Chapter 68 p2
Yuan Qi had been acting strangely lately. He usually sought Shen Yiqiu out whenever he had free time, but recently, his behavior had done a complete 180.
“Cousin, what have you been busy with lately?” Shen Yiqiu called him; not only had his visits decreased, but his calls had become less frequent as well.
“Nothing much, just… busy.”
Yuan Qi’s casual tone made Shen Yiqiu frown slightly.
“Is something wrong? Cousin, you haven’t been yourself lately.”
Yuan Qi sighed, phone in one hand, the other packing clothes into his suitcase. He had just unpacked and hung those clothes up not long ago; it was truly exhausting.
“Nothing serious, don’t worry about me.” Yuan Qi, having wandered the world for so many years, had grown accustomed to confiding in strangers, but it was just that, confiding, nothing more.
He was alone, he didn’t expect anyone to genuinely care about him, to help him, so he had learned to handle things himself. Shen Yiqiu’s question had triggered his habitual evasiveness.
But Shen Yiqiu was different, they were family, even if it was just through marriage, they were still connected by blood.
He hadn’t thought much of this distant blood tie before, but now, with so few family members left, he truly appreciated its value.
“Xiao Qiu, I might have to go somewhere else for a while.”
“Ah? Are you going traveling again?”
Hadn’t he said he was settling down in Meng City, giving up his world travels? He couldn’t resist the urge to wander again so soon?
Although Yuan Qi’s appearance in her life had been unexpected, Shen Yiqiu was still a little reluctant for him to leave.
“Not traveling, just a temporary relocation, I’ll be back soon.”
Yuan Qi didn’t want to reveal his reasons for leaving. Shen Yiqiu had invited him to dinner at their place, but he had refused.
Shen Yiqiu sighed. “Cousin, you’ve changed, you’re completely avoiding me now.”
Yuan Qi chuckled softly, his voice tinged with weariness. “Don’t overthink things, I just feel it’s not convenient to visit Qianrou’s home. If you don’t mind, you can come over to my place.”
Yuan Qi drove to Shen Yiqiu’s complex to pick her up, then they went grocery shopping and returned to his apartment.
“Cousin, are your cooking skills up to par?” She had eaten countless meals with Yuan Qi, but always at restaurants, she had never tasted his home cooking.
“Don’t underestimate me, do you really think I travelled the world and didn’t learn anything?”
Shen Yiqiu chuckled, “Alright, then I look forward to Chef Yuan’s performance tonight.”
They got out of the car, chatting and laughing, carrying bags of groceries from the trunk, their hands full. To save time, Yuan Qi had parked on the street, he would drive Shen Yiqiu home after dinner.
He usually wanted her to stay the night, but he was currently packing, and afraid of being questioned, he hadn’t offered.
**
Shen Yiqiu had thought she could visit Hai City this weekend, but Qin Qianrou had told her, slightly exasperated, that the training program had organized a team-building activity, supposedly to promote bonding among colleagues from different stations.
“Jiejie, I can’t come see you again.” Shen Yiqiu leaned against the sofa, phone in hand, her voice filled with grievance.
“It’s okay, you can come next week.”
“That means another seven days, I’ve been counting down the days.”
Qin Qianrou chuckled silently; Shen Yiqiu’s disappointment mirrored her own.
“I promise, next week for sure.”
Jiejie’s voice when she makes a promise is so cute. Shen Yiqiu imagined Jiejie’s expression and longed to see her immediately.
Long-distance relationships were truly awful.
“By the way, I learned a new dish recently, I’ll make it for you next time we meet.”
She had shamelessly stolen this dish from Yuan Qi; she had been impressed by it during their last meal and had pestered him for the recipe. Then, she had practiced at home a few times, finally mastering the technique.
Qin Qianrou chuckled again, “Why are you always thinking about food? Are you going to turn into a little piggy?”
“I won’t turn into a little piggy, I’ll turn Jiejie into one.”
“Hmm? What do you mean?” Qin Qianrou wondered if she had gained weight.
At her age, her metabolism was slowing down. She suddenly recalled Li Wan’s constant reminders to control her sugar intake, to watch her diet, to maintain her figure.
“I mean, I want to always cook for you.”
Shen Yiqiu’s soft words, coming from miles away through the phone, sent shivers down Qin Qianrou’s spine. Their relationship had indeed become ambiguous lately, this wasn’t the first time Shen Yiqiu had said such things, and Qin Qianrou, initially flustered and unsure how to respond, had gradually grown accustomed to it, but the warmth in her heart still lingered.
**
He Chao had wanted to meet with Qin Qianrou again, but the timing hadn’t worked out. Qin Qianrou had visited Jiang Yuan once; she didn’t look well, but she was in much better shape than He Chao.
Her demeanor was aloof and distant, no longer the aura of the high-and-mighty Director Jiang. She seemed detached and listless most of the time, as if simply going through the motions, without any hope.
The next time Qin Qianrou heard about them, it was from Lawyer Li, informing her that He Chao had passed away.
Although she had had a premonition, the news still startled her.
The lawyer said He Chao had died of a sudden heart attack, a natural death.
But she remembered He Chao’s words, that regardless of the cause of his death, she should help Jiang Yuan.
Qin Qianrou went to see Jiang Yuan the next day, finding her even more unresponsive than before, sitting there in stunned silence after hearing the news of He Chao’s death.
After a long while, Qin Qianrou, thinking Jiang Yuan wouldn’t speak, was about to leave when a low, desolate voice came from behind her, “Lao He was murdered by them.”
Them? Qin Qianrou thought it must be the people He Chao had mentioned, those involved in his shady dealings.
Qin Qianrou didn’t turn around, she continued walking, then heard Jiang Yuan say, “You have to seek justice for him.”
Qin Qianrou stopped at the doorway and turned around; Jiang Yuan was in tears.
“His last wish… was for you to live well.”
Back at the hotel, Qin Qianrou reviewed the He Chao case files, feeling they were still incomplete. She called Wen Shao Ze, wanting to ask for his help with gathering more information, only to be told he was almost at her hotel.
Half an hour later, Qin Qianrou met Wen Shao Ze at the hotel cafe.
“Looking for me?”
“Mm, sort of.”
Qin Qianrou had seen Wen Shao Ze happy, sad, excited, and even melancholic, but she had never seen him so hesitant.
“What’s troubling you so much?”
Wen Shao Ze looked at her, his lips moving several times, but no words came out.
“Is it something related to me?”
Wen Shao Ze sighed, if only Qianrou wasn’t so perceptive.
He took out a manila envelope from his bag and placed it in front of Qin Qianrou.
“Take a look at these.”
Qin Qianrou took out the photos, puzzled. They were photos of Shen Yiqiu, and that man who had disappeared for a while.
Mostly from behind, or side profiles walking alongside Shen Yiqiu, their faces unclear, but Qin Qianrou still recognized him immediately, she had thought Shen Yiqiu had completely cut ties with him.
She glanced at the dates on the photos; they were from last week.
Her grip on the photos tightened, her knuckles turning white, and she looked at Wen Shao Ze, her lips pressed together.
“Reason?”
“What reason?”
“Your reason for having Shen Yiqiu followed.”
Wen Shao Ze smiled wryly, this was just like Qianrou. Once someone entered her heart, once she cared about them, she would always protect them, no matter what.
“After you asked me to bring her those mooncakes, I suspected your relationship wasn’t ordinary. I’m your brother, of course I want you to be happy, but I couldn’t just let you be with her without knowing anything about her, so…”
“Shao Ze, I understand your good intentions, but this isn’t something you should be doing.”
“I understand, I’m sorry.”
“No need to apologize, but I don’t want this to happen again. If you have any concerns about me or her, you can ask us directly.”
Qin Qianrou put the photos back in the envelope, placing it under her hand, not intending to return it to Wen Shao Ze.
Wen Shao Ze took out another similar envelope and pushed it towards her.
“Take a look at this as well.”
Qin Qianrou frowned, There’s more?
A slight displeasure flickered within her, but she still took out the photos. Mostly solo shots, no Shen Yiqiu, just that man.
This time, she clearly saw his face.
“Why is it him?”
Wen Shao Ze’s expression turned even more bitter. “I was even more surprised than you when I first saw these photos.”
Qin Qianrou couldn’t help but take a closer look; Yuan Qi had changed quite a bit, almost unrecognizable at first glance.
“He used to be so clean-cut, I wouldn’t have imagined him looking like this.”
If not for the drastic change in his appearance, Qin Qianrou wouldn’t have failed to recognize him several times.
“Qianrou, don’t you think this situation is a bit… complicated? Yuan Qi and Shen Yiqiu are so close, they even go grocery shopping together, then cook at Yuan Qi’s apartment.” Wen Shao Ze’s voice was tinged with anxiety. He paused, then continued, “Even if Yuan Qi didn’t like women before, he’s changed so much now, what if he…”
He couldn’t finish his sentence, his voice filled with uncontrollable panic and fear.
After seeing the photos, he had been shocked, then overjoyed. He had come to Meng City specifically because of the news he had heard, ostensibly for business, but his true purpose was to find Yuan Qi, and he had actually found him.
However, besides taking these photos, he hadn’t dared to investigate further, afraid of scaring him away again. He had been cautious, wanting to approach yet afraid to, filled with anxiety, imagining countless possibilities, his panic growing.
Qin Qianrou, after a moment of silence, said, “Since you still have feelings for him, you should trust him. If you’re going to overthink things based on a few photos, then I advise you to leave him alone.”
A suspicious blush appeared on Wen Shao Ze’s fair face, not from shyness, but from shame.
“Yes, I always make such… elementary mistakes.”
Qin Qianrou wasn’t as calm as she appeared. Even knowing it was Yuan Qi, seeing his close interactions with Shen Yiqiu still made her feel uneasy.
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