The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 408 - 410. A Moment of Terror

Chapter 408: 410. A Moment of Terror

At that time, a user named "Truth Lord" posted a thread titled "Hidden Truth," which shockingly contained a video of Wen Xiyao being kidnapped and forced to jump off a building on her wedding day. The latter half of the video was a recording from Wen Xiyao’s high school classmates during her time studying abroad. They all stepped forward to testify that Wen Xiyao and Du Nan had never been in a relationship; it was Du Nan who had been pursuing Wen Xiyao without giving up.

The emergence of this video stirred up a storm of public debate. Following that, a scene where Mrs. Du pleaded with Wen Xiyao at Xinhe International and even threatened her surfaced.

Just when the controversy had somewhat settled, it surged to a new peak. Du Nan’s father came forward and personally admitted that Wen Xiyao had never liked Du Nan—that it had always been unrequited love from Du Nan’s side.

When Shen Qinglan saw the video posted by Du Honghai, a torrent of emotions churned in her eyes. She quietly watched the screen until Fu Hengyi came back, still maintaining the same posture.

"What are you thinking about?"

Shen Qinglan handed the tablet to him. After watching the video, Fu Hengyi asked, "What do you want to do?"

"I want to visit Du Nan tomorrow," Shen Qinglan said.

"Okay, I’ll go with you."

"No need. If we’re both not at home, Anan will cry and make a fuss. Grandpa and Aunt Zhao won’t be able to handle him."

"Alright, call me if you need anything."

"Mhm. How did it go at the police station today? What did Director Liu say?"

"They’ve already gone back to the scene for a re-examination, determined it was homicide. They’ve taken all the surveillance footage from that day and plan to re-examine it for clues," Fu Hengyi said, his tone somewhat casual, obviously not believing that the police would find anything of substance.

"Did Director Liu tell you why such obvious evidence was overlooked?"

The corners of Fu Hengyi’s mouth curled up in a mocking arc, "What else could it be? Either there is a mole or it was sheer negligence."

In any case, those in charge at the scene that day weren’t going to escape responsibility for their actions.

The next day, when public opinion once again started leaning in favor of Shen Qinglan, she was already on her way to the mental hospital, accompanied by Jin Enxi as before.

Initially, Shen Qinglan intended to go alone, but Jin Enxi wanted to join in on the excitement, so Shen Qinglan allowed her to come along.

When the two arrived at the hospital, Shen Qinglan had already called the head of the facility, who naturally wouldn’t stop her from seeing the patient.

Du Nan was kept in a solitary room near the inside of the building—it was very quiet.

Shen Qinglan and Jin Enxi stood outside with a doctor who was Du Nan’s attending physician, "What’s his current condition?" Shen Qinglan asked.

"The patient’s emotions have been very unstable. He has been trying to escape since he was admitted, so we’ve had to inject him with a lot of sedatives. Today, you are seeing him in a more stable state. Usually, he’s quite mad and can act violently, so you should be careful when you go in," the doctor said.

Of course, the doctor knew whether Du Nan was really ill or not. With the upheaval of recent events on the internet and knowing the actions of the person inside, he didn’t find it difficult to deal with him at all. Such scum, if let loose, could harm many more people.

"And his mental state?"

"Quite normal."

Shen Qinglan understood. She pushed open the door, and Du Nan showed no reaction. At this point, only doctors and nurses ever entered, and he knew the purpose of these despicable people—they wanted to drive him into actual madness. But the more they tried, the less he would conform to their wishes.

He would definitely go out.

"Du Nan." Shen Qinglan spoke up.

Du Nan turned abruptly, glaring intently at Shen Qinglan, "It’s you!"

Shen Qinglan’s expression remained calm, "Yes, it’s me."

"You vicious woman, you even have the nerve to come here. I’m going to kill you. Anyway, I’m crazy now, and a madman doesn’t need to go to prison for murder, right? Hahaha." Du Nan’s face twisted with malice as he lunged toward Shen Qinglan.

Jin Enxi stepped forward and kicked Du Nan in the stomach, causing him to kneel on the ground, clutching his abdomen and coughing violently.

"Shen Qinglan, you whore!"

Jin Enxi’s gaze turned ice-cold as she grabbed Du Nan’s hair and delivered a slap to his face, "Whore? Who are you calling a whore?"

"Whoever deserves it gets called it!" Du Nan’s eyes were fixed on Shen Qinglan, filled with a hatred so deep it seemed like ink that couldn’t be diluted. For Du Nan, anyone from the Shen Family was the target of his hatred.

Shen Qinglan ignored his gaze and spoke indifferently, "It seems that after a few months here, you still haven’t realized your own mistakes."

"Haha, mistakes?! What mistakes have I made?" Du Nan sneered, "If it weren’t for your brother stealing my love, Xi Yao and I would have been married long ago. Your brother is nothing but a bandit, a damned demon!"

"The person my sister-in-law likes was never you. If you weren’t so delusional, you wouldn’t have ended up in this state."

"It’s nothing but your Shen Family manipulating power for personal gain!"

"So, you think you can feign madness to escape legal responsibility? Is it okay for officials to start fires, but forbidden for the common people to light a lamp?" Shen Qinglan retorted coldly.

"Haha, so what? The only thing I regret is not being able to drag Shen Junyu down with me that day."

Shen Qinglan looked at him coldly, but before her eyes was the bleak figure of Du Honghai, his bent back, his pale hair, and his faltering steps, standing humbly in front of everyone, apologizing and atoning for his son’s actions.

"Du Nan, you’ve squandered your father’s earnest efforts for you," Shen Qinglan said coldly.

Du Nan was taken aback, "What do you mean by that?"

He was pinned to the ground by Jin Enxi, unable to move; Shen Qinglan squatted down.

"Your family’s company went bankrupt because of you. Your father sold everything of value, spent all that was left of his savings, just to get you out; your mother, for your sake, tried to threaten me with her life, jumping from the top of an eighteen-story building, dead on the spot. Your family has paid a heavy price for your obsession and impulsiveness. And you still think it’s someone else’s fault—don’t you realize even a bit of your own wrongdoings?"

Shen Qinglan felt a chill, not for Du Nan, but for his deceased mother and prematurely aged father.

Although she didn’t agree with Mrs. Du’s actions and didn’t like them, it was undeniable that she had put her heart into helping her son, and Du Honghai, even more so.

"No, you’re lying! I know you’re trying to deceive me. I’m telling you, I won’t believe you. Don’t try to agitate me!" Du Nan roared, struggling violently as Jin Enxi pressed her knee down harder, drawing a grunt from him.

"I’m not lying to you. Just search the internet, and you’ll know whether this is true or not. Your parents have gone to such lengths for you, but what are you doing?"

"It’s you, it’s all your fault! If it weren’t for you, my parents wouldn’t have fallen to where they are today. Shen Qinglan, you venomous bitch, you won’t die a good death, and your brother, your parents, and your grandfather, your whole family won’t die a good death, you all deserve to go to hell."

Shen Qinglan looked at him coldly, "I don’t know whether I’ll die or not, but as for you, it’s not certain. Du Nan, you have to believe, if I wanted to kill you, it wouldn’t be difficult at all and without any cost. After all, it’s easy for people to understand a madman unable to bear the torment of illness, choosing to end their own life. And the reason I don’t want to act against you now is not because I’m soft-hearted, but because your father begged me."

"Aah! You lied to me, Shen Qinglan you liar!" Du Nan howled, struggling with all his might. Had it not been for the restraint by Jin Enxi, he would have probably pounced on Shen Qinglan to devour her by now.

Shen Qinglan stood up, "You should think about your parents and reflect on your own actions." She intended to leave, and Jin Enxi released Du Nan, who collapsed onto the ground.

"Shen Qinglan, go to hell!" Just as she reached the door, a shout came from behind. Shen Qinglan turned around and with a lift of her foot, she delivered a spinning kick, knocking Du Nan to the side. Du Nan had been holding a stool in his hand, but with Shen Qinglan’s kick, it crashed onto him instead.

Shen Qinglan gave him a cold glance and left. The doctor quickly entered and with several others, they restrained Du Nan on the ground.

"Hengyi, this Du Nan doesn’t have a shred of remorse, and he will become a hidden threat sooner or later. We should deal with him." On the way back, Jin Enxi said coldly.

Shen Qinglan hesitated for a moment.

"I know you sympathize with his father, but this Du Nan really can’t be spared. Keeping him is too dangerous."

After a long while, Shen Qinglan nodded, "Alright, but let’s let his father see him one last time."

"Okay, I’ll arrange that," said Jin Enxi.

Shen Qinglan returned home and didn’t mention this to Fu Hengyi. She sat by the crib, watching her sleeping son and whispered, "Anan, in this lifetime, your mother doesn’t hope for anything else but for you to always live under the sun, experiencing all the beauty this world has to offer." Because once a heart falls into darkness, no matter how much it yearns for the light, it cannot cleanse the sins once stained by the world.

Shen Qinglan’s expression was inscrutable as she reached out and took hold of Anan’s soft little hand.

That evening, Fu Hengyi could clearly sense a change in Shen Qinglan’s mood as he intently gazed into her eyes, "Qinglan, what are you thinking about?"

Shen Qinglan shook her head, "Seeing Du Nan’s unrepentant attitude today, I thought of his parents, and it made me quite emotional. Fu Hengyi, imagine how terrible it would be if Anan turned out like that one day."

Fu Hengyi laughed lightly at her words, "Silly, why are you having such ridiculous thoughts? Anan will definitely not turn out that way. You have to have confidence in our genes."

"I’m not confident in myself."

Fu Hengyi’s eyes darkened, "Thinking about the past?"

Shen Qinglan nodded, "Fu Hengyi, do you think I can be a good mother?"

Fu Hengyi nodded affirmatively, "You will be. You’re a great mother, Qinglan. Don’t think about the past anymore. Those experiences weren’t your choice, and you’ve already left that kind of life behind."

"No. Actually, I haven’t, have I?" Shen Qinglan stared into Fu Hengyi’s eyes. With the incident involving Annie and Xu Nuo, Fu Hengyi was well aware but chose not to bring it up.

Fu Hengyi covered Shen Qinglan’s mouth, "Don’t talk about it anymore, Qinglan. Special people use special methods, and it’s not just you; I’ve used them too, and I am a soldier, after all."

They were part of a special force operating in gray areas, and some matters were unspeakable.

Shen Qinglan looked steadily at Fu Hengyi, closed her eyes, then reopened them. Her gaze had returned to its usual aloof coolness, "Fu Hengyi, I’m fine now."

Fu Hengyi kissed her forehead gently, "Then let’s go to sleep. Goodnight, wife."

With public opinion swinging in favor of Shen Qinglan online, Wen Xiyao could finally go back to work normally. After being home for a few days, although she made sure important documents were delivered by her secretary, some meetings required her personal attendance.

"What time are you leaving work? Shall I come pick you up?" Shen Junyu asked.

"You don’t need to pick me up tonight. I’ll call the driver to take me home. I have an international video conference at seven tonight and will need to stay late at the office; I don’t know what time it will end."

"I’m fine, I’m working overtime today as well, I’ll come to pick you up after I finish my work," Shen Junyu said, not allowing any objections.

"Okay, then I’ll head up first."

By 8 o’clock in the evening, Wen Xiyao had finished her meeting, and when she took out her phone, she realized that Shen Junyu had called her twice.

Wen Xiyao hastily returned Shen Junyu’s call.

"I’m already downstairs at your company, can we go home now?" Shen Junyu asked gently.

"Yes, we can. Give me five minutes, I’ll be right down," said Wen Xiyao.

Wen Xiyao quickly tidied up her desk and then went downstairs, only to open the car door again just after getting in.

"What’s the matter?" Shen Junyu asked.

"I forgot an important document that I need first thing tomorrow morning. I have to look over it tonight. Wait for me five minutes; I’m going upstairs to grab it."

"Okay, don’t rush."

Nearly everyone in the company had left, with only a few scattered offices still lit. Wen Xiyao found the documents on her desk and walked out of her office when suddenly the corridor lights went out. She pressed the light switch but it seemed there was a power outage; the elevator had stopped too. Her office was on the sixteenth floor, so it looked like she had to walk down.

The sound of high heels echoed in the stairwell, but Wen Xiyao’s heart suddenly clenched. She twitched, and indeed there were faint footsteps behind her, masked by the sound of her own heels. She didn’t turn around but quickened her pace, and the person behind her also sped up.

Wen Xiyao’s hairs stood on end as she pretended to be unaware of being followed and walked down another floor.

There was a faint moonlight tonight, shining through the glass windows of the stairwell and casting a soft glow in the corridors. Her gaze fell on the ground and confirmed there was a faint shadow. She gripped her cell phone tightly, not daring to make a call for fear that the person behind her would do something if she did.

She didn’t know who was following her or why. All she could do now was try to keep the follower steady. She feigned ignorance and, when she reached the tenth floor, the person was still behind her. She did not continue down but instead entered the restroom on the tenth floor. She opened one of the stalls and locked the door securely.

She still didn’t dare to call, but instead sent a message to Shen Junyu—[Tenth floor restroom, someone is following me, help me.]

Shen Junyu was already wondering why Wen Xiyao hadn’t come down yet and was preparing to call her when he received her distress signal. His expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly got out of the car and ran into the building.

The entire building had lost power at some point, and the elevator had stopped working. Without hesitation, Shen Junyu chose the stairs.

In the tenth-floor restroom, Wen Xiyao crouched in the stall, all her attention on the door outside. Everything was quiet around her except for her breathing, her heartbeat, and the faint sound of footsteps.

Wen Xiyao could clearly hear the other person walking back and forth outside, waiting for her. Probably because he saw she wasn’t coming out, the footstep sounds gradually became disordered and then started heading inside.

Wen Xiyao’s heart shuddered, and she turned pale, her hand holding the phone trembling slightly. She sent another message to Shen Junyu, her heart praying for him to hurry up, to come faster.

Shen Junyu was running swiftly, urgency filled his eyes; he was inwardly regretting not having accompanied her upstairs.

The footsteps grew closer, and Wen Xiyao felt her heart being tightly gripped, knowing that the person was now standing just outside the stall, separated only by a door.

Sweat rolled from her forehead, gathering drop by drop before falling down, her palms damp with perspiration.

Moonlight poured in, casting a soft glow in the restroom and also the faint shadow of the person outside. He pulled at the door handle, and Wen Xiyao’s heart leapt to her throat, pressing firmly against the partition wall, and her eyes glued to the doorknob.

"Ah!" Wen Xiyao’s gaze inadvertently drifted downward, and she suddenly screamed, collapsing onto the toilet seat cover in shock when she saw half a man’s face through the crack on the ground, eyes emitting an evil glow, with a hint of a smile on his lips. In his hand was a Sharp Blade, and upon seeing that Wen Xiyao had spotted him, he even shook it at her.

Wen Xiyao’s face turned another shade paler, "Ah!" she screamed again.

A man’s hand reached in through a crack; Wen Xiyao quickly pulled her feet back.

"Xi Yao," Shen Junyu’s voice rang out.

"Jun Yu!" Wen Xiyao cried out loudly. The man, seeing the situation turn sour, tried to flee but was met head-on by Shen Junyu arriving just in time. Shen Junyu’s fist landed on the man without hesitation.

"Jun Yu, he has a knife on him!" Wen Xiyao shouted, shaking as she tried to open the door, but she couldn’t manage to unlock it.

Shen Junyu had not joined the military, but Old Sir Shen had raised him as his successor since childhood. Even though his skills were not as strong as Fu Hengyi’s, self-defense was not a problem for him. The man’s knife glinted but was kicked away by Shen Junyu’s foot. With a beautiful roundhouse kick, the man was sent crashing into the wall and then fell to the ground, unable to stand up as he clutched his chest.

"Xi Yao, stay inside and don’t come out," Shen Junyu called out towards the restroom.

Shen Junyu picked up his phone to call the police, all the while keeping his eyes on the man to prevent a sneak attack. The police arrived quickly, and only after they had detained the man did Shen Junyu enter the restroom.

"Xi Yao, it’s me, open the door."

Wen Xiyao’s hands were still trembling, "Jun Yu, I can’t open it," her voice quivering.

"Xi Yao, the police are here now, it’s okay. Calm down and open the door," Shen Junyu spoke soothingly.

Wen Xiyao gradually calmed down and opened the door. Shen Junyu immediately hugged her tight, "Don’t be afraid, I’m here, everything’s alright now."

"Jun Yu," Wen Xiyao’s voice was choked up.

"It’s okay now," Shen Junyu comforted her softly.

The two followed the police to the station to make a statement.

Only now did Wen Xiyao get a clear look at the man who had been stalking her, a man around forty, with short hair, some balding, small eyes, but filled with malicious intent. He even smiled at Wen Xiyao, a sinister smile.

Wen Xiyao’s hair stood on end once more, and Shen Junyu, with his arm around her shoulders, held her a bit tighter.

"Mrs. Shen, do you know this man?" the police officer asked.

Wen Xiyao shook her head, "I’ve never seen him before."

"Then have you offended anyone recently?" the officer continued.

Wen Xiyao kept shaking her head.

The police officer asked several more questions, but couldn’t get any useful information from Wen Xiyao, so he eventually stopped asking, "Alright, Mrs. Shen, we will investigate this matter thoroughly. If we have any results, we will inform you by phone. If you remember any useful information in the next few days, please contact us in time."

Wen Xiyao nodded, "Please do."

"Can we leave now?" Shen Junyu asked.

The police officer nodded.

Shen Junyu led Wen Xiyao out of the police station, driving while not forgetting to hold her hand, which was still ice-cold. Shen Junyu knew she had been frightened tonight and comforted her softly, "Don’t worry, I’m here."

Wen Xiyao’s eyes still held traces of unsettled fear, "Jun Yu, that person’s eyes, so terrifying."

"Don’t be afraid, I’m here." Shen Junyu pulled over, unbuckled the seatbelt, and pulled Wen Xiyao into his arms, "It’s all over now, you’re safe, be good, forget all about it, have a good sleep tonight and when you wake up tomorrow, it will be as if nothing had happened."

Wen Xiyao nodded, smelling Shen Junyu’s scent, her unsettled heart gradually calmed down.

It was very late when the two returned to the Shen family home. Wen Xiyao took a bath but still looked somewhat pale.

She still looked unwell when she got up the next day, so Shen Junyu simply took a day off for her. Dong Xinhe, the chairman of Xinhe International, was furious upon learning that Wen Xiyao had encountered danger in his company last night and was calling the security downstairs to account.

After receiving a call from Shen Junyu and learning about the incident last night, Shen Qinglan specifically brought Anan over to keep Wen Xiyao company.

Wen Xiyao, holding Anan and playing with a wave drum, looked at Anan’s little face and finally felt a bit better, smiling, "Qinglan, I feel much better."

"Sister-in-law, what exactly happened last night?"

"I don’t know, I forgot an important document, so I went up to get it. When I came out, I realized the power was out in the company, so I decided to take the stairs. Then, I noticed someone was following me." The memory of last night’s events flashed in Wen Xiyao’s mind, bringing a look of fear to her eyes. She couldn’t imagine what would have happened if Shen Junyu hadn’t come to pick her up yesterday.

"Sister-in-law, don’t overthink it." Shen Qinglan regretted having brought up the matter in such haste, observing Wen Xiyao’s expression.

"The police are already investigating the matter, so you can relax," Shen Qinglan reassured her.

"Here, have some fruit." Chu Yunrong came over with a plate of fruit, Shen Qinglan, and Wen Xiyao temporarily dropped the subject. Aside from Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi, the family was unaware of last night’s events.

"Mom, I want some grapes," Shen Qinglan remarked.

"Oh dear, I forgot to wash the grapes. I’ll wash them for you now. Eat some of these in the meantime. Xiyao, what would you like to eat?"

"I’ll have some watermelon," Wen Xiyao said, picking up a slice of watermelon and putting it in her mouth.

Anan’s eyes followed the watermelon in Wen Xiyao’s hand, opening his little mouth.

Wen Xiyao smiled at him, "You’re too small, you can’t eat this yet. When you’re a little bigger, Aunt will feed you."

Anan gazed longingly at the watermelon in Wen Xiyao’s hand, watching her bite into it and let out an "ah" as if protesting.

"Anan will surely be a foodie when he grows up," Wen Xiyao said with a laugh.

Shen Qinglan took a piece of apple from the plate, and Anan’s gaze immediately shifted towards Shen Qinglan, "Ah!" Anan exclaimed.

Shen Qinglan held the apple to Anan’s mouth, "Qinglan, he can’t eat that now."

Shen Qinglan simply smiled, "It’s okay."

Anan tried to grab the apple, but Shen Qinglan dodged him, "Open up." She held the apple to Anan’s mouth again, and this time the little guy smartened up, sticking out his tongue to lick it, smacking his lips. Just as he was about to lick it again, Shen Qinglan took it back and put it in her own mouth.

Watching Shen Qinglan eat the apple, Anan’s little brows crinkled into tiny waves, his mouth pursed, seemingly on the verge of crying. Shen Qinglan watched him carefully; the little one blinked but did not cry and instead lunged at Shen Qinglan.

Shen Qinglan scooped up her son, "Little glutton, always thinking about eating." As she spoke, she also pinched her son’s cheek.

Wen Xiyao watched all of this, her eyes revealing a faint smile.

**********

In the evening, when Fu Hengyi returned from the police station, Shen Qinglan had just put Anan to sleep. She looked to Fu Hengyi, "Is there a result for the matter?"

Early this morning, after Shen Qinglan went to the Shen Family, Fu Hengyi and Shen Junyu had gone to the police station. There should have been a result from last night’s events.

"Uh-huh, we got it out of him. This man is a habitual offender. It’s not his first time stalking women. The several incidents where single women were followed and harassed on their way home late at night that occurred recently in Beijing and Lin City were done by him."

"He specifically targets single women. Just like last night, he follows them for a while before cornering them in a secluded place to harass them and rob them of their money. These women generally don’t dare to report to the police. If it hadn’t been for your sister-in-law, he might have continued to get away with it for a while longer."

Having heard this, Shen Qinglan’s brow furrowed. "According to what you said, this person specifically preys on single women and chooses locations with fewer people. But last night, my sister-in-law was in the company."

That was a significant difference.

"We can only say it was because of the chaos these past few days, the whole city was abuzz with that issue, starting with your sister-in-law. The negative news about your sister-in-law wasn’t any less than yours. This man likes to move from place to place when committing crimes. Yesterday, he happened to be near Xinhe International and saw your sister-in-law returning to the company alone late at night, so he followed her, mainly thinking she would have quite a bit of money on her."

"Really just a coincidence?" Shen Qinglan was somewhat incredulous. Maybe she was just being paranoid.

"It was a coincidence, and last night, a wire burned out in the building’s main switch, which caused a power outage."

Could there really be such a coincidence? Shen Qinglan maintained a touch of doubt in her heart.

Fu Hengyi harbored the same doubt, "I will keep looking into this matter. Don’t worry, these next few days your brother will be taking your sister-in-law to and from work."

"Mhm."

Meanwhile, Shen Junyu informed Wen Xiyao of the police’s investigation results.

"Are those women silly? Why didn’t they report it?" Wen Xiyao, hearing that other women had suffered such incidents, was both angry and contemptuous of their lack of fight. If this person had been caught earlier, so many people wouldn’t have gotten hurt.

"They’re probably afraid of receiving judgmental looks from others, and they’re also worried about retaliation, especially since the man didn’t fully assault them." Shen Junyu spoke calmly, but his tone carried disapproval.

"It’s exactly because of such behavior that evil people are emboldened. Jun Yu, I always find that man strange. The look in his eyes felt more like those of an unforgivable man." Those evil eyes reminded her of the psychopathic killers from movies.

"Don’t worry. From now on, I will pick you up for work. If I don’t have time, I will have the driver come. Don’t drive yourself and definitely don’t go to remote or deserted places alone."

Wen Xiyao nodded. She had been frightened and now dared not act alone.

Shen Junyu comforted his wife, but his heart, much like Shen Qinglan’s, harbored a hint of suspicion as to whether the incident was an accident or premeditated. And for that man, Shen Junyu naturally had ways to ensure he’d spend a few more years behind bars. The Junlan Group’s legal team was not to be taken lightly.

Du Honghai had already met his son, but after meeting him, Du Honghai understood that Du Nan wouldn’t be able to return in the short term. If Du Honghai were Shen Qinglan, he wouldn’t let someone so filled with resentment and ready to kill go free either.

After meeting Du Nan, Du Honghai made a phone call to Shen Qinglan, saying he wished to meet her. Shen Qinglan didn’t refuse.

"Mrs. Fu, thank you for still being willing to see me," said Du Honghai in a gentle voice.

Shen Qinglan’s gaze flickered slightly. "Have you seen Du Nan?"

"Mhm. I, as a father, have been a total failure. I didn’t raise him well," Du Honghai spoke very calmly, calmer than ever before, which set off an unusual feeling in the depths of Shen Qinglan’s heart.

"Regarding your wife..."

"The police have already told me that my starving wife did not commit suicide, but there are currently no leads on the true culprit," Du Honghai continued.

"Don’t you have anything to say?" Shen Qinglan asked him, since he had called her out, there must be something he wanted to say.

"Yes, Mrs. Fu, the reason I asked you out today is actually to apologize to you for my son’s actions."

"If it’s about that matter, there’s no need, after all, the person he hurt wasn’t me," Shen Qinglan responded indifferently.

Du Honghai tugged at the corner of his mouth, "I won’t go to Xi Yao about that, I suppose she wouldn’t want to see me anyway. Tomorrow I will leave, taking my wife with me, and likely will not come back to Beijing again. As for Du Nan, I won’t plead on his behalf anymore."

"What are your plans for the future?"

Du Honghai shook his head, his gaze calm and waveless, "I’m not sure. I always believed I was a successful person, with a beautiful family and a booming career. Even though I had long noticed Du Nan’s excessive obsession with Xi Yao, I always thought it was just youthful impetuousness and that he would mature eventually. But step by step, things have come to this."

"The reason I asked to meet you today is one part to apologize, another to say goodbye, and also, to ask you for one last thing—if possible, please send Du Nan to prison," Du Honghai’s voice was still calm.

Shen Qinglan stared at Du Honghai, neither agreeing nor refusing, and Du Honghai smiled, "If this request makes you uncomfortable, then pretend I never mentioned it."

Shen Qinglan didn’t give Du Honghai a definitive answer when she left, and Du Honghai really did not bring it up again.

"Mrs. Fu, this is some of my remorse for Xi Yao, please help me pass it on to her," Du Honghai pushed an envelope across to Shen Qinglan.

"All the things at home have been sold off for the most part. This is the last bit of savings I have on me. I know money doesn’t mean much to Xi Yao, but it’s a token of my sentiments. I’m too ashamed to see Xi Yao, please pass this on for me, I beg you."

Shen Qinglan looked at the white envelope on the table and pushed it back, "I will convey your apologies, but take this back. Even if I were to take it back, my sister-in-law wouldn’t accept it. You need this money more than she does."

"I don’t need it anymore. I have lived a worry-free life for the better half of my life. Only in these past months have I come to understand that the so-called sense of superiority was all just self-deception. Relationships between people are mostly tainted with interests. After experiencing the warmth and coldness of human relations these past months, I’ve started to understand a lot of things and have come to terms with them," Du Honghai narrated his inner feelings calmly.

Shen Qinglan listened quietly, her face showing no impatience, until at the end, Du Honghai said just one sentence, "In fact, Xi Yao’s decision not to choose Du Nan was the wisest decision she has made in her life."

Du Honghai left, and Shen Qinglan sat alone in the café, her mind replaying the words Du Honghai had said to her earlier, the words that sounded more like a farewell.

Wait, farewell!

Shen Qinglan’s expression changed slightly, she picked up the envelope from the table and hurriedly left the café. She saw Du Honghai get into a taxi, and quickly got in her car to follow.

She followed all the way, but at an intersection, they were cut off by a truck that ran a red light, and she lost sight of the taxi. Shen Qinglan thought over Du Honghai’s words and remembered the direction the taxi went—it should be heading towards the seaside.

When Shen Qinglan arrived at the seaside, the taxi had just returned, with no sign of Du Honghai inside.

She hurriedly got out of the car, but didn’t find Du Honghai by the shore. Her gaze wandered aimlessly into the distance and then she spotted a familiar figure standing on a rock—if she remembered correctly, that place was a cliff more than ten meters high.

"Du Honghai, don’t!" Shen Qinglan shouted loudly.

Du Honghai seemed to have heard her voice, turned around, and waved at her.

Shen Qinglan quickened her pace, but when she was just five meters away from Du Honghai, she watched, wide-eyed, as he jumped down, instantly submerged by the waves.