Back at the manor, the comforting atmosphere seemed unable to dispel the chill in Su Wanwan's heart. That crumpled note, like a piece of ice, was stuck in the inner layer of her dinner bag and also engraved in her heart.
Lu Tingchen keenly sensed her absent-mindedness. Washing off all the pretense and changing into comfortable home clothes, she sat in front of the dressing table, occasionally combing her long hair, but her eyes were wandering, without any focus.
"Did something happen at the evening party?" " Lu Tingchen came over, placed his hands on her shoulders, and looked at her through the mirror, "You've been a bit off since you came back with your drink."
His powers of observation remain as sharp as ever.
Su Wanwan's hand, which was combing her hair, stopped. In the mirror, his profound gaze was filled with inquiry and an inescapable concern.
Her heart was beating rapidly in her chest. To say or not to say?
The words "Be careful of those around you" hissed in her mind like a venomous snake's letter.
She looked into Lu Tingchen's eyes in the mirror. There was care, there was exhaustion, and there was an undisguised concern for her. Could such a man who has shielded her from countless open and covert attacks and even went so far as to stir up a storm to avenge her really hide anything from her? Really... Do you need to be careful?
But that note... That precisely delivered note clearly indicates that the other party is well aware of their movements! Even knowing the existence of a USB flash drive! This is too terrifying!
A huge conflict and struggle tore at her.
Ultimately, the fear of the unknown and that hint of deliberately sown doubt temporarily took the upper hand. She can't take risks. Before she gets to the bottom of the truth, she needs to keep this card to herself.
She forced herself into a tired smile, put down the comb, turned around and hugged his waist, buried her face in his sturdy lower abdomen, and said in a muffled voice, "It's really nothing. Maybe it's just that I haven't been to such an occasion for too long and I'm a bit unaccustomed. I'm tired."
She chose to cover it up with coquetry and exhaustion. This was the first time she had concealed something from him.
Lu Tingchen's body stiffened almost imperceptibly for a moment. He knows her too well. Her subtle anomalies and her deliberate avoidance could not escape his eyes. She was hiding something from him.
A sense of indescribable bitterness and loss welled up in my heart, but more importantly, there was worry. She was in trouble but chose not to tell him.
He didn't expose her. Just his big hand gently stroked her long hair, and his voice became even more slow: "If you're tired, go to bed early." We won't go to any occasions we don't want to go to in the future.
He chose to respect her silence and give her space. But the alarm in his heart had already sounded.
"Um." " Su Wanwan nodded gently in his arms, but her heart was filled with a sense of guilt.
This night, we shared a bed but had different dreams.
Su Wanwan slept extremely soundly, her dreams filled with broken notes and vague warning sounds. After she fell asleep, Lu Tingchen quietly got up and went to the study to call Qin Hao.
Check the list of all the service staff for tonight's golf charity dinner, especially those in charge of the beverage area. Also, retrieve the entire surveillance footage of the dinner party, with a focus on checking the time periods before and after Wanwan took her drink alone. Report any abnormalities immediately." His voice was so cold in the silent night that it had no trace of warmth at all.
"Yes, Mr. Lu." "
In the following days, a subtle and tense atmosphere permeated between the two. On the surface, everything was as usual. He was still considerate and she was still gentle. They took care of the child together and discussed daily life. But something is indeed different now.
Su Wanwan began to observe Lu Tingchen more closely. Observe his expression when answering the phone, his concentration when browsing through documents, and even his attitude towards everyone around him. That implanted doubt is like a seed. Once it falls, it will involuntarily seek soil to take root.
She found herself becoming a little neurotic. When he came home half an hour late, she would subconsciously wonder if he was dealing with something that she couldn't let know. When he received some encrypted calls and went to the study to deal with them, she couldn't help but guess whether the content of the calls was related to the USB drive.
This state caused her great pain. She detested such a suspicious self, yet she couldn't control the ever-growing unease.
Lu Tingchen, on the other hand, noticed all her subtle changes. Her absent-mindedness, her hesitation to speak, the fleeting glance of scrutiny she gave him... All of them pierced his heart like needles. He knew for sure what had happened that night, but she refused to say. He could only stay more closely around her and speed up the investigation at the same time.
The investigation on Qin Hao's side has encountered obstacles. The female waitress who handed the note that night was a fake. She completely disappeared after the banquet. The surveillance camera only captured a blurry figure with her head down, clearly having received counter-investigation training. The other party did it neatly and efficiently, leaving no valuable clues.
This undoubtedly intensified Lu Tingchen's concerns. The opponent is more cunning and difficult to deal with than imagined.
That afternoon, after putting her son to sleep, Su Wanwan, for some strange reason, walked to the game room again. She squatted in front of the skirting board that had once formed a hidden slot, her fingers fumbling around unconsciously.
Could it... What else? Jiang Yue is so smart. Could she leave more clues? And Lu Tingchen... Did he really only find that USB flash drive at that time?
She was startled by her own thought and suddenly withdrew her hand.
Just then, her phone vibrated. It was a new anonymous message!
Want to know who the "person by your side" is? 4 p.m., Blue Bay Cafe in the city center, A3 booth. No waiting after this time.
Su Wanwan's heart almost jumped out of her chest!
Here we go again! That mysterious person!
Go or not go?
Great temptation and fear seized her at the same time. This is an opportunity, an opportunity that might solve all the mysteries! But at the same time, it could also be a trap!
She looked at the text message, her fingers tightly grasping the phone, her knuckles turning pale.
Ultimately, the longing for the truth and the suspicion that had quietly grown towards Lu Tingchen, which she was reluctant to admit, overcame the fear of danger.
She glanced at the time. It was ten past three.
She made a decision quickly. She didn't tell anyone, not even avoiding the nanny and the bodyguards who often followed her. She just said that she wanted to go to the art gallery alone to see a new exhibition and relax.
She changed into an unremarkable casual dress, put on a hat and a mask, and quietly left through a less frequently used side door of the manor.
What she didn't know was that every move she made had not escaped the highest-level protection net set up by Lu Tingchen.
Almost at the same time she left the side door, Lu Tingchen received the news.
The lady drove away alone. The direction was not the art gallery. Do you need to intercept it?" The voice of the bodyguard came through the headset.
Lu Tingchen stood by the floor-to-ceiling window of his office, watching the hustle and bustle of traffic downstairs, his expression terrifyingly gloomy.
His little wife, in the end, still chose to go on an adventure alone.
"No need," his voice was cold, carrying a suppressed rage and a deep sense of powerlessness. "Stay close to her and make sure she's absolutely safe." I want to know who she is going to meet."
He was determined to see who could possess such extraordinary ability to shake the most important person in his life right under his nose time and again!
A silent contest between a couple officially kicked off as Su Wanwan drove into the cafe.
And in the coffee shop, what awaits her will be the truth or a deeper trap?
(To be continued...)"