Chapter 71:

After the child was born, Shen Qingzhou rarely left the house, staying home to take care of Lin Qiao during her postpartum recovery period—truly a devoted and caring husband.

Lately, Lin Qiao had often felt that finding a husband as seemingly perfect as Shen Qingzhou must come at a price—perhaps he might be frequently absent or emotionally distant. But later, she realized she must have watched too much TV drama; Shen Qingzhou was nothing like she had imagined—quite the opposite, in fact.

However, this peaceful and blissful life didn’t last long. Just a few days after Lin Qiao completed her postpartum recovery period, an unexpected incident occurred.

Previously, Shen Qingzhou had helped a wealthy businessman named Xu Boqin inspect a burial plot. Lin Qiao had even accompanied him on a trip to Zhoushan because of it. Shen had informed Xu Boqin about the plot’s location and price, leaving the final decision to him. Beyond that, Lin Qiao knew nothing else about what followed.

Recently, many unknown callers had started phoning Shen Qingzhou’s home. Lin Qiao had answered a few of these calls, all from reporters and media outlets, speaking in terms that left her completely confused. When she asked Shen Qingzhou about it, he seemed equally clueless, simply saying they might be seeking interviews. Since he was too busy to deal with them, the couple didn’t dwell on the matter further.

A few days later, while having breakfast, Lin Qiao, as usual, picked up the newspaper. A large photo on the front page immediately caught her attention.

It was Shen Qingzhou.

The photo wasn’t unfamiliar—she had bought his book before, and this was the very image used on its cover. But this article wasn’t an interview or even a positive piece; it was a scathing exposé.

Frowning, Lin Qiao quickly skimmed through the article, her mind racing. She immediately got up and hurried to the kitchen to find Shen Qingzhou.

Xie Jiayi was upstairs taking care of the baby and hadn’t come down yet. Shen Qingzhou was washing his hands in the kitchen and hadn’t come out. She was the first to see the paper, and she was relieved she was the one—otherwise, the elders might have seen it and become worried.

Seeing Lin Qiao rush into the kitchen, Shen Qingzhou turned and asked, “What’s wrong? Did the sky fall?”

Lin Qiao’s face was pale. “Almost,” she replied, handing him the newspaper.

Shen Qingzhou took the paper and leaned casually against the counter, reading it slowly. His expression didn’t change at all. By the time he finished, there was still no sign of emotion—like he had already expected everything.

“So that’s what those calls were about,” he said indifferently. “I didn’t answer any of them. They probably felt disappointed not getting a response directly.”

Lin Qiao rubbed her temples anxiously. “That’s all you have to say? Don’t you see how serious the accusations are? How can they say such things? It’s practically defamation—claiming you’re a fraud, a charlatan. Between the lines, it’s basically accusing you of fraud. What exactly happened between you and Xu Boqin? How did it come to this?”

Lin Qiao was clearly upset, but Shen Qingzhou remained completely unaffected by her anxiety. He spoke calmly, “You don’t need to worry. I’m also curious why he would say such things to the media. Since we returned from Zhoushan, I haven’t spoken to him at all. I thought he had already decided to use that plot of land.”

Lin Qiao hesitated for a moment, then ventured a guess, “Could it be that he never really wanted to buy a burial plot in the first place? Maybe he was just trying to frame you?”

Shen Qingzhou glanced toward the kitchen door and lowered his voice. “If that’s the case, his sacrifice was huge—he already paid me in full. Mom’s coming down. Speak softly, don’t let her hear.”

Lin Qiao immediately covered her mouth and nodded, whispering, “What do we do now? This can’t stay hidden forever. It’s already in the paper, and it’s only a matter of time before it hits TV. I’m worried you’ll face legal trouble.”

Shen Qingzhou leaned close to her ear and said softly, “Don’t worry. Even if it goes to court, it’s defamation. If you’re in the right, you’ve got nothing to fear.”

Lin Qiao sighed, trying to ignore the ticklish sensation from his breath. “But have you seen how the public opinion is turning? The article even brought up a recent case of a Hong Kong feng shui master who was arrested. The situation is clearly turning against you.”

Shen Qingzhou patted her shoulder gently. “Don’t panic. Let’s eat first. We’ll talk about it after.”

Lin Qiao watched his calm back as he turned and walked away. His composure eased her nerves slightly. She calmed herself in the kitchen and followed him out to join Xie Jiayi for breakfast.

“The baby’s asleep,” Xie Jiayi said, placing the stroller next to the table and lowering her voice. “Why haven’t you two started eating yet?”

“No problem,” Shen Qingzhou replied. “We were waiting for you.”

Lin Qiao sat down, poured porridge for Xie Jiayi and Shen Qingzhou, placed the bowls in front of them, then sat quietly to eat her own meal without speaking.

Xie Jiayi noticed Lin Qiao’s unusual expression and wanted to ask something, but seeing that Shen Qingzhou kept serving her food and she didn’t refuse, she assumed it wasn’t a marital issue. Probably work-related, which wasn’t something she should pry into. So she said nothing.

After breakfast, Lin Qiao picked up their still-sleeping daughter and went upstairs. Before heading up, she said to Xie Jiayi, “Mom, you’ve been busy all morning. Why don’t you take a rest? I’ll take care of the baby.”

Xie Jiayi didn’t refuse. “Okay, I’ll take a nap. You should lie down too. There’s nothing urgent.”

Lin Qiao nodded slightly. “Then I’ll take the baby to the bedroom.”

“Go ahead.”

After saying goodbye to Xie Jiayi, Lin Qiao gave Shen Qingzhou a meaningful look. He followed her upstairs obediently. But just before reaching the bedroom door, Shen’s phone rang. He glanced at the screen and told Lin Qiao, “It’s Du Xinling.”

“It must be about the article,” Lin Qiao frowned.

Shen Qingzhou pushed the door open and whispered, “You go in with the baby first. I’ll take this call. Don’t wake her.”

Lin Qiao wanted to listen in, but with the baby in her arms, she had no choice but to comply.

Back in the bedroom, she gently placed the baby in the crib and sat beside it, lips pressed tightly, thinking through the entire situation.

About ten days ago, calls had started coming in. She had answered a few from various media outlets, so it seemed the press had known about this for some time.

They had waited so long to publish the story, probably because the evidence wasn’t strong enough. Even now, the article was mostly speculation and one-sided accounts from Xu Boqin, with no statements from Shen Qingzhou. Other than the media’s deliberate framing of the narrative, the issue wasn’t yet catastrophic.

Still, this wasn’t a small matter. After the article’s release, the authorities would certainly take notice. Her earlier concerns weren’t unfounded. Even if Shen Qingzhou didn’t sue Xu Boqin or the media, he would likely still face an investigation.

She leaned over the crib, troubled, when she heard the door close. She looked up immediately—Shen Qingzhou had already shut the door and was walking toward her.

“What did he say?” she whispered anxiously.

Shen Qingzhou replied, “Du Xinling has been busy arranging discharge and school transfer procedures for Xiaoning, traveling between Qiancheng and Beijing. He hasn’t turned on his business phone, so he didn’t receive any of the media calls.”

“And?”

“That’s it. That’s all there is to it now.”

He said it casually, sitting sideways on the bed, not far from Lin Qiao.

She pressed her lips together and sighed, resting her arms and closing her eyes in frustration.

Shen Qingzhou picked up a book from the table and said, “Don’t worry. Everything happens for a reason. We’ll deal with whatever comes our way. Just let things take their course.”

Lin Qiao opened her eyes and looked at him. “How can I not worry? I care about you.”

Shen Qingzhou closed the book, stood up, sat beside her, and gently put an arm around her shoulders. “Really, there’s no need to worry. I know what I’m doing. Du Xinling has already contacted a lawyer. I’ll sue both the newspaper and Xu Boqin.”

At this point, legal action was the only option. Only through the law could he clear his name. But Shen Qingzhou’s profession was inherently sensitive—especially in a country governed by a party that officially embraced atheism.

“This won’t be simple,” Lin Qiao frowned. “You’ve been in this field for so long and have a solid reputation. But this issue with Xu Boqin—his accusation that you colluded with real estate developers to commit fraud through feng shui—feels premeditated.”

As she spoke, a few suspicious figures surfaced in her mind. She looked at Shen Qingzhou in sudden realization and blurted out, “Could it be Fang Zheng’s father trying to get back at you? Maybe he got Xu Boqin to smear you?” She paused, then corrected herself, “No, that doesn’t make sense. Xu approached you before you had that big falling-out with Fang Zheng…”

Shen Qingzhou smirked slightly at Lin Qiao’s sudden burst of insight. “Fang Zheng hadn’t been imprisoned yet back then, but they had already moved into the new house I selected for them.”

Lin Qiao immediately caught on. “So Fang Mingjun had already started planning this back then?”

Leaning back against the headboard, hands clasped, Shen Qingzhou said casually, “He wouldn’t have reached his current position without being far-sighted and prepared for the future, as well as…”

“Don’t say it,” Lin Qiao shot him a glare. “You’re defending him even after he hurt you.”

Shen Qingzhou replied, “I’m just stating the truth. I never deny an enemy’s abilities—that would make me seem insecure. A person’s true caliber is reflected in the strength of their adversaries.”

“Fine, you’re noble-minded, and your enemies are formidable,” Lin Qiao gave up. “So what now? Are you really going to take this to a court in a country that believes in atheism?”

Shen Qingzhou turned his gaze elsewhere, deep in thought. “I need to think. The mastermind behind this is definitely not him alone. I need to piece together everything that’s happened recently.”

Knowing he needed time to think, Lin Qiao obediently picked up their daughter and left the bedroom, heading to the nursery. The room was now left in silence, with only Shen Qingzhou lying there.

He stretched out on the bed, arms behind his head, eyes fixed blankly on the ceiling, his expression calm. But beneath his head, his hands were tightly clenched into fists.