The following afternoon, Chen Yan drove through the gates of Yunqi Mountain Manor.
From a distance, he immediately spotted a familiar figure sitting quietly on the stone steps outside the villa entrance.
Su Qingyuan.
She wore a loose set of light gray loungewear, her long hair falling naturally over her shoulders. A book rested in her hands as she sat there silently waiting.
Chen Yan parked the car and stepped out.
The moment her eyes met his, neither of them spoke.
He looked at her.
She looked back at him.
For several long seconds, neither moved.
Then suddenly, Su Qingyuan stood up, shoved the book directly into his chest, and turned around before walking briskly back into the villa.
Chen Yan lowered his head and glanced at the title.
One Thousand Home Cooking Recipes.
A helpless laugh escaped him.
Carrying the book, he followed her inside.
The villa looked exactly the same as when he left three days ago. The cushions on the sofa remained neatly arranged, and a freshly brewed cup of tea still released steam from the coffee table.
But when Chen Yan’s gaze drifted toward the kitchen, his footsteps abruptly stopped.
Several dishes had already been prepared on the dining counter.
Unfortunately, the results were disastrous.
The braised pork had been burned completely black.
The stir-fried vegetables had turned a depressing shade of yellow.
Even the tomato soup looked tragic, with uneven chunks floating awkwardly in the bowl.
Su Qingyuan stood at the kitchen entrance with her back facing him.
“You clearly said the cooking should only be handled by you,” she said calmly, though a faint trace of awkwardness hid beneath her voice.
Chen Yan walked over and stood beside her.
“You made all this yourself?”
She remained silent.
Chen Yan lowered his eyes and carefully examined the dishes.
Burned meat.
Overcooked vegetables.
Terribly cut tomatoes.
Yet according to everything he knew, this was probably the first time in Su Qingyuan’s life she had ever cooked for someone.
“Can it still be eaten?” he asked softly.
Su Qingyuan immediately turned and glared at him.
Smiling faintly, Chen Yan picked up his chopsticks, grabbed a piece of the burnt pork, and calmly placed it into his mouth.
Su Qingyuan stared at him nervously.
He slowly chewed.
Then nodded seriously.
“It’s acceptable.”
Su Qingyuan blinked in surprise.
Then, for the first time, a truly radiant smile appeared on her face.
It was completely different from the polite smiles she wore in business settings.
This smile was genuine.
Bright.
Warm.
Completely sincere.
Looking at her smile, Chen Yan suddenly felt that his entire trip to the Capital had been worth it for this moment alone.
The two sat down together for dinner.
Su Qingyuan barely ate anything. Most of the time, she simply watched him quietly.
Eventually, Chen Yan looked up.
“What are you staring at?”
She shook her head gently.
“Nothing.”
Chen Yan continued eating without pressing further.
After a while, Su Qingyuan finally spoke again.
“Your trip to the Capital… did everything go smoothly?”
Chen Yan nodded.
“The important objectives were completed.”
“And the Zhou Family?”
“The investigation is still ongoing,” Chen Yan replied calmly, setting down his chopsticks. “Zhou Jianguo isn’t the only problem. There are other forces supporting him from behind the scenes.”
Su Qingyuan’s eyes sharpened slightly.
“Is it dangerous?”
Chen Yan fell silent briefly.
“A little.”
She lowered her gaze quietly.
Chen Yan added calmly, “But everything is still under control.”
Su Qingyuan nodded lightly and resumed eating.
After dinner, Chen Yan cleaned the kitchen while Su Qingyuan sat quietly on the sofa watching him move around the house.
Suddenly, she spoke.
“Chen Yan.”
“Hm?”
“While you were gone… I messaged you every single day.”
Chen Yan’s hands paused briefly beneath the running water.
Of course he knew.
Every morning, she sent him a simple “Good morning.”
At noon, she asked whether he had eaten.
At night, she asked what time he planned to sleep.
And every single message had received his reply.
“I know,” he answered softly.
Su Qingyuan remained quiet for several seconds before continuing in a much lower voice.
“I’ve never done that for anyone before.”
Chen Yan listened silently.
“I never used to care about another person’s daily life,” she admitted quietly. “But the moment you left that morning, I suddenly wanted to know everything you were doing.”
Chen Yan slowly turned around and looked at her.
She sat quietly beneath the warm afternoon sunlight pouring through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Half her body stood within the light.
The other half remained hidden in shadow.
Her eyes shimmered softly.
“I was afraid something would happen to you,” she whispered.
A subtle warmth spread through Chen Yan’s chest.
He walked over and sat down beside her.
“I’m fine,” he said gently.
Su Qingyuan nodded.
The two sat quietly together without speaking.
Then after a long silence, Su Qingyuan slowly leaned sideways and rested her head gently against his shoulder.
Chen Yan’s body stiffened instinctively for a moment.
Her hair carried a faint floral fragrance.
Her body felt surprisingly light against him.
“Just for a little while,” she whispered softly.
Chen Yan stayed completely still, allowing her to lean against him peacefully.
Golden sunlight wrapped around the two of them.
The room was so quiet that even their breathing could be heard clearly.
After a very long time, Su Qingyuan spoke again.
“Chen Yan.”
“Hm?”
“You’re not allowed to disappear for that long ever again.”
Chen Yan froze briefly before smiling quietly.
“Understood.”
Su Qingyuan said nothing further and continued resting against his shoulder.
Outside the window, the setting sun slowly crossed the horizon.
Then, just as evening settled in, Chen Yan’s phone vibrated.
He glanced at the encrypted message from Uncle Li.
【We’ve confirmed Zhou Jianguo will travel to the Adjacent City the day after tomorrow for a secret meeting with a key witness involved in your family’s case.】
Chen Yan’s eyes instantly turned sharp.
Sensing the sudden change in his expression, Su Qingyuan straightened immediately.
“What happened?”
Chen Yan locked the screen calmly.
“Zhou Jianguo is going to the Adjacent City the day after tomorrow.”
Su Qingyuan immediately understood.
“You’re planning to follow him?”
Chen Yan nodded once.
After several seconds of silence, Su Qingyuan spoke firmly.
“I’m going with you.”
Chen Yan rejected it instantly.
“No.”
“Why?”
“It’s too dangerous.”
Su Qingyuan looked directly into his eyes.
“As long as you’re with me, I’m not afraid.”
Chen Yan stared at her silently.
There was not even the slightest hesitation in her gaze.
He opened his mouth to argue further, but in the end, no words came out.
Finally, he nodded.
“Alright. We’ll go together.”
A brilliant smile immediately bloomed across her face.
It was even brighter than the smile she showed earlier in the kitchen.
The next morning, the two departed together.
Chen Yan drove while Su Qingyuan sat in the passenger seat handling company matters on her phone.
Through the rearview mirror, Chen Yan occasionally glanced at her.
Today, she wore simple athletic clothing with her hair tied into a ponytail, making her appear several years younger than usual.
Without makeup, her skin still looked flawless.
Sensing his gaze, Su Qingyuan looked up.
“What are you looking at?”
“Nothing.”
She narrowed her eyes suspiciously before returning to her work.
After a while, she suddenly asked, “Who exactly is this person we’re meeting?”
“Zhang Chenghai,” Chen Yan answered calmly. “He used to be Zhou Jianguo’s personal accountant. After the Chen Family collapsed, he disappeared completely.”
“And now?”
“According to Uncle Li’s investigation, he’s been hiding in the Adjacent City for the past ten years under a fake identity.”
Su Qingyuan nodded slowly.
“Do you think he’ll testify?”
Chen Yan remained silent briefly.
“Hard to say. But he definitely still has the original financial records and evidence.”
“What kind of evidence?”
“The original ledgers used to frame my father,” Chen Yan replied coldly. “He secretly kept them as insurance in case Zhou Jianguo tried to silence him.”
Su Qingyuan looked thoughtful.
“How did Uncle Li manage to uncover all this?”
Chen Yan met her gaze through the mirror.
“His network is more capable than most people imagine.”
Su Qingyuan did not ask further questions.
But deep down, she already understood that Uncle Li was far more than an ordinary family friend.
After three hours of driving, they finally arrived at the Adjacent City.
Compared to the Capital, it was much smaller and older. The streets were narrow, the buildings worn down, and the crowds sparse.
Chen Yan parked outside a local hotel.
“We’ll rest here first,” he said calmly. “Tonight we move.”
Su Qingyuan nodded.
Because the hotel only had one room left, the two booked a double room together.
Standing inside, Su Qingyuan quietly stared at the two beds without saying a word.
Chen Yan set down the luggage.
“Rest for a while. I’m going out to check the surrounding area first.”
Su Qingyuan looked toward him.
“Where exactly?”
“I need to familiarize myself with the terrain around Zhang Chenghai’s residence.”
She nodded lightly.
After Chen Yan left, Su Qingyuan sat alone on the bed for a long time.
Eventually, she walked toward the window.
Outside stretched an old commercial street filled with ordinary people buying food, clothes, and fruit from roadside vendors.
The atmosphere felt lively and grounded in a way completely different from the cold business world she normally lived in.
She stood there quietly until night fell.
When Chen Yan finally returned, he carried two boxed meals in his hands.
“Eat first,” he said. “Tonight will probably be a long night.”
Su Qingyuan accepted the meal and opened it.
Simple braised pork.
Vegetables.
Rice.
Nothing fancy.
The two quietly ate together.
By the time they finished, the sky outside had gone completely dark.
Chen Yan checked the time.
“We move at ten o’clock.”
Su Qingyuan nodded.
At exactly nine-thirty, Chen Yan stood up.
“Let’s go.”
The two left the hotel and drove toward Zhang Chenghai’s address.
His residence was hidden deep inside the old district of the city within a decaying apartment complex covered in vines.
The stairwell lights no longer worked.
Everything was pitch black.
Chen Yan walked ahead while Su Qingyuan followed closely behind him.
Suddenly, in the darkness, her fingers grabbed the hem of his coat.
Chen Yan turned slightly.
She said nothing.
Without hesitation, he reached down and held her hand tightly.
Her fingers felt cold.
“Don’t be afraid,” he whispered softly.
Su Qingyuan nodded once.
Hand in hand, they climbed to the fourth floor.
Apartment 402.
Chen Yan knocked firmly.
No response.
He knocked again, harder this time.
Still silence.
His expression darkened immediately.
Taking out a thin steel wire, he quickly unlocked the door within seconds.
The moment the door opened, Chen Yan’s eyes froze.
The entire apartment had been destroyed.
Furniture lay overturned.
Broken chairs littered the floor.
Everything had clearly been searched violently.
The windows stood wide open as cold wind swept through the room, causing the curtains to whip wildly in the darkness.
Chen Yan rushed toward the window and looked down.
Below lay only a narrow black alley swallowed by darkness.
Turning back toward the ruined apartment, his eyes sharpened dangerously.
Zhang Chenghai was gone.