Volume 1, Chapter 24: He... was blocked?

The housekeeper's words struck Xie Yanchen like a bombshell.

He tossed his coat to the housekeeper and strode toward the stairs. Pushing open the door to his room, he found it predictably spotless, with not a soul in sight. He then headed to his daughter’s room, but the familiar little figure was not on the bed either.

Xie Yanchen’s face darkened like the sky before a storm. Irritably, he tugged at his tie. "When did she leave?"

Although the housekeeper rarely concerned himself with household affairs, he was adept at reading expressions. Seeing Xie Yanchen storm upstairs, he had followed closely, and noting the man's grim demeanor, he immediately deduced that Su Wanqing had not left with Mr. Xie. However, he truly had no idea regarding the answer to Xie Yanchen's question.

Life in this household was easy for the staff. Mr. Xie rarely came home, and as servants, they were inclined to slack off whenever possible. Furthermore, since Xie Yanchen had never held Su Wanqing in any regard, the staff felt emboldened to treat her with disdain as well. When it came to chores, they did the bare minimum to keep up appearances. If Su Wanqing asked about something, they would retort with, "I didn't see it," "I already cleaned that," or "If you're so unhappy with it, do it yourself."

Over time, Su Wanqing, not being as foolish as they assumed, realized their intentional neglect and began handling the cleaning, organization, and cooking herself. While they lived under the same roof, they existed in a state of mutual avoidance.

As for how they discovered Su Wanqing was missing—one morning, a maid remarked that the cabinets were dusty. Only then did the housekeeper open the door to Su Wanqing and Xie Kexin’s room, finding them gone. After waiting an entire night without seeing them return, he realized they were truly missing.

Facing Xie Yanchen’s question, the housekeeper couldn't provide a specific date. After a rough estimate, he stammered, "About a week ago, I think."

The moment the words left his lips, he felt an overwhelming aura radiating from the man before him, making it nearly impossible to breathe.

"You think?" Xie Yanchen narrowed his eyes, immediately seizing on the flaw in the housekeeper's response. "You don't even know which day your mistress didn't come back?"

The housekeeper broke into a cold sweat, nearly collapsing to his knees on the spot. "The... the mistress, she was always rather withdrawn, and we had nothing in common. If we asked her too many questions, she’d lose her temper. How could we dare to pry?"

"Enough! Stop with the excuses! Call her, now!"

Xie Yanchen felt his dissatisfaction with Su Wanqing deepen. How typical of someone from the countryside! The moment she found an opportunity to climb the social ladder, she forgot where she came from. The moment she returned to the Su family, she snatched her sister’s wedding, and after marrying into his home, she even tried to flaunt her superiority, failing to maintain a decent relationship with the staff!

The housekeeper muttered an acknowledgement, pulled out his phone, and found Su Wanqing’s number. He hesitated, "Um... Mr. Xie, what should I say?"

"Tell her to come back immediately and clear her things out! This house is getting a new mistress!"

Two minutes later, the housekeeper said timidly, "Mr... Mr. Xie, the mistress's phone... no one is answering..."

Xie Yanchen pinched the bridge of his nose impatiently and pulled out his own phone to call her. But the moment the call connected, he heard the automated voice of the operator. He had... been blocked?

Xie Yanchen’s gaze sharpened. He then remembered that he hadn't unblocked her number after their last encounter. Feeling a slight sense of relief, he unblocked her and tried calling again, only to find he was still blocked.

He furrowed his brow, checking his blacklist repeatedly to ensure he had indeed removed her. He tried again, but the status remained blocked. He pressed his lips into a thin line, thinking the phone's system must be lagging. Glancing at the time—half-past twelve—he assumed Su Wanqing must be asleep.

After a moment's thought, he sent her a WeChat message: "Nine o'clock, Civil Affairs Bureau."

Satisfied that his tone was cold and purely informational, he tapped send. A moment later, a red exclamation mark flashed before his eyes like a bolt of lightning.

He had been blocked by Su Wanqing again?

Su Wanqing had been in such a hurry when she got out of the car that she hadn't realized her phone had slipped onto the backseat. It was past midnight, and the lights in the medical examination center were almost entirely extinguished. As she stepped out of the car, she saw Dr. Li Shan waiting at the entrance, holding an umbrella.

The rain was intensifying. She didn't wait for the doctor to bring the umbrella over and trotted toward her. "Dr. Li, could you please explain to me again what is going on?"

In the car, she had been replaying the conversation for a long time, her mind fixated on the "benign epilepsy" Dr. Li had mentioned regarding Xie Kexin’s check-up.

She kept recalling every detail since Xie Kexin was born. She had accompanied the child through almost every milestone, watching her grow from a tiny infant into a little girl. She remembered her first crawl, her first time standing up, and her first fall. Even though Kexin didn't say "Mom" until she was three, the sound had moved her to tears.

So many memories flooded her heart, yet none of them included any sign of epilepsy. Even though Dr. Li had explained over the phone that this condition might only manifest after age five, she refused to believe it. Her sweet Kexin already suffered from autism—how could she possibly also have epilepsy?

Li Shan, also a mother, understood Su Wanqing’s distress. She shared her umbrella and patted Su Wanqing’s back, guiding her into the building. "Kexin’s mother, please don't panic. It isn't as severe as you think..."

Ten minutes later, Su Wanqing finally understood. Children with autism had a much higher risk of developing epilepsy, and unfortunately, Xie Kexin’s test results indicated a seventy percent probability. The silver lining, according to Dr. Li’s rigorous analysis, was that it was confirmed to be benign epilepsy.

At first, Su Wanqing hadn't understood the term, associating "benign" only with tumors. After Dr. Li’s further explanation, it became clear: this epilepsy wasn't congenital like her autism; it was acquired, caused by atypical blood vessels in her brain affecting her development. Fortunately, it had been detected in time, and with treatment, there was a ninety percent chance of recovery.

Hearing such high odds did nothing to soothe Su Wanqing’s heart. She clutched the paper cup in her hands tightly, her eyes rimmed with red.

Fate was too cruel to her daughter. Born with autism and subjected to so much discrimination, just as she seemed to be improving, she was struck with epilepsy. Even if it was benign, the treatment process would surely be painful. If she could, she would gladly trade away her daughter’s "prodigy" genes if it meant she could be healthy.

As a mother, her greatest wish was never for her child to be a high achiever or a person of great status, but simply for her to grow up safe, sound, and happy.

Suddenly, a loud "bang" came from the door. Su Wanqing looked up to see a man in a black suit striding in.

"Su Wanqing!"