Chapter 16 The Timid Home Tutor of the Profligate Young Master

The maid had been in a daze until her shift was over, repeatedly wanting to speak out about the matter but never mustering the courage. She even picked up the phone to dial Pei Yao’s number but then put it back down.

It’s going to be discovered… for sure…

As the replacement maid for the night shift entered her room, she suddenly saw the door next to hers being pushed open swiftly. The maid’s figure was somewhat unsteady, but she ran off quickly and soon disappeared.

“It’s really strange,” he thought, “Is it necessary to run so fast after work?”

…

The car moved along the mountain road in the heavy rain.

The swiftly swaying wipers resembled Pei Yao’s rapidly blinking eyelashes, with his right eyelid twitching continuously.

Something was wrong. Pei Yao felt inexplicably anxious, his heart pounding. Almost involuntarily, he picked up his phone and dialed Luo Yan’s number again.

Looking out through the rain-attacked car window, the outside sky had turned into a dense black, signaling the complete departure of the sun.

At this time, would Luo Yan still be sleeping?

She cherished her phone so much; would she go so long without touching it?

Luo Yan never set her phone to silent.

Where was she?

Boom—

A clap of thunder interrupted Pei Yao’s thoughts.

His friend glanced at Pei Yao, seemingly startled by the thunder, muttering, “The rain is really heavy. You’re the real bro who dares to drive in the mountains in this weather. I’m definitely staying at your place today…”

Pei Yao dialed the phone number for the control area of the Pei Residence.

As his friend focused on steering and lightly tapped the brakes to prevent skidding when turning, his ears perked up, eavesdropping on Pei Yao’s phone conversation.

He was really curious about who dared not to answer Pei Brother’s call.

Unexpectedly, this time Pei Yao’s call was almost immediately answered.

“Luo Yan is—?”

“Master, Miss Luo is missing!”

Before Pei Yao could finish his question, an urgent bombshell was thrown out from the other end.

Almost simultaneously, a bolt of lightning streaked across the sky.

His friend involuntarily stepped on the brake, “Screech—”, the sound piercing, water splashing.

He looked at Pei Yao’s face and noticed that it was even paler than the night sky where the lightning had struck.

The following events played out like a sudden suspense drama where everyone held a different emergency script, each searching for the underlying truth in confusion.

The most bewildered person was his friend. Pei Yao was in a frenzy, and he didn’t dare ask too much. Having known Pei Yao for over ten years, his friend had never seen his brother so out of control.

His intuition told him that this matter was related to his brother’s unseen sister-in-law, and he gradually became worried. Driving at a speed within the safe range, they raced towards the peak.

Surveillance, witness accounts, timeline—every clue pointed to one place: the back mountain forest.

Pei Yao seemed like he wanted to crush his phone. He repeatedly dialed the maid’s phone, only to hear the busy tone each time.

“Sorry, the number you are trying to reach is currently unavailable.”

“Shit!” Pei Yao slammed his fist hard onto the dashboard.

His anger had no outlet, and he didn’t have time to vent it either. All he wanted was to ask that damn maid where exactly she had taken Luo Yan on the mountain!

Blood trickled from his knuckles, and Pei Yao wiped it away with his hand. He turned to his best friend, his eyes filled with both desperation and madness.

“Duan Zhuo, to the back mountain.”

“Got it.”

Without another word, his friend floored the gas pedal, and the roar of the engine drowned out the thunder overhead. As they sped toward the forested mountain, Duan Zhuo’s heart burned with a fiery sense of brotherhood.

Alright, now he knew his role in this—definitely a *Fast and Furious* moment.

After driving past the Pei family estate, they reached the back mountain. Duan Zhuo parked the car on the main road and quickly jumped out, chasing after Pei Yao’s frantic steps.

“Hey! Pei Bro, at least grab an umbrella!” he yelled, wiping his face as the rainwater dripped off like a dog shaking itself dry. Hastily throwing on a raincoat, he dashed into the mountain trail after him.

Some of the on-duty security guards had already started searching, but so far, there hadn’t been much progress. The rain was heavy, and it was getting darker, forcing them to search with flashlights. The mountain paths were muddy and slippery from the downpour, slowing down their movements and making it harder to avoid slipping.

The rain poured down relentlessly, soaking Pei Yao to the bone. He felt like a man made entirely of rain, his heart hollow, aching with a dull, constant pain that he didn’t dare to examine too closely.

He couldn’t stop thinking about how cold, dark, and dangerous it was on the mountain. What if something happened to Luo Yan?

He remembered her standing at the door earlier today, waving at him sweetly before he left. And now, she was gone.

That damned maid—why hadn’t he noticed her ulterior motives sooner? If only he had paid attention earlier, if only he had taken better care of Luo Yan…

The more he thought about it, the more Pei Yao’s frustration boiled over. In a fit of self-reproach, he slapped himself hard.

But it was too late for “if only.”

All Pei Yao could do now was search through the storm for any trace of Luo Yan. He ran through the rain, calling her name over and over, his voice growing hoarse. Afraid she wouldn’t hear him, he cranked up the volume on his phone and played loud, jarring music, hoping it might draw her attention.

No one knew exactly where Luo Yan had been left, so Pei Yao could only search the mountain in sections, combing every area one by one.

Duan Zhuo, flashlight in hand, was also searching alongside him. Even with the raincoat, he was nearly drenched. He couldn’t help but wonder how long this search would take. His mind wandered, and he prayed nothing serious had happened. Thank goodness this wasn’t a dirt mountain, or a landslide would be a disaster. Not that he would say that out loud—Pei Yao looked like he was ready to tear someone apart.

Meanwhile, the person everyone was searching for, Luo Yan, was huddled inside a tiny cave. Half of her body was sheltered inside, while the other half was still exposed to the rain.

She was filthy, with scratches on her exposed skin from branches, some of which had drawn blood. Earlier, she had tripped and fallen, which had been both unfortunate and lucky—at least the fall had led her to this small, rain-sheltered spot.

Her entire body was freezing. Luo Yan curled herself up tightly, trying to conserve what little warmth she had left. Her upper body was hunched over, protectively cradling her wrist—on it was a floral-patterned watch, the very one Pei Yao had put on her wrist that morning.

The rain pounded the leaves outside with a loud, relentless “pitter-patter.” It was a frightening sound. Luo Yan looked up at the shaking branches, and every now and then, a flash of lightning lit up the night sky, as if a monstrous beast was baring its sharp fangs.

Luo Yan closed her eyes and buried her head in her knees, trying to block out the harsh weather and suppress her growing fear.

In the eerie silence of the storm, the ticking of her watch seemed unusually loud.

Tick-tock, tick-tock…

Her chaotic thoughts began to spiral deeper, the sound of the watch pulling her into a trance-like state.

“Mom,” she whispered softly, as if lost in a recurring dream. Luo Yan’s mind wandered back to thoughts of her mother.

She remembered the first time she had been abandoned, on a rainy night just like this.

Back then, Luo Hongda had left her at the doorstep of an orphanage. She had been only five years old, but she still remembered the worn sign above the door and the face of the staff member who came out to check on her.