Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

The cat jumped off the table and nimbly jumped to the side, seemingly having no interest in their conversation. Li Xiangqian stood up and stretched himself. The tangle in his heart was still unresolved, but he knew that he had at least one person he could rely on. Yang Xue's understanding and support were always his greatest strength in facing all uncertainties.

He walked to the door, looked back at his wife who was still at the table, and made up his mind secretly. No matter what, he must figure this out and not let himself be swallowed by the mystery of that land.

"I'm leaving, snow," he said.

"Come back early and don't tire yourself out." Yang Xue's voice was gentle and calm, as if leaving a warm light in his heart.

Li Xiangqian took a deep breath and opened the door. What greeted him was the gradually colder air outside and the increasingly quiet night. The cat had disappeared into a corner of the yard, and the surroundings were so quiet that it was a bit suffocating.

Li Xiangqian walked out of the house, and the cold air instantly surrounded him. The thin coat he was wearing was not enough to resist the sudden cold. He took a deep breath, trying to use the cold air to clear his mind, but Yang Xue's gentle reminder still echoed in his mind: "Come back early, don't tire yourself out."

The courtyard seemed unusually quiet under the night, and occasionally a few dogs could be heard barking in the distance. Li walked forward a few steps and suddenly stopped. He looked up at his small window. Behind the window was their warm little home, where Yang Xue and her daughter lived. But at this moment, a sense of uneasiness inexplicably rose in his heart.

"Why is it so quiet today?" Li Xiangqian frowned, and his steps were a little hesitant. He turned around, went back to the house, and gently pushed open the gate.

The light in the room was slightly shining through the curtains, but he looked around and found that the room was not as warm and cozy as he had imagined. Yang Xue was still sitting at the table, with the cat lying quietly on her lap, but her daughter, Li Xiangqian's little baby, was gone.

He suddenly felt a heavy heart, and his steps quickened involuntarily. He pushed open the door and walked directly into the living room, his eyes quickly scanning the surroundings, "Xiao Lei?" He called softly, with a hint of anxiety in his voice.

Yang Xue raised her head when she heard the voice, with a hint of fatigue in her eyes. But when she saw Li Xiangqian coming in, she immediately smiled and said, "You're back, what's wrong?"

"Xue, where is Xiaolei? Where did she go?" Li Xiangqian asked anxiously, the feeling of uneasiness in his heart growing stronger and stronger.

Yang Xue was stunned, then asked in confusion: "Wasn't she in the room before you left? Didn't you see her?"

Li Xiangqian frowned, his heart was in a mess, and his eyes began to scan the room, his eyes nervous. "She's not in the room, nor in the yard, Xue, didn't you see her?"

Yang Xue stood up, walked into the house, and called softly: "Xiao Lei? Xiao Lei, mommy is here."

The room was silent, and Li Xiangqian's heartbeat seemed to have stopped for a moment. His eyes became more anxious, and his lips trembled slightly, as if he was afraid of what kind of answer his wife would say. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself, but an unignorable sense of uneasiness followed him like a shadow.

"She's missing?" There was obvious anxiety in Yang Xue's voice, and her pace unconsciously quickened as she looked around for her daughter.

Li Xiangqian felt a chill rising from the soles of his feet, and his heart was chilled. He did not expect anyone's answer to make him feel at ease. His eyes unconsciously fell on the yard outside the window again. In that shadow, it seemed that something was waiting for him.

He came to his senses, pushed open the door, and ran to his daughter's room. The room was empty, the bed was neatly made, and on the table were her unfinished homework books. Li Xiangqian felt even more depressed, and looking around, there was an uneasy silence in the air.

"How could she disappear?" Li Xiangqian murmured to himself, his brows tightly furrowed.

Yang Xue also walked to the door of the room at this time. Her eyes met Li Xiangqian's, filled with the same anxiety. "Xiangqian, she was playing happily in the yard at noon today. Do you think she went to play with her friends?"

Li Xiangqian couldn't help but frown and shook his head. "It's unlikely. She knows it's getting dark, so she shouldn't run around."

He began to walk around the yard, feeling something was wrong. Just now, he didn't see Xiaolei, and the whole yard seemed unusually quiet. The cat was still lying quietly on the table, as if it didn't notice anything unusual. Li Xiangqian's steps became more and more hurried, and with every step he took, the anxiety in his heart surged like a tide.

He stood in the middle of the yard, lowered his head, and looked at the land swallowed by the night. An ominous premonition inexplicably surged in his heart. "No way..." He suddenly felt a little scared of his previous thoughts, as if he had touched a nerve, but he could not calm the uneasiness in his heart.

He turned around and looked at Yang Xue in the house. "Xue, I have to go find her. You stay home and wait for me. Don't leave the house."

Yang Xue was stunned for a moment, a trace of worry flashed in her eyes, but she still nodded: "I know. Be careful."

Li Xiangqian took a deep breath, turned around and walked out of the yard, his steps firm and hurried. He kept thinking about the details just now - Xiaolei's disappearance, his daughter had never left home for a long time. She must know the time to come back at night, and today, her sudden disappearance seemed to be without any sign.

He walked in the yard, looking around, but he didn't find any suspicious traces. It was still quiet outside, not even the sound of wind. This made him feel even more uneasy, as if the whole world was waiting for something in some deep silence.

"Xiao Lei, come out quickly!" He shouted loudly unconsciously, but his shouts echoed all around without any response.

He was a little flustered, but he knew he had to stay calm. He began to walk towards the nearby streets, thinking about his daughter's safety. The streets were so empty in the night that it was eerie, with occasional whistling sounds of wind in the distance. Every step Li Xiangqian took was heavy as if he was carrying a huge pressure. He kept thinking about Xiaolei playing in the yard, and suddenly she disappeared. This uneasiness made him feel suffocated all the time.

Li Xiangqian walked out of the courtyard, his mind in a mess, suppressing the growing sense of uneasiness in his heart. Every step he took, he felt as if he was being pulled by some invisible force and could not control it. There was silence all around, not even a trace of wind. The surrounding houses seemed like an isolated island swallowed by the night, looking particularly deserted. The lights on both sides of the street were dim, but there was no warmth at all, but instead made him feel a deeper loneliness.