Chapter 21

Xie Liuzheng walked over and crouched beside him. "Your doll is adorable. What's its name?"

The little boy lowered his head even farther, his brows scrunching together like caterpillars. Then he cautiously glanced up at her. "Doll."

Curious, Xie Liuzheng asked, "Doll? Its name is Doll?"

The little boy hugged his stuffed puppy tight and repeated, "Its name is Doll."

"That's a lovely name. Is it your little friend?"

"Mm."

"My name is Xie Liuzheng. What's yours?"

"Little... Little Sheng."

On the way back, Duan Xing glanced at Xie Liuzheng several times.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I thought you'd choose Little Sheng," Duan Xing said. "You seemed to like him."

She had taken a liking to Little Sheng, but after hearing Shen Baili's thoughts, Xie Liuzheng wasn't about to decide rashly. "Let's keep looking."

"Okay," Duan Xing said.

Then, as if it were just a casual remark, he added, "Adopting a child really is something to think through carefully."

Xie Liuzheng nodded. Watching the welfare home recede in the rearview mirror, she asked, "What did you say we'd name him if we adopted a boy?"

Delight flashed in Duan Xing's eyes. He mistakenly thought Xie Liuzheng wanted to adopt Duan Sheng.

"Duan Muzheng. Duan Xing loves Xie Liuzheng."

"He'll be a child raised with love."

***At the Xie Residence, Xie Zhiyu received a report from the private detective.

"President Xie, the man you asked us to investigate keeps his nose clean. There are no women close to him, and he hasn't had overly intimate contact with any..."

"Based on what we've found so far, there's no sign Duan Xing is having an affair."

"His private life is almost frighteningly clean. His routine runs between work, home, and the gym, with occasional trips to a beauty salon. He pays close attention to his appearance."

"People around him speak highly of him. They say he's gentle, handsome, conscientious, devoted to his wife, and so on."

As the private detective went into detail, Xie Zhiyu's brow gradually furrowed.

At first glance, Duan Xing's image as the perfect husband seemed flawless, but something about it felt off.

The private detective felt the same way. As a man, he knew men better, and he added, "But I don't believe a man that perfect exists. Give me another week to dig deeper... We found that Duan Xing spends an unusually large amount at the beauty salon. I've sent my apprentice in undercover, but it'll take time to hear back..."

"Okay," Xie Zhiyu said. "Be careful."

"Contact me immediately if you find anything or need help."

The private detective perked up. "Thank you, boss."

What a generous boss. He loved working with wealthy clients like this one, who respected the people doing the work. Most importantly, he paid promptly. It made the detective eager to get the job done.

The private detective was determined to dig up something explosive on Duan Xing. In all his years on the job, he had rarely seen anyone so cautious. He'd nearly been spotted tailing Duan Xing several times, which only proved the man was no ordinary target. There had to be a huge secret behind him.

A huge secret meant a huge payday.

The private detective suddenly saw a bright future ahead. He just had to watch his target carefully. Very carefully.

Lately, though, this social-climbing Duan Xing and the wealthy heiress were preparing to adopt a child

from an orphanage

. If only he could go back to childhood and get adopted by a rich family. His whole life would change in an instant.

But he could only dream. The private detective pulled out his precious camera and snapped shot after shot of Duan Xing leaving on his own.

***After returning from the welfare home, Xie Liuzheng kept reviewing its list of prospective adoptees. Apart from practicing piano and exercising, she spent her time visiting the welfare home with Duan Xing.

After enough visits, Xie Liuzheng noticed something was off about Duan Xing.

She used to trust Duan Xing without reservation. But once the seed of doubt had been planted, her instincts grew sharp.

Duan Xing didn't make it obvious, but Xie Liuzheng still noticed his interest in Furi Welfare Home.

What was there?

Xie Liuzheng thought it over. She had met many children these past few days, but Duan Xing had asked about only one of them twice—Little Sheng.

Could that boy, Little Sheng, have some connection to Duan Xing?

Xie Liuzheng took out her phone and called Xie Zhiyu.

"Auntie."

"Zhiyu, could you..." Before Xie Liuzheng could finish, a thought flashed through her mind, and she changed tack.

"I left something in your office. Bring it with you when you go back, will you? I'll come by the house for it tonight."

Xie Zhiyu's hand paused over the file he was about to open. "Okay."

Was someone monitoring her?

Xie Liuzheng hung up and looked at her phone. She and Duan Xing had bought matching ones.

Duan Xing took off his earphones and checked the location on his phone.

Xie Liuzheng hadn't lied.

Just as Xie Liuzheng had noticed something off about him, Duan Xing had noticed a change in her.

After living together for more than a decade, they knew each other well.

Duan Xing was suspicious and sensitive by nature. The plans he'd been making these past few days were at a critical stage, and he had grown even more cautious. He had even warned Qiao Yun to behave herself. Unless absolutely necessary, they were not to meet or contact each other.

He suspected Xie Liuzheng had discovered something, so he tracked her movements more closely. Fortunately, nothing seemed amiss.

Duan Xing thought he needed to move up the adoption timeline.

***Shen Baili had noticed that everyone had been busy lately. She hardly saw either of the two big shots, Xie Chengyue and Xie Zhiyu, anymore. Her mother, Shen Wan, had made good progress with her sewing lessons.

Today, Shen Wan was taking her measurements to make her a dress.

"How about a blue dress, since that's your favorite color?" Shen Wan looked at her daughter, who had grown into a graceful young woman, and pictured her wearing a dress she had made with her own hands.

Rankings

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Transmigration into a Book

Power Fantasy

Rich CEO

Female Supporting Character Stories

Transmigration and Rebirth Romance

Pumpkin Vine

Mind Reading

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