The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 407 - 409. Suicide or homicide?

Chapter 407: 409. Suicide or homicide?

"Enxi, are you still in Xueli City?" Shen Qinglan called Jin Enxi.

"Mhm, Daniel and I are at the airport. We’re about to come back, An. I’ve already seen what’s been going on online, and someone’s pushing the narrative on the Internet. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely find out what’s going on. Once I find the person behind this, hmm, I’ll see how I deal with him." Jin Enxi was very annoyed.

"Don’t rush it. I’ve started looking into the matter myself. When you’re back, we can meet up. By the way, have you heard anything from Qin Yan recently?"

"No, it’s just the fake from R country making an appearance right now; that coward Qin Yan is hiding somewhere." Jin Enxi got even more upset talking about this, as except for Allen, she had never had such a difficult time searching for someone; it was like looking for a ghost.

"You might want to keep an eye on Allen."

"Hmm? Do you suspect Qin Yan has a connection with Allen?"

"I’m not sure, it’s just intuition, but maybe this incident will turn out to be a good lead."

"Alright, I got it."

After ending the call with Jin Enxi, Shen Qinglan had been constantly working on her computer. Her eyebrows were furrowed. Honestly, ever since Jin Enxi arrived, she rarely had to deal by herself with these things. She was a bit rusty from not using them for a long time.

Fu Hengyi entered the room while Shen Qinglan was still working. He watched her skilled operations with a flickering gaze, stood to the side without a word, and silently looked on.

It wasn’t until half an hour later that Shen Qinglan stopped. Fu Hengyi looked at the computer screen and asked, "What did you find?"

"Not much useful information. I saw some malicious comments on Weibo and traced the IPs. Surprisingly, they were all the same. I followed that lead to check their bank accounts. Aside from a sum of money that had been transferred to them in the last two days, everything else was very similar. The opponent is definitely a computer expert too."

Although Shen Qinglan’s computer skills were not as strong as Jin Enxi’s, they were still not bad. But now struggling to find any useful information was intriguing. Moreover, while she had been investigating, she encountered resistance. She tangled with the other party for a long time but still lost the lead.

Fu Hengyi patted her shoulder, "Don’t worry for now. Han Yi and I are working together to suppress the public opinion online. It should calm down a bit by tomorrow. You’ve also had a tiring day. Go rest."

Shen Qinglan glanced at the time. It was already twelve o’clock. Indeed, it was time to rest. She decisively shut down the computer and went to bed.

Such a big event could not be kept from the two old men of the family. Fu Hengyi personally went to explain to Old Sir Fu. Chu Yunrong and Fu Jingtong were also present that day and were quite clear about the course of the events.

"Daddy, this matter is very strange. If someone was truly provoked, they would have jumped on the spot instead of waiting several days. Moreover, that so-called suicide note was printed by a computer, which could be forged by anyone. Could it be that someone is targeting our two families?" Fu Jingtong speculated.

But to talk about targeting, it was not quite appropriate. Shen Family and Fu Family never participated in factional struggles. No matter who the leader was, they only stood on their side, truly ignoring the outside world, with no political enemies.

Was it really just Mrs. Du’s act of revenge? But the rate of change and spread of public opinion was too fast. To say there was not someone pushing it from behind was unbelievable.

Like a fog enshrouding everything, the situation was unclear.

"Hengyi, what do you think about this?"

Fu Hengyi was browsing his phone. Online, people had dug up Shen Qinglan’s video of saving someone in the mall a few years back. It was the same old issue of doing it for show. Last time when it was brought up, public opinion was in favor of Shen Qinglan. This time, with the audio of Mrs. Du’s last words cursing Shen Qinglan and the suicide note, ninety-nine percent of people suspected Shen Qinglan of putting on an act, with loads of accusations being thrown at her.

Fu Hengyi was feeling an immense pressure. He thought of the IP Shen Qinglan had traced last night; he had made a point to look at it and committed it to memory.

"Hengyi, I’m asking you," Fu Jingtong asked again.

Fu Hengyi stood up, "Grandfather, Aunt, let’s talk about this when I get back, I have something urgent right now. I need to step out."

Fu Hengyi stood up and hastily left the study. Old Sir Fu sighed, "The one under the most pressure from this matter is little Qinglan. Try not to say things you shouldn’t in front of her, and help her take care of the child."

"Dad, am I such an insensitive person? Besides, this matter has nothing to do with Qinglan. I’ll go see her now."

"Alright then. Go."

**

Fu Hengyi went to the address he saw on the IP. He had glanced at it when Shen Qinglan hacked into someone’s computer last night.

On the third floor of an ordinary residential area in the suburbs of Beijing, three men were writing comments in front of a computer. They were professional paid commenters, often taking money to write malicious comments for others and were quite skilled at it.

"The daughter of a prominent family is a beast in human skin, driving a good person to death without any remorse. What do you think of this title? Sensational, isn’t it?" one of the men said.

"Sensational enough, let’s go with that."

"Do you think this whole thing is true or false? Did Shen Qinglan really drive someone to leap from a building?"

"Does it matter whether it’s true or false? We’ve been paid a hefty sum this time. Even if it’s false, we have to make it seem true. Hurry up and finish writing the post, then publish and circulate it to amplify the impact," said one who seemed to be the leader.

"Alright, once we finish this order, we can take a break for a while, go abroad, travel, and have fun with some beauties. Life couldn’t be more leisurely," another man said gleefully.

This comment resonated with the other two.

The three were engrossed in their lively discussion when someone suddenly kicked the door open. Fu Hengyi’s tall figure appeared in their line of sight.

Seeing the figure before them, the men first panicked, then became furiously indignant, "Who the hell are you, and who let you barge in like this? Don’t you know this is trespassing? I can call the police on you."

Fu Hengyi closed the door behind him, making sure to lock it, before finally turning to the three men, "Tell me, who asked you to publish these malicious comments?"

A hint of panic flashed in the eyes of the men, "We don’t know what you’re talking about. Shen Qinglan did something evil, and we, as onlookers, couldn’t stand it, so what’s wrong with speaking up on the internet? She dares to do it but doesn’t let others talk about it?"

The corner of Fu Hengyi’s mouth curled into a cold arc, "Did I say this was about Shen Qinglan’s business? Guilty conscience much?"

The unease in the men’s eyes deepened. One of them recognized Fu Hengyi and suddenly exclaimed, "I know you, you’re Shen Qinglan’s husband. I’m telling you, if you dare do anything to us, we’ll call the police immediately."

Fu Hengyi was not surprised at all to be recognized. Since he had dared to come personally, he wasn’t afraid of being identified, "Even better that you recognize me. Now tell me honestly, who made you do it."

"What ’made to do it’? There’s no one. We just couldn’t stand it. Did Shen Qinglan do anything proper? Even if that family was at fault first, it was her brother who snatched someone’s fiancée, so shouldn’t they be allowed to snatch back?"

When one dared to speak out, the others echoed with bravado, "Exactly, if someone snatched my fiancée, I’d make them pay with their life."

"Shen Qinglan has already driven someone to a mental hospital; isn’t that enough? They went too far by not even allowing the parents to visit their own son."

Fu Hengyi watched them with an indifferent gaze. Although they were afraid, they were more confident that Fu Hengyi, a soldier on active duty, wouldn’t dare to do much to them. That’s why they were bold enough to act out.

Indeed, Fu Hengyi had no intention of doing anything to the three men but placed a document before them instead, "First, please take a look at something."

The men, puzzled, picked up the document. One of them skimmed it and his expression drastically changed. The others, sensing something was off, turned to look at the document in their comrade’s hand, and they too blanched as they grasped the contents.

"Where did you get this stuff from?"

Fu Hengyi spoke indifferently, "That’s not something you should be concerned about. Tell me, who asked you to post those messages and comments? Don’t say you don’t know, or else I’ll hand this information over to the police and then post it online. After all the things you’ve done, if this gets out, even if people don’t realize you’re professionals taking money to spread rumors, what do you think will happen once the family members of those stimulated by your rumors find out?"

It turned out the three individuals were part of a professional trolling organization, serving as the main culprits, with a large group of "little brothers" under them. After they had written and posted online, there were "little brothers" who commented and shared. If any opposing comments surfaced, these trolls would swarm in to attack, such teams were far from rare nationwide. However, this particular one would not have come to light if Shen Qinglan had not suspected someone was manipulating public opinion and specifically investigated.

These three also had significant past offenses. Two years prior, in a school in Lin City, a male high school senior had trapped a female classmate in a deserted lab and raped her. When the girl threatened to call the police, he retorted by claiming the girl was infatuated with him and that their relationship was consensual. He said that because he refused to provide financial assistance, she threatened to accuse him of rape.

At the time, the incident had caused quite a stir in Lin City. The girl was pretty but usually quiet and reserved with average grades – other than her looks, nothing stood out. The boy, on the other hand, came from a wealthy background, was good-looking, generous, and well-liked at school. Despite his poor grades, both teachers and fellow students favored him.

After the incident, no one believed the girl, frequently pointing and gossiping about her.

As the issue escalated, the online community became abuzz. The boy’s parents found these three individuals, demanding they smear the girl’s reputation. Soon enough, online comments overwhelmed the narratives, accusing the girl of being shameless, of selling her body for money, and of bitterly lashing out when she didn’t get what she wanted.

Ultimately, the girl couldn’t withstand the pressure of public opinion and jumped from the school roof, dying instantly. Her parents naturally wouldn’t let the matter rest. However, coincidentally, both her parents were employees at the boy’s family company. After the girl’s death, the family paid a considerable sum to settle the matter and sent the boy abroad.

If these three hadn’t steered public opinion, the pressure on the girl might not have been so overwhelming, and she might not have jumped to her death, ending her life at just seventeen years old.

The three knew what they had done, and it was all clearly detailed in the document, "Who knows whether what you’re saying is true or not," they stubbornly retorted.

Fu Hengyi chuckled lightly, "Denying it doesn’t matter. Isn’t distorting the truth your favorite thing to do? You’re not the only ones who know how to turn black and white."

The trio looked at Fu Hengyi in horror, "You can’t do that; you’re a soldier. This is knowingly breaking the law."

"No, I am administering justice. Once your deeds are revealed, people will only say that I have done a great thing. Of course, if you tell me who’s behind this, I might consider not leaking your business on the internet."

Their expressions hesitant, they knew too well the power of cyberbullying. The netizens were mostly uninformed spectators, many echoing others’ sentiments, thinking they stood on the side of justice while rebuking others without seeking the truth. They too exploited this public mindset to guide public opinion.

"You have three minutes to think it over," Fu Hengyi stated, glancing at his watch.

The three exchanged nervous looks. As the three minutes were about to run out, one of the men finally spoke up, "I’ll talk. It was a man, but we only contacted through QQ and never met face to face; we don’t even know what he looks like."

Seeing Fu Hengyi’s expression remain cold, the man continued to explain, "It’s true. He never showed up in person. He contacted us just a few days ago. At first, we thought he was joking, but then he transferred the money to our account, saying that as long as we did as he instructed, he would pay us another sum afterwards. That’s all we know, we’ve told you everything."

Fu Hengyi, having watched their expressions closely, knew they were not lying. His eyes were cool, "I hope for your sake that you’re telling the truth, or else..."

The three nodded frantically, "Of course, of course, every word we’ve said is true."

Fu Hengyi turned and left, and as the trio breathed a sigh of relief at the departure of their plague, one of them remarked, "It’s no longer safe here. Let’s pack up and leave."

"Leave? Isn’t that unnecessary? He’s already left; he probably won’t come back."

"What if he does?"

The three fell silent and then began packing. However, before they could leave, there was a knock on the door. They looked at each other, fearing that Fu Hengyi had returned, their hearts filled with dread. After a moment’s hesitation, one went to open the door.

It wasn’t Fu Hengyi outside but the police, who arrested the three for defaming others.

After leaving the trio’s residence, Fu Hengyi didn’t go straight home but instead sought out Han Yi, "What’s this?" Han Yi asked as he took the recording pen Fu Hengyi handed him.

"You can see for yourself."

Han Yi turned on the recording pen, and the conversation between Fu Hengyi and the three men came out from it, "Where did you get this thing?"

Fu Hengyi spoke indifferently, "You don’t need to worry about that. Just see how you can use this thing. I have to go now."

"Alright, I’ll have the post-production done later, then publish it online. That should bring some sense back to those netizens. Is little sister-in-law alright?"

In the past few days, the majority of public opinion pressure was aimed at Shen Qinglan and Shen Junyu, with some also blaming Wen Xiyao.

Wen Xiyao had been resting at home since yesterday, living in the big courtyard.

"Qinglan is fine." Shen Qinglan had strong psychological resilience. She didn’t take the rumors to heart. What she wanted to know more was who was the person behind the scenes causing trouble.

"Tell little sister-in-law to relax. The police have already said that this has nothing to do with the Shen Family, and I also believe it’s just Du Nan’s mother’s revenge," Han Yi comforted Fu Hengyi.

"That’s it then, I’m leaving." Fu Hengyi waved his hand, leaving with elegance. When he got back home, he didn’t see Shen Qinglan. Aunt Zhao was asking Anan if he wanted milk.

Little Anan’s eyes lit up when he saw Daddy, pushed his pacifier out, and reached out to be held by his father. Fu Hengyi picked him up, "Aunt Zhao, let me do it."

Aunt Zhao handed the milk bottle to Fu Hengyi. He looked at his son, "Where did Qinglan go?"

"She said she had to go out for a bit and would be back in two hours. Anan woke up hungry, so I fed him the milk Qinglan prepared."

Anan’s little hand clutched the corner of his father’s clothes, not understanding what the two were saying, blinking his eyes while continuously sucking on the bottle.

Fu Hengyi looked at his innocent son, a trace of adoration visible in his eyes.

**

Shen Qinglan went to the Junlan Group. That day, she was dressed casually and wore a pair of large sunglasses. As soon as she parked, she saw many reporters carrying cameras and holding microphones waiting downstairs at the Junlan Group. The group’s security was maintaining order, and on the other side, where Mrs. Du fell from the building, was roped off with police tape.

Shen Qinglan wore a wig when she left the house today, short hair down to her ears, along with the large sunglasses. Unexpectedly, no one recognized her.

She approached the crime scene. Because it hadn’t rained in the past two days, the position where Mrs. Du fell, as indicated by the police on the ground, was still there. Jin Enxi was standing beside Shen Qinglan.

"An, this position looks a bit strange," Jin Enxi spoke softly.

Shen Qinglan looked up at the rooftop and nodded, "Mhm."

"Those police are saying she jumped down by herself, it’s a joke. How could she have landed so far away if she jumped by herself? What, did they return their physics knowledge to the teacher?" Jin Enxi said, dissatisfied.

This distance simply could not be the result of a falling force alone; there had to be a significant initial acceleration. In other words, Mrs. Du was pushed off the roof.

"Let’s go up and take a look," Shen Qinglang said.

Jin Enxi nodded, "Okay."

Shen Qinglan called Assistant Yu. Assistant Yu immediately came down to receive them, but after looking around, he didn’t see anyone. Shen Qinglan waved her hand, and Assistant Yu saw a strange woman waving at him, thought for a moment, and still went over, "You are?"

Shen Qinglan slid her sunglasses down a bit, "Assistant Yu, I am Shen Qinglan."

Assistant Yu was taken aback, "Miss Shen." He lowered his voice, and no one seemed to have noticed them here.

"Let’s go, we’ll talk more upstairs."

Assistant Yu nodded and led Shen Qinglan inside. Since the incident with Mrs. Du, security at the Junlan Group had tightened, and strangers could no longer enter the building.

"President Shen, Miss Shen is here," Assistant Yu announced as he knocked on Shen Junyu’s office door.

Shen Junyu looked up towards the doorway, saw Shen Qinglan and Jin Enxi, and put down his pen, "Lanlan, what brings you here? None of the staff downstairs recognized you, did they?"

Shen Qinglan shook her head, "No."

"Miss Jin, hello."

Jin Enxi flashed a smile at Shen Junyu, and Shen Qinglan spoke in a calm voice, "Brother, Enxi and I are going to take a look on the rooftop, and we’ll come back and look for you later."

"Hold on, what are you two going to do on the rooftop?"

"I’ll tell you about it after I’ve confirmed something," Shen Qinglan didn’t elaborate.

Shen Junyu thought for a moment and then followed them.

On the rooftop, Shen Qinglan walked to the edge, "Lanlan, what are you doing? It’s dangerous!"

Shen Junyu called out, causing Shen Qinglan to pause in her steps and look down momentarily; from the eighteenth floor, it was hard to make out anything clearly.

Shen Junyu quickly stepped forward and pulled Shen Qinglan back, "Don’t go near the edge, it’s too dangerous. What if you accidentally fell?"

"Brother, you should trust me," Shen Qinglan replied helplessly. If she had a rope, she could have easily descended from the rooftop to the ground floor.

"You’re being reckless! With such a height, what would you do if you slipped?" Shen Junyu’s face darkened, his expression like that of someone watching over a child who didn’t know any better.

"Brother, if it were you, if you wanted to commit suicide, would you take a few steps back, take a running start, and then jump?" Shen Qinglan suddenly asked.

The question took Shen Junyu off guard, and he answered without thinking, "It’s not a long jump, there’s no need for a run-up; just a leap would suffice at this height if someone wanted to die, there’s no doubt about it."

Right, that was the biggest problem.

Shen Qinglan smiled, "But judging by the location where Mrs. Du landed and the distance from the building, she either took a run before jumping, or she was pushed."

Shen Junyu’s expression turned serious as he walked to the edge of the rooftop, but at this point, there was nothing to see.

"Lanlan, are you saying Mrs. Du didn’t commit suicide, but was actually pushed and then the blame was shifted onto our Shen family?" Shen Junyu’s tone was icy.

Shen Qinglan hummed in agreement, "Before Enxi and I came up here just now, I had already checked below. Now, I’m even more certain." She glanced at Jin Enxi, who nodded and walked to the edge of the roof, pointing at a spot, "There’s a faint footprint here, almost impossible to notice if you don’t look closely."

Shen Junyu took a step closer and diligently examined the spot that Jin Enxi was pointing to, "This footprint could also have been left by the police."

"We can’t rule out that possibility, but there’s also this spot." Jin Enxi pointed towards another direction, about five meters away from the edge of the rooftop, where there was a roughly twenty-centimeter-long scuff mark. It looked as if someone had vigorously rubbed the sole of a shoe against the ground.

"A normal person walking wouldn’t leave such a mark unless..."

"Unless they were being dragged." Shen Junyu picked up, he wasn’t a foolish man, he simply hadn’t thought in this direction before. After being prompted by Shen Qinglan and Jin Enxi, certain things quickly made sense to him.

"Could it be that the so-called suicide note is also fake?" Shen Junyu speculated.

"It’s possible." Shen Qinglan didn’t dismiss this answer, after all, the suicide note was printed from a computer, anyone could forge it.

"But the police searched her home, and found the document of the suicide note on her computer. Only her fingerprints were on the computer keyboard." Shen Junyu frowned.

"Just wear gloves," Jin Enxi interjected.

Shen Junyu fell silent, his expression turned cold, "I’m going to the police station right now." If Mrs. Du was pushed, then this was a murder case, there was no talk of suicide, let alone the Shen Family being accused of driving someone to their death.

Shen Qinglan didn’t object and simply said, "Brother, I’ll leave this matter to you. Enxi and I will take our leave."

Shen Junyu nodded, and the three descended from the rooftop. Shen Junyu immediately called the chief of the police, while Shen Qinglan and Jin Enxi left through the underground parking garage.

"Enxi, isn’t it strange that the police overlooked such obvious traces?" Jin Enxi pouted.

Shen Qinglan’s expression remained indifferent, "There’s nothing strange about it. Not all police officers are diligent and responsible, and being a police officer doesn’t equate to absolute justice. Let’s not go home yet, we should head to the hospital."

Mrs. Du’s body had been transferred from the police station to the hospital and was now in the hospital’s morgue. When Shen Qinglan and Jin Enxi arrived at the hospital, they had already put on white coats and masks before getting out of the car.

The morgue was deserted. Shen Qinglan and Jin Enxi searched separately.

"Enxi, I’ve found it," Jin Enxi announced.

Shen Qinglan walked over, and Jin Enxi pulled out the body. Mrs. Du’s corpse was horribly disfigured from the fall; her face was no longer recognizable.

"Wow, to end up like this... it’s truly tragic. That’s why I say, why imitate others and jump from a building? Such a hideous death. I wonder if she’ll be reincarnated as an ugly woman in her next life," Jin Enxi muttered under her breath.

Shen Qinglan gave her a fleeting glance, and Jin Enxi quieted down, then took out two pairs of gloves and handed one to Shen Qinglan. They quickly began searching for something on Mrs. Du’s body.

"Enxi, look," Jin Enxi pointed to the soles of Mrs. Du’s shoes.

Shen Qinglan approached, and indeed, there were distinct scuff marks on the soles of Mrs. Du’s shoes. That the police hadn’t discovered these obvious marks sent a glimmer of darkness flickering in Shen Qinglan’s eyes.

On the way back, Jin Enxi’s brow furrowed, "Enxi, do you think Du Nan’s mother really wanted to die or..."

"It’s obviously fake. She probably intended to threaten someone with jumping, or perhaps smear the Shen Family’s name, but was exploited by someone instead. Maybe even the suicide note was a fake," Shen Qinglan replied.

This hypothesis had been lingering in Shen Qinglan’s mind ever since she saw the crime scene.

"It’s definitely that bitch Qin Yan’s doing." Jin Enxi gritted her teeth. That woman always enjoyed scheming behind the scenes, like an annoying fly, it was infuriating.

"She’ll be exposed eventually," said Shen Qinglan calmly, despite also being fed up with Qin Yan’s endless antics, she was more composed compared to Jin Enxi.

"An, I still want to make a trip to Country R," Jin Enxi said.

"No, the thing in Country R is fake, there’s no longer any need to go. If I’m not mistaken, Qin Yan’s people in Beijing have been watching our every move. If you go to R country, it’s hard to guarantee she won’t set a trap for you."

"Then I can shake them off," said Jin Enxi nonchalantly, thinking she surely had at least that much skill.

A trace of deep light flickered in Shen Qinglan’s eyes as she changed the subject, "You said last time you saw Qin Yan and Allen together, and though they both wanted to kill each other, in the end, they only inflicted injuries, right?"

She was referring to the incident on the day Shen Qinglan gave birth.

Jin Enxi nodded, "Yes, that’s right, Qin Yan had her gun pointed at Allen’s head, but she didn’t shoot. An, do you think it’s because Allen has something on him that made Qin Yan afraid to kill him?"

"Very likely," Shen Qinglan confirmed firmly, believing that Allen definitely had something that made Qin Yan wary.

Jin Enxi met Shen Qinglan’s gaze, "An, do you think if we could get our hands on what Allen has, we could lure Qin Yan out?"

The two shared the same thoughts and exchanged a knowing smile. Shen Qinglan spoke softly, "I’ll inquire with Allen about what exactly it is. You should try to find out from the sidelines as well."

"Okay."

The two left the hospital and were about to depart when Jin Enxi suddenly pointed in a direction and said, "An, isn’t that Du Nan’s father over there?"

Shen Qinglan followed where she pointed and indeed, it was Du Honghai.

At the same time, Du Honghai also saw Shen Qinglan. She hadn’t disguised herself in any way, so Du Honghai recognized her immediately. As the distance was not great, Du Honghai walked straight over to her. Shen Qinglan, originally intending to leave, stopped and waited for him.

Compared to the last time she had seen him, Du Honghai had aged significantly more, his eyes holding a dead stillness, devoid of vitality. She thought it was understandable, given that his business had been destroyed, his son had been admitted to a psychiatric hospital, and now his wife too had died. Truly a case of family dispersal. Any person facing such a blow in old age would be on the verge of collapse.

"Mrs. Fu, I didn’t expect to see you here," Du Honghai began.

Facing Du Honghai, Shen Qinglan’s heart rarely stirred, finding this man pitiful on some level.

"Mr. Du, I didn’t expect to see you here either. I’ve heard about your wife, and I’m sorry for your loss," Shen Qinglan said indifferently.

Du Honghai forced a smile, "It’s too late for that now. We ended up in this situation because we, as parents, failed in our responsibilities. But Mrs. Fu, I still hope that you can look upon the current state of my family and show some leniency towards Du Nan. It may be an excessive request, but I am a father, and Du Nan is my only son, the only family I have left. I can only shamelessly ask this of you."

Shen Qinglan’s gaze flickered slightly, "If Du Nan truly realizes his wrongdoing."

Du Honghai’s cloudy eyes brightened, "Thank you, Mrs. Fu, that’s enough for me. Thank you."

"I’ve heard you’re not in good health. Please take care of yourself if you can."

"Thank you, Mrs. Fu."

"An, are you really going to let Du Nan off the hook?" Jin Enxi asked after Du Honghai had left.

Shen Qinglan looked unfathomable, "Perhaps I’ve really gone soft."

Jin Enxi glanced at the staggering figure of Du Honghai and fell silent.

After sending Jin Enxi home, Shen Qinglan returned to her own. Upon seeing her mother, Anan rushed towards Shen Qinglan. Shen Qinglan didn’t reach out to embrace him, instead, she said to Fu Hengyi, "I’m going to take a shower first."

Fu Hengyi nodded. Seeing his mother’s refusal to hold him, Anan pouted, his mood somewhat deflated.

Until Shen Qinglan emerged from the shower, Anan remained a bit unhappy. Shen Qinglan reached out to hold him, but he turned his head away, ignoring her. Puzzled, she looked to Fu Hengyi for an explanation.

"He’s upset because you wouldn’t hold him just now," explained Fu Hengyi.

Shen Qinglan raised an eyebrow, noticing that the little guy was getting quite the temper. If this continued, it wouldn’t be good. Knowing the reason for her son’s upset, Shen Qinglan chose not to coddle him. Instead, she turned and sat down on the sofa with a book.

Little Anan’s eyes occasionally darted toward his mother. Shen Qinglan, peripherally aware of his glances, saw his small gestures. Sure enough, it wasn’t long before Anan reached out to his mother, asking for an embrace.

Shen Qinglan lifted her son and lightly patted his bottom, "At such a young age, and already such a temper. See if Mommy doesn’t teach you."

The pat was gentle; Anan thought it was play and laughed joyously.

"What a little fool. Mommy’s spanking you, and you still laugh."

Anan giggled, and Fu Hengyi watched mother and son play.

"Where’s Grandpa?" Shen Qinglan asked.

"He went out, said he was visiting an old friend."

Hearing this, Shen Qinglan had a hunch about where Old Sir Fu might have gone.

Once Anan fell asleep, Shen Qinglan turned to Fu Hengyi, "What did you find out?"

Fu Hengyi shook his head, "No useful leads. The other party didn’t show their face, nor did they leave any clues. They’ve cleaned up very cleanly."

Shen Qinglan’s mouth curled slightly, "Then my find today is much more significant than yours." She recounted her discoveries of the day to Fu Hengyi.

"It seems Du Nan’s mother was used by someone, was it Qin Yan?"

"It should be her."

A coldness gathered in Fu Hengyi’s eyes.

Shen Qinglan held Fu Hengyi’s hand, "There will be a way, don’t rush."

Fu Hengyi wasn’t in a hurry, just irritated by his disgust for Qin Yan, "Leave this to me, I’ll visit the police station tomorrow." Such an obvious clue and the police had failed to find it – he needed to have a good cup of tea with Director Liu.

The police station was indeed more suitable for Fu Hengyi to handle, "Okay."

That night, when Old Sir Fu returned, he said nothing, but all the negative comments about Shen Qinglan online and in social circles disappeared.

Shen Qinglan looked at her phone screen, unsure of what to say.

"Don’t think too much, if Grandpa did this, then there certainly won’t be any issues. Don’t worry."