Shen Qingqing and Fu Jingshu were dressed in dazzling, expensive attire, making them stand out starkly against the people and environment.
Shen Qingqing frowned slightly and glanced towards the security booth, only to find it empty. She wished she could ask someone.
After they stood there for a while, a passing elderly woman approached them curiously. "What brings you two here?"
The woman could tell they weren't from around here. They were so good-looking, and their clothes were from brands she didn't recognize but clearly expensive. They were obviously from a wealthy family.
The woman sighed. "I must say, this is not a place you should be."
"Why do you say that?"
Shen Qingqing surveyed their surroundings. It was a bit messy and dirty, but was there some hidden secret?
The woman looked at her, her words caught in her throat.
Shen Qingqing glanced at herself and chuckled. "Auntie, we have something to do here."
"What is it?"
Seeing the woman's enthusiastic demeanor, Shen Qingqing had an idea. She used the excuse of not being able to speak conveniently and suggested finding a quieter place.
To her surprise, the enthusiastic woman immediately offered,
"You can come to my place."
Shen Qingqing raised an eyebrow. It suited her perfectly, so she didn't refuse.
The woman's home was in a nearby building, on the ground floor. The apartment wasn't large, a two-bedroom, one-living-room setup, but it was neat and cozy.
The woman invited them in, poured them water, and chattered away.
"I live here with my grandson. My son and daughter-in-law are long gone. It's just been the two of us, relying on each other, and we've gotten by all these years."
Shen Qingqing retracted her gaze from the family photo on the table and accepted the glass of water. "Thank you, Auntie."
The woman noticed Shen Qingqing's left hand, which was in a cast and slung around her neck. She asked again, "How did your hand get injured? It must have been very painful!"
Shen Qingqing smiled without answering.
The woman was tactful and didn't pry further.
Shen Qingqing took a sip of the plain water, which had no taste but was refreshingly sweet. "Auntie, I'd like to ask you something. Do you know everyone in this complex?"
"Pretty much. I've lived here for many years."
This made things easier.
Shen Qingqing politely asked, "Do you know a young man named An Qi who lives here?"
"An Qi? Yes, I do," the woman said, sitting on the sofa opposite them. "He's a handsome boy with a good personality. He's always been a well-liked young man in our neighborhood."
"Where did he go recently?"
"I don't know," the woman said, sounding puzzled. "About a month ago, the boy suddenly disappeared. We searched for him for a long time but couldn't find him. His phone was also unreachable. Just when we were about to report him missing, we saw a 'For Rent' sign on his door, and only then did we realize he had gone back to his hometown."
"You just knew he went back to his hometown from the rental sign?"
Shen Qingqing found this highly suspicious.
The woman nodded. "Actually, we didn't know for sure. The number left on it was his brother's. We called him, and he told us, so we believed it."
"But weren't they said to have a bad relationship?"
The woman, feeling a bit thirsty from talking so much, took a sip of water before continuing. "They're brothers. What's there to be bad about? Would a brother harm his younger sibling?"
In her opinion, even if the brothers had major disagreements, they would eventually talk them out. It wasn't like they would truly fall out. Those were just things from TV dramas.
Shen Qingqing didn't press further. After all, from the woman's perspective, the matter was straightforward. She changed the subject. "Then could you tell me about his friends?"
The woman hesitated.
"I don't know about that. Although An Qi and I are on good terms, I don't inquire about his social life. I'm old, and I don't understand young people's affairs." She wasn't his grandmother, so it wasn't appropriate to ask too many questions.
Shen Qingqing understood the elderly woman's reasoning. She then said, "Do you know of any other young people in the complex who were close to him? Please tell me."
The woman looked at her without speaking.
Shen Qingqing asked, "What's wrong?"
The woman finally became wary, sensing something was amiss. "Young lady, what is your relationship with him?"
Shen Qingqing smiled. The woman had finally started to suspect. "Don't worry, I mean no harm and I'm not a bad person. Actually, I'm acting on behalf of someone, entrusted by the young man's brother."
"Ah?"
The woman looked confused. Didn't An Qi's brother say An Qi had returned to his hometown?
Shen Qingqing patiently explained, "It's like this: An Qi suddenly disappeared. His brother couldn't find him, but he's ill and is currently in the hospital. He asked me to help inquire if he had any close friends."
The woman was shocked. "How could he have disappeared? You?"
Seeing the woman's expression, Shen Qingqing suddenly realized she shouldn't tell the whole truth. Otherwise, knowing this woman's personality, she might gossip throughout the entire complex, and whoever took An Qi would inevitably learn someone was looking for him. An Qi would then be in danger.
"Actually, the brothers had a fight, and An Qi left in anger. We don't know where he went."
The woman breathed a sigh of relief, then couldn't help but sigh. "This child is really something. Even if he was angry with his brother, he shouldn't have just run off. His brother must be very worried."
Shen Qingqing sighed.
Seeing her beauty and the piteous way she sighed, the woman unconsciously softened her tone. "Don't worry, I'll tell you everything I know."
From the woman, Shen Qingqing learned that An Qi did have some friends in the complex, all of them around his age. The closest one was the woman's grandson. They often played together. However, it was mostly An Qi looking after him. The woman had also instructed him to do so. Although the woman's grandson was rebellious, he was quite obedient to his grandmother. Hearing this, Shen Qingqing glanced at the photo on the table. The young man in the photo looked about fifteen, with a delicate face but a defiant expression. He was looking casually to the left as if impatient, clearly someone difficult to get along with.
As they were talking, the sound of a lock turning came from the door. The woman stood up. "That must be A Xu back."
As soon as she spoke, the door opened, and a young man a few years older than in the photo walked in. Seeing guests, he merely glanced at them casually. "We have visitors."
"Ah, they're looking for An Qi."
The young man was taken aback, then turned to scrutinize Shen Qingqing and Fu Jingshu. His eyes flickered, and his attitude suddenly changed. "Who are you? What are you doing here? Are you police? Coming here to look for someone? An Qi has nothing to do with us. We don't know where he is. You should leave. You're not welcome here!"
He then moved to usher them out. The woman quickly stopped him. "A Xu, what are you doing? These are guests!"