Chapter 117: Chapter 117

None of the onlookers reacted, including Fu Jichen, who turned around instinctively at the noise, only to see Shen Jianian standing there rigidly, one side of her face pale, the other swollen and red.

Seeing Shen Jianian like a puppet, Zhou Ruo frantically grabbed her arm and shook it, using her as an outlet to release all the pent-up pain and emotion of the past few days: "Why are you so heartless, why won’t you let him go? If you want revenge, come at me, why did you have to harm Ah Che! He liked you so much, you..."

"What are you doing?!" Pei Fengnan’s face turned dark, and he harshly stopped his wife.

With so many guests here, all of whom are people of the circle, is there anyone who’s not sharp? She brought up "revenge", isn’t the scene chaotic enough?

Sure enough, everyone looked puzzled and started whispering among themselves.

"What’s Mrs. Pei talking about? I can’t understand a word."

"Isn’t that the one from the Shen Family? She actually returned to Beicheng. She previously made headlines with the Pei Family’s young master, and from Mrs. Pei’s meaning, his death is related to her?"

"That’s impossible, they were childhood sweethearts..."

"I saw she seemed to have come with Fu Da just now, what’s going on."

"Tsk, the rumors might be true. I heard the Shen Family’s downfall is closely related to the Pei Family."

"That’s not something you can say recklessly."

Fu Jichen strode over to the two and rescued Shen Jianian from Zhou Ruo’s hand, shielding her behind him. Facing Zhou Ruo, his gaze was icy: "Mrs. Pei, I understand your grief over losing your son, but in a public place, please conduct yourself with dignity."

He didn’t use honorifics when addressing the elder, showing he’s angry.

Those present turned their gaze to him and Shen Jianian, seemingly having caught on to an earth-shattering secret, everyone in shock.

Zhou Ruo stepped back, teary eyes assessing the tall, cold man in front of her. She couldn’t afford to offend the Fu Family, but she was unwilling to let go of the opportunity to question Shen Jianian.

Ah Che’s belongings consisted only of a phone and a coat.

The phone was taken to technicians to restore data, revealing that his last call before he died was to Shen Jianian.

The call was very short; Shen Jianian might have said something that agitated him, leading him to lose hope.

Going to that place to race was essentially a suicide mission.

Earlier in the year, one night, Ah Che was drunk at a bar and passed out by the roadside. Someone called the Pei Family, and she personally went with the driver to pick him up. Ah Che was so drunk he was unconscious, murmuring Shen Jianian’s name, saying he wanted to give his life to her.

As a mother, it was both heartbreaking and helpless to hear. She advised him for a long time after he woke up, to no avail.

Recalling this, Zhou Ruo felt as if her heart was being torn apart. She stared at Shen Jianian with red-rimmed eyes and a gaze full of hatred: "Speak up, what kind of poison did you put in him that caused him to lose his life, with his body nowhere to be found, was it intentional?"

Zhou Ruo’s expression was unfamiliar to Shen Jianian.

For the past twenty years, she had always been an elegant and gentle elder who would affectionately call her "Little Nian," wipe the sweat off her forehead with a smile, warning her not to catch a cold.

She had never seen her looking so haggard and hysterical.

In Shen Jianian’s moment of distraction, Zhou Ruo suddenly knelt in front of her in public, bypassed Fu Jichen, grabbed her clothes, shaking her head, sobbing uncontrollably: "Auntie was wrong, I shouldn’t have hit you. Please tell Auntie what Ah Che said to you before he died. Did he mention me, how could he bear to leave me and his father?" She seemed delusional, muttering towards the end, "We are suffering for our sins, let Heaven punish us, it has nothing to do with my son. He was such a good child, how could he be gone, my Ah Che..."

Everyone was stunned by what they saw.

Pei Fengnan’s temple throbbed, fearing others might overthink. He pulled his wife up and, with a steady voice, explained to everyone: "Please understand, ever since the incident with the child, my wife has been slightly mentally unstable."

He called over a relative of the Pei Family to take Zhou Ruo to rest.

The suspicion in everyone’s eyes slowly turned to sympathy. Mrs. Pei not only sent away her only son but losing the only child in the family is unbearable for anyone.

Fu Jichen led Shen Jianian away.

The rain outside poured, splashing on the ground. Qu Mo, seeing the two come out from afar, came over with an umbrella. The limited space under the umbrella couldn’t accommodate two people.

Fu Jichen took the umbrella from his hand, shielded it over their heads, wrapped Shen Jianian’s shoulder with his arm, pulling her closer to him, sheltering under the umbrella.

Qu Mo, braving the rain, ran back to the car and turned on the windshield wiper.

When the two got in the back seat, he silently turned up the air conditioning temperature and drove off.

Fu Jichen instructed Qu Mo: "Go to Yunding Palace first, then to the company."

Hearing his voice, Shen Jianian slightly snapped back to reality, realizing he had work to deal with, she said, "I’m fine. Drop you at the company first, then I’ll go back."

Fu Jichen was indeed busy, so he agreed to her plan.

The car turned at the next intersection, heading towards the Junshan Group building.

The car remained quiet for a while, Fu Jichen looked at Shen Jianian, raised his hand, and gently brushed her cheek with his thumb, his expression slightly stern: "When you get home, ask Aunt Cheng to find some ointment for you."

Bringing her to pay respects to Pei Che was meant to help her bid farewell to the people and things of the past, not expecting her to get slapped for nothing.

"I understand." Shen Jianian lowered her eyelashes.

Seeing her looking downcast and lost, Fu Jichen pulled her into his arms, resting his chin lightly on her head, offering silent reassurance.

After nearly an hour of driving, they arrived at the Junshan Group headquarters.

Realizing Fu Jichen was leaving, Shen Jianian, without waiting for him to speak, voluntarily withdrew from the warmth of his embrace, straightened the strands of hair blown across her face, and turned her head to look at the towering building outside the window.

Although she grew up in Beicheng, this was her first time passing by the Fu Family headquarters building, much grander than the Shen Family’s office building, difficult to see the top.

High places are chilling; Fu Jichen stands in such a position, not knowing how much pressure he endures.

"Would you like to go up and take a look?" Fu Jichen, seeing her lost in thought gazing at the building outside, invited her with a smile in his voice.

Shen Jianian withdrew her gaze, turned to look at him, and slightly curved her lips: "No, you go ahead."

Fu Jichen paused, his big hand cradled her head, leaned in to plant a kiss on her forehead, reminding once again: "Don’t forget to apply the ointment on your face."

Shen Jianian watched him get out, walk up the steps, and his figure disappearing behind the glass door, moving further away.

The car restarted, and Qu Mo heard a soft voice from the back seat: "Let’s not return to Yunding Palace first." Then she gave an address.

Qu Mo thought for a moment; isn’t it the cemetery?

He didn’t ask much, followed her instructions, and drove to the cemetery, stopping halfway.

Shen Jianian pushed the car door open, with her body leaning out, propped up an umbrella outside, and went to a flower shop operating by the roadside, buying two bouquets, one of lilies, and one of daisies.

Back in the car, she patted her clothes, accidentally soaked by the rain: "Let’s go."

A short drive further led to their destination; the car parked under a cypress tree, looking ahead were long stairs leading up to the cemetery gate.

Qu Mo sat in the car, hand resting on the steering wheel, through the intermittently clear and blurry windshield, watched Shen Jianian holding the two bouquets in one hand and the umbrella in the other, slowly walk up, her figure looking particularly frail.

Knowing it would be a while before she came out, Qu Mo lit a cigarette, barely had a few puffs before the boss called, first asking: "Has she reached home?"

Qu Mo was choked by the smoke, truthfully reported his current location.

There was a silence on the other end, and after a while, he said quietly: "After she comes out, make sure to take her home safely."