Chapter 320: 306 fright
Speaking of which, this was the first time the couple had gone to pick up their child from kindergarten together. Even though it was a rainy day, Tian Sangsang felt a sense of warmth.
Her beautiful eyes curved slightly as she cheerfully held an umbrella, walking beside him.
"Do you think Yanyan will be pleasantly surprised to see both of us showing up together?" After all, Jiang Jinghuai had never once picked up their child before.
Hearing her soft voice, Jiang Jinghuai thought of their son. Would he suddenly dash over and rub his curly-haired head affectionately against his leg?
Recently, he had been busy with matters at the base, neglecting his son.
"Sangbao." He turned to glance at her, his voice low: "Come under my umbrella."
"Oh." Tian Sangsang closed her umbrella and obediently moved under his.
Jiang Jinghuai tilted his umbrella heavily toward her side, ensuring she wouldn’t get wet from the rain, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
The rain pattered softly, and for a moment, neither spoke. Tian Sangsang and Jiang Jinghuai didn’t talk much in their daily lives. They were both busy during the day, and by nightfall, their interactions usually involved physical proximity, leaving no time for heartfelt conversations.
Now was a rare good moment.
"Sigh."
"What are you sighing about?"
"I hope Huihui’s okay." Tian Sangsang sighed again. "I have a feeling Nini didn’t bring an umbrella. Should we pick her up along the way?" Whenever she came to pick up Meng Shuyan, she would always take Nini home with them. On a rainy day like this, You Huixixi’s family hadn’t thought of bringing her an umbrella either.
"Hmm." Jiang Jinghuai didn’t offer much of an opinion.
"She’s not their biological child, so of course she wouldn’t be as valued as one."
"Is your heart aching for her?" Jiang Jinghuai chuckled deeply, his tone pleasant: "If you have this much compassion, you can pamper your own daughter well in the future."
"......" Tian Sangsang sneaked a pinch at his waist. What nonsense. That wasn’t even happening yet.
The roadside grass was muddy, and by the time they reached the kindergarten, their clothes inevitably got a little damp, and the hems of their pants were wet as well.
The security room by the school gate was empty, and the entrance eerily quiet.
"Huh?" Tian Sangsang couldn’t help but look around. "Where are the kids?"
Jiang Jinghuai closed the umbrella, hung it to one side, and squinted as he surveyed the surroundings, his gaze deepening.
The security guard, Teacher Dong, and a few other teachers from the school were walking toward them.
"What’s going on? How could the two kids go missing? Old Zhang, weren’t you watching them?"
"I just went to boil some water, and when I came back, they were gone... Could a parent have already picked them up?"
However, upon seeing Tian Sangsang, the children’s mother, this idea was quickly dismissed.
"Teacher Dong, where are Yanyan and Nini?" Tian Sangsang caught bits of their conversation and privately hoped their discussion had nothing to do with her son.
"I was just about to ask you—did you pick up the kids? Or did someone from Nini’s family come to get them?"
"No." Tian Sangsang answered with certainty, her voice trembling. "Neither of the kids has come home. I just arrived."
"Then..." Teacher Dong frowned even more deeply.
"What’s going on?" Jiang Jinghuai asked from the side.
Though his voice was calm, it carried an air of authority. Everyone froze for a moment and stared directly at him.
"Don’t just look at me—speak up." His tone suddenly grew colder. "I’m Yanyan’s father."
"Here’s the situation: it was raining after school, and all the other children had already been picked up, leaving just Yanyan and Nini. I was going to take them home, but they insisted on waiting for their families. Worried they might get wet, I asked them to wait in the security room. Old Zhang only went to boil some water briefly, and when he came back, the two kids were gone. Could they have headed home by themselves?" Teacher Dong asked anxiously.
"Impossible." Tian Sangsang’s face turned pale as she gently shook her head. "We didn’t see them on the way, and besides, it’s raining outside."
Jiang Jinghuai asked, "Did you search the school?"
"We looked everywhere. No one’s here."
"Not at home, not on the road, not at school—so where could they be?!" Tian Sangsang’s voice quivered with panic as she stood there, at a complete loss. How could this happen? She didn’t know how to handle this sudden turn of events. Every day, she could see her son without fail, but today, he was nowhere to be found.
"Sangsang, it’s going to be okay. Stay calm for now." Jiang Jinghuai placed a steadying hand on her shoulder and turned to Old Zhang. "When you went to boil the water, did you hear anything unusual?"
Old Zhang thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Nothing."
Nothing? Jiang Jinghuai’s sharp gaze darkened as he paced back and forth a couple of times. He looked around again, then suddenly opened his umbrella and walked outside. The uneven ground was littered with footprints from many comings and goings, making it impossible to discern anything distinct. However, a red hair clip stood out in the muddy soil.
Jiang Jinghuai bent down to pick up the hair clip, his sleek, cold gaze scanning the area. He moved behind a thicket and found a piece of rope on the ground, along with several footprints—clearly left by adults—measuring over 25 centimeters.
Returning, he spoke in a calm tone, "We’ll search again. If we still can’t find them after some time, notify the police."
"The police? Do you think something bad happened to the kids?" Teacher Dong asked.
"I suspect they’ve been kidnapped."
Boom. Tian Sangsang staggered, her body unable to hold steady, but Jiang Jinghuai quickly caught her. "Do you recognize this hair clip?" he asked.
"It’s Nini’s," she whispered softly.
**
Child abductions weren’t handled by the military. If the children weren’t found soon, they could only file a report with the police. Once they returned home, they relayed the situation to Political Commissioner Lin and others.
You Huixixi was overwhelmed with guilt. "If I hadn’t suddenly fallen, I wouldn’t have delayed you from picking up the kids. Maybe this wouldn’t have happened..."
"Saying this now won’t help." Political Commissioner Lin said, "What’s important is finding Yanyan and Nini quickly." Fortunately, with some connections, he and Jiang Jinghuai immediately mobilized a few soldiers from the base to search nearby areas.
In the dimly lit living room, Tian Sangsang sat alone. The moment she heard a faint sound, she immediately stood up.
The lights came on.
But it was only Jiang Jinghuai who entered.
"No luck yet?" she asked blankly.
Jiang Jinghuai pressed his thin lips together, his body carrying the damp chill of the night. He looked at her with heartache in his gaze. "They’re still out searching. You don’t look well—why don’t you rest for a while?"
"How could I possibly sleep?" She sank back onto the sofa in despair. "They went missing for no reason. If they were kidnapped, there must be some motive. But we don’t even know what the motive is or who could have taken them."
Jiang Jinghuai lit a cigarette, took a drag, and said in a low voice, "We’ll find out eventually."
"How can you be so calm?" Tian Sangsang turned her head to stare at him.
"Will panicking solve the problem?"
"And will staying calm make it any better? That’s your son!" The weight of her worry overwhelmed her, and she shouted, unable to hold back anymore.
"Sangbao." Jiang Jinghuai stubbed out the cigarette and pulled her into his arms, pressing her head against his chest. "Listen to me. I’m just as worried. But please, don’t get too worked up, okay?"
At last, she couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst into tears, clinging to him tightly.