‘Yeah, I’m here.’ Mu Yu hastily typed her response and sent it over before she waited for her friend’s response anxiously. Jiang Wenwen replied to her text soon after. ‘Aren’t you asleep yet?’

‘No. How are you now?’ Mu Yu looked at the message and realized how odd it sounded. She deleted the words ‘How are you now?’ before sending her reply.

‘He’s asleep,’ Jiang Wenwen replied.

‘Oh.’

The conversation went silent for a while before it indicated that Jiang Wenwen was typing. She typed and retyped her sentences a few times before she finally sent Mu Yu a text. ‘I’m eternally grateful to both you and Young Master Qin regardless of what happens in the future. Thank you.’

Through her text message, Mu Yu concluded that things must have gone the way Qin Jinhuan had expected it to. She stared at her screen for a while longer before she typed her reply. ‘Was it worth it?’ When Jiang Wenwen didn’t respond to her text immediately, Mu Yu lowered her phone and turned to Qin Jinhuan gloomily. “Are we helping or harming Wenwen with what we’re doing here?” she asked worriedly.

“What do you think?” he asked in return.

“I hope I’m helping both her and Zeyu. I hope he doesn’t take advantage of her,” she uttered.

“What? Do you really think that Zeyu had been drunk enough to take advantage of a girl without knowing what he was actually doing? In that case, you’ve underestimated his tolerance for alcohol.” Qin Jinhuan laughed.

“Wasn’t he drunk?” Mu Yu was dumbfounded.

“His tolerance for alcohol has always been higher than mine. How could he be drunk when I wasn’t even tipsy?”

“B-But I thought he looked pretty drunk.” Mu Yu stuttered.

“He might have found it harder to handle his alcohol today because he was emotionally troubled by other matters. Regardless, I’m sure he’s still conscious of what he’s doing,” Qin Jinhuan explained.

“W-Well, do you think he was still fully aware of what he was doing when he did that thing with Wenwen?” Mu Yu asked.

“Perhaps he wasn’t completely sober and aware, but I’m sure he knew what he was doing. Don’t worry. The fact that he allowed Wenwen to get close to him in such a state just shows that he isn’t completely against the idea of being with her. Furthermore, the alcohol would have given him greater courage to be more receptive to Wenwen’s acts.” He pulled his wife into his arms then. “All right, stop thinking about the others. We should be thinking about ourselves instead.”

She quickly pressed a palm against his chest and pursed her lips when she realized what he was trying to do. “Stop fooling around. I’m tired.”

“What did you think I was going to do?” He cackled as he held onto her hand. “I just wanted to tell you that it’s late. We should be asleep now.”

“Oh.” She was indeed tired. Therefore, she flashed him a grin before she edged closer to his body and gently shut her eyes. With that, Qin Jinhuan planted a soft kiss on her forehead and pulled the sheets firmly over her body before he shut his own eyes.

Although Mu Yu kept her eyes shut, she didn’t fall asleep immediately. Her mind was still a mess; her thoughts circled around matters related to Feng Rubing and Jiang Wenwen for a long while before she eventually fell into a deep sleep.

Qin Jinhuan woke her up a little past 7.00AM the next morning. She was still half-awake as she yawned and got out of bed to change her clothes, brush her teeth and wash herself up. She knew that they had to pick Qin Chengxi up after that.

During breakfast with Qin Jinhuan, she contemplated asking him more about Jiang Wenwen and Wen Zeyu. However, she then abandoned that thought as she decided that she would get Jiang Wenwen to tell her about it when they met. After breakfast, the couple headed over to Fraternity Hospital together. While Rong Ying informed Qin Jinhuan about the things that Qin Chengxi had to take note of, Mu Yu went next door to pay Feng Rubing a visit.

Feng Rubing was already awake when Mu Yu entered the room. The patient didn’t seem surprised to see her visitor; she merely nodded as a form of greeting. Mu Yu felt her chest aching when she saw the frail woman with pale skin and sunken cheeks in front of her. “Have you had your breakfast, Madam Feng?” Mu Yu forced herself to put on a smile.

“Yes. Thank you.” Feng Rubing’s voice was soft and thin; it sounded as if she barely had the strength to generate sounds in her throat.

“It’s Lunar New Year’s Eve today. How are you going to spend it?” Mu Yu asked.

“Lunar New Year’s Eve?” Feng Rubing froze for a moment before she curled her lips into a bitter smile. “How else can I spend it? I’m still going to be here, aren’t I?”

Mu Yu knew that Feng Rubing wouldn’t be able to leave the hospital, but she also knew that Feng Qiqi was also staying in Fraternity Hospital herself. She attempted to bring the topic up. “Qiqi’s still staying at Ying’s little villa in the hospital.”

As expected, Feng Rubing’s response was stern and immediate. “Don’t tell Qiqi that I’ve been hospitalized! I don’t want her to see me like this.” Mu Yu hastily shook her head as Feng Rubing started to get rather emotional. “No. I didn’t tell Qiqi anything.” Mu Yu reassured her.

“Thank you. I’ll need her to trouble Director Rong for a while longer.” Just then, several medical staff members entered the ward to do their rounds right after Feng Rubing finished her sentence. Mu Yu immediately stepped aside and bade goodbye to Feng Rubing when she saw the nurse getting Feng Rubing to lie down. Then, Mu Yu quietly stepped out of their room.

She had tons of other questions that she desperately wanted to ask Feng Rubing herself, but she knew that her rash impulses would do no good for Feng Rubing’s current condition. Therefore, she had no choice but to leave the hospital dejectedly.

…

Both Mu Yu and Qin Jinhuan brought Qin Chengxi home after she was discharged from the hospital. Since Qin Chengxi’s stomach hadn’t fully recovered, she was only allowed to eat certain things. Despite this, she seemed to be in relatively good spirits. Seeing this, Qin Xiaozhi invited Qin Wentao, Dong Yueyun, Shang Qi and Wen Zeyu over for a reunion lunch.

Mu Yu was tempted to ask Wen Zeyu about his night. However, he acted as if nothing significant had occurred, and Qin Jinhuan kept changing topics whenever Mu Yu was close to bringing it up. She eventually gave up as she decided that it wasn’t the right time to ask Wen Zeyu about it.

After lunch, Qin Xiaozhi reminded Qin Jinhuan to bring Mu Yu home for a reunion dinner with her parents that night. It was a rare occasion for Mu Yu’s whole family to gather for a meal, so they had a lot of news and updates to share with one another. The family caught up with each other’s lives and only called it a night after midnight.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Qin Xiaozhi woke Mu Yu and Qin Jinhuan up at the break of dawn. According to the family’s rules, everyone had to offer incense at home before they all headed to the Tai Cemetery together. Then, they would burn joss paper for their deceased ancestors. After they got home, Mu Yu phoned her parents and wished them a Happy New Year before she proceeded to text and wish the rest of her friends. After getting everything done, she finally got some rest on her bed.

Right then, her phone rang. It was Jiang Wenwen. Mu Yu knew that her good friend was calling to give her new year wishes, so she quickly picked the call up and spoke before her friend could. “Happy Lunar New Year!” she shouted.

“Happy Lunar New Year! It’s really cold outside. I’m freezing,” Jiang Wenwen uttered.

“Are you out to visit your family?” Mu Yu asked.

“No. I’m downstairs waiting for Zeyu.”

“Zeyu?” Mu Yu sat herself upright the moment she sensed a hint of gossip in the air. “Where are you? Are you at the cinemas? Are you guys about to watch a New Year’s movie?”

“No. He offered to come over and visit my parents. I’m waiting for him downstairs—just outside my house.” Jiang Wenwen’s voice was filled with joy.

“Woah! The husband-to-be meeting his in-laws?! That’s great!” Mu Yu couldn’t stop herself from crying out in joy. Her response left Jiang Wenwen embarrassed. “It’s too early to call him my future husband. We’re just good friends,” she explained with a smile.

“Pfft! Since when do good friends go over to visit each other’s parents on the first day of the Lunar New Year? Who are you kidding? Tell me—what did he promise you after that night you guys spent together?” Mu Yu urged.

“He didn’t promise me anything.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“I swear! He didn’t promise anything. He just said that he would try his best to get along with me in the future.” Jiang Wenwen explained.

“That’s a promise, isn’t it? You silly girl.” Mu Yu was extremely happy for her friend.

“I didn’t want him to promise me anything; I never thought about getting him to bear any responsibilities either. I consented to all of this even though I know that I’m not the woman he likes,” Jiang Wenwen uttered in a soft and serious tone. “I’m just content with the fact that he’s given me a chance to love him.”

Her words seemed to soften Mu Yu’s heart. “You have to give it your all, Wenwen. You have to hold onto your happiness and your relationship with him.”

“I will. All right, I have to go now. Zeyu’s here. I’ll talk to you soon!” Jiang Wenwen hastily said goodbye and ended the call.

“You have to be happy, all right?” Mu Yu whispered a prayer to her phone after her friend hung up on her.

“Rong Jian’s here, Yu.” Qin Jinhuan called for her from the bedroom door. She quickly stood up. “Where is he?”

“He’s talking to Grandpa downstairs,” he replied.

Mu Yu quickly stepped out of her room as she continued to ask him questions. “When did Chief Rong return from Linhe County?”

“I’m not too sure. Perhaps he returned this morning.” Qin Jinhuan slipped his hand into hers before they went downstairs together.

“Happy Lunar New Year, Yu and Huan! It’s not too late for me to come and visit, right?” Rong Jian, who had been talking to Qin Xiaozhi, turned around and greeted them with a smile on his face.

Qin Jinhuan quickly teased him. “You’re late, but I can’t make you drink three shots for being late, can I?”

“Even your Grandpa didn’t say anything about my late arrival. How dare you punish me with shots!” Rong Jian played along.

Qin Xiaozhi chuckled as he interrupted their conversation. “I think Huan’s itching to drink only because he hasn’t had a drink with you in a long while.”

“We should make that happen soon then.” Rong Jian offered.

“You guys go ahead. I’m old now; I have to head upstairs to get some rest,” Qin Xiaozhi said.

“Let me help you up, Grandpa.” Mu Yu rushed forward to help the old man.

“No, no—it’s fine. I have Qi Hao to help me. You guys go on with your conversation. Remember to get Rong Jian to stay for a meal!” Qin Xiaozhi headed upstairs with Qi Hao after he finished speaking.

Once the old man went up, Rong Jian turned toward Qin Jinhuan. “Where’s Xi? She hasn’t fully recovered yet, has she?”

“Shang Qi came over to pick her up after we got back from the cemetery. She’s probably with the Shang Family now,” Qin Jinhuan replied.

“Oh. Is she feeling better now?” Rong Jian asked.

“She’s a lot better than before. Xi’s fine, but Madam Feng doesn’t seem to be doing so well. I paid her a visit when we picked Xi up from the hospital yesterday; she’s lost a lot of weight. Did you manage to find anything after your last two days in Linhe County, Chief Rong?” Mu Yu interrupted.

Rong Jian shook his head. “I arrived in Linhe County two nights ago, and I visited all of the police stations the next morning. However, I only realized it was the Lunar New Year’s Eve yesterday when I found out that all of the senior police officers I had been trying to contact were on holiday. I walked around and visited a few places myself, but I didn’t find anything there. No, that’s not true—I did find something. It wasn’t easy, but I managed to convince one of Rubing’s old neighbors to provide me with a contact number for Rubing’s relative in Guangyang County. I managed to contact that family member.”

“Oh. What sort of information did that family member provide?” Mu Yu was now interested.

“That family member was Rubing’s grandmother’s nephew; in other words, he is Rubing’s uncle. He used to be a doctor at Linhe County’s hospital more than 10 years ago. He mentioned that he was the one who recommended a doctor when Rubing gave birth in Guangyang County back then.”

“Did he know anything about how Madam Feng got pregnant and what happened after she gave birth?” she asked.

“No. He said that Rubing’s grandmother wouldn’t tell him anything when she asked him for help. He tried—multiple times—to ask her about it, but she only said that it was their karma. She didn’t say anything more than that,” he replied.

“Did you ask him if he knows who Li Jianyun is?”

“I did—he said that he had never heard of that name before.”

“Oh.” Mu Yu was rather disappointed. Rong Jian let out a huge sigh.

Mu Yu poured him a cup of tea and made another cup for Qin Jinhuan. Right then, she recalled Qin Jinhuan’s suggestion the night before, and she immediately told Rong Jian about it. “That’s a good idea, but I’ll have to think more about it.”

Mu Yu didn’t comment any further as she knew that he was worried about Feng Rubing. Instead, she switched topics to ask about Liu Xiaofan’s findings after he and the rest paid a visit to Huacheng.

“Xiaofan managed to contact a few landlords that rented their places to Li Jianyun in the past. They all described Li Jianyun as a lazy man who couldn’t even be bothered to work. Li Jianyun used to be a lorry driver who did long-distance deliveries, but after a few trips, he would use the money he earned on gambling. Once he won money, he would stop working; he only worked when he lost all his money. His employers couldn’t handle his attitude, so he switched companies frequently. All of his landlords didn’t have a good impression of him, but they were surprised to hear that he had been brutally murdered by someone else. All of them said that he was lazy, enjoyed gambling, and making dirty jokes, but they also mentioned that he wasn’t an evil man. According to them, he was a pretty honest man who could receive criticism from others; he had never gotten into an argument with someone else. Based on Xiaofan’s investigation in Huacheng, we can conclude that Li Jianyun didn’t have an extremely terrible or evil personality.”

“Did they manage to find any connections between him and Zhao Yongli?” she asked.

“They haven’t found any solid evidence so far. Zhao Yongli owned a mini-market in Huacheng six years ago, while Li Jianyun made long-distance deliveries in transportation facilities throughout North City. They worked in different places; although there is a possibility that they might have interacted with one another, I think it’s highly unlikely.” Right after he finished his words, Rong Jian’s phone started ringing. He assumed that someone had called to send their wishes for the New Year since it was an unknown number, so he simply picked the call up.

“Am I speaking to Chief Rong?” The caller had used a voice-changing device, so he couldn’t tell if it was a male or female.