Shu Zhongze felt a headache coming on as he supported his forehead with his hand. It seemed he needed to re-examine his gentle and virtuous wife.
He sat dejectedly on the sofa in his office, his mind a blank. He had always believed Jia Nanfang was the most suitable woman to be his wife.
She never felt jealous, never competed for attention, always obeyed his every word, and was as gentle as water, graceful and dignified… so perfect she seemed unreal. Yet, the daughter she raised was nothing like her.
Like mother, like daughter. Had he been mistaken about Jia Nanfang all along, or was Shu Yan’s fault not her mother’s?
At this moment, Shu Zhongze felt old for the first time, sensing his own powerlessness. But he couldn’t afford to admit it; the Shu Corporation needed him.
He had to hold on until the Shu Group could be handed over to a suitable heir.
…
That evening, Qin Tianyi and Susu sat by the window in a gracefully decorated Chinese restaurant.
They had already ordered their food but hadn’t asked the waiter to serve it yet.
Susu was anxious and worried, frequently glancing at the road outside the window, as if waiting for someone, or perhaps dreading the arrival of the person they were meeting.
Qin Tianyi placed his palm over hers and said softly, “Don’t worry, Chang Qingchuan will understand us.”
“Really?” Susu turned to look at him, her voice filled with worry. “Won’t he blame me? Will he be very angry when he finds out and break off our friendship?”
Just as Qin Tianyi was about to offer words of comfort, Chang Qingchuan pushed open the restaurant door and walked in.
He quickly waved at Chang Qingchuan. Seeing them, Chang Qingchuan smiled and walked over to the window table. “What brings you two to invite me for a meal today? Do you have some good news to share?”
Susu saw that he seemed to have moved past the pain of losing Huo Jin. She didn’t know how to break the news of Huo Jin’s death’s true nature to him.
“Yes, there’s something we need to tell you. I’m not sure if it’s good news or not.”
Chang Qingchuan sat opposite them. Noticing Qin Tianyi holding Susu’s hand tightly, he couldn’t help but look at Susu’s abdomen and ask, “Are you pregnant again? Are you expecting a second child?”
Susu quickly withdrew her hand from Qin Tianyi’s grasp, covering her abdomen, and immediately denied it. “No, where would a second child come from?”
Qin Tianyi smiled and said, “I wish we were, but she hasn’t shown any signs.” As he spoke, he gestured for the waiter to serve the dishes.
Chang Qingchuan fiddled with the cutlery in front of him and asked, “So, what is it you need to tell me?”
Susu glanced at Qin Tianyi, fearing that mentioning Huo Jin again would cause Chang Qingchuan even more heartbreak.
Observing Chang Qingchuan’s reaction, Qin Tianyi guessed that he still didn’t know about the reinvestigation into Huo Jin’s death. It seemed the Huo family hadn’t leaked any information to him.
Huo Zheng was in closed training and likely didn’t know the news either. Huo Liangcheng and his wife wouldn’t inform Chang Qingchuan, as in their eyes, Chang Qingchuan wasn’t yet a true son-in-law.
“Qingchuan, Huo Jin’s death is actually not as simple as it seems.”
Chang Qingchuan froze. The indescribable pain surged through him once more.
Huo Jin’s joyful eyes, gazing at him affectionately, flashed in his mind. “Chang Qingchuan, you silly boy, I like you.”
Their first meeting in the vast sea of people was so accidental and amusing.
At first, he didn’t like this talkative woman who pursued him. She was completely different from him.
At that time, he had been rejected by Susu. He pretended to be unaffected, but inwardly, he was deeply hurt. Wanting to alleviate his disappointment, he tried to like Huo Jin, to show her tenderness. Unexpectedly, he was truly moved by her charm and directness, falling deeply in love with her.
If he had known she would leave him like this, he wouldn’t have had so many reservations back then. He should have proposed to her sooner; perhaps he wouldn’t have lost her so early.
He gritted his teeth and asked, “What do you mean, not simple?”
Susu tried to soften her tone. “Her death was not an accident. She… she was murdered. The police have already arrested the killer…”
Chang Qingchuan could no longer control himself. Tears streamed down his face as he desperately covered his mouth, trying to stifle any sound.
Qin Tianyi got up and sat beside him, placing his hand on his shoulder, hoping to offer some comfort and shield him from the view of other diners.
Susu also felt sad and distressed for him, speaking somewhat incoherently. “I’m sorry we’re only telling you this now. We only suspected it before and were afraid it would make you feel worse. But now the police have solid evidence, overturning the initial conclusion of an accident. It’s being investigated as a murder case, and justice will be served for Huo Jin…”
“Who, who killed her?” Chang Qingchuan’s eyes reddened as he looked up like a wild beast.
Susu immediately replied, “It was Shu Yan, but we don’t know why she killed Huo Jin yet. We’re waiting for news from the police.”
“Shu Yan!” Chang Qingchuan wished he could tear Shu Yan to shreds right now.
Qin Tianyi calmly advised him, “All the evidence points to Shu Yan. She can’t escape legal punishment, so you don’t need to dirty your hands.”
Chang Qingchuan looked at them and asked, “What else do you know? Can you tell me everything? I can handle it, no matter how big the matter!”
Qin Tianyi and Susu exchanged glances. Susu was too heartbroken to know where to begin.
Qin Tianyi organized his thoughts and recounted the entire incident to Chang Qingchuan from beginning to end.
Chang Qingchuan seemed to gradually calm down, wiping the tears from his face with a tissue. “Huo Jin went to see her out of kindness. Why would she kill her? Was it because Huo Jin discovered something she wanted to keep hidden?”
“What exactly happened between them after Huo Jin saw her that night is something only she knows. Based on the current evidence, only the two of them were in the old house in the countryside that night. There was no one else at the scene,” Qin Tianyi analyzed.
Chang Qingchuan spoke as if his soul had left him. “I want to see Shu Yan.”
Susu was most afraid that Chang Qingchuan would lose his mind and try to make Shu Yan pay with her life, regardless of the consequences. “She’s been arrested and will face legal consequences. You don’t need to do anything foolish…”
“I’m not going to kill her! I just want to know how Huo Jin died. Was she in pain when she died? Did she say anything in the end?” Recalling some past events, Chang Qingchuan actually laughed. “Don’t let her usual capable demeanor fool you. She’s actually very delicate, afraid of pain and death. Even a small cut on her finger while peeling fruit would make her cry out in pain… And to be murdered and fall into the water, how much pain and fear must she have felt…”
As he spoke, he could no longer continue.