuously gave her chances.
It seemed that Su Jianan could still have a bright future since she became Jiang Shaokai’s girlfriend and was accepted by the Jiang Family.
In fact, however, she was suffering greater pain than him.
Lu Boyan suddenly stood up with his pupils shrinking sharply and walked out of the cafe quickly.
When getting in the car, he received a call from Shen Yuechuan. “It’s nine and all the shareholders are waiting for you in the conference room. Where are you?”
“Put off the conference and go to the hospital for Xiao Yunyun now.”
Eagerly but calmly, he spoke out every word clearly with a cold and serious tone that could not be ignored. Shen Yuechuan could not remember how long it had been since he had heard Lu Boyan’s tone like that. He asked in bewilderment, “Xiao Yunyun again? Why?”
Lu Boyan briefly talked about how Kang Ruicheng and Han Ruoxi threatened Su Jianan. Shen Yuechuan said in a daze, “So, you believe that Jianan didn’t have that operation and Xiao Yunyun helped her hide it from you?”
“Exactly,” Lu Boyan said, “you told me that the hospital thought highly of Xiao Yunyun. So she could pull strings to help Jianan conceal the truth even if she isn’t in the OB-GYN department.”
Shen Yuechuan suddenly saw the light. “I’ll go to the hospital right away!”
…
The Eighth People’s Hospital…
Xiao Yunyun did not sleep well, for she felt remorse about the disappearance of Su Jianan from the night before. She bent over her desk and could not stop yawning since she arrived at the hospital in the early morning.
Her colleague woke her up and said, “Yunyun, wake up, the director has come! Uh, so has a handsome guy!”
It took very long for Xiao Yunyun to realize what happened. She looked up sleepily and saw Shen Yuechuan, a head taller than the director, standing by his side. She gasped and promptly picked up a magazine to hide her face.
“Everyone, get out,” said the director.
“Oh.”
Xiao Yunyun sneaked into the crowd to the door, but was grabbed from the back of the neck by Shen Yuechuan. He said with a faint smile on his face, “Young lady, you should stay here.”
“Director Wang!” Xiao Yunyun cried out for help.
“Yunyun, Mr. Shen came here for you. You two can talk about your issues here.” Director Wang ignored Xiao Yunyun’s pitiful eyes, walked out, and closed the door considerately.
Xiao Yunyun felt like weeping but had no tears. She threw off Shen Yuechuan’s hand and shouted, “Don’t touch me before you say anything. Rogue, get off me!”
Shen Yuechuan took out the informed consent and the receipts of induced labor operation and showed them to Xiao Yunyun. “Be honest. Have you pulled strings in the hospital and forged these receipts for Jianan to conceal something?”
“Nonsense!” Xiao Yunyun threw all the receipts into the wastebasket and looked at Shen Yuechuan with a smile. “Why do you stay in an intern office? How about going and seeing the great world outside?”
Shen Yuechuan seemed to be a little bit lost and asked the young lady, “What do you mean?”
“Scram!” Xiao Yunyun picked up a folder, put a pen in her breast pocket, and said, “I need to work now. Old boy, you can stay here as you wish. Enjoy yourself.”
Before she reached the door, Xiao Yunyun was yanked back and held down on the chair. She glared at Shen Yuechuan but was interrupted by him before she could speak.
“Be quiet!” Shen Yuechuan looked at her coldly. “Unless you want to be mistaken by those outside.”
“Rogue! Hooligan! Bastard!”
Xiao Yunyun cursed in her mind while glaring at Shen Yuechuan and asked, “What do you want?”
“I want you to tell the truth.” Shen Yuechuan sat on the desk with his feet on the floor. He looked at Xiao Yunyun relaxedly and said unhurriedly, “But you don’t seem to. It doesn’t matter; there is time enough for that.”
Xiao Yunyun did not know where Su Jianan was but still kept her words in mind—you should never tell the truth no matter if you meet Shen Yuechuan or Lu Boyan.
Xiao Yunyun rolled her eyes at Shen Yuechuan, stood up, and was about to leave. Shen Yuechuan clicked his tongue and tied her up.
He did not doubt at all that he could deal with a young lady in her early 20s!
“Behave yourself and tell me the truth, or you’ll have to stay here all day.” Shen Yuechuan spoke with menace in his voice.
As for force, Xiao Yunyun clearly knew that she was not his opponent, but she was confident that he was no match for her when it came to patience.
With a “Bang—” sound, Xiao Yunyun lifted her legs and put her feet on the desk. Sitting in a relaxed posture, she said with a smile, “Then you’ll have to stay here all day, too!”
“You…” Shen Yuechuan gnashed his teeth. “You’re lucky you are Su Yicheng’s cousin.”
Otherwise, he would do all he could to make that young lady beg him through tears and snivels!
Xiao Yunyun made a triumphant face at Shen Yuechuan. But the phone in her pocket rang suddenly.
“It’s your phone ringing!” Shen Yuechuan said with impatience.
Xiao Yunyun struggled and said, “How can I answer the phone when my hands are tied!? Take it out!”
Shen Yuechuan had to take Xiao Yunyun’s phone out of her pocket. The caller ID was just a string of numbers, so he thought it was a stranger calling. He pressed “answer” and put the phone beside Xiao Yunyun’s ear.
Xiao Yunyun just shouted, “Cousin, help! Someone wants to kidnap me!”
Then came Su Yicheng’s voice with doubt. “Are you with Shen Yuechuan?”
“Exactly!” Xiao Yunyun darted a look at Shen Yuechuan.
“Yunyun,” Su Yicheng said, “it’s ok to tell him the truth now.”
Xiao Yunyun could not understand it for a while. “But my cousin sister said… OK, I see.”
After the call, Xiao Yunyun stared at Shen Yuechuan. “Untie me!”
Shen Yuechuan did not hurry and asked, “Will you tell me the truth?”
“I won’t if you don’t!”
Again, Shen Yuechuan had to do as the young lady said and untied her, waiting for her words.
Xiao Yunyun stood up and relaxed for a while. After having a glass of water, she told all the details to Shen Yuechuan, who could not be more curious.
Shen Yuechuan left in a hurry after being told that Su Jianan did not have an abortion.