Red Rose [Never Let You Go, Again Book 3]

1: Hunting For The Runaway

"Wangji, what on earth do you mean? Wasn't Wuxian-di supposed to be here with Meilien?"

"Gege," Lan Wangji shook his head that was starting to buzz with the agony. "I don't know, I came here and he wasn't there. Meilien was with Xiuying."

"Madam Ouyang," Lan Xichen turned to the little girl. "Did Wuxian say anything?"

"Wei-gege?" Xiuying asked, thankful that someone had finally asked her. "Wei-gege, told me to take care of Meilien and said he'll be going to the town nearby for a while..."

"Town?" Lan Wangji shot up.

"Yes, Hanguang-Jun, but..." Xiuying bit her lip.

"Xiuying, what is it?" Lan Wangji turned to her, the worry on his face clashing with the reluctance on hers.

"Hanguang-Jun... You see, you know how the town's that way?" She pointed to the left.

Lan Wangji looked and saw the exit from the contest there. "Mn."

"Well... Wei-gege went that way," she pointed to the right. "I tried shouting and calling him back, but..."

"But it's obvious he was just being a big liar again," Jiang Cheng grumbled.

Lan Wangji collapsed onto his seat again.

"Father..." Sizhui knelt beside him with Xichen and took his hand, stroking it gently. "Father, please calm down. We'll find Daddy, don't worry."

"Mn," Lan Wangji mumbled — but he didn't even nod. Either he didn't want to, or he simply couldn't. Both reasons were based on him being tired of Wei Ying's escapades. He'd sensed a bad feeling bubbling through him the instant Wei Ying had willingly removed the Golden Thread binding their wrists. Where was he running off to now?

Lan Xichen watched as his brother sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Wangji, trust Sizhui. Trust us. We'll find didi somehow. Did he leave right after handing Meilien to you, Madam Ouyang?"

"No, Zewu-Jun, he stayed with us for a while."

"I played with Xiuying-jie but Susu won't come to play. He was busy thinking something."

"I have a feeling whatever it is he'd thought of and whatever it is he ran off to find, it's got something to do with helping Meilien. Come on, we'll go out this way and start searching," Nie Huaisang flapped his fan and stepped out of the tent to walk to the road Wei Wuxian had gone on. "Xiyuan, send a message to our scouts. Tell only about Wei Wuxian having gone missing and having gone in this direction. They need not know anything more."

"We don't want everyone hearing about Meilien right now, Xiyuan, understood?" Xuanji turned to him.

"Yes, General, Sect Leader," Nie Xiyuan saluted them and sprinted away to find the rest of the Nies to pass the message.

"A-Sang, we'll go. You children better go back."

"I'm coming!" All the nine children cried, right after Xiyuan went.

"No," Jiang Cheng snarled and they all shut their mouths. "Each of you have your sects to take care of."

Liwei mumbled something under his breath.

"WHAT WAS THAT?" Jiang Cheng shouted at him.

While Liwei shook his head innocently, Jin Ling spoke up. "Jiujiu's a Sect Leader too! If you're going, so are we!"

"Why you rascal! I'll break your legs if you talk a word more!"

"Wanyin," Xichen held his raised hand. "Because we're leaving, you children are left behind to take care of the sects, understood?"