The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 258. Accidents Suddenly Occur

Chapter 258: 258. Accidents Suddenly Occur

Shen Qinglan and her group had just returned when Jin Enxi and Yu Xiaoxuan were already happily wandering outside, opting not to wait at the hotel. Shen Qinglan gave Jin Enxi a call and, learning that they had already eaten, she didn’t bother further and went out to dine with Daniel.

When she returned in the evening, Shen Qinglan had just finished showering when Fu Hengyi sent a video call request. After she clicked agree, he asked, "Were you just taking a shower?" his eyes lingered on her pajamas.

Shen Qinglan nodded, "Why are you so late today?" It was nine in the evening her time, but for Fu Hengyi, it was already midnight.

Naturally, Fu Hengyi wouldn’t tell her that he stayed up just waiting for her, and seeing a large wet patch on her pajama shoulder, he frowned, "Didn’t dry your hair again?"

Shen Qinglan laughed, "I heard my phone and came out before I could dry it," implying that if he hadn’t called, she certainly would have dried her hair.

Fu Hengyi knew her all too well, aware that she never planned to dry her hair in the first place. He smiled helplessly, "Yes, it’s all my fault." Knowing she disliked using hair dryers, he urged, "Go get a towel and dry your hair."

Shen Qinglan got up, placed her phone on the bedside table facing the bathroom, then went in to grab a towel. She emerged and began drying her hair while chatting with Fu Hengyi.

"Today, I went to the opening of the art festival and visited the private estate of the president of the Xueli City Art Association, where I tasted some very nice wine. He even gave me a few bottles to take home and taste when you return," Shen Qinglan shared casually with Fu Hengyi.

"Do you like drinking wine?" Fu Hengyi inquired.

"Not particularly, but an occasional taste isn’t too bad. Their private estate has vast vineyards, and they craft the wines themselves." Although they weren’t on par with world-famous wines, they had their charm.

"If you like, we could buy an estate to grow our own grapes and make wine," Fu Hengyi suggested.

Shen Qinglan looked at him incredulously, "Fu Hengyi, you’re a soldier." Is such "decadence" really acceptable?

"That’s why I said you should buy it. I’m broke, so I’ll have to rely on my wife for support," Fu Hengyi declared with unabashed earnestness.

Shen Qinglan was speechless. The longer she spent with Fu Hengyi, the clearer she realized that his characteristic coldness, seriousness, and diligence were reserved for outsiders. With her, he was a completely different person—this contrast oddly made Shen Qinglan find Fu Hengyi... quite adorable.

If Mr. Fu knew that, in his own wife’s mind, he was regarded as ’adorable’, it was hard to imagine what he would think.

After chatting with Fu Hengyi for half an hour and noticing the late hour his side, Shen Qinglan urged him to go to bed.

"Wife, is that it for the night?" Fu Hengyi raised an eyebrow at her through the video.

Shen Qinglan looked at him, her expression unreadable, what else was there?

"What about a goodnight kiss?" Fu Hengyi prompted when she seemed confused.

Shen Qinglan gave him a glance and emotionlessly pressed the end call button.

Fu Hengyi watched the ended video call and chuckled silently. He had learned that Shen Qinglan was actually quite shy about such matters, thin-skinned, and easily teased.

**

Early the next day, Shen Qinglan and others set out for Chicken Heart Island. Being by the sea, Xueli City was close to Chicken Heart Island, a small island with beautiful scenery that attracted many tourists.

They drove to the pier where, during the art festival, there were numerous ferries headed to Chicken Heart Island—but even more people waiting. Daniel had already called Mr. Frank in advance to borrow his private yacht. The group boarded the yacht, and Yu Xiaoxuan, looking at the people still queuing on the pier, couldn’t help but marvel, "Qinglan, now I fully understand the allure of money."

"Isn’t there a saying in Z country? ’Money isn’t everything, but without money, there’s nothing you can do.’ With money, we can enjoy a better life," commented Jin Enxi.

Yu Xiaoxuan nodded in agreement, "True, Enxi, do you know about any good food on Chicken Heart Island?" As she spoke, the conversation swiftly shifted—indeed, this was the topic Yu Xiaoxuan was most concerned about.

"That might disappoint you. Chicken Heart Island was once a prison for Xueli City, especially during World War II when it also served as a naval ship repair site. It’s filled more with historical relics than anything else."

Yu Xiaoxuan’s face fell, "No special cuisine?"

"Don’t think about food all the time, okay?" Jin Enxi said, speechless. After a few days of getting to know each other, she and Yu Xiaoxuan had become much closer, and her way of speaking was a lot more casual.

"Hey, you sound just like Fang Tong. People regard food as their heaven. Eating is an important part of life; how can you be careless about it?"

"Although there isn’t a lot of gourmet food on the island, the sea views are really amazing, especially from the sea view rooms. You can see the sunrise first thing in the morning," Jin Enxi added.

Yu Xiaoxuan’s eyes lit up, "Then can we stay there for one night?" She looked towards Shen Qinglan, who was leaning against the cruise ship’s deck, gazing at the sea view.

"We can."

Yu Xiaoxuan was very happy, "Then we’ll stay there for one night and go back tomorrow."

"That’s actually a good idea. Chicken Heart Island is Xueli City’s largest island. It’s not just historic relics but also beaches. You can have a look; I guess you’ll like it."

Jin Enxi’s words stirred Yu Xiaoxuan’s interest. Looking at the island close at hand, she was quite excited.

There were many private yachts at the dock, but Frank had his own designated berth here, so there was no need to worry about not finding a spot to dock. They parked the yacht at the pier and disembarked.

As Jin Enxi said, there were quite a few people on the island, all here for the art festival, and of course, some were purely for sightseeing.

The exhibits on Chicken Heart Island were mostly bronze and iron sculptures of various sizes and shapes, but each was a treasure. Even Yu Xiaoxuan, an outsider to the art world, sighed at the sight of these works.

Hotel reservations on the island were hard to come by now, and since they had decided on the spur of the moment to stay overnight, after discussing, Shen Qinglan and the others decided to camp. Although it was winter, the temperature wasn’t very low.

There was a place on the island specializing in renting tents, so they went to choose a spot first.

The camping site was near a cliff on the edge of the island, ten meters ahead would be the cliff, but the terrain here was flat. There were quite a few people camping nearby, and Shen Qinglan and the others chose a spot close to the edge of the cliff.

Yu Xiaoxuan walked to a point two meters away from the cliff and stopped, then looked forward, "Qinglan, my legs are going weak."

Shen Qinglan walked over, straight to the edge of the cliff, and glanced down. She estimated that the distance to the sea surface was no more than thirty meters, at most about twenty, not very high.

"Qinglan, don’t go over there," Yu Xiaoxuan said, her voice trembling. She was a bit afraid of heights, well, just a bit.

Shen Qinglan reached out her hand, "Xiao Xuan, come here."

Yu Xiaoxuan didn’t dare at first, hesitating while looking at Shen Qinglan, who had her hand stretched out.

After hesitating for a while, Yu Xiaoxuan still came over, clinging tightly to Shen Qinglan’s hand, "Yu Xiaoxuan, open your eyes and look down."

Yu Xiaoxuan shook her head.

"It’s beautiful down there, and you’ll regret it if you miss it," Shen Qinglan calmly said, her voice steady.

At her words, Yu Xiaoxuan felt a sense of curiosity, opened her eyes, and looked down. The wind was strong today, causing the waves to crash into the cliff and create huge sprays, indeed very beautiful.

In the distance was the coastline, where the sea and sky merged into one, indistinguishable from each other.

"Qinglan, it’s really beautiful here. I want to come back with Han Yi sometime," Yu Xiaoxuan said to Shen Qinglan, sitting beside her and watching the sea.

Shen Qinglan smiled; Yu Xiaoxuan had read her mind.

As the sun slowly set, the sea surface was tinged with a faint pink, which deepened over time into vast swathes of dark red.

Shen Qinglan took a photo and posted a Weibo update, "Next time, I want to come here with you."

Fu Hengyi had never had a Weibo account before, but ever since Shen Qinglan opened her Weibo account, he registered for one too. When he came back in the evening and saw this status update, Fu Hengyi sent Shen Qinglan a WeChat message—["Good"].

It was just a simple word, but Shen Qinglan instantly understood his meaning, gave a slight smile, and put the phone away.

"Qinglan, I had no idea your barbecue skills were so good," Yu Xiaoxuan said, holding a skewer of roasted meat, her face brimming with satisfaction.

Daniel was also tasting Shen Qinglan’s cooking for the first time and couldn’t help but give a thumbs-up. "Qinglan, is there anything you can’t do?"

Jin Enxi laughed at the side. In fact, Shen Qinglan’s barbecue skills were quite extraordinary, but if it came to cooking... remembering the food she had once tasted, made by Shen Qinglan, Jin Enxi shook her head. It was better for Qinglan to stick to being a goddess—those earthly tasks should be left to others.

And Yu Xiaoxuan’s eyes were also full of smiles, hmm, she remembered when Shen Qinglan sang a children’s song.

Shen Qinglan glanced at Yu Xiaoxuan and Jin Enxi, aware of what they were thinking, and her gaze was helpless.

The next morning, when it was just barely light, they all got up, wanting to see the sunrise over the sea. After watching the sunrise, they planned to go back.

Walking to the dock, the scene was just as bustling as the day before. Shen Qinglan boarded the cruise ship, with Daniel walking at the end.

"This sir," a woman called out to Daniel. Daniel turned around to look at her.

"Sir, my child is sick, can we take your boat to Xueli City?" She was holding a child in her arms, the child’s face flushed red with a high fever.

Daniel knew that although there was a hospital on Chicken Heart Island, its medical capabilities were limited. Behind the woman was a man who appeared to be part of a family of three, and at this moment, the parents’ faces were etched with anxiety.

Many people were still lined up at the dock waiting to board the cruise ship, which operated on a fixed schedule, and it would be at least a quarter of an hour before the next one departed.

"You can come aboard," Shen Qinglan called out.

The woman looked at Shen Qinglan, her face full of gratitude, "Thank you, miss, thank you."

"Hurry on board, the ship’s about to leave," Daniel said.

The couple boarded the ship, faces filled with gratitude.

It took an hour to get from Chicken Heart Island to the dock in Xueli City. After boarding, the couple sat quietly in the cabin, not wandering around or gawking at the luxurious facilities, a sign of good upbringing.

Their child was small, looked to be only about two or three years old, eyes closed and brows furrowed in discomfort—it was evident he felt very unwell. The woman kept touching her forehead to the child’s head.

Seeing Shen Qinglan looking over, the corners of the woman’s mouth twitched slightly, probably trying to smile, but her current mood made it difficult. "Miss, did you go to Chicken Heart Island for fun?"

Shen Qinglan nodded, looking towards the child in her arms. "If the child is sick, why didn’t you take him to the hospital on the island?" Although the medical level there was limited, at the very least they could provide some relief.

"We did go. Yesterday afternoon, the child had a fever, so we took him to the island’s hospital. He had medicine and an injection, and his fever went down. We planned to leave yesterday, but we were delayed at the hospital. By the time we left, we had already missed the last cruise ship of the day, so we had to wait until this morning."

Looking at the child now, it was clear the fever had returned. Seeing the anxious parents, Shen Qinglan’s eyes moved subtly. She went to the cruise ship’s wine cellar and took out a bottle of liquor.

"Start by using alcohol to lower the child’s fever," Shen Qinglan offered the liquor to the man. The man looked at the name on the bottle but did not accept it; the price of this bottle was almost equivalent to half a year of his salary.

"Take it. The child is the most important thing," Shen Qinglan added. If the high fever couldn’t be reduced in time, the consequences could be very serious.

The man hesitated but finally accepted the liquor. "Thank you, miss."

Shen Qinglan smiled. "Apply some liquor to the child’s palms, soles, and armpits."

"Thank you, miss. You really are too kind," the woman said, her face filled with gratitude.

Shen Qinglan didn’t speak and walked out, but as soon as she stepped onto the deck, she saw Daniel with an anxious expression on his face, "Qinglan, something’s wrong."

Shen Qinglan’s expression changed slightly, "What’s wrong?"

"The cabin is leaking water, and it’s leaking oil as well," Daniel said.

Shen Qinglan quickly followed Daniel to the cockpit, where several crew members also wore faces full of urgency. Shen Qinglan quickly checked and found that the oil remaining in the cruise ship’s tank was nearly zero.

"I checked last night and it was at fifty percent," one of the crew members said.

The look in Shen Qinglan’s eyes darkened slightly, it was obviously man-made, the lowest level of the cabin was already filled with water, and the bottom of the ship was sinking, "Why didn’t we notice it when we just set out?" Shen Qinglan’s voice was very cold.

The crew member looked guilty. Just now, they had been chatting together and hadn’t checked at all. By the time they realized something was wrong, the ship had already been out of the harbor for half an hour. That is to say, they were now right in the center between Chicken Heart Island and the Xueli City dock.

Shen Qinglan gave them a cold look, "Daniel, send a distress signal and get someone to rescue us."

Daniel nodded and quickly left the cockpit.

The sinking of the ship was so obvious that Yu Xiaoxuan and Jin Enxi also noticed that something was wrong. Seeing Shen Qinglan come out with a grave expression, they immediately felt a sense of dread, "Qinglan, what’s wrong?"

"The oil tank is leaking oil."

Daniel had already sent the signal, and fortunately, there were many cruise ships coming and going these days. Soon, a cruise ship began to approach them.

Shen Qinglan and the others, including the couple and several crew members, were now standing on the deck. They explained the situation to the other party, who immediately agreed to let them on board.

Once they reached Xueli City, the couple still looked deeply shaken and clung tightly to the child in their arms.

"Let’s take the child to the hospital first," Shen Qinglan said.

"What is your name, miss?" the man asked politely.

Shen Qinglan shook her head, "The child is most important, let’s go to the hospital first." It was originally a trivial matter, Shen Qinglan hadn’t taken it to heart, but today’s accident...

Although today was a near miss without any real harm, Yu Xiaoxuan was still somewhat scared. Not long after they boarded the cruise ship that came to their rescue, the water had spread to the deck of Frank’s ship, and the bow had already sunk. That is to say, if they had stayed for ten more minutes, they might have ended up feeding the sharks in the sea.

Shen Qinglan asked Jin Enxi and Yu Xiaoxuan to return to the hotel first, then went with Daniel to find Frank at the estate.

After hearing what had happened, Frank’s face became terribly grim. The ship sank so fast that it left no time to react. Moreover, the leaking oil from the tank was so obviously a sign of tampering that even Frank struggled to comfort himself that it was an accident.

This was Shen Qinglan’s first visit here, and she didn’t know anyone, so there was no question of having any enemies. The cruise ship belonged to Frank, so this was clearly an act targeted at Frank. The unfortunate thing was that it was Shen Qinglan, not Frank, who used the cruise ship this time.

"Miss Shen, I’m truly sorry for the fright you experienced," Frank said apologetically. If it weren’t for Shen Qinglan’s quick reaction, he might have been in real trouble since Shen Qinglan’s status in Country Z was not simple.

"Mr. Frank, my friend and I are fine. I came over with Daniel also to remind you," Shen Qinglan said.

"Thank you for your kindness, Miss Shen. I will investigate this matter thoroughly. I am very sorry that your friend was frightened this time,"

Knowing that Frank had things to take care of, Shen Qinglan declined Frank’s invitation to stay for a meal and left with Daniel.

"Qinglan, are we leaving tomorrow?" Daniel asked. Such an incident had affected their mood.

Shen Qinglan shook her head, "Tomorrow we’ll go see the Contemporary Art Museum." She had seen it once before, but not in great detail. After chatting with those great artists the past few days, she had gained a lot and wanted to see those works again.

Naturally, Daniel had no objections.

Returning to the hotel, Yu Xiaoxuan had already gone to bed early without even having lunch. Jin Enxi didn’t seem to be affected at all. Seeing Shen Qinglan return, she entered her room.

"What did Frank say?" Jin Enxi asked.

"It should be an operation targeting Frank."

Jin Enxi’s brow furrowed, "So we are collateral damage?"

"It seems so."

"Ha, this is getting interesting. I’ll have to tell Cissily when we get back; she’ll surely find it amusing. However..." Jin Enxi’s tone paused, "King has been silent for quite a while this time. After taking such a big loss last time, there still hasn’t been any action, which is very unlike his usual modus operandi."

Hearing this, a shadow fell over Shen Qinglan’s eyes, "This can only mean he’s brewing something bigger."

Jin Enxi scratched her head in some agitation, "We have King in front of us and Allen behind us, and now our situation is a... what’s it called... between a rock and a hard place."

"Caught between a wolf in front and a tiger behind."

"Right, that’s the one. An, I want to get rid of King directly. I heard he was seriously injured last time and definitely hasn’t recovered quickly. I wasn’t his match before, but now it might not be the same." Jin Enxi became more convinced the more she thought about her suggestion.

"Enxi, don’t act recklessly," Shen Qinglan cautioned, but her mind was also considering the feasibility of what Jin Enxi had just mentioned. It might not work for Jin Enxi, but if she went herself... A chilling gleam flashed in Shen Qinglan’s eyes.

**

Inside an estate in Xueli City, Catherine lay beneath the sun enjoying a rare warm sunbath. When her phone rang, she answered, "How did it go?"

"Miss, I’m sorry, Shen Qinglan and the others were rescued by someone. Nothing happened."

Catherine’s expression changed, "They weren’t even injured?"

The other side fell silent for a moment, "Yes."

"You’re useless. You can’t even handle this simple matter." Catherine was furious, "Did you cover your tracks?"

"Don’t worry, miss, I’ve taken care of it thoroughly. Nobody will trace it back to you. Moreover, they believe this operation was targeting Mr. Frank."

"That is for the best. But you handled this poorly. They’re still in Xueli City, and I don’t want Shen Qinglan to be able to hold a paintbrush. You know what to do next, don’t you?"

"I understand."

After hanging up, Catherine’s eyes flashed a cold light. A more talented painter than her? Hah, if this genius painter loses her hands, she would be eager to see how she could still paint!

**

The next day, Shen Qinglan and Yu Xiaoxuan returned to the Contemporary Art Museum. The art festival would last for one and a half months, and as it was still the opening week, the museum was far from empty. Shen Qinglan separated from Yu Xiaoxuan as soon as she entered, heading solo to the oil painting exhibition area.

"Hey, sister, it’s you." While looking at the paintings, Ya Xi’s voice came from behind, and Shen Qinglan turned around.

"What are you doing here?" Shen Qinglan was somewhat surprised to see Ya Xi.

Ya Xi giggled, "I’m here for a visit. This art festival is a big event in Xueli City. But I didn’t expect to meet you here; we must have a strong connection."

Hearing that, a hint of a smile appeared in Shen Qinglan’s eyes. Who could say otherwise? Her initial encounter with Ya Xi was an accident, and now meeting again was an unexpected surprise, as if it were fated.

"Are you here alone?" Shen Qinglan saw that Ya Xi had no one accompanying her and asked.

Ya Xi nodded, "My mother had something to do today, so I came out by myself. Are you by yourself too?"

"No, I came with friends. They’ve gone to other exhibition halls."

"Can I walk with you then?"

"Of course."

Ya Xi smiled and followed alongside Shen Qinglan. "Sister, have I really never met you before?"

She looked at Shen Qinglan curiously.

"What’s the matter?"

"I always feel that I knew you from before and that we were really close. Seeing you gives me a very familiar feeling."

Shen Qinglan gave a small smile, "This is our first meeting. If we had known each other before, I wouldn’t have failed to recognize you, right?"

Ya Xi patted her head, "Yeah, that’s true. I must have been mistaken. Sister, my name is Ya Xi, the color Ya, and sunset Xi."

"An, just call me An."

"Sister An, how long will you stay in Xueli City?"

"I’m leaving tomorrow."

"Ah, that soon." Ya Xi sounded a little disappointed, "I wanted to invite you to my house tomorrow."

"If I visit Xueli City again, I will definitely come to your house."

Although Ya Xi was disappointed, she quickly moved on and accompanied Shen Qinglan around the exhibition hall, enjoying the artwork. Occasionally, Shen Qinglan would explain the meaning of the pieces and the techniques used to her.

"Sister, are you a painter? You know so much," Ya Xi curiously remarked.

"I just like it. I read books on the subject from time to time. If you read enough, you remember."

Leaving the exhibition hall an hour later, Ya Xi suggested, "Big sister, let me take you out for a meal."

Shen Qinglan didn’t refuse, as she too wanted to spend more time with Ya Xi. After calling Daniel and finding out they were about to come out, she didn’t rush to leave and stood waiting in a less crowded area.

Yu Xiaoxuan and Jin Enxi had just come outside when they saw Shen Qinglan and Ya Xi.

"Ya-" Yu Xiaoxuan began to shout but was quickly pulled aside by Jin Enxi, who realized her mistake. She hurried through the crowd toward Shen Qinglan.

But before they could reach Shen Qinglan, the crowd began to stir. Yu Xiaoxuan saw someone rushing toward Shen Qinglan, "Qinglan, be careful."

Shen Qinglan had been on guard from the moment the man charged at her with a knife, pulling Ya Xi behind her and delivering a swift kick.

The man, lacking in combat skills, was taken down by Shen Qinglan, who quickly approached, disarmed him, and with a neat chop, knocked him unconscious.

"Ah, there’s been a murder!" Screams erupted from the crowd as people scattered, and Yu Xiaoxuan, jostled by the turmoil, stumbled.

Jin Enxi, holding Yu Xiaoxuan with one hand and Daniel with the other, hurriedly made their way toward Shen Qinglan.

Ya Xi stood behind Shen Qinglan, still in shock at the unfolding scene. She stared at the person lying on the ground, who had been stabbed twice by the assailant, blood pooling beneath him.

"Ya Xi, don’t look," Shen Qinglan covered Ya Xi’s eyes and led her to the side.

"Let’s leave now." Seeing that everyone had arrived, Shen Qinglan quickly took Ya Xi away from the place.

Shen Qinglan took Ya Xi into the car and left the Contemporary Art Museum.

The faces of Ya Xi and Yu Xiaoxuan were both very pale; from the moment they got into the car, neither of them had spoken a word, obviously, they hadn’t yet recovered from the shock of what had just happened.

Shen Qinglan and Jin Enxi exchanged glances, their expressions slightly cold. The man from before had initially charged at Shen Qinglan; it was merely because someone happened to be in front of Shen Qinglan at that moment that they became an inadvertent scapegoat.

"Sister An, did that person just now die?" After a while, Ya Xi asked softly, her voice trembling. It was her first time witnessing someone die before her eyes, and in such a manner.

"Yes." Shen Qinglan didn’t hide the truth from her; that person was stabbed in the heart and had no chance of survival.

Ya Xi’s face turned even paler. She had seen with her own eyes the person fall before her, and she had watched helplessly as the person with the knife charged towards her. "Was that person crazy?"

"Perhaps. Ya Xi, don’t think about it anymore. Forget it," Shen Qinglan said softly.

Ya Xi responded with an "oh" and fell silent. For some reason, when she heard the panicked cries of the people and saw the blood, her heart felt uncomfortable. Something seemed to flash through her mind, yet vanished before she could grasp it.

Yu Xiaoxuan regained her composure from being stunned and saw Ya Xi. Seeing that Ya Xi really didn’t recognize her, a touch of sorrow flickered in her eyes, gone in an instant.

She looked at Ya Xi’s profile, unsure what to say. Ya Xi turned her head and met Yu Xiaoxuan’s complicated gaze.

"Hello," Ya Xi greeted Yu Xiaoxuan politely.

Yu Xiaoxuan smiled, "Hello."

Having just experienced such an incident, Ya Xi had lost the mood to chat. For a while, the car fell into silence.

After a while, Ya Xi spoke, "Sister, I’d like to go home first. Could you please drop me off at the next intersection? I can’t join you for dinner this time, sorry."

Shen Qinglan nodded, "It’s okay. Go home and rest. Don’t dwell on today’s events. It was someone seeking revenge; it doesn’t concern you, understand?"

Ya Xi nodded, still feeling somewhat downcast.

Shen Qinglan didn’t say much more. She stopped the car at the intersection, helped Ya Xi hail another taxi, and then left.

"Qinglan, why didn’t you just take Ya Xi home?" Yu Xiaoxuan asked.

Shen Qinglan replied, "Ya Xi’s mother does not wish for us to have contact with her. Last time was a chance encounter; this time, even though it was also accidental, people might not see it that way."

Yu Xiaoxuan sighed; she couldn’t fault Ya Xi’s mother, a heart full of maternal love was difficult to argue against, so she understood and chose to respect it.

Yu Xiaoxuan leaned on the back of the driver’s seat and spoke with Shen Qinglan, "Qinglan, do you feel as if we’ve been possessed by Conan?"

Shen Qinglan looked at her in puzzlement, "Who’s Conan?"

Yu Xiaoxuan had a face full of disbelief; she had forgotten that Shen Qinglan didn’t watch anime. "Conan is a detective from an anime in R-country; wherever he goes, people die. I feel like we’ve been possessed by Conan these past couple of days."

This time it was Shen Qinglan’s turn to be speechless. Jin Enxi laughed out loud, "That analogy is quite vivid; we have indeed been very unlucky these days."

Daniel thought about it and also laughed. Shen Qinglan looked at the others, laughing together, and the corner of her mouth gently curved up.

Not long after they returned to the hotel, the police arrived to investigate the situation. Shen Qinglan told them everything she knew. After the police finished their questioning, they left. Later, Shen Qinglan learned from Mr. Frank that the incident was actually an accident. The man was a mental patient; his family members had failed to keep watch, and he ran out of the hospital, which led to the tragic event.

Of course, this was the explanation provided by the local police, but Shen Qinglan had her own judgment about what the truth really was.

After the police left, nobody went out to eat; they just casually had some food in the hotel’s restaurant before each returned to their room to rest. Early the next morning, Shen Qinglan and the others boarded the plane home.

By the time Frank learned about it, Shen Qinglan had already returned to Beijing.

Frank expressed his regrets, "Miss Shen, I’m sorry that so many unpleasant things happened during your visit. I hope Xueli City hasn’t left a bad impression on you."

Shen Qinglan said, "Mr. Frank, please don’t say that. These incidents haven’t affected my good feelings about Xueli City. The hasty return home is because my friend has urgent matters to attend to in our country, so I came back first. Next time I get the chance to come to Beijing, I’ll introduce you to the authentic cuisine of our country."

"Alright, it’s a deal then," Frank said with a laugh.

After Shen Qinglan’s return, she first visited the Estate to see Old Sir Shen. She did not see Shen Rang at home and only after asking Sister-in-law Song did she learn that Shen Rang’s health had completely deteriorated, and he had been in the hospital for the past few days.

Old Sir Shen’s spirits were also not great these past few days. Upon seeing Shen Qinglan, he didn’t have his usual smile, "Lanlan, was everything smooth on your trip?"

Shen Qinglan nodded, "Very smooth, Grandfather. You don’t look very well; have you not been resting properly lately?" As she spoke, Shen Qinglan moved behind Old Sir Shen and began massaging his temples.

Old Sir Shen closed his eyes and sighed, "Grandfather is fine. It’s just how it is when one gets old; don’t worry."

Knowing that Old Sir Shen was worried about Shen Rang’s situation, Shen Qinglan didn’t know how to comfort him. Instead, it was Old Sir Shen who patted his granddaughter’s hand, saying, "Grandfather really is alright. As for your Second Uncle’s situation, it’s all fate. I’ve come to terms with it."

Even though he said this, Shen Qinglan didn’t believe that Grandfather had truly accepted it. After all, for a parent to outlive their child is always a heartbreaking tragedy, no matter when it happens.

"Grandfather, I’ll go with you to see Second Uncle tomorrow," Shen Qinglan suggested.

Old Sir Shen nodded and closed his eyes once more, remaining silent. Shen Qinglan massaged his head, and slowly his furrowed brow relaxed. Before they knew it, Old Sir Shen had fallen asleep on the sofa.

Shen Qinglan lowered her hands, went upstairs to fetch a blanket for Old Sir Shen, and draped it over him.

After finishing this, Shen Qinglan stepped out of the living room and picked up her phone to call Old Sir Fu. Old Sir Fu had been away for some time for health recuperation, and he hadn’t returned even for the engagement of Shen Junyu and Wen Xiyao.

Ever since she found out about the relationship between Shen Rang and Fu Jingtong, Shen Qinglan understood Old Sir Fu’s feelings and would call him every few days.

"Grandfather."

Old Sir Fu was very pleased to receive Shen Qinglan’s call, "Qinglan girl, you’re back from abroad?"

"Yes, Grandfather. How’s the weather been over there?"

"It’s very good, and the air is fresh."

"Grandfather, when do you plan to come back?" It was the first time Shen Qinglan had asked Old Sir Fu about his return.

Old Sir Fu fell silent for a moment before responding, "This place has a nice environment, and I’d like to stay a bit longer."

Shen Qinglan spoke softly, "Grandfather, my Second Uncle... he doesn’t have much time left, he may not make it past this month."

Old Sir Fu on the other end of the phone sighed deeply upon hearing this, "Qinglan girl, Grandfather knows. I’ll come back tomorrow."

"Thank you, Grandfather."

"It’s okay, I understand your concerns. I will talk with your grandfather about it." Old Sir Fu knew very well that Shen Qinglan was worried about how Old Sir Shen would handle the blow.

Having experienced the pain of losing a son himself, Old Sir Fu could empathize with Old Sir Shen’s feelings. After hanging up the phone, he looked up at the sky for a long while before turning to his security guard and said, "Pack up, we’ll return to Beijing tomorrow."