usatvline Chapter 23 The Lady is Missing
Chapter 23 The Lady is Missing
In the most bustling and prosperous Yuelai Theater in Beijing, the graceful singing, warm applause and laughter intertwined together, as if forming a vivid picture of ancient nightlife. As the night deepened, the bustle in the theater did not diminish at all.
In a dark room backstage at the theater, a man wearing a silver mask stood. He was dressed in a black brocade robe with the collar of his robe turned up high, covering half of his face, leaving only the cold mask and firm chin. His eyes flashed with a cold light, making it impossible to glimpse his true expression and emotions.
"Haven't you found it yet?" The man with the silver mask frowned, his tone full of anxiety and confusion.
"Master, there's nothing. I've looked everywhere." The bronze-masked man in front of him lowered his head, his voice trembling slightly. He didn't dare to look directly into his master's disappointed eyes.
The man in the silver mask paced back and forth, his fists clenched tightly, "How could this happen?" Their Dark Night Pavilion was the largest intelligence organization in Northern Tang, but they could not find any clues about the woman. He stared at the small and exquisite cylindrical capsule in his hand, and his eyes darkened again.
The night wind blew up the corners of his clothes, but it could not blow away the haze in his heart. "Keep looking, expand the scope, even if you have to turn the entire Northern Tang Kingdom upside down, you must find her for me!" The voice of the man in the silver mask was firm and resolute, with unquestionable majesty.
The bronze-masked man responded, "Yes, master!" He turned and hurried away, instantly blending into the crowd of people watching the show.
When the first ray of morning sunlight shone on Huaxi Garden, Shen Yiran was seen jogging along the winding bluestone path, panting slightly. The original owner's body was still too weak and he needed more exercise. Morning jogging was also a habit he developed in the army. In addition, he went to bed early last night, so he woke up early today.
Last night I wanted to study the dagger to see if I could find any clues, but it turned out that I was hypnotized. I felt so sleepy after just looking at it for a while. I had to put the dagger into the space and went to see Zhou Gong.
She ran around Huaxiyuan and took in the whole picture of the courtyard for the first time. The urge to rebuild Huaxiyuan that she had last night came up again. It was not because she was bored, but it was a pity to leave such a good courtyard abandoned. The architecture here was comparable to the Prime Minister's Mansion, with exquisite gardens, rocky rockeries, and unique pavilions... These all made her excited. In modern times, it would cost hundreds of millions to buy such a large villa in a first-tier city.
While jogging, she was thinking about how to rebuild her home. She had two options: one was to pawn the gift from her father-in-law, and the other was to find a way to make money. Finally, she decided to do a thorough market research at the market today before making a decision.
"Miss, Miss, get up quickly, the sun is shining on your butt." She came in with a basin. After a few days of getting along, Yun'er was spoiled by her own mistress and spoke without respect.
Seeing no response, Yun'er walked around the screen to the young lady's bed, but there was no one on the bed. She said to herself, "When did the young lady get up? Why didn't I see her!" She walked quickly to the door, "Young lady, young lady." After searching the side yard and still not seeing her master, she began to panic, and beads of sweat gradually appeared on her forehead.
She ran out of the side yard, looking around anxiously along the way. All kinds of bad thoughts emerged in her mind involuntarily. Did the master encounter an accident? Or was he secretly kidnapped? She didn't dare to think about it, and decided to go to Brother Lin Bei first.
She staggered as she ran towards the main courtyard. "Brother Lin Bei, Brother Lin Bei..." she shouted loudly and hurriedly.
Lin Bei, who was helping Ren Jingzhi wash up, heard Yun'er calling him more and more urgently. He stopped what he was doing and heard his master say, "Go and take a look. Is there something wrong?"
"Yes, master." After agreeing, he rushed out quickly.
When Yun'er saw Lin Bei, she felt like she saw a savior. She grabbed his hand and said tremblingly, "Brother Lin Bei, the young lady... the young lady..."
"Don't worry, talk slowly." Lin Bei supported her and comforted her softly.
When Ren Jingzhi in the bedroom heard this, an ominous premonition came to his mind. He gripped the edges of the wheelchair wheels with both hands, transferred his internal force to his palms, exerted force instantly, and flew out of the door at a high speed.
"Miss! Miss! She's missing..." "When did she disappear?" Ren Jingzhi grabbed Yun'er's shoulders, his eyes full of eagerness and anxiety.
Yun'er was hurt by this sudden force, tears welled up in her eyes, and she said in a trembling voice, "I went back to fetch water today to help the young lady wash up, only to find that the young lady's bed was empty."
Ren Jingzhi frowned, and unconsciously increased the strength of his hands: "You and Ranran shared a room, was there anything unusual last night? Did you hear any noises?" Yun'er bit her lip and tried to recall: "No, it was just like usual."
He let go of Yun'er and shouted at Lin Bei anxiously, "Go find her!"
"Yes, master." Lin Bei bent his legs slightly, poured his internal strength into the soles of his feet, and with a sudden kick, he shot out like an arrow.
Shen Yiran was gone. Yun'er was already frightened, and after being yelled at by Ren Jingzhi, her legs were shaking, but she still managed to stand up and staggered out, "Miss, Miss..."
Ren Jingzhi moved his wheelchair back and forth in the courtyard, his face terribly gloomy. Did someone know that she was helping him detoxify and took her away? Would she be in danger? He didn't dare to think further, he just felt panic in his heart, he couldn't wait any longer, he had to go out and look for her.
Thinking that Lin Bei was heading outside the mansion, he analyzed the situation and guessed that the person holding her hostage might have locked her up in another abandoned yard in Huaxiyuan. He summoned his inner strength, and with both hands he quickly turned the wheels of the wheelchair like a wind and fire wheel, and quickly rushed to the backyard.
He looked everywhere where people could hide, and his heart sank a little more after each one he looked. Just as he reached the pavilion in the garden, full of despair and without any hope anymore, he suddenly heard a sound in front of him, like a woman humming a song.
He dodged and hid behind a pillar. After about 20 breaths, the sound came closer. He stuck his head out and was almost mad to death when he saw who was coming. However, his heart, which had been tense, slowly settled down.
Shen Yiran was humming happily while jogging in the morning: "Along the familiar path in the campus, I come to read under the tree in the early morning..." When she passed the pavilion, she suddenly wanted to go in and sit for a while, so she walked in. She leaned over the guardrail, looking at the two lotus flowers blooming in the lotus pond, and couldn't help but recite: "It grows out of the mud but is not stained, and it washes in the clear water but is not coquettish." She was thinking that when she rebuilt Huaxi Garden, she would plant all kinds of lotus flowers in this lotus pond. Every summer, the flowers would bloom all over the pond, alternating between pink and white, and the breeze would blow, filling the air with fragrance. It would be simply magnificent.
Just as she was immersed in her fantasy, a male voice as cold as ice suddenly came from behind her, "Are you still alive?" The voice seemed to come from the dark underworld, eerie and terrifying, as if it could freeze a person's soul.