When Lin Qiao left the psychiatric hospital, she saw Xu Jie waiting by his car at the entrance. He hadn’t left and stood there impatiently.
Seeing Lin Qiao come out, Xu Jie’s face relaxed slightly, and he hurried over, asking, “Are you okay?” He examined her from head to toe and noticed her hand, tightly gripping the bag strap, was bleeding. His expression changed drastically, “How did you get injured? Was it Zhao Chunjun?”
As a police officer, Xu Jie was especially sensitive to any harm inflicted on others. Lin Qiao didn’t deny it, but she had no intention of dwelling on these minor injuries. She said directly, “Zhao Chunjun said my mother and daughter have been taken to Fangshi Group by Fang Mingjun. We should go there now.”
Frowning, Xu Jie asked, “Shen Qingzhou is already on the plane and will be back in about two hours. Should we wait for him?”
Lin Qiao was surprised, “He’s coming back?”
Xu Jie nodded, “Yes, I told him you went alone to meet Zhao Chunjun, and then he told me he was heading to the airport immediately.”
Lin Qiao’s expression turned grim. She clenched her fist and said, “It’s okay if we have to wait for him, but I’m worried that in these two hours Fang Mingjun might move them elsewhere. I can’t afford to take that risk.”
Xu Jie looked at her hesitantly. As the two were debating whether to wait for Shen Qingzhou, Lin Qiao’s phone rang.
This call wasn’t immediately made after Shen Qingzhou received Xu Jie’s message, but deliberately dialed after Lin Qiao had left Zhao Chunjun. It seemed unrelated to Shen Qingzhou, considering he was already on the plane and would soon return. However, the call Lin Qiao received was indeed arranged by Shen Qingzhou.
“Xiao Qiao, it’s Xinling. Shiheng has already boarded the plane and can’t call you himself, so he asked me to let you know,” Du Xinling said anxiously on the other end. “Are you okay? Did Zhao Chunjun hurt you?”
Lin Qiao’s expression was complex as she speculated why Shen Qingzhou had asked Du Xinling to call her later. Still, she replied without hesitation, “I’m fine. I already know where my mom and Xiaoxuan have been taken. Fang Mingjun did the unexpected—he deliberately kept them at Fangshi Group. He anticipated we’d assume he would hide them somewhere secret, so he did the opposite. He’s so cunning.”
Du Xinling sighed in relief, “It’s good that you know where they are. Before Shiheng boarded the plane, he told me since you’ve already taken initiative once, this time he’d trust you again. He said to think about what he told you the last time he did the character reading for you.”
The words from the character reading? He had told her so much back then. Her mind was a mess, and she couldn’t recall which part he meant. But just as she was about to say she didn’t know, a sentence suddenly came to her mind, making her realize the truth.
“The interpretation of these two characters means you must learn to be independent, not always relying on others’ help. Success must come from your own hands.”
Shen Qingzhou had told her this back then, and she had been confused about whether it was good or bad fortune. Now, it seemed to reflect her current situation, urging her to be independent and not always rely on Shen Qingzhou. If she wanted to successfully rescue her child and mother-in-law, she had to do it herself.
Lin Qiao looked at her blood-stained hands and gave a short laugh, “I know what to do, Xinling. Don’t worry. Once you finish what you’re doing, bring Xiaoning back to Beijing and we’ll all live together. I have to go now. Talk later.”
Du Xinling knew she was in a hurry and didn’t delay her. He hung up quickly, saying “Good luck” before ending the call.
“I will,” Lin Qiao murmured to herself, “I must keep going.” She then looked at Xu Jie and said softly, “Officer Xu, I’ll drive to Fangshi Group first and wait for you downstairs. I need to make sure they aren’t moved elsewhere by Fang Mingjun. Once you arrive, we can go up together.”
Xu Jie thought for a moment and felt this was the only feasible plan. He nodded, “Don’t act impulsively. Otherwise, you won’t find them and might alert him.”
Lin Qiao slightly nodded, opened the car door, and got in, “I’m heading off first. Officer Xu, please call me when you’re on your way so I can estimate the time.”
Xu Jie agreed, watching Lin Qiao drive away calmly. Just as he was about to turn and leave, he caught sight of Zhao Chunjun walking out from the gate with his hands behind his back. He was still wearing his white coat, clearly not leaving after work.
“Officer Xu, in a hurry to serve the people?” Zhao Chunjun said to Xu Jie with a calm expression, his lips curling into a cold smile. “Don’t look at me like I’m a criminal. You don’t have any evidence against me. If you mess with me, I will file a complaint.”
Xu Jie’s expression was as if he had swallowed a fly. However, having dealt with many criminals, he merely gave a cold laugh, politely waved at Zhao Chunjun, and turned to leave without looking back. These so-called “good people” seemed to be beneath his notice.
Zhao Chunjun naturally didn’t care whether Xu Jie looked back. He simply stood there watching him leave. Once Xu Jie was far away, he slowly brought his hands from behind to the front and gently placed them on his chest.
“Dr. Zhao,” a nurse’s voice came from behind, not too close nor too far, carefully asking, “Patient in bed seven is having another episode. Please come quickly.”
Zhao Chunjun lowered his hands, let his arms hang naturally, and turned to face the nurse with a charming yet chilling smile, “Alright.” As the word left his lips, he stepped forward without hesitation into the psychiatric hospital, walking toward the white building as he had done for over a decade—unwavering and tireless.
When Lin Qiao arrived at Fangshi Group, the previously clear sky suddenly began to rain. There were no dark clouds overhead, yet large raindrops fell continuously. Passersby, caught off guard by the sudden downpour, hurriedly used their bags to shield themselves and rushed forward. Some scrambled and collided while others rushed to hail taxis. Lin Qiao sat in her car, watching the chaos unfold, her mind going numb.
She kept her eyes fixed on the entrance of Fangshi Group, wondering if there was a back door and whether Fang Mingjun might take them out that way. She thought even if he did, there was nothing she could do. After all, she was alone and could only watch one entrance. Trying to cover both would only lead to failure on both fronts. Greed, she realized, was the most dangerous human flaw.
Lin Qiao waited there for about half an hour, which felt like an eternity. Fortunately, Xu Jie called to inform her they were on their way, or she wasn’t sure if she would have impulsively rushed inside to find them.
Reaching Fangshi Group from the police station required navigating a congested road. Although the police had certain privileges, the heavy traffic made it impossible for them to move quickly. Taking an alternate route would only make the trip longer. Fangshi Group was located in the most bustling part of the city center, and every road leading there was jammed. At times like this, one could only feel helpless about Beijing’s traffic.
To her surprise, the first person Lin Qiao saw wasn’t the police—it was her newlywed husband, Shen Qingzhou, who had been dragged into all kinds of trouble because of her.
To be honest, if Shen Qingzhou had never met her, he might still be peacefully living in Qiancheng, enjoying a tranquil, monk-like life. It was because of her that he moved to Beijing, sent Fang Zheng to prison, and incurred the wrath of Fang Mingjun and Zhao Chunjun. Because of her, he risked his reputation and safety. All of it was for her.
Shen Qingzhou recognized Lin Qiao’s car. After getting out of a taxi, he scanned the busy street, letting the rain soak him as he quickly crossed the road toward her.
Lin Qiao immediately grabbed a spare umbrella and got out of the car, running a few steps to shield him from the rain. But Shen Qingzhou refused the umbrella, tossing it aside and grabbing her wrist as he strode toward the entrance of Fangshi Group.
His hand was cold. Lin Qiao felt as if she were holding a stone—hard and devoid of warmth.
He couldn’t be much calmer than she was. She could imagine how those two hours on the plane must have felt for him. He was a man who usually avoided trouble, yet when trouble came, he never backed down. He always held her hand, guiding her forward, never allowing her to retreat or hide. He didn’t even need to speak a word—just being by his side made her feel calm and secure. His grip was firm yet gentle, not painful, but reassuring.
“Xu Jie will arrive within five minutes. We can go up now,” Shen Qingzhou said as they walked, his tone concise and to the point. He pushed the door open decisively. No matter the situation, he always exuded a commanding presence. Lin Qiao doubted she would ever reach that level in this lifetime. She could only hope that in her next life, she might be as cool as him.
Shen Qingzhou led Lin Qiao into Fangshi Group, offering great assistance to someone unfamiliar with the building. He didn’t take the regular elevator or the stairs but went straight to the executive elevator. The security guard on duty tried to stop them but was silenced by a single glance from Shen Qingzhou.
The guard recognized him. He was the son of the former chairman’s wife and the chairman’s stepson. Although the chairman and his wife were now divorced, everyone knew the chairman still held deep feelings for her. They might even reconcile at any moment. The guard dared not provoke him.
Successfully entering the elevator and heading straight to the top floor, Shen Qingzhou calmly analyzed, “The guard didn’t stop me, which means Fang Mingjun didn’t tell them to block my entry. He must be confident I wouldn’t fly back from thousands of miles away, and he never imagined you would figure out he simply hid them here.”
Lin Qiao pursed her lips, “Yes, he didn’t expect Zhao Chunjun to betray him either.”
Shen Qingzhou glanced at her with an unreadable expression before looking away, his tone slightly cold, “He knows that once someone betrays a partner, they can do it again. If Zhao Chunjun could betray Fang Zheng, he could just as easily betray his own father.”
Lin Qiao frowned, “Then why didn’t he prepare? He doesn’t seem like someone who would leave such an opening.”
Shen Qingzhou exhaled, his expression conflicted—almost angry at Lin Qiao, yet his grip on her hand remained tight, confusing her, “Perhaps he intentionally left the opening so we could find them.”
“Why?” Lin Qiao asked instinctively, though deep down, it was the same question Shen Qingzhou was asking himself.
They fell silent as the elevator ascended. When the doors opened on the top floor, Xu Jie and the police arrived at the first floor of Fangshi Group, sealing off all exits.
“Let’s go,” Shen Qingzhou glanced toward the chairman’s office in the distance, tightened his grip on Lin Qiao’s hand, and led her forward.
Lin Qiao walked beside him silently but determinedly. As they reached the office door, it opened from the inside. Standing there was Fang Mingjun, dressed in a black silk shirt and tailored trousers, holding in his arms none other than Lin Qiao and Shen Qingzhou’s daughter, Shen Xuan.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage