Xun Cong was missing.
Ling Nuan immediately tried to contact Xun Cong, but his phone was out of reach.
Only then did Zhao Shuting and Xun Yao start to get anxious.
The three of them rushed to the school overnight. They got in touch with Xun Cong's head teacher and checked the school's surveillance footage.
Xun Cong was taken away shortly after leaving the school.
Everything seemed normal on the surveillance.
Xun Cong said goodbye to his classmates. Then two young men walked up to him. They seemed to have a conversation, and then Xun Cong followed the two men and got into a car.
The head teacher looked at Zhao Shuting and asked, "From the surveillance, it seems that Xun Cong should know these two people. Could it be that his phone is out of battery? Or you can try to contact these two people in the surveillance."
Zhao Shuting's face turned ashen. "I... we don't know these two people."
She was on the verge of tears. "Moreover, Congcong is a very obedient child. He wouldn't stay out so late."
It was understandable that they couldn't reach him if his phone was out of battery, but the fact that Xun Cong hadn't returned home by now was clearly a sign of something wrong.
The head teacher frowned and suggested, "Should we call the police?"
If these two people were not known to Xun Cong's family, calling the police would be the best option when a child was taken away.
Zhao Shuting was about to agree instinctively, and Xun Yao had even taken out his phone, ready to call the police. But suddenly, Ling Nuan's voice rang out.
"I remember. I know these two people," Ling Nuan said.
Zhao Shuting didn't notice anything amiss at all. Hearing this, she immediately scolded Ling Nuan, "You knew them but didn't say so earlier? Were you doing this on purpose to scare us?"
Ling Nuan: "..."
"Let's go. I know where they live. I'll take you to find Xun Cong," Ling Nuan said, not wanting to waste any more words on them. Then she turned to the head teacher apologetically and said, "Thank you for coming all the way here, teacher."
The head teacher was skeptical but still replied politely, "It's my duty. I'm glad the child is okay."
Ling Nuan gave the head teacher a friendly smile, then rolled her eyes at Zhao Shuting and Xun Yao in annoyance and turned to walk out.
The two immediately followed.
After they left the school, Ling Nuan stopped.
Zhao Shuting started scolding again. "Why did you stop? Hurry up!"
Ling Nuan was so angry that she laughed. She rolled her eyes and reminded, "Call Huo Xiao."
"What do you mean? Why do we have to call Miss Huo? You..." Zhao Shuting suddenly realized. "You don't know where Congcong is at all! You suspect that Miss Huo took Congcong away?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Ling Nuan was really too angry to say anything more, but she still had to explain it to the two of them, lest they act stupidly and make things worse.
"I can use Xun Cong to threaten you. Do you think Huo Xiao won't do the same?" Ling Nuan asked.
Zhao Shuting still refused to admit it. "We're already working for Miss Huo. She doesn't need to use Congcong to threaten us. Why would Miss Huo do something so redundant?"
Ling Nuan scoffed. "Do you think the things you're willing to do for her would be the same if it's just about money or if your son is in her hands?"
Zhao Shuting and Xun Yao fell silent.
Ling Nuan continued, "If Huo Xiao asks you to exchange Grandma for Xun Cong now, would you do it?"
The two of them were even more afraid to say a word.
Although they were greedy for money and their actions were indeed disgusting, they weren't completely heartless. At least they didn't dare to do anything illegal. Moreover, Grandma was Xun Yao's mother after all. He wasn't so cruel as to harm his own mother.
But if Xun Cong was in Huo Xiao's hands... How could they choose between their son and their mother?
Even if Xun Yao cared about Grandma Xun, would Zhao Shuting agree?
"Idiots," Ling Nuan couldn't help but curse.
The two of them didn't dare to talk back at all. After they came to their senses, they quickly took out their phones.
Halfway through dialing the number, Zhao Shuting asked Ling Nuan tremulously, "What should I say?"
Ling Nuan pinched the bridge of her nose to calm her anger. "Act like you don't know anything. Just say that Xun Cong is missing and ask her to help."
Zhao Shuting nodded and did as she was told.
Huo Xiao naturally wouldn't leave her phone number for Zhao Shuting. Zhao Shuting called Huo Xiao's assistant instead.
"Mr. Zhang, Miss Huo promised to take care of our Congcong before. Now Congcong is missing. Could you please ask Miss Huo to help us find him?"
Even when talking to an assistant, Zhao Shuting's tone was full of flattery. Even though the other person couldn't see her, she wished she could bend down to show her respect.
Ling Nuan watched this scene, feeling nine parts angry and one part pity.
After all, this was her aunt who had been kind to her before...
But thinking about what Zhao Shuting and Xun Yao had done recently, Ling Nuan hardened her heart and turned away.
Ling Nuan didn't hear much of Zhao Shuting's phone call, but Zhao Shuting's face visibly paled. By the time she hung up the phone, she looked like a walking corpse, as if she had lost half of her life.
"Wife, what did Mr. Zhang say?" Xun Yao urged.
Hearing this, Zhao Shuting burst into tears. "Old Xun, we've done something unforgivable!"
She sobbed and said, "Mr. Zhang said that if we want to see Congcong, we have to exchange Mom for him! Ling Nuan was right!"
Xun Yao's face also turned pale.
On one hand was his son, and on the other was his mother who had raised him. It was unbearable for Xun Yao to give up either of them. This wasn't a trivial matter. Who knew what would happen to Grandma Xun if she fell into Huo Xiao's hands?
After crying, Zhao Shuting finally came to her senses.
She grabbed Ling Nuan and pleaded, "Nuan Nuan, you must have a way. You have to save Congcong. You don't want anything to happen to your grandma and Congcong, do you?"
Ling Nuan felt really bored looking at Zhao Shuting like this.
It was a sign of their remaining conscience that they didn't directly choose to exchange Grandma for Xun Cong. But at this moment, while asking Ling Nuan for help, Zhao Shuting still didn't forget to threaten her.
Xun Yao also quickly begged Ling Nuan, "Nuan Nuan, even if we've made mistakes, Congcong is innocent! Mom is old. She can't bear to see her grandson die!"
The two of them were crying and whining in Ling Nuan's ear, making her ears ache.
"Stop crying!" Ling Nuan shouted sharply.
The two immediately fell silent and even showed a hint of obedience.
"I'll think of a way. If Huo Xiao's people contact you again, just act like you're still hesitating and can't make a decision," Ling Nuan said, then warned in a low voice, "Don't make any decisions on your own again. Otherwise, no one can save Xun Cong!"
Zhao Shuting and Xun Yao nodded repeatedly.
Ling Nuan looked at them and felt that even looking at them for a second was an eyesore.
She was too lazy to care about them anymore and left directly. On the way, she didn't forget to call Sister Li.
She must ask Sister Li to be on high alert, especially to guard against Xun Yao and Zhao Shuting. As time went by, who knew if they would sacrifice Grandma for Xun Cong?
As for Ling Nuan—
She opened Huo Linsheng's WeChat.
To make her purpose less obvious, she first carefully sent a试探ing emoji.