Chapter 182: Chapter 182

Ji Baby stared at him for a long time, then reached out a small hand from under the covers to hug Ji Rui’s neck, and said with a sob. "Daddy, Sister is like Mommy, doesn’t want Baby anymore?"

Ji Rui’s hand froze for a moment as it patted Baby’s back, his brows slightly furrowed, "Nonsense, she won’t!" Ji Rui’s tone was resolute, but in his heart, he wasn’t sure.

Baby lifted his head, his tearful eyes looked at Ji Rui blankly.

She? Who is she referring to?

Is she talking about Mommy or Sister?

The next words from Ji Rui cleared the doubts in Baby’s heart.

"Sister will come back, Baby, be good and sleep!" Ji Rui reassured both Baby and himself, lowered his head, and gently kissed Baby’s forehead.

When he wrote that contract, perhaps it was impulsive, but after days of torment and his precious son’s crying, that impulse became urgent.

"Really? Did Sister say when she would come back?" Baby lifted his eyelids, with a few glistening tears still hanging on his long lashes.

Ji Baby wasn’t an easy child to fool. During these few days, Daddy kept trying to trick him, but he wasn’t unaware. However, he was still a child, with limited abilities, couldn’t mobilize relationships as big as Daddy’s, so he could only use this method of wearisome persistence to pester Daddy, hoping he would quickly find Sister back.

Ji Rui was silent for a while. He couldn’t tell his precious son about Le Tong’s exact return date because, just like his son, he also wanted to know when Le Tong would return.

However, analyzing the current situation, the chance that Le Tong would voluntarily return was very slim.

Initially, Ji Rui still held hope for that cash check. Thus, he informed all the banks that as soon as the check was cashed, they should inform him immediately.

But so many days had passed, and there was no movement from the bank.

Moreover, not only had that check not shown any movement, but even all of Le Tong’s account funds hadn’t budged, except for the withdrawal of twenty thousand cash on the fourth day, probably the day she left R City. Her account had shown no signs of movement.

Twenty thousand yuan, if in the city near R City, shouldn’t last long. Once the money runs out, she would expose traces.

The person in charge of the investigation is indeed the best private detective in the country, but without clues, even the best detective can only follow the vine to find the melon. Le Tong, who knows what method she used, seemed to have vanished into thin air suddenly, with no trace found from planes to bullet trains to buses and even taxi companies. Official source is novel·fiɾe·net

"Daddy, did Sister say anything?" Ji Baby, in his arms, shook him by grabbing the clothes on his chest.

Ji Rui pursed his lips, picked up Baby, tucked him back into the covers silently, helped him tuck in the corners, and then touched Baby’s soft face.

"Hmm, she said she’d come back when she’s done with things!"

Such an answer, for both father and son, was better than nothing.

Ji Baby seemed not too convinced by Ji Rui’s words, stared half-heartedly at Ji Rui’s face for quite a while, eventually succumbing to the overwhelming sleepiness, after his eyelids have drooped several times, finally tugging at Ji Rui’s clothes, he fell asleep.

Ji Rui sighed silently, gently pried open his hand, got up, and went into the bathroom.

After taking a bath, the phone on the coffee table blinked because he was afraid of disturbing Baby’s sleep; he specifically set the phone to silent mode after returning.

Ji Rui thought it was a call from the person in charge of the investigation, but when he picked it up, it was a call from Yang Sheng.

Ji Rui glanced at Baby sleeping soundly on the bed, picked up the phone, walked out, and called back from beside the bar.

"Yang Sheng, it’s so late; what’s up?"

Ji Rui asked, sitting on a high stool at the bar, casually pouring himself a glass of wine.

Yang Sheng had been abroad fighting a tactical battle with the old man during this period, but the old man, indeed an old fox, Yang Sheng had been dealing with him for over half a month and thus far hadn’t found any solid evidence to show those matters were related to the old man.

Yang Sheng looking for him was probably related to the old man’s business.

"Rui, what’s wrong with Tongtong? Why is her phone always off?"

Surprisingly, Yang Sheng didn’t mention anything related to the old man, and immediately brought up Le Tong’s matter upon speaking.

Ji Rui had barely managed to set aside Le Tong’s matters after taking a hot bath, but now, hearing Yang Sheng’s inquiry, he couldn’t help but frown.

Ji Rui said blatantly, though the truth of Le Tong’s situation, apart from Le Tong herself, also only he, Ji Rui, knew.

"Don’t know? Lin Ling said Tongtong hasn’t returned to the company for over a week, you’re her direct superior, how come you don’t know what’s wrong with her?"

Yang Sheng had always been casual with Ji Rui, but the casualness had limits. Generally speaking, he would use a teasing tone to joke around with Ji Rui, but speaking with Ji Rui in a questioning tone like now was very rare.

Obviously, he wasn’t as easy to fool as Ji Baby. Although he didn’t know exactly what happened to Le Tong these days, he intuitively felt this matter was related to Ji Rui.

"Yang Sheng, you’re ridiculous! I’m just her superior, not her man, how would I know what’s wrong with her?" Ji Rui’s tone was extremely displeased, full of resentment, finished speaking, he tilted the glass and took a big sip of wine.

The resentment in his heart had been pent up for so many days, unable to release. Now Yang Sheng happened to bump into the barrel; his chest was like a dam whose floodgate had been opened, the resentment rushing towards Yang Sheng with the momentum of a flood.

Yang Sheng seemed to be stunned for a moment, silent for several seconds before speaking, "You’re not her man, but she’s your secretary, she hasn’t been to work for so many days, would you not know the reason?"

Listening to Yang Sheng’s questioning, Ji Rui’s gaze was fixed tightly on the brown liquor in the glass.

The reason, he naturally knew better than anyone, but this reason, Ji Rui didn’t want to tell anyone, especially if that person was Yang Sheng.

Ji Rui could only answer this way.

"Reason for leave?" Tonight, Yang Sheng seemed determined to pick a fight with him, biting down on Ji Rui with a resolve, seemingly unwilling to rest until he got a reason.

"Enough! Yang Sheng, what is Le Tong to you? Her phone being off is none of your business? Her leave is none of your business? Why she took leave is none of your business? You’re so concerned about her, go find her yourself and ask her enough! Don’t ask me!"

Ji Rui irritably shouted, at first angry with Le Tong, now angry with Yang Sheng, and even somewhat jealous of Yang Sheng.

Tongtong, Tongtong, what kind of magic potion did that woman give Yang Sheng? Even when he’s thousands of kilometers away, he still doesn’t forget to call her to show concern and stand up for her?!

Being yelled at by him, Yang Sheng also fell silent for a while, probably contemplating Ji Rui’s thoughts.

"Rui, are you jealous?"

[First installment delivered, it’s Christmas Eve tonight, ladies, don’t stay home reading novels, go out with friends or loved ones, kisses, Merry Christmas Eve!]