Standing Next To You-Chapter 483: Bei Sangyun is missing

Fei Chuan arrived at the guest house and paused at the entrance. He stood there, waiting.

Last time at the Royal Banquet, he feigned being drugged yet she still walked away from him and left the place abruptly. Fortunately, he had maintained a tenuous connection with her, thanks to the ’thank you’ gift.

The ’thank you dinner’ and the exchange of gifts had been strategic moves—good ones, even—but they weren’t enough to bridge the emotional distance between them.

Bei Sangyun still kept her walls firmly in place, ones he couldn’t breach easily. Whenever he made an effort to approach her, she would retreat, maintaining a frustratingly safe distance.

As much as he wanted to invite her to another dinner or arrange another meeting, Fei Chuan restrained himself. He did not want to startle the enemy and made her put up defenses again.

But now, with an unexpected opportunity to see her again and speak to her face-to-face, he wasn’t going to let it slip away.

He leaned casually against the wall and checked his watch. Ten minutes had passed. Was she still not ready?

Fei Chuan crossed his arms and continued to wait.

According to Lin Sunji, Bei Sangyun had only come here to change into a new dress. Surely, she would return to the party soon.

But then again, if she didn’t want to go back to the party, that was fine too. He preferred to talk with her in private, where no one could disturb them.

As he waited, he ran through excuses in his mind—reasons he could give her for his appearance here when they met. Minutes ticked by, and his mind had already spun dozens of scenarios, yet Bei Sangyun still hadn’t appeared.

He glanced at his watch again. Twenty minutes.

Well, he could still wait a little longer.

Just as that thought crossed his mind, he noticed a maid emerging from the guest hall, carrying a garment bag and wearing a confused expression.

Fei Chuan’s gaze fell on the bag. It held an emerald green dress.

Lin Sunji’s earlier words echoed in his mind.

"Excuse me," Fei Chuan approached the maid with a polite smile. "Did Lin Sunji send you here?"

The maid froze, momentarily dazzled by Fei Chuan’s charm. She stared blankly at him for a moment before nodding slowly.

His smile didn’t falter. "I see. I’m a friend of her brother. I assume she sent you to deliver the dress to Bei Sangyun. May I ask if she’s still here?"

The maid blinked, snapping out of her daze. "Ah, yes. I was instructed to bring the dress to the Third Young Miss, but I couldn’t find her. The room they told me about is empty... as are the other rooms."

Fei Chuan’s smile froze. "She’s gone?"

The maid hesitated, then nodded uncertainly. "I... think so, Sir."

Fei Chuan’s smile vanished. Did Bei Sangyun leave the banquet the same way she’d left the Royal Banquet—abruptly and without a word?

They’d barely exchanged greetings earlier. Was that brief interaction all she felt was necessary?

His chest tightened as a bitter thought crossed his mind. Was he no different from everyone else in her eyes—someone unimportant, someone she could leave without even saying goodbye?

His expression darkened, and his fists clenched at his sides.

He had put in so much effort over the past week, hoping to break through her guarded walls. He thought she might begin to soften, to consider him as something—if not a friend, then at least a close acquaintance. After all, she had given him the brooch, a subtle match to the purse he had gifted her.

Wasn’t that a sign that they shared some connection?

But now, this? She had left without a word. Perhaps, to her, he was nothing special—nothing worth even a simple farewell.

"Sir?" The maid’s voice broke through his stormy thoughts, her concern evident as she noticed the sudden shift in his mood.

Fei Chuan’s eyes shifted to the empty hall beyond the guest rooms. A thought struck him suddenly. If Bei Sangyun had left, she would have had to pass by this hallway. Yet he hadn’t seen her.

"...You said all the rooms were empty?" His voice was quiet, but there was a sharpness to it.

"Yes," the maid replied, frowning in confusion. "I checked them all, Sir."

"But I didn’t see her leave."

The maid tilted her head, equally puzzled. "The Second Young Miss told me the Third Young Miss would be here, waiting... but the room was empty."

Fei Chuan frowned. "You should report to your Master immediately. If she knows where Bei Sangyun is, tell her to call Mr. Fei."

The maid nodded, watching as Fei Chuan headed upstairs to check the guest rooms himself.

Fei Chuan moved through the rooms one by one, but they were all empty. Finally, he arrived at the farthest room on the second floor—the room where Bei Sangyun was supposed to be. It, too, was vacant.

Had she really left?

Just as he was about to turn and leave, something caught his eye. A flash of purple.

He stopped and looked again, his gaze falling on the table. There, sitting quietly, was the purse he had given her.

Fei Chuan crossed the room in an instant, picking it up.

It was unmistakable—this was the purse. Only three existed in the world, and Bei Sangyun was the only one in Country C who owned it.

His thoughts raced. It wasn’t like her to leave something so important behind. Even if she didn’t care for him, there was no reason for her to abandon her purse.

Had she truly left in such a hurry that she forgot it? That was possible—but why would she be in such a rush?

Fei Chuan pulled out his phone and dialed Lin Sanju, but there was no answer. He sighed, ending the call. Lin Sanju was likely still preoccupied with the banquet, being the center of attention tonight.

As he debated calling Lin Sunji next, something inside the purse vibrated.