She smiled and said, "I am the young mistress of the Xie family now. Who would dare touch me? What could happen? On the contrary, you. They've already noticed what happened with Sophie last time. Although Qin Tianyi is ill, he's not dead yet. They might target you. Leaving Lancheng as soon as possible would be safer for you."
"I'm not afraid of them," Yu Wei said dismissively of Gu Susu and her associates. "What can they do to me? But if you want me to leave Lancheng, I'll listen to you and leave."
Sasha reminded him, "Don't underestimate them. Don't be careless."
"Alright," Yu Wei said, thinking it was a rare opportunity to see her. "This Western restaurant makes the best borscht and steak, your favorites. Try them."
Sasha hummed, knowing that Yu Wei was grateful and admired her, and would never betray her. She could trust him completely.
Thinking of all the ways she would need Yu Wei in the future, she spoke words of concern for him while dining.
After having lunch with Sasha, Yu Wei returned to the gallery and contacted several buyers, asking them to pick up the paintings they wanted as soon as possible. He was truly ending his business here.
However, the thought of not returning to Lancheng after going abroad made him feel a sense of loss, as he would have even fewer opportunities to see Sasha.
He knew Sasha had always been a woman he could admire but never obtain. He also knew that Sasha's heart belonged only to Yang Sijie, and even though Yang Sijie was no longer around, she was still living for him.
He couldn't persuade her, so he could only help her fulfill all her wishes.
After arranging the pickup time with the last buyer, he booked his flight abroad.
...
Since Lan Yu gave birth to a daughter, An Jing would happily look at the baby's photos on his phone whenever he had nothing else to do.
No matter what he was doing or who he met, An Jing would show people the baby's photos, thoroughly enjoying the compliments on his child.
Susu found his behavior amusing, remarking that he was just like Tianyi, a standard doting father.
Today, Susu was in her studio, looking at the previous year's studio operating report compiled by Shishi for her.
The data showed that the profit from the previous year was quite substantial. She signed the year-end bonus disbursement form and began planning to book a hotel.
Before the Lunar New Year, she wanted to have a lively year-end dinner with her colleagues to reward them.
As soon as she instructed Shishi to book a good hotel, her phone rang. Seeing it was An Jing, she smiled and said, "An Jing, I'm at the studio. Is there something you need?"
An Jing's voice was panicked. "Susu, Xiaoxiao is missing. I've booked the fastest flight and need to go to my mother's place immediately to help them find Xiaoxiao."
"What did you say? Xiaoxiao is missing? How could that happen?" Susu felt it was too sudden.
An Jing explained, "A couple of days ago, Xiaoxiao said she wanted to play on the lawn outside by herself. Her mother agreed, as she and Lan Yu were busy with the newborn at the time. But by evening, Xiaoxiao hadn't returned. My mother went to the lawn to look for her but found no one. She searched the surroundings but still couldn't find Xiaoxiao."
Susu also grew anxious and asked, "Could she have been abducted by bad people?"
"It's always been a peaceful place where my mother lives, and she knows all the neighbors. I don't know why this happened," An Jing said with a hint of tears. "Xiaoxiao has been very well-behaved since she went to my mother's place with Lan Yu. My mother likes her very much..."
"Have you called the police yet?" Susu interrupted him, knowing that words were useless now; the priority was to find the child.
An Jing replied, "Yes, the police there have already started searching. But my mother and Lan Yu are beside themselves with worry. I have to go there."
"You go quickly. I'll handle things here, don't worry," Susu instructed him. "Let me know as soon as you find Xiaoxiao."
"Alright," An Jing said, then remembered something. "By the way, I haven't told Tianyi about this. I'm afraid it might affect his recovery in the hospital. Are you sure you can handle it alone?"
"I'm fine. It's better not to tell him. I'll tell him after he's discharged."
"Then I'll leave things here to you," An Jing said, hanging up hastily.
Susu put down her phone. With the Lunar New Year just a few days away, she hadn't expected such a thing to happen with Lan Yu. She hoped An Jing could find Xiaoxiao quickly after arriving.
After a busy day, Susu drove to the private hospital, feeling a bit tired.
Before entering Tianyi's ward, she put on a cheerful expression and said, "Mr. Qin, how are you feeling today?"
"Look what I have here," Tianyi said, holding up a check-up report with a happy expression.
Susu smiled and asked, "What is it?" She took it and saw it was the result of his brain CT scan from that day.
She couldn't help but be delighted. "Honey, everything is normal!"
"Then I can be discharged tomorrow," Tianyi said, stretching his arms and leaning lazily against the hospital bed. "I want to go home and celebrate the New Year with you all."
"Yes, I'll come tomorrow morning to complete your discharge procedures. Our family will have a reunion for the New Year," Susu's mood finally improved significantly.
Tianyi picked up his phone. "I should tell An Jing too, so he can book his flight for tomorrow and hurry to Lan Yu's place."
"No need. He's already booked his flight for today."
"Ah, is he telepathic? Does he know I'm being discharged?"
Susu didn't hide it from him. "Not exactly. He originally planned to leave on the last day before the New Year, but Xiaoxiao went missing over there. Lan Yu and the others have been searching for days without success, and they've already reported it to the police, which is why he rushed over."
Tianyi asked in surprise, "How could she go missing? An Jing must be frantic."
"Yes, An Jing treats Xiaoxiao like his own daughter. How could he not be worried?" Susu said. "Perhaps the child was playing and got lost. They'll find her."
"I hope so."
Susu remembered something else. "Tomorrow, we'll need the hospital to arrange a secret exit. I'll have Xiao Lin bring a low-key car to pick us up early. Your discharge needs to be kept secret from the outside world."
"Of course. I'll talk to Xiao Lin about it," Tianyi said, reaching for his phone to call Xiao Lin.
Susu took the phone from his hand and told him to rest comfortably in bed. "You just need to rest for one more night. I'll arrange everything. You're not allowed to worry about it."
Tianyi smiled and pinched her cheek. "I really dislike this feeling of being a kept man."
"I've always said I'd support you. Can't you just rest and let me support you?"
"Alright, but I prefer to eat the soft rice with a hard attitude," Tianyi said, suddenly embracing her neck and kissing her.
...
After checking on the baby in the nursery, Sasha walked into her and Xie Qining's room, only to hear Xie Qining angrily talking on the phone, "What kind of job are you doing? You can't even keep an eye on a child, and you let her run off!"
The other person must have said something, as he shouted angrily, "Find her quickly! If you still can't find her, then hide yourselves! If this child runs back on her own, won't they call the police to arrest you!"
Then, he angrily hung up and threw the phone far away.