Chapter 61:

Of course I’m afraid, how could I not be? A mouse naturally fears a cat, and even more so when it’s a venomous snake accompanied by a cat. Both are natural enemies; it would be strange not to be afraid.

Fang Zheng took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, and sat back on the sofa, watching Shen Qingzhou’s movements in silence. The latter didn’t say much, simply leading them inside before going to prepare water himself. This deliberate act of serving them personally unsettled Fang Zheng even more.

Fang Mingjun also sat down, hands clasped beneath his chin, eyes fixed blankly ahead at no one in particular, his gaze unfocused.

“So this must be Mr. Fang Zheng,” one of the men accompanying Shen Qingzhou suddenly spoke with a smile, carefully observing him as he said, “Heard much about you, it’s an honor to finally meet in person.”

This overly refined speech unsettled Fang Zheng, who frowned and replied coldly, “Who are you?”

Rather than being offended by his hostility, the man only smiled wider. He pulled out a brown paper envelope from behind his back, visibly full, and tapped it lightly with his long fingers, saying gently, “My name is Rong Lun, I’m a lawyer. Mr. Fang might not know me, but I know quite a bit about you.” He lowered his voice meaningfully, adding, “I’ve studied your time in America very carefully.”

This was a threat. Fang Zheng’s mind immediately raised an alarm. He stood up abruptly and said, “It seems we can’t talk today. Shen Qingzhou, I won’t blame you for breaking your word. We’ll discuss this another time.” With that, he turned and left without looking back. Fang Mingjun remained silent for a moment behind him before also rising to follow.

As the father and son reached the main gate, unimpeded and unchallenged, Lin Qiao almost convinced herself that they really were being allowed to leave, that Shen Qingzhou had decided against taking any real action. But the moment they opened the door, her assumption was shattered.

Equally surprised were Xie Jiayi and the Fangs. Xie Jiayi had always known her son was capable and decisive, but only now did she truly feel how much he had grown.

Outside Shen’s residence, several men in police uniforms stood by the entrance, and not far from the gate, a police van was parked with its doors open. Inside sat several officers, all staring intently at the Fang father and son as they opened the door.

Fang Zheng turned pale as he looked at Fang Mingjun, who silently closed the door and quickly returned to the living room, standing before Shen Qingzhou with a low, restrained voice filled with anger: “Was meeting here just a pretext?”

Shen Qingzhou had already settled comfortably on the sofa, leaning back with his arms stretched out, hands clasped over his lap as he replied, “I did come to talk with you. But what we discussed wasn’t reconciliation—it was about the legal violations committed by your son.”

At this point, Rong Lun spoke up: “That’s right, Chairman Fang. The police are here to supervise us. They can confirm how genuine our evidence is. Your son really has broken the law—more than once. Are you really going to protect him?”

This was a skillful statement. If Fang Mingjun defended his son, he’d be guilty of complicity. The officers sitting beside Rong Lun stared at him like grim reapers. Never before had Fang Mingjun felt so deeply that his son was truly beyond saving—that he really was going to prison.

Fang Mingjun exhaled slowly, clasping his hands behind his back into tight fists. Watching him, Xie Jiayi felt an ominous premonition: even if Fang Zheng were to face justice today, peace would still be far from them. Fang Zheng was Fang Mingjun’s only son. If he were imprisoned in such a disgraceful and forceful manner, Fang Mingjun would never let it rest.

After decades of navigating both domestic and international spheres, Fang Mingjun had seen all kinds of people and governments. Perhaps Shen Qingzhou had miscalculated with this move.

Indeed, Xie Jiayi’s high opinion of Fang Mingjun was not misplaced. He quickly regained his composure, even managing a smile.

“Mr. Lawyer,” he said politely, “you say my son committed a crime—I’m not sure where to even begin. I brought him here today to reconcile with my ex-wife and her son, to clear up past misunderstandings. Not to discuss legal matters, as you might have assumed. I made that clear on the phone, please don’t confuse the two.”

Fang Mingjun wasn’t lying. He had indeed called Xie Jiayi first to arrange the meeting with Shen Qingzhou, carefully avoiding any mention of details, only saying he wanted to meet Shen to discuss their “misunderstandings.”

Shen Qingzhou hadn’t spoken directly with Fang Mingjun. Now, seeing Fang feign ignorance, no one tried to stop him, merely watching to see what he could stir up.

“What exactly is Chairman Fang implying?” Rong Lun politely prompted him to continue.

Fang Mingjun replied calmly, “Previously, my son was detained by the police but released due to insufficient evidence. Now you’ve come with such a show of force to arrest him again—I find it quite puzzling. If, as you say, the evidence is sufficient this time, then naturally you can take him. After all, he has broken the law, and I would never protect him.”

He spoke the last sentence lightly but emphasized the word “protect.” As he spoke, he fixed his gaze on Shen Qingzhou. Behind Shen stood Lin Qiao, who also felt the intensity of that stare. Shen Qingzhou frowned slightly and shot a sharp glance back. The two locked eyes for several seconds before simultaneously looking away.

“Well then?” Fang Mingjun said.

Rong Lun glanced at Shen Qingzhou, then stood up, saying, “Very well, Chairman Fang. Thank you for your cooperation.” He leaned down to whisper something to the officer beside him, who nodded and picked up a walkie-talkie, saying into it, “Proceed.” At once, the officers stationed outside rushed in.

Fang Zheng stood rooted to the spot as his father watched him. Handcuffs were placed on his wrists for the second time. This time, he felt something different—he sensed he might not escape so easily.

“Dad…” he couldn’t help calling out to Fang Mingjun’s back, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

Fang Mingjun didn’t turn around, only saying in a low voice, “Go, Xiao Zheng. Just go.”

Fang Zheng pressed his lips together, soon led away by the officers. Fang Mingjun exhaled, smiled, and turned to Rong Lun, asking, “Is there anything else you need me to assist with?”

Rong Lun didn’t answer. The officer did instead, saying in a standard tone, “Chairman Fang, please come with us to the station. We need your cooperation on some details.”

“Fine.” Fang Mingjun readily agreed, turning and walking away without hesitation.

With him gone, there was no reason for Jian Shi, who had come with him, to stay. She hurriedly left too. She had barely made an impression from the moment she arrived until she left, making Lin Qiao no longer see her as a romantic rival—she was simply too weak.

Seeing that Fang Mingjun’s people had all left, the officers and Rong Lun also bid Shen Qingzhou farewell and departed. Gradually, the house grew quiet, leaving only Shen Qingzhou, his mother, and Lin Qiao.

Lin Qiao carefully glanced at Xie Jiayi and Shen Qingzhou and softly said, “Shall I go make some tea for you?”

Xie Jiayi stopped her, saying, “Don’t bother. I’ll be leaving soon. Sit down and rest. Your legs must be sore from standing so long.”

“I’m fine,” Lin Qiao replied, though she obediently sat back on the sofa, where Shen Qingzhou was seated beside her.

“My excellent son,” Xie Jiayi suddenly sighed, causing everyone else in the room to stiffen.

Shen Qingzhou glanced at her, his long eyebrows slightly raised, his tone calm: “It’s his karma. Heaven had already decided it long ago.”

Xie Jiayi nodded, saying, “I know. I’m just worried.”

“Worried about what?”

“You were alone before, and that was fine. I had no concerns. But now you’re about to marry and become a father. You’ve sent Fang Mingjun’s only son to prison. Do you think he’ll let it go?”

She sighed, rubbing her temples, “You know his temper. Why didn’t you discuss this with me beforehand?”

“You didn’t consult me before acting either,” Shen Qingzhou replied coolly. “As for Fang Mingjun, there’s no need for you to worry. Since I’ve done it, I’ve already made sure I have complete control. I’m not afraid of his retaliation.”

Xie Jiayi frowned, “Putting your own concerns aside, can you really protect Lin Qiao’s family? They’re quite influential.”

Shen Qingzhou’s voice turned colder: “If you have so little faith in me, why are you even sitting here?”

His voice wasn’t loud, but it pierced straight into Xie Jiayi’s heart. Mother and son sometimes spoke like this—what they meant and what they said often didn’t match, causing unintentional hurt. Then, too proud to apologize, the wounds only deepened, hurting both.

After a long silence, Xie Jiayi finally spoke softly, her voice weary: “I suppose I was meddling. You’ve grown up, you have your own ideas. I was just worrying unnecessarily. I’ll leave first.” With that, she stood and walked out, ignoring Lin Qiao’s calls. The door slammed loudly behind her, making Shen Qingzhou, still seated on the sofa, flinch slightly.

Lin Qiao returned from the door and looked at Shen Qingzhou helplessly: “How could you speak to Auntie Xie like that? She was only thinking of your well-being.”

Shen Qingzhou covered his eyes with one hand, saying nothing, his expression showing the exhaustion and irritation accumulated from dealing with these messy affairs day and night.

Seeing this, Lin Qiao couldn’t bear it and moved forward to gently massage his shoulders. After a while, Shen Qingzhou removed his hand from his eyes and asked, “Do you believe I can handle this?”

Without hesitation, Lin Qiao replied, “Of course I do.”

Shen Qingzhou looked up at her, asking, “Then why doesn’t she believe me?”

Lin Qiao said, “Maybe because she’s a parent, she thinks more. We’re peers, and you’re so capable. In my eyes, you’re practically omnipotent… something like that?”

Her guessing expression and cautious tone amused Shen Qingzhou, who took her hand, his voice full of affection as he said, “Nonsense.”