The Qi Family readily approved Ding Meiting’s leave request and even prepared a monetary gift as a gesture of concern.
Just then, Qi Yuan returned home.
He strode through the front door and, upon seeing the three members of the Qi Family, acted as if nothing had happened—radiant with joy, as if he’d won the lottery.
Qi Changrong’s reprimand lodged in his throat, his eyes bloodshot and veins bulging on his forehead.
"Dad, Mom, Ruo Ruo agreed to be my girlfriend!" Qi Yuan blurted out, his mind seemingly addled, instantly igniting the fury of the three before him.
Gu Qiao, her usual gentleness and maternal warmth gone, stopped Qi Changrong from raising his hand to strike. Coldly, she asked, "Xiao Yuan, who is Ruo Ruo?"
"Her name is Qin Ruo, and she’s my girlfriend!"
"Are you serious about marrying her?" Gu Qiao didn’t wait for his answer before continuing, "Marrying her isn’t impossible, but at the very least, your father and I should meet her. Arrange a time and place, and bring her to see us."
Qi Changrong hesitated, silenced by a sharp look from Gu Qiao.
"Great!" Qi Yuan was overjoyed. "I’ll ask her tomorrow!"
With that, he dashed upstairs, completely forgetting his earlier dramatic escape through the window.
"Wife, how could you agree to this?" Qi Changrong, still processing, assumed his wife had softened.
Gu Qiao shot him a glance. "Does your son seem normal to you?"
"No."
"Then that Qin Ruo must be up to no good. I suggested meeting her to expose her tricks."
"How?"
"Just leave it to me." Gu Qiao had already befriended Master Xuanfeng. Once she enlisted his help, she’d strip Qin Ruo’s facade bare.
Qi Changrong, of course, deferred to his wife.
"I’ve already secured an appointment with the head of psychiatry at Longjing City’s First Hospital. He’s here on business, and I’m taking Qi Yuan for an evaluation tomorrow," Qi Lin stated flatly, his expression unreadable as ever.
Qi Changrong nodded. "That’s excellent."
Longjing City was the capital, and the chief physician of its top hospital would undoubtedly be highly skilled.
After such a hectic day, Qi Changrong finally retreated to the bedroom. As he lay in bed after his shower, eyes closed, he couldn’t shake the feeling he’d forgotten something.
Half-asleep, he heard his wife murmur, "With all this chaos at home, Xiao Quan hasn’t even shown her face. She’s too detached."
His eyes snapped open, and he sat bolt upright.
That was it—he hadn’t caught up on the latest chapter!
"What’s wrong?"
Qi Changrong reflexively countered, "Yingxue hasn’t appeared either, and Xiao Yuan is closest to her."
"Yingxue is busy with work, and no one informed her. Isn’t it normal she wouldn’t know?" Gu Qiao instinctively defended her adopted daughter.
Qi Changrong stood by the bed, smiling faintly. "Who in this family isn’t busy? She’s in Longjiang City—hardly far from home. Even if she couldn’t return, hasn’t she had two days to at least call?"
Before Gu Qiao could respond, he slipped into the bathroom, hiding away to read the latest chapter of Diary of a Wealthy Family.
The opening paragraphs left him torn between laughter and exasperation.
Clearly, the rift between Qi Quan and Qi Yuan ran deep—a failure of their parenting.
After a moment of self-reproach, Qi Changrong lowered his gaze again.
[Beside her stood an elderly woman with graying temples, dressed in a plain floral cotton short-sleeve, blood trickling from her head. She gazed tenderly at Xiao Mei, murmuring, "Xiao Mei, when are you coming home?"]
His smile froze.
He remembered the young maid who’d just requested leave was named Ding Mei.
The bathroom window was open, the sheer curtains fluttering in the breeze. The summer night’s air carried an unexpected chill, creeping up his spine until his scalp prickled with dread.
Could Qi Quan truly see… those things?
And what about the little boy from the previous chapters who’d called Su Linhai "Dad"? Was he also a ghost?
A cold sweat broke out across his body.
The open bathroom window loomed like the gaping maw of a beast in the dark, ready to devour souls at any moment.
Qi Changrong hurried out, meeting his wife’s concerned gaze. Instantly, he steadied himself.
Perhaps Qi Quan had simply heard about Ding Mei’s leave and crafted those eerie final paragraphs for effect.
Forcing composure, he asked, "Do you remember the exact time Ding Mei requested leave earlier?"
Gu Qiao thought for a moment. "Around 10:15, I think. Why?"
"…"
Qi Changrong sank onto the bed, dazed.
Ding Mei’s leave had to be spontaneous—she wouldn’t have waited until their return otherwise.
Yet Qi Quan had published her story at 10:00 p.m., and writing required advance preparation. She couldn’t have known about Ding Mei’s grandmother’s death beforehand.
Only one conclusion remained.
If Su Linhai’s incident hadn’t convinced him, this undeniable event before his eyes forced him to accept that Qi Quan truly possessed… unusual abilities.
With that realization, he impulsively dialed Su Linhai’s private number.
Though their businesses didn’t intersect, they’d exchanged contacts as a formality.
After two rings, a hoarse voice answered, "Who is this?"
"Chairman Su."
"Ah, Chairman Qi. What can I do for you?"
Qi Changrong tread carefully. "Are you currently in Longjiang City?"
A pause. Then Su Linhai replied, "Chairman Qi, I’m occupied at the moment. Let me call you back tomorrow afternoon."
"Of course. Rest well, Chairman Su."
As the call ended, Gu Qiao asked, "Chairman Su? Which one? Why call so late?"
"Su Linhai of Shengxin Group. His daughter is friends with A-Yuan, and I thought she might know about his situation. But he’s busy now, so I’ll ask tomorrow." Qi Changrong smoothly covered his tracks.
Gu Qiao nodded. "That’s a good idea."
Meanwhile, in a Longtan City hotel…
Su Nuanuan sat beside her exhausted father, urging gently, "Dad, you didn’t sleep last night either. Get some rest. We’ll know the results tomorrow."
The forensic report would arrive the next day, confirming whether the skeletal remains belonged to her brother.
If so, the Su Family would demand justice.
A six-year-old disappearing in Longjiang City only to die in a remote Longtan village? The likeliest explanation was abduction—and they couldn’t begin to imagine the suffering he’d endured before death.
Even after seventeen years, they’d hunt down the perpetrator and make them pay.
For the Su father and daughter, the night stretched endlessly.
At the appointed hour, they arrived at the Longtan City police station and received the report.
When Su Linhai saw the "99.99%亲子关系" (parent-child match) result, he doubled over, overwhelmed by grief.
Su Nuanuan’s tears fell instantly.
Once composed, Su Linhai answered the officers’ questions.
"Mr. Su, you mentioned you’d been searching for your missing son. How did you learn of Su Rong’s death, and how did you pinpoint the burial site?"
Given the suspicious precision of his actions—searching fruitlessly for years, then suddenly locating the body—the police had doubts.
Su Linhai said, "If I told you my son appeared to me in a dream, would you believe me?"
The officers: "…"
No matter how they pressed, Su Linhai and Su Nuanuan stuck to their story.
However far-fetched, they couldn’t interrogate victims’ families without cause.
Su Rong had died in Chihe Village. Perhaps clues lay there.
After leaving the police station, Su Linhai and his daughter took Su Rong's remains back to Longjiang City.
During the journey, Su Linhai called Qi Changrong: "President Qi, this is Su Linhai. Forgive my abruptness, but I’d like to formally visit your daughter tomorrow. I hope it won’t inconvenience you."
Qi Changrong replied after a pause, "...Not at all. You’re most welcome."
Did Su Linhai just say "you" with respect?
The world really had gone surreal.
