The sand was still hot from the evening sun. Yuqi buried her feet in it and watched the sun starting to set. The sky was filled with red and pink colors swirling together with the clouds. And there in the middle was him rising from the water. That beautiful dark brown hair slicked back by the water, his perfectly sculpted body dripping with water droplets and that incredible annoying boyish grin. A smile crept onto Yuqi's lips as he walked towards her. He was a sight to behold.

Yuqi woke up by the turbulence, so she wished she could go back to the last night. If only she could stay there forever but reality isn't that kind. Instead, she is heading back to her old town, where nothing happens. But she can't deny that she is a little happy. She missed Yanan, telling him everything that happened and staying up late at night and talking about all or nothing. She wants his comfort. After all, she developed a crush but she doesn't know if the other person felt the same. Either way, it is too late now, she's never going to meet him again. That truth was a heavyweight on her heart. Like a big stone crushing her heart into pieces. She needed Yanan and his comfort. Even if it meant a million questions like what his name was, what she did, how they met. The truth was that it was just a simple coincidence that they met, and she had been too afraid that he would just disappear any moment that she even forgot to ask his name. It was just a beautiful fleeting dream that she would keep in her heart forever. She would after all never see him again, he would remain her dream prince.

As the plane started it descend towards the ground, Yuqi actually felt a sense of relief. She was almost home in her comfort zone, where everything would go back to normal. Where she doesn't have to think about the boy she left without a word. It would all be a distant memory, or so she wished it would be but no matter what she did she couldn't get that boyish grin and those beautiful brown eyes out of her mind. His face was engraved in her mind and she needed to talk about it, and there was no way she would talk to her parents. But soon Yanan would be here, they would have their yearly sleepover which they planned before she left and everything would be perfect again.

The bags kept going round and round and it took a while before she found her own bag. Carefully she took it down and started walking towards her parents, who unexpectedly seemed to be talking to someone. They seemed familiar, but Yuqi couldn't put her finger on who they were until she got closer. The strict brown eyes and the partly bleached hair, the pointy chin, and sharp glasses. It was no doubt who they were, she had met them almost every day for the last eight years. They were Yanan parents. But why wasn't he with them? Yuqi looked around in anticipation, he was probably hiding somewhere waiting to surprise her. But there was no Yanan insight. No one surprised her. No one who as much cast her a glance. Still, she didn't let her smile fade, she was sure he was here somewhere. Maybe he just went to the toilet. Then her mother turned and looked straight at her with a pained expression. Yuqi's smile faltered a little, why did her mother's normally happy face look so sad, why did it look like she was in pain. Why did it look like she pitied Yuqi? Something felt wrong very wrong. She wanted to turn around and jump onto that plane again. Whatever that happened she didn't want to face.  Perhaps somebody had robbed their house and Yuqi's most treasured glass figured were stolen. That would be a reasonable explanation for her mother's reaction. Then she saw Yanan's mother's face. Her normally strict brown eyes were glossy not a trace of the strict mother Yuqi was used to was visible. She had heavy bags under her eyes which were red and puffy. It looked like she had been crying for days. She also looked thinner and weak. She had to lean into Yanan's father's embrace to stand. She looked extremely tired like her life force was out of her. But why would ms Yan look so destroyed if it was Yuqi's house that was robbed? A million thoughts went through her head. Did something happen to Yanan? Of course not it Yanan after all, he is fine, any moment now he will appear. Maybe the robber also broke into their house and the damage was worse. That sounds possible. or maybe a close friend or relative recently died and it was someone we also know. Perhaps she is sick and that is why she looks so tired and worn out. Yuqi's thoughts were spinning out of control and she tried to find a possible reason for this without involving Yanan but it felt impossible. After what felt like an eternity of staring her mother opened .

"Honey" She didn't like her mother's tone, it reminded her of the time when her mother sat Yuqi down to tell her that her favorite bird had died. She had cried for weeks after that. It wasn't a pleasant memory and her mother's tone indicated that something bad very bad had happened.

"Mom, what is happening?" She meant for her voice to come out steady and confident. She didn't want to how that she was scared. She even mustered up a small smile, but Yuqi knew she failed badly. Instead of confident, her voice came out shaky and broken. It was like small whimpers and her smile turned crooked, she was shaking like a leaf in the wind.

" Yuqi there is no easy way to tell you this but Yanan is missing and the police think he left willingly. They think he packed his own bag and left. He simply ran away" Yuqi's head was spinning, it felt like her work just turned upside down. There was no longer solid ground under her feet, she felt how her legs turned to jelly. Nothing was real or right anymore. Yanan was missing, he wasn't her somewhere trying to prank her. He was really gone and possible by free will. He had left her without a word. he just packed up and disappeared. She couldn't believe it, it was just some prank he set up for her welcome home feast. That had to be it but deep down she knew it wasn't some stupid prank. He was really gone. But why hadn't he said anything, he had done nothing to indicate that he wanted to leave. That he planned on leaving and if he really did why did he even bother to plan their yearly sleepover with her. She wanted to yell at him, ask him these questions but he wasn't here. But what if he didn't choose to leave of his own free will? what if he was forced. Yuqi felt that was much more reasonable. There was a reason why he disappeared. Still, she couldn't help but be both mad and sad. Who would she talk to know, who would be by her side all the time to make her laugh and smile. Who would she prank, make happy. She was all alone now.

"Sweetie I hate to ask you this in these hard times coping with that he is gone"  A small sob broke out from ms Yan, it seemed hard on her. Yuqi couldn't understand why Yanan would do this, he loved his parents so much even if he sometimes complained that they were too strict. Still, he always expressed how much he loved them and that he didn't want to hurt them. Yuqi couldn't help but wonder what happened during her time away that made him hurt them so.  

"Have you heard anything from him, or when was the last time you heard from him. Did you see any signs that he wanted to leave. I'm sorry it's a lot of questions and a lot to take in. You can take your time to answer. I'm just so worried about him"  Yuqi felt a tear slowly find its way down her cheek and before she knew i