The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 406 - 408. Mrs. Du died?

Chapter 406: 408. Mrs. Du died?

Shen Qinglan felt a little relieved when she heard the crying in the living room finally stop, but she did not go out, waiting instead for Fu Hengyi to come in.

After Fu Hengyi finished feeding Anan, he brought their son in to see his mother, as promised. Upon seeing Shen Qinglan, Anan looked like he was about to cry, so she quickly scooped him into her arms.

Anan clung to Shen Qinglan’s clothes, gazing at his mother with wide eyes. Shen Qinglan bent down and kissed Anan on the face. "You’re doing great, Anan!"

Shen Qinglan looked at Fu Hengyi, "Fu Hengyi, thank you, you’ve worked hard. Grandfather didn’t say anything, right?"

"No worries, Grandfather is just being temperamental like a child, he’ll be fine after a while. We’ll do this for the next few days, just leave him to me."

Shen Qinglan didn’t refuse. Fu Hengyi had already started it, so naturally, she had to cooperate. In a family, on the matter of child-rearing, parents must be united in their approach to provide their child with proper guidance, rather than changing their minds all the time and letting the child think they can ignore what either parent says.

But it wasn’t just Old Sir Fu who was angry; Anan was too. For the next few days, except for feeding times, Anan didn’t want Daddy to hold him at all. He would smile at everyone else, but not at Fu Hengyi, no matter how Fu Hengyi tried to entertain him.

Old Sir Fu also looked unhappy with his grandson—snorting with displeasure and ignoring Shen Qinglan completely.

Fu Hengyi was quite helpless about the whole situation.

Although both his son and grandfather were upset with him, Fu Hengyi’s approach was effective. At least now Anan was willing to drink milk from the bottle and didn’t wail the moment he couldn’t see Shen Qinglan.

Seeing Fu Hengyi returning from another disappointing visit to Old Sir Fu, Shen Qinglan smiled, took the tea from his hand, and said, "Let me go instead."

Old Sir Fu was practicing his calligraphy in the study. When he saw Shen Qinglan come in, he acted as if he hadn’t noticed.

Shen Qinglan set the tea on the table and watched him quietly. "Grandfather, your calligraphy isn’t as good as it used to be today." Her honest words earned her a scowl from Old Sir Fu.

"It’s all because of the upset you caused. With my mind unsettled, how can my writing be any good?" grumbled Old Sir Fu.

"Grandfather, are you still angry?" Shen Qinglan asked softly.

"Hmph, I’ve never seen parents as harsh as you two. The child is still so young; wouldn’t there be time to change him later? Why torment him now? What if he gets sick from all this?" Old Sir Fu’s grievance was evident.

"Grandfather, if you must be angry, be angry with me, don’t blame Hengyi. He is doing all this for me," said Shen Qinglan in a soothing tone.

Old Sir Fu put down his brush and sat down. "You both, I know it’s hard to raise a child, and Anan is very clingy, but Qinglan, my dear, Grandfather truly cares for you."

"Grandfather, not to mention your concern, Hengyi also cares deeply. You didn’t see, he wakes up several times every night to check if Anan is sleeping well, if he is properly covered, or if he needs a diaper change. He’s even more attentive than I am; he loves this child more than anyone else." Shen Qinglan went into detail about the things Fu Hengyi did for his son.

"This urgency of his is also because of that incident the other day. Anan is too picky and depends on me too much. He worries that if I have to go out for something in the future, Anan might fuss like he did that day."

Old Sir Fu fell silent upon hearing this and then finally sighed softly, "Alright, I understand now. You’re just here to speak well of that rascal. But my dear Qinglan, Anan is still very young. I agree that discipline is necessary, but you need to take it slow, don’t rush."

"Grandfather, we understand. Actually, Hengyi has been feeling bad these past few days too, with Anan not paying attention to him."

"Hmph, that serves him right," Old Sir Fu showed no sympathy for Fu Hengyi.

Shen Qinglan couldn’t help but laugh at the old man acting just like a petulant child, "Grandfather, you’re not blaming him anymore, right?"

"Strange? Of course, it’s strange, only knowing how to cause trouble for my Anan. If it weren’t for your sake, I would have thought about kicking him out of the house by now."

Shen Qinglan chuckled lightly, offering tea to the elder, "Grandfather, don’t be angry, have some tea first."

Old Sir Fu took the tea and sipped, "Alright, alright, grandfather isn’t angry anymore, you go check on the child quickly, I think I heard the child crying."

Shen Qinglan had heard it too, "Grandfather won’t go and see?"

"I won’t go, it hurts my heart to watch you fuss over the child; what the eye doesn’t see, the heart doesn’t grieve over."

Shen Qinglan didn’t insist, turning to go downstairs.

Anan had wet the bed, so he cried as soon as he opened his eyes. Fu Hengyi was in the middle of changing his diaper, making sure to carefully apply prickly heat powder to prevent the child’s bottom from getting a heat rash.

When Anan saw his mother coming in, his eyes lit up. He reached out his little arms to Shen Qinglan, but she didn’t go to hold him, instead looking towards Fu Hengyi. These past few days, father and son had been at odds, and although Anan was small, he was not short on temper, still holding a grudge to this day.

Fu Hengyi finished changing the child’s diaper, and Shen Qinglan picked up the dirty one, "I’ll go wash it, you take care of the child."

"No need, put it down, I’ll do it."

"Fu Hengyi, let me be lazy just this once, Anan is getting heavier by the day, it’s quite tiring to hold him," Shen Qinglan said.

Fu Hengyi knew she was trying to get him to bond with their son and ease the tension, naturally, he wouldn’t refuse and picked up his son. Anan didn’t want to stay in daddy’s arms, constantly making noises towards Shen Qinglan’s direction, trying to get her to hold him.

But Shen Qinglan closed the bathroom door, cutting off Anan’s view completely. Unable to see his mother, his big eyes filled with confusion as if not understanding why mom was ignoring him.

Fu Hengyi, carrying the child, left the bedroom and took an umbrella, going for a walk outside with the child. Although the weather was hot, it was still nice to go out occasionally, and he had taken the proper sun protection measures.

Upon realizing they could go outside, Anan seemed very excited, flailing his little legs around in Fu Hengyi’s arms, occasionally waving his little arms.

"Smack." He didn’t swing his small arm well and hit Fu Hengyi’s face. Fu Hengyi was startled, glanced at his son, who was oblivious, looking around with big eyes full of curiosity, babbling indistinctly, not knowing what he was saying.

"You did that on purpose," Fu Hengyi remarked.

"Ah!" Anan responded.

Fu Hengyi carried Anan to the Shen family’s house where Chu Yunrong was just about to head to the Fu family, but saw the father and son arrive, quickly stepping aside, "Why did you bring Anan out in such hot weather?"

Fu Hengyi smiled, "Just taking him out for a walk, we’ve got an umbrella, so he won’t get sunburnt."

"It’s still hot though. Come inside quickly," Chu Yunrong said as she closed the door.

There wasn’t a drop of sweat on Anan, but Fu Hengyi had a trace of perspiration on his forehead.

Chu Yunrong took the child and placed Anan in his crib, "Where’s Qinglan?"

"Qinglan is at home, I’m taking care of the child for a bit, she’s quite tired from looking after him all day."

Chu Yunrong had raised children herself, and even though her family had plenty of hands to help, she still found it exhausting. Seeing Fu Hengyi being so considerate of Shen Qinglan warmed her heart.

"We’ve got Anan here," Old Sir Shen said as he came downstairs after learning of Fu Hengyi’s arrival, heading straight for the child.

When Anan saw Old Sir Shen, he grinned and waved his little hands.

Old Sir Shen’s eyes crinkled with a smile, "Come, let grandpa hold you."

once in Old Sir Shen’s arms, Anan was much more behaved than when he was with his daddy.

Shen Qinglan had already learned from Aunt Zhao that Fu Hengyi had taken Anan out, so she wasn’t in a rush. She turned and went to her studio to finish a painting she had started the other day and had left halfway done. Now was the perfect time to complete it.

Since Anan’s birth, most of her energy had been focused on the child, and she hardly picked up a brush. Apart from the painting she did last time, this was only her second piece. The works Daniel currently had were all her previous paintings.

Fu Hengyi spent the day playing at the Shen family’s home with Anan, and perhaps because there were many people to play with, Anan didn’t get hungry or tired at all. It was only in the evening that Fu Hengyi brought the child back.

Shen Qinglan had just finished her artwork and stepped out of her studio. Anan, seeing his mother, immediately flung himself at Shen Qinglan, who caught him. Anan snuggled against her chest, clearly hungry.

"I’m going to feed him," Shen Qinglan said to Fu Hengyi before entering the bedroom.

In the following days, Fu Hengyi would take Anan for walks. The child would get especially excited upon seeing Fu Hengyi come to pick him up, babbling joyously, having seemingly forgotten that Fu Hengyi didn’t feed him.

Fu Hengyi didn’t take him far, just strolling around their large courtyard. Sometimes they visited the Shen family, sometimes they just stayed in their own yard, always in the cool of the early morning or evening.

Little Anan loved going out to play. As long as someone took him, he was in a great mood and would even accept the bottle Fu Hengyi offered, holding it himself and drinking with a content smile.

Seeing the father and son getting along so well, Shen Qinglan heaved a sigh of relief and took the chance to paint several more pieces.

Jin Enxi had set off for Xueli City with Daniel. There was an art exhibition in Xueli City, and Daniel had taken Shen Qinglan’s paintings to participate. Jin Enxi, having nothing better to do, accompanied Daniel and took the opportunity to have a look around Xueli City.

In Xueli City, Jin Enxi remembered Ya Xi was there and decided to visit. She called Ya Xi and arranged to meet her at noon.

At the location, Ya Xi hadn’t arrived yet, so Jin Enxi found a spot to wait.

A few minutes later, Ya Xi showed up. Jin Enxi looked at the person appearing before her and raised an eyebrow slightly at the sight of their entwined hands, instantly understanding the situation.

"Doug, I didn’t expect you to be here," Jin Enxi greeted.

"Oh, you two know each other?" Ya Xi was surprised.

Jin Enxi nodded, "Doug is a friend of Eden; we’ve met before."

"Who’s Eden?" Ya Xi was curious.

"A mutual friend of Doug and me."

"Enxi sister, has sister come yet?" Ya Xi asked.

"Qinglan couldn’t come; her child is too young and she can’t leave him."

Hearing this, Ya Xi felt somewhat disappointed, but quickly became cheerful again, "Sister showed me pictures of the baby, and the baby is really adorable, all chubby and can even smile."

Talking about Anan, Ya Xi’s eyes sparkled. She liked children and would volunteer at an orphanage to play with the kids whenever she had time. She was like a children’s champion.

Also, because of volunteering, her disposition had become much brighter, and the grief brought on by Zhao Jiaqing’s death had lessened somewhat. In the past few months, Yan Anbang had visited twice more, but Ya Xi still hadn’t seen him. Yan Anbang didn’t bother her and just watched her from afar.

"When the baby reaches a hundred days, I’ll go back to see sister. I’ve also prepared a gift for the baby, handmade by me," Ya Xi said with a smile. She had wanted to go when Shen Qinglan gave birth, but Shen Qinglan had refused, as Qin Yan was watching like a hawk at the time, and Shen Qinglan didn’t dare let her appear within Qin Yan’s view.

Doug sat beside Ya Xi, watching the two of them chat without saying much himself.

Ya Xi and Jin Enxi were having a delightful conversation.

"Um, I’m going to the restroom," Ya Xi said.

Once she had left, Jin Enxi curiously looked at Doug, "You’re actually together with Ya Xi, does An know about this?"

"I haven’t told her; she probably doesn’t know yet," Doug said. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to tell Shen Qinglan, but he didn’t know how to explain it to her. Being with Ya Xi felt like he was dealing with a mother-in-law after eloping with her daughter.

"How long have you been with Ya Xi?"

"Not very long, just since Ya Xi returned from Beijing," Doug replied, taking a sip of water. "I know what you’re worried about, but since I’ve decided to be with her, I will protect her and care for her well. As for her past, it will only make me cherish her more."

Jin Enxi pondered for a moment, "Hmm, actually, it’s good for Ya Xi to be with you." Doug knew all about her past and her pain. Even if one day Ya Xi recalled her past, Doug would be able to help her. If it were another man, he might leave Ya Xi if he found out about her past, which would undoubtedly be a greater hurt for her.

"By the way, we haven’t heard from Qin Yan recently, so I don’t know if she is plotting something. You should be careful. I’m worried that if she can’t find an opportunity to hurt An, she might start with Ya Xi," Jin Enxi reminded him.

A cold glint flashed in Doug’s eyes, "I understand, I’ll be watchful."

They saw Ya Xi returning from the distance. They immediately ended their conversation on this topic.

After parting with Ya Xi, Jin Enxi went back to the hotel. With Daniel not around, Jin Enxi decided to tell Shen Qinglan about Ya Xi and Doug’s situation. Shen Qinglan didn’t react much.

"An, don’t you want to say something?" Jin Enxi found Shen Qinglan’s reaction strange.

"Ya Xi is an adult, who she chooses to be with is her freedom, and I have no right to interfere," Shen Qinglan said indifferently. "Besides, Doug is a sensible person. If he’s decided to be with Ya Xi, then he must have thought it through. There’s nothing to worry about."

Jin Enxi thought it made sense, too. Ya Xi wasn’t a child anymore, and she had been treating her as if she hadn’t grown up. It seemed that the funny one was herself.

"Um, An, do you think I’ve been influenced by past events and still see Ya Xi as a child?" Jin Enxi asked.

Not just Jin Enxi, Shen Qinglan herself had felt the same way before.

"An, I think I hear a child crying, is that right?" Jin Enxi tilted her head to listen, thinking she heard the sound of a crying child.

"Yes, Anan has woken up; I’ll go check on him. Let’s talk another day."

"Sure, go ahead."

Shen Qinglan entered the bedroom, and Fu Hengyi had already picked up Anan. The little guy’s eyes were dry and clean, showing no signs of tears, clearly he had just been crying without shedding any. Shen Qinglan was speechless, reached out to pinch her son’s little face, "You’re just being naughty, aren’t you?"

Anan reached out to embrace Shen Qinglan’s hand and brought it toward his mouth, but Shen Qinglan withdrew her hand, "Don’t eat your hand, how many times have I told you that?"

"Yi ya, ah." Anan babbled, speaking gibberish, and turned to grab Fu Hengyi’s clothes, signaling that he wanted Fu Hengyi to take him out to play.

Fu Hengyi took his son out for a walk, and Shen Qinglan continued to the studio.

The thirtieth of September was Anan’s hundred-day celebration, which coincided with Old Sir Fu’s ninetieth birthday. The Fu family planned to organize both events together. Such significant celebrations were bound to be grand occasions, so Shen Qinglan and Fu Jingtong had been busy since August.

To help out, Fu Jingtong had moved back in, and naturally, Gu Bowen would follow her. Now, Gu Kai had taken over most of the work in the Gu Group, and even in his absence, things were running smoothly.

Shen Qinglan had never managed such a big event before, but with Fu Jingtong’s help, everything was proceeding in an orderly fashion.

It was at this time that the benefits of Fu Hengyi’s firmness in correcting Anan’s little bad habits became apparent. Even without Shen Qinglan around, Anan wouldn’t cry. At most, when he got hungry, he would subconsciously look for Shen Qinglan, and if he couldn’t find her, he would accept the milk prepared in advance by daddy.

Shen Qinglan went to look at venues, and Fu Jingtong and Chu Yunrong went with her. The three of them checked many places before finally settling on a hotel and agreed on a date. As for the menu, as it was rather complicated, they decided to discuss it back at home.

"Miss Shen." Shen Qinglan heard someone calling her and stopped, turning to see who it was. To her surprise, it was Mrs. Du again.

Shen Qinglan frowned, "If it’s about Du Nan, you don’t need to say anything, I won’t agree to anything you say." She cut Mrs. Du off preemptively.

Mrs. Du showed no expression of surprise. She looked steadily at Shen Qinglan, "Miss Shen, I have something to say to you in private."

"There’s no need for that, I don’t want to listen."

"If you don’t listen, you’ll regret it. I can’t guarantee your family’s celebration won’t be tainted with bad luck."

The expressions of the three women changed slightly. Chu Yunrong recognized Mrs. Du and knew she was Du Nan’s mother; her face immediately soured, "I know you. Your son tried to ruin my son’s wedding, and now you’re saying such things. Is your whole family like this, crooked from top to bottom?"

Mrs. Du’s face changed color, "If your son hadn’t stolen someone else’s love with a knife, would my son have ended up like this? You Shen family abuse your power to bully others, seek private ends, and frame my son!"

Fu Jingtong, hearing this, immediately knew who the person was, frowned, and spoke coldly, "Madam, please be careful how you speak. If I remember correctly, it was your family who brought up that case. Du Nan was mentally disturbed, and the judge didn’t pursue his legal responsibility because he wasn’t clear-minded when he committed the crime. If it hadn’t been for that, your son would be in prison now."

Mrs. Du’s face turned pale, "So what if my son is not mentally well? He has gone through treatment, but why can’t you let me see my son? My son is in treatment, not in prison."

Fu Jingtong only knew that Du Nan was sent to a psychiatric hospital for treatment due to his mental disturbance, but she wasn’t familiar with the subsequent developments, a hint of doubt arose in her eyes.

Seeing her confusion, Mrs. Du, not knowing who she was, pleaded earnestly, "I sincerely advise you, if you are a friend of the Shen and Fu families, stay away from them. They both seem like gentlemen, but they are hypocrites. Who knows when you might get bitten and suffer silently? We are the best example. My son was sent to a psychiatric hospital for treatment. I wanted to visit my son, but the hospital said they had instructions from someone higher up that they absolutely couldn’t let us see our son. If it wasn’t for the Shen and Fu families using their power to influence the hospital’s staff or doing something, could the hospital prevent us from seeing my son?"

Fu Jingtong finally understood, but comprehending the situation only darkened her expression, "Sorry, I also belong to the Fu family you just mentioned, and Shen Qinglan is my niece-in-law."

Mrs. Du’s face stiffened.

Shen Qinglan spoke calmly, "Let’s not repeat these old arguments. Auntie, Mom, let’s go."

Fu Jingtong nodded, and the three of them prepared to leave.

"Shen Qinglan, if you don’t let me see my son, I’ll jump off the top floor of the Junlan Group or Xinhe International. I really want to see whether your Shen Family can still maintain its good image after the news of forcing someone to their death comes out. I will make you become rats crossing the street."

Fu Jingtong and Chu Yunrong were seething with anger. Just as they were about to open their mouths, Shen Qinglan spoke first. "If you really dare to jump, then go ahead and jump. After you do, I will go to the hospital and tell your son that his mother tried to see him so desperately that she jumped off the building and smashed to her death, exactly the act he once wanted to do himself. I would also like to know whether your son is truly insane or faking it."

"You! Shen Qinglan, how cruel of a heart you have!" Mrs. Du’s expression was fierce as if she wanted to tear Shen Qinglan apart, but Shen Qinglan remained indifferent, not taking Mrs. Du’s words to heart. Someone like Mrs. Du would threaten others, but she would never actually seek death.

"Let’s go."

Shen Qinglan didn’t bother with her and really turned around and left.

"Qinglan, aren’t you worried about provoking her like that?" On the way back, Chu Yunrong thought of Mrs. Du’s agitated state and felt uneasy.

"Never mind, Mom, she wouldn’t dare." Shen Qinglan said lightly.

"Qinglan, has this person been pestering you all along?" What Fu Jingtong cared about was something else.

"Not always. She approached me once before and I refused. This is the second time."

"You should just walk away when you see such people in the future. Don’t entangle yourself with them, they’re simply sick." Fu Jingtong felt angry just thinking about Mrs. Du’s words. Her family would never do such things.

However, Fu Jingtong was actually misunderstanding the situation. The order to the hospital to absolutely not allow Mr. and Mrs. Du to see Du Nan was not Shen Qinglan’s doing, but Fu Hengyi had personally called the hospital director. In this respect, when Mrs. Du accused the Fu Family of using their power for personal gains, she wasn’t completely wrong.

"Mm-hmm, I understand. Don’t worry, Aunt."

The second and third days passed peacefully, but on the fourth day, trouble arose.

Shen Qinglan was discussing with a fashion designer the style of outfit she should wear for Old Sir Fu’s birthday celebration, when she received a call from Shen Junyu, "Lanlan, something has happened. Du Nan’s mother has fallen to her death from the top floor rooftop of Junlan Group."

Shen Qinglan’s expression changed, and she abruptly stood up from the sofa. "I know, I’ll come right over."

"Mr. Ji, I apologize for the inconvenience, but something urgent has come up and I must leave. The style of the clothes we just went over is roughly settled—regarding the details, I’ll leave it to you to finalize. We can discuss it in more detail after we review the sample garments in a week."

"Sure, Miss Shen. Go ahead and attend to your urgent matter."

When Shen Qinglan hurried to Junlan Group, the police had already arrived, and the area below was cordoned off, densely packed. She wanted to go in but was stopped. Shen Qinglan called Shen Junyu, and Shen Junyu had Assistant Yu Bin come down to receive her.

There were many journalists downstairs, and cameras were reporting live. Shen Qinglan returned to her car, took a pair of sunglasses and a hat, put them on, and slipped through the crowd into the building.

The security guards were fending off the journalists and onlookers from entering.

Inside the President’s office, two police officers were questioning Shen Junyu, who seemed very cooperative. This incident had indeed been a sudden event; he had no idea what had happened.

It was just half an hour ago, he was in a meeting with the company executives discussing tasks for the next quarter, when suddenly one of the executives screamed, shouting that someone had fallen from the building, and then Mrs. Du was dead.

When Shen Qinglan entered, the police glanced at her, recognized her as Shen Junyu’s sister, and did not send her away, continuing their questions. However, Shen Junyu didn’t know much and couldn’t provide much information, so the police didn’t stay long.

"Brother, what exactly happened?" The police had just left when Shen Qinglan asked.

Shen Junyu repeated what he had just told the police to Shen Qinglan and then said, "I’m not clear about what happened either. I am still utterly confused, but Lanlan, I just heard that before Du Nan’s mother died, she left a letter saying it was because our Shen Family and Fu Family abused power for personal gain, refusing to let her see her son and even having the hospital’s doctors mistreat him. She was driven by the Shen Family to jump off the building."

Shen Qinglan’s face darkened, "Are you sure the letter was written by her own hand?"

"I’m not certain. It was inadvertently revealed during the police questioning."

Shen Qinglan sneered, it seems she had underestimated people. She didn’t expect Mrs. Du to pull such a move indeed outsmarted her.

"How did she get in?" Shen Qinglan was puzzled.

The entire building belonged to Junlan Group, there were surveillance cameras in the lobby, a reception desk, and security at the door. Someone should have noticed if she wanted to get in, right?

Shen Junyu shook his head, "I’ve asked, but no one saw her enter. It’s as if she appeared out of thin air on the rooftop."

Shen Qinglan’s gaze turned icy. Appearing out of thin air, as if this were some sort of fantasy drama. "First, find out how she got in, and whether that so-called suicide note is real or fake."

The whole thing reeked of strangeness. A person like Mrs. Du was actually quite selfish; she wouldn’t sacrifice herself even for her son. Yet, this time, she used her own death to spark public outrage. With her death, regardless of what the truth was, the ignorant public would only see Mrs. Du as pitiable. The Shen Family and the Fu Family would appear to be bullies, and if not addressed in a timely manner, this incident could become a stain on both the Shen and Fu families.

Thus, the reputation that both families had maintained for so long could be damaged, truly fulfilling Mrs. Du’s wish.

Shen Junyu nodded and called the security room to have the latest surveillance footage pulled up, then instructed Yu Bin to ask the receptionist and security guards if they had seen any strangers enter the company that day.

Shen Qinglan and Shen Junyu looked carefully at all the surveillance footage from that day. Suddenly, Shen Qinglan pointed to a section of the video and said, "Brother, stop there."

Shen Junyu paused, and Shen Qinglan’s eyes fixed on the screen, "Rewind a few seconds."

Shen Junyu did as she asked, and Shen Qinglan stared at the somewhat familiar figure on the screen, "Brother, have Assistant Yu check who was absent from the office today. Don’t look at the attendance records, go and ask the heads of each department."

"Lanlan, did you discover something?"

Shen Qinglan nodded, pointing to a person on the screen, "This person is Du Nan’s mother. Look, she can swipe the card to get in, which obviously means she took someone else’s card."

Shen Junyu looked at the person on the screen. That person, in the heat of summer, was actually wearing a hat and sunglasses, which indeed made for a strange outfit. But apart from dressing oddly, her behavior was just like any normal employee of Junlan Group.

With thousands of employees just at its headquarters, the Junlan Group relied on card swipes for check-in and check-out. It was normal for routine staff not to be recognized by security or the receptionists.

"Alright, I’ll have Yu Bin look into it right now."

And at that moment, Yu Bin had already come up with some results. Indeed, as Shen Qinglan had guessed, the receptionist and the security had not noticed any strangers coming in.

After receiving instructions from Shen Junyu, Yu Bin hurried to confirm the situation with the heads of each department.

Meanwhile, Shen Junyu was calling the people in charge of the major television stations and the more influential newspapers, magazines, and websites in Beijing, trying to suppress some of the negative reports.

Although the issue had already spread online, fewer negative news stories would make explanations easier later on.

Fortunately, several of Beijing’s major websites and newspapers belonged to the Han Group, and Han Yi had already given orders as soon as he found out about the incident.

"Lanlan, you go back first; I’ll handle the matters here," Shen Junyu said after hanging up the phone to Shen Qinglan.

"In fact, this matter is ultimately my responsibility," Shen Qinglan said with a somber face, recounting the events of the past two days to Shen Junyu.

After listening, Shen Junyu remained silent for a long while before finally speaking softly, "This isn’t your fault. No one could have anticipated she would actually dare to do such a thing." After all, not everyone can discard their own life just to seek revenge.

"No, I do bear responsibility for this matter. If I hadn’t provoked her, she wouldn’t have done something so extreme. I was too confident," Shen Qinglan’s expression was very grim. If she had considered things more carefully, perhaps none of this would have happened.

Shen Junyu cracked a faint smile, "Lanlan, don’t blame yourself for everything. If she truly wanted to use her death to force our hand, then even if we wanted to stop it, we wouldn’t be able to."

Yu Bin was very efficient in his work. He figured things out before Shen Qinglan returned. "President Shen, Miss Shen, we’ve clarified the situation. Today, apart from the ten who took leave, everyone else was present, and the attendance matches the punch card records. However, an employee from the marketing department lost their access card yesterday and hasn’t managed to replace it yet."

"But the punch clock shows that he punched in today, doesn’t it?" Shen Qinglan asked.

Yu Bin nodded, "Yes, but we can’t determine right now whether his access card was stolen or if he lost it and someone happened to pick it up."

Lost and just happened to be picked up by Mrs. Du? Where in the world are such coincidences possible? It was probably stolen, or the employee himself gave it away and then lied about losing it.

"Lanlan, now that we’ve clarified things on our end, you can go back. I’ll handle it here. Anan is still waiting for you at home," Shen Junyu said warmly.

Shen Qinglan nodded, "Alright, Brother, I’ll be leaving first. If the police have any news, let me know."

"Go on then."

When Shen Qinglan arrived home, Fu Hengyi was already aware of the situation. Seeing that Shen Qinglan hadn’t returned for a while, he guessed she must have gone to deal with the matter.

"Where’s Anan?" Shen Qinglan asked.

"I just fed him, and he’s asleep now. Did you go to see Junyu?"

"Yes." Shen Qinglan sat down beside Fu Hengyi, who handed her a glass of water. She took a sip and said, "Things are a bit troublesome now. Has it blown up on the internet?"

Fu Hengyi nodded, "It has caused quite a stir online. Netizens are very emotional, mainly because of that suicide note."

"The suicide note is online?" Shen Qinglan glanced sideways.

"Yes, many people have seen the suicide note, and the public sentiment flipped instantly. But you don’t need to worry too much. I’ve called a few friends to ask for help, and I believe it will settle down soon."

Shen Qinglan remained silent. She always felt there was something fishy about Mrs. Du’s death as if there were a malevolent force behind the scenes pushing the event’s occurrence and progression.

And things indeed weren’t as optimistic as hoped. Although many posts had already been deleted, with friends’ circles and spaces on social media, netizens continued to share the information. The viral spread only grew, causing the public outcry to linger far from subsiding and showing a tendency to escalate.

If it weren’t for the guards at the gate of the compound, people would probably be throwing rotten eggs and vegetable leaves by now.

Shen Qinglan sat at home, reading netizens’ comments. Her Weibo had been blown up overnight; the nearly ten million followers she’d amassed had halved in an instant. The comments under her Weibo updates were filled with various insults, with some even cursing her child.

Seeing those malicious comments, Shen Qinglan’s eyes turned cold, her fingers flying across the keyboard. She quickly tracked down the IP addresses of those posting the hateful comments, and the corners of her mouth curved into a cold smile.