An Jing heard Xiao Xing's voice on the other end before she hung up, and her heart ached even more. The two children had initially hoped to play together again.
Xiao Xing would also be very sad if he knew the truth.
"Mom, why didn't you let me talk to Uncle Xiao?" Xiao Xing said dejectedly. "Did he forward the animation I sent him recently to Xiao Xiao?"
"Uncle Xiao will definitely show it to Xiao Xiao," Susu said, pretending nothing was wrong. "Uncle Xiao and Aunt Lan just had a new baby, so they'll be busy for a while. Don't disturb them for now."
Xiao Xing let out a dejected "Oh" and said, "But why doesn't Xiao Xiao contact me proactively? Has she forgotten about me?"
"How could she? She's probably busy with her newborn sister. She'll contact you after some time."
Xiao Xing mumbled another "Oh."
Susu was afraid he would be sad if he knew the truth, so she decided not to tell him for now. Perhaps Xiao Xiao could still be found. From An Jing's words, he wouldn't give up searching.
"Alright, don't be so glum during the New Year. Go play with your younger siblings," she said, smiling and patting Xiao Xing's head.
A child's disappointment comes and goes quickly. Xiao Xing felt his mother had a point and stopped dwelling on it, going off to play with his siblings.
Susu watched Xiao Xing's now cheerful retreating back and sighed inwardly.
Just then, Tian Yi came downstairs and walked over to her. Seeing her worried expression, he asked, "What's wrong? Is something bothering you?"
Susu looked at him and said, annoyed, "Xiao Xiao still hasn't been found."
"Oh." Tian Yi knew she was afraid Xiao Xing would overhear. "Let's talk in the study."
Susu nodded, hooked her arm through his, and they went to the study upstairs.
After closing the door, Susu could no longer hold back her tears. She said sadly, "How can this child Xiao Xiao be so unlucky? She had leukemia at such a young age, and her real family treated her poorly. After finally meeting such wonderful parents like An Jing and Lan Yu, she was abducted."
Tian Yi also sighed and said, "Shu Yan has done too many wicked things. It seems all her karma has fallen upon her own children."
"Why do you believe in such things?" Susu asked. "Children are children, and they are innocent."
"It's not that I want to believe in these things. When Tiantian used to cry a lot, didn't you and Ya Nan also believe in talismans and such? I was influenced by you all," Tian Yi said, feeling wronged.
Susu said exasperatedly, "You're still joking at a time like this. Do you know that An Jing and his family haven't had a good New Year?"
"I know, of course, I know," Tian Yi asked helplessly. "Is An Jing sure Xiao Xiao was abducted?"
"Yes." Susu recounted how An Jing had found a witness.
Tian Yi asked curiously, "Why would people from gangs in that kind of place abduct Xiao Xiao? Do they have a human trafficking business, or was someone hired to do it?"
Susu shook her head and said, "Until we find Xiao Xiao, anything is possible."
"Searching for someone over there is like finding a needle in a haystack." Tian Yi also hoped An Jing would find Xiao Xiao, but the reality was that after so many days, if she still hadn't been found, the chances were slim.
Moreover, there wasn't a single useful clue. He couldn't think of any solutions from here.
Susu knew what Tian Yi meant, of course, but she still couldn't accept the possibility that Xiao Xiao might never be found.
She fell silent, her eyes reddening.
Tian Yi patted her shoulder and said, "In any case, we should prepare for the worst, but not give up hope, right?"
Susu nodded silently, holding back the tears in her eyes, and said, "It seems An Jing won't be back for a while. He said even if the police give up searching, he won't."
"I understand. Let him search over there. Maybe he'll find her." Tian Yi didn't say the latter part: if she was never found, An Jing would probably have to truly give up before he could.
Susu asked, "You still can't show yourself for now. If there's anything that needs your attention, just hand it over to me."
Tian Yi looked at her and said, "There is indeed something I need you to handle, related to the bidding after the New Year."
"Okay, tell me."
"I've found that during this New Year period, Xie Zhendong hasn't been idle. Although he hasn't made any big moves on the surface, he's secretly mobilizing funds to acquire a large number of shares in Aoxiang."
"Ah," Susu asked in surprise, "How do you know?"
"He's already contacted several shareholders of Aoxiang and told them that I have a terminal illness, so Aoxiang will be finished sooner or later. He wants to buy the shares they hold." Tian Yi frowned. "One of the shareholders is very loyal to Aoxiang. He agreed to Xie Zhendong on the surface but told me everything privately."
"Then what should we do?"
Tian Yi said, "Let him think he can buy the shares from these shareholders for now. It's good that he's concentrating funds to pull the rug out from under us. We can use this opportunity to prepare for the bidding and offer a price that he won't expect. By then, it will be too late for him to offer a higher price than us."
Susu asked doubtfully, "Even if we win the bid, if he acquires too many shares of Aoxiang, won't he gain a foothold in Aoxiang, and perhaps even swallow it whole?"
"That's why I need you to persuade those shareholders to delay the transaction with Xie Zhendong. After we win the bid, they probably won't even be willing to sell their shares," Tian Yi winked at her.
Susu understood and said, "I get it. I'll persuade them and ask them to wait a bit longer."
"I believe in your ability," Tian Yi gazed at her with pride and admiration.
This made her a little embarrassed. "Don't look at me like that. Don't worry, I'll handle it."
Tian Yi took her hand and explained his detailed plan to her, so she would have a clear understanding.
Susu was truly impressed by him. His plan was brilliant; she couldn't have come up with it even with ten brains.
Now she was completely relieved. As long as Tian Yi was here, Aoxiang would not collapse.
Therefore, starting from the fourth day of the New Year, Susu was no longer idle and began visiting those shareholders. At this time, she couldn't reveal that Tian Yi wasn't sick, and at the same time, she had to persuade them.
...
During the New Year, the Xie family was the liveliest, with guests coming and going. Sasha was busy every day.
This year, all the relatives and old friends came under the guise of visiting the baby. So, every time, she had to bring the child to accompany them, smiling so hard her face almost ached to uphold the Xie family's reputation.
It wasn't until the fifth day that she received a call from abroad and learned that Yu Wei had not returned, and the employees abroad couldn't contact him at all.
Now she didn't know what had happened. She tried calling Yu Wei's phone several times, but it always rang with no answer. She felt something was wrong, so she didn't dare to call his phone again.
She guessed that his phone might have fallen into someone's hands, and that person was waiting to see who would look for him.
It seemed that Yu Wei had encountered a major incident, and even she, who was usually calm, felt a sense of panic.