Chapter 424: Chapter 424

Xiang Chenyu had just left when Zhao Qian carefully closed the door to the office. He then walked to the window to see Xiang Chenyu leaving.

Xiang Chenyu seemed to sense something and suddenly stopped in her tracks, turning her head to look back.

Zhao Qian immediately hid behind the curtain.

After waiting for a while, Zhao Qian peeked out cautiously. By then, Xiang Chenyu’s figure was long gone.

Zhao Qian let out a sigh of relief and took out his phone to dial a number.

"Someone else is investigating Shen Li. It’s the new director, Xiang Chenyu. I know now."

Xiang Chenyu got into her car, her fingers tapping lightly on the steering wheel.

She had a nagging feeling that Zhao Qian was hiding something.

Shen Li is just an ordinary firefighter, so why is his file classified as top secret? Unless—he has another identity.

The jade pendant and Shen Li... What is the connection? Did he acquire it by chance, or was it originally his?

Xiang Chenyu tightened her grip on the steering wheel and pulled out her phone to activate the navigation app.

"The total distance to Qingzhou Martyrs’ Cemetery is 23 kilometers, estimated travel time 43 minutes. Starting the route now."

The navigation app’s sweet system voice announced the directions.

Forty-five minutes later, Xiang Chenyu arrived at the cemetery on the outskirts of the city and finally located Shen Li’s tombstone in the northwest corner.

The tomb was adorned with fresh flowers and fruits, evidence that someone frequently visited.

Xiang Chenyu placed the flowers she brought in front of the tombstone, stood upright, and saluted.

Ten years ago, in a fire, Shen Li saved nine people. Everyone, including himself, had safely evacuated, but then a little boy cried out, insisting on running back into the flames to find his grandmother. Shen Li, without hesitation, ran back inside.

He never came back out.

Bravery and fearlessness—sacrificing himself to save others from peril. He honored his profession and gave his life to fulfill the mission of a firefighter.

He possessed a noble soul and deserved utmost respect.

"I’m sorry for disturbing you."

Xiang Chenyu knelt on one knee, carefully studying the tombstone.

The photo frame on the tombstone was empty.

Xiang Chenyu scrutinized it closely. Judging by the signs of weathering, there must have been a photo here once.

Why remove the photo from Shen Li’s tombstone? What are they trying to hide?

The deeper she dug into Shen Li’s story, the more mysteries seemed to emerge.

It appeared the starting point was still with Shen You’an.

Two days of exams passed quickly. Google seaʀᴄh NoveI~Fire.net

On the morning of the 21st at 8:00 AM, all the students attending the winter camp gathered on the school field. After roll call by the leading teachers, they boarded buses heading toward the airport.

Qingzhou had a total of fifty-seven students attending. Lanya High School accounted for thirty-two of them, with Class A alone contributing twenty-five.

Besides Lanya, the other schools participating from Qingzhou were Wende and Experimental High School, both top-ranking public schools. The remaining spots for the winter camp were almost evenly split between them.

There were four chaperoning teachers in total. Two were responsible for organizing the itinerary during the camp—A class’s homeroom teacher Meng Junzhu and B class’s homeroom teacher Bao Yuan. The other two were in charge of the students’ meals and accommodations. They were from the school’s logistics department, both in their thirties, experienced and detail-oriented—a man and a woman named Zhou Qun and Guo Hui.

Meng Junzhu called Shen You’an’s name first.

Shen You’an stepped forward and responded, "Here."

Meng Junzhu smiled and glanced at her. "Onto the bus."

Everyone else carried large suitcases and duffel bags as if the seven days in Chunzhou were going to be a vacation.

Shen You’an, however, was an anomaly. She only carried a backpack—which, judging by its size, didn’t seem to hold much. Beyond that, she brought nothing.

She was the epitome of minimalism.

Shen You’an boarded the bus, followed by Liu Runxi. Like Shen You’an, he had little luggage. He glanced at her before taking the seat directly behind hers.

Gao Yu’e, yawning, plopped down in the empty seat next to Shen You’an. "That set of exam papers you gave me yesterday kept me up until midnight."

She pulled a fully completed test paper out of her backpack and handed it to Shen You’an. "I’m exhausted."

After finishing her sentence, she let her head rest on Shen You’an’s shoulder and promptly fell asleep.

Shen You’an took a pen and a book from her backpack, placed the test paper on the book, and quietly began grading it—utterly unaffected by Gao Yu’e leaning on her.

With the bus now full, it departed for the airport.

Shen You’an finished grading in five minutes. Seeing that Gao Yu’e was peacefully asleep, she decided not to wake her.

From the front seat, Yu Lu turned her head, catching sight of this scene. Her gaze was filled with envy.

Ever since Gao Yu’e became close with Shen You’an, her grades had improved dramatically. In the last midterm exam, she nearly caught up to Yu Lu, making Yan Lu feel increasingly threatened.