Chapter 13: The Whistleblower Was a ‘Female Ghost’?

At the dining table, Old Master Xie frowned the moment he saw Xie Jingting sit down wearing sunglasses.
“What kind of look is that? Who wears sunglasses while eating? Take them off, now!”

He then turned to Tu Shanju with a kind smile and lowered his voice, saying,
“Don’t mind this brat, Xiao Jiu. He’s been spoiled rotten. Grandfather really has to thank you for saving him yesterday. From now on, if you ever need anything, just tell him to do it. If he dares show you any disrespect—I’ll beat him!”

Tu Shanju replied politely,
“Mm. No need to be so formal, Grandpa Xie. He’s Xie Shiyu’s younger brother, and as his fiancée, I couldn’t just stand by and watch something happen to him. As for needing anything from him—not right now, but I’ll let him know if I do in the future.”

She deliberately avoided looking at Xie Jingting while speaking, afraid she wouldn’t be able to hold back her laughter and lose her manners.

“Alright then. Since we’re family, let’s not act like outsiders—are you hungry? Let’s ea— What the heck?! Where did this panda come from?!”
Old Master Xie had turned to face Xie Jingting again and was startled to see his bruised, panda-like black eyes.

Xie Jingting was helpless. Ever since returning home the night before, everything had gone wrong.
First, while showering, the moment he applied body wash, the showerhead broke.
Then, while trying to grab a towel in the guest room, he slipped and smacked the back of his head against the tub.
This morning, he managed to choke on warm water.
As for the panda eyes? While walking through the hallway, the crystal balls on the decorative antlers fell—one landed on each eye.

For someone so physically impaired but mentally strong, making it to the dining table at all was a feat.

Xie Jingting tearfully recounted his tragic string of events.

Just as he finished, Tu Shanju’s expression changed. She suddenly shouted,
“Quick, move! Your bowl—”

She didn’t even finish before the bowl in front of Xie Jingting made a crisp crack and split.

Hot porridge poured out.

Tu Shanju immediately covered her face, unable to bear watching.

Xie Jingting screamed,
“Ahhh! Hot!!”

“Go rinse it with cold water! Quickly!”

“Uncle Wu, call a doctor, now!”

The dining room instantly descended into chaos…

Meanwhile, Xie Shiyu remained completely calm, leisurely sipping from his coffee cup.

Noticing Tu Shanju looking at him, he picked up his chopsticks and placed a fried egg on her plate.
“Eat,” he said.

Tu Shanju tilted her head at him, confused.
“Why didn’t you give him the evil-warding charm?”

That morning, after the two had exchanged glances, she had given Xie Shiyu a charm to pass on to Jingting.

But judging by what had just happened, he clearly hadn’t delivered it.

Xie Shiyu calmly put down his chopsticks, took another sip of coffee, then replied slowly,
“Sorry. I didn’t explain it clearly to Jingting. He misunderstood some things.
But regardless of the reason, you’re going to be his future sister-in-law. He shouldn’t disrespect you.
So, this was a small punishment.”

Only then did Tu Shanju realize why he had asked that strange question earlier:
“If I don’t give him this charm, just how unlucky will he get?”

So her seemingly gentle and warm fiancé was actually a sly, cunning old fox!

Unfortunately, ever since they signed the engagement contract, their fates had become too deeply entwined.
She couldn’t divine anything about him.
Otherwise, she would’ve long since uncovered all his little secrets!

After breakfast, Xie Shiyu visited Jingting’s room before heading to the office.

Shortly after, Tu Shanju received a call from Xie Jingting.

On the phone, Jingting apologized, admitting he was wrong to judge her without knowing the whole story, and that his previous attitude was unjustified.

Only then did Tu Shanju slowly realize:
So the “third brother” had been dissatisfied with her as his future sister-in-law, and that was the reason for his behavior.

No wonder at the airport, when he learned she was his older brother’s fiancée, his face had turned so dark.

Still, Tu Shanju didn’t take it to heart.
She replied with a message:

【It’s fine. You didn’t know, so I don’t blame you. I accept your apology. From now on, your sister-in-law’s got your back!】

Just after sending that message, two news alerts popped up on her phone.

The first headline:
“Chairman of GreenCore Technologies Arrested for Tax Evasion—Whistleblower Turns Out to Be a ‘Female Ghost’!”

Tu Shanju tossed off her shoes and lay belly-down on the bed, intrigued, and tapped into the article.

That morning, the tax bureau director’s office—walls and ceiling alike—had been plastered with printed whistleblower letters, done in the old-fashioned wallpapering style from the 70s and 80s.

All of them accused the GreenCore chairman of massive tax evasion and came with solid evidence.

More importantly, the letters and evidence were signed.

Upon investigation, the name on the documents turned out to be the chairman’s ex-girlfriend—who had committed suicide by jumping off a building years ago.

Hence the article’s headline referring to a “female ghost.”

Of course, while the title was sensational, the article itself included expert analysis, claiming the whistleblower likely used the deceased girlfriend’s name to remain anonymous.

The public was largely convinced by that explanation.

Tu Shanju chuckled coldly.

Sure, that’s what the public would see. But behind the scenes? The tax bureau officials were probably drenched in cold sweat.

After all, surveillance footage would clearly show whether anyone had entered the director’s office.

As for the ghost’s payment for the knife-bartered favor? She hadn’t collected it yet.
Later, she’d light incense and ask her grandfather to help retrieve it so she could close the account.

She swiped away the article and tapped into the second headline:

“Vice President of SanYu Entertainment, Tang Wen, Dies Under Strange Circumstances—Footage From His Home Sparks Panic”

Tu Shanju raised an eyebrow but didn’t click on it.

Instead, she performed a quick divination.

Her heart settled.

One left.
Hopefully, that person moved quickly.

She stepped off the bed and opened the bedside drawer—inside were lollipops in various colors.

On closer inspection, they had no brand labels, only a transparent candy wrapper.

She picked a blue one, unwrapped it, and popped it in her mouth.

Two seconds later, she frowned, and then her entire face scrunched up.

Bad luck—lemon flavor. So sour!

Throwing on her crossbody bag, Tu Shanju headed out for more fun.

…

Meanwhile…

Not far from the Xie family estate, in a nearby villa complex, several police cars were parked in front of a home near the entrance.

Behind the caution tape were onlookers and reporters.

Zhang Xuefeng stood with a dark face, staring down at the body.

He hadn’t even gotten much sleep when he was called in to report early—apparently due to a manpower shortage.

Zhang Yue had come along too, since they hadn’t left yet anyway. They figured they might as well lend a hand.

Besides, this case had caused quite the stir.

Even before the official report came in, security footage from the Tang household had somehow already been leaked online.

After all, the deceased had been a well-known executive in the entertainment industry—a man of considerable influence.

Most shocking of all—
The footage showed his death occurred in the exact same way as Lin Fenglan’s.