Chapter 62

Lin Shu initially thought that Lin Yiqing’s case only involved a custody dispute. However, at the meeting the next day, after Xu Shijia and Xu Mingmei reported their findings, she realized the situation was more complex than she had imagined.

“After getting married, Xu Nan told Lin Yiqing he wanted to give her some security by buying her a house in her name, solely for her,” Xu Shijia explained, showing the property deed. “It’s true. I checked with the property registration center, and the deed is genuine, registered under Lin Yiqing’s name. It was purchased outright with no mortgage.”

Xu Mingmei glanced at the deed. “So, what’s the issue? Was it a pre-sold property, and the developer went bankrupt?”

“No,” Xu Shijia clarified, “I went to see it in person; it’s a finished property.”

“But going to see it in person exposed a problem. At the property’s rental and sales office, I decided to look up this particular development online. Although listed prices for similar properties in this development are high—around seventy million for an identical standalone unit like Lin Yiqing’s—none of them have actually sold at that price.”

“I talked to a sales representative to understand what was going on,” Xu Shijia continued, pulling out his phone. “Turns out, these properties have been listed for years without selling because they aren’t worth seventy million. Those prices are exaggerated, marked up several times over.”

At this point, Xu Shijia cleared his throat and glanced subtly at Lin Shu. “Oh, I went to speak with the sales representative and visit the site in person mostly because of our boss’s excellent training. Every piece of advice Lawyer Lin has given me, I’ve taken to heart. She says, ‘See for yourself, get insight from knowledgeable people, rather than getting bogged down in paperwork alone.’ That’s why I sought out the sales representative—just to do my job thoroughly, not because I chat casually with random people.”

He looked at Lin Shu with a hint of meaning, adding, “Remember the factory investigation trip? You advised us not to rely on documents alone and to gather information in person, so that’s what I did here. Really, it’s all for the case, to help our team boost its success. Otherwise, I’m not someone who randomly approaches strangers—this was purely for work.”

Noticing that Xu Mingmei wasn’t paying attention, Lin Shu shot a sharp look at Xu Shijia.

Reporting work was one thing, but why the sudden effort to prove his innocence? Did I even say anything?

Fortunately, Xu Shijia knew when to stop. Seeing that Lin Shu understood his intent, he smirked slightly and continued with his findings.

“The property was listed at seventy million six months ago, but prices have since plummeted—they just haven’t updated the listings.”

“So what’s the actual value of this property now? How much has it dropped?” Lin Shu asked.

Xu Shijia answered promptly, “Half a year ago, market prices had indeed pushed it to around sixty to seventy million because this land was initially considered top-tier. But now, even with massive discounts, no one wants it.”

“Why?” Lin Shu inquired.

“Originally, this land was zoned for industrial use but was later re-designated for residential use. During the transfer, the landowner disclosed that there were some pollution issues from past industrial activity. With proper measures—like underground water barriers and cleanup—the land could have been suitable for residential use.”

“The issue lies with the developer,” he explained. “To cut costs and rush the project, they skipped the necessary pollution control. About six months ago, residents began falling ill. One young resident, with no family history of illness, was diagnosed with cancer. After reviewing the original pollution disclosures, he suspected that the developer hadn’t dealt with the contamination. A professional inspection revealed high levels of carcinogenic chemicals like benzo[a]pyrene and naphthalene in the soil, failing the required standards for residential use. He publicized the findings, and soon enough, the entire development was labeled as a toxic zone.”

This situation surprised Lin Shu a bit. Although she didn’t pay much attention to the real estate market in Rong City, if something was such a big deal, there’s no way she wouldn’t have heard about it. “But if it’s such a major issue, why hasn’t there been any public outcry?”

“Because the developer sued the homeowner who exposed the issue, claiming they had no authority to hire a third party for inspection and questioning the legitimacy of the inspecting agency. Since it wasn’t a court-ordered forensic assessment, the developer sued the homeowner for defamation. This legal rationale gave them grounds, and with the help of cease-and-desist letters and complaints, they managed to clean up the online chatter entirely.”

“And unfortunately, the homeowner who initially stirred things up passed away shortly after due to advanced cancer. The other affected homeowners, though also ill, were not as severely affected and chose to simply move out, listing their properties for sale. Fearing the incident’s exposure would tank property values, they kept quiet, hoping someone unaware of the situation would take the property off their hands.”

No wonder public opinion didn’t catch on. It’s shocking that an issue of this magnitude hasn’t been reported at all.

“So, only the long-time residents or nearby community members know about this toxic land issue since they witnessed the initial dispute. Others, however, probably have no idea what’s really going on.”

Xu Shijia pointed to Lin Yiqing’s property deed. “So, this house definitely isn’t worth sixty million.”

Xu Mingmei thought it over. “Then, the developer must have deceived people, concealing the property’s condition and selling it to Xu Nan and Lin Yiqing?”

“No, Xu Nan knew about it. He claimed he put in forty million, leaving Lin Yiqing to contribute twenty million for the full payment, but in reality, he didn’t put in a dime.” Xu Shijia pulled out a copy of a document. “When Xu Nan bought the house, Lin Yiqing was suffering from severe pregnancy sickness, so she entrusted all the house-hunting, purchasing, and signing to Xu Nan. He said he knew people at the developer’s office, so even the purchase contract was signed on her behalf by him. She never received the original copy of the contract.”

“Lin Yiqing didn’t suspect anything since Xu Nan indeed handled everything, and with the contract, he processed the property deed for her. She even checked the real estate registry and confirmed that the property deed was legitimate.”

“So after receiving the property deed, Lin Yiqing never asked Xu Nan for the original purchase contract, which she never actually had. When I visited the real estate registration center to retrieve a copy of the initial contract, I discovered the issue.”

Xu Shijia opened the copy and pointed to a specific section. “Look here.”

Lin Shu saw that the purchase amount listed was twenty million.

So, Xu Nan hadn’t put in forty million at all. He simply tricked Lin Yiqing into spending twenty million of her own money to buy the property.

If twenty million buys a house, at least there’s a property; it wouldn’t be considered a scam. But if the property is on a toxic plot…

“Since the toxic land incident, the property value has plummeted. Anyone familiar with the situation knows that the property’s value is nominal, essentially unsellable. Even at ten million or one million, no one would buy it now.”

Xu Mingmei finally understood. “So although this standalone villa Lin Yiqing bought seemed a bargain at twenty million compared to other properties in the area, because it’s on toxic land, purchasing it meant getting trapped. That twenty million is now completely sunk!”

She burst out angrily, “It’s clear this was a scheme set up by Xu Nan and the developer to trick Lin Yiqing!”

What Xu Mingmei couldn’t understand, however, was, “But the money didn’t go directly into Xu Nan’s pocket. Why go through all this trouble? The property was purchased directly from the developer, not as a resale.”

Puzzled, she added, “Could Xu Nan be moonlighting as a real estate agent? Would he really trick Lin Yiqing into spending twenty million just to earn a commission?”

This doesn’t make sense no matter how you look at it.

For now…

“The immediate priority is to find a way to nullify this transaction, to figure out how to cancel the purchase agreement and get the twenty million back.”

Lin Shu hadn’t anticipated things to develop this way and couldn’t shake the feeling that perhaps every step, from Xu Nan’s marriage to Lin Yiqing’s pregnancy and giving birth, was all part of a larger scheme.

She rubbed her temples, turning to Xu Mingmei. “Any new leads on your end?”

Xu Mingmei regretfully shook her head. “We went to look for Xu Nan early in the morning, only to find he’d moved out of his previous address, and we can’t locate him. The child is nowhere to be found either.”

“What about the mistress? Any clues that could help identify her? Have you checked if Xu Nan might be staying with her and the child to avoid Lin Yiqing?”

It was clear Xu Mingmei had thought along these lines too. She sighed, “I suggested the same thing to Yiqing, but she knows nothing about the mistress—no name, address, or even appearance—she only saw their chat records once.”

While the child’s whereabouts remain unknown, the information Xu Shijia gathered about the property still gave Lin Shu some hope for a solution.

“Xu Shijia, you did great in gathering this information through interviews and active investigation. But is this where you stop?”

Lin Shu looked at Xu Shijia, her voice gentle but persuasive. “I’m pleased you remember everything I tell you, but in my eyes, you can do even better. You can not only follow instructions but also analyze the situation to find solutions.”

Sure enough, after hearing this, Xu Shijia felt a bit uncomfortable, clearly eager to prove he could indeed go further.

Lin Shu offered a hint. “This property wasn’t purchased secondhand; Lin Yiqing bought it directly from the developer. And as I casually looked through the materials you collected, I noticed that the developer began registering this property for sale around the time our city enacted its strictest price cap policy.”

Xu Shijia’s memory jogged at her reminder. As Xinhe Group has real estate interests, he recalled his brother and father discussing the price cap policy a few years ago, noting that its sudden introduction left many developers scrambling. The maximum prices weren’t even enough to cover costs, so although developers registered properties at the maximum prices, they chose to withhold inventory instead of selling at a loss.

The property that Lin Yiqing bought was directly from the developer, and a price cap had already been set back then. Since the toxic land issue hadn’t yet emerged when the development began, the developer only released a few units to hype up the market.

Suddenly, inspiration struck Xu Shijia.

His eyes lit up as he looked at Lin Shu. “We could check the initial registered price of this property. If the sale price of twenty million is significantly higher than the registered price, we could sue to cancel the purchase contract!”

A teachable moment.

Lin Shu nodded with a slight smile.

Xu Shijia was indeed improving.

She smiled, “I took a quick look, and it seems that the price Lin Yiqing paid is indeed above the registered price. But you’ll need to access the official channels to retrieve the specific registration price and details, then prepare to take legal action against the developer.”

Although the child’s whereabouts were still unknown, at least they could try to prevent Lin Yiqing from sinking twenty million into a property on toxic land.

With just a little prompting, Xu Shijia managed to work out a plan for handling the case. He couldn’t hide the excitement in his eyes, looking at Lin Shu with admiration and enthusiasm. “Lin Shu, you’re amazing!”

“You’re amazing too,” Lin Shu replied warmly. “If you hadn’t been so proactive in finding these details and filtering out the key information, how could I have come up with a solution so quickly?”

“Xu Shijia, if you keep working hard, you might be even better than me someday.”

…

In the past, Lin Shu would have been entirely comfortable with such a conversation.

But now, with a somewhat “inappropriate” relationship with Xu Shijia, she felt a bit guilty, especially since his admiration for her seemed to carry more than just professional respect.

Fortunately, Xu Mingmei was focused on the case materials, frowning in thought, so she didn’t notice. Otherwise, any normal person could have sensed the undertone in Xu Shijia’s gaze.

When the meeting ended, Xu Shijia claimed he had a work update to report and followed Lin Shu into her office.

Almost as soon as they entered, he smoothly locked the door.

Lin Shu barely had time to react before he picked her up and set her on the desk, then, at eye level, began kissing her.

“Did I do well?”

Without waiting for her answer, he continued, “I did great, and you praised me.”

“So this is my reward.”

With that, he began kissing her cheek again.

“I’ll go talk to Lin Yiqing about the real estate information and explain the handling plan. I’ll keep following up.”

He looked into Lin Shu’s eyes. “So, are you coming to my place tonight?”

A bit awkward, he averted his gaze and cleared his throat. “I don’t have any bad intentions; I just really want to see you.”

It was like when a madman claims they’re perfectly sane. Every man with “bad intentions” insists he has none…

He sounded serious and sincere, though, with a convincingly genuine tone. “Even if it’s just to work overtime and discuss the case with me, I’d still want you to come.”

He added, “And I moved my grand piano to my current place. I’d like to play it for you.”

Lin Shu was surprised. “You can play the piano?”

“Of course. What rich kid doesn’t learn at least one instrument?” Talking about the piano, Xu Shijia looked proud again. “I’m quite good at it. If you can play, we could even play a duet.”

“I don’t know how to play.”

Lin Shu’s teenage years had been too hard-pressed for money to afford music lessons. Lin Shiyao, on the other hand, had learned piano, exuding a goddess-like aura whenever she performed.

Xu Shijia took Lin Shu’s hand, giving her fingertips a gentle kiss. “No problem, I’ll teach you.”

Like a child, he tugged her hand lightly, stopping just in time before she kicked him out of the office.

“I’ll be waiting tonight.”

With that, he unlocked the door, slipped out, and left.

Lin Shu stared at the door he’d just closed and couldn’t help covering her face.

She’d planned to visit the finance department to discuss the reimbursement system, but how could she go like this now?

She looked in the mirror on her desk—her face was clearly flushed.

Who would believe there’s nothing between us?

**

Xu Mingmei watched her son perform brilliantly in the meeting, uncovering a wealth of information. With just a few words of guidance from Lin Shu, he figured out a solution. As his mother, she felt deeply gratified.

Her little boy was growing up. Previously indifferent to everything, now he showed his dedication to this job. Every time Lin Shu praised him, his eyes would shine with pride and satisfaction that no one could fake.

Question Wang Yannan, understand Wang Yannan, and become Wang Yannan.

She was beginning to realize her husband’s decision in this matter was wise.

Lin Shu was indeed an exceptionally capable leader—approachable yet inspiring, someone you’d want to follow and earn approval from.

But while she felt happy for her son, Xu Mingmei couldn’t ignore her own feelings.

Compared to him, she felt inadequate.

She was frustrated and ashamed of her own lack of results.

Although Lin Shu had encouraged her, Xu Mingmei couldn’t shake her disappointment.

Aside from the case, Xu Mingmei was worried about Lin Yiqing, so she stayed by her side. Lin Yiqing had just given birth and was emotionally unstable with fluctuating hormones, and now, faced with such a severe blow, Xu Mingmei feared for her well-being.

After all, when Xu Shijia informed her about the real estate issue, it was just another devastating blow to Lin Yiqing, piling onto her already fragile state.

“Sister Mingmei, I never imagined that this was all a scam from the beginning! He was already planning to take my money when I was pregnant!”

“It’s my fault for trusting him too much, for wanting to prove myself in front of my ex-husband. Now, I’m left with nothing.”

Lin Yiqing’s eyes were red and swollen from crying, barely able to open. “Now, I’ve lost both my money and my heart.”

“Don’t worry,” Mingmei comforted her. “Xiaobao has already investigated it. The developer sold you the property for a price that’s higher than the registered price, which is illegal. He’s started the lawsuit process to void the contract, so you’ll be able to recover the money. It will take some time, though, from filing the lawsuit to getting a decision. In the meantime, focus on resting and healing. We’ll make sure you get justice.”

“But what about my child?” Lin Yiqing’s main concern was clearly not the money but her child. “Sister Mingmei, I didn’t understand before, but now that I’m a mother, I know nothing compares to a child.”

“My child has only been gone for a short time, yet I’m constantly terrified, not knowing who’s with my baby, if they’re safe, healthy, or sick.”

Lin Yiqing spoke the truth. Mingmei had seen her distress over the past few days. Despite the loss of her child, she was enduring the pain and continuing to pump and store milk, fearing that if she stopped, her milk supply would end, and she wouldn’t be able to nurse her child when they were reunited.

As a mother of two, Mingmei fully understood Lin Yiqing’s pain and struggle.

For the first time, Mingmei regretted having become a full-time housewife right after graduation. If she were more like Lin Shu, perhaps she’d be more experienced, more confident, and better able to help Lin Yiqing now.

All she could do was pat Lin Yiqing’s back, offering hollow reassurance. “Once we file for divorce and initiate the lawsuit to cancel the house purchase, Xunan might start feeling pressured and be willing to communicate. At that point, we’ll be able to talk about the child.”

But even Mingmei didn’t quite believe her own words.

Xunan had orchestrated such a meticulous scheme—she doubted he’d be open to negotiation.

Lin Yiqing seemed to share this sentiment, but her grief was so overwhelming that Mingmei couldn’t leave her alone. Given her postpartum state, Mingmei feared that Lin Yiqing might fall into depression. Although legal help was limited for now, Mingmei decided that as a friend, she’d try to take her mind off things.

“You’re just about finished with your confinement period. You need to get out of the house. I was planning to check out a limited-edition perfume. Will you come with me?”

Mingmei gently encouraged her. “I also know a lovely restaurant nearby with great soups that are good for digestion and soothing. I’ll treat you to some, and I’ll get some for Xiaobao as well.”

With gentle persuasion, Mingmei managed to coax Lin Yiqing out of the house.

Just as she’d hoped, being out and surrounded by the lively atmosphere helped distract Lin Yiqing, pulling her out of her nearly depressive state, if only temporarily.

Although it didn’t solve the problem, it was better than letting her dwell on her pain 24/7.

They say scents can be therapeutic for the soul, so Mingmei took Lin Yiqing to a boutique shop of a personal fragrance designer she liked. Mingmei planned to buy some perfumes for herself and soothing essential oils for Lin Yiqing.

As soon as the familiar sales associate saw Mingmei, she greeted her warmly. When she heard that Mingmei wanted essential oils for a friend, she became even more enthusiastic. “Sister Mingmei, we just received a new batch of relaxing, sleep-inducing essential oils. Would you like to buy them all? Many customers had a hard time choosing because they all smell amazing…”

Mingmei was always a decisive shopper, so she waved her hand. “Yes, package them all.”

She’d heard about aromatherapy before and believed essential oils could help with emotional comfort. Glancing at Lin Yiqing, whose eyes still looked sad, she hoped the oils could offer even a few minutes of escape from her painful reality.

“Right away.” The associate responded, taking out a bottle of perfume. “Sister Mingmei, this is one of our designer’s latest, globally limited edition scents. Our city only received two bottles. The first was quickly bought by one of our loyal VIP clients. I saved this one for you because I thought it’d match your usual preferences.”

Claims about reserved items were often sales talk, but Mingmei didn’t mind spending money. Without a second thought, she agreed, “Sure, add it to the purchase.”

The associate went on to praise the perfume. “We have two sample bottles; one was almost entirely used up by clients who loved it, and the second is nearly empty. I saved a bit for you. Would you like to try it?”

With that, the associate took out a nearly empty sample and sprayed it on a scent strip, wafting it close to Mingmei’s nose.

Instantly, Mingmei caught a unique yet oddly familiar scent.

This scent…

Mingmei tensed.

She snatched the scent strip from the associate’s hand and rushed to Lin Yiqing, holding it close to her nose. “Yiqing, does this scent seem familiar to you?”

Although puzzled, Lin Yiqing leaned in and took a sniff. After a moment, she looked surprised. “This scent… isn’t it the same as the incense Aunt Zhou recently started using?”

Exactly!

Forgetting herself, Mingmei exclaimed, “Yes! It’s the scent from Aunt Zhou!”

It felt as if she’d finally stumbled upon a missing puzzle piece!

With Lin Yiqing’s confirmation, Mingmei was certain her nose hadn’t deceived her.

This was indeed the same scent that had been on the highly-praised nanny Aunt Zhou!

This special edition perfume, limited to only two bottles in Rong City, one of which will soon be acquired by Mingmei, and the other…

Mingmei didn’t want to waste another second. She completely lost interest in shopping and was now focused on only one thing—helping Lin Yiqing uncover the truth.

“Yiqing, do you have any photos of Aunt Zhou?”

Lin Yiqing hadn’t fully processed what was happening yet, but she instinctively nodded and pulled out her phone. “Aunt Zhou doesn’t like to be photographed. She always says she doesn’t look good in pictures, but because I’m so grateful for how well she took care of my child, I took a few photos when she was holding him while he was sleeping. I was planning to keep them as memories…”

Mingmei grabbed the phone from her and immediately rushed back to the sales associate. “You said the other bottle of this perfume was taken by a regular VIP customer, right?” She opened the photos on the phone and showed them. “Is this the customer?”

Mingmei gave a casual smile. “This is my friend. I was actually planning to buy this perfume for her. If she bought the other one, I can’t give her the same one.” She smiled at the associate. “In that case, I’ll need to buy something else from you.”

When the associate heard there was more business to be done, she quickly looked at the photo and nodded. “Yes, Sister Mingmei, that’s definitely your friend! I didn’t realize you and Yilan were such good friends, but it makes sense—you both have such great taste, it’s only natural you’d be close.”

“Just yesterday, I was talking to Yilan. Her baby has been crying a lot at night recently. We have a new batch of pure, additive-free calming essential oils that are safe even for babies, so she’s coming to our product launch tomorrow afternoon. If you come, I’ll save you a good seat.”

Yilan? A baby who cries at night?

Mingmei smiled on the surface, but internally, she was already reeling with emotion. She had lost interest in the shopping experience. Quickly purchasing a few more bottles of perfume, she paid and pulled Lin Yiqing out of the store.

As she thought back to the way Aunt Zhou had looked, Mingmei had always found something strange about her demeanor. Now she had the answer.

That Aunt Zhou… was probably *not* an aunt at all!

Who would an old VIP customer hire as a maternity nurse and nanny?

“Yilan, have you heard that name from Xunan?”

“Yilan? Song Yilan?” Lin Yiqing still didn’t fully understand what was happening, but she frowned. “Isn’t that the name of Xunan’s ex-wife? Once, when he was drunk, he accidentally mentioned her name—Song Yilan. When I asked about it, he refused to talk, saying it was all in the past and told me not to mind.”

Bit by bit, the scattered clues began to form a clearer picture.

This wasn’t Aunt Zhou at all!

The woman who cared for Lin Yiqing during her pregnancy, who looked after her postpartum, and took care of the baby—this wasn’t some Aunt Zhou!

It was Xunan’s ex-wife! It was Song Yilan!

“Xunan didn’t have any children with this ex-wife, right?”

“Yes, Xunan didn’t have children before. My son is his first child…” Lin Yiqing replied.

Mingmei felt like she had finally figured out where the child was!

In Xunan’s plan, Song Yilan was definitely involved.

Since she hadn’t had a child when they divorced, how could she suddenly have a baby who cried at night?

Besides, Song Yilan had always been with Lin Yiqing during her pregnancy. There was no way she could have had a child of her own!

The baby who cried at night surely wasn’t hers.

It was most likely Lin Yiqing’s son she was caring for!

Finding Song Yilan would lead them to the child!

With the case starting to make sense, Mingmei’s previous despair lifted, and her spirits soared. She sent Lin Yiqing off and, feeling much better, decided to deliver the soups she had just bought to Xiaobao.

This child, juggling romance and work, couldn’t possibly be taking care of himself properly—he needed to be nourished!

It would also be a good chance to discuss the case with him.