It was only in the evening that the Shao family learned Wen Yu had gone missing.
The reason was that the train attendant had received instructions from higher authorities to take special care of Wen Yu. But when they went to check on her, she was no longer in the carriage.
At first, they assumed she had gone to another carriage—after all, everyone needed to take care of basic needs. Apart from that, passengers would also go to designated carriages to fetch hot water or buy boxed meals, so no one paid much attention.
But by the time it was almost dark, she still hadn’t been seen. Only then did they realize something was wrong.
After asking around, they discovered she hadn’t been seen since midday. If she hadn’t gotten off midway, then something serious must have happened.
Better safe than sorry.
They immediately called their superiors.
The superiors then contacted Wen Yu’s father.
After several rounds of transfers, the call finally reached the Shao family.
At that moment, the family was having dinner. The one who answered the phone was Xu Wan.
After she clearly heard the contents of the call, her expression changed drastically.
Seeing her daughter-in-law’s face turn pale, Wang Xuemei couldn’t help asking, “Who was it? What happened?”
Xu Wan took a deep breath before speaking. “Wen Tongzhi has gone missing on the train. The police have already been notified, but there are no leads yet.”
“What did you say?”
Wang Xuemei’s hand shook and her bowl and chopsticks fell to the floor with a sharp crash.
“Wen Wen is missing? Didn’t Wen Ye see her board the train himself? How could a living person just disappear?” she asked in panic, firing question after question.
Xu Wan didn’t know how to answer—she had no details either.
Shao Wenye suddenly stood up and strode over in three quick steps, taking the receiver from Xu Wan. He asked the caller to repeat everything in detail.
The more he listened, the darker his expression became. Deep worry was hidden in his eyes.
Although Wen Yu was a little娇气 (delicate), she had her principles. If nothing unusual had happened, she would never have gotten off the train midway without telling anyone or leaving any trace.
They had only known each other for a short time, yet Shao Wenye had an inexplicable intuition—Wen Yu was not the type to act irrationally or make people worry for no reason.
He hung up the phone with a sharp click.
“I’m going to find her.”
“Where are you going to look?” Wang Xuemei hurriedly asked.
“The train station first.”
Without another word, he grabbed the car keys and left.
At that moment, Shao Wenye’s heart was far from calm. In the end, Wen Yu’s decision to return to Shanghai had been largely influenced by him.
She was just a young girl who had cried so much just from being bitten once—she must be terrified now.
Was she crying again?
His brows furrowed tightly.
He had always thought Wen Yu was a bit娇气, and he believed sending her back to Shanghai was the best choice—but he had never intended for her to come to harm.
He started the car at full speed and drove off.
Wen Yu had taken the morning train, and now it was already night. No one dared to imagine what could have happened in between.
Especially since she was beautiful—if someone had evil intentions, the possibilities were terrifying just to think about.
“If something happens to Wen Wen, how are we going to explain this to Old Wen?” Wang Xuemei’s voice trembled.
Shao Kai immediately stood up. “I’ll contact people right away and expand the search. No matter how much manpower or resources it takes, we must find Wen Wen.”
Wang Xuemei sat frozen in place, unsure of what to do. If she had known this would happen, she would have personally escorted Wen Yu back to Shanghai.
Maybe from the very beginning, Wen Yu should never have come to the southwest.
She had already suffered so much injustice, and now she was in danger.
The Shao family owed her too much—more than they could ever repay in this lifetime.
The entire household was shrouded in gloom.
“Mom, I want to eat buns.” A child’s voice suddenly broke the silence.
Xu Wan was already full of self-blame. If Wen Yu really came to harm, she might never be able to face anyone again.
Now hearing the child’s voice, frustration flared up instantly. She slapped the child’s hand twice. “Is there no food for you at home? Wen Auntie is missing and you’re still thinking about eating?”
Shao Rong burst into loud tears. “I want to eat! I want to eat!”
“I want Auntie gone! I don’t like her!”
“She got so much food this morning!”
The situation only became more chaotic.
If it were usual, Wang Xuemei would have already coaxed him with food or toys—but now she had no patience left.
“Wanwan, feed him first. He’s still small and can’t go hungry,” she said tiredly.
Xu Wan nodded quickly. “Mom, you should eat too. Wen Ye is very capable—he will definitely find Wen Tongzhi.”
“Let’s hope so…”
Wang Xuemei sighed and lost all appetite, staying by the phone in case there was any update.
Xu Wan lowered her eyes. She knew her mother-in-law already had grievances against her.
Was she truly just an outsider in the Shao family now, as her father had once said?
Meanwhile, Shao Wenye drove at maximum speed.
His heart was filled only with regret.
No matter the reason, since he had decided to marry Wen Yu, he should have respected her properly.
He shouldn’t have left her at the wedding without explanation.
He shouldn’t have let her return to Shanghai alone after suffering humiliation.
If anything had happened to her, he would never forgive himself.
His face was ice-cold as he pressed the accelerator all the way down.
Wen Yu.
Wait for me.