Bai Shan shook his head. "He's not here. We were halfway through our books when Tongtong, the girl who came with him, said she was hungry. So he took her out to buy something to eat."
"He said they were just going to buy a roasted sweet potato, right over there, but he never came back."
Bai Shan pointed to the roasted sweet potato stall not far from the library. "When I saw he wasn't coming back, I came out to look for him, but I couldn't find him."
Bai Shan's face was pale, his lips tinged with blue. He was clearly frantic. "I kept waiting for him. I've been waiting for half an hour and he's still not back. His bag is still inside, so he wouldn't just leave without a word."
Su Li's own anxiety flared, but seeing Bai Shan's state, she quickly patted his shoulder to soothe him.
"Don't panic, don't panic, Bai Shan. Take a deep breath. Little Mo wouldn't just disappear without saying anything. Something must have just held him up."
