Chapter 16-Resentment XIII

Ke Ruiyue, excited yet nervous, repeatedly asked, "Er-ge, do I look okay?"

(Er-ge = 二哥= Second Eldest Brother) 

Ke Yixing responded half-heartedly, "Yes, you look beautiful. Even the animals from Snow White would want to play with you."

"I thought so too. By the way, Er-ge, do you think they'll find that teenager and blogger soon? The cafe has been closed for days."

"Do I look like I know?" 

"Why wouldn't you know? I know you've asked Ling Ge to gather information about it. But why help them? You barely know each other."

Ke Yixing flicked her forehead. "Didn't our parents tell us to help people if we can?" Their family believed in accumulating merits through good deeds, which they thought would benefit them in this life and the next.

"Ahh! My make-up! And what merits? Look at Da-ge." 

(Da-ge = 大哥 = Eldest Brother)

"Ke Ruiyue."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." 

Ke Yixing, Ke Ruiyue, and Cheng Linghua were attending a birthday banquet hosted by one of their important business partners. In addition to inviting their relatives, friends, and business associates, they had also extended invitations to celebrities, including one whom Ke Ruiyue admired because of a drama she had watched.

Upon their arrival at the venue, Cheng Linghua, dressed in a light brown suit, was the first to step out of the passenger seat and open the back door. Stepping out next was Ke Yixing, wearing a pastel blue suit adorned with a silver accessory clip between his collars. Extending his hand, he offered it to Ke Ruiyue, who wore a dark blue dress with shimmering stars. As she placed her hand in his, she retaliated against him for using her full name by pinching his hand with her nails. Unfazed, Ke Yixing maintained his smile and firmly grasped her hand.

As soon as they stepped into the venue, the host warmly greeted them, and a crowd quickly gathered around them. After mingling with everyone for a while, they retreated to a quiet corner with their group of friends.

Ke Ruiyue and her friends were engrossed in gossip about the latest celebrity news.

One friend pointed out a B-list actress in the crowd. "Surprised to see her here. Rumor has it she suffered a facial burn injury from acid thrown by a wealthy man's wife, who caught her having an affair with her husband. But she looks fine now."

Another friend chimed in, "Probably just fake news spread by her rivals to tarnish her reputation. Happens all the time in the entertainment industry."

"Yeah, true. Did you catch the latest episode of that reality show? The new guest is so charming. Can't believe I never noticed how handsome he is before."

Ke Ruiyue recalled watching snippets of the show but didn't find it interesting enough to watch in full. "He's okay, I guess. Not as charming as mine."

"Totally agree."

"No way!" 

While Ke Ruiyue and her friends debated the attractiveness of various celebrities, Ke Yixing was with his group of friends, too.

"I heard from my cousin that the government plans to turn this land into a tourist attraction."

"In that case, there'll likely be fierce competition for any available pieces of land nearby. Yixing, isn't your family one of the landowners in the area?"

Yixing nodded, a glint of excitement in his eyes. "Yes, but whether it's a good thing remains to be seen."

"Don't be modest. We know you too well. You've already started planning in that head of yours of how to maximize the profits the moment you heard about it."

Ke Yixing chuckled softly in response.

The youngest of the group, Yan Mingyu interrupted, "Come on, guys! Let's not talk about boring stuff. Look at all these pretty ladies and handsome men waiting for us."

"Is your boyfriend not enough for you? He'll be sad and jealous hearing you say that."

Yan Mingyu pouted, "Hmph! Don't mention him. He's been on a business trip with his dad for three weeks already. He doesn't even have time to call me. He won't even recognize me when he comes back." Although he complained, he understood the importance of focusing on work. If his partner didn't take his work seriously, he would consider breaking up.

Ke Yixing ruffled his friend's hair affectionately. Everyone knew how clingy the couple was, so they didn't take his words too seriously. 

"Don't touch my hair. It's too precious for you to touch. Let me tell you something interesting happening at my university," he said, abruptly changing the topic as was his habit.

"There's talk of a ghost haunting our school. The story goes that she was once a top student, but she went missing and was later found dead in her backyard. It's said that because she never got to graduate, she doesn't want others to graduate either."

"Are there really missing students?" Ke Yixing, now sensitive to the term 'missing,' asked.

"Of course, otherwise why would I bring it up?"

He then went on to explain the mysterious disappearances. "They seem to vanish into thin air. Their roommates receive texts saying they won't return to the dorm that day but will be back the next, yet they never show up. These students are quite social, so their absence isn't immediately alarming. Only after several days of no contact, even skipping classes, do their friends decide to alert the police. Except for one who was found, the others are still missing.'"

"And what did that student reveal?"

"Well, that's the puzzling part. She's either silent or rambling incoherently about ghosts. She's currently hospitalized."

"And then?"

"And that's all I know."

Everyone stared at him. "What? If you want to know, then you guys can go find out yourselves. And while you're at it, let me know too, so I can post it on our school's forum and become one of the popular OP."

(OP=Original poster)

"Be careful. Don't follow strangers, even if they offer you candy."

Grinning, he replied, "Don't worry. I'm always alert in all my surroundings."

While they chatted, a small boy, around 6 or 7 years old, struggled to reach the food on the table. His older sister, close in age, attempted to help him.

Seeing this, Ke Yixing approached them. "What would you two like to eat? I can help you get it," he offered.

"Thank you, Gege," the girl replied gratefully, pointing to a few dishes on the table.

(Gege= 哥哥 =Brother)

After receiving the plates from Ke Yixing, the children thanked him once more before finding a nearby sofa to sit on. Ke Yixing rejoined his friends but overheard the boy complaining to his sister, "These don't taste as good as the ones from a few days ago. I want to eat those." The sister replied, "Daddy and Mommy said we can only have those once a month. We already had them this month."

As the evening progressed, the birthday banquet ended, and everyone offered their best wishes to the birthday star again before leaving. 

–

The next afternoon, Cheng Linghua provided the information that Ke Yixing had requested earlier in the day. "The missing university student's name is Mei Ling. She was discovered lying on a road by a passerby who promptly alerted the police. An investigation ensued, including a search of the vicinity and surveillance footage review. It was revealed that Mei Ling had jumped off an open truck and lost consciousness. The driver of the truck, who transports deliveries from farms to grocery stores, was identified. However, he claimed to be unaware of Mei Ling's presence in the back of his truck. Mei Ling is currently hospitalized in one of the hospitals owned by the Luo Group."

Ke Yixing checked the time and reached for his phone to make a call.

"Hello?"

"Baizhen, could you help me check on one of your patients, Mei Ling, who is hospitalized in your family's hospital?"

"I can, but why?" Luo Baizhen had the connection to help, but he wouldn't act without a good reason, even for his best friend's request.

"This patient may be connected to Lu Xiyun's case."

"Alright. I'll find Mei Ling's attending physician and check with the family if they're willing to let you see her. If they refuse, you'll have to find another approach. I'll give you a call later today," Having been told by Zhao Bojing about Lu Xiyun's disappearance and hoping for the teenager's safe return, Luo Baizhen also understood the importance of respecting the patient's family.

"Thanks."

"Mhm. I'm hanging up; I have a patient arriving soon."

-

Just before Ke Yixing finished work, he received a call from Luo Baizhen informing him that Mei Ling's parents had agreed to let him visit their daughter. So, Ke Yixing and Cheng Linghua headed to the hospital together. Cheng Linghua was Ke Yixing's secretary, but they were also friends, so he didn't mind accompanying him to the hospital.

"Knock, knock." 

After a few seconds, a woman opened the door. Though the years had softened the lines of her face and added a touch of silver to her hair, it was evident she had been a beauty in her youth. Mei Ling clearly inherited her features from this woman. However, her eyes now reflected weariness and sadness.

"Hello, my name is Ke Yixing and this is Cheng Linghua. We are here to see your daughter, Mei Ling. We believe she may be able to assist us," Ke Yixing explained politely.

"Hello, I didn't expect you guys to come here so quickly," the woman responded as she let them in.

Upon entering the room, they found Mei Ling sitting up on the bed. However, she showed no reaction to the new visitors. Her gaze was fixed ahead, but her eyes lacked focus.

"I don't know what you want to ask, but as you can see, my daughter probably won't be able to answer anything."

Ke Yixing observed Mei Ling for a moment before asking her mother, "What did the doctor say about her condition?"

"The doctor said she received some kind of stimulation that she was too shocked and scared, so now she has become like this. As for whether she can recover, it depends on her. The best we can do is take care of her and provide her a safe environment," the mother replied.

Listening to the response, Ke Yixing approached Mei Ling, standing next to her bed. "Hello, Mei Ling," he greeted, but there was no reaction.

Undeterred, Ke Yixing continued to ask her questions about what happened, what she saw, and whether she saw anyone. However, the result remained the same.

Cheng Linghua, standing beside Mei Ling's mom, asked, "When does Mei Ling typically speak or show any unusual reactions?"

"It's kind of random. Sometimes she talks during the day, other times she stays quiet all day long. And when she does speak, it's often incoherent or fragmented."

Ke Yixing and Cheng Linghua lingered in the room for about 30 minutes, hopeful that she might speak. However, throughout the entire time, she remained silent and still.

Just as they were about to leave, Ke Yixing noticed Mei Ling's pupils shaking, followed by her body trembling. He heard her murmuring, but couldn't make out the words. Leaning closer to her, he strained to hear.

"...No…burnt…can't breathe…skin… ghost…monster…there's MONSTER…SAVE ME!!!" Mei Ling grabbed her head and curled up, trying to make herself as small as possible. Her mother quickly hugged her, repeating, "It's okay, it's okay, you're safe now. Mom's here. You are safe now." After a while, Mei Ling calmed down and fell asleep.

Ke Yixing and Cheng Linghua noticed it was getting late and realized there wasn't much more to ask at the moment. They expressed their hopes for Mei Ling's recovery before leaving.

Both of them returned home. Since it was the end of the week, Ke Yixing drove to his family's old estate. Upon entering, he spotted his sister lying on the sofa, engrossed in her phone and making squealing sounds while grinning. It was obvious she was watching her favorite actor.

"Welcome home, Er-ge! Mom left you dinner." As she spoke, Ms. Ke walked out from the kitchen with the dishes, having been notified by Ke Yixing's earlier message. They preferred to keep outsiders out of their home, so apart from a butler, the rest of the staff, including maids and chefs, lived in a separate quarter. They typically only came to the main house once a week or for special occasions, or when they were too busy to manage everything themselves. 

"Yixing, go wash up and eat," his mother instructed.

"Mhm, Mom." 

They didn't have a rule against talking during meals, so while Ms. Ke and Ke Ruiyue chatted, Ke Yixing chimed in from time to time.

"Why are you late today? I don't remember the company having big projects going on."

"I went to see someone at the hospital."

Ms. Ke asked worriedly, "Is your friend sick? Is it serious?"

"No, it's not my friend," Ke Yixing clarified. "Mingyu told me about some strange incidents at his school, with students mysteriously disappearing. One student has been found, so I decided to visit. Even if it's not connected to the missing case, I'll still investigate it for Mingyu's safety, in case something did happen." Ke Yixing didn't hide from his family the fact that he was looking into the cases of Lu Xiyun and Zhang Tongtong.

"Then, what did that student say?"

"She was too shocked and scared to answer any questions. All I heard her say were, 'no, burn, can't breathe, skin, ghost, monster, and save me," Ke Yixing replied.

Ke Ruiyue recalled her conversation with friends. "Eh? 'Burn'? I heard that word yesterday too. There was a rumor about a B-list actress sustaining a facial burn injury, but she appeared perfectly fine at the banquet. It doesn't seem related though."

"What's the actress's name?" 

"I'm not sure. Let me text my friend," Ke Ruiyue said as she typed on her phone.

-

After spending some more time eating and chatting with his family, Ke Yixing retreated to his room. He opened his laptop and began typing. Without asking Cheng Linghua for assistance, he decided to look into the B-list actress himself. Even though it seemed like a minor and unrelated detail, Ke Yixing was unwilling to overlook any potential leads. Utilizing his informal channels, he swiftly gathered all the necessary information.

As he read through it, he couldn't help but narrow his eyes in thought.