[Ten years ago, the Cao family was thriving in R City, and Su Hong’s family was also middle class, living comfortably.]
[Since Su Xiaohua disappeared, both the Cao and Su families have gradually declined. The Cao family went bankrupt, and the Su family didn’t fare much better.]
S419M reported earnestly, [As for Ran Jingjing and Shen Shukuang, they have thrived in their careers over the years.]
At the entrance of the corridor, a woman with long hair led a little girl with a princess haircut inside.
S419M: [That little girl is Shen Shukuang’s daughter, she is six years old this year.]
The little girl looked cute and tender, but also appeared timid and shy.
The woman led the little girl into the corridor, while Bai Lixin, who was invisible, followed behind them, observing as they entered Apartment 7012 on the 7th floor.
Half an hour after the door closed, the doorbell of Apartment 7012 rang. Mrs. Shen looked through the peephole and saw a handsome and beautiful unfamiliar young man standing outside. The young man appeared to be in his early twenties, with soft, dense, flaxen hair and bright, clean eyes.
He wore a white shirt, exuding a strong youthful vibe.
Mrs. Shen was momentarily stunned, then she opened the door and asked in confusion, “Who are you?”
The young man outside showed a non aggressive smile, “Hello, Mrs. Shen. I’m Bai Lixin, a student of Mr. Shen. I’ve been working on research projects with Mr. Shen. We met at the mall before; I even greeted you back then. Do you remember?”
Mrs. Shen was taken aback, and forced an awkward smile, “Oh, it’s you. I vaguely remember. What brings you here?”
The young man raised the condolence gift in his hand, his eyes seemingly shimmering, “Mr. Shen has always taken care of me at school. I was very saddened by what happened to Mr. Shen. Please accept my condolences, Mrs. Shen.”
Mrs. Shen’s eyes immediately turned red, and she choked out, “With students like you caring for Shukuang, he would definitely feel relieved in heaven. Come on in.”
The house was very clean, with only the two of them in the living room, and the little girl was nowhere to be seen.
Bai Lixin placed the condolence gift in the entrance hall, changed his shoes, and walked to the sofa, subtly scanning the room from the corners of his eyes.
On top of the shoe cabinet were two brand-name women’s handbags, and the styles exuded a clear air of luxury.
“In fact, during this time, under Mr. Shen’s guidance, we have been researching a project on cultural collisions. Mr. Shen left very suddenly. Before he left, our project had just made significant progress. We didn’t give up and the project was basically completed a few days ago. Teacher Shen planned to be selected for the international project and had already signed up for it. Although he is no longer with us, this project would not have achieved such results without him. We would like to credit Mr. Shen in the project and hope you agree, Mrs. Shen.”
Mrs. Shen poured a glass of water for Bai Lixin and sat down beside him, “What exactly needs to be done?”
Bai Lixin: “It’s nothing too complicated. Because you are his spouse, we only need authorization from you.”
“I don’t quite understand. How should the authorization letter be written?”
Bai Lixin took out two printed documents from his backpack and handed them over, “I’ve already prepared everything. You just need to sign on them.”
Mrs. Shen took the authorization letter and read it carefully, “It says here that the award is a 40-60 split?”
“Yes, that’s correct.” The young man nodded with a smile, “It’s an international award. If we win, there will be at least five million in rewards. In addition, the country, province, and university will also give rewards separately. Because Mr. Shen is the initiator and main researcher of the project, he has contributed the most effort and can receive forty percent of all the awards, while the remaining sixty percent will be invested in the research team for continued research.”
Mrs. Shen’s eyes lit up, “How much reward would my husband get if we win?”
Bai Lixin: “Roughly about three million.”
“Oh, you wait here. I’ll get a pen from the study.” Mrs. Shen got up, leaving Bai Lixin alone, and headed towards a room.
Seeing Mrs. Shen leave, Bai Lixin stood up with the authorization letter in hand. As soon as Mrs. Shen entered the study, Bai Lixin followed suit.
Mrs. Shen didn’t mind and quickly grabbed a pen from the desk, and signed her name and information on the authorization letter with big strokes, “Is this all?”
Bai Lixin took the authorization letter, “Yes, that’s it. Thank you, Mrs. Shen. When we win the award, I will definitely bring you the good news.”
Mrs. Shen’s face, which had been somewhat dejected, gradually brightened with a smile, “No problem, no problem. You are all good kids, repaying kindness with gratitude. Shukuang didn’t spoil you for nothing.”
The black-and-white-themed study was unusually solemn, somewhat out of sync with the decor outside.
Bai Lixin noticed a thin layer of dust on the desk and spoke up, “Mrs. Shen, there is still a crucial part missing in the project. That part was being organized by Mr. Shen. If we want to complete the project on time, we need to obtain that information.”
Mrs. Shen instantly understood Bai Lixin’s intention. She pointed to the desk, “Shukuang usually works here in the study. He doesn’t like me entering the study. I can’t help you with this. If you want to find it, you’ll have to look for it yourself.”
“This is enough, thank you, Mrs. Shen. You’re really kind, and so beautiful and gentle.”
Mrs. Shen’s cheeks turned slightly red, “You keep searching, I’ll go pour you a glass of water.”
After Mrs. Shen left, the innocent expression on Bai Lixin’s face suddenly disappeared and he quickly walked to the desk.
[After Shen Shukuang was killed, the police came to their house immediately. His computer and everything were searched thoroughly by the police. As a normal university teacher, there was nothing suspicious.]S419M couldn’t help but pour cold water as it watched Bai Lixin rummaging around.
[Shen Shukuang’s relationship with his wife isn’t as harmonious as it seems from the outside.]Bai Lixin picked up a notebook at random, which contained teaching materials written by Shen Shukuang. The sound of flipping pages echoed in the quiet room. Bai Lixin finished reading the content in less than a minute. [This is Shen Shukuang’s safe place.]
Escape system: [Safe place?]
Bai Lixin: [I noticed when changing shoes. Shen Shukuang’s shoes are all old and plain, while his wife and daughter’s shoes are delicate and expensive. The cosmetics Mrs. Shen casually placed on the shoe cabinet are all high-end, as well as those brand-name bags, which cost tens of thousands of yuan. The decoration style outside also seems more like the style Mrs. Shen likes, only this room seems more like the style Shen Shukuang prefers. If Shen Shukuang doesn’t have any other gray income, then he should have spent all his money on his wife.]
Fingers lightly brushed the dust on the table, picking up a thin layer of dust. [Judging by the degree of dust accumulation, this room hasn’t been cleaned for a month. Shen Shukuang didn’t allow Mrs. Shen to enter this room, and Mrs. Shen obviously wasn’t willing to come here herself.]
Escape system: [Appearance is deceiving? Would Shen Shukuang’s wife know his secret?]
A photo frame was placed on the desk, with only two people on it. The gentle looking man with frameless glasses was holding a little girl, appearing very close.
He looked around, and this was the only photo frame in the room.
Bai Lixin picked up the photo frame and found that the angle of the shot didn’t seem like it was taken by a third person; it looked more like a selfie. After looking at it for a while, his gaze fell on the wooden house in the background of the photo frame: [S419M, what place is this?]
S419M: [Wait a moment! Let me check!]
“Who are you? Why are you in Daddy’s study?” A timid voice suddenly sounded. Bai Lixin looked up, only to find that the little girl had appeared at the door at some point.
She blinked her big black eyes, looking at Bai Lixin curiously, “What are you looking for?”
The little girl spoke fluent Mandarin with a childish tone, running over to Bai Lixin and craning her neck to look up at the photo frame in Bai Lixin’s hand, “This is a photo of me and Daddy. Don’t touch it, give it back to me.”
“Xiao Xin, don’t be rude.” At this time, Mrs. Shen walked in with water. After putting down the water, she pulled Xiao Xin to one side, “This is Daddy’s student, he is helping Daddy organize materials. Didn’t I tell you not to come into Daddy’s study? Hurry back to your room and study.”
The girl named “Xiao Xin” pouted and glared at Bai Lixin, then turned and ran away without saying a word.
“This child.” Mrs. Shen glanced at Xiao Xin xin, “She was totally spoiled by Shukuang, she is so unruly. I hope you don’t mind.”
Bai Lixin: “Of course not. Xiao Xin must be very sad when Teacher Shen left.”
“That’s true.” Mrs. Shen sighed, “My husband was a doting father to our daughter and she loved him the most. I’m still hiding the fact that her father passed away from her. But although Xiao Xin is a bit willful, she is very sensible. It’s like she knows something. Before, whenever her father didn’t come home for a day, she would look for him. Now it’s been a month since she last saw her father, but she hasn’t mentioned ‘looking for Daddy’ at all.”
“I was worried about how to explain it to her, but during this time, she’s been by my side, giving me the courage to go on.”
S419M: [Lord Host, I’ve found out about the wooden house. It’s a wooden house in a small village on the outskirts of R City, where Shen Shukuang was born. ]
“Big brother, are you looking for Daddy?”
Xiao Xin, whom they thought had already left, was leaning against the door of the study, peeking inside, “Daddy is in the living room.”
The girl had an innocent smile on her face, her voice childish and sincere.
Just a short sentence made the entire study feel like an ice cellar.
“Xiao Xin!” Mrs. Shen’s face turned pale and she shouted, “What nonsense are you talking about!”
The little girl looked a bit wronged. She looked at Mrs. Shen with her lips pursed. “Waaah,” she burst into tears, “Daddy, come out, Mommy is being mean to me.”
A seemingly ordinary sentence seemed to trigger some strange switch.
Mrs. Shen, who was fine just now, suddenly looked extremely ugly. She supported herself on the table with one hand, panting heavily. Her face was red, her expression painful, and she was trying hard to find something in her pocket.
Mrs. Shen’s asthma unexpectedly broke out.
[Ten years ago, the Cao family was thriving in R City, and Su Hong’s family was also middle class, living comfortably.]
[Since Su Xiaohua disappeared, both the Cao and Su families have gradually declined. The Cao family went bankrupt, and the Su family didn’t fare much better.]
S419M reported earnestly, [As for Ran Jingjing and Shen Shukuang, they have thrived in their careers over the years.]
At the entrance of the corridor, a woman with long hair led a little girl with a princess haircut inside.
S419M: [That little girl is Shen Shukuang’s daughter, she is six years old this year.]
The little girl looked cute and tender, but also appeared timid and shy.
The woman led the little girl into the corridor, while Bai Lixin, who was invisible, followed behind them, observing as they entered Apartment 7012 on the 7th floor.
Half an hour after the door closed, the doorbell of Apartment 7012 rang. Mrs. Shen looked through the peephole and saw a handsome and beautiful unfamiliar young man standing outside. The young man appeared to be in his early twenties, with soft, dense, flaxen hair and bright, clean eyes.
He wore a white shirt, exuding a strong youthful vibe.
Mrs. Shen was momentarily stunned, then she opened the door and asked in confusion, “Who are you?”
The young man outside showed a non aggressive smile, “Hello, Mrs. Shen. I’m Bai Lixin, a student of Mr. Shen. I’ve been working on research projects with Mr. Shen. We met at the mall before; I even greeted you back then. Do you remember?”
Mrs. Shen was taken aback, and forced an awkward smile, “Oh, it’s you. I vaguely remember. What brings you here?”
The young man raised the condolence gift in his hand, his eyes seemingly shimmering, “Mr. Shen has always taken care of me at school. I was very saddened by what happened to Mr. Shen. Please accept my condolences, Mrs. Shen.”
Mrs. Shen’s eyes immediately turned red, and she choked out, “With students like you caring for Shukuang, he would definitely feel relieved in heaven. Come on in.”
The house was very clean, with only the two of them in the living room, and the little girl was nowhere to be seen.
Bai Lixin placed the condolence gift in the entrance hall, changed his shoes, and walked to the sofa, subtly scanning the room from the corners of his eyes.
On top of the shoe cabinet were two brand-name women’s handbags, and the styles exuded a clear air of luxury.
“In fact, during this time, under Mr. Shen’s guidance, we have been researching a project on cultural collisions. Mr. Shen left very suddenly. Before he left, our project had just made significant progress. We didn’t give up and the project was basically completed a few days ago. Teacher Shen planned to be selected for the international project and had already signed up for it. Although he is no longer with us, this project would not have achieved such results without him. We would like to credit Mr. Shen in the project and hope you agree, Mrs. Shen.”
Mrs. Shen poured a glass of water for Bai Lixin and sat down beside him, “What exactly needs to be done?”
Bai Lixin: “It’s nothing too complicated. Because you are his spouse, we only need authorization from you.”
“I don’t quite understand. How should the authorization letter be written?”
Bai Lixin took out two printed documents from his backpack and handed them over, “I’ve already prepared everything. You just need to sign on them.”
Mrs. Shen took the authorization letter and read it carefully, “It says here that the award is a 40-60 split?”
“Yes, that’s correct.” The young man nodded with a smile, “It’s an international award. If we win, there will be at least five million in rewards. In addition, the country, province, and university will also give rewards separately. Because Mr. Shen is the initiator and main researcher of the project, he has contributed the most effort and can receive forty percent of all the awards, while the remaining sixty percent will be invested in the research team for continued research.”
Mrs. Shen’s eyes lit up, “How much reward would my husband get if we win?”
Bai Lixin: “Roughly about three million.”
“Oh, you wait here. I’ll get a pen from the study.” Mrs. Shen got up, leaving Bai Lixin alone, and headed towards a room.
Seeing Mrs. Shen leave, Bai Lixin stood up with the authorization letter in hand. As soon as Mrs. Shen entered the study, Bai Lixin followed suit.
Mrs. Shen didn’t mind and quickly grabbed a pen from the desk, and signed her name and information on the authorization letter with big strokes, “Is this all?”
Bai Lixin took the authorization letter, “Yes, that’s it. Thank you, Mrs. Shen. When we win the award, I will definitely bring you the good news.”
Mrs. Shen’s face, which had been somewhat dejected, gradually brightened with a smile, “No problem, no problem. You are all good kids, repaying kindness with gratitude. Shukuang didn’t spoil you for nothing.”
The black-and-white-themed study was unusually solemn, somewhat out of sync with the decor outside.
Bai Lixin noticed a thin layer of dust on the desk and spoke up, “Mrs. Shen, there is still a crucial part missing in the project. That part was being organized by Mr. Shen. If we want to complete the project on time, we need to obtain that information.”
Mrs. Shen instantly understood Bai Lixin’s intention. She pointed to the desk, “Shukuang usually works here in the study. He doesn’t like me entering the study. I can’t help you with this. If you want to find it, you’ll have to look for it yourself.”
“This is enough, thank you, Mrs. Shen. You’re really kind, and so beautiful and gentle.”
Mrs. Shen’s cheeks turned slightly red, “You keep searching, I’ll go pour you a glass of water.”
After Mrs. Shen left, the innocent expression on Bai Lixin’s face suddenly disappeared and he quickly walked to the desk.
[After Shen Shukuang was killed, the police came to their house immediately. His computer and everything were searched thoroughly by the police. As a normal university teacher, there was nothing suspicious.]S419M couldn’t help but pour cold water as it watched Bai Lixin rummaging around.
[Shen Shukuang’s relationship with his wife isn’t as harmonious as it seems from the outside.]Bai Lixin picked up a notebook at random, which contained teaching materials written by Shen Shukuang. The sound of flipping pages echoed in the quiet room. Bai Lixin finished reading the content in less than a minute. [This is Shen Shukuang’s safe place.]
Escape system: [Safe place?]
Bai Lixin: [I noticed when changing shoes. Shen Shukuang’s shoes are all old and plain, while his wife and daughter’s shoes are delicate and expensive. The cosmetics Mrs. Shen casually placed on the shoe cabinet are all high-end, as well as those brand-name bags, which cost tens of thousands of yuan. The decoration style outside also seems more like the style Mrs. Shen likes, only this room seems more like the style Shen Shukuang prefers. If Shen Shukuang doesn’t have any other gray income, then he should have spent all his money on his wife.]
Fingers lightly brushed the dust on the table, picking up a thin layer of dust. [Judging by the degree of dust accumulation, this room hasn’t been cleaned for a month. Shen Shukuang didn’t allow Mrs. Shen to enter this room, and Mrs. Shen obviously wasn’t willing to come here herself.]
Escape system: [Appearance is deceiving? Would Shen Shukuang’s wife know his secret?]
A photo frame was placed on the desk, with only two people on it. The gentle looking man with frameless glasses was holding a little girl, appearing very close.
He looked around, and this was the only photo frame in the room.
Bai Lixin picked up the photo frame and found that the angle of the shot didn’t seem like it was taken by a third person; it looked more like a selfie. After looking at it for a while, his gaze fell on the wooden house in the background of the photo frame: [S419M, what place is this?]
S419M: [Wait a moment! Let me check!]
“Who are you? Why are you in Daddy’s study?” A timid voice suddenly sounded. Bai Lixin looked up, only to find that the little girl had appeared at the door at some point.
She blinked her big black eyes, looking at Bai Lixin curiously, “What are you looking for?”
The little girl spoke fluent Mandarin with a childish tone, running over to Bai Lixin and craning her neck to look up at the photo frame in Bai Lixin’s hand, “This is a photo of me and Daddy. Don’t touch it, give it back to me.”
“Xiao Xin, don’t be rude.” At this time, Mrs. Shen walked in with water. After putting down the water, she pulled Xiao Xin to one side, “This is Daddy’s student, he is helping Daddy organize materials. Didn’t I tell you not to come into Daddy’s study? Hurry back to your room and study.”
The girl named “Xiao Xin” pouted and glared at Bai Lixin, then turned and ran away without saying a word.
“This child.” Mrs. Shen glanced at Xiao Xin xin, “She was totally spoiled by Shukuang, she is so unruly. I hope you don’t mind.”
Bai Lixin: “Of course not. Xiao Xin must be very sad when Teacher Shen left.”
“That’s true.” Mrs. Shen sighed, “My husband was a doting father to our daughter and she loved him the most. I’m still hiding the fact that her father passed away from her. But although Xiao Xin is a bit willful, she is very sensible. It’s like she knows something. Before, whenever her father didn’t come home for a day, she would look for him. Now it’s been a month since she last saw her father, but she hasn’t mentioned ‘looking for Daddy’ at all.”
“I was worried about how to explain it to her, but during this time, she’s been by my side, giving me the courage to go on.”
S419M: [Lord Host, I’ve found out about the wooden house. It’s a wooden house in a small village on the outskirts of R City, where Shen Shukuang was born. ]
“Big brother, are you looking for Daddy?”
Xiao Xin, whom they thought had already left, was leaning against the door of the study, peeking inside, “Daddy is in the living room.”
The girl had an innocent smile on her face, her voice childish and sincere.
Just a short sentence made the entire study feel like an ice cellar.
“Xiao Xin!” Mrs. Shen’s face turned pale and she shouted, “What nonsense are you talking about!”
The little girl looked a bit wronged. She looked at Mrs. Shen with her lips pursed. “Waaah,” she burst into tears, “Daddy, come out, Mommy is being mean to me.”
A seemingly ordinary sentence seemed to trigger some strange switch.
Mrs. Shen, who was fine just now, suddenly looked extremely ugly. She supported herself on the table with one hand, panting heavily. Her face was red, her expression painful, and she was trying hard to find something in her pocket.
Mrs. Shen’s asthma unexpectedly broke out.
