The message was sent a week ago, right after Ji Yuning handed in her phone. Yuan Yi didn't know the exact time Ji Yuning handed in her phone, but after not receiving a reply from Ji Yuning, she guessed what had happened and didn't send Ji Yuning any more text messages after that.
Upon seeing the second message, Ji Yuning's eyes remained indifferent as she returned Yuan Yizhen's call.
The call was connected very quickly.
Ji Yuning only asked about Lu Raomei. When Yuan Yizhen finished speaking and was about to report on the week's work to Ji Yuning, Ji Yuning refused, saying, "We'll talk about it when we get back."
Yuan Yizhen paused for a moment, then quickly replied, "Okay."
However, Yuan Yizhen then asked, "Do you need me to pick you up from the station?"
Ji Yuning immediately thought of what Fang Bai had told her, and a beautiful smile appeared on her lips. "No need, Auntie will pick me up."
Yuan Yizhen: "Okay."
After hanging up the phone, Ji Yuning opened WeChat.
There were only seven unread messages, but none of them were from Fang Bai.
Although her expectations were dashed, Ji Yuning's good mood was not dampened.
She knew Fang Bai was busy with work.
With her fingertips swiping across the screen, Ji Yuning opened a chat window with Fang Bai.
Fang Bai's profile picture remained the same, while Ji Yuning's profile picture was changed by Fang Bai to a photo of Bei Bei falling down.
very funny.
Moreover, the two cat avatars look like they're meant for couples.
Ji Yuning's lips curled up again.
The keyboard popped up, and Ji Yuning typed:
[Aunt.]
The match is over.
At this moment, Ji Yuning also returned to the dormitory.
Seeing that Fang Bai did not reply, Ji Yuning started packing her luggage. She didn't have much to carry, so she finished packing quickly.
On the way to the meeting point, just as Ji Yuning was hesitating whether to call Fang Bai, her phone vibrated twice.
Ji Yuning remained calm, but she quickly turned on her phone.
I haven't contacted Fang Bai for a week.
This is the longest period of time we've gone without contacting each other in over a year.
But when Ji Yuning saw the message from the person whose contact name was "Aunt Fang," the smile in her eyes was replaced by coldness.
Aunt Fang sent the following message: [Xiao Ji, this is Aunt Wu. What time will you arrive? I'll have Lao Li pick you up.]
For a moment, Ji Yuning was filled with doubts, and beneath those doubts, a sense of panic began to creep in.
Ji Yuning dialed the number without hesitation. The moment Wu Mei's voice came through the receiver, some bubbles of expectation burst into powder.
It wasn't a joke by Fang Bai; the person opposite him really was Wu Mei.
After a moment of stunned silence, Ji Yuning, clinging to her last hope, asked, "Where is Fang Bai?"
On the high-speed train back to Huzhou, Ji Yuning kept repeating Wu Mei's words in her mind:
"Miss has gone on vacation."
"They suddenly said they were going on a trip, without saying where they were going."
"The phone was left to me by the young lady. She said she didn't want to be disturbed while traveling and asked me to help her reply to the people who contacted her."
"Yes, Miss bought a new phone. New number? Miss didn't give me one."
"Does the master know? He should know. Miss went to see the master before she left."
"..."
Ji Yuning closed her eyes.
Everyone was notified, except her.
Was it really just a passing whim?
Suddenly, Ji Yuning remembered what Fang Bai had said during their phone call that day—that her aunt actually wanted to travel around the world, but she just never had the chance.
So now... the opportunity has arrived?
Upon arriving in Hushi, Ji Yuning was picked up by Uncle Li.
The person who said he would pick her up a week ago has disappeared.
Back at the villa, Ji Yuning went straight upstairs and into Fang Bai's bedroom.
My gaze swept across every corner of the room, and some of Fang Bai's frequently used items were indeed gone.
Ji Yuning walked to the wardrobe in the bedroom, which was filled with Fang Bai's usual clothes, but now the wardrobe was empty.
Wu Mei, who was following Ji Yuning upstairs, saw Ji Yuning like this and asked in confusion, "Xiao Ji, what's wrong? Miss will be back from her trip in a few days."
Ji Yuning lowered her eyes.
Are you coming back in a few days?
Why was she so uneasy? She had a feeling that she might never see him again.
Seeing that Ji Yuning remained silent, Wu Mei remembered what Fang Bai had told her before leaving. Wu Mei made a figurine and said to Ji Yuning, "Little Ji, the birthday present that Miss prepared for you is in your room."
After saying that, Wu Mei added, "The young lady specifically told me not to let me into your room, and that I should open the gifts myself."
Ji Yuning's eyes darkened, and she said to Wu Mei, "I understand."
attic.
Ji Yuning pushed open the door and saw the box on the coffee table.
A pink gift box tied with a bow.
Ji Yuning's lips were pursed into a straight line, and a fierce glint was surging in her eyes.
She stared at the box for almost five minutes before silently taking the lid away.
The room was very warm, and Ji Yuning was wearing a cotton-padded coat, so she should have been very hot. However, after seeing what was inside the box, a chill began to rise from the soles of her feet.
There are three cards at the top of the box.
Two of the photos belonged to Fang Bai. Although Ji Yuning hadn't seen the other one in a long time, she recognized it as the one Lu Xia had given to Fang Bai.
Below the card was a red booklet with the words "Property Certificate" printed on it.
Ji Yuning gritted her teeth, picked it up and opened it. As she expected, the name on the household registration page was hers, and the building it belonged to was the villa right under her feet.
At the very bottom, there was a greeting card.
Ji Yuning put the property certificate and card aside and reached for the greeting card.
Just as Ji Yuning hesitated to open the greeting card, Yuan Yizhen called, "I'm sorry, it seems that Ms. Fang's itinerary has been deliberately hidden. Apart from the initial destination, we can't find anything else."
Ji Yuning knew Yuan Yizhen's abilities; the fact that she couldn't find out could only mean that Fang Bai was on guard and didn't want them to investigate.
"No need to check."
“Okay.” Yuan Yizhen hesitated before saying, “However, I found out that Miss Fang met with Lu Raomei before she left.”
"..." Ji Yuning's face darkened.
A dozen seconds later, the call ended.
He handed over all his wealth, and even his house was registered under someone else's name. It's hardly like he's trying to get it back.
The world is so big; she may settle down in a city with convenient transportation, or she may spend the rest of her life in an unknown small town.
Will she come back?
The greeting card in her hand felt like it was poisoned; Ji Yuning's fingers stiffened, the stiffness spreading to her limbs, and even breathing became difficult.
With her last bit of strength, Ji Yuning lifted the greeting card with one index finger.
It only had four words written on it: 【Happy Birthday.】
The delicate handwriting now resembled a sharp knife, cutting into Ji Yuning's entire body, leaving her completely battered.
Her breathing weakened, and her shoulders and back, which had been straight since she entered the room, collapsed instantly when she saw those four words.
She was sitting on the sofa.
It remained motionless, like an object.
After an unknown amount of time, a lively "Meow~" suddenly echoed through the deathly silent room.
The cat's meow chased away some of the heavy, deathly atmosphere.
Beibei squeezed into the room through the crack in the door. It smelled Ji Yuning's scent, followed the scent, walked to Ji Yuning's side, and jumped into her arms.
Ji Yuning lowered her head, her thin lips moving, but no sound came out.
Beibei stared at Ji Yuning with her round, bright eyes.
The person and the cat stared at each other.
Ji Yuning swept her tongue across her dry lips, her lips moving slightly, but with little effect.
After several more attempts, Ji Yuning finally managed to utter a single word through her clenched teeth, "She,"
Upon hearing the sound, Beibei straightened up slightly and nuzzled her head against Ji Yuning's face.
It's moist.
Its fur was stuck together.
Beibei moved its head a little further away, staring at Ji Yuning's face. When its eyes caught sight of the culprit, it stuck out its tongue and licked away the glistening substance that had slipped onto the tip of Ji Yuning's chin.
It's a bit salty.
Ji Yuning's eyes were misty, and she couldn't see anything clearly.
Based on the blurry figure, she placed her hand on Beibei's head, like a child who had made a mistake but hadn't yet reflected on it, and uttered the words she hadn't finished saying.