Tao Fengche suddenly widened his eyes in shock, exclaiming, “How is that possible?!”

He instinctively blurted this out, and before Xu Song could respond, he realized he had lost his composure.

Tao Fengche raised a hand to stop Xu Song from speaking, then closed his eyes to steady his rapid breathing. After a moment, he lifted his head, his gaze clear, and his tone deliberately calm.

“Have you found the murderer?”

He appeared composed, but his slightly trembling hands betrayed a hint of his true emotions.

Xu Song sighed inwardly, pretending not to notice Tao Fengche’s slip, and lowered his gaze to avoid meeting his eyes. His expression was one of complete respect. “There is no murderer. Liu Tianlei committed suicide.”

“What exactly happened?” Tao Fengche furrowed his brow slightly. “Wasn’t he confined to the ICU, with bodyguards stationed outside twenty-four hours a day? How did he find the opportunity to commit suicide? What was the weapon?”

“The weapon was a dinner fork.” After meeting Tao Fengche’s puzzled gaze, Xu Song shook his head. “It wasn’t something we provided to him.”

Xu Song spoke calmly, methodically laying out everything he knew.

“Liu Tianlei’s abdominal gunshot wound had almost healed, and he was able to walk normally. The reason he remained in the ICU was because visiting hours were restricted, and the people who could interact with him were very limited, making it easier to monitor. You should be aware of this, Young Master.”

Seeing Tao Fengche nod, Xu Song continued.

“Yesterday evening, after dinner, Liu Tianlei suddenly said he wanted to take a shower. He had occasionally requested showers after dinner, and without any additional orders, the bodyguards would accommodate him within reason. After Liu Tianlei made his request, the bodyguards searched the bathroom as per protocol, confirming everything was normal and that no life-threatening instruments were present before allowing him in while they stood guard at the door.”

“For privacy reasons, the bathroom door is not transparent, meaning the bodyguards outside couldn’t see inside. Liu Tianlei usually took about ten minutes to shower, but this time, when fifteen minutes passed and he still hadn’t come out, the bodyguards found the door locked from the inside when they tried the handle.”

“They called out Liu Tianlei’s name, but all they could hear was the sound of running water. After they forcibly entered, they found… Liu Tianlei lying naked on the floor, with a steel fork embedded in his throat, almost the entire length of it.”

As Xu Song narrated, Tao Fengche began to visualize a scene in his mind—an empty bathroom with blood staining the floor, diluted by the flowing water, the cold body of a middle-aged man on the ground, and the weapon glinting with a metallic sheen at his throat…

Although the protagonists were different, this scene eerily mirrored the nightmare that had haunted Tao Fengche all night—where the story ended in death.

He shut his eyes tightly, trying to dispel the gruesome images in his mind and the dreams that surged back, but it was futile.

Moments later, he opened his eyes in frustration, letting the bloody scene swirl in his thoughts, and asked, “When my brother received the call last night, was it when the bodyguards discovered Liu Tianlei’s body?”

“Yes. After they found Liu Tianlei in the bathroom, they rushed him to the emergency room and then called Young Master Sui. When Young Master Sui arrived with the forensic team, they found…”

“The fork only had Liu Tianlei’s fingerprints.” Tao Fengche interrupted Xu Song, completing the thought for him.

“Correct.” Xu Song affirmed his deduction.

“If there had been other fingerprints, that would have been truly strange.” Tao Fengche smirked, a hint of sarcasm in his smile, then nodded. “I understand.”

His tone was calm, with no discernible rise or fall, and Xu Song couldn’t gauge his emotions, only watching as he pushed away his half-finished bowl of rice and stood up, instructing, “I’m going back to my room. Bring me the electronic version of the scene photos later.”

…

After returning to his room, Tao Fengche waited less than five minutes before Xu Song arrived with a tablet.

He took the tablet, staring at the photos that closely resembled the scene he had visualized for a long time, even zooming in with his fingers to scrutinize every corner, examining various details, yet like the people sent by the Tao family, he found no abnormalities.

It was as if Liu Tianlei had prayed day and night, and the deity had responded to his call, granting him a fork to help him understand his life and seek liberation.

…But how could that be?

Tao Fengche was an atheist, having never believed in deities or the lie of “God loves everyone.” Moreover, even if deities existed, how could someone as wicked as Liu Tianlei be deserving of their mercy?

He narrowed his eyes, pondering for a while before sending the photos to his phone, then handed the tablet back to Xu Song. “Haven’t you found the person who gave him the fork yet?”

“No.”

“Has the information been sealed?”

“Yes, Young Master Sui ordered it immediately.”

Tao Fengche nodded noncommittally, suddenly shifting his gaze from his phone to Xu Song.

He didn’t verbally dismiss Xu Song, and Xu Song didn’t dare to leave easily. Their eyes met in the air, Tao Fengche’s gaze piercing as he scrutinized the butler who had watched him grow up, as if searching for some flaw.

Xu Song remained still, his gaze unwavering, his expression serene, radiating a sense of conscience.

Even as Tao Fengche’s eyes examined him thoroughly, he maintained that calm demeanor.

No one knew how long Tao Fengche stared at Xu Song; time seemed to freeze in the room. After a long moment, Tao Fengche finally averted his gaze, as if nothing had happened, and casually waved his hand.

Xu Song slightly bowed and silently retreated to the door, thoughtfully closing it behind him.

“Click.”

Tao Fengche, who had been sitting straight at his desk, suddenly slumped forward at the sound, his entire demeanor relaxing.

The hardwood chair was hard, particularly with its exquisite carvings—beautiful but uncomfortable. Yet Tao Fengche seemed to lose sensation, curling up in the chair.

He closed his eyes, sorting through the overwhelming amount of information in his mind.

The circumstances surrounding Liu Tianlei’s suicide were filled with oddities.

From start to finish, aside from the bodyguards at home, only three people knew Liu Tianlei was in this hospital—himself, Xu Song, and Sui Yuesheng.

First, he could rule himself out; the possibility of Xu Song betraying him was negligible; even if one of the bodyguards had developed ulterior motives, after he informed Sui Yuesheng the night he returned from Liu Tianlei’s mistress’s home, the latter would have certainly gone through the list of bodyguards stationed at the hospital to ensure nothing went wrong…

…Could it be that Sui Yuesheng had made a mistake?

But this was Sui Yuesheng—that didn’t make sense.

Tao Fengche’s brow knitted into a frown as he struggled to find a lead. A clue flickered in his mind; he desperately tried to grasp it, but he found the answer hard to believe.

—If the person who intentionally killed Liu Tianlei was Sui Yuesheng, then everything would make sense.

He indeed had the motive and capability, but if it was him… Tao Fengche didn’t want to think about that possibility.

Just a few months ago, he had suspected him and said some harsh words. Now, whenever he remembered that, he was filled with regret, wishing he could travel back in time to strangle that loose-lipped version of himself.

They had only reunited for less than four months; if you exclude the days Sui Yuesheng was away on business, their time together was minuscule.

He was the first person Tao Fengche had truly liked and likely the only one.

Tao Fengche didn’t want to dwell on it, nor did he want to investigate further, but often, one cannot decide their actions solely based on personal feelings.

After all, he was the only son of Tao Zhixing, groomed for inheritance for so many years; he couldn’t ignore those doubts.

He hadn’t been blinded by the so-called feelings of love, nor was he manipulated by emotions to that extent.

Moreover… Sui Yuesheng had always been deceitful, just like… almost everyone thought he was a beta.

But what if he was wrong? What if he misjudged Sui Yuesheng again and hurt him once more?

Tao Fengche bit his lip hard, gnawing on the inside of his mouth, his mind in turmoil.

Right now, everything was just his speculation; he had no evidence, nothing to stand on. If he suspected Sui Yuesheng based solely on this…

—Wait!

Suddenly, a light bulb went off in Tao Fengche’s head. He pulled out his phone and carefully scrolled through his contacts.

Although Sui Yuesheng was now the head of the Tao family, Tao Fengche still held some authority as the last remaining descendant of the Tao bloodline.

Sui Yuesheng had ordered him not to go out, and the bodyguards strictly enforced this, but when Sui Yuesheng didn’t give an order, there was still room for maneuver—just like recently when he took advantage of Sui Yuesheng attending a dinner to instruct the bodyguards to accompany him outside.

The bodyguards wouldn’t ask many questions and wouldn’t gossip afterward.

However, if he let the current bodyguards stationed at home go out, it was hard to say whether Sui Yuesheng had ordered them to monitor his movements; they would report back to Sui Yuesheng, who would quickly catch on to his intentions.

But that didn’t mean there weren’t other ways.

Even if Sui Yuesheng instructed the bodyguards at home, he might not have informed everyone—like those who happened to be on vacation.

Tao Fengche bet that Sui Yuesheng hadn’t widely publicized his house arrest.

Thinking this, he finally found the person he wanted in his contacts.

Xia Jun, who had accompanied him to the traditional medicine factory and to Liu Tianlei’s mistress’s house, was the youngest among the bodyguards, only a few years older than him, and had a lively personality. They were around the same age and had chatted a few times, so Tao Fengche had saved his contact information.

He remembered Xia Jun saying he wanted to use his bonus to buy a bag for his girlfriend, and after returning from Liu Tianlei’s mistress’s house, he took a vacation not long after, saying he wanted to spend time with her, and the end date for that vacation seemed to be recently…

Tao Fengche pondered for a moment, then cleared his throat and dialed his number.

“Young Master, what can I do for you?”

The call was picked up quickly.

“I remember you’re currently living with your girlfriend? Is it a good time to talk?” Tao Fengche suddenly asked.

“Sure. My girlfriend went back to her hometown a couple of days ago; I’m the only one at home right now.”

Tao Fengche nodded, “I encountered a rather tricky matter. Even though you’re still on vacation, I’ve thought it over and feel you’re the most suitable candidate…”

“Is it an outdoor assignment?” Xia Jun understood, “Just give the order, young master. I’ve been cooped up playing games these past few days, and I’m getting restless. It’d be great to get out for a bit.”

“That’s good; I’ll make sure to compensate for the lost vacation later.” Tao Fengche smiled in agreement, moving on from small talk to the main issue, “You should still remember the ‘abandoned’ Chinese medicine factory in the suburbs of Jingpu, right? I need you to go there.”

“I need you to head out right away. No need to go inside, just take a look from a distance to see if it’s still operating normally. Call me with the details afterward. But there’s one thing you must pay attention to.” Tao Fengche slowed his speech, emphasizing each word, “You absolutely must not let anyone know about this.”

“I understand.” Xia Jun, realizing the seriousness, dropped his teasing tone and said solemnly, “Young master, you can rest assured. I’m on my way.”

“Good.”

After hanging up the phone, Tao Fengche leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes, and after a long time, he let out a sigh.

What could be done had been done; now, it was just a matter of waiting.

He feigned a nonchalant demeanor, as if he had suddenly dropped the idea of going out, continuing with his studies and reviews at home. In the afternoon and evening, he shifted his workouts to the gym and even accepted the bodyguards’ requests to spar.

Sui Yuesheng hadn’t returned all day, but Tao Fengche didn’t inquire about his whereabouts, which relieved Xu Song and the bodyguards who had been anxious.

A little past ten at night, while Tao Fengche was soaking in the bathtub, his phone suddenly rang beside him.

He glanced over and saw “Xia Jun” flashing on the screen.

Tao Fengche felt like he was strapped onto a runaway roller coaster, his heart racing out of control. After taking several deep breaths, he finally pressed the answer button.

“Hello?”

“Young master, everything at the medicine factory is normal, and the delivery trucks are coming at regular times and frequencies. Since you instructed not to alarm anyone, I didn’t steal any of the medicine, but I hid nearby to observe. The shape and size of the temperature-controlled boxes match exactly what was brought back that night; it should be the same thing.”

The sword of Damocles hanging over him finally fell, and with its sharp edge, Tao Fengche felt exposed and vulnerable.

His heart sank like a ton of lead, plummeting downwards, and he trembled all over, unable to hold onto anything. The phone slipped from his grasp and fell to the bathroom floor, sliding several meters across the smooth tiles due to inertia.