False evidence

Chapter 42 The Missing Lover

"What are you saying? Why are you crying?" Meng Chao and I looked at each other in bewilderment.

We all found it strange. Back when we were freshmen, the four of us in the same dorm had drunk together before. Gu Haitao just liked to talk nonsense when he was drunk, but his alcohol tolerance wasn't that bad.

I shook Gu Haitao's shoulder. "Hey, Tao-ge, watch your image. We're out here. A man doesn't cry easily. Let's not cry. What's bothering you? Tell your buddy."

Gu Haitao raised his head, his face and neck flushed red. He wiped away his tears and suddenly slapped himself hard across the face.

Meng Chao frowned: "This guy's really drunk and acting crazy!"

Gu Haitao shook his head: "I'm not drunk, I just feel like I'm a fucking bastard."

He grabbed my hand, his eyes red, and said, "Sanqi, I'm so sorry. To tell you the truth... my parents told me to give you five thousand, but I kept two thousand... I know I'm a scoundrel, but I really had no choice. You all know I'm not like you two, I... I have a girlfriend..."

Meng Chao and I suddenly realized what was going on, and we both pursed our lips.

The moment I reached into my pocket, Gu Haitao grabbed me and exclaimed excitedly:

"Stop yelling at me! I've already been a terrible person! If you dare to give me back this money, I'll jump off a building and die!"

Helpless, I could only comfort him, saying, "Brother Tao, you're overthinking it. We know you have a girlfriend. These days, everything costs money, especially something this big. Don't worry about it. I'll take the three thousand, and consider the other two thousand as my contribution to Mengniu, like an investment!"

Meng Chao rolled his eyes and whispered to me, "You're still as mean as ever. What are you doing investing in someone else's girlfriend?"

I had lost my appetite and was about to send a WeChat message to Liping when Gu Haitao suddenly picked up his wine glass and said to Meng Chao and me:
"Sanqi, Mengniu, aren't we brothers?"

Meng Chao was usually a straightforward person who wouldn't mince words, but seeing this grown man with red eyes asking such a question, he could only vaguely reply, "Of course."

"Cheers!"

Meng Chao and I both finished our drinks. I had just sent a WeChat message to Li Ping when I heard Gu Haitao say:

"Hey guys, can you do me a favor?"

I casually replied, "Go ahead."

Gu Haitao became serious: "Xiaoyu is missing. It just so happens to be the weekend, so I'd like you two to come with me to look for her."

Meng Chao and I both frowned.

Xiaoyu is the girlfriend Gu Haitao mentioned. I forgot her full name, but I know she goes to a nearby vocational school.

Meng Chao and I met this woman once, and our first impressions of her weren't good. Putting aside her looks, we felt she was the kind of woman who was particularly prone to causing trouble.

A girl in her early twenties, dressed in a flamboyant and outrageous way, wearing clothes of various prices mixed together, yet insisting on carrying a Louis Vuitton handbag and dressed in a flamboyant manner... No one would have a good impression of such a girl.

I originally wanted to cancel the matter on the spot, but I couldn't resist Gu Haitao's repeated requests.

I really regretted taking his money earlier, and with no other choice, I had to ask him what he wanted to do.

Upon hearing that there was a chance, Gu Haitao immediately perked up and said that he and Xiaoyu had lost contact over the weekend.

During their last phone call, Xiaoyu said she was going to have a party at a resort with her classmates (small parties, which have become popular in recent years, are mostly held in rented villas).

After that, Xiaoyu disappeared without a trace; she couldn't be reached by phone or reply to WeChat messages.

Meng Chao and I both realized that this didn't seem like a disappearance, but more like 'playing hide-and-seek'.

Gu Haitao patted his chest and said, "I know what you're thinking. I just need you two to come with me, and I'll cover all the expenses!"

Just then, Li Ping arrived, so I casually agreed.

I assumed that Gu Haitao wasn't really drunk and was just momentarily confused by anger, and that he would stop mentioning it to anyone after he sobered up.

But to my surprise, he actually showed up at my door early the next morning after I got back to my place. Meng Chao winked at me mischievously: "Hurry up, pack a couple of clothes and go with Brother Tao to clear his head."

I didn't expect Gu Haitao to actually come. Before I could say anything, he surprisingly said to me very seriously, "Sanqi, just consider it as coming with me for a couple of days."

I shook my head inwardly, but we still went out together in the end.

I never liked that girl named Xiaoyu.

A vain woman dumps a veterinarian who also didn't graduate; there's no need for a reason.

The main problem is that I accepted 3,000 yuan from Gu Haitao, and I can't return it, nor can I afford to break off relations, so I can only let him be.

The resort that Gu Haitao mentioned is actually a guesthouse in the mountains between two cities, more like a farmhouse inn.

It was early autumn, and as the car drove along the winding mountain road shaded by lush greenery, feeling the mountain breeze flowing into the car, I began to feel that this trip had been worthwhile.

I was driving and enjoying the scenery when suddenly, with a loud mechanical roar, a white car sped past me.

"Damn! This trip was definitely worth it!" Meng Chao exclaimed dramatically.

I snapped out of my daze: "What happened?"

"The driver is a beautiful woman!"

"You can see this?"

"Tsk, definitely, a white Wrangler, and look, the driver is a woman!"

I scoffed: "Does a woman who drives a nice car automatically become beautiful?"

Meng Chao retorted, "A woman driving a nice car isn't necessarily a beautiful woman, but if the car is heavily modified and the woman driving it is definitely got personality. She's my type!"

I laughed and said, "So what if I am? Three veterinarians driving a beat-up Jetta, you think you can pick up rich ladies?"

One sentence was enough to make all three people in the car burst into laughter.

Upon arriving at their destination, Meng Chao became excited again: "Hey, look! That's the car that just passed us!"

I glanced at the white SUV he was pointing to, but my mind wasn't on it; I was actually quite grateful to Gu Haitao.

When I first entered university, I was full of curiosity about everything, but in the following two years, reality completely stifled my vitality. Apart from attending classes, I was always working.

Thanks to Gu Haitao's insistence, I was able to experience a landscape completely different from that in the north for the first time.

Meng Chao was quickly drawn to the beautiful scenery and pointed to a winding mountain stream that resembled a small waterfall, saying:

"It's a good thing we came at this time. If no one was watching, we would definitely go down and play in the water. Maybe we could even catch a big fish."

Gu Haitao just looked around, as if he really was looking for someone.

Looking at his expression, a thought suddenly popped into my head—could this kid be hiding something from us?

The resort's prices aren't too expensive, but it's also a bit out of the way, probably the kind of place locals don't come to, relying mainly on tour groups for its livelihood.

Perhaps we arrived a bit early; after completing the formalities, we didn't see any other guests until we reached the dining hall.

Upon entering the dining room, not only Meng Chao and I, but also Gu Haitao were immediately struck by the sight.

The dining room was huge, with more than a dozen tables, but only one table was occupied.

And this person, judging from her back view, was unmistakably a beautiful woman…

(End of this chapter)