Quick Transmigration: The Control Group in Sweet Novels

She's the aunt from next door.

Seeing Qi Yang come out of the office, the aunt said anxiously, "Oh dear, your mother said you came to pick up the child, and you really are here! You should go back quickly. On my way here, I heard your mother say that your sister is missing, and your father is searching the whole village for her!"

Qi Yang's expression tightened. "Auntie, when did this happen?"

"Just now," the neighbor said with a sigh, "your dad's face was terrifyingly dark. He was cursing all the way home. You'd better go back and check on him."

Qi Yang instantly pictured Qi Rongguang's domineering face. Now that Qi Jing was missing again, he was probably going crazy.

Before Qi Yang could think, she lifted her foot to rush out, but the next moment, she was gently grabbed by a strong force.

Lin Huaixu's warm palm pulled her back.

The young man's expression was unusually serious, but he reassured her, "Don't panic. You need to stay calm, especially in situations like this, or you'll only make things worse."

Qi Yang subconsciously looked at him, and the man's eyes held a sense of security that made people unable to help but trust him.

Lin Huaixu gently comforted her, "Your sister will definitely be alright. Calm down, I'll go with you to look for her."

"No." Qi Yang shook her head, looked up at him, and said somewhat helplessly, "Teacher Lin, An'an and the others are still at school. If I go back now, I won't be able to take care of them. Could you please look after them for me for a while..."

Her face showed some panic. Lin Huaixu pursed his lips, then slowly released his hand, saying worriedly, "Don't worry."

"But you must prioritize your own safety first." Lin Huaixu gazed intently at her small face. "Only then will you have the energy to go find your sister."

Qi Yang nodded, looked deeply into his face, and said, "I understand. Thank you, Teacher Lin."

After saying that, before Lin Huaixu could say anything more, she turned and ran out of the school. The young man opened his mouth, watched the girl's figure rushing away, and then silently closed his mouth again.

...

Qi Yang practically ran all the way home. She was panting heavily, but the more tired she was, the clearer her mind became.

Qi Jing might have already boarded the train by now, and Qi Rongguang wouldn't be able to find her no matter how hard he looked. The anxiety in his heart lingered, fearing that something might go wrong.

When she arrived at her doorstep, her face showed just the right amount of urgency. Only Dong Yuehua's low sobs could be heard from the yard, making one's heart feel heavy.

Hearing hurried footsteps, Dong Yuehua suddenly looked up and saw that it was Qi Yang who had returned. Her expression showed disappointment for a moment.

She rushed over and grabbed Qi Yang's arm, asking urgently, "Where's your sister? Is she with you?"

Qi Yang shook her head blankly, "I don't know, Mom. I went to pick up An'an and the others from school this afternoon. My sister wasn't with me."

Dong Yuehua's face paled even more. "Before you left, was your sister still home?"

Qi Yang's expression remained unchanged as she lied, "Yes, I made lunch for my sister and watched her finish it. Then she said she wanted to take a nap, so I went out."

After she finished speaking, she asked in surprise, "Mom, I just heard Auntie say that my sister is missing?"

Dong Yuehua became increasingly flustered by her words, nodding repeatedly with anxiety. "Then it seems your sister left while you were out. She can't have gone far yet. Where could a young girl like her go?"

"Your sister is really something. Now look what's happened. Your dad is furious when he finds out. He grabbed a stick and went out to find her, determined to get her back. Why is your sister so stubborn? It's so dangerous for a little girl to run around like that."

Qi Yang lowered her eyes, deliberately looking worried, "I think my sister is just having a moment of weakness and went out to clear her head. Maybe she'll come back on her own tonight after she's had her fill of fun. It's not a big deal. Why is my dad making such a fuss, even with a stick?"

"You don't understand." Dong Yuehua sighed heavily. "I'm just afraid she'll get stuck in a rut, that she's too fragile, and that if she runs away alone, she might do something drastic and cause an accident. I can't rest easy about that."

Qi Yang stood quietly in place, watching her raise her hand to wipe away her tears, and had no choice but to shut up.

She knew that Dong Yuehua was also worried about her daughter's safety, fearing that Qi Jing might do something foolish.

Unfortunately, what Qi Yang silently prayed for was that Qi Rongguang would go home alone.

Not long after Qi Yang got home, Dong Yuehua instructed him to go out and look for Qi Jing's whereabouts.

Fearing that she might notice something, Qi Yang had no choice but to agree. She pretended to search around the village for a while, and only ran back when the night was almost dark.

Before even entering the door, I could hear Qi Rongguang's loud voice.

"It's better if he's dead; it would be best if he never sets foot in my house again!"

Qi Yang ran into the courtyard, glanced around, and saw no one else besides Dong Yuehua and Qi Rongguang. She finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Qi Rongguang's face was clouded with gloom, a cheap cigarette was between his fingers, and the pungent smell of smoke filled the whole room, making people's throats feel tight.

When Dong Yuehua saw Qi Yang return, a glimmer of hope flickered in her eyes. "How's Yangyang? Did you find your sister?"

Qi Yang met her hopeful gaze and silently shook her head.

The light in Dong Yuehua's eyes died again. She sat back down, dejected, muttering to herself, "How could it have turned out like this? I hope this child isn't really thinking of doing something rash, running off somewhere alone..."

She dared not say anything more, fearing that her words might come true.

Hearing this, Qi Rongguang scoffed mockingly, threw his cigarette butt on the ground, and ground it with the sole of his shoe. "She better really have the guts!"

He was both angry and anxious, not because he was worried about his daughter, but because he was troubled by how to explain things to the Miao family.

The Miao people come every day demanding the person's return. If he doesn't give the person the person, they'll have to return the betrothal money. He used that money to gamble and lost a lot. Where is he going to get the money to return it?

Qi Rongguang grew angrier the more he thought about it, and cursed, "You ungrateful wretch! If you have the guts, never come back. If you do, I'll break your legs!"

Dong Yuehua trembled all over, not daring to refute, and could only lower her head and silently wipe away her tears.

Qi Yang took in the whole farce. She looked away, the pungent smell of tobacco still lingering in her nostrils, and a sense of calm settled over her.

No matter how harshly you scold someone, it's all in vain.

At this moment, Dong Yuehua suddenly remembered something, stopped crying, looked at Qi Yang, and asked curiously, "Yangyang, where are your younger brother and sister?"

Qi Yang snapped out of her daze and said, "I heard my sister went missing, so I rushed back without taking them with me. In my haste, I left them with Teacher Lin."

Dong Yuehua realized that she should close her mouth and calm herself down before saying in a hoarse voice, "Honey, why don't we go up the mountain again tomorrow to look for her? Maybe Jingjing is hiding there."