Investigating Father

The cafe fell quiet again, with only soft background music flowing through the air.

But the air around Zhang Qingxue seemed to have frozen.

Her face had gone a little pale. She took off her glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose hard.

When she looked up again, the last trace of doubt and professional caution in her eyes had been replaced by grief and coldness.

That phone call had been far too typical.

It had begun with family affection, then appealed to hardship, and finally presented a seemingly win-win proposal.

Especially when Zhao Chen had shown hesitation—Zhao Jianguo's instant change in tone and his eagerness to arrange everything did not resemble a father simply thinking of his son, nor someone purely trying to raise funds for the company.

It was more like a carefully designed hunt for the shares in his son's hands.

Combined with Zhao Chen's earlier hints about an illegitimate child and the repeated mentions of shares, an ugly chain of events had already come clearly into view.

"...How could he do that?" Zhang Qingxue's voice was somewhat dry, carrying an icy disbelief. "That was what Suyun—your mother—left you..."

Zhao Chen said nothing. He merely gazed quietly out the window.

After a long while, Zhang Qingxue took a Deep Breath and put her glasses back on.

The shrewd, decisive female lawyer had returned, though there was now a little more determination and protectiveness in her eyes.

"What are you planning to do with the cash? Don't go wasting it recklessly!" Zhang Qingxue was still somewhat worried.

"Aunt Zhang," Zhao Chen said with a gentle smile as he looked at Zhang Qingxue's cheek, "trust me. I definitely won't disappoint you."

Zhao Chen's gaze made Zhang Qingxue's cheeks flush.

That aura of mature steadiness, mixed with the confidence of youth, made her lose herself for an instant.

Zhang Qingxue silently cursed herself.

After steadying herself, she returned to her capable workplace demeanor.

"I'll contact Singapore as soon as possible about pledging the shares. I'll negotiate the best possible terms for you, and I'll review the agreement word by word to ensure your rights are protected—especially the disposal rights and confidentiality clauses."

She spoke quickly, her thoughts clear and organized.

"The moment the funds arrive, they'll be transferred into your designated Offshore Account to ensure the Fund Path is clear and concealed. As for your father, I'll find a way to keep an eye on his movements. At the very least, we need to complete all the Steps before he notices."

"Thank you, Aunt Zhang."

This time, Zhao Chen's thanks were heavy and sincere.

"Don't thank me." Zhang Qingxue shook her head and looked at him with a complicated expression.

"I'm only doing what your mother would have wanted me to do. Xiao Chen, you... have Grown Up. And you're even more clear-headed than I imagined, even..."

She paused. "Even a little frightening. It seems you anticipated all of this long ago."

Zhao Chen tugged at the corner of his mouth slightly, revealing a smile devoid of warmth. "I just don't want to keep being a fool kept in the dark."

Zhang Qingxue looked deeply at him and did not press further.

"Leave this matter to me. Focus on your Studies, and... whatever plans you have, if you need legal or financial support, tell me anytime."

She waved her phone. "Keep my number in mind. My phone stays on twenty-four hours a day—you can reach me anytime!"

Zhao Chen nodded. Looking at the woman before him, who was Two Years Younger than his mother, he Joked, "If we wake you up in the middle of the night, won't Uncle Wu have a problem with that?"

"What problem could he have?" Zhang Qingxue Gave Him A Look, her eyes carrying an indescribable charm.

"He snores when he sleeps. We've slept in separate rooms for a long time already."

Zhao Chen was Stunned. He had not expected that.

The snoring was probably just an excuse. The most likely explanation was that there was a problem with their relationship.

But it was not his place to ask too much.

So he changed the subject. "Aunt Zhang, do you think there's a high possibility that Father has an illegitimate child?"

"Xiao Chen," she began, but she did not answer him directly.

Then her low, resolute voice came through, carrying a lawyer's instinct to get to the bottom of things.

"If... if even one percent of what you suspect is true, then we shouldn't merely be on guard. We need to take the initiative and find out the truth. Waiting passively will only put you in greater danger."

Zhao Chen's heart stirred slightly as he looked at her.

He had considered investigating his father, but he had no connections, and it would be easy for something to go wrong.

Zhang Qingxue turned her gaze back to him and looked straight into his eyes.

"Since you sensed a 'closer choice,' you must have a specific direction for your suspicions. Who is it? Among the people around your father, who is most likely... Or whose appearance or behavior made you think of this?"

Her question was direct and precise, leaving no room for vagueness.

The fingers holding Zhao Chen's water glass tightened slightly.

The icy touch kept him clear-headed.

Of course he knew who it was—Lin Wanqing, that elegant and vicious woman, as well as the child she would later reveal to be his father's.

But he could not simply say, "I know she gave my father three younger siblings for me." He needed to provide a "reasonable" target of suspicion, one enough to put Zhang Qingxue on alert without making him seem clairvoyant.

He lowered his eyes, as though struggling to recall and choose. After a moment, he finally spoke in a low voice, his tone mixed with uncertainty and disgust.

"Lin Wanqing... the company's finance director. Father discusses many matters with her. And she took maternity leave twice, but no one has ever seen her husband."