The Popstar & Me

Chapter 35 - Find Him In Your Memories

Chapter 35

"My brother-in-law," Mrs. Lan recounts while laughing as the elevator travels up, past an endless countdown of floors. The ride didn't feel this long when I was taking it with Fang just two weeks ago. "He's always worked up about something. He stayed with us for about a week when he first moved back to Shanghai. He had his friends over all the time. Of course, that was back when he didn't drive his friends away with paranoia. He used to be quite the party boy. Let me tell you; I'm still fishing dirty underwear out of our couch."

"What happened to him? I mean — how did things go downhill with his mental state?"

"Liyuan was part of it. She was never good for him. Always trying to cut him off from his family. You know how the saying goes — during difficult times, it's your family that supports you."

"It probably wasn't just a problem with Liyuan. From the short time I've known Fang, maybe he had some issues he needed to deal with apart from her," I reply, trying my best to tell her something comforting. Mrs. Lan isn't at all touched by my sad attempt at making small talk. Instead, as the elevator door opens, her mouth drops open.

I half expect to see a mythical Longwang, gracing us with his imperial dragonly presence to warrant that kind of reaction from the polite and stoic Mrs. Lan. Instead, no, I see what prompted her mouth to fall to the floor. It is something equally alarming — Fang's apartment door is open.

Wide-open.

A private megastar like Fang Yao would never be so careless to do such a thing — not unless something terrible had happened.

We both forget all niceties and rush into the luxury multi-bedroom penthouse. Even though we don't say a word to each other, I feel like we're both wishing there weren't so many goddamn rooms in this place.

I half expect to see Fang's lifeless body lying on his living room couch as we burst inside. But no, there's nothing. Not even the imprint of a man on any of the beds in his many bedrooms.

There's nothing at all.

Fang is gone. He has left Shanghai. He did it without telling any of us where he was going.

"That shǎ zi," Mrs. Lan curses, this time with considerably less affection, and slams her cell phone down on the coffee table. "Where has he gone? What am I going to tell his family?"

"Maybe he went home to his parents in Beijing," I offer. "He's been talking about seeing them. M-maybe we can call them and ask if he's been in contact with them."

"No," Mrs. Lan sighs at me like I barely have two brain cells to rub together. "He never goes anywhere without telling his brother first. The two of them are close. Ever since their father had a stroke, Fang hasn't wanted to trouble his parents with any unnecessary attention. This is unusual." Rushi shakes her head. "This is very, very not like him."

I bite my tongue before I can say what I am thinking. Maybe Fang didn't tell Qing where he was going because he didn't trust his brother anymore. No, I can't say that. I feel sorry for Mrs. Lan, really I do. She doesn't seem to understand what any of this means. She's wandering from room to room now, collecting Fang's old tissues, empty beer glasses, and take-out containers like she's just tidying up in anticipation of his return.

"How am I going to tell Qing that his little brother is gone? Should we call the police? What if he's hurt?"

"I can talk to Qing if you want," I say as Mrs. Lan is practically tripping over her sky-high heels, trying to look under the beds and couches in each bedroom for any trace of where Fang might have gone.

"What will you tell Qing? That we don't know where Fang has gone? That you know nothing?"

Her voice is suddenly accusatory, so I hold my tongue. I see her phone is vibrating, and it does so violently enough that I'm worried it will fall off the coffee table and smash into the fine marble floors.

As I pick up the phone, the screen lights up, and I see Mrs. Lan's missed messages.

Do you have the pictures?

You said this is a story that will be worth our while.

XiaoLiLi — you better deliver proof of the accident, or you will be returning that 100,000 RMB advance.

Where are you? We already have another story lined up for tomorrow.