Chapter 193: Chapter 191: Cheng’an is Missing

They chose to tell Grandpa Mu the truth because they didn’t want him to be kept in the dark. After all, the Zhou Rui of today was no longer the gentle person he once was.

Of course, for an old man, this was an incredibly cruel truth.

Grandpa Mu would surely need a long time to process this news.

But Su Tang felt that after telling Grandpa Mu, he would be more vigilant in the future about anything Zhou Rui might try to do.

That way, he wouldn’t unwittingly become Zhou Rui’s accomplice.

Ever since Lu Xiao returned, the Lu Family’s home had been lively and bustling.

Every day when Su Tang came home from work, her greatest joy was seeing that Cheng’an had grown a little taller.

However, this made Mr. Su and Mrs. Su feel that there was no point in them staying any longer.

Their child was grown, and she no longer needed their help.

After all, it was the young couple’s life, and it wasn’t right for them to stay.

So, they planned to return to their hometown after a while.

When Su Tang learned of this, she was naturally a little unhappy.

Who wouldn’t want to have their parents stay with them forever?

But Mr. Su and Mrs. Su were highly educated and believed in maintaining a healthy distance from their children. The old couple had their own lives, too.

Mr. Su was currently working as a re-employed professor at a university and usually had many things to handle.

He had taken such a long leave of absence this time, so it was about time for him to go back.

Helpless, Su Tang had no choice but to agree to her parents’ request.

This day, Su Tang came home from work, planning to help her parents pack some things for their train journey the next day.

But when she walked through the door, she found the house had been completely ransacked.

Then she saw Mr. and Mrs. Lu collapsed on the floor.

Mr. and Mrs. Su were locked in their room.

The door to her own room was open, and it had also been turned upside down.

The crib where her son should have been sleeping was now empty.

Su Tang’s mind went blank as a terrible thought struck her.

She quickly helped Mr. and Mrs. Lu up, gave them some water to drink, and then rescued Mr. and Mrs. Su.

"Mom, Dad, Cheng’an is missing! I have to find Lu Xiao. You two stay here and see if the intruders left any traces."

After saying this, Su Tang rushed out the door and ran toward Lu Xiao’s military base. On the way, she ran into Wang Xinxin, who was out for a walk.

Wang Xinxin called out, "Su Tang!" but Su Tang had no time to talk to her now.

She shouted, "Cheng’an is missing!" and kept running toward the military base.

Hearing this, Wang Xinxin forgot all about her walk and rushed home to get Mr. and Mrs. Chen.

By the time Su Tang reached the military base, she happened to run into Lu Xiao, who was just about to head home.

"Tangtang, what are you doing here?"

Lu Xiao was also surprised. Seeing Su Tang, he thought she had come specifically to meet him after work.

But on closer inspection, he saw that Su Tang’s forehead was covered in a dense sheen of sweat. Her eyes were red, and her expression was frantic.

"Cheng’an... Cheng’an is missing! I suspect Zhou Rui had someone do it. Quick, go get people to help us look for him."

Su Tang was gasping for breath, but her words were concise and clear.

Lu Xiao’s expression changed instantly. Without even a word in response, he turned and ran to get his comrades to help.

By the time he returned home with his men, Wang Xinxin had already brought Chen Zhengnian over.

"I’ve already looked over the whole place, inside and out. Those people came openly; they didn’t even try to hide."

"I went to the security office. Our guys were beaten up. This Zhou Rui is really arrogant."

Chen Zhengnian had arrived earlier than them and had already swept the entire house.

Other than Zhou Rui, they couldn’t think of anyone who hated Lu Xiao and Su Tang enough to kidnap such a small child.

Su Tang’s heart was pounding. She was terrified, but she knew she couldn’t fall apart now.

"I have Zhou Rui’s number. I’ll call him right now."

She turned, grabbed the phone, and dialed the number for Zhou Rui from her contact list.

The call connected quickly.

"Where is my son?"

"Doctor Su, I don’t know what you’re talking about."

On the other end of the line, Zhou Rui was still playing dumb with Su Tang. His words were ambiguous.

But hearing his tone, Su Tang knew her son was definitely in his hands.

"I’m asking you, where is my son?"

"I can’t answer that question for you, Doctor Su. However, I suggest you go to the place where we first met. You might find the answer you’re looking for there."

After saying this, Zhou Rui didn’t say another word and hung up the phone.

Su Tang gripped the phone tightly.

"Take me to the old family-quarters hospital. Quickly."

She said this while looking at Lu Xiao. He didn’t say much, just pulled her outside and into the Jeep.

The place where Su Tang and Zhou Rui first met was indeed the hospital in her old family quarters.

But that hospital had been washed away in a flood before and was now completely abandoned. The new hospital had been relocated elsewhere.

’Why would Zhou Rui choose to meet there?’

’Does he have people lying in ambush there?’

Su Tang turned to meet Lu Xiao’s gaze, and in an instant, they both understood what the other was thinking. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

"Don’t worry," he said. "I’ve already sent people ahead. If he’s really there, there’s no way he can escape."

For him to dare return so openly and brazenly, he must have a backup plan. They just didn’t know what it was yet, so all they could do was be cautious.

Lu Xiao drove Su Tang, and they soon arrived at the site of the old hospital.

In the pitch-black night, the hospital looked like a cage capable of devouring everything.

Lu Xiao got out of the car first, vigilantly scanning their surroundings. His right hand instinctively went to his waist.

He normally carried his service weapon there, but this was a personal mission to find his son, so he wasn’t carrying it.

He looked back at Su Tang with a reassuring gaze. "Don’t be afraid. I’ll go scout ahead. You wait in the car for my signal."

"No!"

Su Tang immediately grabbed his wrist. Her voice trembled slightly with nervousness, but it was firm.

"Cheng’an is in there. I have to go with you. I’m a doctor. If Cheng’an is hurt, I can treat him immediately."

Lu Xiao looked at her reddened eyes, knew he couldn’t change her mind, and could only nod.

He took two flashlights and a thick iron rod that he had prepared beforehand from the trunk.

"Take this. No matter what you see, don’t leave my side."

The two of them walked side by side toward the hospital entrance. The crunch of gravel under their feet was piercingly loud in the silent night.

As soon as they stepped into the lobby, a thick, musty smell of mold and dust assaulted them, making Su Tang unable to stop herself from coughing twice.

The beams of their flashlights swept across the area, revealing discarded medical equipment scattered across the lobby floor.

A rusty hospital bed lay tilted in a corner, a tattered white sheet still hanging from it.

It swayed gently in the wind, looking just like a drifting phantom.

"Zhou Rui! Come out! Give me back my son!"