The richest man's parents were kidnapped, and his adorable son captivated the entire family.

The crowd was so frightened by the scene that they dared not stop them any longer.

She staggered as she pulled out the knife, then turned and, supporting herself against the wall, walked out of the laboratory step by step.

Only after she completely disappeared did the people in the research institute recover from their shock, quickly call the police, and notify Xie Beiling.

……

The car had just stopped outside the research institute when

Xie Beiling hurriedly pushed open the car door and rushed towards Xie Yumin's ward.

His steps were more hurried than ever before, and he didn't even straighten his coat properly. His expression was filled with barely suppressed anticipation and nervousness.

The moment the ward door was pushed open, the assistants and students who had been discussing in hushed tones fell silent.

The room was deathly silent.

Everyone looked at Xie Beiling, who was standing at the door, but his gaze swept directly towards the hospital bed.

The bed where Xie Yumin should have been lying was empty.

There was only a messy bedsheet, and the still-wet bloodstains on the floor pierced his eyes.

Xie Beiling felt as if he had been punched hard on the head; his body swayed slightly.

His pupils suddenly contracted, and he even froze.

"What about people?"

His voice was low and hoarse, as he suppressed his surging emotions, his gaze coldly sweeping over the crowd. "Where is she?"

The assistants looked at each other in bewilderment.

After a moment, one of the girls hesitated before speaking, "Teacher Xie, Miss Yu Mian left five minutes ago..."

Xie Beiling was startled; the coldness in his pupils transformed into a surging anxiety.

"Leave? Why didn't you stop her? How could she leave?!"

The girl bit her lip, her voice trembling slightly, "Miss Yu Mian... threatened to kill herself, insisting on leaving, and said... she didn't want to see you, she said... she and you could never be together..."

These words were like a sharp blade, piercing straight into Xie Beiling's heart.

His face turned deathly pale instantly, his lips trembled slightly, but he couldn't say anything.

"Teacher, we really tried our best..."

Another assistant spoke cautiously, his eyes filled with guilt and worry.

Xie Beiling raised his hand to stop their explanation, his voice low and tired, "Go out, all of you. Let me be alone for a while."

The assistants hesitated for a moment, but then silently withdrew, leaving Xie Beiling alone in the room.

He walked to the bedside, his steps unsteady as if he were walking on clouds.

He looked at the empty bed and the bloodstains on the floor, feeling as if a boulder was pressing on his chest, making it difficult to even breathe.

A moment later, as if all his strength had been drained, he slowly slumped to the ground.

Leaning against the cold wall, his fingers weakly supported his knees.

He lowered his head, his eyes unfocused, and murmured to himself, "Why... even after I woke up... did you have to leave me..."

His voice was low and hoarse, conveying a deep sense of weariness and helplessness.

The room was so quiet that only his breathing could be heard. Xie Beiling stared blankly at the bloodstains on the floor.

Xie Beiling, who used to be so adept at everything, now seemed like a child abandoned by the whole world, so fragile that he was almost about to shatter.

Doorway,

Gu Shiyu held Mengmeng in his arms and silently watched Xie Beiling, who was slumped on the ground.

Uncle Ling, who was always carefree and nonchalant, now looked as if he had lost the whole world, his eyes empty and his face full of pain and helplessness.

Gu Shiyu's throat moved, as if he wanted to speak, but he didn't know what to say.

He was filled with guilt.

If he hadn't called Xie Beiling to come back and help find Mengmeng, Uncle Ling could have arrived at the research institute much earlier and wouldn't have missed Xie Yumin or let her leave.

He clenched his fists, lowered his eyes, and spoke in a low, hoarse voice.

"Mengmeng... I'm sorry, Uncle Ling."

Mengmeng looked up at Gu Shiyu, then turned to look at Xie Beiling's lonely figure.

She had never seen Uncle Ling so grief-stricken and out of control...

"Uncle Ling..."

Mengmeng murmured something softly, her little hands tightly gripping Gu Shiyu's clothes, her eyes red and her nose sniffling, a wave of heartache washing over her.

She struggled to jump down from Gu Shiyu's arms.

Standing at the doorway, she summoned a fairy butterfly that emitted a soft glow with her small hand.

"Little butterfly..."

Mengmeng lowered her voice and whispered to Lingdie, "Could you help me find Aunt Yumian? Please hurry and find her."

The fairy butterfly flapped its wings, as if it understood Mengmeng's words, and emitted a soft buzzing sound.

Then, it flapped its wings and flew to the floor of the room, following the trail of blood all the way to the window, where it spun gently and disappeared quickly.

Mengmeng looked up at the butterfly flying away, her eyes filled with unwavering hope.

Gu Shiyu looked down at Mengmeng's adorable little figure, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

He raised his hand and ruffled her hair, his voice low and gentle, "Mengmeng, you're such a good girl, Uncle Ling will be grateful to you."

Xie Beiling remained slumped on the floor in the ward, his eyes vacant.

Jiangcheng, Gu Family Castle

Sunlight streamed in through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a soft golden hue over the spacious living room.

Ruolan sat on the sofa, gently feeding the leopard cat Mimi vegetables.

For some reason, this leopard never touches meat, but has a particular fondness for all kinds of fruits and vegetables.

Moreover, the larger the animal grows, the shinier its fur becomes, making it appear exceptionally robust.

"Mimi, here, the last piece of carrot."

Ruolan spoke softly, handing the chopped carrots to Mimi.

The leopard Mimi opened its mouth and snatched the vegetables away, crunching them as it ate. After finishing, it lowered its head and drank a sip of water, then affectionately rubbed against Ruolan's leg, its tail gently sweeping the ground, and it even let out two soft howls.

Ruolan smiled gently and reached out to stroke the leopard's fur. "Mimi, what's wrong? Is there something you want to tell me?"

The leopard howled twice more, its tail gently patting the ground, as if it were somewhat agitated.

Ruolan paused for a moment, then frowned in thought.

Then, he tentatively asked, "Are you missing Mengmeng?"

To everyone's surprise, as soon as he finished speaking, the leopard nodded, its eyes filled with obvious anticipation.

Ruolan was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing, her eyes filled with surprise and joy, "Mimi, you're so smart, you can actually understand human speech!"

The leopard looked at Ruolan, blinked, and flicked its tail slightly.

Ruolan smiled and stroked its head, saying softly, "Don't worry, Mengmeng will be back tonight. I just spoke to her on the phone, and she said she'll be home soon."

Hearing this, the leopard seemed completely relieved, happily swishing its tail and circling around Ruolan.

Then he ran towards the castle gate, squatted down at the entrance, and looked into the distance, as if waiting for Mengmeng to return.

Ruolan watched the leopard's departing figure, her eyes filled with a gentle smile.

Just as she was lost in thought, a cashmere blanket was gently draped over her.

Ruolan was slightly taken aback.

Seeing Gu Yinshen behind her, looking down at her, his voice filled with concern, "Are you cold?"

Ruolan subconsciously shook her head, a hint of unease appearing on her face, but she quickly suppressed the feeling of rejection.

Her tone was calm and gentle: "It's not cold, the sun is shining brightly outside."

Gu Yinshen sat down next to her, picked up his teacup, gave her a deep look, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

"I really miss the tea you brewed; the taste was always so special."

Ruolan lowered her eyes, her fingers resting lightly on her knees, her tone gentle yet tinged with indifference.

"When Mengmeng comes back, I'll make it for everyone to drink together."

The two said no more and simply sat quietly drinking tea.

Sunlight bathed the two of them, and time seemed to flow slowly, warm and peaceful.

Gu Yinshen looked at Ruolan's profile, his eyes deep, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

Ruolan held the warm teacup in both hands, the aroma of tea lingering, the warmth flowing through her palms, but her heart gradually grew cold.

The image of her newborn daughter dying before her eyes uncontrollably flashed through her mind.

Her hand trembled slightly, her eyes reddened, and her voice trembled with suppressed emotion, "In a few days... it will be the anniversary of our daughter's death. I want to go see her and build her a cenotaph."