Hearing Han Xiao's name, Qiao Xinyue's expression became slightly unnatural. She casually asked, "What's wrong with him?"
Xia Wantang pondered, "He's getting married. They met through a blind date."
Qiao Xinyue's mood was complex, not out of unwillingness, but a sense of incomprehension due to the perceived haste.
Marriage was a lifelong major event; how could it be so casual?
Seeing her silence, Xia Wantang frowned and prompted, "If you..."
"There's no 'if.' I wish him happiness," Qiao Xinyue smiled candidly.
She wouldn't meddle. Every adult had to take responsibility for their decisions.
She and Han Xiao were already strangers.
Perhaps it was because he had once liked her that she felt a bit awkward whenever he was mentioned, but that was all.
Whether they were soulmates or childhood friends, once one of them developed feelings and that boundary was crossed.
If they couldn't be lovers, they couldn't even be friends.
Qiao Xinyue clearly didn't want to bring it up again, so Xia Wantang directly changed the subject.
"Oh right, Xuanxuan, last time you mentioned your parents found out about you and Li Bowen. What's going on?"
Wen Xuanxuan crunched on her potato chips, lounging lazily on the sofa as she recounted the events of that day.
Of course, the colorful details were omitted.
From that day on, she and Li Bowen had been openly dating.
Wen's father and mother hadn't interfered too much, but their frequency of "checking up" had noticeably increased.
However, she and Li Bowen were transparent and had nothing to hide, so they weren't afraid of their scrutiny.
Over time, Wen's father and mother had even grown to favor Li Bowen.
As the three were chatting, Ling Yuchen suddenly walked out of the study with a dark expression.
He frowned, his brows filled with sharp anger and murderous intent, and a palpable chilling coldness emanated from him.
This appearance thoroughly frightened the three in the living room. Wen Xuanxuan and Qiao Xinyue barely dared to breathe.
Xia Wantang's heart leaped, her voice trembling almost imperceptibly, "Yuchen, what's wrong?"
Unless something major had happened, Ling Yuchen wouldn't have lost his composure like this.
Ling Yuchen clutched his phone, his voice exceptionally cold, "Mother is missing."
"What!" Xia Wantang exclaimed, rising directly from the sofa.
Qiao Xinyue was even more shocked and followed suit.
Ling Yuchen's breathing was heavy, his eyes red and bloodshot.
The usually calm and composed man's hands were now trembling faintly.
Xia Wantang quickly stepped forward and held his hand. It was devoid of warmth, frighteningly cold.
She could only offer a weak consolation, "Mother will be alright."
"Mhm," Ling Yuchen replied softly, forcing a calm demeanor, "Let's go home."
At this moment, he dared not leave Xia Wantang alone.
What if someone took advantage of the situation, leaving him unable to attend to either matter?
Xia Wantang naturally agreed. At this time, it was best to follow Ling Yuchen's instructions and not cause trouble.
Qiao Xinyue, with reddened eyes, only urged them to be safe.
The two hurried out the door.
Qiao Xinyue slumped onto the sofa, feeling cold and breaking out in a sweat.
She remembered Jin Ning. Jin Ning had gone missing at first, and her subsequent fate was still vivid in her mind.
But at this moment, all she could do was pray powerlessly.
Madam was such a good person; Heaven, please open your eyes and do not let anything happen to her!
"She'll be alright."
Wen Xuanxuan hadn't experienced such things, so she didn't grasp the seriousness of the situation.
She still thought perhaps Madam had gone off to play somewhere and forgotten to inform the family, or perhaps she was lost.
Qiao Xinyue's expression didn't ease; it became even more somber.
Wen Xuanxuan remained unconcerned, saying, "Don't think of it so seriously..."
"It's not like that," Qiao Xinyue shook her head and said, "Do you remember Jiang Zexi?"
"Xia Wanfu's boyfriend, what about him?" Wen Xuanxuan was even more bewildered, suddenly bringing him up.
"His ex-girlfriend was kidnapped and ended up losing her life," Qiao Xinyue said with a heavy tone, her eyes filled with increasing gravity.
A gentle and virtuous woman came to mind.
Her black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, framing large almond-shaped eyes beneath delicate arched brows and a small nose.
Her rosy cheeks dimpled with a smile, and her beautiful eyes exuded an inexhaustible tenderness and charm.
Wen Xuanxuan opened her mouth but couldn't utter a word. Her face lost all its previous lightness.
She recalled that during a game of truth or dare, Jiang Zexi had said, "Marriage begins with affection and ends with propriety."
No wonder, even after reaching that stage, there was no further development.
Qiao Xinyue had grown up in the Ling family and was a familiar friend to Su Jinning.
Her passing was indeed heartbreaking. Why did Heaven inflict such misfortune on good people?
"You shouldn't worry too much and scare yourself.
Although that Jin Ning had a tragic end, it doesn't mean everyone else will suffer the same fate. After all, such incidents are rare."
"Mhm, Madam will be alright." Qiao Xinyue managed a faint smile, but it was forced.
Dusty memories slowly resurfaced. Su Jinning's incident appeared clearly in her mind, as if it had happened yesterday.
She sighed and said, "Young Master Jiang is also a pitiable person. Jin Ning's death caused him to fall into complete despair, leaving him listless."
"Indeed, they were talking about marriage, and then his girlfriend died."
Wen Xuanxuan looked regretful, but in her heart, she thought that if that Jin Ning hadn't died, Xia Wanfu wouldn't have had a chance.
Suddenly, she remembered Xia Wanfu when she last saw her, and the complete transformation she had undergone.
She was like a completely different person.
She wondered if there was a connection.
After all, from the snippets Qiao Xinyue and Li Bowen had mentioned, she could roughly guess that Jiang Zexi had been deeply devoted to his ex-girlfriend.
Her eyes flickered, and she tentatively asked, "What kind of person was that Jin Ning?"
Qiao Xinyue replied absentmindedly, "She was a very gentle person, her tenderness emanated from her very bones. It's a pity that beautiful women are often fated for misfortune."
Wen Xuanxuan rubbed her chin, her expression filled with deep meaning.
If she remembered correctly, Xia Wanfu's attire that day leaned towards a gentle, lady-like style.
Whereas before, she had a vibrant and charming girlish style.
So... her eyes suddenly lit up, as if she had discovered a huge secret.
She grabbed Qiao Xinyue's hand, her voice filled with excitement.
"Let me tell you something..."
Then she shared her discovery with Qiao Xinyue.
Upon hearing this, Qiao Xinyue's expression grew even more somber, tears welling up in her eyes.
"If Jin Ning knew that Young Master Jiang was like this, she would be very sad. It's been five years; he should let himself go."
Jin Ning, in your heavenly spirit, please protect Madam!
If Madam were to meet with misfortune, Master would surely not want to live on alone.