At the mention of being dropped as a client, Mother Bai's anxiety grew even deeper.
In her pessimistic outlook, if a major platform like the Yuanxin Matchmaking Agency dropped them, Bai Ci would never have another chance to find a suitable partner to marry.
Without anyone to marry, she would have no choice but to wait for the curse to take effect and needlessly lose her life.
Seeing her mother so anxious she was on the verge of tears, Bai Ci felt a sense of helplessness, but also found it slightly amusing.
A three-legged toad was hard to find, but two-legged men were a dime a dozen, weren't they?
Even if her current situation meant that any two-legged man she bound herself to would end up dead, worst-case scenario, she could just find a two-legged woman.
Rain's Message only bound opposite-sex pairs, not same-sex ones. Surely she wouldn't jinx another woman to death.
Bai Ci reached out and patted her mother's back, her tone light. “Mom, you're overthinking this. It's not that easy for them to just drop a client.”
“Even if they really wanted to cancel, they would call to notify us. They wouldn't just let it fade away like this.”
“But... but she's just not calling,” Mother Bai said, fretting uselessly. “I really can't set my mind at ease. If they really drop you, what are you going to do?”
“Alright, Mom, don't worry.” Bai Ci picked up her mother's phone and slid it into her hands.
“If you're really that worried, why don't you just call Cheng Yin and ask? Even if they want to cancel, she wouldn't ignore a client's call.”
Mother Bai hesitated for a moment before dialing Cheng Yin's number.
The phone rang again and again, but the receiver only played the automated message: “The number you have dialed is currently unavailable. Please try again later.”
Mother Bai put her phone down, completely deflated. She slumped on the sofa, staring downward. “No one's picking up... no one is answering... What should we do?”
“Xiao Ci, have they really dropped us?”
Bai Ci sighed softly. She knew that her mother's intense anxiety stemmed entirely from worrying about her.
“Mom, don't let your mind run wild. Maybe Cheng Yin really has some urgent business and hasn't seen her phone.”
“Even if they really did drop us, it doesn't matter. We have other ways. We don't have to rely on a matchmaking agency.”
Over the next few hours, Mother Bai was too restless to sit still. She kept pacing to the window to look outside, then picking up her phone to call Cheng Yin again, only to be met with silence every time.
Her spirits sank lower and lower, to the point where she didn't even have the appetite for lunch, repeatedly muttering to herself about what they were going to do.
By two in the afternoon, Mother Bai could no longer bear the waiting. She suddenly stood up, a look of resolve in her eyes. “No, I can't just sit here and wait.”
“I'm going to the Yuanxin Matchmaking Agency to see what on earth is going on. Even if they really want to drop us, ignoring our calls like this... what is the meaning of this?”
With that, she grabbed her coat and prepared to head out the door.
Remembering Chen Quan's warning, Bai Ci immediately stepped forward to stop her. “Mom, don't go!”
“Why can't I go?” Mother Bai stopped and looked at Bai Ci in confusion.
Just then, Bai Ci's phone suddenly rang. An unfamiliar number displayed on the screen, but the digits seemed somewhat familiar.
“Hello?” Bai Ci walked to the side and answered.
“Miss Bai, it's me, Chen Quan,” Chen Quan's voice came from the other end of the line.
“Yesterday's test results are out. There are some matters that require you to come to the Bureau of Investigation in person so we can discuss them face-to-face.”
“Alright, Captain Chen. I'll head over right away,” Bai Ci said, walking toward the door.
“No need to rush. Take your time. I'll be waiting for you at the bureau.”
Chen Quan paused for a moment, then added, “Additionally, the bureau has already taken action against the Yuanxin Matchmaking Agency. A small number of individuals involved are currently on the run.”
“Try not to travel alone if you can help it. If you have a family member with you, you can bring them along and have them wait in the lobby.”
Bai Ci understood his intent. Chen Quan was likely worried she might run into danger on the way. After all, members of the matchmaking agency were currently on the run, and leaving her unsuspecting mother home alone indeed carried some risk.
Hanging up, she turned to look at Mother Bai on the sofa.
Seeing Bai Ci hang up, Mother Bai immediately stood up and asked, “Xiao Ci, who was that?”
Bai Ci didn't hide too much, choosing her words carefully. “It was someone from the Bureau of Investigation. Mom, actually, I didn't go to a friend's place yesterday. I went to the Bureau of Investigation.”
“The Bureau of Investigation?” Mother Bai's eyes widened, her face instantly filling with tension and confusion. “What did you go there for? Did something happen?”
Bai Ci quickly reassured her, “Mom, don't worry. I didn't do anything wrong.”
“It's just that something seems to have happened with the Yuanxin Matchmaking Agency. They might be involved in some criminal activities, so the investigators wanted me to give a statement to help them understand the situation.”
“Criminal activities?” Mother Bai's face turned even paler. “How could a matchmaking agency be involved in crime?”
“Then... will we get dragged into this? Xiao Ci, are you alright? Why do you have to go back there today?”
“I'm fine, Mom. Don't worry.” Bai Ci gently patted her mother's hand. “They ran some tests on some things at the bureau yesterday, and I'm just going to get the results today.”
Still uneasy, Mother Bai grabbed Bai Ci's hand and said urgently, “No, I'm coming with you. I need to be by your side. That way, if anything happens, we can look out for each other.”
Bai Ci nodded. With Chen Quan's prior warning, she had already intended to bring her mother along anyway.
It was much better than worrying about her mother acting on impulse and running off to the matchmaking agency alone, which would be far more dangerous.
Keeping her close and letting her wait in the lobby of the Bureau of Investigation would put her mind at ease while allowing Bai Ci to keep an eye on her, preventing her from doing anything rash out of anxiety.
“Alright, then come with me,” Bai Ci instructed. “But Mom, once we get to the bureau, you have to wait in the lobby. I'll come right out as soon as I get the results, okay?”
“Okay, okay, I'll do whatever you say.” Mother Bai nodded rapidly. As long as she could stay by Bai Ci's side, her heart could rest.
The two of them quickly got ready and headed out together.
As they walked downstairs, Mother Bai still gripped Bai Ci's hand tightly, repeatedly muttering under her breath, “Please let everything be alright... We have to be okay...”
They hailed a cab and headed toward the Bureau of Investigation.
The moment Bai Ci stepped into the lobby of the Bureau of Investigation, she saw An Shu standing near the entrance of a hallway not far away.
She settled Mother Bai onto a sofa in the lobby to rest before walking over.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, An Shu led her inside.
“Officer An, I wanted to ask, how is Officer Xiao Wen doing? I suspected something might have happened to him yesterday, and I've been quite worried,” Bai Ci asked.
She still felt a bit concerned about the fate of the unlucky guy who had been dragged into this mess, and at the same time, this was an opportunity to gather more information about the instance.
At the mention of Xiao Wen, a faint smile appeared on An Shu's face, and her tone lightened considerably.
“Xiao Wen is fine. He sustained some minor injuries, but the doctor said he'll fully recover after resting for half a month. It's nothing serious.”
Rate on N.U.
