The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 374 - 376. Polishing (First watch of the night)

Chapter 374: 376. Polishing (First watch of the night)

Shen Junze knew he wouldn’t be easily persuaded. He looked at Shen Junyu, "Big brother, what do I need to do for you to help me?"

Shen Junyu’s expression was indifferent, "It’s not that I won’t help, unless you give me a reason I absolutely must act."

Shen Junze didn’t have such a reason. He knew that Shen Junyu was still concerned about the past issue, but what was done was done, and regret was useless now. "Big brother, I can’t find such a reason right now, but I still hope you can consider it seriously. This matter is only beneficial to Junlan Group and not at all harmful. I promise, if you acquire Shen Real Estate, I will not trouble you at all. I can even put it in writing."

His sincerity was complete, but these held no attraction for Shen Junyu; Junlan Group was already strong enough and didn’t need any gilding the lily.

Seeing that Shen Junyu truly had no interest, Shen Junze was full of disappointment. When he left Junlan Group, he was listless. A twenty-year-old, he looked like a middle-aged man who had experienced defeat.

Shen Junyu went to the Fu Family’s house when he got back in the evening.

"Lanlan, this is the cake I bought for you." He handed over the cake to Aunt Zhao that he had waited in line for an hour to get, saying.

Shen Qinglan looked at him, "Not busy with work?" This cake shop’s goods were delicious; even someone who wasn’t keen on sweets like Shen Qinglan liked them. However, due to the shop’s success, sometimes purchasing a cake or other sweet treats required waiting in a long line. That day, Shen Qinglan had casually mentioned wanting to eat this shop’s Black Forest cake, and Shen Junyu really went and bought it for her.

"There wasn’t much work today, and if you wanted to eat it, of course, I’d satisfy your wish," Shen Junyu said gently. Originally, Fu Hengyi wanted to go, but Shen Junyu stopped him. Fu Hengyi had not been out of the hospital for long and should still focus on resting.

Shen Qinglan ate the cake and, seeing that Shen Junyu had no intention of leaving, opened her mouth, "Do you have something to say?"

Shen Junyu asked casually, "Have you seen Shen Junze recently?"

Shen Qinglan shook her head. The last time she saw Shen Junze was before the new year. "What’s wrong with him?"

Shen Junyu told her about what Shen Junze said that day. Shen Qinglan also didn’t expect that Shen Junze would be so ruthless in his revenge. "Do you intend to help him?"

Shen Junyu shook his head, "I don’t plan to for the moment."

For the moment? So, that meant it wasn’t certain.

Shen Junyu continued, "Don’t think I don’t know your intention, Lanlan. The last time you told me not to intervene with Shen Junze’s matters was on purpose, right? It was for Grandfather, wasn’t it?"

Shen Junyu had long been aware—his sister indeed had a kind heart, but she was just as truly indifferent. If it were someone else, whoever dared to harm the child in her womb, how could it possibly just end like that.

Shen Qinglan didn’t deny it, instead, she said, "Grandfather is getting old, and no matter how unsatisfactory Second Uncle is, he’s still Grandfather’s son. It might seem like Grandfather doesn’t care, but he actually cares deeply about Second Uncle. Shen Junze is Second Uncle’s only son. Now that Second Uncle is gone, Grandfather definitely doesn’t want to see him go down the wrong path."

Shen Junyu sighed softly, "Lanlan, you can be a little selfish. Even if you really disabled Shen Junze, Grandfather wouldn’t blame you."

Shen Qinglan slightly curved her lips, "Grandfather has been good to me, I don’t want to make it difficult for him." Besides, both Old Sir Shen and Old Sir Fu were of the same advanced age of ninety this year. Shen Qinglan didn’t want the old man to be so worried. Since Grandfather couldn’t let go, then she was willing to lend a hand.

Shen Junyu reached out to ruffle her hair but then withdrew his hand, "Do you mean to acquire Shen Real Estate?"

"No, not now. Shen Junze still needs more polishing. But you can make things difficult for Shen Real Estate, make their situation more difficult, drive Lu Jincai to a dead end." If it were possible to make Lu Jincai trouble Shen Junze and push Shen Junze even harder, make his situation more challenging, that would be even better.

Shen Junze’s personality had been distorted, and although he seemed to have awakened, the inherent arrogance and malice had not been extracted—this was evident from the way he dealt with Lu Jincai this time. Shen Qinglan wasn’t one to drag her feet; having decided to intervene, she wanted to do it perfectly in one go.

To push Shen Junze into a desperate situation, to wear down all his edges, that was the strategy she and Lawyer Xiao had discussed over the phone. Lawyer Xiao was a good friend of the late Shen Rang and was willing to help with such a small favor.

"Got it, I know what to do. You don’t have to worry about this for now; big brother will help you," Shen Junyu said. "Where’s Fu Hengyi, not at home?"

Shen Qinglan nodded, "Yes, the military has some matters and wanted his opinion, so they took him away."

"Coming back so late at night, the military really isn’t considerate enough. It’s a good thing I never joined."

Qinglan gave him a speechless look. "Bro, if Grandpa or Dad heard you say that, you’d be in big trouble." Old Sir Shen and Shen Qian always regretted that Shen Junyu didn’t join the military.

Shen Junze smiled mischievously, "That’s why I’m saying it to you alone."

"When are you and your Sister Xiyao planning to take wedding photos?" Qinglan changed the subject.

"Soon, I’ve already discussed it with the photographer. Xiyao is rushing a project recently, she’ll be free in at most a week, and then we’ll get the wedding photos done first." Saying this, Shen Junyu looked towards Qinglan. "Mom asked you to ask?"

"Yeah, you always said you were busy and didn’t have time, so she asked me to check when you plan to do it." Everyone in the Shen Family knew that Shen Junyu was a complete sister complex. He might ignore other things, but he would certainly take Qinglan’s words to heart.

If it wasn’t for Shen Junyu wanting to accompany Wen Xiyao to take a set of underwater wedding photos, practicing swimming and diving diligently, the wedding photos would have been done long ago, "You can tell Mom now that the wedding photos will definitely be taken."

Shen Junyu didn’t stay long at the Fu Family before he left.

Qinglan waited until Fu Hengyi came back before lying down to sleep. In the middle of the night, Qinglan suddenly moaned, and Fu Hengyi immediately woke up, "What’s wrong?"

He turned on the bedside lamp, only to see her frowning in pain, "Leg cramp."

Fu Hengyi quickly sat up, placed Qinglan’s leg on his own, and gently massaged it. This wasn’t the first time Qinglan had a leg cramp in the middle of the night. In the later stages of her pregnancy, Qinglan’s legs were somewhat swollen, sometimes cramping as well. Fu Hengyi insisted on supervising her foot baths daily and then massaging her. The symptoms had only eased a bit these past few days, but it started again at night.

"It’s okay, it’s much better now, you lie down and sleep." Qinglan said. These days her sleep hadn’t been good, and so Hengyi had been sleeping lightly. Any slight movement from her would wake him up.

Fu Hengyi massaged her a bit longer, made sure there were no issues, and then lay down, holding Qinglan in his arms, "I’ve never been so frustrated about getting injured at a time like this. I should be the one taking care of you, yet you’re the one taking care of me." His eyes were filled with remorse.

Qinglan hugged his waist, burying her head in his chest, "Fu Hengyi, don’t say that. Spouses are meant to take care of each other. Whether I look after you, or you look after me, what does it matter? Moreover, you take very good care of me. If you don’t believe me, ask the baby. He would definitely agree."

She placed Fu Hengyi’s hand on her belly and whispered, "Baby, Daddy is taking great care of us, isn’t he?"

The baby in her belly seemed to give Mommy face, moving gently. Fu Hengyi’s eyes instantly softened, "She moved."

Qinglan’s smile was gentle, "Yeah, that means he really likes you and agrees with what I said."

Any hint of gloom in Fu Hengyi’s heart was dispelled by Qinglan’s words. He lowered his head and gently kissed her forehead, "Sleep now."

Qinglan tightened her hold on Fu Hengyi’s waist and closed her eyes. But just as she was about to drift off to sleep, Qinglan suddenly spoke softly, "Fu Hengyi, I want to visit Ya Xi in Nancheng."

Fu Hengyi opened his eyes, looking at the top of Qinglan’s black hair. "Alright, do you need me to accompany you?"

Qinglan shook her head, "I’ll have Enxi accompany me."

Knowing that Jin Enxi would be with her, Fu Hengyi felt relieved immediately. "Take good care of yourself." His only request was always simple, as long as Qinglan took care of herself.

"I know, I’m just going to see her. I won’t make you worry."

"Sleep." Fu Hengyi said.

This time Qinglan truly closed her eyes and fell asleep.

The next day, Qinglan called Jin Enxi and left the house.

Upon arriving in Nancheng, Qinglan called Doug. He was at the hotel with Ya Xi, looked at Ya Xi, and said, "I’m at the hotel now, come over."

Doug ended the call and walked over to Ya Xi, who was sitting in a chair hugging her knees, staring at the sunlight outside the window. Lately, she often maintained this posture, sitting down for the entire day without saying a word.

"Ya Xi, Shen Qinglan is here to see you. Would you like to meet her?"

Ya Xi’s eyelids moved, and she spoke in a hoarse voice, "She’s here to see me?"

"Yes, she’s on her way now, about to arrive. Do you want to meet her?" In the past few days, Ya Xi had refused even to see Yan Shengyu, so Doug wasn’t sure if she would want to see Shen Qinglan.

"Then I’ll go change my clothes," Ya Xi said as she stood up from the chair, and Doug left the room.

When Shen Qinglan arrived, Ya Xi was waiting for her in the living room. Seeing her, Ya Xi immediately got up and went over to Shen Qinglan, silently looking at her, "Sister."

Only Ya Xi and Shen Qinglan were in the living room.

Shen Qinglan leaned forward slightly and gave Ya Xi a hug, at which Ya Xi’s tears instantly fell. It was her first time crying since Zhao Jiaqing’s burial.

Shen Qinglan gently patted Ya Xi’s shoulder and quietly said, "I arrived late." Because of the issues with Fu Hengyi, she hadn’t been able to come sooner.

Ya Xi shook her head, "Sister, thank you for coming to see me." Her voice was choked with emotion.

Jin Enxi looked at Ya Xi with great pity in her heart. Even she couldn’t help but feel moved by the girl’s fate; it seemed as if the heavens had been especially cruel to her.

After a long while, Ya Xi finally stepped back from Shen Qinglan’s embrace and, seeing Shen Qinglan’s prominent belly, was even more touched. She and Shen Qinglan had been strangers, yet Shen Qinglan had come all the way from Beijing to see her while pregnant.

Wiping the tears from the corner of her eyes, Ya Xi said somewhat embarrassingly, "Sister, I’ve made a fool of myself in front of you."

"It’s okay to cry when you’re sad. No one here will laugh at you," Shen Qinglan said.

Ya Xi managed a small smile.

Seeing her haggard look and pale complexion, Shen Qinglan knew she must not have rested well lately, "If you’re tired, go lie down on your bed and sleep for a while."

Ya Xi shook her head. Sleep was what she feared the most these days; as soon as she closed her eyes, she would have nightmares—terrifying dreams. But when she woke up, she would forget their content, with only the sweat soaking her body to remind her that the scenes in her dreams were terrifying.

Nobody knew about this, including Doug; they could only see that Ya Xi was getting thinner and more tired each day. They thought she was struggling to get over the news of her mother’s death.

Shen Qinglan reached out and straightened her clothes, "Have you not slept well for a long time?"

Ya Xi looked at her in surprise. Shen Qinglan smiled slightly, "I guessed."

Ya Xi pursed her lips.

"Ya Xi, I’m sorry for the loss of your mother, and words like ’please accept my condolences’ are so inadequate. But I understand how you feel because I’ve also lost the person dearest to me. And someone once told me, everyone has their day to leave this world. What you can do is live well every day you have left. Your mother must have loved you very much, and if she knows how you’re tormenting yourself now, she’d be anxious. How can an anxious soul be reborn?"

A pain struck Ya Xi’s heart, "Sister, I have nightmares every night. I wake up covered in cold sweat. I’m afraid to sleep; as soon as I close my eyes, I feel like I’m suffocating."

Shen Qinglan’s gaze sharpened, "What do you dream about?"

Ya Xi shook her head, "I don’t know; I can’t remember. When I wake up, I just remember my mother’s death. Sister, I feel like living is so painful."

Shen Qinglan led Ya Xi to the couch to sit down and comforted her softly, "Your mom is gone, but you still have your brother and your friends. Even for them, you should be strong. Dreams are called dreams because they are not real. No matter what you see in your dreams, it’s all an illusion, and you shouldn’t dwell on such illusions."

Ya Xi lowered her head. "Sister, are you saying that because I’m so grief-stricken over my mom’s death, even my dreams at night are nightmares?"

"Yes, Ya Xi, and once again, you should be stronger," Shen Qinglan said tenderly.

She spoke softly to comfort Ya Xi, who listened quietly, silent.

Outside the door, Doug leaned against the wall with Jin Enxi, who looked at the closed door and asked softly, "Ya Xi’s memory..."

Doug shook his head. "For now, there’s no problem, but she’s been in a bad state lately, and I can’t be completely sure." Even Doug, who always had confidence in his hypnosis, seemed unsure in that moment.

"Has Zhao Jiaqing’s cause of death been found out?" Jin Enxi inquired.

"It has been found out—it was heavy metal poisoning. Someone injected an excessive amount of heavy metals into her medicine," Doug said.

Jin Enxi’s face slightly changed. "So she was murdered after all? Has Yan Shengyu been investigating this recently?"

"Mhm, the police have been looking into it lately too. They all suspect Qin Yan, but are frustrated by the lack of evidence. And now Qin Yan has disappeared as well; do you know where she went?"

Jin Enxi shook her head. "I checked her out right after the incident, but there’s no trace of any woman leaving Nancheng. We suspect she left under someone else’s identity," she shared her speculation with Doug.

Doug furrowed his brows. "Qin Yan is just an ordinary person; does she really have that kind of ability?"

The corners of Jin Enxi’s mouth curved up slightly. "What if she’s not an ordinary person?"

Doug’s eyes hardened. "You know her identity?"

Jin Enxi shook her head. "Not clear yet, still investigating. But this woman is definitely not simple. I can guarantee it. Zhao Jiaqing’s death is absolutely related to her, and I even suspect that the previous incident with Ya Xi... also has something to do with her."

"What did you find?" Doug asked.

"Nothing, can’t find anything. But that’s exactly what’s strange. Moreover, my intuition tells me this woman is very dangerous, Doug. You should believe my intuition," she said.

Doug’s gaze turned icy. For people like Jin Enxi, their intuition is the most accurate, especially when it comes to sensing danger. So, it seems very likely that everything Ya Xi has gone through is thanks to Qin Yan’s doings. They say women should not make it hard for each other, and Qin Yan, being a woman herself, naturally understands what kind of experiences are the most terrifying for a girl; what can most quickly destroy a person. Yet she still chose such a method to deal with an innocent child. Doug couldn’t understand—just how cruel and full of hatred must this woman be to go to such lengths?

"Are you going to continue investigating this woman?" Doug asked.

Jin Enxi nodded. "Of course, this woman has successfully piqued my interest. I would quite like to see who she really is."

"If there’s anything I can help with, just say the word."

"You’re just a psychologist; what help can you be? The biggest help you can give me is to take good care of Ya Xi," Jin Enxi waved it off nonchalantly. Doug was a friend of Eden’s, whom she had met a few times before, and they were quite familiar.

Doug smiled, the smile on his lips was cold. "Didn’t you know psychologists can also be a terrifying presence?"

Jin Enxi shivered and rubbed the goosebumps on her arm. "Doug, please don’t smile at me. Whenever you smile at me, I get the chills." Her eyes shifted. "However, if I do catch someone, I would like to ask for your help."

Doug glanced sideways. "Oh? Who?"

"A woman," Jin Enxi said. "This woman is tough and resilient. The two times I caught her before, I couldn’t get any useful information out of her. If I catch her again, try your methods; maybe you can find out about Qin Yan’s facade from her."

Just then, an idea suddenly struck Jin Enxi, and she thought of Xu Nuo, the adopted daughter of Mrs. Jin. If Qin Yan was Mrs. Jin, then Xu Nuo would definitely know Qin Yan’s identity.