Chapter 49: The Entire Person Withered
Qin Wan slept extremely fitfully that night. He had recurring nightmares, talked in his sleep, and cold sweat constantly seeped from his forehead. Gu Xinglan sat by the bed the entire time, wiping his sweat and holding him while gently patting him.
But the situation didn’t improve much. Gu Xinglan had no choice but to call the on-duty doctor from Sheng’an Hospital to inject him with a bit of sedative and calming medication.
It wasn’t until the latter half of the night that Qin Wan finally fell into a steady sleep. But Gu Xinglan hardly closed his eyes all night. Whenever he closed them, the image of Qin Wan wailing in the car would flash before him. This was the first time he had seen Qin Wan cry so heart-wrenchingly. Previously in bed, no matter how hard he bullied him, the boy would only cry softly or shed tears silently.
So, as soon as the sky turned pale at dawn, Gu Xinglan left. He had to find Zhou Rong today. Whether alive or dead. He knew Qin Wan couldn’t take this torment anymore, and neither could he.
When Qin Wan woke up, it was nearly noon. Butler Wang, who had been listening for movement outside the door, quickly knocked and entered. He asked if he felt unwell and what he wanted for breakfast.
Qin Wan didn’t speak, only shook his head. Butler Wang noticed that today, Mr. Xiao Qin had no spirit at all. The entire person, to use one word, had withered.
Gu Xinglan had briefly explained what happened last night to Butler Wang before he left, telling him to pay close attention to Qin Wan’s state today. Now, looking at the young man’s pale little face, Butler Wang couldn’t help but frown.
“Mr. Xiao Qin, you still have to eat. Why don’t I have Zhang Sao prepare some light white porridge and side dishes? You should eat at least a little.”
Qin Wan shook his head again. His eyes, which were originally beautiful, had no spark of life.
“Mr. Xiao Qin, allow me to say one more thing. You have to look on the bright side of things.” Butler Wang added. “You have to eat, otherwise if you ruin your own body, everything will be gone.”
Having said that, he let out a secret sigh and turned to walk out. “Then I’ll have Zhang Sao prepare the porridge. Come down and eat once you’ve tidied up!”
Ten minutes later, Qin Wan came downstairs. But he didn’t head for the dining room.
“Butler Wang, I’m going out for a walk,” he said softly, his voice hoarse.
Butler Wang looked troubled. “Uh, the Young Master instructed that you should rest at home today.”
Qin Wan’s face was devoid of expression. “Am I not allowed to leave the house?”
Butler Wang: “It’s not exactly that…”
Qin Wan’s face was lifeless, and his voice lacked strength. “I have a tracking bracelet on my wrist; he can find me anytime. You don’t have to make things difficult.”
After saying that, he turned and walked toward the door. Butler Wang called out, “Then be careful!”
After that, he quickly dialed Gu Xinglan’s number. “Shao Ye, his mood isn’t great. He insisted on going out, and I didn’t dare stop him.”
On the other end of the line, Gu Xinglan pursed his lips and fell silent for a moment. “Let him go.”
After hanging up, he stood up and nodded to the Director of the Imperial City Bureau sitting opposite him. “Then I’ll have to trouble Director Liu.”
Director Liu waved his hand. “President Gu is too polite. I will certainly do my best.”
After seeing Gu Xinglan off, Director Liu walked back while calling to assign tasks to the police force. “Immediately mobilize the most capable personnel to search the entire city!”
Gu Xinglan got into his car, gripped the steering wheel, and surged into the traffic. Following the signal from Qin Wan’s bracelet, he soon caught up. As he drove forward, he locked onto a taxi. Although he couldn’t see the person inside, based on the direction the signal was moving, Qin Wan should be in that car.
Judging by the direction, Gu Xinglan guessed where Qin Wan was going. He followed the taxi all the way, and as expected, they reached the seaside.
The taxi stopped, and Qin Wan got out. Gu Xinglan parked his car a bit further away. His long fingers rested on the steering wheel, his eyes squinted slightly as his gaze stayed fixed on the person walking toward the sea.
Today, he wore a white T-shirt and black wide-leg pants. The loose clothing made his body look even thinner and more fragile. His soft black hair was a bit messy. He walked with an unsteady gait, giving off a sense of being on the verge of collapsing.
Gu Xinglan lowered his eyes slightly. He took out his phone and called Xiao Han. “Qin Wan has gone to the seaside. Keep an eye on him.”
“Yes.”
After a day and night of fruitless searching, the “Golden 24 Hours” had long passed. The rescue team members at the beach had originally intended to withdraw. But Gu Xinglan disagreed and had them bring in a fresh shift of personnel to continue the search. So, Xiao Han remained here in charge.
Receiving the call from his boss, he had his subordinates keep watch on the beach while he followed Qin Wan as instructed.
Qin Wan walked onto the sand. Looking at the rescue personnel still busy in the distance, his eyes were dim and dull. He climbed up a high reef and sat on the top. Holding his knees, he stared blankly at the endless sea, lost in a daze.
Xiao Han stood at the edge of the woods dozens of meters away, closely monitoring his every move. He took out his phone, snapped a photo, and sent it to Gu Xinglan.
Looking at the small, lonely, and grieving figure on the reef, Gu Xinglan rubbed his chest forcefully.
Qin Wan sat on that reef for two hours. It was mid-afternoon, and the beach offered no cover; the large reefs were exposed under the blazing sun. Gu Xinglan called Xiao Han, telling him to bring some food and water to Qin Wan.
“Don’t mention me,” he instructed.
“Understood, President Gu.”
Xiao Han took bread, ham, milk, and mineral water from his bag, walked onto the rocky shore, and climbed up. “Mr. Qin, you’ve been sitting here a long time. Eat something to replenish your strength.” He handed over the bag.
Qin Wan looked at Xiao Han. He remembered this man. It was him who had taken him and Gu Xinglan to identify the body last night. He was definitely Gu Xinglan’s subordinate.
“No thanks, but thank you.” He said flatly.
Xiao Han added, “Eat a little, otherwise your body won’t be able to handle it.” After saying that, he placed the bag on the reef next to him, nodded, and turned to leave.
Qin Wan naturally didn’t touch the food or drink. He had no appetite at all. He sat in a daze for another two hours.
At this point, Qin Wan noticed that the rescue personnel on the beach were leaving the shore one after another. He panicked. He quickly scrambled down the reef and ran onto the sand.
“Why—are you all leaving? Are you not going to continue the search?”
A team member, while taking off his life vest, nodded. “Yes, theoretically we should have packed up this morning. But the captain told us to search for another day.”
“We were just told we could withdraw.”
The last spark of dim light in Qin Wan’s eyes vanished. At that moment, Xiao Han walked over.
Qin Wan grabbed his wrist tightly. “Please, tell Gu Xinglan to talk to them, let them search a bit more! I beg you!”
Xiao Han pursed his lips. “Mr. Qin, continuing the search here is no longer meaningful. President Gu has already arranged other means to find her.”
Qin Wan frowned slightly. “Other means?”
Xiao Han nodded. Qin Wan didn’t know if the other was telling the truth or if Gu Xinglan was just humoring him. Although he had promised last night that he would do his best to find Auntie Rong, for a man like him, breaking his word was only natural.
Just then, Xiao Han’s phone rang. He answered, gave a response, and then looked at Qin Wan.
“Mr. Qin, President Gu would like to speak with you.”
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