In Chen Jinzhao's memory, Li Qiutao was a gentle and refined man, his face always adorned with a smile.
If he hadn't known him inside out, Chen Jinzhao wouldn't have believed Li Qiutao capable of such deeds. With the facts laid bare, even if Chen Jinzhao didn't want to believe it, he had to.
This matter also piqued Chen Jinzhao's curiosity.
His maternal uncle was merely a live-in son-in-law of the Wu family, yet he wielded such terrifying influence. Chen Jinzhao couldn't even imagine the heaven-defying power held by the direct descendants of the Wu family.
"This is what a top aristocratic family looks like!" Chen Jinzhao sighed.
He already foresaw that the path he had chosen was like the plank road of Mount Hua, fraught with the danger of shattering to pieces and being eternally disgraced.
That afternoon.
Chen Jinzhao met Su Wen, a man with a simple and honest demeanor, at People's Park.
Su Wen appeared somewhat nervous in front of Chen Jinzhao, clearly excited. Su Wen smiled foolishly and said, "Instructor Chen, I heard you were seriously injured some time ago. How are you recovering? You haven't contacted me for so long, I thought you'd forgotten about me."
After their last encounter, Su Wen had been brimming with ambition to achieve great things.
However, Chen Jinzhao's delayed contact gradually diminished his enthusiasm, leaving his heart half-cold.
This was why Su Wen was so excited to see Chen Jinzhao again.
Chen Jinzhao asked him not to get too excited. "I asked you to come here because I need your help to investigate something."
"Instructor Chen, please speak," Su Wen straightened his back.
"Have you heard about Su Jian's execution?" Chen Jinzhao asked.
Su Wen pondered for a moment, then nodded. "I heard, but I felt Su Jian's death was too swift, which doesn't align with the Su family's typical conduct."
Chen Jinzhao nodded. "When things deviate from the norm, there's usually something amiss. I have a hunch that there's something fishy going on, so I'd like you to investigate the entire matter for me."
Su Wen's expression shifted slightly, and he suddenly thought of something. "Instructor Chen, are you implying that Su Jian might not be dead?"
Before Chen Jinzhao could reply, Su Wen's brows furrowed, and he muttered in a low voice, "There is indeed that possibility. Otherwise, given the Su family's usual overbearing nature, they would have already gotten Su Jian out. You must remember that Su Jian is from the eldest branch and is highly favored by Su Shui Shui."
"I'll do my best to gather information."
Chen Jinzhao patted his shoulder and said, "This is an opportunity to achieve a great deal with little effort. If you can overthrow the Su Canghai branch, your own branch might have a chance to take charge of the Su family in the future."
The Su family of Jiangnan could continue to exist, but only if they obeyed Chen Jinzhao.
Su Wen became even more excited upon hearing this.
Before parting, Su Wen hesitated several times, as if wanting to say something. Chen Jinzhao noticed his peculiarity and asked, "What is it? Is there anything else?"
"I recently heard something, and I'm not sure if I should say it," Su Wen hesitated.
Chen Jinzhao said without hesitation, "If it doesn't affect me, you can say it or not."
Conversely—
Su Wen should have stated it truthfully.
"I can't make up my mind, so I'll tell Instructor Chen."
"Your brother-in-law is having an affair with Su Yuan's wife, and Su Yuan's wife is Bai Meizi from the Bai family in the capital."
Chen Jinzhao was stunned for a moment. Su Wen, fearing he hadn't made himself clear, added, "It's Yu Huaiqing who got involved with Bai Meizi. I heard that Bai Meizi is currently arguing with Su Yuan about a divorce, likely because of this matter."
Su Yuan was the eldest grandson of the Su family and the future patriarch.
It seemed Yu Huaiqing truly didn't fear death.
"How is their relationship?" Chen Jinzhao asked.
Su Wen hesitated. "Instructor Chen, are you asking about the married couple, or Yu Huaiqing and Bai Meizi?"
"Tell me about both."
Su Wen stated directly, "Bai Meizi doesn't have much of a relationship with Su Yuan. They got together due to a marriage alliance. After marriage, Su Yuan rarely paid attention to Bai Meizi and had several other women outside. But Su Yuan was very possessive of Bai Meizi, which might be the reason Bai Meizi got involved with Yu Huaiqing. As for Yu Huaiqing and Bai Meizi, they have a solid emotional foundation, otherwise Bai Meizi wouldn't have proposed divorce to Su Yuan over this."
"Perhaps these two are truly in love."
Chen Jinzhao pondered for a moment and realized he hadn't seen Yu Huaiqing in a long time.
In his impression, Yu Huaiqing was a highly conflicted person, sometimes selfish, sometimes magnanimous. According to Yu Mengzhi, he often frequented various nightclubs. He hadn't expected him to get involved with Bai Meizi.
This was a forbidden romance.
If Su Yuan were to discover it, Yu Huaiqing would have no chance of survival.
"Does anyone else know about this matter?" Chen Jinzhao asked. Su Wen repeatedly shook his head. "Not yet. The reason I know is that I had already placed informants within the Su family's eldest branch before."
Chen Jinzhao mused, "This matter must not be known to a third person, understand?"
"Understood!"
As Su Wen stood up to leave, Chen Jinzhao called out to him again. "Oh, right. Su Jian's right wrist suffered a penetrating wound. Modern medical technology should not be able to fully restore it."
Su Wen understood that this was a breakthrough and nodded before turning to leave.
Chen Jinzhao gazed at the calm lake surface, thinking that Yu Huaiqing was truly daring to get involved with Bai Meizi.
What is love in the world, that it makes people disregard life and death?
He didn't get up to leave, sitting on the long bench and gazing at the lake, lost in thought. More accurately, he was contemplating life.
About half an hour later, Chen Jinzhao suddenly said, "Since you're here, come out and meet me."
With no one around, Chen Jinzhao appeared to be talking to himself.
A few seconds later.
A graceful figure appeared behind Chen Jinzhao's bench. It was a woman with delicate features.
The woman said with a smile, "Brother Chen, I was so careful, I didn't expect you to discover me."
It was indeed strange.
After recovering from several major injuries, Chen Jinzhao's sensory perception grew stronger, and even the slightest sounds within ten meters could not escape his perception.
He had known someone was following him for a while and had been waiting to see when they would reveal themselves.
He hadn't expected her to be so patient.
Hearing the woman's voice, Chen Jinzhao knew he hadn't guessed wrong; it was indeed Zhuang Xiaoyue.
Zhuang Xiaoyue sat beside Chen Jinzhao openly, her smile as sweet as morning dew. "Brother Chen, you're too amazing! I've been watching you spacing out for so long from the shadows, I thought you hadn't noticed me."
"Did he send you?" Chen Jinzhao asked directly.
Zhuang Xiaoyue was startled for a moment, then smiled. "It seems nothing can escape Brother Chen. Yes, my master sent me to follow you, and he also ordered me to seduce Brother Chen and control you."
Chen Jinzhao was taken aback by Zhuang Xiaoyue's blunt words, and his brows furrowed slightly. "What do you think about that?"
Zhuang Xiaoyue replied as a matter of course, "Of course, I'll obey my master's orders."
"Brother Chen, what do you think?"