CHAPTER 145: CHAPTER 145 THE LEGENDARY CHEAP DADDY (1)_1

It must be said that Shen Jia’s imagination was sometimes truly powerful; she could twist a perfectly normal situation into an utter mess.

"Jiajia, this is Old Qi and his grandson, Qi Zhuochen. They are our guests tonight," Wanqian’s voice was laden with deep exhaustion; she hadn’t slept at all for two days and two nights. She was truly spent, but she was terrified of falling asleep.

"Yes, the two of you will be staying here tonight," Shen Cheng said as he took off his coat and lazily sat on the sofa. Old Qi’s sharp eyes casually scanned Shen Jia’s family of three. His gaze then swept around the hall, his expression darkening. He had never expected, after all this time, to find himself here again.

So, the sister and wife Shen Cheng and Wanqian mentioned were originally Grandpa Shen’s granddaughter, the Shen family’s previous heir? How unexpected. This son-in-law, Shen Cheng, was quite capable, it seemed, to have connections with *those* people—they had even directed Shen Cheng to find him. Old Qi also felt a pang of sorrow for Grandpa Shen, and for his short-lived granddaughter.

Old Qi couldn’t help but let out a cold sneer. To change his grandson’s fate, he had spent two years searching far from Beijing. During that time, his relationship with Grandpa Shen had cooled. He never imagined that upon returning to Beijing, he would find Grandpa Shen dead from illness, and his granddaughter eloped, only to die mysteriously.

These matters were none of his concern; even if he wanted to intervene, he wouldn’t know where to begin. Yet, in the end, these matters still ended up involving them. Old Qi couldn’t help but sigh.

And now, because of a favor owed, he had returned to the Shen Mansion. It was truly a twist of fate. Grandpa Shen’s granddaughter ultimately hadn’t escaped her destiny, nor had Grandpa Shen himself. Although his own grandson’s fate had changed because of that girl, her appearance meant the entire course of everyone’s fate had altered. He had no idea what the future held now.

"Grandfather," Qi Zhuochen tugged on Old Qi’s hand. Why had his grandfather suddenly become so lost in thought here?

"Ah, let’s go upstairs and take a look first," Old Qi said, collecting himself and nodding at Shen Cheng.

"Wanqian, you stay and look after Uncle Qi. I’ll take him upstairs to look around," Shen Cheng instructed, already on his way, leading Old Qi and Qi Zhuochen up the stairs.

"Alright. You all be careful," Wanqian nodded, her face paling slightly as she watched the three of them disappear up the stairs, then she fell into a daze.

"Sister Wanqian! Sister Wanqian!" Shen Jia called out, shaking Wanqian, only to find her staring blankly up the stairs. The usually beautiful and gentle Wanqian looked somewhat haggard.

"Wanqian, what on earth is going on with you and Shen Cheng?" Duan Mei asked, equally puzzled. They had only been here for two days, but Shen Cheng and Wanqian had been acting strangely the whole time, both sporting dark circles under their eyes—a far cry from the impeccable appearance they had when Duan Mei first saw them.

"Oh, it’s nothing. We’re just a bit tired from too much work at the company," Wanqian replied quickly, offering an apologetic smile to the three of them. Hopefully, after tonight, we can all get a good night’s sleep.

Upstairs, Old Qi surveyed the study. It had been altered beyond recognition. The priceless calligraphy and paintings that once adorned the walls were gone; the room was now empty, its space usurped by other belongings. Beyond a sigh, Old Qi felt a deep sense of injustice for Grandpa Shen.

He had toiled his entire life, diligently managing the company’s affairs. But he had protected his granddaughter too well, allowing her to live like a princess, which was why she ultimately faced such a disaster. In the end, all his efforts had only benefited others, while he himself met a tragic end.

"Old Qi, is anything amiss here? If you need anything, just let me know, and I’ll see to it," Shen Cheng asked, a trace of puzzlement on his refined face.

"No, everything is normal. Now, take me to the haunted room. Zhuochen and I will stay there tonight," Old Qi said, masking his emotions. He took one last glance at the study before leading Qi Zhuochen out.

That night, Old Qi and his grandson Qi Zhuochen were to stay in Wanyou’s former room, which was next to Shen Cheng’s. As soon as they entered, a faint scent of magnolia wafted towards them. A curious look appeared on Qi Zhuochen’s adorable little face. "What’s this fragrance?" he asked.

"That’s the Magnolia Fragrance my sister loved most when she was alive," Wanqian said, standing at the doorway, not daring to enter. Hearing Qi Zhuochen’s question, she had naturally responded.

While she didn’t dare to step inside, Shen Cheng followed them in, watching Old Qi look around.

"The room has always been well-maintained, and everything inside is arranged just as Wanyou kept it when she was alive," Shen Cheng explained, his voice trembling slightly. "Last night, Wanyou... she was looking for her perfume, and then a bottle of Magnolia Fragrance perfume actually appeared in her room." Despite his desperate attempts to forget the previous night’s events, the more he tried, the more vividly they replayed in his mind.

"You two should go back and rest as well," Old Qi said, glancing at Shen Cheng’s state. "No matter what you hear, don’t get up. Whether it’s human mischief or ghostly activity, leave it to us to handle." He couldn’t help but shake his head inwardly. As the saying goes, if you do nothing to feel guilty about, you won’t fear ghosts knocking at your door at midnight. Shen Cheng and Wanqian must have done many things to weigh on their consciences to be this terrified.

Indeed. Her own sister had only been dead a year, yet the younger sister was already so eager to climb into her brother-in-law’s bed. People like that were clearly no good. No wonder they were scared to death; people like them were bound to meet a bad end.

At precisely twelve o’clock midnight, the entire Shen Mansion was plunged into darkness. Shen Cheng held Wanqian in his arms as they lay in bed, tossing and turning. Although the weather was still cold, they were both drenched in cold sweat. Before trying to sleep, they had turned off their mobile phones and even removed the batteries; they refused to believe the phones could still ring.

The cords of all the landline phones in the house had been unplugged. Eyes closed, they listened to the wind whistling outside. Both were utterly exhausted and would normally have fallen asleep the moment they closed their eyes. Tonight, however, lying in bed, they felt not a trace of drowsiness; instead, their minds grew increasingly alert.

Shen Cheng lay quietly in bed, his mind flooded with images of Wanyou’s confident, smiling face. He remembered her laughing as she threw herself into his arms, asking, "Shen Cheng, do you love me?" The image of Wanyou’s bright smile was so vivid, so clear in his mind. His eyes, which had been closed, suddenly snapped open, and he bolted upright in bed.