Chapter 27
The fiery summer was coming to an end, and the chain car accident on the highway out of the city was gradually fading from people’s memories with the passage of time. Only those involved were still working tirelessly to uncover the truth.
The name Shen Yiqiu was no longer so widely recognized. Students from other cities didn’t immediately connect her with the car accident. Only occasionally would she overhear local students whispering behind her back.
“She seems fine, looks like she’s recovered pretty well.”
“Who knows? I heard that kind of psychological trauma can be severe. You might not see it normally, but if she encounters a trigger, it’s hard to say.”
“Ah? Then what should we do? We can’t constantly watch her, that’s too tiring! We’re in the same class, we see each other every day.”
“What are you worried about? Her roommates are so calm. If there was really something wrong, her roommates would be the first to suffer.”
“Oh my god, that’s exaggerating. I don’t think she’s that kind of person. She doesn’t talk much, but she seems nice.”
“A barking dog never bites. Have you forgotten what they were saying online during that time? It’s better to be safe than sorry. That person is probably abnormal.”
A small group of students huddled together, gossiping. It wasn’t clear who had steered the conversation towards Shen Yiqiu. They spoke cautiously, frequently glancing around, yet unable to resist the urge to gossip, each adding their own comments.
Shen Yiqiu overheard them on her way back from the library. She initially intended to ignore them; it wasn’t the first time she had encountered such discussions. However, this group was particularly animated, as if they had already dissected her psychology, even going so far as to call her abnormal.
Rong Fei had clearly said that as long as she maintained a stable mindset, there wouldn’t be any major problems. Shen Yiqiu knew that the only thing abnormal about her was her special intuition.
She stood in the shadows, listening for a while, unable to bear it any longer, yet unwilling to confront these newly acquainted classmates. She recalled Qin Qianrou’s words: Instead of painstakingly explaining yourself to every person who misunderstands you, it’s better to put all your effort into finding the truth.
Let the facts speak for themselves, instead of asking others to blindly trust you.
On the surface, her classmates treated her normally. They greeted her and joked with her in class, so friendly and approachable that she almost thought she had imagined the conversation she overheard.
However, Shen Yiqiu hadn’t made any real friends. Having heard what they said behind her back, she couldn’t bring herself to be truly open with them.
Sitting in the library, looking through some materials, Shen Yiqiu couldn’t help but doodle on a blank sheet of paper with the pen Qin Qianrou had given her.
Focus on the present.
She repeatedly wrote these words, as if reminding herself not to be disturbed by the surrounding noise. University life was precious, but she couldn’t forget that two enemies were still watching her, waiting for an opportunity.
After the semester started, Shao Qidong seemed to have completely disappeared from her life, but Shen Yiqiu hadn’t forgotten that he was the culprit behind her parents’ accident. Jiang Yuan, on the other hand, had called her a few times, her attitude much softer than before, at least she wasn’t pressuring her anymore.
That day, just as she left the classroom after class, she received another call from Jiang Yuan.
“Xiao Qiu, are you at school?”
“Yes, I just finished class.”
“Are you free now? I’m in Meng City for a conference and wanted to have dinner with you.”
Shen Yiqiu wanted to refuse but felt that constantly doing so would arouse Jiang Yuan’s suspicion. She relented and agreed.
**
After her vacation ended, Qin Qianrou quickly returned to her usual work rhythm, becoming even busier than before. Even Li Wan couldn’t help but remark that Qin Qianrou should change her name to “Iron Man Qin.”
“Qianrou, it’s already 9:30 pm. Aren’t you planning on leaving?”
Looking up, Qin Qianrou saw Li Wan, looking tired, standing at the office doorway. The team had received several new assignments recently, and Li Wan, as the managing editor, was exhausted.
“I still have some materials to go through. I’ll leave later.”
Li Wan sighed, walked in, and pulled her up. “You’ll never finish going through all those materials. You couldn’t finish even if you worked day and night without sleep. Leave with me now, or you’ll collapse!”
“You were at the meeting this morning too. I have to make the most of every minute.”
“Qianrou, the Dongsheng Group issue isn’t something that just cropped up. The station has been suppressing it until now, which means the obstacle isn’t you. Why are you pushing yourself so hard?”
Li Wan also wanted to start investigating Dongsheng Group as soon as possible, but she knew it wasn’t that simple. Especially recently, the station directors had been holding frequent meetings and had even specifically excluded their team leader.
Qin Qianrou had been under a lot of pressure lately. Unable to respond to Li Wan’s words, she changed the subject.
“How is the investigation into the chain car accident going?”
Li Wan had been the one to report the issue, so naturally, updates were given to her. Qian Zhifei had called Qin Qianrou twice, mentioning the case in passing, but due to his position, he couldn’t divulge details.
“There’s been good progress, but it seems to have hit a snag.”
“What kind of snag?”
“We can basically confirm that those numbers belong to the same person or organization, and we can also determine that the truck driver and the minibus driver did have indirect contact through these numbers before the accident.” Li Wan frowned. “But there are no further leads to trace the people behind these numbers.”
Qin Qianrou knew that investigations often stalled at this point unless new evidence emerged.
Moreover, last week, the minibus driver had also succumbed to his injuries and passed away. With all eyewitnesses gone and physical evidence severely lacking, reaching this stage of the investigation was already remarkable.
Unable to bear the oppressive atmosphere, Li Wan asked, “How is Shen Yiqiu doing lately? Have you been in contact with her?”
“I’ve messaged her a few times. She’s doing well.”
“That’s it?”
Qin Qianrou looked at her exasperatedly, “What do you want to ask?”
“Qianrou, do you really not care about her future at all?”
“I told her to call me anytime if she needs anything.”
Li Wan sighed heavily, unsure whether to call Qin Qianrou careless or Shen Yiqiu stubborn.
“You’re so busy with work, that child wouldn’t want to bother you even if she had problems.”
“What do you mean?”
“Rong Fei called me yesterday. She said she was in Meng City University giving a lecture and offered free psychological counseling to students afterward. She heard that Shen Yiqiu is still quite famous at the school.”
Hearing this, Qin Qianrou sensed that this “fame” wasn’t a positive thing.
“There are still quite a few people discussing her situation privately. Rong Fei said this kind of public opinion isn’t good.”
Qin Qianrou recalled the messages Shen Yiqiu had sent her recently; she hadn’t mentioned any of this.
“Rong Fei asked her about it, and the child simply said she didn’t want to bother you with everything. But I think we still need to find a way to resolve this issue for her. Otherwise, staying there for four years, she’ll either go crazy or have her heart broken.”
Qin Qianrou considered it and agreed, “Alright, I’ll talk to her in a couple of days.”
If the environment couldn’t be changed, then the only option was to escape from it temporarily.
And so, Shen Yiqiu moved out of the student dormitory with her simple luggage. Qin Qianrou’s car was parked outside the school gate, and Shen Yiqiu spotted it immediately.
Seeing her emerge, Qin Qianrou opened the car door and got out. The trunk was already open, waiting for Shen Yiqiu to put her suitcase in.
“Is this really okay?” Shen Yiqiu placed the suitcase by her feet, unable to hide the joy in her eyes.
Qin Qianrou pretended not to notice, simply helping her put the suitcase in the trunk and saying casually, “Since you’re so unhappy living there, a temporary change of environment isn’t a bad thing.”
Shen Yiqiu was a bit puzzled. They had only had a simple meal together last time, how did Qin Qianrou know she wasn’t doing well? She thought she had hidden it well, so how was she so easily seen through?
In front of Jiang Yuan, Shen Yiqiu could maintain a calm facade, concealing the hatred in her eyes. However, she couldn’t do that in front of Qin Qianrou. This person had rescued her from a desperate situation and was now improving her living conditions.
How can I repay you, so my gratitude doesn’t overflow?
Shen Yiqiu stared blankly as Qin Qianrou closed the trunk, feeling a little nervous.
“You can stay at my place for a while, until you find a more suitable place.”
Qin Qianrou had applied to the university for Shen Yiqiu to move out. She wasn’t a relative, but she was a well-known figure in Meng City, so her character wouldn’t be questioned. However, since she had made the request, the university naturally required her to clarify Shen Yiqiu’s whereabouts. Otherwise, if something happened, the university couldn’t bear the responsibility.
As Professor Shen’s daughter, she deserved extra care. If anything untoward happened again, the university would feel responsible, both publicly and privately.
“Can you accept staying at my place?” Qin Qianrou confirmed again before starting the car.
Shen Yiqiu snapped back to reality, feeling a little shy, but still nodded quickly.
That was where she had celebrated her eighteenth birthday. How could she not accept? She even liked it there.
But the thought of living with Qin Qianrou filled her with both anticipation and nervousness. For some reason, Shen Yiqiu recalled the scene of Qin Qianrou hitting her cousin. It was really…
**
With the chain car accident case reopened and its nature reclassified, many of the Shen family’s assets were temporarily frozen for the investigation. This was exactly what Shen Yiqiu wanted.
He Chao, however, was like an ant on a hot pan, pacing restlessly in his study whenever he was home.
Jiang Yuan brought him food, entering a room filled with smoke. She couldn’t help but frown. “Lao He, how old are you? At your age, still pulling this ‘too upset to eat’ act?”
“How can I have the appetite to eat? The deadline is approaching, and we’ll have nothing to give them when the time comes.”
Jiang Yuan’s mood was also heavy. It was indeed a difficult situation.
“Now that the police are involved, and Xiao Qiu is refusing to cooperate, we can’t access Lao Shen’s things at all. If nothing else works, we’ll have to try to delay things.”
“If delaying was an option, would I be this anxious?” He Chao was so agitated he almost put his cigarette butt in his mouth without realizing it.
**
Living in Qin Qianrou’s home was a bit different from what Shen Yiqiu had imagined. Although they lived under the same roof, their interactions hadn’t changed much.
Qin Qianrou still left early and returned late, rarely eating at home. Shen Yiqiu went to school, and when she returned, she would either try to cook or bring takeout. Her communication with Qin Qianrou was still mainly through phone calls.
She had been keeping tabs on the situation in Hai City. She knew exactly what He Chao and Jiang Yuan wanted, and for now, they couldn’t get it. But this wasn’t Shen Yiqiu’s ultimate goal. How could she allow such wicked people to live so comfortably, wearing masks of hypocrisy and enjoying respect and admiration?
You’re next.
Shen Yiqiu happily stuffed a mouthful of omurice into her mouth. Sweet and sour, delicious.
The door suddenly opened. Qin Qianrou, who usually didn’t return home until after 10 pm, unexpectedly appeared at 6:30 pm, her hair and clothes drenched.
Shen Yiqiu then remembered it had rained earlier.
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