The moment those words were spoken, everyone in the room froze. I was like a video recorder, capturing the vividly shifting expressions on each of their faces.
I had been "dead" for so many days. Surely, verifying my whereabouts should have been as simple as a phone call for them. And yet, as my family, as my husband, not a single one of them had known—or bothered to find out—that I never even went to Yuncheng.
They had let me remain "missing" for all this time. If this got out, it would be an absolute joke.
Lu Shiyan's face turned deathly pale. He was probably reevaluating everything that had happened recently—the video, the so-called "Miss Su" renting the apartment. From start to finish, no one had actually seen me in person. The video was blurry, and he had left in a rage without even showing my photo to the neighbors for confirmation. Grandma's question shattered everyone's preconceived notions; not one of them had doubted it before.
"Mom, are you sure Su Wan didn't go to Yuncheng?" My father asked, his expression grave.
Grandma ignored him. "She is your daughter. Shouldn't you know whether she went or not? Or is it that you simply don't care whether she lives or dies?"
Her words landed like sharp slaps across their faces.
"Mom, there's been so much going on with the family lately, I just haven't had the time to check. I'll look into it right now."
While they were talking, Lu Shiyan had already dialed his assistant. Three minutes later, the assistant called back.
"Well?"
"President Lu, Mrs. Lu did book a ticket to Yuncheng, but she didn't board the flight that day. There's no security check record either. I've already sent someone to check if she even went to the airport. Pulling the surveillance footage will take more time; we'll have to wait for the results."
Lu Shiyan's expression darkened further. "Besides that day, check all other time periods, locations, flights, and every possible mode of transportation. Thoroughly."
"Yes, President Lu."
Now he couldn't simply define me as missing. He could only confirm one thing: I had never gone to Yuncheng.
Lu Shiyan turned a scrutinizing gaze onto Su Ning'an. "An'an, why did you lie to us?"
Su Ning'an immediately put on a wounded expression. "Brother, I didn't lie. I just told you all the information I had. Look, here's my chat history with our relative." She had prepared for this. The chat logs showed her relative casually mentioning that I was going to Yuncheng and asking her to help find a place.
"It was Auntie Wu who told me. I don't know why Sister didn't board the plane." Grandma clearly didn't believe her. "That video was released by you. You deliberately led everyone to believe the worst about Wan, to tarnish her reputation. What exactly are you scheming?"
"Grandma, you've wronged me. The video was from a high school classmate's social media. He's been vacationing in Yuncheng lately. It was just a coincidence."
Tears welled in Su Ning'an's eyes as she looked pleadingly at Lu Shiyan, her fingers clutching his sleeve. "Brother, don't you believe me either? I just wanted to help, to find Sister sooner."
Lu Shiyan's brow was furrowed, a shadow over his features. He remained silent, seemingly weighing the truth of her words.
Su Ning'an abruptly knelt down. "Grandma, I know you've never liked me, but why would I lie? What good would that do me?"
Grandma's face was stern. She slapped her hand hard on the armrest of her wheelchair. "I'd also like to know why you're deliberately impeding the search and misleading everyone. What are you plotting? Tell me!"
"Grandma, I'm not."
"Won't talk? Then I'll beat it out of you!" Grandma maneuvered her wheelchair next to Su Ning'an, raised her cane, and brought it down hard towards the kneeling girl.
My father caught the cane mid-air. "Mom, Ning'an meant well. Don't take your anger out on her."
Grandma stared at my father in disbelief. "Have you lost your mind? I suspect Wan's disappearance is related to her, and you're still defending her? Is her life a life, but Wan's is not?"
Su Ning'an's tears fell in large drops. She shook her head frantically. "Grandma, I was sick on Sister's wedding day, I wasn't even there! I haven't seen her at all, and I have no idea where she went!"
"Yes, Mom, An'an has always been gentle and kind. If she knew where Su Wan was, she would have told us immediately. What benefit would she get from hiding it?"
"Mom, I know you're worried about Su Wan, but you can't vent your anger on An'an. She's already in poor health."
Just as the Su family was closing ranks around Su Ning'an, Lu Shiyan slowly walked over to her.
He stood over her kneeling form. The usual tenderness in his eyes was gone, replaced only by coldness.
Had Lu Shiyan finally seen this woman for who she truly was?
I heard him speak coldly. "An'an, have you lied to me? Tell me the truth."
Su Ning'an looked up, meeting his icy gaze. She bit her lip and whispered, "Brother, I haven't."
"An'an, we've known each other for so many years. I don't want you to lie to me. Understand?"
Su Ning'an shook her head. "If Brother doesn't believe me, I can swear to heaven. If I have any connection to Sister's disappearance, may I die a terrible—"
The word "death" never left her lips. Lu Shiyan covered her mouth.
He helped her up. "I believe you. Don't swear such oaths."
Su Ning'an leaned into his embrace, sobbing quietly. Lu Shiyan patted her back. "Alright, alright, don't cry."
I was speechless, looking skyward. I had overestimated Lu Shiyan after all, and underestimated Su Ning'an.
Grandma was fuming. "Lu Shiyan, Wan went missing because of her! Not only do you not draw a line, but you're being so intimate with her? If outsiders saw this, they'd think you two were the couple! You might not care about face, but our Su family does!"
"Mom, isn't that a bit extreme? Ning'an is his adopted sister, raised in the Lu family. It's normal for them to be close. The priority now is to find Su Wan."
My mother snorted coldly. "That wretched girl Su Wan is just being mysterious. Maybe she's hiding somewhere, laughing at us. She wants us to worry on purpose."
"Right! Otherwise, why would she ask our relatives in Yuncheng to rent a place, book a ticket, and then not go? She's clearly creating a false trail. They say a woman's jealousy and desire for revenge are the strongest. To get back at her husband, she's hiding where he can't find her, making us all worry too."
The more Lu Shiyan listened, the tighter his frown became. He was now filled with a bellyful of doubts.
"Father-in-law, Mother-in-law, don't worry. I will find Wanwan as soon as possible."
He released Su Ning'an's hand. "Grandma, I told you, I only see An'an as a sister. I will be more mindful of keeping my distance from her in the future. This is the last time. I have matters to attend to, I must go."
Lu Shiyan quickly left. Just as he was about to get into his car, he encountered a group of police officers, led by Huang Yu.
Seeing Lu Shiyan, Huang Yu greeted him. "Mr. Lu, has Mrs. Lu returned home yet?"