"Your father's car was spotted at Bund No. 19. Before leaving, he hastily loaded a burlap sack into his trunk and drove to an abandoned factory on the outskirts of town."
Song Qi Nian's fingers flew across the keyboard: ‘He told me it was a porcupine. Said someone hired him to transport it to the factory for pickup.’
Porcupines held protected status—third class. Trading or hunting them was strictly against the law, yet black market deals persisted. According to Song Guanliang, he'd accepted ten thousand yuan for the covert delivery to the abandoned factory.
If that were the extent of it, he'd have faced minor charges for trafficking protected wildlife—nothing warranting a decade behind bars.
But when police searched the trunk, they found no porcupine. Just a burlap sack and rope, both bearing Lin Qiu Tong's DNA. The evidence mounted: Song Guanliang's phone contained only messages blackmailing the Lin family. No trace of an employer or any other relevant communications existed.
Unable to mount a defense, Song Guanliang went to prison.
"I investigated Bund No. 19, questioned people in the area. Nothing concrete turned up. But I have a theory—a disturbing one."
Song Qi Nian's pulse quickened. ‘Tell me.’
"You said your father remembers nothing between dropping off the cargo and waking up at the factory. When he came to, Lin Qiu Tong was running away, screaming for help. Right?"
‘That's exactly what happened.’
"It points to one possibility: your father was drugged en route to the suburbs. Lin Qiu Tong couldn't have orchestrated this alone—framing your father would have required help."
‘From who?’
"That's still unclear. I checked surveillance footage from the hour before and after your father's drive to the suburbs. Someone tampered with it."
This discovery strengthened Zhou Luote's suspicion that Song Guanliang had been set up.
‘What's our next move?’
"Criminals always leave traces. I'll keep digging on my end. I heard Lin Qiu Tong's regained consciousness. If you get the chance, see what you can find out—but tread carefully. Don't raise her suspicions. It could put you in danger."
After her call with Zhou Luote ended, Song Qi Nian exhaled deeply. Her father was innocent—she finally had proof. When everything came to light, maybe, just maybe, Shen Chi Yan would stop despising her.
Getting close to Lin Qiu Tong would be tricky, though. Shen Chi Yan would never allow it.
Tuesday afternoon, the Shen family matriarch called. She was concerned Song Qi Nian might feel slighted now that Lin Qiu Tong had regained consciousness, and invited her to visit the family estate.
After work, Song Qi Nian hopped on her trusty electric scooter and headed out. As she crossed the bridge, the roar of motorcycles caught her attention. In her rearview mirror, she spotted a group of young men, riding recklessly—some steering one-handed, others shouting and swaggering on their bikes. Bad news, all of them.
Nervous about getting hit, she edged her scooter toward the roadside. The motorcycles thundered past her one by one, her heart pounding with each pass. Just when she thought she was clear, the last rider deliberately swerved, ramming into her scooter.
Her vehicle crashed to the ground. Instead of stopping to help, the rider flashed an obscene gesture and roared away. Song Qi Nian hit the pavement hard, scraping her palms and arms. She watched, scowling, as the man who hit her shouted jeers while speeding off.
Nothing was going right these days.
Wincing as she stood, she noticed her knee was scraped too—nothing serious, but it stung. Her phone buzzed with messages from the worried Shen matriarch, wondering why she hadn't arrived.
Pushing through the pain, Song Qi Nian remounted her scooter and pressed on to the Shen estate.
The matriarch gasped when she saw Song Qi Nian's injuries. "Nian Nian! What happened to you? You're hurt!"
Song Qi Nian managed a smile, shaking her head. [Just took a spill on the way here. It's nothing—just scrapes.]
The matriarch's brow furrowed. "You're still riding that little scooter of yours?"
Song Qi Nian nodded, brightening as she spoke to the old lady. [Electric bikes are wonderful. No traffic jams, they're quick, and the breeze feels amazing this time of year.]
Though Song Qi Nian genuinely loved her bike, the old lady saw it differently—as if she were trying to find joy in hardship.
"Where's that stubborn boy Chi Yan? I had someone call him this afternoon. Why isn't he here yet?"
At the mention of Shen Chi Yan, Song Qi Nian's expression faltered.
They hadn't seen each other since that night. Even at the company, their paths hadn't crossed. It wasn't hard to guess why—he'd been at the hospital with Lin Qiu Tong during her rehabilitation. Li Nanxun brought all work matters to him there.
Without her boss's summons, Song Qi Nian—merely his secretary—had no real work to do. She'd spent the time focusing on her painting instead.
She hadn't expected the old lady to summon him too. Now she felt unsure how to face him.
"Madam, the young master said he's too busy to come today," Zhang Mama reported.
"What could be more important than his wife? Tell him to come home right now!"
Seeing the old lady's rising anger, Song Qi Nian patted her back gently and signed, trying to defend him. [Grandma, he's swamped lately. These big projects have him working around the clock…]
"Qi Nian, stop making excuses for that boy," the old lady cut in sharply. "Don't think I don't know what he's been up to."
Without another word, she called Shen Chi Yan herself.
When he finally arrived, his face was dark with anger.
The old lady started in immediately. "Shen Chi Yan, what's wrong with you? Your wife is hurt and where were you?"
Shen Chi Yan gave Song Qi Nian a dismissive glance. Seeing only minor scrapes, he scoffed. "You call that an injury?"
Song Qi Nian felt his cold stare but stayed silent, pressing her lips together.
"Mind your tone!" The old lady's gentle smile had vanished, replaced by stern authority. "Have you forgotten who your wife is?"
Meeting her warning gaze, Shen Chi Yan's expression hardened further.
"I hear that Lin girl has woken up. Since she's been given a second chance at life, she should be grateful for that. She shouldn't get any ideas about things that don't belong to her."
The old lady's veiled threat made Shen Chi Yan's fists clench. He shot Song Qi Nian an icy glare before letting out a harsh laugh. "Grandma, Song Qi Nian is the wife you forced on me. Qiu Tong is the woman I love. If anything happens to her, this family won't know peace."
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