Chapter 39

Chapter 39

The next day, Fu Huaifei finally came downstairs to eat.

Shen Tingzhou could clearly feel that he ate more than usual and was more enthusiastic about eating.

After breakfast and the fruit, Fu Huaifei drank over half a glass of vegetable juice.

As Fu Huaifei swallowed the last sip of vegetable juice, Sangyan looked at him with a relieved expression, as if watching his own fattening piglet, with a peculiar sense of satisfaction.

Shen Tingzhou: ...

Feeling stuffed, Fu Huaifei nestled on the sofa, not wanting to move at all.

Although he felt uncomfortable from overeating, his posture remained elegant, his eyes lowered, his neck slender, and his shoulders and back stretched into a handsome line.

Sangyan asked him if he wanted to get some sun. Fu Huaifei shook his head.

He always basked in moonlight, never sunlight!

Because Fu Huaifei disliked the sun, Sangyan usually paid close attention to protecting him from it, ensuring not a single ray touched his master.

But today, Sangyan said, "Master, why don't you get some sun? It will improve your complexion."

Fu Huaifei's elegant demeanor froze, his pupils trembling, "Xiao Sang, you..."

Sangyan had never spoken like this before. Yesterday, he bluntly said he looked too thin, and today he hinted that his complexion wasn't good.

For Fu Huaifei, this was like the sky falling down.

Living through such criticism, what was the point?

Fu Huaifei buried himself deeply into the sofa, not wanting to see Sangyan or hear him speak, only wishing for the thin air to suffocate him.

No more living!

Sangyan was a bit anxious but told himself not to be.

"Master," Sangyan steadied his voice and Fu Huaifei, "The sun will make your complexion look better. I'll pull the white sheer curtains. Would you mind basking in it lightly?"

Fu Huaifei felt Sangyan had changed and didn't want to talk to him, but he nodded his head proudly.

Seeing Fu Huaifei agree, Sangyan pulled back the thick curtains and replaced them with thin sheers, allowing the sunlight to gently stream in.

Fu Huaifei basked in the sunlight and took a light nap.

Afraid of waking him, Sangyan didn't leave. Fu Huaifei's sleep was always light, possibly due to his poor health.

In the afternoon, Sangyan baked some tea snacks that Shen Tingzhou liked and personally delivered them, thanking him.

Shen Tingzhou felt a bit embarrassed; he had just cosplayed as a steward and hadn't actually done anything.

However, Xiao Sang's reaction was enough to show that Fu Huaifei's weakness was related to his aesthetic preferences.

Shen Tingzhou inquired about Fu Huaifei's dietary preferences from Xu Xun.

Xu Xun thought for a moment and then said, "Garlic, celery, coriander, eggplant, mutton."

The more Shen Tingzhou listened, the more familiar it sounded, "Wait, aren't these your dislikes?"

Xu Xun said flatly, "They're the same. He doesn't allow me to eat what he dislikes."

Shen Tingzhou: ?

Xu Xun: "When we were kids, he said he was the son of the forest, that goats represented wisdom and were his scribes, and made me call him prince, forbidding me to eat goats."

Fu Huaifei is eight years older than Xu Xun, and they played together until Xu Xun was six.

Shen Tingzhou could imagine Fu Huaifei's expression and tone when he said he was the son of the forest, but he couldn't imagine Xu Xun's face.

Shen Tingzhou: "...Did you call him that?"

Xu Xun: "No, I punched him. He kept feeding me grass, saying it would make me smarter. I don't eat mutton because I can't stand the smell, not because of him."

Shen Tingzhou: ...

Though Shen Tingzhou didn't ask, Xu Xun still answered, "He cried after I hit him and went to his mom to complain. His mom told him not to be so dramatic and tied his hair into small braids, telling me to call him Auntie."

Shen Tingzhou: ...What a fierce mom.

Shen Tingzhou wrote down what Xu Xun said and noticed him looking over his shoulder.

To avoid unnecessary misunderstandings, Shen Tingzhou explained, "Mr. Fu has hypoglycemia. I just want to make a diet plan for him, nothing else."

Before Fu Huaifei almost confessed to him, Shen Tingzhou's actions as a doctor would have been normal.

"I know," Xu Xun looked at Shen Tingzhou, "You did the same for me before."

After Xu Xun drove away many nutritionists, Shen Tingzhou learned about his dietary preferences from the steward.

Shen Tingzhou is the kind of meticulous doctor who puts everything he can into his work.

Xu Xun's gaze was calm and focused as he said to Shen Tingzhou, "I like seeing you shine in your profession."

Shen Tingzhou's heart skipped a beat, his eyelashes fluttering.

At that moment, the steward approached with a tray, "Doctor Shen, tea."

Shen Tingzhou snapped back to reality and hurriedly thanked him, "...Thank you."

Shen Tingzhou lifted the cup as if to conceal something and took a sip, swallowing it without tasting. Then he heard the Steward ask, "Doctor Shen, aren't you tired of drinking green tea yet?"

Huh?

Shen Tingzhou shook his head blankly, "No."

The Steward smiled, "Green tea is refreshing with a lingering sweetness. It's indeed hard to get tired of it."

Xu Xun glanced at him, "Don't you have anything else to do?"

The Steward chuckled, "I'm old, so I like to meddle. Besides, Xiao Sang is here, and those who can should do more. By the way, he seems to have noticed something missing from the villa."

Shen Tingzhou was startled, "Something is missing from the villa?"

The Steward laughed, "Yes, Xiao Sang is searching the front hall for the 'culprit.'"

Shen Tingzhou: "Uh, shouldn't we call the police?"

The Steward: "The weather forecast issued a typhoon warning. Even if we called the police, they wouldn't be able to come anytime soon."

This morning, the weather was fine, even the sun came out.

Shen Tingzhou pulled back the curtain and turned to look outside. The visibility was low, dark clouds were thick, and the branches bent severely under the strong wind.

Villa, bad weather, case.

What a complete setup for a stormy manor mystery!

When Shen Tingzhou, Xu Xun, and the Steward went downstairs, Sangyan had already gathered everyone in the front hall.

This estate has been passed down through the Fu family for generations. Old Master Fu is still alive, and he has a son and a daughter.

Fu Huaifei and Xu Xun's mother.

Sangyan, being the steward of the eldest son, naturally manages this estate.

Now that a theft occurred under his watch, the meticulous Sangyan looked stern.

"This house is over a hundred years old, and every item within it is a witness to history. I am deeply saddened by this theft. Think about it, how has Old Master Fu treated you? Is your salary too low, your workload too heavy, or your benefits too poor? Why would you do such a thing!"

The procurement lady grumbled inwardly.

The salary isn't low, and the workload isn't heavy, but... the condition is that Young Master Fu doesn't come around!

This was also everyone's sentiment. When they heard Young Master Fu was coming, they all wanted to resign.

Look at Mr. Xiao Xu. He's younger than Young Master Fu but has experienced more. Why doesn't he cause so much trouble?

Sangyan's indignation grew louder with each word. Being a perfectionist, he could hardly tolerate this.

"Who gouged out the peacock feathers like this? Who did it! Where are those colored gems hidden? Hand them over now!"

Shen Tingzhou followed his gaze to the corner and finally understood why Sangyan was so angry.

It was a copper peacock ornament, with its feathers embedded with thousands of colored gems, exquisitely beautiful.

There were many artworks in the villa, but although this peacock was beautiful, it wasn't particularly valued and was always placed in a corner, showing only one side of its tail feathers.

Today, when Sangyan inventoried the villa's items to see what needed repair, he nearly fainted upon inspecting the peacock.

The colored gems on the other side of the peacock's tail feathers were almost entirely gouged out, leaving a large area of pockmarked indentations like bullet holes.

"If you confess now and hand over the colored gems, I will explain the situation to the police."

As Sangyan said this, a purple lightning bolt split the sky outside the window.

The thief must be someone from the villa. If it were an outsider, the security system would have been triggered, and they wouldn't have stolen so subtly.

If they were going to steal, they would take something valuable.

Individually, the colored gems aren't worth much; the real value lies in the craftsmanship of the peacock.

Most importantly, the peacock was in a blind spot of the surveillance cameras, right next to a window.

The thief must be very familiar with the villa, including all the blind spots. If not for Sangyan's inventory, no one would have discovered this internal theft.

No one spoke, all silently bowing their heads.

Sangyan was furious, "A total of 556 colored gems were stolen. At ten thousand per gem, that's over five million and five hundred thousand. That's a prison sentence of over ten years."

Shen Tingzhou couldn't help asking, "Are the colored gems really that valuable?"

Xu Xun said, "They weren't before, but the prices have skyrocketed in the past two years."

The Steward held a cup of tea, chuckling as he watched the scene in the front hall.

Shen Tingzhou suddenly felt that everything was under control, "Steward, do you know something?"

The Steward: "No, just that the bald peacock looks a bit ugly."

Shen Tingzhou: ...

Xu Xun suddenly said, "It looks a bit like Uncle."

Shen Tingzhou: Saying that might strain the uncle-nephew relationship, Xiao Xu.

In a legal society, no matter how angry Sangyan was, he couldn't interrogate these people one by one.

Although the villa had surveillance, the thief avoided the cameras, and the exact time of the theft was unknown.

The villa lost over five hundred colored gems, and outside, a fierce storm raged, causing panic inside.

This was destined to be an extraordinary night.

Around ten o'clock, the villa suddenly lost power. Someone screamed in terror, heightening the atmosphere of fear.

Shen Tingzhou hastily put on his coat and pushed open the door, only to have a slightly cool hand grasp his.

Shen Tingzhou's hair stood on end, but just as he was about to shake it off, he heard a voice say, "It's me."

Adapting to the darkness, Shen Tingzhou could barely make out the silhouette in front of him. Under the firm grip, his heart pounded strongly.

Xu Xun asked, "Are you okay?"

His voice was steady in the night, giving a sense of calm, and Shen Tingzhou gradually relaxed, shaking his head, "I'm fine."

As soon as he finished speaking, another scream of terror echoed from downstairs.

Shen Tingzhou's heart rate spiked again, and he swallowed hard, "What's happening?"

Xu Xun glanced downstairs, "I'll go check. Lock the door and don't open it for anyone until I return."

Shen Tingzhou tightened his grip on Xu Xun's hand, "Let's go together."

Visibility was very low, and going down alone was too unsafe.

Xu Xun thought for a moment and ultimately did not refuse Shen Tingzhou.

Holding hands, they carefully descended the stairs. The screams continued, suggesting a struggle with someone, and the commotion grew louder.

It sounded like the youngest maid in the villa, crying, "Stay away, help! Someone, please help me!"

Shen Tingzhou, his heart racing, had just reached the bottom of the stairs when the villa's power system suddenly came back on.

Bright light flooded down, dispelling the darkness and illuminating the entire living room.

The maid with two braids held a fruit knife, eyes closed, swinging wildly, "Don't touch me, help!"

She screamed as if being chased by something terrifying. Exhausted, she fell to the ground, only to find no one around her.

Four people stood at the top of the stairs, their faces expressionless.

Realizing the false alarm, the young maid blushed and explained softly, "I thought someone was trying to kill me..."

In this stormy mountain villa scenario, the first victim is usually one of these minor characters, so when the power went out, she naturally thought of murder.

Fu Huaifei said, "So dramatic. If there were to be a murder, it would be me."

Sangyan turned to look at Fu Huaifei, no wonder he rushed to Mr. Tingzhou's room and mentioned wanting a bouquet of white roses; he must have thought he was the murderer.

Indeed, it was Mr. Tingzhou, facing death so calmly, even wanting a rose funeral.

"Sorry," the villa's electrician approached, apologetic, "The wind was too strong, causing voltage instability, which led to the power outage."

It was just a false alarm; no killer, no murder. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

The electrician added, "I'll check the electrical room again to prevent another outage."

Just as he was about to leave, the Steward's voice floated from behind everyone, "Aren't you going to tell us where you hid the gems?"

The electrician froze.

Finally, the classic detective scene from TV dramas!

Shen Tingzhou looked at the Steward with bright eyes, never expecting him to be such a Kogoro Mouri, ahem, Sherlock Holmes.

The electrician turned around, smiling innocently, "What are you talking about? I don't understand."

The Steward smiled slowly, "During the power outage, you ran out to hide the gems in a safe place, waiting for your accomplice to retrieve them."

The electrician protested, "Don't accuse me. I have no idea about any gems."

The Steward remained calm, "You changed into clean shoes, but you didn't wash the mud from under your nails yet, did you?"

The electrician's expression stiffened.

The young maid, holding the fruit knife and a fan of detective novels, immediately grabbed his hand, excitedly saying, "Sir, there is indeed mud under his nails, and many small cuts."

The electrician yanked his hand away, his face twisted slightly.

The young maid stepped back three paces, afraid, "Don't come near me, you murderer!"

Shen Tingzhou: ...

Was there a possibility that he was just a thief?

The electrician defended himself fiercely, "Even if there is mud under my nails, it doesn't mean I killed anyone or stole anything. I just..."

Seeing him struggle to explain, the young maid whispered, "In such situations, one usually claims to have gone out for a reason, like you being the electrician worried about the typhoon damaging the lines, so you went out to check."

The electrician paused, then loudly declared, "That's right, I went out to check the lines."

The young maid clasped her hands, her eyes sparkling as she looked at the Steward, hoping for a brilliant deduction.

But the Steward said, "Oh, then it's all clear. Everyone, go to sleep."

Shen Tingzhou: ...

Young maid: ...

Everyone was full of questions, but Sangyan had an "I knew it" look on his face.

Just a cunning old man; what profound insights could he have?

Although the plumber was bewildered, he still showed relief at having dodged a bullet.

The Steward chuckled and said, "I'll go ask ‘Winds of Yore’ tomorrow. This person should know where the cabochons are."

The plumber was struck by lightning, his face twitching as if he had seen a ghost. "How... how did you know?"

Seeing that there was more deduction to come, the young maid darted back in an instant.

Who is Winds of Yore? Is this another accomplice hiding in the villa?

Tell us, tell us, how did you deduce that!

Shen Tingzhou was also pondering over the Steward's mention of "Winds of Yore." Could it be—

His eyes scanned the room, first landing on Xu Xun, who gave him a knowing smile. Shen Tingzhou’s gaze then drifted elsewhere.

It can't be Xu Xun. Xiao Sang and Mr. Fu are also impossible, and neither do the people they brought fit the criteria of being familiar with the crime scene.

Could it be the cook? Or the driver? Or perhaps the older maid, but she is sixty years old...

But who says a sixty-year-old can't be the female thief in a pair of bandits?

The Steward continued to reveal the truth, "You contacted this ‘Winds of Yore’ and asked them to wait until things cooled down before coming here to dig up the cabochons you buried—158 of them, right?"

Seeing that the Steward even knew the exact number, the plumber went limp and knelt on the ground.

Shen Tingzhou: A classic confession pose.

The young maid exclaimed, "A classic confession pose."

Shen Tingzhou: According to the script, it's time for a full confession now.

The young maid: "According to the script, it's time for a full confession now."

Shen Tingzhou looked at the young maid with a complex expression, while she stared intently at the plumber.

The plumber, supporting himself with both hands on the floor, rasped, "This has nothing to do with Winds of Yore. I did it all myself. Yes, I stole all the cabochons."

The Steward said, "Do you know that this Winds of Yore is actually a man?"

The plumber suddenly lifted his head, his eyes shattered.

"No, impossible, absolutely not. We've been dating for two years. She was so gentle, so caring. How could she be a man!"

The Steward looked at him warmly and inclusively. "That's how a romance scam works."

The words "romance scam" pierced the plumber like a sword. He gasped like a fish out of water, mouth agape but silent.

After a long pause, the plumber spoke in a trembling voice, "She said her mother was sick..."

The Steward: "False. His mother died years ago."

The plumber shuddered again, "She said she had never dated anyone and just wanted someone kind and warm-hearted."

The Steward: "False. He's in his fifties and has been divorced twice."

The plumber, disbelieving, broke down and shouted, "I heard her voice; it was a woman's, very gentle!"

The Steward: "Your voice chats were pre-recorded messages, the cheapest kind. He put you in the 'easy mark' list. Among the dozen people he scammed, you were the least effort because he thought you were the dumbest and easiest to fool."

Shen Tingzhou: Steward, please hold your powers back; he's about to break.

The plumber slammed his head and cried out in anguish, "No..."

The young maid sang in a ethereal voice, "Snowflakes falling, north wind blowing, the world turns white. A single plum blossom stands proud in the snow..."

Shen Tingzhou: ...please hold your powers back too.

Xu Xun, watching the spectacle, felt little emotion and asked the Steward, "Did you have Awen check it?"

The Steward sipped his tea leisurely, "Yes, I had him check it this afternoon when I had some free time."

Shen Tingzhou asked, "Who is Awen?"

Xu Xun replied, "The Steward's nephew."

Shen Tingzhou: "Oh, oh, the playing card."

Xu Xun: "No, that's Ah Wu."

Shen Tingzhou: Such casual names, yet fitting for the characters.

"Is this Awen a computer expert?"

"Yes."

Sangyan, who had been listening attentively, was shocked to hear that the Steward had already had Awen investigate the matter earlier that day.

He only found out about the stolen cabochons from the peacock in the evening. The Steward knew earlier than him.

This person...

No wonder Father considers him a rival. Now I see why.

Always smiling and seemingly idle, yet he has everything under control.

-

Fearing that the plumber might do something foolish in his despair, Sangyan reported to the police and temporarily bound him, then took turns watching over him.

The plumber had stolen the peacock's jewels multiple times to pay for his lover's mother's medical treatment.

Over the past six months, he had stolen quite a few. This time, his "lover" told him that her mother needed surgery, so the plumber stole over a hundred jewels at once.

Each jewel was now worth nearly ten thousand, but when he tried to sell them, he only got five hundred per jewel.

With this batch, the plumber could get around eighty thousand, which he transferred entirely to his lover to save her mother.

Little did he know it was all a lie, and she turned out to be a he.

A fifty-year-old, bald, dirty old man.

Fortunately, due to the plumber's confession and the intervention of some mysterious force, the police caught "Wangshisui Feng."

Wangshisui Feng was ugly but skilled, having deceived many single middle-aged men like the plumber.

These men shared a common trait: they were honest in real life, too shy to approach women, and easily swayed by suggestive photos online.

The next day, the weather cleared up, and the plumber was taken away by the police.

Shen Tingzhou still had work to do and ended his vacation before Wednesday. Before leaving, he handed the recipe to Sangyan.

Sangyan thanked him profusely, "Doctor Shen, thank you so much. No wonder Master likes you."

Shen Tingzhou immediately felt a burning gaze beside him, "…Let’s not mention this. It was all a misunderstanding."

Sangyan sighed, "It's such a pity that you and Master didn't end up together."

Shen Tingzhou: …There is no pity.

Xu Xun interjected, "If you and my uncle weren’t together, that would be a real pity."

This triggered Sangyan's 100% rebuttal mechanism, "Please don’t joke like that. How could there be anything between me and Master!"

Turning around, he saw Shen Tingzhou smiling at him, as if asking why not.

Sangyan: …

Sangyan dared not mention Shen Tingzhou and Fu Huaifei again, watching them drive away.

Back at the villa, Fu Huaifei was looking out through the floor-to-ceiling window at Shen Tingzhou's departing car, his back conveying an indescribable loneliness.

Sangyan felt a pang of sadness, "Master, please don’t be too upset…"

Fu Huaifei turned around, holding a cup of vegetable juice, sipping it with an elegance as if tasting a million-dollar wine at a banquet.

Sangyan: Oh, my Master often looks melancholic and lonely, but that’s nothing unusual.

Sangyan asked, "Why didn’t you go to see them off?"

Fu Huaifei put down the juice, turning his face away sadly, "I don’t like the feeling of parting, and besides… today is sunny. By the way, Xiao Sang, I haven’t had a blood draw in a while. Shouldn’t I have one today?"

Feeling that he had tanned after a few days of sun exposure through the curtains, he looked darker.

Sangyan hesitantly said, "Master, blood draws can cause dark circles."

For him to criticize Master’s appearance was indeed difficult.

Fu Huaifei instantly turned into a gloomy mushroom, looking heartbroken at Sangyan.

"Xiao Sang, how could you? How could you let me hear those three terrible words—dark circles?"

Watching Fu Huaifei drawing the most somber circles on the ground with the most elegant posture, Sangyan walked over.

"Master, your beauty makes Oedipus feel ashamed, and your talent surpasses Shakespeare. You should bask in the brightest sunlight and taste the finest food. Flowers bloom for you, streams flow for you."

Fu Huaifei slightly lifted his head.

Sangyan said sincerely, "Because you are the most unique being in this world. You don’t need to imitate others; you should lead the trend. And how could such an ugly thing as a needle pierce your noble body?"

Fu Huaifei seemed to find this reasonable and stood up, "You’re right."

Sangyan smiled, it must be what Doctor Shen said.

He shouldn’t indulge Master’s habits of blood draws, fasting, and excessive sun protection anymore; they only harmed him.

-

On the return journey, the Steward got off the car halfway due to an errand and was picked up by the Poker God.

This Poker God seemed to be named A Wu, whose brother Awen was a computer expert. They were said to be the Steward’s nephews.

After the Steward left, Shen Tingzhou asked a question he had been curious about for a long time, "What is the Steward’s name?"

Having known the Steward for nearly three years, he still didn’t know his name.

This question made Xu Xun fall silent.

Seeing Xu Xun’s complicated expression, Shen Tingzhou realized something, "Is it something we can’t say?"

Xu Xun shook his head, "It’s not that we can’t say it, but his name is a bit special. Most people dislike calling him by it, including me and my father."

Shen Tingzhou became even more curious, "Then what is it?"

Xu Xun: "He comes from a very rare ethnic group. His surname is A, and his given name is Ba."

Shen Tingzhou connected the dots, "A Ba."

A… Dad?

Xu Xun nodded seriously. "His brother is called Aye."

Aye?

The names of these brothers were actually from different generations!

This name was quite unexpected. It turned out that the Steward had never mentioned his name because... it was too domineering.

Mainly because it made him sound like everyone's father once he said it.

Thinking of something, Shen Tingzhou suddenly smiled.

Xu Xun looked at him. "What’s wrong?"

Shen Tingzhou, holding back his laughter, asked, "What did you call the Steward when you were young?"

Xu Xun pressed down on Shen Tingzhou’s mouth. "I called him Uncle."

Shen Tingzhou was taken aback, staring at Xu Xun in surprise.

Xu Xun leaned closer and whispered, "I like it when you smile, but I don’t like it when you laugh at me."

Shen Tingzhou’s eyes flickered. "Who said I was laughing at you?"

Xu Xun, looking straight into his eyes, said, "In my heart, you were. If I say you were, then you were."

Shen Tingzhou thought to himself, You’re being too domineering, but he didn’t say it out loud.

-

On Monday morning, Shen Tingzhou drove to Su Yu’s house.

The young pregnant man was climbing again. Shen Tingzhou had become indifferent to this, but still went over to protect him.

Su Yu held Shen Tingzhou’s hand as he came down from the ladder, carrying a thick photo album.

Smiling, Su Yu said, "Doctor Shen, let me show you some photos from my school days."

Shen Tingzhou didn’t refuse. Before looking at the photos, he handed over the tablet given to him by Yu Jurong.

Su Yu tilted his head, seemingly puzzled. "Doctor Shen, aren’t you browsing the forum anymore?"

Shen Tingzhou felt a moment of unease. "I browsed the forum to understand the fertility issues in your district. Now that I’ve learned enough, I don’t need it anymore."

Su Yu asked, "But there are many gossip posts on the forum. Don’t you like them?"

Shen Tingzhou replied earnestly, "No, I don’t!"

Su Yu blinked, looking skeptical. "Really? I don’t believe you."

Shen Tingzhou: ...

"Let me test you." Su Yu took the tablet, opened the forum, scrolled through it casually, and then read aloud, "There’s a post asking, ‘I’m pregnant, but not with my partner’s child. Should I tell my partner?’"

Shen Tingzhou: !!!

Why are the topics in the district so explosive?

Su Yu watched Shen Tingzhou with interest. "Doctor Shen, do you want to know if the poster told their partner about the pregnancy?"

Shen Tingzhou firmly shook his head, indicating he didn’t want to know.

After Shen Tingzhou clearly stated he didn’t want to know, Su Yu told him, "The poster eventually told their partner."

Shen Tingzhou remained unmoved.

Su Yu continued, "Oh, the partner actually said—"

Shen Tingzhou watched Su Yu frown, then look enlightened, then exclaim in surprise, and then say "oh."

So what did the partner say!

Finally, Su Yu spoke, "Oh, Yu Jurong has posted new work. It’s in a hospital ward, with someone lying on the bed. Oh, how could they do such a thing in front of a patient? Oh, the person on the bed turns out to be someone’s brother, who is in a coma. Poor brother."

Hearing this, Shen Tingzhou couldn’t help but grab the tablet to see the new work Su Yu mentioned.

Indeed, it was a hospital ward, indeed there was a comatose person, indeed they were doing something in front of the comatose person!

If Zhou Zitan found out, he would definitely go after Yu Jurong.

But how did Yu Jurong find out, and why did he film this?

Shen Tingzhou wanted to rush to delete the video, worried about potential bloodshed, especially considering Xiao Zhou’s temper...

The person opposite asked, "Doctor Shen, do you want to delete the video?"

Shen Tingzhou looked up and saw Su Yu gazing at him innocently with smiling eyes.

Shen Tingzhou froze for a few seconds, then silently returned the tablet to Su Yu.

Su Yu, considerate and kind, said, "It’s okay, you can watch it."

"This Yu Jurong is really bad. Sometimes I hate him too. When Ayen comes back, I’ll tell him that he made you angry and have Ayen teach him a lesson."

Shen Tingzhou hesitated. "Don’t... we don’t have any grudges."

"Doctor Shen, you’re too kind. If it were me, I couldn’t bear it!" Su Yu’s voice was very persuasive. "When you can’t bear it, you don’t need to bear it. Let Ayen teach him a lesson and film it."

Why does it feel like Xiao Su is fanning the flames?

Ignoring Su Yu’s words, Shen Tingzhou pointed to the photo album in his hand. "Weren’t you going to show me your school days?"

Su Yu instantly became calm. "Yes, yes. Today you watch me, tomorrow I'll watch Dr. Shen."

Shen Tingzhou: ...

Shen Tingzhou somehow got entangled in his words.

Leaving Su Yu's house, Shen Tingzhou still held onto the tablet from the Yu family and promised Su Yu he would bring his photo album next time.

Shen Tingzhou pressed his fingertips to his temples, opened the car door, and sat inside.

He logged into the forum and watched Yu Jurong's new video again, confirming that it was indeed full of hints. He then called Zhou Zitan.

Zhou Zitan was still on his spiritual journey and was very happy to receive Shen Tingzhou's call.

Afraid of upsetting him, Shen Tingzhou asked gently, "Xiao Zhou, has anything happened to you recently?"

Zhou Zitan replied casually, "Nothing major, just getting lost a lot, so I hired a guide."

Shen Tingzhou: "...That's good. Have you met anyone familiar on your journey?"

Zhou Zitan: "Not really. My old friends don't like praying; they prefer partying at nightclubs, so there's no chance of meeting them."

"Oh, I see. Have you encountered... any enemies?"

"Nope, my enemies also prefer partying at nightclubs."

Shen Tingzhou was silent for several seconds while Zhou Zitan kept calling out to him. Finally, Shen Tingzhou spoke again.

This time, he was direct. "Have you seen Yu Jurong?"

Zhou Zitan countered, "Who is Yu Jurong?"

Zhou Zitan's unexpected question left Shen Tingzhou speechless for a few more seconds.

Shen Tingzhou smiled. "Never mind. Keep praying, and we'll talk when you have time."

It seemed he had overthought it. Given Xiao Zhou's carefree nature, even if the video were right in front of him, he probably wouldn't realize it was about him.

After hanging up, Shen Tingzhou stood still for about a minute, clearing his mind of certain thoughts.

Once done, he took a deep breath and drove home with a light heart.

After a few minutes, he suddenly stopped, reopened the forum, and quickly scanned through various posts.

Finally, he found a large headline—

"I'm pregnant, but not by my partner. Should I tell him?"

There actually was such a post. Shen Tingzhou, with a bewildered face and trembling hands, clicked into it.

"Of course, you should tell him. It's such a wonderful thing, having a child without needing his effort."

"+1 to the above. Did you do something wrong? If not, why can't you tell your partner?"

"I told mine. This kind of thing can't be hidden unless you don't want to keep the child..."

Soon, the original poster replied, "Okay, I'll listen to everyone. I'll tell him when he gets back."

Shen Tingzhou: Quiet down, I'm thinking.

Reading the replies, Shen Tingzhou felt like he was the odd one out.

He kept looking for a dog emoji after each reply but found none, only serious responses, making Shen Tingzhou feel foolish for searching.

Scrolling down in disbelief, he soon found the original poster's reply.

"My partner is indeed very happy. Tonight, the three of us will have dinner together. What should we eat?"

Why, why is this happening?

How could he be happy and even plan to have dinner together tonight!

The replies below were all about dinner dishes, with no one finding it strange.

Shen Tingzhou exited the forum and restarted his search for a path to heal his soul.

This world was too crazy; Shen Tingzhou couldn't understand it anymore.

-

Shen Tingzhou didn't find a path to inner peace but was summoned by Song Qingning's phone call.

During Shen Tingzhou's trip, Li Muye was released early from prison due to good behavior.

This should have been good news, but Li Muye had become emaciated and listless since his return.

When Shen Tingzhou arrived, Song Qingning, waiting at the door, warned, "Dr. Shen, don't mention anything about prison or his early release. It triggers him."

What kind of illness was this?

Could it be due to inhumane treatment in prison, leaving psychological scars?

Pushing open the door, Shen Tingzhou saw Li Muye, his cheeks sunken and eyes darkened, and was shocked.

Li Muye raised his hand weakly, gesturing in the air. "Dr. Shen..."

Shen Tingzhou hurried over. "What's wrong?"

Li Muye managed a grim smile and confessed, "Dr. Shen, I... am guilty."

Shen Tingzhou, like a priest, responded gently, "Don't say that. Everyone makes mistakes."

Li Muye said painfully, "I sold out my friends for freedom; I am guilty."

Shen Tingzhou was taken aback, "Who did you sell out?"

Li Muye: "I sold out my friends in prison."

Shen Tingzhou listened carefully and realized, oh, it turns out his way of getting out of prison was exactly the same as Zhou Zitan's.

Xiao Li, why don't you think about it again? You just sold out your friends, but didn't you also sell out... your dad!

"But Dr. Shen, I had to get out," Li Muye became emotionally agitated. "You don't know how it was in prison. They... if I hadn't gotten out, I wouldn't have a place in this family anymore, do you understand, Dr. Shen!"

To be honest, Shen Tingzhou didn't really want to understand.

Li Muye closed his eyes, "So let this endless suffering torment me. Yes, I sold out my friends, I sold out my soul, but for noble love... I'm willing to go to hell."

Shen Tingzhou tugged at the corner of his mouth, "Why don't you talk to Mr. Fu?"

Li Muye suddenly opened his eyes, "Who is Mr. Fu? Could he have also..."

Shen Tingzhou said, "Mr. Fu loves Shakespeare too. Why don't you two discuss operas?"

Li Muye: ...

Li Muye looked at Shen Tingzhou with a weak and pitiful expression, "Dr. Shen, if even you mock me, I really don't know who else to tell this pain to."

Shen Tingzhou hurriedly clarified, "I'm not mocking you; I just think you've become... Shakespearean."

Li Muye: "I don't want to either. As an athlete, I'm now delving into literature. How will my classmates see me? But I really feel guilty. Whenever I close my eyes, I see those faces from prison. They trusted me so much, considered me a friend, and treated me as a confidant."

Shen Tingzhou had been listening to Fu Huaifei's operas for days and now had to endure Li Muye's lamentations.

Feeling restless, he couldn't help but interrupt Li Muye, "How about this: since you're rich, why don't you transfer ten thousand yuan to each of their accounts? Use money to alleviate your guilt. I believe they'll understand."

Li Muye doubted, "Can money corrupt our friendship?"

Shen Tingzhou firmly stated, "Don't worry, it definitely can! If it doesn't work, it means you didn't offer enough money."

Li Muye looked skeptical, "Then what about you and me..."

Shen Tingzhou said, "Xiao Li, trust me, it can!"

Li Muye: ...