The plane landed safely, and I arrived in Beijing. Today, Chang Dachun, Dah Huang, and Fatty came to pick me up, as this stop wasn't just for me, but also for Lin Han. I had arranged with Lin Han over the phone to meet up in Beijing.
...
As I walked out of the airport, I saw the three brothers waving enthusiastically. Dah Huang rushed over to grab my luggage, a fawning smile on his face, "Boss, I'll carry it for you, don't tire yourself out."
"Brother Huang, what is this act you're putting on?"
"The big boss who chartered the plane is like royalty to me."
I was amused and pretended to kick him.
At this moment, Elder Brother Chang and Fatty also arrived. Fatty was quiet as usual, and Elder Brother Chang asked with a smile, "Tang Nan, I heard you've finished your personal matters this time. What are your plans next?"
"To go home and have a baby."
Dah Huang's son was still swaddled, and he immediately chimed in, "Then you better think it through, it's a big project."
My spirits lifted, "My plan is bigger than you think, I want to have 10."
Fatty finally spoke, "Ten? Do you think your sister is a pig?"
The three of us looked at him with mischievous smiles. Fatty realized his mistake and stammered, "I'll treat tonight, but this can't be told to Sister."
"That depends on what you're treating us to," said Chang Dachun with a chuckle. Dah Huang was even more mischievous, adding, "That depends on how many meals you're treating us to." Fatty looked at me for help. I smiled and said, "Brother Fatty, this has nothing to do with me."
Fatty regretted his words, his gaze towards us gradually turning 'hostile'. If this continued, I'd be forced to drink tonight again. I changed the subject, "Isn't Lin Han's flight due soon?"
"She should be coming out of the station soon."
We chatted and waited a while longer. It should have been the flight from my hometown, but our eyes were wide open, and Lin Han was nowhere to be seen.
"What's going on?" Fatty asked.
"Probably because of the luggage. My wife went back home, when does she not come back with bags upon bags? I always feel like I need to book a cargo truck from logistics," Dah Huang said.
"Lin Han isn't just going back to her maiden home," I said with a smile. Chang Dachun quickly followed up, "Your mother treats Lin Han better than her own daughter."
We waited for a while longer, and Lin Han still hadn't appeared. Dah Huang was getting anxious and took out his phone, "Brother, find someone, make a call, how old am I this year? I'm here at the airport picking someone up, and after waiting, I still haven't seen her. Don't you know any flight attendants? Help me out, I need to get in there. No nonsense, you can trick a flight attendant into your bed, and you're telling me you can't get into the airport? Have you no shame?"
Even so, after more than ten minutes, someone came and led us in. We reached the baggage claim area, where there was no one, only a few suitcases endlessly rotating.
"That pink suitcase looks like Sister's."
Hearing Fatty say this, I pulled the suitcase down. Indeed, there was a sticker with Lin Han's name on it. I looked at the luggage tag and took down all the luggage. No wonder there was no one at the baggage claim, the remaining luggage all belonged to Lin Han.
"That's quite a lot of luggage, no different from going back to her maiden home? Where's Sister? Is she hiding somewhere secretly filming?"
Dah Huang said with a chuckle. Fatty and Chang Dachun looked around. My brow furrowed, remembering what my Senior Sister had told me before I boarded the plane – that she was going to give me a "gift." Could this insane woman have targeted Lin Han again?
Chang Dachun noticed something was off about me and asked, "Tang Nan, what's wrong?"
"I'm a bit worried about Lin Han."
"Is Sister delayed by something?"
Dah Huang said unhappily, "What are you guessing for? I'll just call Sister." As he spoke, Dah Huang took out his phone and dialed Lin Han's number. His expression gradually turned solemn.
"What is it?"
"It's not on."
Chang Dachun became a little anxious, "Could the battery be dead?"
"Maybe a thief stole it," Dah Huang said.
"Perhaps she dropped it in the toilet while using the restroom."
Chang Dachun and Dah Huang's gazes fell squarely on Fatty, who slapped his own mouth.
This was no longer a laughing matter. I was sure something had happened. I took out my phone and called the police, stating that my wife had been kidnapped. At the same time, I called Yu Xiaoluo to ask for her help.
While I waited for the police, the three of them split up. Fatty searched the airport, Dah Huang went to get a loudspeaker for finding people, and Chang Dachun explained the situation to airport security.
...
Lin Han had disappeared, very suddenly. We had spoken on the phone before she boarded the plane, and she had even laughed, saying she would punish me severely for not being with her during the New Year. After a brief separation, we were like newlyweds. I was filled with excitement, preparing for a passionate embrace at the airport, and then she simply vanished.
Was this the "gift" Senior Sister mentioned? She was in Hong Kong, but could she control things in Beijing remotely?
It was past midnight when we finally returned to Wende Xiaoyuan together. Dah Huang kept calling the police station, "Beijing is such a small place, and a living person like this, not a trace. Do you think this is acceptable? And besides, this is an Olympic year. With your security situation, would foreign friends dare to come to our great Beijing?"
No matter how much Dah Huang complained to the police, Lin Han remained nowhere to be found. The police helped us inquire with the airline. According to the ticket records, Lin Han had indeed passed security and boarded the plane. Thanks to Yu Xiaoluo's connection, the police also helped us contact several passengers on the same flight. They said they had seen a woman wearing a mask and glasses. After getting off the plane, she got separated in the long corridor leading to baggage claim, and no one noticed where Lin Han went.
The police needed to investigate the airport surveillance footage, but the procedures were complicated, and we had to wait. Out of necessity, we returned to the quadrangle courtyard. The four of us sat slumped on chairs, exhausted physically and mentally. Soon, Fatty started snoring. Dah Huang was so angry he wanted to hit Fatty, but Chang Dachun stopped him, "Dah Huang, we're all tired. You should go lie down too. We need to be well-rested to continue searching for Sister tomorrow."
"What about you, Big Brother?"
"I'll talk to Tang Nan for a bit."
Dah Huang nodded and called Fatty, and the two of them went to rest in the beds inside.
Only I and Chang Dachun remained in the study. Chang Dachun got straight to the point, "Life isn't a TV show. Airport kidnappings like this are practically unheard of. Why were you so sure from the beginning that Sister was in danger?"
I sighed, "Before boarding the plane, I ran into Cao Qian. That woman said she was going to give me a 'gift'."
"Her again?"
"Yes!"
Chang Dachun, a steady-minded person, was so angered that he gritted his teeth, his body trembling. Senior Sister's ruthlessness was something Chang Dachun had experienced. Because of this, Chang Dachun said through clenched teeth, "Even though it's Cao Qian, at least she's not the type to kill someone on the spot. We still have a chance. Tang Nan, you must be exhausted too. Get some sleep, and we'll continue searching tomorrow morning."
"Thank you, Elder Brother Chang. You go rest first. I need to think about this."
...
Late at night, I was alone in the study. I couldn't help but think of Lin Han, wondering if she was scared right now. Nicknamed the Queen of the Underground Palace, majestic and formidable. But in my eyes, she was just a delicate young woman. She often worked late into the night, studying cultural knowledge on antiques. Back then, I would quietly watch her from the side. She would sometimes pore over her desk, sometimes chew on her pen. Her silhouette was gentle and slender, as thin as a bamboo slip, swaying gracefully in the wind.
Every time I saw Lin Han like this, I felt she was working too hard and wanted to urge her to sleep. But she seemed not to hear, completely immersed in that complex historical and cultural knowledge. Of course, sometimes she would suddenly jump up from her chair and twirl around. If she was wearing a skirt, its hem would fly up elegantly. Of course, seeing me in her pajamas, she would immediately put on a seductive demeanor and pull me to dance with her.
At these times, I knew that the intelligent her must have come up with a brilliant idea in the antique business.
I don't understand antiques, let alone the antique business. But I liked Lin Han's attitude. She might curse in the local dialect of Xi'an, but she would never bring her bad moods into her life. Every time she walked out with her head held high, she was like a strong woman who had shielded her heart.
But when she returned home, she would be groggy. After I woke her up, her eyes would be soft and hazy. When I let go, she would softly fall back into the covers. When I brought food to her bedside, her nose would twitch, and then her eyes would widen, revealing a blissful smile.
Sometimes, she would eat and work in bed. Occasionally, if she got too engrossed, food would spill onto the covers. She would secretly glance at me, and I would pretend not to notice. Then she would secretly pull the quilt over, hide the evidence, and then dress herself up exquisitely, like a queen, escaping the scene. When she came home from work, she would be like she had amnesia, unaware of what had happened.
Now, this most beloved goddess in my heart was missing. I was distraught, my heart in a mess, my pain like a knife.