Chapter 16: The Vanished One

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Lu Mingfei had considered revealing Zhao Menghua’s true nature to Su Xiaoqiang, but such claims without proof would be met with disbelief. Especially since his own reputation seemed somewhat tarnished now, and he wasn’t particularly well-regarded. However, knowing Su Xiaoqiang’s stubborn nature—never turning back until hitting a wall, refusing to give up unless she saw the one she loved paired off with someone else—he figured he didn’t need to do much. When the two confessed, he could just bring Su Xiaoqiang to witness it firsthand. No popcorn or drinks required, at most handing her some tissues. The only problem was not knowing when Zhao Menghua would make his confession to Chen Wenwen. Last week, he had been preoccupied with preparing for the college entrance exam and coordinating with the team, paying no attention to school affairs, and truly had no idea when those two had gotten together. He hoped it would be before the exam, so Su Xiaoqiang could channel her heartbreak into motivation and strive for excellence, perhaps even take the top spot. There was no rush for now. Knowing Zhao Menghua’s temperament, if he planned to confess, it would surely be a grand affair—just keep an eye out then. Since he had the rare day off, Lu Mingfei naturally wouldn’t waste it reviewing interview materials. His plan was to first contact his former employer to arrange a trial, then visit Tianjiao Group along the way. He wondered if the city’s most renowned company might change upon his arrival. Oh, and to bring some snacks to visit his good brother’s brother-in-law. With his sister abroad studying with her childhood friend, he was the only one left guarding the cake shop, surely feeling lonely. This would be a good opportunity to reconnect with Chu Zihang and the others. When they returned home for summer break, he could smoothly blend in. Plan set! Lu Mingfei happily hailed a cab and left, completely unaware that not far behind, a red-haired girl wearing a dark green school skirt was quietly observing him. Nono pinched her Ferrari key, then turned and headed toward the parking lot. Lu Mingfei’s behavior was far too unusual. She couldn’t help but take notice. People who had been overly repressed often acted out once freed. But the most extreme thing Lu Mingfei had done was have a big argument with his aunt and run away from home. He hadn’t squandered the large living expenses he received; the next day, he didn’t skip school but dutifully asked for leave; nor did he flaunt receiving an “offer” from Kassel Academy. This showed he was clear-headed, possessed strong self-control, and had his own plans for the future. Had it not been for Kassel Academy’s involvement, he might have cut ties completely with his uncle and aunt’s family after entering university, keeping his distance—just like her.

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The red Ferrari slowly departed from the private elite school, and Nono, following Norma’s guidance, discreetly tailed Lu Mingfei’s taxi from a distance. She continued to follow him for the next few hours. First, he went to the city’s only esports club and stayed inside for three hours. Norma hacked into the club’s surveillance and discovered that the kid was actually sitting at a computer for a trial session! With a private elite university waiting with open arms, the audacity to be gaming instead?! Unsurprisingly, Lu Mingfei’s trial results caused a sensation throughout the club. Rumor had it a seventeen-year-old student had easily beaten the club’s top players, prompting the boss, who was out negotiating sponsorships, to rush back immediately. After watching the footage, he exclaimed that a prodigy had fallen from the sky! If Lu Mingfei weren’t under eighteen and required a guardian to sign contracts, the club owner would have eagerly signed him on the spot. If that had happened, Nono would have burst in to drag him away. What a joke—Lu Mingfei was destined to earn Kassel Academy’s quarantine certificate; a mere esports club was no match to compete for him. The club owner was very eager about this prodigy, especially a champion seed like Lu Mingfei. Unfortunately, without a guardian contact, they had no choice but to wait two months until he turned eighteen to sign a contract. To make a good impression and not let the opportunity slip away, the boss and manager even took him to a newly opened Japanese restaurant nearby for a lavish lunch. Lu Mingfei ate a stomachful of sushi and was only released when he could eat no more. After resting for over half an hour to digest, Lu Mingfei leisurely left. It was still quite early before Tianjiao Group’s office hours ended, and Chu Zihang’s brother-in-law’s cake shop was nearby, so he decided to drop by first. After buying several bags of chips and cola at a nearby supermarket, Lu Mingfei wandered through the streets near the city center, close to an elementary school. It was Monday afternoon, so there weren’t many people, but when the school bell rang, countless children would flood out, chattering noisily. Lu Mingfei carried his snacks, walking back and forth along the street three times, but couldn’t find any cake shop. Just as he wondered if he had somehow scared the shop away with his butterfly wings, an uncle at a nearby fruit store called out to him: “Hey, young man, who are you looking for? You’ve been wandering around for quite a while.” Suppressing his impatience, Lu Mingfei handed over a bottle of drink and asked quietly, “Uncle, wasn’t there a Summer Cake Shop here before? The owner was a handsome young man, dark-skinned and seemed honest. Why can’t I find it now?” The uncle looked at him with surprise and waved his hand:

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“You must be mistaken. I’ve sold fruit here for ten years and have seen plenty of bakeries, but no one has ever opened a cake shop here. Besides, all the shop owners around here are middle-aged, no young guys. The good-looking ones are all working white-collar jobs in those office buildings.” “Thanks, I guess I got the location wrong,” Lu Mingfei forced a faint smile and turned to walk toward the other side of the elementary school. The fruit vendor glanced at the iced tea in his hand and muttered, “Nice kid, just a bit forgetful.” He took a swig of his drink. After finishing, he saw a stunningly beautiful girl with fiery red hair like a fox spirit emerge from the alley beside the store and head in the direction Lu Mingfei had just left. “Hey, this young man’s playing a clever game, even tailing him,” she muttered. Lu Mingfei was completely unaware of the follower behind him. His mind was filled with thoughts of the pure-hearted man who had left middle school early to work on a construction site just to support his sister’s schooling. Had he been worried about his sister studying abroad? Or was he still working at the site? Quickening his pace, Lu Mingfei arrived at an old residential complex half an hour later. The security guard at the gate was lax, absorbed in the radio and newspaper, barely glancing at him as he passed. Inside, elderly residents gathered under the shade, chatting and playing chess. The thin, hurried youth soon reached a corner of the complex. Stepping onto a leaf-strewn forest path, Lu Mingfei’s steps grew unexpectedly heavy. At the end stood a dilapidated old villa. The iron gate was rusted, weeds overrun the yard, vines crawled up the walls and house, and the scent of decayed plants filled the air—clearly abandoned for a long time. Lu Mingfei stood frozen, as if struck by a heavy hammer; the bag of snacks and drinks slipped from his hand. “She’s the only sister I have. If I don’t treat her well, who else will?” “My sister’s so smart, there are too many award certificates to fit at home. I’ve been thinking of taking some to stick up in the shop.” “My sister is the cutest in the world—who agrees? Who disagrees?” Proud words echoed gently in his ears, as if the legendary pastry chef’s figure stood right before him—though uneducated, never ashamed, always beaming with pride, repeatedly telling others of his sister’s brilliance. The breeze stirred the leaves, carrying the faint fragrance of decay. Beautiful memories shattered by cruel reality scattered like fragments across the ground.