Beneath the Marriage Pact

Chapter 6: Late Visitor, Old Friend's Message (1)

After the floor clock of the villa had struck twelve times, Shen Zhixia rubbed her sore wrist and closed the notebook - the mass production plan of the "Starlight Project" had been revised to the third version, and there was only a little brown residue left at the bottom of the coffee cup. The warm yellow light in the living room shone on the suit jacket draped over the sofa. Ling Xu 'an was still having a video conference in the study, and occasionally a couple of lowered "Southeast Asian supply chain" and "quality inspection standards" came through.

Just as she got up to get a glass of water, the sensor light on the porch suddenly "clicked", followed by three hesitant knocks on the door, as soft as if afraid of startling someone.

Who could it be? Shen Zhixia, frowning, walked to the entrance hall and peered out through the peephole - it was Lin Yue, dressed in an old cotton-padded jacket that had been washed and turned white, with messy hair tied at the back of her head and a bulging plastic bag in her hand.

She quickly pulled open the door, and the cold wind, carrying the smell of fried skewers, rushed in: "Why are you here? It's the middle of the night."

"I miss you, of course." Lin Yue squeezed through the door, rubbed his hands and glanced into the room, his eyes wide open. "Oh my, your place is like a palace... Where is Ling Xu 'an? I'm not disturbing you, are I?" She put the plastic bag in her hand on the shoe cabinet. "I brought you fried pork tenderloin from the night market, the one you used to love the most."

Shen Zhixia closed the door and caught a glimpse of her red nose tip from the cold: "Just from home? Why didn't you call in advance?"

"Yes, you turned off your phone." Lin Yue slumped onto the sofa, grabbed the pillow and sniffed, "TSK TSK, rich people's pillows are all fragrant." She paused for a moment and then became serious, fusing out a neatly folded piece of paper from the inner pocket of her cotton-padded jacket and stuffing it into Shen Zhixia's hand. "Let's get to the point - this is what Aunt Zhang asked me to give you before she left."

Shen Zhixia's heart sank sharply. Aunt Zhang was her foster mother. Last month, Lin Yue said on the phone that Aunt Zhang had passed away peacefully. At that time, she was so busy looking at the test report of the "Starlight Project" that she only asked Lin Yue to take care of the funeral arrangements and had not had time to go back to pay respects.

"Aunt Zhang..." She held the note in her fingertips, the edge of which was so rough that it felt like it had been rubbed over and over again.

I passed away last month due to pulmonary heart disease. "Three days before I left, he suddenly grabbed my hand and pulled out this note from under the pillow, telling me to give it to you with my own hands. And he said... Say 'Qin has the answer you want.'"

Qin? Shen Zhixia was stunned for a moment, her fingertips quickly unfurled the note. It was Aunt Zhang's handwriting, crooked and much more sloppy than usual, probably exhausted when writing - just seven words, exactly as Lin Yue said: Qin Shi has the answer you want.

"Aunt Zhang didn't say anything else?" Her hand, which was holding the note, trembled a little. "How could she mention the Qin family?"

"It's gone." Lin Yue shook his head. "After saying that, I fainted. When I woke up again, I didn't recognize anyone." She grabbed her hair. "I wanted to bring it to you earlier, but you've been causing a lot of trouble a while ago - on the day Qin Zheng was arrested, the small town TV station was broadcasting it. I'm afraid I'll get in and cause trouble for you."

Shen Zhixia didn't say a word, repeatedly scribbling "Qin Shi" on her fingertips. Aunt Zhang has never left the small town in her life and has rarely visited the county town. How could she know about the Qin family? And he said there was an answer... What is the answer? Is it Mom's business? Or "Starlight Project"?

"Right," Lin Yue suddenly slapped her thigh, "Aunt Zhang keeps saying a strange thing before she leaves, saying 'Sorry to Qingyao' - Qingyao is your own mother, isn't she? I always feel like she's hiding something from you."

Shen Zhixia's heart tightened even more. Sorry to her mother? What on earth happened between Aunt Zhang and her mother?

While they were talking, the smart speaker in the living room suddenly went silent - it had been playing light music just now. Immediately after that, the electronic lock at the door made a soft "beep" sound, which was the sound of the lock locking itself. Shen Zhixia subconsciously looked out of the window. The searchlight on the second-floor terrace had come on at some point, and the cold white light swept across the lawn, making people dizzy.

"What's going on? Power outage?" Lin Yue also sensed something was amiss and shrank into the sofa seam.

"It's all right." Shen Zhixia patted her hand soothingly, but her heart gave a jolt - it was Ling Xu 'an's security system. This system usually operates silently and only automatically upgrades when it detects "dangerous keywords", just now... Did the word "Qin's" trigger it?

Just as she was about to go to the study, footsteps came from the staircase on the second floor. Ling Xu 'an stood on the last step, two buttons loose from the collar of her dark home dress, and held a note in her hand - the one she had just left on the sofa in a daze.

His face was a little somber, his jawline taut, and his gaze fixed on Shen Zhixia. He didn't speak, but it was more alarming than any questioning.

"I was about to give you..." Shen Zhixia quickly stood up, and before she could finish speaking, Lin Yue pulled her sleeve.

Lin Yue, probably recognizing Ling Xu 'an, jumped up, wiped his cotton-padded jacket with his hand, stammered: "Ling, General Ling? I'm Zhixia's friend. My name is Lin Yue...

Ling Xu 'an's gaze swept over Lin Yue and then fell back to the note in Shen Zhixia's hand - she had just subconsciously clenched the other one (the one Lin Yue had just given) in her hand. His eyes were cold and his voice had no warmth: "What answer does Qin have?"

Shen Zhixia's heart tightened. Did he hear?

"I don't know either." She answered honestly, passing the note in her hand, "It's Aunt Zhang... It was left by my adoptive mother on her deathbed. That's all she said, nothing else."

Ling Xu 'an didn't answer, just stared at her clenched hand: "One more?"

Shen Zhixia was stunned for a moment before realizing that he was referring to the one Lin Yuegang had given. She quickly handed it over: "This one. I forgot to give it to you just now."

Ling Xu 'an took the two notes and looked at them against the light for a long time, his fingertips pausing on the word "Qin Shi". The living room was so quiet that the ticking of the clock on the wall could be heard. Lin Yue was neither sitting nor standing, and secretly gave Shen Zhixia a wink - meaning "Should I go now?"

"Uncle Zhao has a car ready downstairs." Ling Xu 'an suddenly spoke, not looking at Lin Yue, but as if saying to her, "Let the driver take you back. It's safe."

Lin Yue nodded quickly: "Well!" Then I'll go first, Zhi Xia. Call me if you need anything!" She grabbed the bag on the sofa, walked to the door and turned back, "Yes, Zhixia, Aunt Zhang's grave is at Xishan Cemetery in the small town, free... Go back and have a look."

Shen Zhixia nodded and escorted her to the entrance hall. When he turned back after closing the door, Ling Xu 'an was still standing at the staircase, clutching the two notes in his hand and frowning tightly.

"Don't think too much," Shen Zhixia walked over, "Aunt Zhang is just an ordinary old lady, she probably... I just heard something nonsense."

"An ordinary old lady wouldn't know about Qin." Ling Xu 'an interrupted her, his voice as cold as ice, "nor would he leave a note on his deathbed." He looked up at her, with an inquiry in his eyes, "Did your foster mother have any contact with the Qin family before?"

Shen Zhixia was stunned by the question. She had grown up with Aunt Zhang, who sold tofu in the small town market. She would set up her stall before dawn and come back when it was dark. How could she have the chance to associate with the Qin family?

"None." "Aunt Zhang doesn't even know what the Qin family does. I mentioned Qin Zheng to her before, and she asked me if I was' Boss Qin who sells sugar '," she said with certainty.

Ling Xu 'an said nothing and took the note to the study. Shen Zhixia followed him in and saw him put the note on the scanner, and immediately the enlarged handwriting popped up on the computer screen.

"Look at this paper." Ling Xu 'an pointed at the screen, "It's old letter paper from fifteen years ago, with the printing factory 'Internal Use of the Qin Group' on the edge of the paper.

Shen Zhixia's heart sank sharply. Qin family's internal paper? How could Aunt Zhang have this?

"And this handwriting." Ling Xu 'an enlarged the strokes. "Although it's scribbled, the habit of starting and ending the strokes is very similar to your mother's annotations on the 'Starlight Project' report back then."

Shen Zhixia's breath stopped. Like Mom's handwriting? How could...

Could it be a coincidence? Her voice trembled. "Aunt Zhang didn't have much education. Writing is..."

"It's not a coincidence." Ling Xu 'an pulled up the photos of his mother's report and placed them side by side. "Look at this' shi 'character. The last stroke is picked up to the right. Ordinary people seldom write it like this." He paused, then turned to look at her, with a complicated look in his eyes. "Zhi Xia, your foster mother may not be what you think."

Shen Zhixia took a step back and bumped into the bookshelf, his lower back aching. How could that be? Aunt Zhang was the one who brought her back from the orphanage, the one who boiled eggs for her every morning and sewed clothes for her every evening. How could she have anything to do with Qin Shi and Mother's handwriting?

"It's impossible..." She shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes, "Aunt Zhang won't lie to me..."

Ling Xu 'an came over, reached out to hold her, and suddenly the phone rang. It was Chen Mo calling. He picked up the phone and his face changed abruptly after hearing a few words: "What did you say? A secret room was dug under the foundation of the old warehouse of the Qin family?

Shen Zhixia suddenly raised her head. Old Qin warehouse? Is that the secret warehouse that caught fire before? Is there a secret room under the foundation?

"When did you find it?" Ling Xu 'an's voice tightened. "What's inside?"

"Just now, it was discovered by the fire brigade during the final inspection." Chen Mo's voice was loud on the phone. "I haven't had time to go in yet. There seems to be water inside. We'll have to wait for the pump..."

Ling Xu 'an hung up and grabbed his coat from the sofa: "I'll go and have a look."

"I'll go with you!" Shen Zhixia quickly followed. Aunt Zhang's note, Qin's secret room... There must be an answer hidden in it. She must go.

Ling Xu 'an glanced at her and did not object, but grabbed the car keys and said, "Stay by my side and don't run around."

The car sped up, and the shadows of the trees outside the window became a blur. Shen Zhixia clutched the corner of her dress, her palms drenched in sweat - Aunt Zhang's note had been tucked in a notebook by Ling Xu 'an, and just now she had taken a furtive glance, there were faint marks on the back of the paper, as if it had been written with a pencil and erased.

"Don't hold it so tightly." Ling Xu 'an freed up one hand, pried her hand apart and rubbed it. "The secret room has just been discovered and no one has touched it yet. The clue can't escape."

"I'm not afraid that the clue will get away." Shen Zhixia's voice was muffled. "I just can't figure it out... How could Aunt Zhang have Qin's letter paper? She and my mother... What on earth is the relationship?"

Ling Xu 'an didn't respond, just turned down the volume of the car stereo a little. After a while, he said, "Maybe we'll know when we see what's in the secret room."

It was just dawn when the car turned into the dirt road on the outskirts of the city. A cordon was set up around the old warehouse of the Qin family, and several men in fire suits were busy around the opening under the foundation, the water pump humming and pumping out the murky water.

When Chen Mo saw them, he rushed over quickly, holding a flashlight in his hand. "Boss, Miss Shen, you've just drained almost all the water. You can go down now." He pointed to the entrance, "There are steps down, but it's a bit slippery."

The opening was not large enough for one person to pass through. Looking down, it was dark and musty. Ling Xu 'an asked Chen Mo to take two headlamps, climbed down first, and then reached out to catch Shen Zhixia.

The steps were indeed slippery. Shen almost fell when she stepped on the first step. Ling Xu 'an held her wrist and pulled it into his arms: "Step on it firmly."

The secret room was much wider than I had imagined, about the size of two bedrooms, with several iron boxes piled up in the corner, covered with thick mud. Ling Xu 'an turned on his headlamp and swept it around, and the light fell on the wooden frame by the wall - on which were more than a dozen glass jars, filled with something indistinct and giving off an eerie yellow hue.

"This is..." Shen Zhixia shrank back, a little intimidated.

"It looks like an experimental sample." Ling Xu 'an walked up to the wooden frame, shone his flashlight on the label on the jar, his face darkened. "It's an early battery sample of the Starlight Project, with the date marked on it - two years earlier than the final draft your mother left."

Shen Zhixia leaned in and saw that the label indeed read "2012.3 Experiment No. 07", and below it was a line of small print: "Energy conversion rate 37%, to be optimized". In Mom's final draft, the conversion rate had reached 65%, and it turned out that the early experimental records were hidden here.

"Could there be... in that iron box? Before Shen Zhixia could finish her words, she saw Ling Xu 'an squatting in front of an iron box, using a crowbar to pick the lock. The lock was so rusty that she jumped in fright when it dropped with a clang.

There was nothing special in the box, just old documents, mostly wrinkled by water. Ling Xu 'an flipped through it, then suddenly stopped and handed her a photograph: "Look at this."

The photo is a bit blurry and looks like it was taken secretly. In the background is the old office of the Qin family, with a woman in a white coat standing in the middle, with her back to the camera, writing on the blackboard with the formula of the "Starlight Project" on it. Next to the woman stood a middle-aged woman in a blue shirt, handing her a water cup - it was Aunt Zhang!

Shen Zhixia's hand trembled and the photo nearly dropped to the ground. How could Aunt Zhang be in Qin's office? And with mom?

"Aunt Zhang back then... Was it Mom's helper? Her voice trembled and her mind was in a jumble.

Ling Xu 'an didn't say a word and pulled out the diary again. It was a hardcover notebook with the Qin logo printed on the cover, and the handwriting on the first page was exactly the same as Aunt Zhang's note - Aunt Zhang's diary!

"12 May: Qingyao said today's experimental data is incorrect and asked me to check it again. She stayed up for two nights, her eyes red like a rabbit, and I secretly put goji berries in her cup."

"12 July 8: Qin Zheng came again, staring at the experimental records for a long time, Qingyao locked the data in the safe. Qingyao told me in the evening that if something happened to her, I should hide the final draft and never give it to Qin Zheng."

"September 3, 2012: Qingyao is gone. Qin Zheng searched the office but couldn't find the final draft. He suspected that I had hidden it. I sewed the manuscript into Xia Xia's cotton-padded jacket and took her to the small town. Qin Zheng would never have imagined that what he wanted was on a baby doll."

Shen Zhixia's tears streamed down her face with a "swish". It turned out that Aunt Zhang was no ordinary foster mother; she was the most trusted assistant of her mother. It turned out that the patched cotton-padded jacket she had worn since childhood contained something her mother had guarded with her life; It turned out that Aunt Zhang said "I'm sorry to Qingyao" because she didn't tell herself the truth earlier.

"The final draft..." She sobbed as she asked the cotton-padded jacket which Aunt Zhang had changed into a small quilt and lost during the move.

"It should still be there." Ling Xu 'an patted her back and pointed to the last page of the diary. "Look at this."

The last page features a simple map, resembling the backyard of an old house in a small town, with a cross drawn under an old locust tree. Next to it was written: "The manuscript is buried here. When Xia Xia grows up, let her decide for herself whether to take it out or not."

"Old house!" Shen Zhixia suddenly stood up. "Let's go to the small town right now!"

Ling Xu 'an nodded, just as he was about to close the diary, he suddenly stopped, his fingertips pausing on the small text at the bottom of the page. Shen Zhixia leaned in and saw what Aunt Zhang had added later: "Qin Zheng has a younger brother, Qin Feng, who was responsible for delivering materials to the laboratory back then. He went to the lab on the day Qingyao had an accident."