Return: My Hell and Heaven
Chapter 24: The Madman (2)
During the complete offline state of Song Shu’s rationality, a very untimely call came through to her phone.
Song Shu turned her head to look at the phone lighting up in the grass not far away, then turned back to look at Qin Lou pressing down on her.
The air was silent for two seconds.
“President Qin, I need to take this call.”
“‘President Qin’?”
“…” As Song Shu hesitated about whether to change her address, Qin Lou seemed to have figured something out, turned over, sat beside her, supported himself with one hand on the grass, and gestured to the phone with the other hand.
Song Shu sat up and stared at him for two seconds.
After confirming that Qin Lou’s emotions seemed to have calmed down, Song Shu finally breathed a sigh of relief. She stood up, walked over to pick up the phone, and saw the caller ID clearly.
“Jerry.”
Song Shu frowned slightly, walked to the side, and after ensuring that Qin Lou couldn’t hear her, she answered the call.
“Jerry?”
“Qin, you finally answered.”
“What happened?”
“Today, I detected several special query access records, all related to your personal background information at school and work. Moreover, these queries came from two different IP addresses in Q City.”
“You mean at least two parties are investigating me?”
“Exactly.”
“…” Song Shu frowned slightly, instinctively glanced back in the direction where Qin Lou was, then turned back, “Can you track down the specific physical addresses?”
“I’m afraid not, Qin. The other party is experienced, likely a professional organization. They used several proxy computers to cover their tracks. Pinpointing Q City itself was already quite an effort.”
“Did they find anything?”
“Of course not. You should trust my skills—besides, didn’t you anticipate and take precautions against this before returning to the country?”
“Yes, it’s a good thing you’re here. There might be more incidents like this, so I’ll need your continued help.”
“If it weren’t for your help with that case two years ago, I might already be in that damned cage without any internet—so you don’t need to be polite. We help each other.”
“Still, thank you, Jerry.”
“Okay. How are things on your end?”
“Hard to say.”
“You know you’re taking a huge risk, right, babe? I don’t understand how Yu could agree to you using yourself as bait.”
“Jerry, we’ve already discussed this.”
“Alright, you’re still so stubborn. I won’t try to persuade you anymore. ‘Enjoy’ your ordeal.”
“…”
After the call ended, Song Shu still held up her phone without putting it down—she needed some time to reflect on the completely thoughtless actions she had taken since coming up to the rooftop.
By the end of a minute of reflection, Song Shu was already feeling a bit desperate.
Before returning to the country, she had anticipated that Qin Lou would have a significant impact on her overall plan and that he would be the most unstable and high-risk factor around her. However, she had not expected his influence to reach such an extent, even making her completely emotional and dragging her fully into that madman’s world.
Fortunately, although she hadn’t foreseen this level of influence, she had considered the threat Qin Lou posed to her overall plan, so she had a backup plan B.
It’s just that this plan needed the right opportunity…
While thinking about the best candidate in her mind, Song Shu walked back to the artificial grass.
“President Qin, it’s getting late. I’ll take you downstairs to rest.”
Qin Lou raised his eyes, “How do you know I live downstairs?”
Song Shu replied smoothly, “The HR department introduced the layout of each floor to me when I joined.”
“…Not a bad response.”
Qin Lou chuckled, then stood up.
The two took the elevator to the 23rd floor, and Song Shu followed Qin Lou inside without objection.
“Turn on the lights.” Qin Lou called for the lights on the 23rd floor, then walked to a set of soft leather sofas and sat down. His long legs lazily stretched out on the carpet, while his upper body leaned back into the sofa.
He looked up at Song Shu and patted the armrest of the sofa.
“There’s something strange. A few days ago, I clearly got drunk at home alone, but when I woke up, I saw a small woman’s handprint here—oh, right, it was on the day you joined. Isn’t that quite a coincidence?”
“Indeed, quite a coincidence.” Song Shu’s expression was calm. “That day, I originally wanted to go to the rooftop for some air but accidentally entered the 23rd floor. However, I didn’t stay long. President Qin can check the elevator surveillance.”
Qin Lou narrowed his eyes slightly.
A few seconds later, he laughed, “I see. No matter what I ask you now, you’ll deny it—just like what happened on the rooftop, right? Aren’t you afraid that I’ll force you to admit it?” New chapters come out on novelping(.)com first.
“…”
Song Shu lowered her eyes, a fleeting look of helplessness passing through them.
Qin Lou stared at her expression for two seconds, then laughed even more joyfully, “Ah, you’re not afraid. Because you know that no matter how you defend yourself now, I’ve already decided that you must be her.”
Song Shu: “…”
Qin Lou leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees, and looked up at her, grinning wildly and triumphantly. “So, how’s my clam shell language translation skill? Still full marks?”
Song Shu: “…”
Song Shu pretended not to hear the strange term,
“President Qin can think whatever he likes, I don’t mind. But I have a favor and a question to ask of you.”
Qin Lou: “Go ahead.”
“Since the rooftop surveillance today is privately owned by you, please don’t spread it.”
“Alright, what’s the question?”
“Have you investigated me, President Qin?”
Qin Lou didn’t even think, “No, because there’s no need.”
Song Shu felt a stirring in her heart.
… It seems someone couldn’t hold back any longer.
“Thank you, President Qin, I’ll be leaving now.”
“You asked that question, yet you still won’t admit it directly.” Qin Lou frowned, “Don’t you trust the people around me? Or do you think what you’re doing might implicate me? You know, I fear nothing except losing you—”
“But I do.”
A very soft voice came from the woman who had her back to Qin Lou.
So soft, it seemed like an illusion.
Song Shu clenched the phone in her hand, hidden from his view, her fingertips pressing so hard they turned white, and her face was equally pale.
She could no longer afford to lose anyone.
Before she could bring every person involved in that case, both in front and behind the scenes, to justice, she would rather die as Qin Qing.
Qin Lou, sitting on the sofa, came to his senses and suddenly stood up, “What did you say?”
“…Nothing, President Qin heard wrong. It’s very late now, I should leave.” With that, Song Shu walked out without looking back.
“Do you need me to delete the elevator surveillance footage?”
“No need to trouble you, President Qin.”
“What are you planning to do?”
As she walked away, Song Shu slightly curled her lips, her eyes cold, “Next week, President Qin will know.”
“…”
After Song Shu’s figure disappeared into the elevator, Qin Lou returned to the bedroom with a gloomy face.
He picked up the landline and dialed a number.
“Mr. Qin?”
“Is that drunk driver still in prison?”
“Drunk driver? Oh, of course, that’s your order. Besides, his family went bankrupt because of Bai Song, and his motive for intentional homicide is solid. Rest assured, Mr. Qin, he’ll spend the rest of his decades unable to live or die.”
“I want to see him.”
“—Huh??”
As Song Shu stepped out of the elevator and saw Yu Qisheng standing in front of the opposite wall, she suddenly remembered he was still there.
“Sorry to keep you—”
“Is it settled?”
“Yes.”
“That’s good. But it’s too late, I’ll take you home directly.”
“…I’m really sorry, Qisheng.”
“It’s okay, we’ll talk in the car.”
The two retrieved the car from the parking lot and left.
On the way, Yu Qisheng observed Song Shu’s expression. “You look a bit troubled. Did Qin Lou make things difficult for you again?”
“Not too bad.”
“I told you, he would definitely recognize you, which would greatly increase your danger with those people—so I disagreed with your plan from the beginning, but you insisted on taking the risk.” This chapter is updated first at novelping.com.
Song Shu lowered her eyes, “I’m sorry, but I don’t want to wait any longer.”
“Fine, I can never convince you.”
“Jerry called me just now.”
“Jerry?” Yu Qisheng was stunned, then his face turned serious. “Has someone started taking action?”
“Not sure yet, but it seems so. Jerry said at least two groups in Q City are investigating my background. One of them,” Song Shu paused, a bit helpless, “should be Qiaoqiao, she can’t hold back.”
Yu Qisheng sneered, “The other group must be those involved in that case back then. They really have guilty consciences and can’t hold their tempers.”
“Yes. But if I were them, I would be scared too… a person who looks very much like the child they tried so hard to silence in that case coming back, isn’t it like a ghost climbing out of the grave? They personally tried to kill that person, how could they not be afraid…”
Song Shu looked at her reflection in the window and then chuckled, her eyes cold.
Yu Qisheng turned his head with a stern expression, almost warning, “But you have to be even more careful now.”
“I will,” Song Shu replied softly.
~
Monday, near noon.
Vio Capital, 12th floor, Legal Compliance Department.
Song Shu worked overtime on the weekend and completed the new employee task assigned by the department head ahead of schedule: a feasibility evaluation and due diligence on the legal aspects of a small investment project. She looked up in a certain direction of the cubicles and, after confirming no one was there, picked up her water cup and walked towards the pantry on the 12th floor.
A few steps away, she heard low voices discussing inside the pantry: “…isn’t it? I’m dying of curiosity; no one knows where she came from.”
Song Shu walked into the pantry.
A female colleague and a male colleague were standing in front of the water dispenser, discussing something.
As soon as they saw Song Shu come in, the male colleague quickly nudged the female colleague who was still talking. She was stunned for a moment, then turned around and smiled awkwardly.
“Are you here to get water too, Qin Qing?”
“Yes.” Song Shu acted as if she hadn’t heard anything and walked over to the male colleague.
The male colleague quickly made room. “I’m done, you can come here.”
“Thanks,” Song Shu nodded. Then she asked, “Lisa, I’m having a bit of trouble with the project I’m working on and wanted to ask for your advice.”
Lisa was taken aback. “What’s the issue?”
“Sister Qin said that the company handled several projects of this type a few years ago, and the related legal documents could be used as references. But I’m not sure where to find them.”
Lisa breathed a sigh of relief. “You can find them in the archive room. They have a good relationship with our legal department. You just need to get a permission slip, and then you can go in and check.”
“A permission slip?”
“Yes, the archive room is managed by the HR department. You need to go to the HR department and find Director Luan…” Lisa’s words suddenly stopped. She seemed to remember something and turned her head, only to see the woman next to her looking troubled.
Just as Lisa was wondering how to probe further, she heard the woman speak first, “But it seems Director Luan from HR has some opinions about me. I’m a bit afraid to go alone.”
“Is that so?”
“Could you accompany me?”
“Me?” Lisa was stunned.
“Yes, but you don’t need to go in with me. You can just wait outside.”
“…” Lisa was silent for a few seconds but couldn’t resist her curiosity. She quickly nodded. “Alright.”
Song Shu showed a sincere smile. “Then let’s go before the official start of the afternoon shift, okay?”
“No problem. Come find me then.”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it.”
“…”
Not long after Lisa left, Song Shu poured out the water she had just fetched. As she was about to twist the cap back on her cup, she saw the door of the adjacent break room open, and Yao Yiqin walked out.
“Sister Qin.” Song Shu was slightly startled but then smiled faintly and prepared to leave.
“Wait a moment.” Yao Yiqin stopped her, hesitating slightly. “Qin Qing, you might not be familiar with the department’s dynamics since you’re new here. Lisa is known to be a bit of a gossip. If you go to HR with her, it might cause a stir, which wouldn’t be ideal. How about I accompany you instead?”
“No need, Sister Qin. Thank you for your kindness. But I’ve already arranged with Lisa, and she seems easy to talk to, so I’ll just go with her.”
After saying this, Song Shu smiled and nodded to Yao Yiqin before turning to leave.
As she walked out of the pantry, the smile on Song Shu’s face faded. She lightly shook the empty cup, her eyes void of emotion, and muttered softly to herself.
“For this matter… it has to be the most gossipy one to ‘help’ out.”
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