No Earrings

Secretary Lin and Chen Xiaowen were both stunned.

Aunt Liu glanced at Secretary Lin with a trace of disdain in her eyes. “Indeed, Mrs. Cai never wore earrings.”

“I told you already, Uncle. This man is not your son!”

At this moment, Sun Fanghong felt as though a heavy burden had been lifted from her chest, and her face now carried a faint smile.

Xu Shaowen looked toward Cai Yongcheng, who nodded. “Yes, my wife never had pierced ears. However, this earring does look familiar, as if I’ve seen it somewhere before.”

Sun Fanghong froze for a moment, and Cai Qi quickly interjected with a laugh. “Uncle, diamond earrings like these all look the same. It’s normal for them to seem familiar.”

“Is that so?” Gu Xicao interrupted Cai Qi’s words. “But isn’t it possible that this familiarity is because Mr. Cai saw someone else wearing this earring before? For example, Madam Sun, you seem to be wearing diamond earrings yourself.”

Sun Fanghong instinctively reached up to cover her ears. When she realized everyone was now staring at her, a flash of panic crossed her face. She quickly retorted, “What does this prove? Yes, I like wearing diamond earrings, but that doesn’t mean this one belongs to me.”

“Mr. Cai,” Gu Xicao addressed Cai Yongcheng, “Twenty years ago in Hong Kong, there were very few people who could afford diamond earrings. Do you remember if Madam Sun ever had such earrings?”

Cai Yongcheng thought for a moment before shaking his head. “I don’t recall.”

Sun Fanghong quietly breathed a sigh of relief, while Chen Xiaowen’s expression grew more disappointed.

Noticing this, Cai Yongcheng felt an inexplicable sense of kindness toward Chen Xiaowen. Unwilling to see him disheartened, he added, “However, when my son was born twenty years ago, my wife insisted that we take a family photo. Perhaps we can find some clues there. Aunt Liu, go upstairs and bring down the photo album.”

“Yes, sir,” Aunt Liu replied and went upstairs.

Sun Fanghong stared at the earring in growing anxiety, her mouth dry and her thoughts racing. She vaguely remembered losing an earring after finishing a certain task years ago and had casually stored the remaining one without wearing it again. Could this man truly be A’Bao?

When the photo album was brought down, Cai Yongcheng opened it and turned to the family portrait. Everyone crowded around to look.

Although the photograph was in black and white, the few family members in it made it easy to spot. The diamond earrings on Sun Fanghong’s ears were clearly visible.

Cai Yongcheng held up the earring for comparison. “It’s the same one. Fanghong, this earring belongs to you!”

“Bro—Brother-in-law…”

Sun Fanghong stammered, her voice lacking confidence. “The earrings may look the same, but that doesn’t mean he is A’Bao. This is such an important matter; you must investigate thoroughly to avoid wronging someone!”

“Wait!”

Gu Xicao suddenly flipped through the album to its last page and pointed at a man sitting in a chair in one of the photos. “Cai Sheng, look at this person. Who is he?”

Cai Yongcheng’s pupils trembled as he looked. “This is my father! Ah, I see now. Xiaowen looks so much like him! No wonder I found him familiar earlier but couldn’t place it!”

The man in the photo wore a long gown and a round hat. Even a casual glance would reveal that Chen Xiaowen bore a striking resemblance to him—at least 70% similar.

“You really are my son!”

At that moment, as he stared at the photo, Cai Yongcheng felt a certainty in his heart. Chen Xiaowen was undeniably his long-lost son, A’Bao!

Chen Xiaowen glanced at the photo, then at Cai Yongcheng. His lips were dry as he stammered, “I—I don’t know. All I remember is being in the orphanage. The director said this earring was found with me, but back then, no one thought it was real. They all assumed it was just glass. I didn’t discover it was a diamond until I grew up…”

“If you are indeed Mr. Cai’s son, A’Bao, then how did Madam Sun’s earring end up with you?!” Xu Shaowen reminded everyone.

Cai Yongcheng’s eyes sharpened as he recalled the detail. “That’s right. A’Bao was only a year old when he disappeared and had just started crawling. There’s no way he could have had your earring without reason. Sun Fanghong, how do you explain this?”

Sun Fanghong and Cai Qi were utterly dumbfounded.

Neither had expected things to unfold in such a way. Lin Secretary’s boyfriend turned out to be Cai Yongcheng’s son, and his resemblance to his grandfather was unmistakable!

“Don’t bother explaining! This is clearly a case of a thief crying ‘stop thief’—losing the child, then pretending to help find him!”

Wang Laoshi sneered with a mocking tone, arms crossed as he watched the drama unfold.

The arrogance of Sun Fanghong and her son earlier was now completely gone.

“No, brother-in-law! How could I do such a thing? I remember now! The nanny, Sister Zhang, who disappeared alongside A’Bao—she must have stolen my earring, and somehow A’Bao ended up with it!”

Sun Fanghong’s mind raced, and she hastily fabricated an explanation. “Yes, that must be it! Uncle, didn’t you search for Sister Zhang back then as well?”

“Ha!”

Gu Xicao couldn’t help but laugh. Setting the photo album down, she remarked, “Madam Sun, do you think your past actions were clever and that you’ve fooled everyone? And now, you want to shift the blame to Sister Zhang?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but if you slander me again, I will sue you!”

Sun Fanghong’s face darkened as she glared at Gu Xicao with venomous eyes, her expression filled with hatred.

Gu Xicao spread her hands. “Go ahead, sue me. Did you think no one noticed when you killed and buried someone in Kowloon Walled City?”

Murder and burial?!

Everyone froze in shock.

Secretary Lin instinctively grabbed Chen Xiaowen’s hand, her body trembling slightly.

Gu Xicao stepped closer to Sun Fanghong, one deliberate step at a time. “It was a rainy day when you committed the murder. Heavy rain. Everyone stayed indoors, and you assumed no one saw what you did. But you didn’t expect that there was a drunkard out buying liquor. He saw you kill someone, and he saw you bury the body. That man is still alive today.

Though such a person wouldn’t want to stir up trouble, if this matter is reported to the police and they start investigating, do you think he would identify you?”

Gu Xicao’s calm and measured words seemed to drain the color from Sun Fanghong’s face.

With a light chuckle, Gu Xicao continued, “After all, a woman with a child, committing murder and burial at a garbage dump-that’s not something one forgets easily.”

Thud-

Sun Fanghong collapsed onto the floor in sheer terror.

She looked at Gu Xicao, her eyes wide with disbelief. “How…how do you know? Impossible! No one knew about this!”

Those few words alone confirmed the truth of everything Gu Xicao had said.

Cai Yongcheng’s face was a mix of shock and fury. Trembling, he pointed at Sun Fanghong, his voice shaking with anger. “Sun Fanghong, you’re worse than a beast! You stole my son and let me search for twenty agonizing years, all while pretending to help. You’re A’Bao’s aunt-how could you be so heartless?! If it weren’t for my wife’s compassion in taking you and your son in, you would’ve been homeless!”

“Uncle, it’s a misunderstanding, really!” Cai Qi stammered, sweat dripping from his forehead. Finding A’Bao meant he had lost the chance to inherit the Cai family fortune, but now his priority was clearing his mother of murder and child abduction charges. If this scandal spread, how could they ever show their faces in society again?

“Shut up! Both of you!” Cai Yongcheng roared, his fury uncontainable. “I can’t believe the Cai family took in two ungrateful wretches like you!”

He turned to Secretary Lin, his voice trembling with rage. “Secretary Lin, call the police-right now! I want them both arrested!”

Hearing this, Sun Fanghong panicked.

Her eyes darted to the fruit knife on the table. Before anyone could react, she grabbed the knife and held it against Secretary Lin’s neck.

“Ah-Lian!”

Chen Xiaowen’s pupils constricted as he cried out in alarm.

“Don’t move! Nobody move!”

Sun Fanghong, like a cornered wild animal, glared at everyone with eyes full of hatred. “If anyone dares to move or calls the police, I’ll kill her! I already have one life on my hands-what’s another?”

“Sun Fanghong, what are you doing?!” Cai Yongcheng clutched his chest, his voice heavy with exertion as he stared at her.

Sun Fanghong gestured for Cai Qi to come closer, then sneered. “You forced me into this! I told you and my sister to adopt Ah-Qi as your son. That would’ve solved everything. But no! You insisted on having your own child. And see what happened? My sister died shortly after giving birth. A’Bao ended up homeless, and I was pushed to kill someone. This is all your fault!”

Even Wang Laoshi, who had seen his fair share of absurdity, was dumbfounded by her twisted logic.

“You-you…” Cai Yongcheng was so enraged that his face turned pale and his lips purple.

Sun Fanghong let out a cold laugh.

“Now, I want you to empty your safe- gold, jewelry, everything. Hand it over, or I’ll kill this little tramp!”

“No, don’t hurt her! If it’s money you want, I’ll give it to you!” Chen Xiaowen, his face flushed and veins bulging, pleaded, turning desperately to Cai Yongcheng for help.

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Cai Yongcheng said, “Fine. I’ll give you whatever you want-just don’t hurt Secretary Lin.”

Sun Fanghong’s greed was insatiable. Even after receiving gold and jewelry, she demanded the keys to a Mercedes-Benz. Holding Secretary Lin hostage, she retreated toward the exit, instructing her son to start the car.

“Madam Sun.”

Gu Xicao’s voice rang out, stopping Sun Fanghong in her tracks. “Don’t you want to know how I knew you killed Sister Zhang and kidnapped the child?”

Sun Fanghong hesitated, slowing her steps. Her focus shifted to Gu Xicao. “Didn’t you figure it out through divination?”

Gu Xicao exchanged a glance with Secretary Lin, who blinked subtly in acknowledgment.

“No,” Gu Xicao said, her voice low and deliberate. “Your sister came to me in a dream.”

Her tone dropped further, forcing Sun Fanghong to strain to hear. “She asked me to ask you…”

“That wretch? What does she want to ask me?!” Sun Fanghong snapped, irritation flaring.

Now!

Gu Xicao suddenly shouted, “The police are here!”

Instinctively, Sun Fanghong whipped around to look. Behind her, there was nothing but a staircase, empty and silent.

Realizing too late that she had been tricked, she turned back, only for Secretary Lin to bite down hard on her hand. With a swift push, Secretary Lin disarmed her and shoved her down the stairs.

Chen Xiaowen wasted no time. He pounced on Sun Fanghong, pinning her down. Xu Shaowen and the others rushed forward to apprehend Cai Qi.