Contractual Cohabitation GL - Chapter 22

“Schoolmate Qin is missing…”

Jing Xiaonan naturally blinked, maintaining the same composed sitting posture and expression, but did not respond for quite a while.

Gao Jiong at this point also closed the door behind her, blocking the curious but actively concealed gaze of the young secretary, Xiao Zhao. It was then that Jing Xiaonan finally spoke:

“Don’t rush yet. Tell me what you know. Why do you say that.”

Gao Jiong sorted out her thoughts and replied: “Qin Yan’s leave was only three weeks. It ended yesterday. Not only did she not come to work, but there hasn’t been a single message. I hadn’t really been counting the dates, but yesterday Xiao Zhao asked me if she should be transferred back to my office since the three weeks were up, and that’s when I noticed.”

Hmm, hearing her say that, she also realized that Qin Yan’s vacation should have ended. However, if that was all, Gao Jiong wouldn’t have rushed in to jump to conclusions. Jing Xiaonan nodded in understanding and simply said, “Continue.”

“Schoolmate Qin is very self-disciplined, you know that without me saying it. I thought there was no need to rush her, maybe she’d just return later. But just now, Uncle Qin called me and told me he couldn’t reach Qin Yan, and he even told me she hadn’t returned home to see the two of them.”

“Mhm,” listening quietly, her expression gradually became solemn. Jing Xiaonan continued, “So you tried to contact her through phone calls, text messages, etc., but still couldn’t reach her?”

“Yes!”

“What did you tell Uncle Qin?”

Slightly lagging behind her train of thought, Gao Jiong paused for a moment: “Ah? Uncle Qin… Oh, I didn’t say much! I said I would go look for her. Then what should I have said?”

Anticipating this possibility, Jing Xiaonan picked up the phone from the desk, a swipe of her thumb found the Qin family’s contact information, and she immediately dialed without a second thought. The phone was answered before it could ring twice.

On this side, Gao Jiong also realized the impropriety of her previous action, raised her right hand, and bit her nail, watching Jing Xiaonan anxiously.

“Uncle Qin,” hearing the shaky voice of Qin Yan’s father, with a woman’s faint sobbing in the background, Jing Xiaonan took a breath, her tone relaxed and carrying a hint of a smile, full of reassurance: “Gao Jiong just came over and told me you were looking for Qin Yan?”

At such a critical moment, she suddenly found that a high-quality phone also had its drawbacks; Gao Jiong pouted, unable to hear the other half of the conversation because it was completely soundproof.

Unsure what the other party said, Jing Xiaonan chuckled twice in response, then said, “I’m so sorry, your precious daughter was dispatched by me to an area in Xilan with poor signal to negotiate an investment and new development!”

…

“Ah, yes. Mhm. Gao Jiong didn’t know. She’s been driven out of her mind by a recent case, so I didn’t bother her.”

Being described in such a way in front of her schoolmate’s family made Gao Jiong’s face darken, but she didn’t speak, continuing to listen.

…

“Mhm, don’t worry. Ah, good, good! When she returns, I’ll make her call home early to report her safety.”

…

“Mhm, no need to thank me. Good, don’t worry. Goodbye.”

The smile vanished from her lips as she hung up the phone. Jing Xiaonan walked over to the coat rack behind her, took down her suit jacket, and put it on with practiced ease. Gao Jiong followed a few steps, a little anxious:

“If you tell Uncle Qin that, and then we can’t find Qin Yan, it’ll be hard to explain!”

Jing Xiaonan searched for her phone and keys in the desk drawer and put them in her pocket. In the midst of her busyness, she glanced at Gao Jiong, her tone steady: “It won’t.”

“What do you mean, ‘it won’t’?!” Gao Jiong was frantic. “What can I do?”

“You stay at the company.”

“Then you…” Ugh! She realized sometimes this Jing Xiaonan was impossible to communicate with! Gao Jiong was worried about her schoolmate, and also uneasy about her close friend, “Are you going to her place? And what if something really happened to her, and Uncle Qin…”

“Nothing will happen.” Finally stopping her movements and looking at Gao Jiong, Jing Xiaonan’s serious face was full of determination: “I’m going to find her now, don’t overthink. If she’s alive, I want to see her! If she’s dead, I want to see her alive!” (T/N: This is a strong idiomatic expression, basically meaning she absolutely must find her alive.)

After speaking, she glanced at Gao Jiong, who had silently closed her mouth, lifted her foot, and strode out. As she opened the door, she paused slightly and shook her phone at the person behind her.

“Contact by phone.”

And so, General Manager Gao was left alone in the office, unable to sit down, unsure where to go, with fragments of two fingernails scattered all over the floor from her nibbling.

Downstairs at Pengju Building, Jing Xiaonan lifted her long legs, settled into the car, started the engine, released the brake, shifted gear, signaled, and turned the steering wheel, all in one smooth, flowing motion. Only when she was on the road did she free a hand to fasten her seatbelt.

Gao Jiong was right, Qin Yan had always been self-disciplined and sensible. Given this situation, something must have happened. Where to go? To her home, of course!

Qin Yan’s home was located in the city center, only a few minutes’ drive from the company. In this expensive piece of land, the space might be small, but it was much more convenient. Jing Xiaonan got out of the car, dialing Qin Yan’s number while walking. She seized the moment when a family came out of the building to slip inside. Her eyes swept up, the elevator was stopped on the eighth floor, so she didn’t stop her feet and started climbing the stairs.

Three steps at a time, she quickly reached the fourth floor. The phone call still hadn’t connected, just the same repeating ringtone with no answer. Jing Xiaonan stood at the door, frowning, considering her options.

It was then she suddenly realized that the ringtone wasn’t only coming from her phone; it seemed…

She lowered her phone’s volume, squinted, and pressed her ear against Qin Yan’s door. The familiar ringing sound was indeed coming from the gap under the door.

Hanging up the phone, Jing Xiaonan pressed the doorbell, realizing it might be futile. She stepped back a few paces, her gaze wandering over the locked door, her mind racing for an idea.

Her eyes suddenly landed on a single word: lksith. Jing Xiaonan approached to take a closer look. It turned out to be a list of phone numbers posted on the door frame for professional locksmiths, to be called if the owner was locked out. She found the label, entered the number into her phone, dialed it, and reported the address to the other party.

The Australians’ efficiency was surprisingly high this time; the professional locksmith arrived in less than ten minutes. Standing outside the door, he politely asked Jing Xiaonan for proof.

“Miss, I just need to believe that you are the owner of this apartment, otherwise I cannot help you open the lock. The address on your driver’s license is valid evidence.”

“I can’t prove it. The owner is my sister, and I don’t live here. I haven’t been able to reach her for a while, so I want to go in and check on her.” Although she was a year ahead of Qin Yan in graduation, it was because she had skipped two grades as a child. Qin Yan was one year older than her, the same age as Gao Jiong. In her urgency, Jing Xiaonan had to invent the ‘sister’ lie.

“Then I am very sorry, I cannot open the door for you.”

“Look, I’ll leave my driver’s license and phone with you. You open the lock for me, and once inside, I can prove my relationship with the owner; there are photos of me in there.”

“I regret that the law requires us to verify ownership before opening the lock. Perhaps you could try calling the police.”

Jing Xiaonan felt helpless. She knew the legal regulations without being told. It was a shame she had encountered such a stickler who probably wouldn’t be reasoned with. She was also considering calling the police when the neighbor’s door across from Qin Yan’s suddenly opened.

“Xiao Nan?”

Jing Xiaonan turned around and saw an elderly woman with white hair clutching the doorknob, looking at her, and calling her name, unclear about the situation.

The old lady looked familiar; Jing Xiaonan knew she was a neighbor with a good relationship with Qin Yan, but she couldn’t recall her name immediately. Before she could answer, the old lady asked:

“Are you here to see Xiao Yan?”

“Yes, sorry to disturb you.”

“It’s nothing, nothing, I was just about to go out. What’s wrong, she won’t open the door?”

“Yes, I don’t know what to do.”

“Wait a moment.” The old lady put down her shopping basket, returned to her apartment to rummage around for a bit, then came out again, handing Jing Xiaonan a shiny key. “I know you and Xiao Yan are close. This is the spare key she left with me, here you go.”

Jing Xiaonan acknowledged her and quickly took the key. The old lady added, “She went traveling a while ago. She only came back yesterday morning. She went inside and there was no movement, so I thought she was busy with work again.”

Jing Xiaonan, maintaining the posture of being ready to unlock the door, listened to the entire story, unsure whether to be more worried or relieved. Fortunately, the answer was just a door away. She sincerely thanked the old lady, turned the key in her hand, pushed the door open, and walked inside.

The room seemed like it hadn’t been cleaned for a little while, with a slight layer of dust, unlike the style displayed in Qin Yan’s office. There was no time to dwell on details now. Jing Xiaonan walked with big strides, looking everywhere, her eyes quickly locking onto the woman lying next to the sofa. She darted forward and half-knelt beside her, immediately reaching to feel the side of her throat, holding her breath.

Thankfully, her pulse was strong. A sigh of relief escaped her; she was slightly reassured.

“Huh? There really is a photo of you.”

The voice of the locksmith sounded behind her. Jing Xiaonan instinctively glanced in the direction he was looking. On a cabinet at the other end of the room were two photo frames, one of which contained her graduation photo.

The action of turning her head was completely subconscious; Jing Xiaonan didn’t even let the information register in her brain. She supported Qin Yan’s shoulders, hugged her up with one arm, gently shook her body, and called her name, her voice gradually increasing from soft to loud:

“Qin Yan? Qin Yan! Qin Yan!”

The person in her arms struggled to open her eyes, looked at her for a moment, then quickly closed them again, ignoring her. It was unclear if this was a subconscious reaction or if she truly lacked the strength to respond. Her usual assertiveness and coolness were completely gone; this Qin Yan was weak. Her face was pale in the dim light, her lips cracked and peeling, and her hands lay weakly beside her. The whole person was lifeless, like a puppet.

Frowning tightly, maintaining the posture of supporting Qin Yan’s back and shoulders, she placed a hand on her forehead.

As expected, she was burning up.

Having understood the situation, a part of the worry in her heart subsided. She dialed a number on her phone and requested an ambulance.

After hanging up, she sent a text message to Gao Jiong, informing her of the situation and asking her to reassure Qin Yan’s parents once more. Only then did she put away her phone. Supporting Qin Yan with one arm was getting tiring, so she changed her posture, sitting down and letting Qin Yan lean against her chest.

“It’s alright, Xiao Yan. It’s okay. The ambulance will be here soon.”

Embracing her to prevent her weak and powerless body from sliding away in any direction, Jing Xiaonan gently brushed away the scattered hair covering Qin Yan’s eyes and spoke softly.