Song Sheng nearly went into a frenzy searching for Qian Meigui. He asked Song Ren, Rong Ming, and anyone he knew for help. They tried to track the Lin family, but even they were more low-profiled than the Song family.
Song Ren was shocked to learn that Qian Meigui was found out, and she was even more furious that no one told her sooner.
She went to Song Sheng"s apartment with Su Feng, where they found him smoking at the balcony, his hair wild, his clothes were wrinkled. Song Ren took the cigarette packet from his pocket. Su Feng thought she grabbed it to take it away from him, but he gaped in surprise when she took a stick and lit it herself. Her cheeks hollowed as she inhaled a drag. Song Ren tapped her foot nervously as she exhaled the smoke, glancing towards her older brother. "What"s going on?" she asked him.
Su Feng didn"t press on why he never knew that she smoked; the matter regarding their missing sister was a priority. But he wasn"t sure why "Song Mei" was missing.
Song Sheng sat the two of them down. He glanced towards Su Feng as if he was invading the conversation. Song Ren read his cue, but said, "He should know."
Song Sheng thought for a moment before nodding. So they told Su Feng everything about the real ident.i.ty of Qian Meigui.
It took moments for Su Feng to register their words. Song Mei was Qian Meigui?
Eh?
He was dazed, pacing back and forth in the room. He then left them alone for a few moments to use the washroom. He returned with his phone, his mouth gaping like a fish out of water. He held an article up about the tragedy of the Qian family. "She"s that little girl?" he question. He recalled Qian Aiguo being one of the most brilliant scientists, especially how he spent the last weeks studying her impeccable detailed work and discoveries.
He searched up Qian Aiguo hoping she was alive so he could meet her and was disappointed to find that she had pa.s.sed away with her family years ago.
Song Ren nodded at him a.s.suringly. Her face was still grim, but he was astonished.
"So she"s not your blood sister?" he asked them.
Song Sheng and Song Ren shook their heads.
"I see," he said. It made sense. Qian Meigui didn"t look like any of them. He thought that perhaps she inherited recessive traits and that the others were mere copies of their father. But who knew? She wasn"t related to them at all, and they took care of her in the stead of her actual family.
After Su Feng composed himself, Song Ren urged him to proceed with what happened.
"Qian Hongli found us first, but soon after the Lin"s were informed and they came to find her. I think she went home. But in the footage, she went into a car, willingly. I"m not sure what"s going on," he finished.
"How were they informed?" she asked.
Song Sheng glanced at her. "Don"t worry about that. I know how to deal with them."
Song Ren thought momentarily again. "Shouldn"t she be fine. I mean she"s with family?" she asked him.
Song Sheng exhaled deeply, leaning back in his seat hopelessly. "We don"t know if they could be trusted," he began. "Her parents gave our father full guardians.h.i.+p, no one else. He even said that they haven"t been in contact with their own families for years. Why is that so?"
Song Ren registered her words. "s.h.i.+t. What are we going to do?"
Song Sheng shrugged helplessly. "Father is trying to do everything he can."
Song Ren extinguished her cigarette, lighting another from the pack. "What are you doing about it?" she asked him.
Song Sheng straightened gazing into her depthless gold-brown ones, the same as his. "I have been taking extreme measures in tracking her down. But it"s hopeless. We can"t report her missing if she left willingly. No one kidnapped her. She left," he said sadly.
Song Ren took another drag, placing her leg over her thigh. She then fidgeted with the cigarette between two of her fingers. She appeared to be afraid of something. "Sheng, I need to ask you something?"
Song Sheng gulped. Her face darkened. Song Sheng was used to her dark antics, h.e.l.l, she inflicted more fear amongst people than he could ever muster.
"What is it?" he asked her.
Song Ren didn"t look at him. "Are you two f.u.c.king?" she asked him.
Song Sheng furrowed his brows. "What kind of question is that?" he questioned her, annoyed.
Song Ren"s golden eyes dimmed, shooting up to meet his. "Tell me," she began. "Are you dating her?"
Song Sheng met her inquisitive stare. He couldn"t deny her accusation. He took the cigarette pack from her, lighting a new one at his mouth. He breathed out smoke.
"We haven"t done that if you"re curious," he began. Song Ren rolled her eyes. "But," he continued, "I am seeing her, romantically, that is."
Song Ren nodded, her eyes widening, trying to register the words. Su Feng wasn"t surprised at all. Even though he found out the true relation of the family, the nature between Song Sheng and Qian Meigui, from what he"s observed, was more extraordinary and up to par with his relations.h.i.+p with Song Ren.
Song Ren kept looking out in s.p.a.ce, smoking her cigarette. Her eyes hollowed into vacancy, unbelieving, until she finally said, "I"ve suspected for quite some time, but I didn"t want to believe it," she said.
Song Sheng hung his head low. He shouldn"t care about her opinion or anyone"s opinion with Qian Meigui. Song Sheng loved her. But he had forgotten that Song Ren considered Qian Meigui as a sister, not a friend, not anything less than family. He would forever be grateful to her for accepting Qian Meigui as one of them. Not many people would take a new sibling in their family. Most people are selfish, calling outsiders invaders. But Song Ren didn"t do that. Instead, she welcomed her after a few months of getting to know her. She wasn"t initially warm, but she gave her a chance, and the two became best of friends.
"I"m sorry," he apologized to her.
Song Ren inhaled a breath deeply as if she was close to losing air from shock and from the cigarette.
"Let"s not talk about this now, but thank you for being honest." She didn"t meet Song Sheng"s eyes. "Our priority now is to find her."
Song Sheng looked up at her astonis.h.i.+ngly, nodding. He stood up to escort them out of the apartment, but without looking at him, Song Ren raised her palm at him, informing him not to approach her closely. She was still registering all this information.
Her sister was missing, and furthermore, her brother was dating her. But she had to find her, and Su Feng would help her.
She just needed time.
For two days, Qian Meigui began to understand the Lin family better. They were all intelligent and resourceful beings, but they are family-oriented.
Many of her relatives treated her kindly, and their children already loved her. They kept insisting that she played with them. Since she had a lot of time in her hands, she got to speak to them and understand them.
Most of the teenagers were aspiring doctors, nurses, and pharmacists.
As the days continue to go by, she began to learn more about them, including Lin Anni.
She even began using her full name again.
"My name is Qian Meigui," she would introduce herself to them.
Song Sheng never stopped looking for her.