Section 3

"Sister, is that you?" The cheerful and surprised voice of Mingyue came through. "How have you been? You finally called me..."

Oh, what is it?" The voice of Mingyue lowered slightly

Mingmei made a phone call home, but the ringing continued for a long time without anyone answering. It seems that her father did not return home alone

In the following three years, Ming Qidong rejected Ming Mei's visitation requests a total of thirty times. She understood that he did not want this journey to be part of her life's memories

She was momentarily stunned, and there should not be anyone else coming to pick him up. Since the incident with Mingqi Dong three years ago, a number of friends and relatives have become distant and indifferent, but this is actually nothing unusual; it is simply human nature.

When Mingmei was leaving, Mingqidong said, "Don't come to see me again, focus on your studies." Then he leaned closer to her ear and whispered, "In your grandmother's old house, in the bottom drawer of the bedside table in the bedroom, there is a document bag." Finally, he added, "Rest assured, it is completely clean."

Setting aside other matters, Mingqi Dong can be considered a good father. When Mingmei visited him for the first time in prison, he held her hand and, with a face full of regret, said: "Dad is sorry for you, I couldn't take good care of you, and instead made you bear these..." At the time of his incident, Mingmei had just returned to the Ming family for a year.

Mother has not returned to the country, and Father has not contacted us either. Last month, I called the prison, and it took three attempts before Father finally answered, but he only said one thing: that I should not call him again in the future. Sister, why doesn't Father want me to call him? Sixteen-year-old Mingyue always seems like a little girl who has never grown up, her voice clear and crisp, with a tone that carries a childlike innocence. No matter what mistakes she makes, it is hard to blame her. She has always been like a little princess placed in a sunlit glass greenhouse.

She sat on the dirty floor, holding the paper bag, and cried out in pain

That evening, Mingmei went to the old house she had not visited for a year, which was the only gift left to her after her grandmother's passing. She found a paper bag in the dusty drawer of the bedside table. Upon opening it, she discovered a bank card, the password being her birthday. Inside, there was enough money to cover her university expenses.

On the night of the third day, Mingmei lay in bed tossing and turning for a long time, and finally got up to find a note in the drawer with the number for an international call and a * map * book, and dialed it.

The midday sun was somewhat intense, causing dizziness, and her legs felt a bit numb from standing for too long. She sat down on the ground with a thud, burying her head in her knees, and let out a deep sigh. At that moment, a girl who had also been waiting for a long time approached her from not far away, gently patting her shoulder, "Hey, are you okay?" There was a hint of concern in her tone

Nan Ge thought for a moment on the other end of the phone before calmly responding, "Don't panic for now, where are you? I will come to find you"

Her heart suddenly skipped a beat, and she raised her hand, with a "click" sound, she hung up the landline, then lay back down on the bed. However, that night, she could no longer fall asleep

Mingmei lifted her head and met a pair of bright, clear eyes; it was the first time she had seen Nange. "Thank you, I'm fine," she smiled at Nange.

Perhaps it was taken away by an old friend? Or perhaps he left first because he did not wait for you? Nan Ge thought for a moment and analyzed it this way

The story about my mother is one that my grandmother never spoke of; I pieced it together later from the gossip of the nosy neighbors. More than a decade ago, my father was just a low-level civil servant who had recently passed the civil service exam. He had been in a relationship with my mother since their university days, but no matter how beautiful the promises were, they could not withstand reality. Ultimately, my father married Zhang Yalan, who came from a good family and could assist him in his career. At that time, my mother was already pregnant. In her sadness and anger, she left my father and refused to see him again, concealing the fact of her pregnancy, a concealment that lasted for fourteen years. My father ultimately married Zhang Yalan, who came from a good family and could assist him in his career. At that time, my mother was already pregnant. In her sadness and anger, she left my father and refused to see him again, concealing the fact of her pregnancy, a concealment that lasted for fourteen years.

The day after the verdict of Ming Qidong's trial was announced, Zhang Yalan took Mingyue to Vancouver. The immigration procedures had long been completed; given their position, Ming Qidong was merely being prudent. Had he not encountered trouble so soon, Mingmei would now also be holding a passport from Vancouver.

She sat on the sofa for a long time before deciding to call Nan Ge; she is a journalist and might have a way to help herself

It is exactly 3 PM in Vancouver, and she hears the pure English greeting from the other end of the bright moon.

Mingmei, Nan Ge pondered for a moment, and her expression suddenly became particularly serious. She reached out and held Mingmei's hand, saying, "Listen to me, the thing they are looking for may be related to your father's disappearance"

I also do not know, that person just told me to hand over the items, and said nothing else. Looking back now, I still feel scared; if I had not later encountered that perverted man, I do not know what the consequences would have been. Thinking of this, I brightly and fiercely cursed the ancestors of Fu Zicheng in my heart one by one.

As soon as the words fell, Nan Ge felt the fingers she was holding tremble slightly. Raising her gaze, she saw Ming Mei looking a bit dazed, a thin layer of mist covering her dark, bright eyes, as if her thoughts had drifted far, far away.

"Mingyue," Mingmei interrupted her, "I want to ask you something."

"Sister, I miss you very much," Mingyue said softly

After Nan Ge revealed her identity and intentions, Ming Mei furrowed her brows. The news of her father's early release was not widely known, so where did Nan Ge get her information? However, the focus at this moment was no longer on that, but rather on the whereabouts of her father

Mingmei twisted the telephone wire with her fingers, and despite the great distance, she seemed to see the surprise expression and faint disappointment on Mingyue's face as it suddenly faded. For a brief moment, her heart softened, but soon she regained her composure and spoke softly: "Has your mother returned to the country recently? Or has your father been in touch with you these past few days?"

In a manner akin to the saying "love the house and its crow," Mingmei, from the very first glance, took an instant dislike to Mingyue, who was two years her junior. Even when she later realized that Mingyue bore no resemblance to her shrewd and formidable stepmother, but was merely a simple, cheerful little girl who loved to laugh and act cute, and even went out of her way to be friendly towards her, Mingmei could only refuse. This was because, during their interactions, whether by coincidence or some other reason, Mingyue always seemed to attract various little mishaps, and it was invariably Mingmei who ended up being scolded. Eventually, she thought that perhaps the two of them were truly not fated to be sisters. Because during their interactions, whether by coincidence or some other reason, Mingyue always seemed to attract various little mishaps, and it was invariably Mingmei who ended up being scolded. Eventually, she thought that perhaps the two of them were truly not fated to be sisters.

The onset of all abnormalities began with the disappearance of my father, Mingqi Dong.

Let us call the police, " Nan Ge said finally

She recalled the last time she saw Mingyue, which was the day after her father's accident. The court officials had sealed everything in the house, and her stepmother, Zhang Yalan, sat on the sofa drinking in silence. Meanwhile, Mingyue was running around the house with the staff. Wherever the officials placed the seals, she would angrily tear them off and then extend her arms to protect those items, shouting loudly, "This is my piano! Get away! This is my sister's battleship model, you are not allowed to touch it!" The staff felt very awkward, and no matter how they tried to persuade her, it was of no use.

One night, Mingmei suddenly received a call from him in prison, saying he would be released early and arranged a time for her to pick him up, without saying anything else. Although she had doubts about his sudden release, she felt more joy, thinking she would finally see her father again, but unexpectedly, he went missing for no reason.

Upon exiting the police station, Mingmei said to Nange, "Thank you so much, Sister Nange." If she had previously doubted her motives because of her profession, at this moment, she was genuinely grateful to her. Perhaps it is the case that any small act of kindness and warmth can touch a person when they are feeling helpless, or perhaps it is simply a matter of affinity and feeling; although they had only met twice, Mingmei had already regarded Nange as a trustworthy friend with whom she could connect.

Returning to the city together, the two exchanged phone numbers at parting. When Nan Ge placed her business card in Ming Mei's hand, she said, "You can reach out to me if you need anything." Sensitive as she was, Nan Ge actually suspected that the situation might not be as simple as her analysis suggested.

Sister Nange, what do you think I should do

Mingmei turned around to get the medical kit, intending to bandage Mingyue's wound. However, Zhang Yalan, reeking of alcohol, raised her hand and slapped her hard, cursing fiercely, "You troublemaker!" The slap was heavy, and Mingmei's cheek immediately bore a red mark, her ears buzzing. Yet, she did not cry; she simply put down the medical kit and quietly returned to her room.

Mingmei gently shook her head, "I don't know them, but it seems like someone was watching me outside the school a few days ago. I just didn't pay much attention at the time. Oh, by the way, do you remember the incident a few days ago when my house was broken into? I suspect that it wasn't just a thief; they might be part of the same group. " She paused, as if hesitating about something, and looked up at Nange across from her. There was genuine concern on her face. Although they had not known each other for long, for some reason, Mingmei felt deep down that Nange was a trustworthy person. She hesitated for just a moment before slowly speaking: "Sister Nange, what are they looking for? They forced me to hand it over last night."

In the end, Mingmei walked over to pull her, but she clung tightly to the legs of the piano stand, refusing to let go. Mingmei tugged at her with all her strength, and in the struggle between the two, Mingyue's forehead collided with the piano stand, causing blood to flow down her cheek. She reached up to touch it and was so frightened that she began to cry. Since childhood, her heart had not been well, and with this crying and commotion, her face suddenly turned particularly pale and frightening. The few staff members could no longer insist on sealing the area and only allowed them to move away as quickly as possible.

Oh, then I will hang up. At that moment, Mingmei finally let go of the last shred of hope in her heart. It was only then that she was willing to believe that her father had truly gone missing

It is I, Mingmei. Mingmei tried to make her voice sound as calm as possible

Zhang Yalan does not like herself, or rather, she hates herself. Mingmei clearly knows this; she has known it since the year she was brought home by Ming Qidong when she was fourteen.

After that, Mingqi Dong never appeared. Mingmei contacted all the relatives and friends of her father that she could reach, but they all said they had not seen him.

"What are you looking for?" Nan Ge's expression turned serious

A month ago, on a certain day, Mingmei deliberately took a day off; it was an important day, the day Mingqidong was released from prison. Mingmei got up early to tidy up the house, paying special attention to the long-vacant bedroom. She laid a brand new duvet cover on the bed, which still carried a faint scent of fabric softener. In the bathroom, there were new towels and toothbrushes, and the refrigerator was filled with his favorite dishes. When she went out to change her shoes, she saw the new slippers quietly lying in the shoe cabinet, and her lips involuntarily curled up. She even went to get a new hairstyle and bought a portion of scallion mixed with tofu from Laomeiyuan Restaurant. However, on that day, there was a traffic accident on the road to the suburban prison, causing a long traffic jam. As a result, Mingmei arrived ten minutes late and waited another twenty minutes. More than half an hour had passed since the agreed time, yet she still did not see her father's figure. She ran to inquire, only to be told that Mingqidong had been released half an hour earlier.

As for herself, she is also filled with resentment towards her. If it were not for her, she would not have been born without a mother. If it were not for her, she would not have waited until the age of fourteen to discover that in addition to her grandmother, she had another relative in this world—her father

Wait a moment, sister

These are actually the two most easily conceivable possible outcomes, yet for some reason, her bright heart feels particularly uneasy. She sighed, "Perhaps so." She truly could not think of any other possibilities, or rather, she was unwilling to consider worse scenarios.

Mingmei has never seen her mother, as she died during childbirth

Mingmei wanted to say that it was fine, that she was okay, but her throat was choked with emotion, and she could not utter a single word, only shaking her head vigorously. It truly was fine; over the past year, his kindness towards her surpassed that of any father in this world. Although it carried a sense of compensation, the love and warmth were genuine. He filled the voids in her life, making her feel that kind of unconditional affection and care.

Nan Ge accompanied Ming Mei to the nearby police station, as she was a journalist and also considered a witness. The police quickly registered a missing persons case.

The sky outside gradually brightened, and large beams of sunlight streamed in. The brightness gently massaged her temples. She got up and splashed her face with cold water. Having not slept all night, dark circles began to form under her eyes. She patted her face heavily, tugged at the corners of her mouth in front of the mirror, forced out a smile, and reminded herself: Cheer up!

Nan Ge has a rather easy-going personality, and as a journalist, she excels at interacting with people. After greeting, she boldly sits beside Ming Mei, and the two girls engage in casual conversation. Ming Mei is preoccupied with worries about her father, and as they talk, she becomes distracted. So when the perceptive Nan Ge asks her, "What is your name? Um... perhaps you know Ming Qi Dong?" she merely responds with a "Mm" and only after a while does she realize, "How do you know my father?"

It turns out they were waiting for the same person, but due to traffic congestion on the road, none of them were able to wait for him

The mind is in disarray, memories surge forth like the tides in a dark night, coming in a chaotic rush

Finally, they arranged to meet at a small café near Mingmei's home. Nange inquired in detail about the content of the phone call with Mingqidong, and Mingmei thought carefully but could not find a single clue related to his disappearance.

I am a reporter from the Daily News Agency. Upon learning that Mr. Ming has been released from prison today, I specifically came to conduct an interview

There was approximately three seconds of silence

Mingmei hesitated for a moment before dialing the phone.