Chapter 77: Two Fates

Both Luo Qing and I listened intently to what Li Jia was about to say. Within his words might lie the message Sister Shiyu wanted to convey to us.

"The last time Xiao Yu sought me out alone was... probably late last weekend. I believe it was Saturday night," Li Jia recalled, setting the scene. "The bar had a major event that night, so it was extremely bustling. Yet she, as the event planner, failed to show up for work during her scheduled hours. However, I didn't hold it against her in the slightest. Lately, she had consistently seemed somewhat peculiar. Initially, I assumed she was feeling unwell, which was why I refrained from prying too much. That night, she called me past eleven o'clock. I am certain of the time because, due to other considerations, I glanced at the clock displayed on my phone. The conversation itself was very brief. She said she wanted to come and talk to me, and without a second thought, I agreed."

"Where did you meet?" Luo Qing asked after a brief moment of thought.

"Right here in the private room at Fenghua Bar, Room Number One," Li Jia continued. "Xiao Yu arrived at the bar not long after hanging up. Once inside the room, she remained entirely silent, seemingly hesitating over something."

"I could tell she had something weighing on her mind. Believing she was still troubled by her absence from work over the past few days, I comforted her, telling her there was nothing to worry about. But Xiao Yu didn't seem to be thinking along those lines at all. She paused slightly upon hearing my words, then smiled, shook her head, and said to me, 'Brother Jia, I came to see you because my mind is in absolute turmoil, and I have no idea how to handle so many things.' Hearing her say that, I went and poured her a cup of warm water, then asked if she was facing any difficulties in her personal life, assuring her I would find a way to help her resolve them." Li Jia lowered his head in thought for a moment, then looked up at me and asked, "Does Xiao Yu have a boyfriend in her personal life?"

Surprised by such an abrupt question, I hesitated for a second before shaking my head decisively.

"I see... Then what she said becomes rather strange. At the time, since I wasn't very familiar with her private life, I didn't dwell on it too much. If things are indeed as you say, then there might genuinely be some issues here that none of us are aware of." Li Jia stood up, took two beverages from the refrigerator, placed them on the table before Luo Qing and me, and continued, "Xiao Yu's exact words carried roughly this meaning: the root of her distress stemmed from emotional problems, yet as things stood, she was incapable of choosing what she truly desired."

Hearing this, Luo Qing turned her head to look at me with a trace of disdain in her eyes. "What does she mean by 'what she truly desired'?"

I searched my memory for all the moments shared with Sister Shiyu, yet I could find no impression whatsoever of this concept of "what she desired." In front of Ye Zi and me, Sister Shiyu had never once discussed her ambitions, nor had she ever mentioned her past—let alone anything concerning heartbreak or regret. Perhaps, in her eyes, An Ye and I would always remain two children who refused to grow up, the younger brothers under her protective wing.

"I am unclear on that as well. She didn't elaborate. But from my perspective, it must refer to the emotions or life she mentioned earlier, or perhaps the romance and happiness that you young people pursue," Li Jia said, shaking his head and sighing. "This time, Xiao Yu came seemingly just to pour her heart out, and I naturally became her sole listener... She offered many apologies, yet I could perceive the sincerity and heartfelt sorrow in her eyes—sorrow for me, for Fenghua, and perhaps for something else entirely."

In my heart, Sister Shiyu had always been a resilient woman—ambitious, driven, and unwilling to bow her head in defeat to anything. Yet a woman of this caliber had suddenly departed from my life, much like a familiar, cherished family member who suddenly stands before you one day and announces: "I am leaving, and I will never return."

"Do you think she might be ill?" Luo Qing glanced at me, hesitating for a moment before choosing her words. "The serious kind..."

Hearing her ask this question made my heart leap instantly into my throat. This was the exact reality I feared most at this very moment. I could endure her going far away, but I could never accept the final separation of life and death. If she went far away, even if she were at the ends of the earth, a thread of hope would remain. But in death and separation, no matter how profound the longing, there would be no reunions.

Li Jia furrowed his brow, remaining silent for a long while before speaking: "Her expression at the time certainly seemed thoroughly exhausted, and her complexion wasn't good either. However, her words and actions didn't differ too drastically from usual, so it shouldn't be that particular situation... But that is merely my own judgment. Xiao Yu is a girl who keeps things deeply hidden in her heart; if she doesn't want us to notice, no amount of effort on our part will succeed."

The boulder hanging in my chest still refused to settle, for I agreed entirely with Li Jia's assessment. Whether in her personal life or at work, Sister Shiyu was consistently proactive and diligent, always worrying over us. Whenever it was within her power, she would do her utmost to help us. A woman like this filled me with worry, and profound regret flooded over me now. Why had those words of care remained mere utterances back then, rather than commanding her to rest from a man's standpoint?

That concludes all that transpired that day. Where Xiao Yu might be at present is truly beyond my knowledge. As her friend, I am deeply concerned about her as well. If you happen to receive any news, could you please notify me at the earliest opportunity?" Li Jia looked at me, his eyes carrying both anticipation and unease.

I nodded, stood up, and cupped my hands in a traditional gesture of gratitude. Shortly after, Luo Qing put on her coat, uttered a few words of thanks, and we stepped out together.

Seated in the front passenger seat of the car, I replayed Li Jia's words in my mind, syllable by syllable. Although these were merely his biased accounts, I lacked the time to verify their authenticity. I had no choice but to believe them, as this was the sole path forward I could conceive. At this moment, my only recourse was to trust Sister Shiyu—to trust this strong yet kind-hearted woman.

"Have you figured anything out?" Luo Qing asked casually from beside me, starting the ignition. "Can you deduce any possible places she might have gone?"

I shook my head. Based on what Li Jia had recounted, I could only vaguely grasp the reasons behind Sister Shiyu's departure, but I remained utterly incapable of connecting them to her destination.

"You really are quite hopeless," Luo Qing muttered.

I looked at her in bewilderment, but she seemed disinclined to meet my gaze, continuing on her own train of thought: "First of all, Brother Jia and I are old acquaintances of a sort, so his words are credible. Let us use his account as our starting point: Xiao Yu stopped coming to work at the bar around half a month ago. This indicates that the turning point which drastically altered her life occurred two weeks ago, or perhaps three weeks ago."

I nodded, encouraging her to continue.

"She spoke a great deal of seemingly disconnected nonsense to Brother Jia, but upon closer reflection, it all follows a logical thread. The emotional aspect goes without saying. Since she sought out Brother Jia to apologize, what was the reason for this apology? Clearly, it concerned the bar, implying that she was about to resign from her job there. First she severed her social connections, and then her emotional ties. I suspect there are only two possible reasons that could trigger such a drastic and sudden transformation in her." Luo Qing raised a single finger. "First, she has contracted a terminal illness."

Following that, Luo Qing raised a second finger. "Second, she is about to leave Yichun far behind."

I nodded in agreement with her conjecture. Yet, this still failed to resolve the immediate problem of failing to locate her. Continuing to search blindly would only waste precious time.

"Since we cannot determine which of these two possibilities is correct, we will employ the simplest and most direct method: a two-pronged approach, tackling both fronts simultaneously. I can use my connections to check the major hospitals in Yichun to see if there are any recent inpatient records under her name. As for you, take charge of her domestic sphere—dispatch people to keep watch around her residence, as well as inside and outside Fenghua Bar," Luo Qing stated, outlining her plan.

My mind was truly in a state of chaos at the moment. After hearing Luo Qing's proposal, I found it remarkably sound. Though the methods might seem somewhat ruthless, at this juncture, I was willing to try any approach whatsoever, provided it meant finding Sister Shiyu.

"If you deem this method viable, then put it into action immediately. I will contact the hospitals right away, and the rest will depend on you... Also, don't forget to send her a few more emotional text messages. If a girl sees messages like that, her heart will inevitably soften, especially since she cares about you so much..." With that, Luo Qing shot me a sidelong glance and prepared to drive off.

"And what about me?" I quickly took out my phone and typed the question for her to see.

"As for you, go search the places where you share memories together. No matter what kind of departure it is, one always returns to take one last look before leaving." After reading the message, Luo Qing turned her face away, lost in her own thoughts.

Shortly after, Luo Qing dropped me off at the previously agreed-upon fast-food restaurant and drove away. I proceeded to send a group message to everyone outlining this strategy. Success or failure, this would be our final gamble.

Never before had I felt such deep concern for someone in my heart. I pressed my palms together and silently prayed, hoping that Sister Shiyu remained safe and healthy, and longing to lay eyes on her once again without delay.

The final arrangement was as follows: An Ye would wait at the bar for the evening, while Yang Xiaoyu and You Qin would keep watch near Sister Shiyu's residence, simultaneously inquiring among her neighbors for any possible clues. The moment she was spotted, everyone was instructed to call and notify the others instantly.

As evening approached, I received a message from Su Xuefei, stating that her shopping trip with Qin Xiaomo had been thoroughly delightful and asking if I could come over to help carry some items back.

I replied: "I am very busy right now. Go back and rest early, and stay safe."

Shortly after, the Goddess Su sent me a reply: "Send a message if anything comes up. Take care of your health as well. I'll be waiting for your return."

Putting my phone away, I hesitated for a moment before retrieving it once more. I located Luo Qing's number, deliberated for a long time, and finally punched in a few characters to send: "Many thanks for the assistance, martial sister Luo. Yang Chen expresses his gratitude."

It was only after the few of us casually found a noodle shop and finished our meal that I received a reply from Luo Qing: "Idiot."

I smiled and tucked my phone away. Yang Xiaoyu informed me that she had asked Zhang Tongtong to come help at the shop for the evening, telling me not to worry about matters over there. I nodded, though I refrained from telling her that, in truth, my mind was entirely consumed by thoughts of Shiyu, leaving me utterly devoid of bandwidth to care about the management of the dessert shop.