Chapter 438: Chapter 438

"Okay." Shen Bin’s voice was filled with indulgence.

Only then did Ye Ling’s anger subside. It was almost eleven or twelve o’clock by her calculations. The two of them finally went to sleep. Early the next morning, as soon as the person next to her moved, Ye Ling woke up. She instinctively glanced towards the edge of the bed but didn’t see Shen Chun. The quilt was neatly folded, but the person was gone, causing Ye Ling’s brow to furrow. Listening carefully, there was no noise from the kitchen either.

"Where’s Chun’er?" Ye Ling looked at the already dressed Shen Bin.

Shen Bin looked up, "I saw her get up at dawn. She said she was going to make breakfast."

"There’s no movement in the outer room. How long has she been gone?" Thinking of last night’s events, Ye Ling had a bad premonition.

Shen Bin’s expression tightened. He got off the bed, put on his shoes, and strode out of the room. Ye Ling quickly dressed inside as well. By the time she folded the quilt and got off the bed, Shen Bin had returned, his face cold. He shook his head at the gaze Ye Ling directed at him.

Ye Ling’s heart sank at that moment, and she spoke out angrily, "Shen Bin, I’m telling you, once we find her this time, you can arrange things however you want. I’m not dealing with this anymore. It’s not that I can’t tolerate people, but I can’t stand your sister any longer. Just take last night, who stares directly at their brother and sister-in-law while they’re sleeping? When I looked over, a pair of bright eyes was staring, it almost scared me out of my wits. And now, great, she doesn’t even know she’s in the wrong and she’s left again."

As Ye Ling spoke of these things, she also decided not to hide it anymore, "I don’t even know what her issue with me is. Do you think I haven’t been good enough to her? Like that time she went to help in the kitchen and didn’t eat lunch. I gave her my boxed meal. But when I came back that evening to find my lunch box, guess what I saw? I heard a noise under the bed, and when I looked down, she had dumped the food I gave her for the rats. You tell me, I starved all day to give her my meal, and she treats me , isn’t she holding a grudge against me?"

While talking about last night’s events, Shen Bin’s face had already turned somber. Hearing the story about the food made his face even darker, and it took him a long while to speak, "I have to follow the vehicle back to the mountains today. I’ll explain it there first, and once we find her, just keep a close eye on her. After I finish this round of training, we’ll send her away."

Ye Ling wasn’t being unreasonable; sending her away was the outcome she wanted. Now that Shen Bin had duties to attend to, she understood and softened her tone, "You go ahead and do your thing. I’ll handle looking for her, and once she’s found, I’ll send you news."

Shen Bin nodded. Ye Ling saw him out the door. They didn’t bother with breakfast. The couple each went their own way—one handling supplies, the other searching for the person. Shen Bin’s supplies had been packed the night before, and as dawn broke, he hitched a ride. Ye Ling headed to the company to look for her, also inquiring among the morning shift staff. She heard that one employee hadn’t returned for their shift change, bringing Ye Ling some relief. But with such a large person suddenly gone, it was impossible for the families not to be alarmed.

When Ye Ling got home, she saw Wang Ping waiting outside. Upon seeing Ye Ling return, he quickly approached, "Is it because of what happened last night?"

Ye Ling shook her head, "It’s not about that. Last night, my Shen Bin spoke to her about something. This child grew up in the countryside, always feeling like a burden to us. And after being spoken to, she decided she wanted to leave."

Wang Ping breathed a sigh of relief, "That’s good, but this child is so thoughtless. In this heavy snow, if she gets lost in the mountains, what then? What would we do then?"

Ye Ling also feared this, but didn’t know what to say, so she could only comfort, "Don’t worry, a soldier didn’t come back either. I guess they’re together, and it won’t be long before they return."

Wang Ping couldn’t say much more, not wanting to upset Ye Ling. After offering a few more comforting words, he left. On the other hand, Li Hua came from home with porridge and steamed buns for Ye Ling, "Focusing so much on finding someone, you haven’t had breakfast, have you? Eat first; finding her won’t bring her back quicker."

Ye Ling thanked her and invited Li Hua inside. Although she had no appetite, as soon as the food touched her lips, her appetite returned, and she finished the porridge and buns. Li Hua, seeing this, was relieved, "I think that Shen Chun kid is too reserved, just too burdened with thoughts. I noticed she was close to Wang Ping, thinking Wang Ping loves to talk and might be able to guide her. But who would have thought it still wouldn’t help."

Li Hua usually wasn’t very talkative, but she was sincere, and Ye Ling liked interacting with her. During holidays, they would sit and chat together. Li Hua had a three-year-old child, and whenever she visited anyone’s home, she never brought the child. The child was well-behaved and would play alone at home, so Li Hua felt comfortable leaving the child by themselves.