Mo Yao walked home with shopping bags, a faint smile on her lips. Yet perhaps no one knew that just months ago, such a smile would never have graced this girl’s face.
But now… she wasn’t alone anymore.
Someone waited silently in that once-lonely apartment for her return.
*Xia Chuan…*
The name surfaced in her heart unbidden, warming her chest.
*Hurry home. Then I can see Xia Chuan sooner.*
With that thought, Mo Yao quickened her pace.
Soon, she neared her apartment building. Even from afar, she spotted a noisy crowd gathered downstairs. Honestly, she didn’t care—getting home to cook for Xia Chuan mattered most.
But as she drew closer, a familiar voice cut through the chatter:
*"I told you, it has nothing to do with her—"*
Mo Yao’s head snapped toward the crowd. Her eyes locked onto the figure trapped at its center—and froze. The shopping bags slipped from her suddenly limp hands, spilling vegetables across the pavement.
*It’s an illusion… right?*
*It can’t be…*
There, surrounded by strangers, stood Xia Chuan—the boy who should have been waiting quietly at home for her.
A breeze lifted Mo Yao’s long hair. She stared, wide-eyed, until the truth sank in: this was no mirage.
In that instant, the clear brightness in her eyes dimmed into shadow.
---
The moment the landlord opened Mo Yao’s door, Xia Chuan regretted his choice.
Blinded by his urge to escape, he’d never considered how neighbors would view Mo Yao.
Predictably, the sight of him bound in her room sparked vicious gossip.
*"That woman’s insane—openly kidnapping neighbors!"*
*"No wonder. Ever since she was raped, her mind snapped."*
*"Thinks her pretty face lets her lure any man she wants."*
Downstairs, aunties swarmed Xia Chuan. News spread like wildfire in their building.
*"Call the police, son! Today she kidnaps you, tomorrow she’ll kill you!"*
The landlord reached for his phone. A woman bold enough to kidnap deserved eviction.
Xia Chuan blocked him. *"Sir, it’s not her fault! Just a misunderstanding—I enjoy bondage games. See? I’m unharmed!"*
*"Afraid she’ll retaliate? Don’t worry. We’ll protect you."* The landlord patted his shoulder.
*Protect me? I’m 178cm tall—I’m not scared of some girl.*
*"No, I—"*
Xia Chuan’s protest died as his gaze snagged on a familiar face.
He knew that beautiful face better than his own.
Mo Yao stood motionless in the distance, watching him with hollow eyes. Her expression unreadable—grief or hatred?
*"Mo Yao…"* he whispered.
Shaking off his daze, he lunged toward her. But the crowd surged, blocking his path.
*"Don’t shield her after what she did!"*
*"Don’t let her pretty face fool you."*
*"Just call the police."*
Bodies pressed in, cutting off his view.
Xia Chuan wasn’t naive. Their "concern" wasn’t for his safety—they just wanted Mo Yao gone. This incident was their perfect excuse.
He’d tolerated their interference for the sake of neighborly peace. But as their words grew crueler, his patience snapped.
***"GET OUT OF MY WAY! You don’t know anything—stop talking!"***
He shoved through the crowd.
But when he broke free, the spot where Mo Yao had stood was empty. Only scattered vegetables remained.
Mo Yao had vanished.
---
Days later, Xia Chuan slipped back into routine.
His flat denials buried the "kidnapping" incident. At school, only Liu Yixia asked after him. He lied about traveling, touched by her relieved smile.
Life seemed to reset. The past days felt like a dream.
*Just apologize to Mo Yao,* he thought. *Then everything returns to normal. Right?*
*Right…*
But a sudden event shattered that fragile calm.
---
Mo Yao was missing.
Xia Chuan only realized days after she disappeared.
At first, he assumed she was hiding in her room, waiting to cool off. But when the landlord threatened eviction yesterday, Xia Chuan intervened. No matter his pleas, the man refused to listen.
Helpless, Xia Chuan let him unlock Mo Yao’s door—already planning to shelter her secretly if needed.
Inside, furniture sat untouched under a thin layer of dust. The air smelled stale.
Xia Chuan stared into the dark, empty room. The layout matched the day he’d escaped.
*Has she… not come back at all?*
The silence confirmed his fear.
---
After confirming Mo Yao’s disappearance, Xia Chuan scoured Haiyu City after school.
No one else cared—the neighbors were glad the "seductress" was gone.
Finding one person in a metropolis was hopeless. Logically, Xia Chuan owed Mo Yao nothing. But her absence was his fault. He couldn’t ignore it.
At her workplace, staff reported she hadn’t shown up in days. Their faint disgust when mentioning her name was unmistakable.
*Why do they hate her so much?* Xia Chuan wondered bitterly. *Because she was raped? That wasn’t her fault.*
*She’s a good girl.*
*But prejudice makes people turn away…*
He felt a hollow ache watching sunset shadows cage the city between skyscrapers.
He looked away. Guilt drove his search—a selfish kindness, perhaps. But doing nothing was worse.
Days blurred into weeks. No money for flyers meant wandering streets fruitlessly.
A month passed. No trace of Mo Yao. His guilt deepened with each empty dawn.
*Did she leave the city?*
He kept searching anyway.
Tonight, after another futile search past 10 PM, exhaustion dragged him home.
---
The hallway lights on his floor were out. Xia Chuan navigated by moonlight, tracing door outlines until he found his own.
***Click!***
Light flooded the room as he flipped the switch.
Silence swallowed the small space. A familiar loneliness tightened his chest.
*"Mo Yao…"* he murmured, voice hollow in the stillness. *"Where have you gone…?"*
