Chapter 16: Good Night
Li Wan recalled Zhuo Cheng’s behavior earlier. Although he had repeatedly shown restraint and tolerance, like the indulgent and accommodating person he had been before, having already moved on, she could see through him clearly. Beneath his gentlemanly facade was a carefully concealed arrogance and smugness.
Given his circumstances back then, becoming a top talent in Meng City was a significant turnaround. However, Li Wan felt he was increasingly unfamiliar, and increasingly repulsive.
“What, having second thoughts?” Her father, seeing her stunned silence, teased half-jokingly.
“Not at all. I just didn’t expect him, a finance guy, to be working for Dongsheng.” Li Wan composed herself, not wanting her parents to notice anything unusual.
Her father didn’t think much of it and said casually, “Dongsheng is such a large enterprise; it’s bound to go global sooner or later. With so many technology patents in hand, they need to secure financing and monetize them. That definitely requires the expertise of financial specialists. Then, Dongsheng will truly become Meng City’s international calling card.”
Hearing this, Li Wan thought that Qin Qianrou’s investigation would be even more arduous.
Li Wan silently sipped her sweet soup; she wouldn’t get any more information from her father. Although he cared about her, he rarely spoke about work matters at home.
**
Li Wan had thought she could go to bed early tonight, but she had just finished showering when she received a call saying Qin Qianrou and Rong Fei were at the Traffic Police Brigade. Although they repeatedly emphasized that the accident wasn’t directly related to them and that they were only assisting with the investigation, Li Wan still rushed out like a whirlwind.
By the time she arrived at the Traffic Police Brigade, they had just finished and were being escorted out by Chen Kang. Li Wan rushed over to them, only relaxing after looking them over.
“What happened? You were just going to the hospital; how did it end up like this?!”
Chen Kang explained, “Well, Miss Rong’s car was stolen from the hospital and then, on the way from the hospital, it encountered a drunk driver, so the car was damaged…”
Before Chen Kang could finish, Li Wan’s voice dropped, “Drunk driver?”
Chen Kang paused, then nodded, “Yes, the driver at fault was found to have significantly exceeded the legal blood alcohol limit.”
Li Wan then asked, “What about the car thief?”
Everyone present looked grim. Finally, Chen Kang spoke, “He was taken directly from the car to Central Hospital for emergency treatment, but the hospital just called to say he didn’t make it.”
Dead? Alarm bells rang in Li Wan’s mind. She glanced at Rong Fei and saw the confirmation in her eyes.
Qin Qianrou remained calm outwardly, but she was equally distressed.
“Let’s go back; it’s very late.”
Chen Kang had mixed feelings about this reporter he had met several times. He had heard that Reporter Qin from the television station was aloof and difficult to deal with. But after interacting with her, he felt that besides being somewhat taciturn, she was reasonable and didn’t throw her weight around.
Earlier, at the station, the repeated confirmations and procedures had taken quite some time. Reporter Qin hadn’t complained and, besides her consistently serious expression, hadn’t done anything inappropriate. In contrast, Chen Kang preferred dealing with such calm and cooperative individuals, far better than those “celebrities” who were prone to emotional outbursts and complaints!
As they reached the gate, Chen Kang suddenly remembered the minor incident at the intersection earlier.
He had to explain the situation to Li Wan.
“Miss Li, the case outside the Shuguang Residential Area has been closed. After investigation and mediation, the elderly man admitted that he had intentionally caused the accident because his son had a grudge against the female driver and he wanted to retaliate on his behalf.”
What? That was the truth? Li Wan had thought it was a failed scam, but it turned out there was more to it.
“However, we’ve contacted the elderly man’s family and talked to them. The elderly man has formally apologized to the driver, and he’s primarily responsible for his own medical expenses. Afterwards, the female driver voluntarily gave him two hundred yuan, entirely out of her own accord.”
It seemed to be consistent with what the driver had said earlier; she had expected to pay a few hundred yuan anyway. But it was also slightly different; the traffic police hadn’t simply mediated, but had investigated the cause and effect and resolved the matter.
Li Wan felt a sense of gratification; their insistence on getting involved despite the heat had been worthwhile.
“We’re grateful to Reporter Qin and Miss Li for this matter. Without your persistence, this incident might have ended with unresolved arguments and resentment on the street, leaving everyone unhappy.”
Even the usually composed Qin Qianrou couldn’t help but smile faintly. This was one of the reasons that kept her going.
Li Wan, worried about Qin Qianrou going home alone, insisted on taking her to the Li residence. Rong Fei also advised her to be cautious, so Qin Qianrou, exhausted, went with Li Wan.
Li Wan’s parents liked Qin Qianrou and often invited her for dinner, but due to her busy schedule, she could only politely decline and promise to visit next time.
After exchanging greetings, Li Wan pulled Qin Qianrou to her room.
“Go take a shower. I have something to discuss with you afterwards.”
Li Wan had wanted to talk about Zhuo Cheng and Dongsheng Group immediately, but she knew that if she did, Qin Qianrou would undoubtedly throw herself into work without regard for her own well-being. Even the strongest constitution couldn’t withstand such exertion, but she couldn’t keep Qin Qianrou in the dark either.
Just then, Qin Qianrou’s phone, which she had placed on the sofa, rang. Li Wan glanced at it unintentionally and saw the name “Shen Yiqiu” on the screen.
Looking at the time, it was late. Could there be something urgent if this girl was calling Qianrou now?
Li Wan hesitated whether to answer the call for her. The call ended, followed by a text message. Just then, the bathroom door opened, and Qin Qianrou emerged, wearing a bathrobe and drying her hair.
“Qianrou, there was a call for you.”
There weren’t many secrets between Qin Qianrou and Li Wan, and most of Qin Qianrou’s calls were work-related.
She walked over calmly, “Who was it?”
Qin Qianrou hadn’t expected Shen Yiqiu to call her so late and paused in drying her hair.
Li Wan handed her the phone, her lips pursed, “Take a look; it might be important.”
Qin Qianrou opened her phone, read Shen Yiqiu’s message, and the tension in her eyes eased. After a moment of thought, she replied.
Only then did she put down the phone and sit on the sofa to continue drying her hair.
Seeing her calmness, Li Wan guessed the call wasn’t urgent.
Feeling a little gossipy, she moved closer to Qin Qianrou, “Qianrou, how did that girl get your number?”
Qin Qianrou rarely gave out this number, especially to someone she had met recently and only through work.
Qin Qianrou’s expression didn’t change, and she didn’t even look at Li Wan.
“Work purposes.”
“Then why not give her your work number? I was just wondering if I should answer it for you, since it was so late; it might have been a personal matter.”
The look on Li Wan’s face practically screamed: I’m curious, I want to know more.
Qin Qianrou pushed the clingy Li Wan away slightly and turned to continue drying her hair.
“I introduced Rong Fei to her at the hospital today and gave her a phone for easy communication. I saved both my numbers in it; she probably just randomly chose one to call.”
“Oh, Rong Fei saw the girl today. What did she say?” Li Wan’s tone became slightly more normal; she knew about this matter.
“She didn’t see any major problems for now. Other aspects will take time; let’s take it slow.”
After saying this, Qin Qianrou stood up to blow-dry her hair. Li Wan stared at her back, feeling that something was different.
Qianrou’s patience with work was usually driven by logic. Her current attitude was softer, a seemingly nonchalant yet protective stance, placing Shen Yiqiu in a special category.
This was strange, but Li Wan couldn’t figure out why.
**
After Qin Qianrou left, Shen Yiqiu wasn’t sleepy, but she did as she was told and didn’t wander outside. Without Auntie Liu’s presence, she finally had a moment of true freedom.
Under the dim yellow light, she examined the phone Qin Qianrou had given her. Qin Qianrou’s thoughtfulness exceeded her expectations. Just as she regretted not getting Qin Qianrou’s number, she saw that it was already saved in the contacts.
Besides Qin Qianrou’s contact information, there was also the number for the administrative office of her high school, and then, Jiang Yuan’s number.
Shen Yiqiu recalled Jiang Yuan handing Qin Qianrou her business card before leaving; she must have gotten the information from there.
Qin Qianrou knew Shen Yiqiu didn’t want to return to Hai City, so she had rejected He Chao and Jiang Yuan’s offer. But she didn’t know the real reason for Shen Yiqiu’s resentment and still treated them as old friends of the Shen family.
Shen Yiqiu didn’t have many people left in the world to rely on. Qin Qianrou’s thoughtfulness, in the quiet of the night, easily touched a chord in her tense heart.
She buried her face in her hands and let the tears flow silently for a long time. The salty wetness on her lips wasn’t as bitter as before. Shen Yiqiu slowly looked up, picked up the phone, hesitated for a moment, and dialed Qin Qianrou’s number.
Two numbers, she didn’t know which to choose, so she went with her gut and dialed the second one, perhaps because that was the number she had initially noticed.
After a moment, the call went unanswered. Shen Yiqiu hung up, not daring to call again. One impulsive act was enough; any more persistence would become harassment.
Afraid of Qin Qianrou calling back, she sent a text message: Just wanted to know if you got home safely and if everything is alright? Get some rest. Good night.
Qin Qianrou’s reply came quickly, concise and to the point: I’m home, everything’s fine. You too, get some rest. Good night.
Calm, restrained, a polite reply, yet it brought a faint smile to Shen Yiqiu’s tear-stained face.
It’s good, I have someone to say good night to again.
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