<h4>Chapter 73: Chapter 72: Misfortune Comes in Twos and Threes</h4>


    ―――Vicars Hotel.


    Elliana Lyle sat in a wheelchair, pushed by Hannah Collins. In fact, she hadn’t expected Hannah to bring her wheelchair along.


    At this moment, in front of the hotel, a security guard was driving away an old beggar with a stick. The old beggar, having been struck, hurriedly ran away.


    That disheveled beggar was running in her direction, stumbling, dressed in a dirty white floral shirt, and the military canvas shoes on their feet were washed to the point of fraying.


    As they brushed past each other, Elliana froze, but she still recognized her! She quickly shouted: "Aunt Nancy!"


    As she called out, Elliana wasn’t sure if she had mistaken the person.


    The old beggar immediately stopped, slowly turned around, "El... El... Elliana girl―――!"


    That voice, worn and repressed, sounded out, hoarse from excitement, and she hurried towards Elliana.


    Seeing that she was getting closer, Hannah swiftly stood in front of Elliana, preventing the overly excited old woman from approaching.


    A month and a half ago.


    At that time, Elliana was still filming South Wind Song. At 9 PM, Elliana received a call from Aunt Nancy.


    "Hello, Aunt Nancy."


    Nestled in a man’s embrace watching TV, Elliana immediately sat up. A call from Aunt Nancy at this hour surely meant news about Nancy.


    But Aunt Nancy’s sobs on the other end of the line filled her with unease. Something must have happened. She hurriedly asked, "Aunt Nancy, what’s wrong? What happened?"


    "Elliana girl, I’ve returned to the countryside. The police still haven’t found my daughter. What should I do...?"


    Aunt Nancy sat on the kang, a dim light bulb lit the room, and she was crying uncontrobly.


    Hearing Aunt Nancy’s cries, Elliana immediately stood up, pacing a bit anxiously,forting her: "Aunt Nancy, don’t cry, we’ll find her. It’s just a matter of time. Please don’t cry..."


    In her panic, she really didn’t know how to console people.


    "Elliana girl, if my daughteres looking for you, you must tell me..." Aunt Nancy spoke intermittently, almost choked with sobs.


    "I know, once I find Nancy, I’ll definitely tell you. Aunt Nancy, don’t cry, we will find her, we definitely will."


    Elliana awkwardlyforted her, her free right hand hovering in the air, unsure of where to ce it.


    After a few words, Aunt Nancy hung up the phone. Seeing Elliana’s worried expression, Norman Bet spoke: "Girl,e here."


    Elliana obediently walked to the man, awaiting his next words.


    "I’ll have someone continue to investigate Nancy’s going abroad situation. Just wait for the news, alright?"


    "...Okay."


    ―――South City, Straighthead Town, Wang Family Vige.


    A dpidated dirt-walled house, surrounded by weeds, the walls made of dirt mixed with cow dung and stones, not too big, not too small, providing shelter from wind and rain. At the door, an old roon cat, strong from years of hunting prey, looked around with wide ck eyes, its pointed ears pinning back and forth towards its neck.


    "Wuwu..." A hoarse, low sobbing sounded particrly terrifying in this silent dark night.


    "Wuwu..."


    An unadorned bedroom with no clutter, simply having a bed, a broken wardrobe, with a crooked door.


    A woman sat on the bed, holding an old photograph, her sobs ghostly wailing, not at all an exaggeration to describe her sorrow.


    In the photo, there were three people, a young couple holding a child, the woman with braided hair, wearing a long dress, the man dressed in an oversized ck old suit, looking ill-fitting, and judging by the obviously fake sea background, it was taken in a studio.


    A night passed like this.


    In the morning, the old cat climbed on the roof, Aunt Nancy came out carrying a hoe. Though it was toote to nt vegetables in this season and past harvest time, she still wanted to see how the sweet potatoes nted in spring were doing.


    The river water sshed white as it flowed downhill, the sweet potato vines sprawling wildly into the small river.


    Half an hourter, the woman who had been fishing for sweet potato leaves by the river turned to fishing for her phone, her only phone, her only way to contact Elliana.


    In the rapid current, her phone was nowhere to be seen, the water reaching her waist.


    A monthter, she went to town to buy a new phone, but it had no number for Elliana. She lived in a daze every day, afraid Elliana had called, afraid the police were trying to reach her.


    Unaware she could get a new SIM card, returning to the vige, her eyes vacant and filled with tears, she seemed to have aged ten years, haggard to the point of pity.


    On the street side, two high school students huddled against a diner, using its Wi-Fi, one with ear-length short hair holding a phone, the other long-haired watching. Upon scrolling to a video, the short-haired girl excitedly said: "These paparazzi are sick, camping outside someone’s hotel to block them. Elliana Lyle is too good-tempered. If it were me, I’d be angry."


    "I feel so bad for Elliana."


    Elliana? Which Elliana?


    Aunt Nancy realized, hurriedly approaching the two girls: "Girls! Do you know where Elliana Lyle is?"


    "North... North City, Grandma, are you a fan too?" The girls were scared by this woman who seemed like a madwoman and stood up.


    The long-haired girl quickly pulled the short-haired one, urging: "Let’s go, let’s go! She’s crazy."


    "Girls! Girls!" She wanted to ask more, but with her shouting, the two girls ran even faster.


    After returning, she packed her bags, ready to head to North City.


    She didn’t know where Elliana was, but she had heard "hotel." She asked at every hotel in North City, staying three days at each, chased away by security, evicted by city patrols...


    After loitering at many hotels, she came to Vicars Hotel, sitting in a corner, trying her best not to attract the security’s attention.


    Her hair was white and thin, wrists emaciated, fingers like dry tree branches. Her cheeks sunken, she’s not unlike a skeleton d in skin.


    She watched the passing people intently.


    "Where did this old hage from, get lost!"


    Seeing a security guard wielding a stick with a fierce demeanor, she trembled and pleaded: "I...I’m not upying space, I’m just waiting for someone..." Saying this, she shrank further into the corner.


    The security guard impatiently said: "Scram! If you don’t, I’m gonna start hitting!"


    "I’m just waiting for someone, I..."


    The stick came down, hitting her arm. In pain, she could only scramble to get up and quickly run away.


    ...


    "Oh dear Lord..." When Aunt Nancy confirmed it was Elliana, she cried, nearly losing her voice.


    Elliana pushed Hannah aside and reached out to hold Aunt Nancy’s hand, "Aunt Nancy, how did you end up here?"


    Thinking of Aunt Nancy just being hit, she immediately said: "Hannah! Can you help me, help take Aunt Nancy to the hospital for a check-up."


    "No need to trouble ourselves, let’s just take her upstairs and find a doctor." With that, Hannah reached to support the trembling Aunt Nancy, and with the other hand, she pushed Elliana inside.


    At the door, Hannah gave the security guard a cold nce.


    The fate of that security guard was obvious.


    Back at the hotel, Elliana sat on the sofa holding Aunt Nancy’s hand, quietly listening to her recount the past month and a half.


    Listening, her eyes reddened. This woman, with only skin clinging to bones, appeared haggard like an 80-year-old, looking almost nothing like the Aunt Nancy she had first met.


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