Chapter 4: Your Son Is Missing, Why Don’t You Come Back and Look for Him?

Meanwhile, at the Xu Family Mansion.

Torrential rain poured down as the storm approached Xiahai City.

Xie Bingyan sat in the living room, watching the heavy rain outside, feeling somewhat agitated.

“Zhao Ma! Uncle Li! Zhao, what’s the result over there?”

“Reporting to Madam! Uncle Li reported back, Xu Mo was not found!”

“Madam! Zhao also couldn’t find him! After leaving the Xu family, Young Master Mo didn’t go to the orphanage!”

“Where could he have gone?” Xie Bingyan furrowed her eyebrows in anger.

Zhao Ma immediately shook her head.

“Go to No. 16 Middle School, go and ask if he went to school?” Xie Bingyan was almost driven mad.

It had been five days since Xu Mo left the Xu family, and there had been no news during these five days.

The first three days were alright, everyone wasn’t too worried, thinking that Xu Mo would surely come back. But after three days passed, Xu Mo was nowhere to be seen.

In the following two days, Xu Deming called people to search, but they found nothing after searching for a day.

Today was the fifth day.

Xie Bingyan instructed Uncle Li and Zhao to go out and search together.

Upon realizing that Uncle Li and Zhao hadn’t returned with any news, Xie Bingyan was enraged. Through gritted teeth, she exclaimed, “When he is back, I’ll make sure to discipline him properly! This is outrageous! He has truly gone too far!”

Xie Bingyan’s anger was reaching its peak.

“Madam, Young Master Mo hasn’t been attending school at No. 16 Middle School for a long time,” Zhao Ma spoke up after a moment of silence.

“Not at No. 16 Middle School?” Xie Bingyan was taken aback. “Then where is he?”

“Young Master Mo attends No. 27 Middle School. He transferred there three years ago from junior high. However, he didn’t tell me which class he’s in,” Zhao Ma explained.

“This…” Xie Bingyan was stunned.

She distinctly remembered that Xu Mo attended No. 16 Middle School, a rather mediocre junior high where all the students were considered slackers. How did he manage to get into No. 27 Middle School?

However, No. 27 Middle School wasn’t much better—it was one of the most average high schools in Xiahai City.

She fumed, “Then go to No. 27 Middle School and bring him back to me!”

“Yes!” Zhao Ma hastily replied.

Xie Bingyan, consumed by anger, plopped down on the sofa.

“Third Daughter, is Xu Mo really attending No. 27 Middle School?” She turned to Xu Manni, who was playing with her phone, with a question in mind.

Xu Manni glanced up from her phone. “I don’t know! How would I know where he goes to school?”

“You’re his sister, and you don’t know where he goes to school?” Xie Bingyan exploded in anger.

Xu Manni quickly replied, “I’m busy with work, I don’t have time! Besides, if you and Dad don’t know, how would I know?”

“I and your dad…” Xie Bingyan was left speechless.

Xu Manni shrugged, indifferent. “Who cares where he goes to school? Just find him and bring him back! He wouldn’t just skip school!”

Upon hearing this, for some reason, Xie Bingyan suddenly remembered the signed document of severance of parent-son relationship… All three of them had signed it…

“Once we bring him back, I’m going to give him a good scolding!” Xie Bingyan fumed, not giving it much thought.

“Madam! Just now, Uncle Li sent a message saying that Young Master Mo has been attending classes at No. 27 Middle School these past few days! However, due to the approaching storm, No. 27 Middle School has temporarily suspended classes for three days. He hasn’t been going to school these days!” Zhao Ma’s voice came through.

“Then where has he been?” Xie Bingyan demanded angrily.

“I don’t know! Uncle Li has already asked the teachers at No. 27 Middle School, but they don’t know where Young Master Mo lives!”

“Damn it!” Xie Bingyan burst into anger. “Third Elder Daughter, call your eldest sister and ask around. See if anyone else has received any calls or information from Xu Mo.”

“Mom! Why are you bothering about him? He’ll definitely come back sulking in a few days! It’s just a matter of time before the storm hits, and I don’t believe he won’t come back!” Xu Manni said impatiently.

“Why do you have so much to say when I ask you to do something?” Xie Bingyan felt increasingly irritated.

“Fine!” Xu Manni, feeling helpless, quickly asked around on WeChat. Then she said, “I’ve asked everyone—Big Sister, Second Sister, Fourth Sister, Fifth Sister, and Sixth Sister—all said they haven’t heard from him!”

“Call him!” Xie Bingyan’s frustration grew.

“Call who?” Xu Manni asked, puzzled.

“Who else? Call Xu Mo and tell him to come back!” Xie Bingyan gritted her teeth.

“Well…” Xu Manni hesitated, then said, “I don’t have his number!”

“You don’t have his number?” Xie Bingyan was surprised.

“Why would I have it? I even deleted him from WeChat because he used to bother me there!” Xu Manni explained. “I don’t even have his WeChat anymore!”

“You…” Xie Bingyan felt frustrated. “Ask your Big Sister, Second Sister, and Fourth Sister, Fifth Sister if they have it!”

Xu Manni quickly asked them, then looked up. “Big Sister, Second Sister, and Fourth Sister, Fifth Sister are in the same boat as me—they don’t have it either! Sixth Sister hasn’t replied yet; she’s probably in class! Mom, just call him yourself! Why are you making me do it?”

Upon hearing this, Xie Bingyan gave her a stern look, then without another word, picked up her phone and began searching.

But as she scrolled through her contacts, she suddenly froze.

“Mom, you don’t have his WeChat or phone either?” Xu Manni was surprised.

“I remember… I did have it before, but…” Xie Bingyan’s expression suddenly turned grim. “Didn’t he lose his phone?”

“Huh? Oh, that time…” Xu Manni suddenly felt a pang of guilt. “Yeah, he lost his phone last year, at the end of the year!”

“That’s it! I don’t have his phone number or WeChat anymore!” Xie Bingyan exclaimed, then suddenly turned to Xu Manni. “Right, does Xu Mo have a phone?”

“Well…” Xu Manni also froze, unsure of how to respond.

In her memory, aside from the phone he lost, Xu Mo didn’t seem to have used any other phone. She couldn’t recall ever seeing him with one, and they never called him.

After a moment’s thought, Xu Manni said, “He seems to… have an older phone, just for calls and texts. It’s not a smartphone, so he can’t use WeChat.”

“How is that possible? He doesn’t have a phone?” Xie Bingyan widened her eyes in disbelief.

“I don’t know if Dad and Big Sis bought one for him. We need to ask them. Maybe Dad and Big Sis bought him a smartphone!” Xu Manni replied.

Xie Bingyan furrowed her brows and didn’t hesitate. She immediately dialed Xu Deming’s number.

Xu Deming was at work. Surprised to receive her call, he said, “A phone? No! Why would he need a phone? What would I buy it for? What about his old phone?”

“He lost his old phone last year. I remember it was at the end of last year! Didn’t you buy him one for the New Year?”