These words exploded like a thunderclap.
Panic flickered in Song Changming's eyes.
On the other side, Liu Xiaoshuang's face had turned deathly pale.
Only Mianmian and Su Yueyue remained bewildered in the entire room.
Mianmian looked at the adults—sure enough, that thing she'd found under the bed contained something she didn't know about.
What was it?
Mianmian felt like a hedgehog in a melon patch—hopping around frantically but unable to get a bite.
The little girl's eyes darted back and forth anxiously.
"Jingyan, wh-what box?" Song Changming deliberately played dumb, as if he knew nothing at all.
His face full of innocence, he said, "What are you talking about? I don't understand."
"Is that so?"
Shen Jingyan smiled and rummaged through the large bag at her side. "Then that's very strange."
"My home, my room, under my bed—how could something like this be there?"
"Could we have been robbed?"
Shen Jingyan pulled out the wooden box—about two palms wide—from her bag, though in reality she'd taken it from her Spatial Dimension.
Song Changming's pupils contracted violently.
She'd really found it.
"Jingyan, could this be a mistake? I don't recognize it."
"You don't? I took a look at what's inside. Changming, it really burns the eyes."
"I'd rather gouge my own eyes out."
"Tell me, what kind of person would use these?"
"Could it be some kind of brothel worker?"
"Tsk tsk tsk, how filthy!"
Mianmian watched as with every word Shen Jingyan spoke, Liu Xiaoshuang's face turned a shade whiter.
This thing belonged to Liu Xiaoshuang!
Oh my, what was it?
Mianmian pointed innocently at Liu Xiaoshuang.
"Yueyue, your mommy is sweating a lot. Is she hot?"
Shen Jingyan turned to look at Liu Xiaoshuang.
She stumbled, nearly falling if not for grabbing onto the cabinet.
Liu Xiaoshuang's hands, clasped behind her back, were sweating with nervousness.
How had Shen Jingyan found out?
Nothing had gone wrong in all these years.
"Yes, it is a bit hot."
A cold smile curled at the corner of Shen Jingyan's mouth.
The answer was obvious without words.
These two had actually been carrying on an affair right in her own bed.
Shen Jingyan felt like she was going to vomit.
Ugh—
She forcibly suppressed the nausea churning inside her.
"Since you don't know whose it is, Changming, then we really did have an intruder. That's terrifying."
"I think we should report this to the police!"
"Otherwise, if a bad person ever comes, there's still me and Mianmian in the house."
Shen Jingyan feigned fear and quickly packed the box away.
"I'll go report to the police first. Changming, wait for me!"
With that, Shen Jingyan turned to leave.
Report to the police?
Liu Xiaoshuang panicked and instinctively grabbed Shen Jingyan's arm.
"You can't report this to the police!"
Shen Jingyan turned her head, a mocking smile on her lips.
"Comrade Liu, why can't I report this to the police?"
Mianmian watched Shen Jingyan, her little eyes rolling around.
Report to the police!
If they reported it, would she finally find out what it was?
While no one was paying attention, a little tot quietly slipped out of the hospital room.
She ran to the nurse's station, stood on her tiptoes, and struggled to hold onto the counter.
"Auntie. Auntie."
The young nurse didn't even see anyone at first.
She leaned forward and only then spotted a little child hanging onto the counter like a tiny ornament, straining on her tiptoes.
Adorably cute.
Mianmian looked a bit troubled. "Auntie, auntie."
The nurse came around. "Little one, what do you need?"
The little one was very serious. "Auntie, Mommy says the things taken out from under the bed are contraband."
"What's contraband, ducky?"
Contraband?
The young nurse's eyes lit up instantly, igniting the flames of gossip.
"Your mom found something under the bed?"
Mianmian nodded blankly. "Mommy says to report it to the police and have them take it away, ducky. Auntie, is contraband a dark-colored door? Why does it need to be taken away by the police uncle?"
The nurse immediately patted her chest. "Little one, don't worry. I'll help you report it to the police right away."
Mianmian watched as the young nurse really went to report it to the police.
Her heart was at ease.
She walked with quick steps toward the hospital room.
At that moment, Song Changming was brainwashing Shen Jingyan.
"Jingyan, no matter how you look at it, this thing is disgraceful. If it gets out, it won't be good for our reputation."
"Yes, yes."
Shen Jingyan looked at the two people across from her, both radiating righteousness.
"I haven't done anything. I'm not afraid. Changming, have you?"
Song Changming immediately denied it. "I haven't either."
"Then that's fine. Today I absolutely must find out whose this is."
Liu Xiaoshuang saw that Shen Jingyan was really about to leave.
She fiercely pinched Song Changming.
Song Changming closed his eyes.
"Jingyan, wait a moment. I know whose this thing is."
"What?"
Shen Jingyan turned back to look at Song Changming.
She saw his face full of deep sorrow, his expression extremely ugly.
"Jingyan, don't report it to the police. I know whose this thing is. Really."
Shen Jingyan looked suspicious. "Whose?"
Song Changming gritted his teeth. "Me—I, I guess it should be Chunyu's."
"Chunyu?" Shen Jingyan's face was full of disbelief. "How is that possible?"
"Chunyu isn't even married yet."
Song Changming closed his eyes. "I'm not lying to you. This thing should be Chunyu's. Have you forgotten that a few months ago Chunyu stayed at our house for a few days? During those days, you had gone back to the countryside for something."
Shen Jingyan still showed disbelief.
"Even if Chunyu stayed at our house, that doesn't prove it was hers. She's an unmarried female comrade. I don't believe it."
Song Changming's voice took on a somewhat rascally tone. "This matter—I don't believe it either, but that day I caught them. Chunyu and her partner, the two of them couldn't restrain their feelings. It—it was just a moment of foolishness."
"Jingyan, how could I bring myself to tell you about this? That's why I never told you. It's too shameful!"
Song Changming spoke so convincingly that the old Shen Jingyan would definitely have believed him.
But now she just laughed.
"You say it's Chunyu's? This…"
"Jingyan, family scandals should not be spread outside."
This sentence was a reminder to Shen Jingyan.
Shen Jingyan bit her lip.
"Since that's the case, let Chunyu come over. I'll ask her myself."
Song Changming wore a sorrowful expression. "Fine. Since that's the case, I'll call her over, so you'll believe me, Jingyan."
That deeply affectionate, wounded look—however much the old Shen Jingyan had fallen for it, now she wanted to vomit just as much.
"Then I'll go make the phone call."
"It's fine, I'll go."
Shen Jingyan went to make the phone call. She didn't say much, only that Song Changming was hospitalized.
Old Mrs. Song responded repeatedly on the other end.
Meanwhile, Song Changming and Liu Xiaoshuang were even more anxious.
They hadn't coordinated with each other—what were they going to do?
After making the phone call, Shen Jingyan returned to the hospital room.
She pushed open the door, and the two who had been talking immediately fell silent.
Soon, Song Chunyu and Old Mrs. Song rushed over.
They arrived before they were seen, their voices preceding them.
"My son! What happened to you?"
"Brother, what's wrong with you?"
Shen Jingyan saw that everyone had arrived and pulled Mianmian out from the corner.
"Mianmian, be good and wait for Mommy."
As she spoke, she stuffed a piece of candy into her hand.
Liu Xiaoshuang also tossed Su Yueyue out.
The two little ones couldn't stand each other.
Hmph!
Watching the door close, Mianmian pressed herself against it like a little gecko.
Eavesdropping, eavesdropping.
Su Yueyue came forward to pull her away, but Mianmian held her head down.
"Don't move, or Mianmian will beat you up."
Su Yueyue refused to submit, so Mianmian's little fist went straight to her bottom.
The pain made Su Yueyue's tears flow freely.
"Don't cry, or Mianmian will beat you up!"
Su Yueyue curled up aggrieved by the door. How had Shen Mianmian's strength gotten so great?
Mianmian paid Su Yueyue no mind at all.
She pressed her little ear gossipy against the door—just what was it that Mianmian couldn't know about!
"Mom, Chunyu, there's something I need to show you."
Old Mrs. Song's voice rose shrilly. "What time is it now? You're not taking care of Changming, what do you want to show us?"
Shen Jingyan's eyes turned slightly cold. Old Mrs. Song had always relied on the respect she was given and treated herself as someone important.
Now she didn't even want her son anymore, and as for her—she could get lost.
"Mom, are you sure you don't want to see? Then I'll have to call the police!"
"See, see, see. Mom, what are you causing trouble for?"
Old Mrs. Song was a bit stunned at being scolded by her son.
"Fine, let me see what it is you want to show me!"