2

The next day, Zhao Kai, sober from the alcohol, found me with an apologetic look and expressed his remorse and self-blame to me.

"Nie Qing, I'm sorry. I really drank too much last night. I shouldn't have spoken rudely to you, and I shouldn't have been disrespectful! That's not the real me; the real me is a gentleman! I have great respect for you! Actually, you need to understand me a little, okay? I was impulsive because I love you too much! I'm not just after your body. It's just that, although you are nominally my girlfriend, you always keep a distance, making me feel insecure!"

Zhao Kai was desperately trying to find excuses for his inappropriate behavior the previous night.

Although the excuse of "because I love you too much, so I almost forced you" was quite absurd, I chose to temporarily forgive him.

Didn't tear things apart with Zhao Kai.

There were two reasons.

First, we traveled abroad together, so even if we broke up, it should wait until we return home.

In a foreign land, where life is unfamiliar, it is not suitable to deal with relationship issues.

And then, concerning Zhao Kai, I actually had some guilt in my heart as well.

Just as he said, I've always been distant from him, and I'm unwilling to have premarital intimacy with him, not just because I'm very traditional.

But also because I always keep a person hidden in my heart!

In the following days, under Mu Cha's guidance, we toured Bangkok, visiting the Grand Palace, Mae Nam River, Jade Buddha Temple, Reclining Buddha Temple, Siam Square...

We had a lot of fun, but the atmosphere between Zhao Kai and me was continuously awkward.

Mu Cha, being adept at reading people, often took the initiative to whisper to Zhao Kai along the way. Zhao Kai gradually showed a joyful expression on his face, not sure what interesting things he had heard.

According to the itinerary, our next stop was Chiang Mai.

But the night before, Zhao Kai came to me: "Nie Qing, I have a relative doing business in Pattaya. I need to go see him since I'm here in Thailand. Will you come with me or continue with the tour group?"

Given the currently awkward atmosphere between the two of us, I, of course, chose to continue with the tour group to Chiang Mai, agreeing with Zhao Kai to meet up in Phuket Island three days later.

That was the last stop of the Thailand trip.

The next day, not only did Zhao Kai leave the tour group, but guide Mu Cha also left, saying he had personal matters to attend to, leaving us with another female guide.

Initially, I didn't think anything was amiss and followed the remaining group to Pattaya.

Pattaya is Thailand's tourist hotspot, attracting millions of visitors annually, with hotels, bars, and restaurants crowded to the brim.

I was shopping in a craft shop when suddenly my phone rang.

It was a call from home, Mr. Li of Zhao Kai's bank.

"Where's Zhao Kai? Why isn't he answering the phone? There's a problem with a loan document back here only he knows about! I told him before, it's fine to travel abroad, but he must keep his phone on 24/7 so we can contact him anytime! Now, going overseas, he just forgets himself, it's really unprofessional! Zhao Kai normally seems reliable, how can he drop the ball at critical times?"

Mr. Li appeared very upset.

Even though I had a spat with Zhao Kai, I didn't wish for him to face problems in his career, so I hurriedly explained to Mr. Li on Zhao Kai's behalf, saying Zhao Kai's phone was broken, and I would contact Zhao Kai immediately for him to respond promptly.

After the call, I started dialing Zhao Kai's phone; he has a global roaming phone, but it just kept being unreachable.

Where did he go?

Has something happened to him?

Anxious, I contacted Mu Cha, inquiring about Zhao Kai's whereabouts.

But Mu Cha, on the phone, dodged and evaded my questions, clearly hiding something.

Could it be that Mu Cha betrayed Zhao Kai and did something bad to him?

I could no longer remain calm, thinking Zhao Kai said he went to Chiang Mai to see his relative, so I hailed a taxi straight to Chiang Mai!

Coincidentally, the taxi driver was a Chinese descendant, from the same hometown as me.

Seeing me anxious, he asked, "Miss, what's wrong?"

Unfamiliar with the place, I told the driver about Zhao Kai's disappearance.

"Before getting in the taxi, I went to the local police station, but the officers said Zhao Kai is an adult, and since he's been missing for less than 48 hours, they won't investigate. They even gave me a strange look and told me your man will come back on his own; don't worry, what's with that attitude!"

I complained about the inefficiency of the Thai police in the taxi.

Upon hearing this, the taxi driver showed a rather ambiguous expression on his face, "Miss, how's your relationship with your boyfriend? Did you recently have a fight?"

I was startled, "Yes, we did fight. How did you know, sir?"

The taxi driver showed a "I knew it" expression.

"Miss, don't worry! Your boyfriend won't be in any danger! Although law enforcement in Thailand is not as good as back home, it's better than in Myanmar or Indonesia. Your boyfriend is a tourist, as long as he doesn't venture off on his own, he shouldn't be in any trouble. I think the police were right; you might find your boyfriend coming back on his own in a few days."

Thailand isn't very large, and within a few hours, we had traveled from Pattaya to Chiang Mai.

Chiang Mai is Thailand's second most developed city after Bangkok.

The city has beautiful landscapes, filled with flowers and plants.

I wasn't in the mood to appreciate these sceneries, but I encountered some strange phenomena in Chiang Mai!

On the streets of Chiang Mai, there were many tourists from European and American countries.

Each accompanied by a local young Thai woman!

Are they tour guides?

But the male tourists would openly grope the girls' bodies in public!

Even pushing the girls into the bushes and publicly engaging in intimate acts, completely unfazed!

Those disheveled Thai girls would submissively comply, walking with bare legs, meek as lambs ready to be trampled.

Not only the passers-by but also the officers on patrol seemed accustomed to the sight.

What does this mean?

I suddenly remembered that in Bangkok and Pattaya, I had seen similar scenes, though especially prevalent in Chiang Mai.

"Miss, haven't you heard of Thailand's rent-a-wife culture?" the driver said.