Chapter 175: Chapter 175

Even though that scarred face looked somewhat terrifying in the dead of night, Fu Jichen still held his breath and studied it carefully.

The tightly clenched fingers loosened. That wasn’t his Jianian.

Fu Jichen slowly exhaled and averted his gaze. He didn’t need to examine closely; he could tell at a glance it wasn’t her, not even needing to see the face. Just the exposed hand was enough to confirm it wasn’t her.

It was that familiar light blue fabric that initially misled him, causing him to lose his composure.

Fu Jichen turned around and strode out of the morgue, his tense emotions not alleviated even a bit. He hadn’t found Jianian yet, and maybe she was waiting for him somewhere.

The staff covered the white cloth again and hurriedly chased after him, unsure of how to address this gentleman: "Um, are you sure she is not your relative?"

Since he was in such a hurry to come and claim the body, it indicated someone at home had lost contact, and the age and gender were similar to the deceased. He was worried that the other party might have overlooked this and it would be difficult to explain in the future.

The man’s cold voice echoed in the corridor, and soon, the sound of footsteps faded away.

Upon leaving the funeral home, Qu Mo and Song Fang hurried forward, wanting to ask but dared not. Lu Yanzhi straightened himself, extinguished the second cigarette he had just lit between his fingers, observed Fu Jichen’s expression, but saw nothing. He asked, "Is it her?"

Fu Jichen’s answer was still those two words.

Lu Yanzhi let out a long sigh of relief, fearing he’d hear bad news. He took this opportunity to persuade, "It’s so late, first find a hotel to sleep for a bit. After the sun comes up, verify with the police again. Maybe it’s a misunderstanding."

Fu Jichen glanced at the distant horizon, a dark blue expanse. At this moment, he hoped what he said was true. But Jianian did indeed get into that accident-prone taxi.

And now, she was missing.

A dull pain throbbed at his temples. Fu Jichen raised his hand to press it, took a car to leave here, and by the time they reached the city, Song Fang had booked a hotel.

Fu Jichen swiped the room card to open the suite door. The luxurious decor greeted him, exuding comfort and leisure everywhere. He was exhausted, should have fallen asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, yet he was wide awake.

Standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, Fu Jichen lit a cigarette, gazing at the river flowing endlessly through the night, and the majestic, towering Cross River Bridge. His heart was unable to calm.

He endured till dawn with one cigarette after another, watching the red sun slowly rise, its rays dazzling. Fu Jichen unexpectedly felt a sense of "liberation."

The day had finally broken, and he no longer had to wait in vain.

Early in the morning, Song Fang brought breakfast and delivered it to Fu Jichen’s suite. He did not eat, nor did he speak, simply pressing the cigarette in his fingers into the ashtray.

When Song Fang entered, he was met with a strong smell of tobacco. Seeing the ashtray on the table overflowing with cigarette butts, it was evident the boss hadn’t rested.

Sighing silently, Song Fang advised him, "Mr. Lu is right, it might be a misunderstanding, and Miss Shen is out there somewhere having fun. Looking for people also requires energy, don’t ignore your health."

What Song Fang said hardly registered with Fu Jichen. He buttoned up his shirt collar and instructed him, "Come with me to Yanming District Branch."

Song Fang checked the time; if they went now, there would be no one at the police station.

He raised no questions about his boss’s orders, picked up the breakfast, and followed him out of the suite.

Before entering the elevator, Song Fang took out his phone and called Qu Mo, finding out he was already in the car. Song Fang was slightly surprised, then guessed that Qu Mo anticipated Mr. Chen’s quick action, so he had prepared early.

The elevator went straight to the underground parking lot, where Qu Mo was indeed sitting in the driver’s seat of a Mercedes.

This was the car arranged by the local branch after they arrived in Jiang City.

Besides Qu Mo, Lu Yanzhi was also there. He obviously hadn’t slept well. As the car door opened, he had just finished a yawn, his eyes teary. Seeing Fu Jichen, he closed his mouth and noted that he was still wearing the same suit from the previous night, exclaiming, "Haven’t closed your eyes?"

To such superfluous questions, Fu Jichen had no desire to respond. Lu Yanzhi knew he was in a bad mood and asked no further.

The car left the parking lot, the light brightening a bit. The quiet city slowly transitioned into its morning bustle.

Sitting in the front passenger seat, Song Fang turned and handed a breakfast to Lu Yanzhi.

The last meal being the airplane meal, Lu Yanzhi was already ravenous. Jiang City is famous for its many snacks, and his stomach couldn’t help but rumble at the aroma. Just as he was about to take a bite, concerned about those around him, he looked up and asked Song Fang, "Didn’t prepare for your boss?"

Song Fang glanced at Fu Jichen’s face, braved himself to say, "He refused to eat."

Lu Yanzhi reached out, "Give it to me."

Song Fang gave him the other breakfast, which he handed directly to Fu Jichen, "The person hasn’t been found, and what if you faint first? At least eat something to accumulate some strength."

Fu Jichen leaned his arm on the armrest, his hand propping up his forehead, his thin lips drawn tight, unwilling to communicate.

Unable to persuade him, Lu Yanzhi ate his own portion first.

In about half an hour, the car stopped at the side entrance of the police station. The three of them got out in succession, going inside to find all the police involved in this investigation were present, along with the director.

Fu Jichen’s expression eased slightly. He first shook hands with his counterparts, his tone as calm as possible: "Sorry to trouble you all, coming over so early, I hope it hasn’t caused any inconvenience."

"No need to be polite, we all understand Mr. Fu’s feelings." In such circumstances, everyone felt heavy-hearted, unable to show a smile. Director Gao said seriously, "Our Yanming District Branch has formed a task force and deployed extra personnel to investigate this traffic accident. Please be assured, Mr. Fu."

The traffic team’s surveillance footage provided to the police was copied by Song Fang.

A police officer explained on the side, "On the night of the accident, which was the evening before last around midnight, the surveillance cameras along Yangfeng Road and the Cross River Bridge malfunctioned due to heavy rain, causing incomplete footage. The reasons for learning about the accident scene are the footage captured by a preceding camera and eyewitness testimonies from the scene."

Song Fang paused, digesting this news, and hesitantly asked, "So, is it possible that Miss Shen got out of the car on Yangfeng Road?"

Without definitive evidence, the police dared not make promises.

The surveillance footage was played on-site again, having been studied multiple times by several police officers who were very familiar with the scenes inside, offering relevant analysis: "Miss Shen Jianian, as you mentioned, did get into a taxi with the plate number ’Jiang A9Y892’ after leaving the airport. Before Yangfeng Road, she was indeed still in the car, with no evidence of her getting out. The taxi continued to the Cross River Bridge, where a truck hit it. You can see someone sitting in both the driver’s and front passenger’s seats, though their faces are very blurred. As for whether someone was in the back seat, it is unclear. The technicians we brought in attempted to enhance the video clarity, but the results were poor. The rain on the night before last was extremely heavy, visibility was low, and no dashcam was found. If she was in the car at that time, it’s very likely..."

Very likely she fell into the Songli River, yet her body has not been found.

This sentence, the police could not utter.

The footage did not show when the girl in the front passenger seat got on, indicating it was along Yangfeng Road.

It has been verified that this person is not Shen Jianian, so...

Two possible outcomes remain: a good one, where Shen Jianian got out on Yangfeng Road, but the cameras didn’t catch it. The second is what was just mentioned, where she was in the back seat when the car fell into the river, yet remains missing.

It’s feared that since Mr. Fu cannot reach Shen Jianian, the probability of the second outcome is higher.

Fu Jichen watched the surveillance tape of the car accident several times. The back seat area was pitch black, and whether Shen Jianian was inside, he couldn’t be certain either.

At exactly ten in the morning, Pei Che arrived at Jiangcheng First Hospital, ready to enter the ICU to see Shen Jianian.

During the allowed visiting hours, he wanted to spend more time with her, even if he could only see her lying there asleep—it was a form of comfort for him.

Though the comfort was mixed with agonizing torture, he could overcome it, no longer collapsing as he did the first time.

He should understand that her remaining in this world is the greatest blessing heaven could bestow upon him.

The doctor had mentioned, with careful care, she would recover her bodily functions. That would be a long process, and he couldn’t afford to collapse first; he must maintain stable emotions, ample physical strength, and a positive mental state to adequately care for her.

The attending physician had just exited the ICU and encountered Pei Che in the corridor. Remembering something, he approached and said, "Mr. Pei, please wait a moment. Shen Jianian has some belongings with me. I forgot to give them to you last time you came."