Chapter 144 - Walking Alone In The Big City (1)

*Fifty minutes earlier*

As Xinyi got ready to pick Siying from school, she stepped into the big living room. 

"Xinyi wait!" 

She stopped and turned to see Han Guang lying on the floor. She widened her eyes in shock. "Aunt?"

She rushed to her side and checked on her. "What happened?"

"I slipped my foot and now it seems to be sprained. I cannot move at all. So help me get in my room," she arrogantly said.

"O-okay."

Xinyi helped her to the bedroom, which took almost twenty minutes alone. Han Guang walked too slowly, stopping now and then to rest. "It's horrible with this pain! You cannot expect me to walk in this state as if I am all normal, right?"

She smiled. "No, Aunt. It's okay."

She snorted. As they finally reached the bedroom, Xinyi laid her on the bed and said, "I will ask the maid to bring the balm and make some soup for you. You will feel better."

Han Guang glared at her in distaste. "What do you mean you will ask a maid? Why can't you do it!? Aren't you the daughter-in-law of this family? Is this how you act when you see an elder hurt? You just want to dump my responsibility on the maid because you hate me, right?"

She shook her head. "No, Aunt. Of course, I would have helped you, but I have to pick Siying from school. I am already running late-"

"So? Is Siying going to run anywhere? He is just at school! What's the big deal? He can wait for you. But my foot is hurting too much. I don't trust the maids here at all."

Xinyi was dumbfounded. "They have been working for us for a long time now."

"Now will you teach me who should I trust or not? Heh. You must be really happy to see me hurt, right?" She sneered.

"Aunt-"

"Shut up. I don't want to hear any nonsense. Go bring the balm and put it on me and make me soup! It's the least you can do after being such a bother to us for seven years."

Her gaze slightly dimmed in sadness. She quickly said, "O-okay…"

I will be even more late if I keep on doing this. I will quickly make the soup for her, put medicine on her and leave. She scurried away into the kitchen. As soon as she left, Han Guang smirked.

"Tsk. Tsk. What will you do now, Xinyi? It's of no use. You have already disappointed Siying."

She finally let her go when her purpose was achieved to stall the time. She was confident that Siying would have already left by now.

*Present*

The teacher said, "When I brought the cupcakes back, Siying was already gone. I thought that you came and took him away."

Xinyi stumbled back in horror. "I just arrived right now! How can anybody else come to take him? If he is not here, then where is he?"

"Mrs. Han," the teacher quickly said, "Don't worry, Mrs. Han. I think Siying might have returned to the class to wait for you."

"Y-Yes...that must be it…"

They rushed to his classroom, but he wasn't there. They searched other classrooms, washrooms and playground outside, but they couldn't find him anywhere. They thoroughly checked the whole school and asked the other teachers, but there was no trace of Siying.

Xinyi's heart thudded in her chest in panic. Fear gripped her and she shivered. She ran outside and looked everywhere she could in the nearby area. She asked all the owners of the small shops and the passersby, but she didn't get any information.

She collapsed on her knees and burst into tears. "Siying... Where are you?"

She fumbled with her phone and dialed Zhiyuan's number, her gaze blurred with tears. "Zh-Zhiyuan!"

On the other end, he was shocked to hear Xinyi crying. *What's wrong? What happened? Where are you? I will come right away!"

"Siying! Siying…"

He froze. "Siying? What happened to him? Did he fall sick again?"

She cried hard. "No...Siying is not at the school! He-he has disappeared!"

---

The little Siying trotted on the way as he clutched his bag. He looked around and saw a busy street with people flooding left and right wherever he gazed at. They walked so fast and in a hurry that he got intimidated a little. He had never seen such a huge crowd before.

On his left, he heard the street shopkeepers shouting to attract customers to their shops. Tall buildings towered on either side of the road. Cars continuously honked on the main road as they speedily drove by to reach their offices.

Such a view was fascinating and thrilling for Siying. He was afraid, but he was excited too. He had never seen a busy street before. Compared to the people who were rapidly walking past him, he was slow and cautious as he sincerely admired the view.

But it got interrupted as he suddenly fell backward. He bumped into a man and fell on his back. 

"Hey! Why are you walking so slowly? Can't you see how busy this street is? Tsk. Why are kids like and slowing us down? You are so small that I didn't even see you! Ah damn, I am getting late!"

Siying got scared, seeing the angry expression on his face. He quickly sped past him, without even bothering to help him. Siying sat frozen on the ground with big drops of tears threatening to fall. 

"Aiya dear. Why are you sitting like that?" A kind elderly woman held his hand and helped him.

He gasped and cried. He didn't know that people acted so scary.

"Sshh. Don't cry, okay? See? You have not hurt anywhere," she looked around and asked, "Are you alone? Where are your parents?"

Siying stiffened.

"Are you lost? Do you know your mother or father's number to contact them?"

He turned pale. He didn't want anyone to take him back to the Han villa. "...Not...lost…"

He suddenly shook off her hand and ran away. Siying breathlessly kept running amidst the crowd, bumping into a lot of people on the way. Many of them got annoyed at him, and his little heart raced more in fear. He finally stopped at a corner. He trembled and cried. "Waaaa…"

Everybody is mad at Siying…Mama, Dada, all angry at Siying...