While all these happened, the hospital was in chaos!

The hospital corridor echoed with frantic shouts—a sudden frenzy that rippled through the building as whispers of disappearance morphed into full-blown alarm. In VIP Room 312, the bed was empty.

The IV lines lay discarded on the ground, the drip stand standing eerily still. Fu Jing Rong was gone.

Nurse Zhao’s face paled as she burst into the hallway. "Doctor! Get in here, quick!" she yelled, voice echoing against the harsh fluorescent light.

Dr. Chen rushed in, followed by two more nurses. They stared at the empty bed in stunned silence.

"He’s... gone," Zhao stammered. "Fu Jing Rong—he’s disappeared."

The panic set in like wildfire. Dr. Chen grabbed his tablet, hands trembling. "Check the camera feed. All wings, all exits, now."

Down the hall, another nurse sprinted to the security station. A hush fell across the ward as she tapped on a screen.

Seconds later, the commotion escalated: voices crying out, phones dialing, footsteps pounding.

Fu Jing Rong missing meant more than a patient gone the wrong way. This was a star, a VIP, the center of a scandal tipped to explode. Media would swarm, tabloids would erupt, the Fu family would be at the gates demanding accountability. The hospital’s reputation was on the brink of ruin.

Meanwhile, outside the hospital, Fu Ling returned with arms brimming with gifts—bouquets of lilies and orchids wrapped in various strengths of pastel paper, plush toys tucked in beside them, bottles of freshly-squeezed juice and fruit baskets tied with ribbons.

Every level of hopeful sibling love radiated off him.

He pushed through the automatic doors, his heart pulsing with excitement. He intended to surprise his brother, to show how much he cared now that he’d come around from that long coma.

He made his way to the nurse’s station, whistling under his breath with youthful optimism.

As he neared, he found everyone clustered behind the desk—frantic, panicked.

He forced a cheerful smile. "Hey... what’s wrong?"

They spun around to see him—too late for good composure. Faces drained at the sight of him.

One nurse swallowed and stammered, "Mr. Fu... it’s... the patient..."

"My brother? What about him?" panic fluttered across Fu Ling’s usually bright face.

"They... he’s missing," the nurse whispered. "He’s gone."

Gone?

Fu Ling’s legs trembled. His arms fell to his sides, dropping the gifts. Blank. He stared at the desk, then back at the nurse.

"My brother’s... dead?"

The word slapped everyone with its harsh finality. Fu Ling’s face twisted.

"No... no, doctor?" he gasped. "Is he... dead?"

No one had the answer.

"I—I swear I’ll call security," one nurse said, stepping back from the sight of Fu Ling collapsing. The others stood frozen.

But then a quiet voice cut through the tension: "He’s not dead. He’s just disappeared."

"He... disappeared?" Fu Ling echoed, voice trembling.

"How could he—?" Another nurse wiped at her mouth. "We... we’ve looked everywhere."

Fu Ling’s body trembled. He screamed:

"I demand to see CCTV footage!"

Pandemonium shook the station. Staff swarmed the screens. Red emergency lights flashed from the security consoles. Everyone spoke at once.

After several minutes of chaotic searching, they froze.

On-screen: Fu Jing Rong’s bed, fantasy-like in its emptiness. He emerged from the room, unassisted, alert, mobile. Dressed in hospital whites, his movements smooth. The feeds followed him stepping down the corridor.

There he was: limping slightly, but walking.

They watched in collective disbelief as he disappeared through the staff exit—no escort, no notice—and emerged onto the street.

They saw him slip into a waiting black sedan then, the car pulled away.

A silence fell.

‍Fu Ling’s eyes blurred. The flowers dropped to the floor, stems cracking. Cushions and bottles tumbled. He tried to speak, but his mouth wouldn’t obey.

Tears filled his eyes.

A palpable tension trembled through the staff. No one dared speak. They had just seen the impossible come to life.

Fu Ling raised a trembling finger at the screen:

"He... he can leave the hospital? No doctor, no nurse, just walked out?"

"We’ll report to the board—" the nurse began.

A hush cut across her words. Fu Ling’s presence, his grief, his shock, inflicted an unspoken truth: this was no ordinary disappearance.

He sank into a chair.

Everything swirled in his mind. His brother—his hero—gone.

Who did this?

Where had he gone?

Why?

...

The Hua family mansion was situated in one of the most prestigious estates in the capital. Since their daughter, Hua Ling, had become a very big star, they were now cloaked in luxuries. Hua Mingrong’s business was also thriving, and they had plans to go public—everything seemed to be going perfectly for them.

At around 8 o’clock in the evening, the front door opened, and the young mistress of the Hua family sauntered in, dressed in all red. She looked dazzling, especially with her delicate, beautiful face.

Hua Ling had just returned from a photoshoot for her upcoming movie. Right now, she was considered the queen of the screen—a title she had worked hard to earn.

She had recently signed with one of the most prestigious entertainment companies in the country. She was above everyone now.

Chen Li, her mother, quickly ushered her inside with an excited smile. "Oh, my superstar daughter is home!"

Hua Ling returned her smile with a smirk. There was a snarkiness etched into her expression, but the title her mother used clearly brought her pleasure.

Hua Mingrong, who had just returned from work, was also pleased to see his daughter home.

None of them seemed to care that Hua Jing—his other daughter—was lying in a coma at the hospital. What they didn’t know was that, at this very moment, she was no longer in that hospital.

Someone had already taken her away!

While the family of three enjoyed their lavish dinner, the lights in the mansion suddenly dimmed. A harsh stillness blanketed the entire house, and it made everyone’s skin prickle with unease. The doorbell rang, its sound sharp and unexpected.

Hua Ling, slightly startled, called for the servants to answer the door.

But as the door opened, a cold gust swept through the hallway, chilling the air. Hua Ming Rong looked up to see who was standing there—and froze.

There was visible fear in his eyes.

Standing at the entrance, with a faint, insincere smile on his face, was none other than Fu Jing Rong. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

What was he doing here?

Though he smiled, there was a sharpness in his gaze that did not go unnoticed by Hua Mingrong.

Hua Ling and Chen Li, drawn by the sound, came rushing over. When they saw who it was, Hua Ling’s eyes lit up in surprise.

"Brother Fu! You’re awake!"