Captain Lu was aloof again today.

Chapter 30 Missing
The sky, which had just cleared up, quickly turned gloomy again, with dark clouds covering the entire city.

The gloomy sky resembled the gaping maw of a giant beast, filling people with dread and unease, as if they would be swallowed up at any moment.

Lu Jingming remained silent, his cold and lonely figure somewhat out of place amidst the bustling street scene around him.

His silence was unsettling for no reason.

Wei Qingsong hesitated for a moment, then couldn't help but break the silence: "How is Jing Huan's hand now?"

Back then, Lu Jinghuan's hand was seriously injured, and the young girl was most afraid of pain, so Wei Qingsong made a promise with her that she would accompany Lu Jinghuan to have surgery after the National Day holiday.

At that time, Lu Jinghuan trusted her a lot because he loved her so much.

But she still broke her promise.

Judging from Lu Jingming's words, her hand... seemed to be in bad shape.

Lu Jingming remained silent for a long time before saying, "Although it took a while, the surgery was very successful, and she has no problem with daily activities. It's just that she can no longer paint."

Wei Qingsong looked slightly taken aback, his eyes filled with remorse.

The inability to paint was a devastating blow to Lu Jinghuan.

What's more, at that time, there were less than three months left before the art exams, and the much-anticipated genius oil painting girl lost her chance to pursue her dream forever.

No wonder Lu Jinghuan resented her so much.

If it were her, she probably wouldn't be able to let it go either.

Six years is enough time to change too many things. As time passed, she tried to find her original state of mind, but the damage had already been done and could not be undone.

As if sensing her thoughts, Lu Jingming frowned slightly and said calmly, "Her injury was an accident, it's not your fault."

He had long understood the truth, but over the years, because of her departure, it seemed that all the tragedies stemmed from her.

He could complain about Wei Qingsong's sudden departure, but if he also blamed Lu Jinghuan's hand injury on her, that would be clearly misplaced anger.

How many times has he taken his anger out on Wei Qingsong over the years?
He forbade anyone to mention Wei Qingsong's name, and refused to set foot in any places they had been together. He avoided all the colors she liked and the foods she loved to eat.

I thought this would make things a little better.

However not.

In those agonizing midnight dreams, longing surges like an unstoppable torrent.

In the first few years, he searched everywhere for her whereabouts, and he was always on tenterhooks whenever there was a report of unidentified remains.

When the person he had been searching for for years suddenly appeared, he should have been filled with anger. However, all his resentment vanished when he saw how depressed she had become, replaced by a strange and bittersweet feeling.

He admitted that he missed Wei Qingsong terribly; it was an uncontrollable longing.

The moment I saw her again, I could hardly contain the joy in my heart.

The person I've been missing so much has really come back.

Lu Jingming had witnessed all the changes in Wei Qingsong during her time back in China.

Although she still approached him without a care in the world, laughing more heartily than anyone else, he knew her so well and had seen her at her most passionate and beautiful. How could he not see the weariness and bitterness in her smile?
He should blame her, hate her, push her away, and reject her.

But he couldn't do it.

Six years have passed; it seems like everything has changed, yet nothing has changed at all.

If he could truly let go, he wouldn't feel jealousy or pain when he saw Wei Qingsong entangled with that man at the city bureau entrance and heard those ambiguous words from that man's mouth.

From that moment on, Lu Jingming realized that he was already trapped and could no longer extricate himself.

He can't let go of Wei Qingsong, and Wei Qingsong, don't even think about letting him go.

Lu Jingming's eyes were deep and unfathomable, like a deep pool or an ancient well. Wei Qingsong looked up and met those unfathomable eyes, but she couldn't read his emotions.

Even in his youth, Lu Jingming was an unpredictable person, and with the passage of time, his thoughts have become even more elusive.

After a long silence, Wei Qingsong smiled and said in a relaxed tone, "Even if what you say is true, today is Jinghuan's birthday. You should go back and coax her. She won't really be angry with you."

Although Lu Jingming was not close to his father, he had a deep affection for his half-sister.

Lu Jinghuan is stubborn and doesn't listen to anyone, but Lu Jingming is the only one who can control her.

Hearing her dismissive words, Lu Jingming frowned slightly in displeasure, but quickly relaxed his brow.

"No need, someone will coax her, why should I steal her chance to shine?"

Wei Qingsong suddenly realized: "Oh...you want to give Mr. Duan and Jing Huan some alone time?"

Lu Jingming responded calmly, which was taken as an admission.

Wei Qingsong was even more surprised.

This doesn't seem like something Lu Jingming would do, after all, he's always been so clueless about romance.

Taking in her expression, Lu Jingming gave a low humph: "Any objections?"

"No, no, how could that be?" Wei Qingsong smiled innocently, then asked curiously, "What does that Mr. Duan do? Is he nice to Jing Huan?"

She could probably guess that the high-end KTV and VIP rooms were probably Duan Wenlan's doing.

Previously in the private room, all her attention was focused on Lu Jinghuan, and she didn't pay much attention to Duan Wenlan. Only after Lu Jingming mentioned it did she begin to think back carefully.

Duan Wenlan was not particularly handsome, but he possessed a sunny and warm demeanor. He was well-dressed, polite, and appeared to be a successful person.

"Why are you asking him?" Lu Jingming's gaze darkened slightly, his tone carrying a hint of jealousy that he himself barely noticed.

Wei Qingsong gave him a strange look: "Isn't this because I care about Jing Huan's lifelong happiness?"

Back then, she and Lu Jinghuan were so close that they could share a blanket.

The two lay in bed, chatting endlessly about topics that seemed to come from nowhere, and were still full of energy well into the middle of the night.

At that time, Lu Jinghuan always mischievously called her "little sister-in-law".

"Sister-in-law, do you think I'll ever meet someone like my brother in the future—someone who's outstanding, handsome, and only good to me?"

"Of course, with Jing Huan's excellent qualities, there are definitely outstanding men lining up for you to choose from."

"Tch, you're just giving me a perfunctory answer. How many men like my brother are there in this world?"

Back then, we joked and laughed, still holding onto beautiful hopes for the world.

Who could have imagined that things would change so drastically one day?
Lu Jingming's cold voice interrupted her recollection.

“Jing Huan is already 24 years old, we don’t need to worry about her.”

"That's true, but I'm just really curious."

Only after Wei Qingsong finished speaking did he belatedly realize...

What did he just say?

us?

Two simple words, perhaps just Lu Jingming's unintentional remark, yet they rippled through Wei Qingsong's heart.

She looked up to observe Lu Jingming's expression, but his face remained as cold and indifferent as ever, revealing no clue whatsoever.

(End of this chapter)