The room was an office.
On the desk sat a computer with three screens, and on the wall opposite the desk hung a large whiteboard covered in diagrams of character relationships and interests.
In the center were two photos, one a black-and-white portrait of a woman and the other a color photo of a man. The woman was not exceptionally stunning but possessed an elegant demeanor. The man's eyebrows bore a resemblance to Qin Beiting's, and they were Yu He's adoptive parents.
Yu He broke free from his grasp and stepped closer to examine the information.
The character relationships surrounding her adoptive parents were mostly Qin family members, and the threads of connection largely aligned with what she currently possessed. However, Qin Beiting's clues were slightly more detailed than hers, specifically concerning the biggest beneficiary after the death of Third Master Qin and the imprisonment of Sixth Master Qin.
Before his death, Old Master Qin had intended to pass the family headship to Third Master Qin in his will. But with Third Master Qin dead and Sixth Master Qin imprisoned, and Qin Beiting still young, Qin Fourth Master was no match for Qin Yongchao. The family headship ultimately fell into Qin Yongchao's hands.
"This is Chen Hao's analysis of the case's progress," Qin Beiting explained, walking to her side. "You initially approached the case by searching for the murderer of Sister-in-law Yun'er, but the trail went cold at Qin Xinhong.
"I thought we could work backward from the beneficiaries of the crime. So, I've compiled what I know about Sixth Brother's situation back then."
Yes, Yu He had initially believed that finding the murderer of her adoptive mother would expose the truth behind her adoptive father's imprisonment. It was because her adoptive mother had gathered crucial evidence that the mastermind behind the scenes had rushed to destroy the evidence and eliminate her.
"But I wasn't at the scene back then, and all I know is what the Qin family officially announced. Moreover, Sixth Brother's case file has been sealed by higher authorities, so it can't be retrieved. However, I've asked someone to help arrange a visit for you to see him," Qin Beiting added.
"Can you?" Yu He turned to look at him, her eyes shimmering with unconcealed anticipation.
From the moment she left the mountains, she had planned to see her adoptive father.
But her adoptive father's visitation rights had been tightened by the Qin family, preventing any outsiders from visiting. Even Qin family members had to submit an application first.
Qin Beiting: "I'll try my best."
On the night of the incident, neither of them was present. Yu He was very young then, and when her adoptive father was arrested, she had a high fever. Her adoptive mother was desperately running around, seeking help for her adoptive father, and had no time for her. It was Qin Beiting and the nanny who looked after her, leaving her with almost no memory of the case.
If she could see her adoptive father, as a direct party involved, he could provide more comprehensive clues.
"Shouldn't the Master of Xingque Hall say 'definitely'?" Yu He raised an eyebrow.
"No matter how powerful Xingque is, it must abide by the law," Qin Beiting said. He leaned his head down slightly towards Yu He, pointing to her cheek with his distinctly jointed fingers. "However, if you cheer me on, I'll do my best to secure it."
Yu He raised her hand, placed her index and middle fingers to her lips, kissed them, and then pressed them to his cheek.
Qin Beiting's dark eyes deepened, his Adam's apple bobbed, and just as he was about to lean closer, Yu He stopped him.
"Don't push your luck! You're doing all this just to prove your innocence."
Qin Beiting didn't get angry. He looked at her deeply and said, "Keep pushing me. When I win you back, I'll collect double."
Yu He's heart skipped a beat. She knew that if that day ever came, this man would undoubtedly keep his word, and a flicker of fear arose. But outwardly, she scoffed, "Heh, with you chasing me like this?"
"Don't rush. Come, let me show you a software I developed, as my first gift to win you back." Qin Beiting moved to the desk and opened the computer.
"A piece of software to win me back?" Yu He said dismissively, but she still pulled up a chair and sat down, curious to see what kind of tricks this logical engineer's approach to wooing a girl would produce.
Qin Beiting clicked on an icon on the desktop. "It's an audio repair software. Did you get that recording from your SD card? You can try it."
If it were ordinary jewelry or trinkets, Yu He might not have been so interested. But this kind of technical work was exactly what she needed him for, and she couldn't refuse it at all.
She took the mouse and tried the software. "When did you start developing it?"
"Last year, I jointly developed a forensic system for Chen Hao's department, which included an audio repair function, but it was quite basic. Since the beginning of this year, I've been refining it in my spare time based on the original version. It was only completed this morning."
Qin Beiting explained, "Originally, I wasn't planning to tell you. I wanted to wait until the data was integrated into their system and then have Chen Hao tell you. But these past two days, as I was thinking about how to win you back, I suddenly changed my mind. I'm not giving it to them; I want to give it to you."
Yu He listened, her heart thudding a little faster because of his words.
"Thanks. I'll try it out when we get back to Beijing. You should give the software to Brother Hao and continue being a role model for serving the people."
As she spoke, she logged into WeChat and sent the software's installation package to her phone.
Seeing this, Qin Beiting made a gentlemanly invitation to Yu He, "Miss Yu has accepted the gift. Would you do me the honor of having dinner together and perhaps watching a movie?"
"That will be deducted from the rent," Yu He exited WeChat and got up to find her pet pig.
She was eager to get back and try to recover the recording from the memory card.
"You promised to give me a chance to win you back," Qin Beiting followed her.
Yu He, holding her pet pig, walked out of the courtyard. "Alright, I'll allow you to eat with me, but you have to cook!"
"Okay!" Qin Beiting's lips curved upwards. Did this mean he was allowed back into the west wing?
They arrived back in Beijing at eight o'clock in the evening.
Ignoring her hunger, Yu He got out of the car and went straight to the study. She opened her computer, installed the software, then took out her SD card, inserted it into the computer, and began repairing the recording.
The repair would take some time, so Yu He opened the software's repair code to examine Qin Beiting's logical thinking and methodology.
Qin Beiting went into the kitchen, took out two steaks that had been marinated and chilled in the refrigerator, and fried them. He also cooked some pasta and brought it out. Yu He had not yet emerged.
He went into the study and saw her staring intently at the computer. He stepped forward and said, "Baby, eat first. Don't starve yourself."
"Leave it there. I'll eat later," Yu He replied.
Qin Beiting frowned slightly. This young woman was sometimes even more of a workaholic than he was.
She always did this. Once she set her mind to something, she would forget to eat on time. When her stomach ached from hunger, she would give herself acupuncture, but this would be detrimental to her health in the long run.
Qin Beiting: "You promised to eat with me. If you can't keep your promise, then we'll change plans. I'll stay here tonight."
Yu He looked up at him briefly, then immediately got up and obediently followed him out to eat.
After dinner, she returned to the study. Just then, the computer emitted a "ding~" sound. The recording repair was complete.