“Shouldn’t I be the one asking you?”
Niu Qiuling glanced at him and snorted.
“Me?”
Wan Yunting glared at Niu Qiuling, speechless. “What does this have to do with me? Don’t tell me you suspect I’m the one who made those two disappear?”
“Alright, Qiuling, stop it.”
Zhou Dong waved to Niu Qiuling before speaking to Wan Yunting. “It’s like this, last night Zhao Fuyang and Fei Xiang’s parents reported them missing. Their phones were switched off, and their parents searched for them all day, but couldn’t find them anywhere, not at work or with friends, so they reported it to us!”
Wan Yunting raised an eyebrow. “Do you know the specific time they went missing?”
Zhou Dong’s expression was serious. “According to their parents, it was around 2 AM on the night of our commendation ceremony. Zhao Fuyang’s phone couldn’t be reached after that!”
This surprised Wan Yunting. On the night of the commendation ceremony, he, Fang Yanxi, and a group of classmates, including Jin Xiuwen, were having a celebratory dinner at Deyue Tower. It was then that they encountered Zhao Fuyang and Fei Xiang.
“You mean their disappearance has something to do with us!”
Wan Yunting finally understood why Zhou Dong and Niu Qiuling had come to see him today.
Zhou Dong didn’t admit it. “According to our colleagues’ investigation, you had a conflict at Deyue Tower that night?”
“Yes.”
Wan Yunting nodded. “That night, Jin Xiuwen and I and other classmates were having a celebratory dinner at Deyue Tower. Around 10 PM, Zhao Fuyang and Fei Xiang came into our private room. Since Zhao Fuyang had always been at odds with me during university, they started hurling insults at us as soon as they entered.”
“Originally, I didn’t want to bother with them, but they were making threats and pushing their luck, so I broke the index finger of his right hand!”
“Hmph, just like you.”
Niu Qiuling, standing to the side with her arms crossed, her ample bosom prominently displayed, mocked him with a cold tone.
Wan Yunting glanced at her and recounted the events of that night to Zhou Dong in detail. He raised an eyebrow. “So, after they left, they didn’t interact with you again?”
“Yes.”
Wan Yunting nodded. “The incident that night was just a minor conflict. We taught them a lesson, so naturally, we didn’t bother with them anymore.”
“Understood.”
Zhou Dong nodded. After all, their colleagues had investigated Deyue Tower and reviewed the surveillance footage from the private room, so they knew Wan Yunting was telling the truth.
“Do you know if any of your other classmates went to look for Zhao Fuyang and Fei Xiang afterward?” Zhou Dong asked.
Wan Yunting shook his head. “Probably not. We all went home separately after leaving that night. Of course, I can’t guarantee it!”
Zhou Dong nodded. “We will be interviewing your classmates one by one later. I hope you don’t mind.”
Wan Yunting smiled. “I understand. Please proceed with your official duties.”
Niu Qiuling immediately cast a sideways glance at him. “It really has nothing to do with you?”
Wan Yunting turned his head and gave her a look, poking her forehead with his finger. “Don’t let personal feelings dictate your judgment. Also, why are you, a drug enforcement officer, hanging out with Captain Zhou from the criminal investigation team?”
“There are no drug dealers to catch right now, so I’m learning case handling from Captain Zhou. Is that not allowed?” Niu Qiuling retorted to Wan Yunting righteously.
“Okay, okay, you can do whatever you want.”
Wan Yunting waved his hand speechlessly and asked Zhou Dong, “Captain Zhou, if you get any leads on Zhao Fuyang and Fei Xiang, please let me know. If you need any help, tell me, and I’ll cooperate fully.”
Zhou Dong nodded and smiled. “Alright, we won’t disturb your work then.”
“Mm, I’ll see you out.”
Wan Yunting nodded and escorted Zhou Dong and the others out.
Niu Qiuling had already grabbed Dai Qiuyue, and as they followed behind, she was whispering to her. After exchanging contact information on their phones, Niu Qiuling gave Wan Yunting a fierce glare and, not forgetting to quietly curse him as a “scumbag,” left with Zhou Dong and the others.
“This girl, she needs to be taught a lesson.”
Seeing Niu Qiuling’s willful and petulant behavior, Wan Yunting was speechless and helpless. At that moment, Dai Qiuyue unexpectedly chimed in, “Qiuling is right!”
“What’s right?”
Wan Yunting quickly turned his head, watching Dai Qiuyue turn and walk upstairs. He sighed in exasperation, then raised an eyebrow, wondering how Zhao Fuyang and Fei Xiang had suddenly disappeared.
However, not knowing their current situation, Wan Yunting didn’t dwell on it. Who knew what trouble Zhao Fuyang and Fei Xiang had gotten into outside, or if they had been kidnapped for ransom…
Returning to the clinic to continue his work, Jin Xiuwen, Xue Jianchao, and He Chengping all called, mentioning Zhao Fuyang and Fei Xiang’s disappearance. It was clear that Zhou Dong and Niu Qiuling had gone to question them.
Since the afternoon was not busy, Wan Yunting chatted with them on his phone. Guan Hongyu also called directly. “Yunting, Zhao Fuyang and Fei Xiang are missing!”
“I know about this. Did the police come to ask you about that night too?” Wan Yunting lit a cigarette and smiled at Guan Hongyu.
“Yes, the police just left.”
At this moment, in a room on the fifth floor of an old residential complex, the small living room was furnished with wooden tables and chairs from the nineties.
A worn-out TV cabinet held an antique television set covered with a cloth. There was also a photo frame containing a faded and old photograph.
It was a picture of Guan Hongyu with his parents, taken when he was admitted to high school, during an outing in a park.
In the photo, Guan Hongyu bore a strong resemblance to his father, and his mother was beautiful and elegant. Guan Hongyu was only fifteen or sixteen, standing between his parents, with a radiant smile and sparkling eyes. He looked like a completely different person from the current Guan Hongyu, who had weathered many hardships and seen through everything in life.
Guan Hongyu, standing in his room, maintained its appearance from when he left eight years ago. The walls were adorned with posters of basketball stars, and the bookshelf was filled with books he had read during his university years.
On a desk, various photos were placed under the glass. Some were group photos of him, Wan Yunting, and Fang Yanxi from their university days…
Wearing a vest and sitting in a chair, Guan Hongyu held a photo in his hand. The man in the photo appeared to be in his thirties. He was dressed in a black suit, with sparse eyebrows and a shrewd smile that made him easily memorable!
While talking to Wan Yunting on the phone, Guan Hongyu spoke in a calm tone. “The police came to see you too, didn’t they?”
“They came at noon.”
Wan Yunting smiled. “Don’t worry, maybe Zhao Fuyang and Fei Xiang offended someone and got kidnapped or something. It has nothing to do with us anyway.”
“Mm.”
Guan Hongyu responded with a hum and then fell silent.
Wan Yunting exhaled smoke and said with a smile, “Yanxi told me you invited her to lunch today and even asked her to invest. Why didn’t you ask me?”
Guan Hongyu put down the photo and walked out of the room. He then opened another door next to it. “Do you two still have secrets from each other?”
Wan Yunting paused and then laughed. “What are you saying? We just got back together, we’re not married yet.”
Guan Hongyu stood at the door of his parents’ room and said faintly, “Aren’t you planning to get married?”
This question stumped Wan Yunting. After a moment, he chuckled. “Of course, I want to. But we just got back together, it’s too early to talk about marriage. Anyway, stop worrying about me and Yanxi’s relationship. Tell me about yourself. Are you planning to stay and develop in Huadu, or are you leaving?”
Guan Hongyu replied calmly, “Yes, I plan to rest in Huadu for a few years and settle some old scores!”
“Old scores?”
Wan Yunting’s expression froze. He didn’t quite understand what Guan Hongyu meant by “old scores”!