Yuxi's gentle voice cut through the early morning stillness, surprised to find her friend returning after such a bitter argument. Behind her, Su Feng appeared at the top of the stairs, equally disheveled from sleep.
"What's the matter, Yuxi?" they called out as Zhou Yuxi rushed up, clutching Meili's hand with desperate urgency.
"Li'er... Where is Yunchen? After the hospital, where did he go? Did he tell you?" The words tumbled out in a breathless rush, her grip tightening around Meili's wrist until it turned white.
Meili winced slightly. "He said he was going abroad for a business merger. Maybe a few days, maybe a week, he wasn't specific. He just said that by the time he returned, you wouldn't even know he'd been gone."
Zhou Yuxi's heart plummeted. The blood drained from her face. "I need to call him... I need to..." Her foot caught on the edge of a step, and she nearly tumbled forward. The three of them lunged, steadying her as they descended together.
