What Are Your Tastes? chapter 73
He Disappeared?
One weekend in late July, Zhou Yanchuan was invited by the Wen County government to participate in an event, leaving on Saturday and returning the next day as usual.
On Sunday afternoon, Lu Yunchu, alone at home, went out to buy groceries. Instead of going to the nearest small supermarket, he went to the market in the city mall.
By afternoon, the first to third basement parking levels of the mall were full, so he had to park on the newly opened fourth basement level. This level was half under construction, looking chaotic and dimly lit, giving off a somewhat eerie vibe.
After parking, he immediately took the elevator to the supermarket on the first basement level, where he unexpectedly ran into Ning Ruowei and An Yuan, who were also shopping. He hadn’t seen them in a while, so he pushed his cart and walked around with them.
“Are you off today?” An Yuan’s work schedule was irregular, so it was rare to run into her on her day off.
“Yes,” she replied, “Why isn’t Mr. Zhou with you?”
“He went to Wen County yesterday and should be back soon.”
As they spoke, Lu Yunchu received a call from Zhou Yanchuan. He said his car was entering the city but was stuck in traffic, and it might take over an hour to get home.
“Drive slowly; I’m at the supermarket,” Lu Yunchu said, planning to finish his shopping early and make dinner before Zhou Yanchuan got home.
“Mr. Zhou always knows how to dote, huh?” Ning Ruowei remarked nearby. “Almost home and still calling.”
“Probably bored from being stuck in traffic.” Lu Yunchu smiled as he picked up two packaged bell peppers and put them in his cart.
He wanted to buy a watermelon, but the ones at the supermarket were too big. He ended up sharing one with the two girls, and they all left together.
An Yuan’s car was also parked on the fourth basement level. As she got off the elevator, she looked at the bags in her hand and asked Ning Ruowei, “What about the two cups we picked out earlier?”
“They’re not in there?” Ning Ruowei peered into the bags. “I remember scanning them… Oh no, they might be at the checkout counter!”
“You…,” An Yuan shook her head. She had packed the bags but didn’t notice the missing items. “I’ll go back and get them.”
“No, you wait in the car. I’ll go.”
“Alright.”
The parking area on the fourth basement level was limited, and An Yuan’s and Lu Yunchu’s cars were not far apart, with just one row in between. After saying goodbye, Lu Yunchu walked to his car, placed the two bags and his small backpack on the front passenger seat, and then walked back around to the other side.
As he opened his car door, he heard a faint whimper from behind. Turning around, he didn’t see An Yuan, and her car lights were off.
“Dr. An?”
Lu Yunchu forgot to close his car door and hurried over. As he scanned the corner, he saw a pair of women’s feet on the ground, seemingly being dragged.
His expression tensed as he rushed forward, seeing two men stuffing An Yuan into a small car. She appeared to be unconscious, offering no resistance.
“What are you doing?”
Without thinking, Lu Yunchu charged forward, punching one of the men in the face. Before he could throw another punch, his nose and mouth were covered tightly. He smelled something strange, and then everything went black.
Traffic cleared up sooner than expected. More than half an hour after talking to Lu Yunchu, Zhou Yanchuan was almost home, approaching the intersection near Blue Bay. His phone rang.
Without his headset, he would usually ignore a call from an unknown number, but this call was from a friend named Hu.
Hu had connections in both the underworld and the police. Zhou Yanchuan had asked him to keep an eye on Zheng Xun. After a month with no news, he’d let it go. Now, Hu’s sudden call gave him a bad feeling. He quickly pulled over to answer.
“Hello, Hu, what’s going on… What did you say?”
Hu informed him that one of Zheng Xun’s associates who was involved in a fight last year had stolen a car yesterday, likely already modified. The associate’s wife had also mysteriously disappeared, potentially involving a criminal case.
The information made Zhou Yanchuan’s heart race. If Zheng Xun’s associates were desperate, he had reason to believe Zheng Xun might be too.
“The case is open, but the police can’t find the suspect or Zheng Xun. They’re both being searched for,” Hu added. “They should be caught soon, but be careful these next few days.”
“I understand.”
Zhou Yanchuan’s anxiety skyrocketed. Whether targeting An Yuan or himself,Zheng Xun was likely planning something. With only one intersection left to reach home, he couldn’t resist calling Lu Yunchu. Three attempts went unanswered.
Is he cooking? Or still at the supermarket? Unable to reach him, Zhou Yanchuan sped home.
The house was empty.
Without Hu’s call, he might not have been so worried. Lu Yunchu often went out alone and sometimes missed calls. But now, hearing the automated message on the phone, he was overwhelmed by fear. He had spoken to Lu Yunchu just over half an hour ago. How could he be unreachable now?
He dialed the familiar number again. This time, after three rings, a tearful female voice answered, “Mr. Zhou… it’s me.”
“You—” The voice was familiar. “Are you Ning Ruowei?”
“Yes… I can’t find them,” she said nervously. “I came downstairs, and An Yuan and Lu Yunchu were gone… Yunchu’s car door was open. I only saw his bag and the groceries.” She had answered the call because she heard the ringtone from his bag.
He’s gone?
Zhou Yanchuan’s chest tightened as if several electric saws were buzzing in his head.
Ning Ruowei called the police, and Zhou Yanchuan immediately informed Hu, but he couldn’t just sit and wait for news.
“Send me any places he might go.”
“Mr. Zhou,” Hu advised, “it’s best to let the police handle this.”
Zhou Yanchuan insisted, “I’ll be careful and won’t interfere with the investigation.”
“Alright,” Hu sighed. “We have few leads, but my men are looking. I’ll update you immediately.”
An Yuan woke up to the sensation of water on her face, trickling from her hair to her eyes, nose, and lips. It was cold and irritating.
She opened her eyes to see Zheng Xun’s emotionless face above her. Shocked, she tried to sit up but realized her hands were tied behind her.
Zheng Xun said nothing, continuing to pour water over her head until she spoke, “What did you do to me?”
“What did I do? Don’t you know?” He gave a sinister smile, chilling her to the bone.
An Yuan gasped as her memory returned. She had been kidnapped in the underground garage and brought here… wherever this place was. The sky wasn’t fully dark, so not much time had passed.
She was lying on a cold cement floor. Looking up, she saw a small light bulb. With the remaining daylight from outside and the dim indoor light, she also noticed another person lying not far away.
“Did you also abduct Mr. Lu?”
“I didn’t intend to abduct him,” Zheng Xun said dismissively, curling his lips, “he came to me on his own.”
“Zheng Xun!” Fear and anger intertwined in her heart, “You said you would never bother me again. Why are you going back on your word and involving innocent people?”
“I really won’t bother you anymore,” he squatted down, smiling more viciously, gripping her chin tightly with his right hand, and whispered into her ear, “As long as you disappear from this world, you won’t have to worry about me bothering you again.”