CHAPTER 72: CHAPTER 72: THE YU JING GROUP PRESIDENT WHO VANISHED AFTER FALLING OFF A CLIFF

Shi Su was in the car reading those two newspapers, from falling into the river to being rescued, the specific situation had not been investigated in detail.

The police would definitely be able to find the surveillance route on the bridge over the river at the time. Once they check it, they’ll know exactly how it happened.

But she really didn’t want to discuss such things at home, especially when Shi Mianmian was there in the evening, and...

Her eyes glanced in Jing Jihan’s direction. Sure enough, when the man heard Jun’s words, his gaze had already returned to her face.

Jun was still talking incessantly, "But luckily you’re safe, it’s been big night sequences these days, staying up so late, take these days to rest while recovering, recharge, and leave the investigation to me, you don’t need to worry."

Saying that, Jun asked puzzledly, "Why haven’t you spoken for a while? Are you home yet? If you’re just staying in the hallway, I’ll go back and help you home!"

Shi Su quickly raised her voice towards the direction of the phone, "I’m back, the phone was too far away so I didn’t speak."

Jun said "Oh" and paused, then suddenly asked sharply, "So who turned on the speaker for you? Mianmian couldn’t possibly be home at this time!"

Shi Su: "..."

Jun suddenly said with anger, "Is it that pretty boy again? You still haven’t cut ties with him? Shi Su, I told you..."

The man’s tall posture moved slightly, he went to the coffee table, and pressed hang up.

——Finally, peace and quiet!

Though she felt a little sorry for Jun, Shi Su was really not in a good state, feeling unwell, having stayed up for days, and coincidentally having her period today, the cold morning soaking in the river all contributed to her exhaustion, feeling uncomfortable everywhere; she just wanted peace and quiet, find a place to lay down without talking.

Seeing the man’s gaze with a hint of scrutiny, Shi Su spoke, "Let me rest for a while, I’ll talk when I feel better, can I go back to my room and sleep for a bit?"

Her tone almost carried a hint of pleading, a natural response in a state of extreme exhaustion and discomfort approaching collapse.

After speaking, she disregarded everything and turned to walk toward the children’s room, leaving the words, "Could you help me by picking up Mianmian just after four-thirty? The kindergarten bus will drop her at the gate of the community."

Once said, Shi Su entered the children’s room without looking back.

Jing Jihan turned his gaze to the coffee table, where the phone with water damage and cracked screen lay from hours ago.

-

Shi Su sat on the cartoon sofa in the children’s room, not sleeping immediately.

The blackout curtains drawn, the room lights off, only the screen of the laptop in her lap emitting light.

The password-protected file opened, rows of year numbers drifting in the dim light.

201X June 26, 21:00, Shi Yunyin hospitalized with leg injury, VIP ward sealed, intern medical staff claimed no leg injury patient in the room (recording backed up).

201X July 19, 18:00, Mrs. Shi Xv Yaru appeared near the burning hotel (surveillance backed up).

201X July 20, 20:00, hotel set on fire intentionally (site monitoring equipment burned, evidence pending supplement).

201X X Month X Day, XX Noon, ...... (recording evidence pending supplement.)

X Month X Day, 6:00 Morning, Jiang City bridge car accident, man-made incident...

...

Shi Mianmian repeatedly looked up and asked: Mommy, why did we come back to this place?

Shi Su closed the laptop in her hand, hair brushing along her cheek, her brows lowered, obscuring her expression.

Why come back?

-

At around eight in the evening, Shi Su woke up and opened her eyes, although she slept for a few hours, it was restless; any slight movement reminded her of the day’s events with neck pains; these few hours were only a short nap, her mental state wasn’t fully rested.

However, in a half-asleep state, hearing Mianmian’s voice assured her that Mianmian had been picked up, allowing her to continue sleeping more at ease.

No longer able to fall asleep, she slowly sat up and lumbered out of the children’s room.

Opening the door, she saw Shi Mianmian obediently drawing by the coffee table. The little girl was just over four years old, still in kindergarten class, not yet taught writing, but she had painting enlightenment classes which Mianmian loved.

Upon approaching, seeing Mianmian’s serious focus on drawing something, lifting her gaze she saw her mommy awake; then noticing what’s on her mommy’s neck, recalling that Uncle Ji Han said mommy wasn’t feeling well and shouldn’t be disturbed, she grinned widely: "Mommy, is it here that you’re not feeling well?"

Mianmian spoke with curiosity, pointing at the cervical collar on Shi Su’s neck.

Shi Su "mm"’d, touched her little head, and vaguely heard movements in the kitchen, slowly turning and stepping toward the kitchen.

Inside the tidy, clean kitchen was the man’s tall, handsome figure standing by the stove; naturally, skillfully pan-frying steak, in a grounded kitchen setting, the silver spatula in his hand, which was a tool Shi Su often used, inexplicably gave the impression that this steak was not for ordinary consumption.

Smelling the aroma, knowing the taste was surely good from afar.

If he was really that missing off-a-cliff Yu Jing Group CEO, something Jing-whatever, he probably wouldn’t be grilling steak...

Shi Su suddenly called: "Ji Han."

Jing Jihan glanced at her, expressionless, turning the steak on the pan.

Shi Su again stood at the kitchen door for a while, seeing that he had no intention to engage, realizing she was being quite pointless; he was kindly cooking dinner for her daughter, she was there overthinking, calling his name to test his sensitivity to it.

Seems like the name Ji Han wasn’t false; his glance just now when she called was a genuine reaction to his own name, not deliberate at all.

How peculiar.

Shi Su touched the large contraption on her neck, clumsily heading back to Mianmian’s side to see her drawing.

Jing Jihan stood in the kitchen, slowly rubbing his brow.

Years ago, while studying in the United States, he rejected the Jing family’s dispatched caretakers, occasionally cooking meals in his overseas apartment when free.

Time flies, years have passed, after returning to take over the company, frequent international trips, piles of projects, dense schedules of meetings, CEO reviews, rarely leaving leisure time.

First time cooking personally since returning abroad, incredibly for feeding a four-year-old girl.

Outside came the bickering sounds of Shi Su and Shi Mianmian as mother and daughter.

"Shi Mianmian, what on earth are you drawing?"

"I’m drawing you~"

Shi Su shocked, "This creature with feet growing on its head and a chaotic pile of flowers for a body is me?! How does this look like me?"

"They aren’t feet, mommy, those are hair!"

"Ugh, whose hair only has two strands? Sticking out like that? Cursing your old mom to go bald young, huh?"

"Oh, oh, let me draw more!" Mianmian cooperatively added a few strands, then dotted with a pink watercolor pen at the bottom.

Shi Su watched with twitching lips, "What nonsense is this?"

"I added a bow to mommy’s hair~"

Shi Su: "... Looks like the scalp of a Heaven Mountain elder with acne."

Shi Mianmian pouting at her tasteless mommy, shielding the drawing no longer showing her, Shi Su kept insisting to look, Mianmian bounded up with her drawing in arms, running into the kitchen, holding it up to Jing Jihan: "Uncle, is my drawing of mommy pretty?"