Chapter 42:

Moving into Shen Qingzhou’s house seemed to have become an unavoidable matter. While packing her luggage, Lin Qiao took the opportunity to visit the homeowner’s walk-in closet.

The separate closet was located on the inner side of the bedroom, accessible through a sliding door. The door was uniquely designed in a black-and-white yin-yang pattern, with the handle positioned precisely at the circle’s center. Lin Qiao had seen a similar wall-mounted bookshelf in Shen Qingzhou’s residence in Qiancheng before.

Pushing open the closet door, Lin Qiao stepped inside with her suitcase. After taking in the full view, she couldn’t help but feel rather inadequate compared to Shen Qingzhou, purely from a woman’s perspective.

Shen Qingzhou’s walk-in closet was enormous, with every item meticulously organized by body part, from head to toe. Even cufflinks and tie clips were separately sorted, categorized strictly by color, material, and style.

Although the closet held an impressive collection of clothes and accessories, the space didn’t feel cluttered or overwhelming. Everything was arranged with precision, and the color scheme was limited to variations of silver, black, gray, and blue—no warm tones, not even gold.

Dragging her suitcase around the room, Lin Qiao eventually stopped at the clothing section. Shen Qingzhou’s shirts were an endless line of Armani and Burberry, all perfectly clean and wrinkle-free, with some still bearing their original tags—clearly never worn.

As she was lost in thought, Shen Qingzhou had somehow entered the room unnoticed. With his hands in his pockets, he approached and casually asked, “Don’t know where to put things?”

Startled, Lin Qiao turned around abruptly, clearly surprised by his sudden appearance. “How can you walk so silently?”

“I knocked,” Shen Qingzhou replied calmly. “You just didn’t hear me.”

“…Is that so?” Lin Qiao hesitated for a moment.

“What are you thinking about?” Shen Qingzhou stepped closer, forcing her to lean backward until she was nestled among his suits. As he drew nearer, the light dimmed around her, and she struggled to catch her breath. Grabbing his tie, she pulled him aside.

“Don’t mess around. Let’s put things away after dinner,” she said hastily, adjusting her hair as she quickly exited the scene.

Shen Qingzhou straightened up, gazing down at her suitcase. He bent over, opened it, and began taking out her clothes one by one, hanging them up for her.

In the dining room, Lin Qiao waited with Du Xinling and Xiao Ning for Shen Qingzhou. After a long while, he still hadn’t come down, so Lin Qiao went back to the bedroom and caught him just as he was hanging her last piece of clothing.

“How did you…?” Lin Qiao stepped forward in surprise, noticing that he had made space for her belongings. His clothes were hung more densely, while her bags and clothes were neatly sorted and placed.

“You can go downstairs to eat now,” Shen Qingzhou said casually as he closed her suitcase and placed it in the designated luggage area, taking her hand. “I don’t really like delaying things.”

Although he gave a very formal-sounding reason, Lin Qiao couldn’t help feeling touched by his thoughtfulness. Although it was true that he had suddenly insisted she move in… well, how could she possibly be angry? Humans are emotional beings, and some feelings simply can’t be explained.

After lunch, Shen Qingzhou went to handle business at Lin Group. Although he had arranged for Lin Weiming to go out for relaxation as a way to bring Lin Qiao to his home, he still had to put in the effort to make it work.

Lin Qiao had no doubts about Shen Qingzhou’s ability to manage the company affairs—he had built his own business into a massive success. Even if he couldn’t handle Lin Group perfectly, his wealth alone would be sufficient to cover any losses. Therefore, she didn’t need to go.

This was Shen Qingzhou’s exact wording. He asked Lin Qiao to stay at home with Xiao Ning until the boy returned to the hospital, which would only take about two days. She thought it was reasonable and didn’t refuse.

Du Xinling was Shen Qingzhou’s business partner, and they had many company matters to handle. Normally, Du Xinling managed both taking care of Xiao Ning and work, but today with Lin Qiao present, he could focus entirely on client matters.

Xu Boqin’s burial site hadn’t been finalized yet. Du Xinling had only told the other party that Shen Qingzhou was still looking for a suitable location, asking them not to rush. Since Xu Boqin didn’t understand these things, he believed it without question and didn’t call again to follow up.

Watching Du Xinling casually delay progress with his clients, Lin Qiao suddenly felt a bit of sympathy for him. What kind of experiences had shaped him into someone who could so calmly fabricate excuses? It must have been a very bitter memory.

Xiao Ning was still unwell, and after playing for a while at noon, he grew tired. Lin Qiao carried him to his room for a nap. After he fell asleep, she drew the curtains and quietly left.

Du Xinling was still on the phone. Lin Qiao went downstairs without disturbing him, taking a book to read in a corner on a wicker chair.

She hadn’t been reading for long when her phone rang—it was a text message, from Fang Zheng.

Fang Zheng?

Lin Qiao frowned, picking up her phone and opening the message. Fang Zheng’s message was simple—he wanted to meet her, saying he had something important about Shen Qingzhou to tell her.

Fang Zheng’s intentions were clearly not good. Lin Qiao was about to ignore it when Fang Zheng, probably anticipating her reaction, immediately sent a multimedia message—a photo. In the photo were a man and a woman. The man looked familiar, and when Lin Qiao zoomed in, she realized it was Shen Qingzhou.

It must have been a photo from when Shen Qingzhou was in school. The background looked like a foreign campus. His appearance was younger, his face slightly more youthful. He stood expressionless beside a white girl. They stood close together, no physical contact, but Fang Zheng’s caption beneath the photo was full of implications.

He wrote that the girl was named Joanna, Shen Qingzhou’s former girlfriend, and asked if she was curious about their story.

Lin Qiao had heard from Qin Muyao about Joanna before and knew a little about her. But she felt puzzled—why was Fang Zheng sending her this? Even if Shen Qingzhou had had a past with this foreign girl, it was in the past. He had been back in China for so long now that they must have long since lost contact. What was the point of bringing it up?

Lin Qiao simply turned off her phone screen, ignoring Fang Zheng’s one-sided enthusiasm. After a long silence from Lin Qiao, Fang Zheng didn’t send another message—whether he had truly given up or was planning something else, she couldn’t tell.

In the evening, Lin Qiao went out to buy groceries, planning to cook several dishes. The lunch had been prepared by Du Xinling, and the previous meal in Qiancheng had also been his cooking. Lin Qiao, as a woman, felt she couldn’t let a man outdo her and wanted to show off her cooking skills.

Driving to the supermarket, Lin Qiao was just about to enter when her phone rang again. She checked the screen—it was Fang Zheng.

Knowing he had ulterior motives, Lin Qiao hung up immediately. But soon the phone rang again—this time not from Fang Zheng, but from Wang Jiaqi.

Lin Qiao was slightly puzzled but answered the call. It was indeed Wang Jiaqi.

“Jiao Jiao, where are you?” Wang Jiaqi asked as soon as she answered.

Lin Qiao glanced at the supermarket sign and casually replied, “At the supermarket entrance. What’s up?”

“Just now Fang Zheng called me, saying all sorts of strange things, even asking where you were. Be careful, okay?” Wang Jiaqi said with concern.

Lin Qiao couldn’t help but laugh. “I know, but you don’t have to be scared of him. After all, can he really do anything to us? We’re in the Celestial Empire, not America where guns are legal.”

Wang Jiaqi laughed too. “You’re right. I guess I’m just scared of him now. You know, between him and me…” She trailed off, trying several times to continue but unable to find her voice. Soon, soft sobs came through the line.

Lin Qiao understood—no matter what Fang Zheng had done to Wang Jiaqi, she couldn’t truly forget him completely. As the saying goes, people often remember what they couldn’t have. Men like Fang Zheng, once obtained and then abandoned, are not easily forgotten. To Wang Jiaqi now, Fang Zheng was both a source of regret and an unforgettable memory.

“Jiaqi, you don’t have to worry about me. No matter what Fang Zheng told you, just remember—we’ll always be by your side. No one can hurt you again,” Lin Qiao said softly.

Wang Jiaqi gave a teary chuckle and whispered, “Yeah, I know. Don’t worry about me. Go do your thing. I’ll hang up now.”

Lin Qiao was still a little worried about her, but since Wang Jiaqi ended the call herself, Lin Qiao didn’t want to call back and make her uncomfortable. Right now, she probably needed some space to process her emotions.

Putting her phone back in her pocket, Lin Qiao entered the supermarket with a heavy heart. She bought some vegetables and seasonings and soon came out carrying several large bags.

To her surprise, when she returned to the parking area, Fang Zheng was there.

Fang Zheng was dressed in a high-end custom-made deep purple suit. His mixed Chinese-American heritage gave him more defined and handsome features than most. Tall and fair-skinned, he stood by the roadside with one hand in his pocket, drawing attention from nearly everyone—three hundred percent of onlookers, not just women, but men too, couldn’t help but glance at him. His flamboyant purple suit certainly didn’t go unnoticed.

Seeing Lin Qiao come out, Fang Zheng removed his sunglasses and waved at her. This reaction caused many people who had been looking at him to now shift their attention to Lin Qiao. She had come shopping without makeup, her face bare and plain, carrying large bags of groceries, dressed in loose clothes that didn’t show off her figure. Only her long, straight legs offered a slight consolation to the observers.

Lin Qiao thought to herself that even a scumbag like him was hard for Wang Jiaqi to forget. As previously mentioned, humans are emotional beings—but women, in addition to being emotional, are also visual creatures.

Lin Qiao ignored Fang Zheng, placing her groceries back into the car. She walked toward the driver’s seat, ready to leave, but Fang Zheng suddenly grabbed the car door handle, making her recoil in disgust and jump back three steps.

Fang Zheng didn’t seem bothered by Lin Qiao’s avoidance. He simply said, “Lin Qiao, do you have time to talk?”

Lin Qiao looked at him. “Talk about what? Listening to you smear Shen Qingzhou?”

Fang Zheng smiled. “How do you know what I say will be smear? Aren’t you at least curious about his past? A man like him, who never explains himself clearly, leaves you guessing and analyzing everything. Be honest—aren’t you curious?”

Lin Qiao exhaled. “Even if I were curious, I wouldn’t need your false kindness. If I listened to you, I’d be a fool.”

Faced with Lin Qiao’s repeated rejections, Fang Zheng finally showed some displeasure. He was usually confident in his ability to handle women—except for women like Xie Jiayi. Lin Qiao had shaken his confidence multiple times in just one day.

Fang Zheng had always been a man who had been pampered and praised by people since childhood. When his temper flared, he rarely held it back. Since Lin Qiao refused to cooperate, he decided to force her to go with him.

In broad daylight, Fang Zheng ignored the onlookers and grabbed Lin Qiao’s arm, trying to drag her away. Lin Qiao struggled and screamed, but he wouldn’t let go, indifferent to the crowd gathering around.

Unable to break free from Fang Zheng’s grip with her own strength, Lin Qiao turned to the people around for help. But Fang Zheng said, “Sorry for the scene. She’s my girlfriend, we’re just having a little fight. Don’t worry, I’ll take her home.”

Lin Qiao looked at him in disbelief. “What nonsense are you spouting! I’m not your girlfriend!”

“Jiao Jiao, stop acting up. Everyone’s watching. At most, I promise not to make you angry anymore.” With that, Fang Zheng gently wrapped his arm around her shoulder, leading her toward his car while the crowd watched with understanding. Seeing Fang Zheng driving a luxury car, people were even more convinced of his claim—after all, who would kidnap someone so openly?

Feeling helpless, Lin Qiao was dragged to Fang Zheng’s car. His arm pressed tightly around her shoulders, causing her some pain. Just as she was about to curse him, she noticed Fang Zheng’s gaze fix on something. She followed his line of sight and saw Wang Jiaqi at the street corner.

Wang Jiaqi stood there, stunned, holding a wallet and a drink—she had probably just come out of the convenience store. Her eyes were still swollen, likely from crying earlier.

Seeing her ex-husband and best friend so “intimately” close, seemingly about to leave together, Wang Jiaqi looked utterly confused.

Lin Qiao wanted to shout for Wang Jiaqi to help, but Fang Zheng quickly opened the car door and shoved her into the back seat. He shut the door, swiftly got into the driver’s seat, locked the doors, and drove off.

Shaking, Wang Jiaqi took out her phone, forcing herself to stay calm and not jump to conclusions. With difficulty, she dialed Shen Qingzhou’s number.

Shen Qingzhou was probably busy, as it took a while before he answered. His tone was cold, as usual—except for Lin Qiao, and sometimes even including Lin Qiao, he rarely showed warmth. He rarely smiled, but his presence alone made people feel inferior.

“Hello,” he greeted flatly, the background quiet.

Wang Jiaqi took a breath, her voice shaky. “Hello, Master Shen, it’s me—Wang Jiaqi.”

“Oh, Miss Wang,” Shen Qingzhou responded indifferently. “What do you need?”

Wang Jiaqi tightened her grip on her wallet, her voice hoarse. “I just went to the convenience store to buy a drink. When I came out, I saw… I saw Jiao Jiao being taken away by Fang Zheng in his car…”

“Taken”—a word with ambiguous meaning. In the chairman’s office of Lin Group, Shen Qingzhou slightly furrowed his brows. The person reporting to him noticed his expression and instinctively shivered.

“Where did you see them?” Shen Qingzhou asked in a low voice, immediately standing up and walking out without saying goodbye to anyone. He left so quickly that the people in Lin Group were left stunned—this major shareholder was clearly no ordinary man.

Wang Jiaqi told Shen Qingzhou the time and location. As soon as the call ended, Shen Qingzhou dialed Fang Zheng, but his phone was off. He immediately hung up and tried Lin Qiao’s number. Her phone was on, but no one answered.

Shen Qingzhou was already in his car. He held the steering wheel in silence for a moment, then hung up and dialed Xie Jiayi.

This time, it finally connected.

“Little tadpole,” Xie Jiayi said cheerfully. “What does Mommy need?”

Shen Qingzhou ignored her teasing tone, his voice stiff as he asked, “From what you know, where in China does Fang Zheng usually meet people?” He paused slightly before adding, “Specifically, when the other party is being forced to meet him.”

Xie Jiayi was extremely intelligent. She immediately understood what he meant. “Did Xiao Jiao get taken by Fang Zheng??”

Shen Qingzhou’s gaze remained cold as he stared out the car window, his voice low and chilling as he uttered a single word: “Yes.”

Xie Jiayi felt a chill from the icy tone in her son’s voice and pursed her lips. “He has a private villa. Come to me—I’ll take you there.”

Shen Qingzhou agreed, hung up, and sped toward Xie Jiayi’s residence. Meanwhile, Xie Jiayi didn’t waste any time waiting at home. She immediately called Fang Mingjun.

Fang Mingjun hadn’t expected Xie Jiayi to contact him after their divorce, so his voice was filled with surprise when he answered. “Jiayi? You’re calling me?”

Xie Jiayi’s tone was cold. “Chairman Fang, are you busy now? There’s something that might require your personal involvement, or else it’ll bring shame to you.”

Fang Mingjun glanced at the people in the meeting room and lowered his voice. “Not busy. What is it?”

Xie Jiayi said, “Your son has kidnapped my future daughter-in-law. I suspect he’s taken her to his little hideout. Don’t you think you should help open the door? Given your obsessive control, you must have a key.”

Fang Mingjun’s secretary, Jian Shi, clearly noticed the twitching vein on the chairman’s forehead. Suppressing his anger, Fang Mingjun spoke through gritted teeth: “Wait for me.”

He hung up, declared the meeting over, and left the room abruptly. In the large conference room, numerous employees exchanged stunned glances—shocked by the sudden emotional outburst of their usually calm and composed boss.

It seemed that since his divorce, Fang Mingjun’s emotions had become increasingly unstable. Although he never lashed out at his subordinates, his presence alone now made people instinctively keep their distance.