The Missing Piece: 貌合神离

Extra Story 8: Old Story

It was at the supermarket that Shen Mo received Zhou Yang’s call. At the time, he was thinking about whether to make steak or pork rib soup for dinner. The moment the call came through, Zhou Yang said immediately, “I won’t be back for dinner tonight.”

 

“What happened? Didn’t you say you weren’t working overtime today?”

 

“Yeah…” Zhou Yang seemed somewhat hesitant. “Something came up at home. I have to go back.”

 

“Go back? Are your parents not feeling well?”

 

“Something like that,” Zhou Yang answered vaguely. “I’ll probably have to stay there for a few days.”

 

“Okay, I understand. Then take care of yourself too.”

 

“Okay.”

 

Hanging up, Shen Mo looked at the steak he had put in the shopping cart, and could only take it back out. He would be alone, so of course he wasn't in the mood to cook a big meal. He could make do with some instant noodles.

 

After Shen Mo and Zhou Yang had graduated from university, their plans to study abroad were laid aside due to disapproval from Zhou Yang’s family. But they didn’t give up completely; they rented a house and lived together as they slowly saved up money.

 

Shen Mo recently found a job related to painting, which he was quite satisfied with. Their rental was close to the company too. It was a little small, but Shen Mo enjoyed cleaning, so he kept it quite tidy.

 

Shen Mo had nothing to do in the evening; he went to bed after watching TV for a while. Before he fell asleep, he texted Zhou Yang to say good night.

 

It was Saturday the next day, and Shen Mo stayed home. Seeing how good the weather was, he busied himself with some chores, spending all day doing the laundry and so on. In the evening, Shen Mo called Zhou Yang, but Zhou Yang didn’t answer.

 

Shen Mo didn’t take it to heart and went to the nearby supermarket as usual. When he finished and came out, the sky had already darkened, but the street lamps were not on yet. Everything around him was shrouded in the dim dusk of the night. 

 

As he turned a corner, he vaguely felt as if something was not quite right. He spun around—the alley was empty, except for a car that followed not far behind him.

 

Shen Mo ignored it and continued to walk forward. Yet, just a few steps later, the car caught up to him. With headlights bright as snow, it braked hard at his side. Next, someone leapt from the car and lunged for him.

 

Shen Mo had never been in such a situation before; he was frozen in shock. 

 

When his attention returned, his mouth was already covered by a pair of rough hands.

 

“Mmph… Mmmph…”

 

Shen Mo struggled to escape, his groceries scattering all over the ground. But another man jumped out of the car and quickly shoved him inside. The car door slammed shut.

 

Shen Mo’s hands were tied up behind his back. His head was spinning. A while later, a word finally emerged in his mind: abduction.

 

But Shen Mo was just a poor student. What was the use of abducting him? Did they take the wrong person?

 

Shen Mo’s mouth had also been sealed with masking tape. Unable to make any noise, he could only stay lying down in the car trunk, jolting as the car sped on.

 

Shen Mo didn’t know how long had passed, but he estimated that it had been more than half an hour. The car finally slowed, stopping in front of an abandoned warehouse. Only a single street lamp stood beside the warehouse. One could vaguely see the barrenness all around them.

 

The man who had seized Shen Mo opened the door and pulled Shen Mo out of the car.

 

The whole way here, Shen Mo had been thinking about what to do. Knowing this was his best chance to escape, he instantly bent down and slammed his head into the man’s chest.

 

Shen Mo had been quite cooperative throughout. The sudden attack caught the man off guard—the hit landed.

 

The collision made a loud, dull sound. The man was knocked back a few steps, while Shen Mo felt a throbbing pain at his head as well. But he ignored it, turned around, and fled.

 

In the darkness, it was hard for Shen Mo to find his way. He didn’t know in which direction to run either. All that he knew was that he must run as far as he could and avoid being caught. 

 

The wind roared in his ears. As he ran, his foot suddenly slipped, and he crashed onto the muddy ground.

 

He got up with difficulty, pain surging through his body. But thanks to the fall, the rope binding his hands had loosened. 

 

Shen Mo struggled out of the rope and tore off the masking tape on his mouth. Recalling that his phone was still in his pocket, he quickly called the police. He didn’t know where he was, so he could only describe the scenery around him. After he hung up, he called Zhou Yang again, but Zhou Yang still didn’t answer.

 

As Shen Mo looked for a place to hide, he called Zhou Yang over and over again. In the night, his fingers trembled slightly. He had engraved that phone number in his heart. 

 

Whenever they chatted, he was always reluctant to hang up. This was such a critical situation, but he couldn’t get through no matter what.

 

“Zhou Yang…”

 

“Zhou Yang…”

 

“Pick up…”

 

Shen Mo murmured amid the cold wind. All of a sudden, a flashlight struck his face with its light.

 

Shen Mo shuddered, blinded by the light. A while later, he realised that he’d already been caught.

 

The man in the front was the one who’d abducted Shen Mo. His eyes were chilly.  

 

With a distinct scar on his brow bone, he stared at Shen Mo coldly. Shen Mo had no way of escape. He was soon brought back to the abandoned warehouse.

 

It was dark inside the warehouse. Shen Mo didn’t know how long he’d stayed there. Perhaps it was no more than a dozen hours, but it seemed like a lifetime to him.

 

The scar-faced man stepped on Shen Mo’s right hand, grinding over it with his leather shoe.

 

An excruciating pain shot up from Shen Mo’s fingers. It hurt so much that he cried out—he couldn’t help but call Zhou Yang’s name.

 

Hearing this, the scar-faced man burst into laughter.

 

“You think Zhou Yang would come save you? What an idiot.”

 

“Do you know where he is now? He’s abroad. He went to study abroad with his childhood sweetheart.”

 

“Get away from Zhou Yang.”

 

“Don’t ever think of seeing Zhou Yang again, or else…”

 

The scar-faced man stepped even harder. Shen Mo’s right hand was a bloody mess; he could even hear his bones being crushed.

 

He lay on the ground, drenched in sweat, in too much pain to move. Through the cobwebbed window, he saw a faint light emerge in the boundless darkness.

 

Even when Shen Mo was unconscious, he still called Zhou Yang’s name again and again. But Zhou Yang never came to save him.

 

Just as he thought he was going to die, the tightly shut door of the warehouse suddenly opened. A ray of light shone through.

 

Someone seemed to be standing outside the door. Against the light, their faces looked blurred. Shen Mo watched them walk toward him, their features gradually growing clearer.

 

Shen Mo didn’t know who the person was.

 

But he knew that they were his saviour.