Our Love, A Public Service - Chapter 50
Chapter 50
4:32 PM, a magnitude 7 earthquake struck Y City.
Unable to contact Jing Rui at such a critical moment, Chi Jia's heart pounded in her chest, fear gripping her.
But after calming down slightly, she thought it couldn't be; Jing Rui must have returned already. Jing Rui had called her last night, saying she would pick her up after work for dinner.
But it was already well past off-duty time, where was Jing Rui?
Chi Jia stood up abruptly, her arm knocking over a glass of water on her desk, the water spilling everywhere.
Outside in the corridor, the clicking of high heels against the floor echoed, adding to Chi Jia's anxiety as she paced back and forth, her phone pressed to her ear, repeatedly dialing Jing Rui's number.
She must be overthinking it, Chi Jia told herself repeatedly.
"The number you dialed is currently unavailable."
"The number you dialed is currently unavailable."
"The number you…"
The same message, no matter how many times she tried.
Chi Jia stared at her phone, at her chat history with Jing Rui. Jing Rui had sent her a message at noon:
— I'll be done with work this afternoon.
— I'll be back in L City around 4 PM, I'll pick you up after work.
She said she would be back by 4 PM, so why hadn't she contacted her? Jing Rui, were you doing this on purpose?
Chi Jia's mind was in a frenzy. She leaned against the wall, looking down the corridor, hoping to see the vixen suddenly appear, telling her it was all a joke, a surprise.
The corridor was empty.
Chi Jia frantically sent message after message to Jing Rui:
— Where are you?
— Where are you now?
— Are you back yet?
— I'm waiting for you at the office.
— Call me back when you see this.
— Jing Rui, are you playing with me?
— I'm angry.
…
It was useless, no reply. Chi Jia calmed down slightly, then picked up her phone and dialed a different number.
"Director Ning."
"Xiao Jia, what's wrong?"
Chi Jia fiddled with her clothes, trying to sound calm, but her voice was filled with anxiety. "Do you know where Jing Rui is?"
"She's on a business trip, she might not be back yet." Ning Qian didn't know what was going on; she wasn't as familiar with Jing Rui's schedule as Chi Jia.
"She said she would be back this afternoon, and there's been no news since. I can't reach her by phone, and she's not replying to my messages."
"Don't panic yet." Ning Qian, sensing Chi Jia's anxiety, tried to reassure her. "Maybe her plans changed, she might be busy with work. I'll try to contact her, just wait a little longer."
"She wouldn't not contact me..." Ning Qian's words only made Chi Jia more worried. What if Jing Rui was still in Y City? "She's in Y City, I don't know if she's back yet, what should I do…?"
The mention of Y City gave Ning Qian a bad feeling. News of the earthquake in Y City was all over the headlines. "What? You said she's in Y City?!"
"Yes," Chi Jia had never felt this anxious before, her mind racing. "I haven't been able to reach her since 5 PM, what should I do…?"
Chi Jia's repeated "what should I do" showed her panic.
Ning Qian, being more experienced and composed, said, "Xiao Jia, don't panic, panicking won't help. I'll try to contact someone and find out. I'll call you as soon as I have any news, okay? Let's stay in touch."
"Thank you, Director Ning."
"It'll be alright, don't overthink it."
Night fell.
Chi Jia stood by the window, her heart pounding, checking her phone every minute, hoping for a message from Jing Rui.
Nothing.
At 8:30 PM, Chi Jia, having just gotten home, remembered that Yun Xin and Jing Rui were close; perhaps Yun Xin knew something. She decided to call Jian Yi and ask her to contact Yun Xin.
Unexpectedly, Jian Yi called her first.
As soon as Chi Jia answered, Jian Yi's anxious voice came through. "Xiao Jia, is Sister Jing Rui back in L City yet? Can you reach her?"
Everyone was looking for Jing Rui.
"I can't reach her…" Chi Jia's voice was filled with despair, her last shred of hope extinguished. "If you or Yun Xin hear anything, please let me know immediately!"
"Okay!" Jian Yi didn't know when Chi Jia had become so concerned about Jing Rui; they used to be like fire and water. "Yun Xin is trying to contact someone, I'll call you as soon as we have any news."
Chi Jia hung up, still standing by the door in her high heels, a sense of dread washing over her. Something must have happened to Jing Rui.
Looking at the message she had sent Jing Rui earlier, "Are you playing with me?", Chi Jia wished Jing Rui would reply with "Yes, I am."
Even if Jing Rui was playing with her, she wouldn't be angry this time. She would rather it be a cruel joke than…
Besides waiting for news, she kept calling Jing Rui, stubbornly dialing the number that kept saying "currently unavailable," spending the entire night holding her phone.
Jing Rui, you said you would call me every night? You only called for a few nights. The more she waited, the more anxious Chi Jia became, her lips dry, forgetting even to drink water.
Around 10:30 PM, her phone finally rang. Chi Jia's heart leaped with hope, but it was Jian Yi.
It wasn't good news.
It was confirmed that Jing Rui was still in Y City, currently unreachable due to the earthquake. Her assistant and several senior executives from her partner company were also missing. The Jing family had already contacted people to investigate.
After relaying the news, sensing Chi Jia's distress, Jian Yi tried to comfort her. Later, Ning Qian also called. Everyone was worried, but all they could do was wait.
News and updates about the earthquake kept popping up on her phone, but Chi Jia didn't have the courage to look at them. Every time the casualty count increased, her heart sank.
Jing Rui, please call me… Chi Jia sat on the sofa, numbly dialing Jing Rui's number, almost mechanically.
Every second was torture; unless you experienced it yourself, you wouldn't understand this feeling. Something she had thought was so distant, so improbable, was now happening right before her eyes.
Chi Jia sat on the sofa, unable to sleep, clutching her phone, waiting for a call, until dawn, her eyes bloodshot, but the call never came.
A long night, filled with endless thoughts.
Chi Jia scrolled through her chat history with Jing Rui, her expression blank, her eyes slightly red.
"Do you feel bad for me?"
"I miss you, sing me a song, okay?"
"…When I get back, sing for me, just for me."
Jing Rui's words echoed in Chi Jia's mind, her eyes welling up with tears.
If Jing Rui came back, she would tell the vixen that she felt so bad for her, that she missed her so much, that she was willing to sing for her, just for her, every day…
But Jing Rui had been missing for over ten hours now.
So agora deu valor né mana😅
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