39. Could it be....??
Evening.
" Is she back yet??", a loud male voice asked." Not yet Your Highness", Liu Chen immediately replied.
Mo Ting Xiao was walking restlessly across his study. His worry was increasing by every passing moment.
The sun had set a long while back and the darkness of the night had long set in. But Lu Chang Chang hadn't returned yet.
He knew Lu Chang Chang very well. She had always made sure to return before sunset and if she was going to be late, she would inform him in advance.
But today she didn't inform him that she was going to be late and rather had said that she would be early. This made him very worried because she never went back on her words.
He had not yet eaten dinner and was waiting worriedly for Lu Chang Chang.
He couldn't hold it in anymore and stepped out of the study and was met with Li Sing Tan who was rushing in.
" Did you find anything??", he asked him immediately. Before Li Sing Tan could reply, two more people came towards them.
Mo Jia and her maid walked towards them." What happened Brother Ting Xiao??", she asked in a very worried voice.
Even though outside she was worried, inside she was smiling on the success of her master plan.
" Ting Xiao.. People last saw Chang Chang in the afternoon… No one's seen her since..", Li Sing Tan reported his findings.
" Chang Chang isn't back yet…", Mo Ting Xiao replied in a worried tone.
Mo Jia felt like to vomit blood when she heard the way Mo Ting Xiao addressed Lu Chang Chang with so much gentleness and care. She gritted her teeth and took a few deep breaths.
' Calm down.. Her name will come out of his mouth this smoothly only today… After tonight, the name Lu Chang Chang will make his blood boil…. Then he will only see Mo Jia… Only care about me…', she thought and held her anger.
" Brother Ting Xiao", she called him with a hint of hesitation in her voice. Mo Ting Xiao turned to her with a look that said, ' I am not interested in what you have to say unless it is about Chang Chang'.
" Brother Ting Xiao… I don't know if this is the right time, but I had seen Chang Chang go sneaking around with a guy… Someone told me that the had seen the two of them spend many nights together before your marriage.. And-", she started ranting her fake story but was immediately cut off by Mo Ting Xiao.
" Shut up if you don't know how to speak.", he yelled at her." Truth is bitter Brother Ting Xiao.. I hope that you will listen to my advice and give up on a woman like her.. She doesn't deserve you", she said and walked away.
Li Sing Tan and Liu Chen were staring at Mo Jia with gaping mouths. They knew how clean Lu Chang Chang was and how honest she was.
They couldn't understand how she was able to badmouth someone so easily. Didn't her conscience ever question her words??
" You did not believe what she said right??", Li Sing Tan asked Mo Ting Xiao who was standing with a thoughtful expression.
" No. Of course not..", he immediately retorted. He trusted her more than he trusted himself. He trusted her with his whole heart.
" Get the horses ready.. Send men out looking for her.. And prepare my horse as well…", he ordered to Liu Chen, who immediately sped off to inform the necessary people.
Mo Ting Xiao rushed out with Li Sing Tan. By now he was sure that something was wrong with her and she needed help. He was going to find his first love at any cost.
At this time, Mo Jia, who was sneakily listening to them, stomped her feet and walked back into her room. She had hoped badly that he would suspect her and leave her for the dead.
' Why do you trust her so much Brother Ting Xiao? Why??!!', she thought.
Late at night, on the deserted streets of the city, the noise made by the hoofs of a horse disturbed the tranquillity of the night.
Mo Ting Xiao had been looking for Lu Chang Chang for quite a while. It was past midnight, but there was no sign of her.
Suddenly, he stopped in front of a junction. There were three ways he could go.
Straight ahead, into a housing area.
To the left, into a local market.
To the right, into the deserted seasonal market.
He wasn't sure about which route to take.
While contemplating on this, he remembered something. Lu Chang Chang had once told him that she liked quiet and deserted places, when he had asked her why the place she lived before marrying him was so desolate.
Without any further thinking, he directed the horse to the right, into the deserted seasonal market.
He slowed down his pace and was showing the light from the lantern he was holding, to get a clear view of the surroundings.
Suddenly, something caught his eye.
Two hands were hanging out of a water barrel and a Jade pin, that was stuck on the person's hair was shone.
He immediately stopped the horse.
' Could it be….??'