Chapter 15

Jiang Xuan’s face was struck and turned to one side.

Lin Yi’s gaze was heavy as he slowly pried open Jiang Xuan’s fingers, letting them fall lightly to the ground.

Inside the room, Zhong Qi, awakened by the commotion, rubbed his eyes and opened the door. “Yi Bao? What’s going on outside? It’s so noisy…”

Before he could finish, he saw the large crowd and instantly snapped to full alert.

“What’s happening? Why are you all gathered here so early?” Zhong Qi took a step forward and stood in front of Lin Yi, blocking his way.

Seeing Jiang Xuan, Zhong Qi had an immediate bad feeling.

Still dazed from the beating, Jiang Xuan finally came to his senses. Upon seeing Zhong Qi, the suppressed fury within him erupted again, and he swung a fist straight at Zhong Qi’s face!

Bang!

Before his fist could land, Lin Yi kicked him, forcing him to his knees.

If Lin Yi weren’t worried that kicking him too hard would be too shocking, he would have sent him flying.

Even so, everyone stood there stunned, mouths agape.

Lin Yi seemed still unsatisfied. The small figure stood before him and slapped Jiang Xuan’s face, turning it to the side. “Can you speak properly now?”

When had Jiang Xuan ever been beaten like this?

He glared fiercely at Lin Yi but met only his cold, expressionless eyes.

That look filled him with a deep, primal fear.

If Jiang Xuan had witnessed a real assassin, he would know what a truly terrifying gaze was.

Lin Yi had not yet fully shed the influence of the Shadow Guard.

With his face swollen and red, Jiang Xuan dared not pick a fight anymore. He burst into tears. “Even if Zhong Qi and I have issues, Ian is just a child. Where exactly have you hidden him?”

Zhong Qi had been gently blowing on Lin Yi’s little hand, but with the loud slap, Yi Bao’s hand must have hurt badly.

Hearing Jiang Xuan’s accusation, Zhong Qi froze. “Ian is missing?”

“He’s missing, and you don’t call the police? You come here throwing a tantrum?”

Is Jiang Xuan insane?

The assistant director finally snapped out of it. “The police have been called, but Jiang Xuan insists that you’re the ones hiding Ian.”

Zhong Qi rolled his eyes. “Is it you who’s crazy or me? Even if I hated you, kidnapping a child? If I wanted revenge, I’d drag you and your disgusting parents down with you.”

Everyone present was shocked by this statement, exchanging looks with each other.

Lin Yi was the only one who understood the meaning behind Zhong Qi’s words. He gently wrapped his small hand around Zhong Qi’s cold, trembling one, trying to offer some warmth.

“Brother Zhong.”

Zhong Qi bent down and lifted him up, suppressing the tumultuous emotions inside. “I have nothing to do with Ian’s disappearance!”

*

Half an hour later, everyone had learned that Ian was missing.

Except for the younger Mian Mian and Nora, Qin Siyuan and Yang Bai had already gone out to search.

Though Zhong Qi hated Jiang Xuan, he couldn’t stand by and let a child disappear.

Lin Yi followed closely beside him.

Lin Yi’s search was half-hearted; in his eyes, even if Ian truly met with an accident, he wouldn’t give it a second thought.

A Shadow Guard should never show sympathy.

Not even for a child.

With the police involved, surveillance footage from all roads in the fishing village was reviewed, eventually capturing Ian’s image.

But this was bad news for Jiang Xuan.

Ian had left alone shortly after ten the previous evening and had not been seen since.

Lin Yi figured he had gone to retrieve the recorder around the hour of the ox, roughly two a.m., by which time Ian had already been missing for over four hours.

Still, watching the footage, Lin Yi marveled once again at modern technology.

He had thought to place a recorder in Jiang Xuan’s room inspired by the director’s use of a big screen to replay the apple-catching scene.

The police questioned Jiang Xuan: “Why did he go out alone at night?”

Jiang Xuan hesitated, then spoke dejectedly: “We had an argument at night. He wanted to go home, but I wouldn’t let him. He probably tried to sneak away.”

In the footage, Ian was seen carrying a bag, indeed appearing to leave.

The police were frustrated with this unruly child.

They couldn’t say much, but He Tong was different.

He Tong snorted coldly. “Such temper! How dare he run off in the middle of the night?”

Xie Yu shot her a glare.

He Tong retorted, “It wasn’t me who let Ian leave at night. If anyone’s to blame, it’s Jiang Xuan as the father. This is purely a parenting issue. Which child runs off in unfamiliar places just because they quarreled with their dad?”

The police redeployed forces, most heading in the direction Ian had left.

By now, the time for the usual broadcast had arrived.

However, the official livestream had not started.

Some netizens began asking under the official Weibo of “Baby’s Journey”:

“Why isn’t it airing yet? Has yesterday’s issue not been resolved?”

“Reliable sources say something happened on set.”

“What happened? What happened?”

Like moths to a flame, a crowd swarmed.

“One friend of a friend’s cousin’s husband works on the crew. Apparently, a child went missing.”

“What? Who’s missing?”

“Mian Mian? Nora? Or Yi Bao?”

Soon, phrases like ‘Mian Mian missing,’ ‘Yi Bao missing,’ ‘Nora missing,’ and ‘Who’s missing?’ trended on social media.

The director’s face went pale when he saw the trending topics.

Who was it? Who leaked the news?

Now was not the time to seek blame; the most important thing was to find the child!

“Director Li, Director Li, we found him!”

The director touched his thinning hair. “What good is finding me? Find Ian!”

“We have found Ian!”

The director turned off his phone. “What? Where is he? Is he okay?”

“Uh, he’s not in great shape.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ll see when you get here.”

The director hurried out to the site, only minutes away from where Ian had been found.

Panting, he finally saw a crowd gathered.

“Make way, make way! How is Ian?”

Villagers and staff alike were there. Upon seeing the director, someone said, “He’s still down there. Someone’s sent a rope.”

The director was puzzled. Sent a rope?

Pushing into the inner circle, he saw a tree about seven or eight meters up on a steep hillside, with Ian hanging halfway up.

He nearly fainted!

How did he end up hanging from a tree?

Even worse, it was on a slope. Falling might spare his life, but whether his limbs would remain intact was uncertain.

Ian seemed to have been awakened by the noisy crowd and brightened upon seeing so many people above.

But when he saw himself hanging in the tree, he was terrified and started crying loudly.

His chubby little body was restless, thrashing about.

Police on site started tying clothes into ropes, preparing to rescue him.

“Everyone step back! All this noise will interfere with the rescue.”

Curious though they were, the crowd stepped back.

A few guests who had arrived were not pushed away.

Some villagers filmed with their phones; others even started live streaming.

Netizens who had been unable to catch the official show now flocked to these streams showing the guests.

“Just arrived. What happened?”

“I heard all the kids on the show disappeared overnight.”

“No, that rumor is ridiculous. Only Ian was missing, but he has been found and is being rescued.”

“What? Ian tried to jump from a tree?”

“…”

There was no way to explain clearly.

Ian, hanging in the tree, was so scared his hands and feet went limp, yet he stubbornly wiggled.

The police below could only coax patiently: “Little one, don’t move. It’s dangerous.”

Ian looked down from his height, even more frightened, refusing to listen.

Zhong Qi watched Ian’s predicament, silently sweating.

His hand holding Lin Yi’s trembled uncontrollably.

Lin Yi: “Brother Zhong?”

Zhong Qi: “Yi Bao, he’ll be okay, right?”

Zhong Qi couldn’t bear to see a child in danger, even if he hated the child’s father.

Lin Yi glanced at the villagers streaming the event.

He said to Zhong Qi, “I can save him.”

Zhong Qi didn’t catch that. “What?”

Lin Yi placed his small hand over his chest where his heart raced. Little Lin Yi, you want to save him too, don’t you?

Indeed, the friend Qin Siyuan never forgot was a pure and genuine soul.

Lin Yi released Zhong Qi’s hand, then swiftly twisted some nearby vines into a rope.

On the livestream, viewers called out to the streamer:

“Camera, tilt left a bit.”

“No, downwards. Isn’t that Yi Bao?”

“What is he doing?”

A ‘snap’ sound was followed by cries; the faint-hearted covered their eyes.

When the police were about a meter from Ian, the branch he was hanging from finally gave way under the weight.

The police officer lunged and grabbed a corner of Ian’s clothing.

Ian sobbed quietly, his cries softening.

The officer shouted, “Don’t move!”

Despite his efforts, the fabric tore and Ian fell.

The officer, tied to the rope made from clothes at his waist, could not catch Ian with his body to cushion the fall.

Jiang Xuan stood frozen.

He Tong held onto Xie Yu.

Qin Siyuan closed his eyes for a moment.

Yang Bai gripped Yang Xing’s clothes, who stood dazed.

The accident happened in an instant.

A green shadow flashed by; Lin Yi caught Ian.

As Ian’s body nearly collided with a rock, Lin Yi kicked off, using the momentum to swing the vine back.

“Is that… Tarzan?”

“Saved?”

“Wonderful, he’s saved!”

Cheers erupted on site.

Zhong Qi was so scared he collapsed to the ground.

Xie Yu and He Tong helped him up.

Lin Yi was already at the bottom of the hill, and the rope had just arrived.

The scene was orderly as people were arranged to go down and bring the two children up.

The police captain looked at Lin Yi with admiration, squeezing his shoulder like a big cushion. “Little one, interested in joining the police academy?”

Lin Yi considered seriously.

Another officer laughed, “Captain, the kid’s barely a few years old. Don’t tease him or his parents might come after you.”

“Ian!”

When Lin Yi released Ian, the boy was dazed and silly.

Hearing Jiang Xuan’s voice, he snapped back and immediately burst into tears.

As he stood, his pants became warm.

This moment was caught on the villagers’ livestream.

Though only five, Ian was mortified to wet himself in public, wishing he could disappear.

Lin Yi smiled at the sight. That’s a social death, isn’t it?

Unfortunately, he wasn’t the one who caused it.