Chapter 151: Missing

Inside the fast-food restaurant next to the dormitory.

Song Meng looked at Jiang Ling, whose expression was clearly off. Her voice was gentle and concerned. “What happened?”

10 minutes ago, she had received a phone call from Jiang Ling. The content was incoherent, as if she had been frightened by something, but she kept asking where Song Meng was. It just so happened that Song Meng was not far away, so she came over immediately.

Jiang Ling did not answer immediately. The face of that slightly strange and heart-stopping man flashed through her mind, and she unconsciously gripped her cup.

Song Meng did not rush her. She ordered some soothing desserts and drinks, gesturing for Jiang Ling to take her time.

After an unknown amount of time, Jiang Ling finally spoke in a trembling voice. “I don’t know… but I saw a strange man when I went out just now. He looked very sloppy, like he was looking for something…”

“We made eye contact. He gave me a creepy smile after seeing me, but he left without saying anything… I was a little scared and didn’t dare go out. But if I went back, my roommates would definitely see me. I was afraid I was just overthinking, so I— “

“So you called me?”

Song Meng, despite being the one troubled, showed no impatience. Instead, a smile quirked at the corner of her lips. She took the opportunity to say, “I won’t find it troublesome. Feel free to reach out to me anytime something like this happens in the future.”

She felt this was proof of Jiang Ling’s trust.

Seeing that Jiang Ling was still frightened, Song Meng softened her voice as much as possible. “You didn’t know this man before, right?”

“No.”

Jiang Ling nodded silently. She had never seen this person before; otherwise, she wouldn’t have been so panicked.

“You said he looked like he was looking for something?”

Although she couldn’t pinpoint the person’s goal from just a few words, Song Meng thought of Jiang Ling’s status as an idol. A possibility leaped into her mind. “Could he be one of your obsessive fans?”

These people were disgusting and difficult to deal with, matching Jiang Ling’s description perfectly.

Jiang Ling froze for a moment. Recalling the details, she felt it was quite likely. Besides looking for someone, the man was clearly trying to memorize room numbers. His expression changed when he saw her, but he eventually turned and left.

“It’s definitely possible…”

Jiang Ling said, her uneasy heart calming down slightly. The initial panic faded. She had originally thought she had encountered some kind of psychopathic killer.

“It’s best to install a security camera at the door. Be wary of strangers knocking for a while. Let me send you a link…”

Song Meng nimbly took out her phone and forwarded a shopping page to Jiang Ling. She urged repeatedly, “Order it today. Use expedited shipping.”

Such calm words made Jiang Ling feel like she had found her pillar of support. She nodded repeatedly and placed the order immediately, letting out a heavy sigh of relief after marking it as urgent.

“Thank you.”

Jiang Ling knew she might have looked a bit pathetic just now, but she didn’t intend to hide it from Song Meng. After all, Song Meng knew her personality better than anyone.

“It seems hard to find you lately. Are you busy preparing for a new song?”

Song Meng subtly changed the subject to keep Jiang Ling from dwelling on what had happened.

Jiang Ling nodded. “Yes… but I’ve run into some problems, so progress has temporarily stalled.”

“Stalled?”

“I’m stuck on the lyrics.” Jiang Ling sighed, her expression even more melancholy than before. “I originally hired a professional to write them, but my sisters and I weren’t satisfied with the result. We decided to write them ourselves in the end, but… I don’t know how to write.”

“Mm.”

Song Meng nodded understandingly. Then she said what everyone else had already said, “The sentiment is what matters most.”

Jiang Ling slumped on the table, stirring the melting ice cream with a spoon. Her voice was a mumble. “But I’m still afraid everyone won’t be satisfied.”

Subconsciously, Jiang Ling still lacked confidence. Although she had experienced quite a bit by now, personality was something that stayed with a person for a lifetime. It couldn’t be changed overnight.

Song Meng could vaguely guess Jiang Ling’s thoughts, but she didn’t force her. After a moment of deliberation, she gave a simple suggestion. “How about writing down the words that come to mind first?”

Jiang Ling didn’t speak but stared intently at Song Meng.

“What can you think of regarding your memories from this period? It can be short phrases or even a single word. As long as you can think of it, write it down, and then connect them.”

Song Meng added, “It’s best not to use electronic devices, but real paper and pen.”

Although Jiang Ling was a bit resistant, she knew Song Meng’s suggestion was perfectly reasonable. She didn’t stubbornly refuse but nodded to show she understood.

‘I’ll try it when I get back.’

It was rare for her to come out for a breath of fresh air, only to have this happen. Jiang Ling felt like something was blocking her heart. It was stuck, making it hard to breathe. Moreover, she felt guilty for calling Song Meng out because of this. She had really troubled Song Meng with many things.

Jiang Ling touched the necklace Song Meng had given her. Her eyes blurred for a moment, and she actually remembered the way Lin Xiaoyu had kissed her. She immediately shook her head. Trying to stabilize her emotions, she asked, “Do… do you want anything?”

Seeing her beaming smile, Jiang Ling seemed to guess something. Enduring her shame and annoyance, she spoke again. “You’re not allowed to say ‘me’.”

“Eh, I wasn’t planning on saying that.”

A flash of craftiness passed through Song Meng’s eyes. She responded with ease. This surprised Jiang Ling while making her feel even more ashamed.

It made her look conceited!

She pursed her lips and asked, “Then what do you want?”

Song Meng seemed lost in thought. Jiang Ling did not rush her.

Jiang Ling had already made up her mind. As long as the price of whatever Song Meng asked for wasn’t especially exorbitant, even if it cost several months of her salary, she had to send this token of gratitude…

“You.”

Jiang Ling restrained herself again and again, then gritted her teeth and asked, “Didn’t you say you weren’t planning on saying ‘me’?”

What was this now? Playing hard to get?

Song Meng looked at her flushed face and took a slow sip of juice. “I wasn’t planning on it just now, but I suddenly wanted to say it.”

Jiang Ling suddenly remembered her domineering and rogue-like nature. She hesitated several times before turning her head with a huff. “Once the opportunity is lost, it won’t come again. You’re the one who didn’t cherish the chance.”

Song Meng shook her head. “There really isn’t anything I want lately. Besides, I told you that you don’t need to care too much.”

She didn’t want Jiang Ling to compensate her out of guilt.

Song Meng’s phone rang. After answering and speaking for a moment, she gave an apologetic smile. “I have some unfinished business. I have to go. Call me if there’s any progress.”

Jiang Ling watched Song Meng leave. She didn’t feel like staying any longer either. After eating the last few pieces of dessert on her plate, she left.

—

After returning, Jiang Ling thought about it and decided to tell everyone about what happened today. She also mentioned that she had already purchased a security camera.

“This was indeed a lapse in my consideration.”

Bai Xue frowned. She seemingly hadn’t expected something like this to happen. “I’ll transfer the money for the camera to you later.”

Jiang Ling declined and waved her hand with a smile. “It’s fine. I was just worried something might happen, so I wanted to install it as soon as possible.”

Seeing her refusal, Bai Xue didn’t say anything more. She just made a mental note to include it in Jiang Ling’s salary.

The camera arrived quickly. Jiang Ling was woken up by a delivery call early the next morning. Rubbing her bleary eyes, she signed for it. After fumbling with it for a long time without understanding it, she was helped by Bai Xue, who had woken up early to install it with her.

After Jiang Ling returned to her room, she thought of Song Meng’s suggestion. She found a notebook and a pen to try and write something. In the end, she really did manage to write a few phrases and keywords.

Although it wasn’t complete, it looked much better than a blank sheet of paper. She admired it for a long while before solemnly taking a photo and sending it to Song Meng to report her progress, showing that she had been obedient.

The other side replied quickly:

**[Keep up the hard work, Great Lyricist.]**

Jiang Ling chuckled and rolled around on the bed, her heart leaping with joy.

—

The day for the check-up arrived quickly. Although Jiang Ling was a bit nervous, she had at least written something, so she didn’t feel like she was facing certain death anymore.

Fang Wannan couldn’t come, saying she had a banquet to attend. However, she sent an electronic version for everyone to integrate.

But after waiting for a long time, there was no sign of Mo Ran.

Bai Xue tapped her fingertips on the table, feeling puzzled. “Where’s Mo Ran?”

“She seemed to go out after dinner just now. She said she was going to buy something.”

Jiang Ling answered fluently because she had seen Mo Ran head out with her own eyes.

“But it’s been over 2 hours.”

Lin Xiaoyu frowned, looking quite worried.

Almost instantly, Jiang Ling thought of that strange man who was suspected of being an obsessive fan 2 days ago. Her heart trembled, and her voice shook. “Should we check the security footage?”

Upon hearing this, Bai Xue and Lin Xiaoyu also understood what she meant. They stood up with serious expressions and went to the computer, pulling up the recordings from the entire day.

For safety reasons, Bai Xue had installed additional cameras after Jiang Ling installed hers. The entire dormitory was surrounded so tightly that there was almost no possibility of a blind spot. Each of the three of them watched one row, staring intently at the actions within the frames.

At first, there was nothing but passing residents or vehicles. Everything was very normal.

When the time reached noon, Jiang Ling’s sharp eyes suddenly spotted a man standing directly opposite their dormitory. He frequently glanced over. She immediately pressed the pause button and pointed at the spot. “It’s him.”

Although she was afraid, Jiang Ling still clearly remembered the man’s appearance. The camera wasn’t far away, and the resolution was decent, so it wasn’t impossible to recognize him.

The man stayed in place for a long time. Then he felt around in his pocket and pulled out a phone. He pressed it for a while as if he were calling someone, his mouth moving.

Next, under the three pairs of focused eyes, the dormitory door was suddenly opened.

A slender figure walked out slowly.

Mo Ran held a phone, staring expressionlessly at the man opposite her for a few seconds before walking over.

“Wait, he called Mo Ran?!”

Seeing this scene, Jiang Ling was instantly stunned. But she suddenly remembered the man’s status as an obsessive fan. While feeling disgusted, she was also puzzled. “But logically speaking, she had no reason to go out… and why didn’t she tell us about this?”