Chapter 83: A Step Too Late
Chapter Eighty-Four: A Step Too Late
Xia Yang drove at a speed of 1 the entire way. He didn’t care about speeding tickets; all he had was one goal: to find Qing Tian.
He had a premonition that Qing Tian must be at school. When he drove to the school, the gates were already closed. He walked to the nearby wall, leaped, and climbed over.
Coincidentally, another figure climbed over the wall at the same time. This person was Ji Xiangyu.
Seeing the newcomer, Xia Yang directly called out, “Wu Feng, what are you doing here?”
Ji Xiangyu was surprised that Xia Yang knew his discreet name and said with displeasure, “I’ll search over there, you search over here. We have to turn this school upside down to find Qing Tian!”
Xia Yang scoffed, “Our goals are the same, this is a given, no need for you to say it. Stop wasting time and let’s search. I’m afraid something might happen to Qing Tian!”
Ji Xiangyu lowered his hat and walked towards the football field, while Xia Yang headed towards the teaching building.
Ji Xiangyu searched every corner of the gymnasium and activity rooms but found no sign of Qing Tian. He anxiously ran to the outdoor training ground, where people were often caught fighting.
However, he still couldn’t find any trace of Qing Tian. He told himself he had to calm down; his mind was too chaotic right now.
Xia Yang first went to the stairs that Qin Hailan had been looking at earlier. He took out his mobile phone, turned on the flashlight, and searched along that path for any clues. He then walked further in that direction.
Finally, he locked onto a storage room that hadn’t been opened in a long time. The storage room door was securely locked, showing no signs of being opened, and was covered in dust. Xia Yang thought for a moment and circled the area, discovering that the window facing the corridor was open.
His eyes lit up, and he immediately turned over and climbed in. He held up his mobile phone, revealing footprints on the floor. Judging by the size, they were from a man’s shoes. He carefully lowered himself to observe the patterns on the footprints, finding a clear shoe size and model.
New model Adidas, size 34.
He stood up and continued to follow the footprints. The storage room’s structure was surprisingly complex. The kidnapper was very familiar with the school’s environment, otherwise, they wouldn’t have chosen this place.
Xia Yang finally saw a discarded mobile phone outside the door of the last restroom. He picked up the phone and pressed it, but it showed no reaction. However, judging by its appearance, it was indeed a woman’s mobile phone. He immediately tried to push the closed restroom door, but it wouldn’t budge.
So, he lifted his foot and kicked it hard. The door swung open with a bang, slamming forcefully against the wall.
Qing Tian was on the verge of death. When she heard the door being violently kicked open, she thought the man had returned. In the darkness, with her eyes covered, her head was constantly swimming.
She heard a voice calling her name and, in her daze, thought it was Ji Xiangyu.
She struggled weakly. Xia Yang noticed Qing Tian’s location and, using the faint light from his mobile phone, fumbled for the switch. The lights suddenly came on. It turned out to be a disused women’s restroom. Cobwebs had formed all around.
Qing Tian lay on the ground, barely alive, her hands and feet bound, and her mouth gagged.
Xia Yang’s heart was pierced with pain. He could barely breathe. Who dared to lay a hand on his person?
Xia Yang untied Qing Tian’s restraints. The moment Qing Tian was freed, she immediately threw herself into Xia Yang’s arms, crying with a hoarse voice that was heartbreaking, “Ji Xiangyu, I’m sorry, I didn’t keep my appointment, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
Xia Yang was already shocked by Qing Tian’s embrace, but when he heard her calling Ji Xiangyu’s name, he felt terrible. Why could Qing Tian only see Ji Xiangyu?
He reached out and hugged Qing Tian, gently stroking the back of her head with one hand while comforting her, “It’s okay, it’s okay.”
Qing Tian continued to cry in Xia Yang’s arms, while Xia Yang kept comforting her.
This scene of them embracing was seen by Ji Xiangyu. He was, after all, a step too late.
He stood outside the restroom door, watching the two embracing on the ground through the light. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and all that remained in his mind was the text message Qing Tian had sent him.
She said she didn’t want to see him. Was that true? Did she only have feelings for Xia Yang? No wonder she had always defended Xia Yang before. He had once again been foolishly optimistic!
After calming Qing Tian’s emotions, Xia Yang picked her up and walked out of the storage room. Ji Xiangyu immediately hid, watching from a dark corner as Xia Yang carried Qing Tian away.
He clenched his fist and slammed it hard against the wall. Why was he always a step behind when it came to appearing before Qing Tian?
In the end, he slumped to the ground in despair, opened his phone, and looked at a text message. He looked at the message with self-mockery, only bitterness remaining in his heart!
She said: I don’t want to see you, ever! Don’t bother me again!
Ji Xiangyu angrily threw his phone away. He happened to see Qing Tian’s damaged and discarded mobile phone. After examining it, he immediately surveyed the surrounding area. Apart from the footprints on the ground, the kidnapper had left no other clues. Was it just a kidnapping out of revenge?
Who could it be? Wei Wei? It couldn’t be Wei Wei; Wei Wei was at home all day today.
Qin Hailan? It couldn’t be Qin Hailan either; Qin Hailan had been with Xia Yang the entire time!
Or could it be that Qin Hailan or Ji Weiwei hired someone to kidnap Qing Tian?
If it were either of them, Ji Xiangyu wouldn’t be too worried. If someone else caused trouble for Qing Tian because of him, that would be a serious problem!
Without further thought, he drove towards Qing Tian’s home!
