Wild Creatures

Chapter 26

Lan Zhan was really looking forward to Wei Ying getting back. He had cleaned up the kitchen after breakfast and then something caught his eye on his laptop screen.

He began reading an article written by F4keSt0ries, an anonymous writer who, right at the beginning, said his stories were the result of his caffeine fermented brain, and to not take anything he said seriously.

Ordinarily, Lan Zhan would have scrolled past, were it not for the link to an encrypted account where questions were encouraged.

Why would someone writing about things from their imagination need this? Why would it need to have such security measures?

This piqued his interest and Lan Zhan went back to reading his articles. This persuaded him to send the link and a question of his own to Nie Huaisang, asking him what he thought about this. Was this person legit?

Then he went back to reading.

And then, his eyes fell on the time displayed so innocently in the corner of his screen, and a shiver went up his spine.

11.15 am.

Wei Ying was supposed to have come back a couple of hours ago….

Where was he? He had promised to return straight back home after the school run.

Lan Zhan whipped out his phone and called, standing up to pace.

It went to voicemail.

Lan Zhan called again.

No answer.

He didn't even know why his finger kept pressing the dial button, hoping against hope that this time, Wei Ying was going to pick up.

Then he switched numbers and called Wen Qing.

When she said she hadn't heard from Wei Ying either, that's when the panic hit the hardest.

His fingers were shaking as he sent text after text to Wei Ying’s phone, all of them going unseen.

If Wei Ying didn't answer his phone, or see the messages…how was Lan Zhan going to contact him?

And worse, what if he had collapsed somewhere? What if he was hurt? Where was A-Yuan? Did Wei Ying manage to get him to school?

So many questions flooded his mind, and yet because he had no answers, Lan Zhan’s anxiety skyrocketed.

He rang his brother.

"Didi -"

"Ge, can you still activate the GPS on a phone from the Cloud, remotely?" He doesn't mean to sound so curt, but his instincts are screaming at him.

"What's wrong?" XiChen's tone changes immediately, from warm and welcoming, to alert and on edge.

Lan Zhan explains the situation to him.

"Send the info to Huaisang, I'll message him too." XiChen says quickly.

"I'm doing it now. Thanks, Ge." Lan Zhan hangs up fast, his fingers faster than ever.

It's just past midday, and Lan Zhan knows he can't stay in the apartment, just waiting. He wants to do something, anything…and his brain provides a solution: he can get on the bus and find A-Yuan's school. If he retraces Wei Ying’s steps, he might be able to find him.

He's not going to think about anything else…in his head, Wei Ying must be safe…

Anything less than that, and Lan Zhan knows he won't be able to take it. So he doesn't let those negative thoughts win, focusing on A-Yuan instead.