Chapter 133: Where Did Everyone Go?
“Oh…”
Early in the morning, Ji Yunqi rolled over and found the space beside her was ice cold…
Not believing it, she continued to reach out with her small hand to feel around, but still couldn’t find a certain person’s body.
This startled Ji Yunqi. Ye Mingkong hadn’t gotten up so early these past few days.
Almost every morning, Ji Yunqi could feel certain people’s warm bodies.
But how did the person suddenly disappear this morning?
In this cold weather, why get up so early? It seems there’s nothing for him to handle recently.
It couldn’t be that Yao Qing had problems again, right? But Yao Qing’s matters were settled a few days ago, and Yao Qing had taken Yao Yun Chu out to play during this time.
There’s no reason for Ye Mingkong to go find them. Where could he have gone?
The pregnancy hormones also made Ji Yunqi lose her sense of security.
Now she was truly like an ordinary pregnant woman, feeling scared and insecure if she couldn’t see her husband for a minute.
Ji Yunqi found this feeling difficult to overcome and also disliked it.
“How annoying. Before this guy came to Kyoto, I was fine. Why do I feel so uneasy now if I don’t see him for a minute?”
After getting up, Ji Yunqi tidied herself up simply and went downstairs. She wanted to ask the other people in the house, but as she went down, she didn’t see anyone.
The entire house was empty, not a single person in sight.
This discovery made Ji Yunqi feel a sense of panic. The Lantern Festival hadn’t even arrived yet, where could everyone have gone?
Did they go to visit relatives?
But that doesn’t make sense. If they were going to visit relatives, they would definitely call me. But why is there no one here now?
“Dad! Mom!”
“Son, daughter-in-law?”
“Luo Yao?”
“Where are you?”
She shouted with all her might, but still received no response.
At this point, Ji Yunqi was no longer as nervous as before, but rather felt a sense of relief.
“It looks like I’m still dreaming~”
“I’ll go back to sleep for a bit~”
With that, Ji Yunqi took a step towards upstairs, but her peripheral vision kept scanning the rooms upstairs…
The rooms belonging to her son, daughter-in-law, and Luo Yao all had their doors wide open. In the end, Ji Yunqi couldn’t resist and decided to go take a look.
As Ji Yunqi tiptoed to the door of Ye Lingyu and Jiang Hua’s room, she first quietly peeked inside, but there was nothing.
In a quick glance, she only saw neatly made beds and an empty room.
Ji Yunqi no longer hid and strode in. ②韭《qi〽〹柳鸠= 意⒊紦=榴
After entering the room and looking around, she found nothing.
“Strange, why are Old Man and the others gone too?”
Although Ye Lingyu and Jiang Hua were almost always early risers, even if they got up early, they would just move around in the yard or start making breakfast.
How could these two have disappeared without a trace?
With a heart full of doubts, JiYunqi unwillingly walked to the next room…..
Here, it was Luo Yao’s room…..
She had no reservations and pushed the door open…..
As Ji Yunqi expected, it was the same neatly made bed and an empty room.
As for the remaining rooms of her son and daughter-in-law, the situation was the same; no one was there……
“Where did everyone go?”
There was nothing she could do. Since she couldn’t find anyone at home, Ji Yunqi could only send them messages or call them.
Otherwise, who knows how long she would have to search to find them?
Taking out her phone, she found the contact “Flower Blooming in Wealth” on “Green Bubble” and made a video call!
“Beep~~”
“Beep~~”
“Beep~~”
As the ringing stopped, Ji Yunqi’s heart trembled slightly.
“Hello, where did you guys go?”
“Beep beep….”
“This…..”
Finally, she saw the phone respond, but why was it an unanswered prompt?
Ji Yunqi was still not giving up and continued to call. This time, she called Ye Mingkong!
She didn’t believe that her good husband would not answer her call!
“Beep…..”
“Dang~~”
This time it was even more direct. Looking at the “User cannot be reached” displayed on “Green Bubble,” Ji Yunqi fell into thought……
When this happens, generally speaking, it means the other party has no internet or their account has been canceled.
But this was clearly not the latter, because Ye Mingkong had no reason to cancel his account, so the only possibility was that there was no internet there.
“Where did this guy go? Why is there no internet?”
It was clearly still early in the morning, why would Ye Mingkong go to a place without internet?
Ji Yunqi then called her son and the others one after another, but no one answered the phone.
This caused a slight fluctuation in her emotions. Even if her family wasn’t by her side, even if she couldn’t contact them, she wouldn’t easily break down.
Because Ji Yunqi knew very well that her family loved her, and no matter what happened, they would never abandon her.
The current situation made Ji Yunqi feel more helpless and confused; she didn’t understand what had happened.
How could such a large group of people not be here?
At this moment, Ji Yunqi saw the only person among her contacts who chatted with her relatively more often and who was not a family member.
[Xia Zijie]
Now, Ji Yunqi had no other choice but to seek help from Xia Zijie. Her family couldn’t have all disappeared for no reason, but now, the facts were before her, and she had to seek help from others.
“Beep~~”
“Beep~~”
“Beep~~”
“Why aren’t you answering?”
“Are… are you alright?”
Hearing the voice from the other end of the phone, Ji Yunqi immediately put aside the fact that she had considered Xia Zijie to be slow to answer the phone.
“Um… where are you now?”
Xia Zijie looked at the group of people beside him, opened his mouth, and finally did not answer. He just made up a casual excuse to dismiss her: “I’m out, I have some things to deal with. Did something happen?”
“Ah? Is that so…..”
Ji Yunqi’s disappointment was evident when she heard that Xia Zijie was not in Kyoto. However, since he was busy, it was not appropriate to bother him.
“No… it’s nothing.”
“Then… I’ll hang up now.”
“Okay.”
After the call ended, Xia Zijie pursed his lips. He felt a little unbearable, but he had promised them not to reveal their thoughts and plans. He was entrusted with the task, and moreover, this matter itself was not harmful to Ji Yunqi. He had no reason to break his promise.
“What, you feel sorry for her?” Ye Mingkong asked, looking at Xia Zijie with a gentle smile, his arms crossed.
Xia Zijie nodded slightly: “She’s a pregnant woman now, and her emotions are very strong. If you all leave her like this, won’t she be scared?”
Ye Mingkong frowned slightly. How could he not know this?
But……
Ye Mingkong believed that Ji Yunqi would understand him. After all, they had been married for decades; he knew her better than anyone.
Ji Yunqi might feel scared, or she might feel confused, but she definitely wouldn’t break down.
At most, she would just feel a little unhappy.
After all, when such unbelievable things happened around her, she would definitely handle them calmly. She would also definitely believe that they wouldn’t leave her.
“Don’t worry, it’s only for a few hours.”
“Speaking of which, is this necessary? You’ve been together for decades, and this seems to be a bit excessive.”
Xia Zijie didn’t understand. They had been married for decades, their relationship was harmonious, and they even had children now. They could have kept things simple and didn’t need to make it so complicated.
A simple sentence could have settled it, but they had to go through so much trouble, making someone unhappy.
Although he thought so, Xia Zijie knew that he was just an outsider. He couldn’t control their family affairs; all he could do was cooperate.
He hoped his cooperation wouldn’t make her sad……
“You don’t understand. Precisely because of our decades of close relationship, this action is even more necessary. Although it’s just a ritual, the meaning contained within it is completely different.”
Decades of relationship might continue, but what Ye Mingkong wanted was not to continue that past affection, but for him to start a new life experience belonging to him and Ji Yunqi. This was an indispensable part, something he had to do.
The responsibilities and tasks he needed to undertake had also changed, not just their gender.
“Heh….”
“Perhaps I don’t understand. I don’t have a lover either….” Xia Zijie gave a self-deprecating smile. For someone like him who had never even bloomed the first flower, it was indeed difficult to understand.
But all of this didn’t matter. He was already used to it. Moreover, he could help Ji Yunqi take care of the children in the future.
Since he had cleared things up with Ji Yunqi last time, he felt that his mind had become clearer. In the future, it wouldn’t be like the first half of his life, hiding in the dark like a rat in a gutter, watching the vicissitudes of the world.
And he was powerless to participate.
In the future, for him, it would inevitably be a broader stage. At the very least, he had someone to communicate with and who was willing to communicate with him.
“Then… I wish you good luck. I will also cooperate with you to the best of my ability.”
Seeing this, Ye Mingkong raised his hand and patted Xia Zijie on the shoulder: “Okay, thank you!”
“Heh… I should.”
“Hahahahaha.”
At this moment, Ye Mingkong and Xia Zijie no longer seemed like a pair of love rivals in hiding. At this moment, they were more like… friends, with one cooperating for the other’s love.
Perhaps, all misunderstandings could be resolved in this battle.
…………….
Ji Yunqi was somewhat disappointed that she hadn’t gotten the answer she wanted. It would be great if someone could help her.
However, Ji Yunqi still felt a bit strange. Xia Zijie’s reaction just now was somewhat peculiar, as if… as if he was deliberately hiding something.
Of course, it was possible she was overthinking it. She couldn’t expect others to contribute unconditionally just because they liked her.
Wouldn’t that make her a gold digger?
Originally, Ji Yunqi wanted to ask Ye Xuan, but when she thought about her whole family disappearing, she probably wouldn’t be able to contact that kid either, right?
Now, Ji Yunqi was surprisingly not as anxious as at first because it seemed like she had seen through it all!
The scheming frog was always touching your belly!
She felt she had figured out the truth!
These guys must be secretly preparing something to surprise her?
That’s probably it……
With this thought, Ji Yunqi was no longer in a hurry. Instead, she slowly started making breakfast herself.
Speaking of which, it had been a while since she last made breakfast. Now, making it for herself was leisurely, but it lacked a bit of human warmth.
Eating breakfast alone was still a bit desolate.
“Sigh…..”
Even so, Ji Yunqi had no better options. This was a last resort.
Although she was very reluctant to admit it, Ji Yunqi knew that she really needed someone to accompany her right now…..
“Damn it, it’s only been a little over two months, how have I become like this? Aren’t they all saying that it’s only in the late stage of pregnancy that people become sentimental?”
Wiping the tears from the corner of her eyes, Ji Yunqi ate the freshly made breakfast alone.
Ji Yunqi spent almost the entire day at home alone…..
At this moment, the young woman was lying on the sofa, watching the sunset outside the window…..
It was almost evening, why hadn’t they returned yet?
Ji Yunqi had originally thought that everyone would return at noon, but she never expected that even by evening, there was still no news.
Even the usually strong her was starting to lose her composure……..
She was already in an emotional sensitive period, and coupled with today’s experiences, Ji Yunqi’s mood was very low.
At this moment, Ji Yunqi wished the child in her belly had consciousness so it could talk to her……
What a pity…..
This was reality, not a novel. There was no supernatural event where an unborn fetus could talk to its mother.
Ji Yunqi gently reached out and touched her lower abdomen.
Her voice was soft…..
“Baby, tell me, has your dad, your brother and sister-in-law, and your grandparents abandoned us mother and child?”
Baby: …….
“Baby, why aren’t you talking? Do you dislike Mommy?”
Baby: ……… If I really talk, you won’t like it…
Under the setting sun, the courtyard, which should have been lively, was now empty and looked very desolate.
“Where are you guys, when will you come back?”
Bored, Ji Yunqi could only bury her head between her legs, silently waiting for her family to return.
……..
“Dingling~”
As a ring sounded, Ji Yunqi suddenly looked up.
The previously calm and uneventful phone notification sound, which should have been a common occurrence, sounded so pleasant and melodious to Ji Yunqi’s ears.
Without thinking, Ji Yunqi immediately picked up her phone and answered it.
“Hello?” The young woman’s tone was filled with excitement and grievance.
【This is Kyoto Media Insurance Company, may I ask if you need to purchase a…..】
“Go to hell!@#￥%@￥#%￥#%￥#……#￥……#%%”
“Are you crazy? I’m f*cking@#￥%@!”
………
Bang!
With a loud bang, Ji Yunqi slammed her perfectly fine phone onto the ground. Her already adjusted mood ⒉jiu琦榴9衣衫八⑹ instantly collapsed.
“What’s wrong with these bastards, calling me at this time!”
“I…….”
“Hoo….”
After flailing around wildly, Ji Yunqi leaned back on the sofa, panting heavily….
Although the prank call had made Ji Yunqi’s mood unpleasant, she had managed to vent, and she felt much better overall.
If it were just a moment ago, she would have been depressed.
In a way, this prank call had served some purpose.
The only regrettable thing was that the other party actually hung up the phone!
This made Ji Yunqi very dissatisfied. Damn it, in all these years, she had always been the one to hang up on telemarketers, not the other way around!
Enduring for a moment brings peace, retreating a step…. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Ji Yunqi couldn’t stand it anymore and had to call back and scold them again!
As Ji Yunqi picked up the phone that had been thrown on the ground, she dialed back…..
“Beep~~”
“Beep~~”
“Beep~~”
“Beep beep……”
Looking at the call that had been hung up displayed on her phone, Ji Yunqi felt so hateful!
These damn people, harassing her was one thing, but why couldn’t they let her scold them a couple of times to vent her anger? These people were truly selfish!
Just as Ji Yunqi was leaning on the sofa, preparing to sit there for a while longer, the phone suddenly rang again…..
“Damn it, are they endless?”
Thinking of her experience just now, Ji Yunqi couldn’t suppress her anger. She angrily picked up her phone, preparing to unleash another wave of scolding to release the pressure and unnecessary emotions in her heart.
But the moment Ji Yunqi picked up the phone, the caller displayed on the screen was a saved contact.
[Xia Zijie]
Ji Yunqi quickly retracted her finger that was about to press the answer button and start scolding.
“Phew, it’s good that I took a look, otherwise I would have mistakenly attacked an ally.”
Ji Yunqi appreciated Xia Zijie’s kindness. If she hadn’t paid attention and scolded him, she probably wouldn’t have been able to sleep that night.
She felt too guilty…….
However, since Xia Zijie was calling her at this time, it was likely not a bad thing.
“Hello? What’s wrong?”
“Um… are you still alone at home?”
As soon as this was said, Xia Zijie immediately felt several murderous gazes directed at him, which made him realize that his words were inappropriate and ambiguous!
“No… I mean, did your family come back?”
“Mmm….. not yet, what’s wrong? M亻尔一san儛琦&氿遛掺⑵?”
“It’s nothing, I need your help with something. Can you come help me?”
Ji Yunqi frowned slightly. What was going on?
Would Xia Zijie say something like that? Why did it feel so strange?
However, since Xia Zijie had spoken, Ji Yunqi knew that he wouldn’t harm her, so she still had to go.
After all, Xia Zijie had helped her with many things, hadn’t he?
“洱韭崎柳⒐盈三爸$陸好, send me your location, I’ll come over.”
“Okay, I’ll send it to you right away.”
“Mmm…..”
Within 5 seconds, Xia Zijie sent his location to Ji Yunqi.
“Purple Gold Palace?”
This place……
Ji Yunqi originally wanted to ask Xia Zijie what was going on, but she thought it was better not to. She would find out when she got there.
Although it was a bit late, it didn’t matter.
……….
After Ji Yunqi tidied herself up, she headed straight for the Purple Gold Palace.
The Purple Gold Palace was a property of the Ye family. Why would Xia Zijie be there, needing her help?
With a stomach full of questions, Ji Yunqi got into the car and started heading towards the Purple Gold Palace.
“When will you arrive?”
Ye Mingkong looked at the distance between home and here and made a rough estimate.
“It’s not far, about ten to twenty minutes. Everyone get ready.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Understood~”
For this ceremony, the family had been busy all day. Although, as Xia Zijie said, it was largely unnecessary, Ye Mingkong still resolutely went through with it.
“Oh dear~”
Ji Yunqi was initially worried that with so many people at the Purple Gold Palace, she might not be able to find Xia Zijie. However, standing on the street, she noticed that the Purple Gold Palace seemed to be under renovation?
After all, from the outside, there wasn’t a single person inside. What was going on?
Could it be that Xia Zijie had accidentally caused some damage here and was being held responsible, and she had to bail him out?!!
Thinking of this outcome, Ji Yunqi felt a headache. Why was this person so troublesome?
Without considering anything else, Ji Yunqi had no choice but to step into the Purple Gold Palace…….
However, as she walked along, apart from the usual decorations, tables, and chairs, there was still no one around.
This made Ji Yunqi feel suspicious. The situation didn’t seem right.
【Yun: Where are you?】
【Jie: Have you arrived?】
【Yun: Yes, I’m at the Purple Gold Palace, but I don’t see anyone.】
【Jie: It’s okay, just keep walking inside. I’m inside.】
“Inside?”
Although Ji Yunqi was not very willing to walk further inside, since Xia Zijie had said so, and besides… she had already come all this way, could she just leave?
As Ji Yunqi continued to walk deeper into the Purple Gold Palace, the facilities like tables and chairs for entertaining guests became fewer and fewer until she reached an open space ahead.
There were only a few path lights illuminating the surroundings.
“What’s going on? Why does it feel so eerie?”
After crossing this short open space, a clean and tidy hall followed!
Here, there were also only a few lights for simple illumination, but at this point, there was no further path to walk. Ji Yunqi still hadn’t seen Xia Zijie.
“Is anyone here?”
As Ji Yunqi’s voice fell, the lights in the venue suddenly went out!
The sudden darkness made Ji Yunqi tremble all over, but before she could turn to escape, several lights suddenly lit up again.
And after the darkness, what met her eyes was a delicate young man in a suit, holding a bouquet of roses.
“Ye…. Ye Mingkong! What are you doing here?”
Ye Mingkong did not answer Ji Yunqi’s question. Instead, he calmly walked towards her, and at the same time, the curtains around them were removed.
As Ye Mingkong slowly walked in front of Ji Yunqi.
She also looked up into the eyes of the man in front of her.
…………………..
