Jiang Xiaoyu sat in the back seat. In a certain sense, the two people could be considered his guardians—one was driving, and the other sat in the passenger seat.
Jin Ge raked his hair and glanced at the Cat Cub obediently sitting in the rearview mirror, head lowered as he looked over the documents. He asked Ye Qingxu beside him, “How did Mr. Ye and our Little Yu meet? Are you distant relatives? I’ve never heard him mention having a relative like you.”
From the information provided by Ye Lian and his own investigation, Ye Qingxu knew that there was someone named Jin Ge around Jiang Xiaoyu. He was very grateful that the other had saved his child back then. He smiled politely and said, “We’re not relatives… Little Yu has a friend who knows me, and through his introduction, I met Little Yu. The courtyard of the place where Little Yu lives now was designed under my supervision.”
Jin Ge was inwardly surprised that the miserly Cat Cub would actually hire someone for design work. But he didn’t expose the little cub in front of others and instead grinned. “The world is full of wonders. Seeing how much Mr. Ye and Little Yu resemble each other, I thought there must be some blood relation between you two. So it’s just a coincidence?”
He said this, but he didn’t see Ye Qingxu refute it. The man ignored his question and instead curved his eyes toward Jiang Xiaoyu in the back seat. “Little Yu, how about I treat you two to Western food? There’s a new French restaurant in the city center, and I’ve heard the food is excellent.”
Jiang Xiaoyu put down the documents and waved his hands repeatedly. “Just buy some ingredients at the market on the way. Eating out is too expensive!” A French restaurant—it sounded like a place he couldn’t afford. Besides, although Ye Qingxu was living in his house now and he truly had no intention of charging him rent, he couldn’t keep letting Ye Qingxu foot the bill like this. There was no reason for that.
Ye Qingxu didn’t push upon hearing this and drove the two to the market. He really wasn’t the type to cook and had never been to a place like this. He followed behind Jiang Xiaoyu, stepping carefully, like a mother hen guarding her chicks or a god of wealth ready to pull out his wallet and pay at any moment.
Jin Ge followed at a distance behind them. Taking advantage of the gap while they were buying vegetables, he had someone pull up Ye Qingxu’s information: not even forty-five years old, returned from overseas, multiple international design awards, permanent residency abroad, and more. He was an exceptionally outstanding person. Jin Ge lit a cigarette and took a drag, thinking that this was a connection that shouldn’t even exist by eight poles. But looking at their identical faces, he narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.
Jiang Xiaoyu’s cooking was just average—after all, his motto for eating was to fill the stomach. But Ye Qingxu ate as if he were savoring delicacies from land and sea, with an excellent appetite.
After the meal, Jin Ge smiled with a cigarette dangling from his mouth and asked Ye Qingxu, “This is my first time in this area. Mr. Ye, want to take a walk with me to digest the food?”
Jiang Xiaoyu was about to clear the dishes when he heard this and quickly said, “Then help me walk the dogs. Let them do their business and come back.”
Jin Ge laughed and cursed him for being cheeky, then took the assorted dog leashes and left the courtyard with Ye Qingxu.
This summer wasn’t short—even after the Start of Autumn, it was still quite hot. Jin Ge felt a bit restless as he walked the dogs, wondering how to broach the topic, when he heard Ye Qingxu say, “Mr. Jin, thank you for taking care of Little Yu all these years.”
Jin Ge was extremely surprised. The cigarette dangled from his mouth without him even thinking to smoke it. He asked, “Does your relationship with Jiang Xiaoyu really put you in a position to say that to me?” From what angle? Was he thanking him on Jiang Xiaoyu’s behalf for taking care of him?
Ye Qingxu first curved his eyes apologetically, then said very seriously, “You are his master and have looked after him for so many years. I won’t hide it from you—Little Yu is my child.”
Jin Ge’s heart sank. As expected, he thought. But on the surface, he asked in surprise, “How do you mean? I’ve known Little Yu since he was nine. I’ve met his parents too. How did he become your child? If he really is your child, where were you when he was living in the Welfare Institute?”
Jiang Xiaoyu wasn’t here at the moment. If he were, he would be shocked to see the usually sloppy and carefree Jin Ge with such a cold, mocking expression on his face.
“It was my fault. I was too foolish and missed so many years of this child’s life.” Ye Qingxu smiled bitterly, glossing over the painful past details, and explained how Li Shouhai had stolen his child and handed him over to Li Shouping to raise.
Jin Ge asked, “Where is this Li Shouhai now? Why did he steal the child?”
“I’m still investigating why Li Shouhai did it, but he’s been dead for some years now.” There was undisguised hatred on Ye Qingxu’s face. “If he were still alive, I would make sure he…” He didn’t say the words “live worse than death,” but Jin Ge got the sense. He asked, “What about the child’s mother?”
Ye Qingxu’s expression was frank. “We’re not together. Just treat her as if she doesn’t exist. Now that I’ve found Little Yu, I only want to take good care of him. I want to take good care of my child.”
Jin Ge sneered. “This kid is awfully stubborn. Even if he learns the truth about his background, he won’t easily open his heart to you.”
Ye Qingxu said, “I know, but I’ll keep trying until the day he accepts me. Until then, please, Mr. Jin, don’t tell Little Yu the truth for now. I’m afraid he won’t be able to accept it all at once and will only feel more upset.”
The cigarette had burned to his mouth. Jin Ge spat it out with a curse and, thinking of the Shapeshifters’ situation, asked, “Mr. Ye, what are your thoughts on cats?”
Ye Qingxu was stunned, not quite understanding what he meant. Then, remembering Jiang Xiaoyu’s courtyard full of cats and dogs, he hurriedly said, “I, I’ve never kept pets before, but since Little Yu likes them, of course I’ll take good care of them too.”
Jin Ge kept a mental note and probed, “Little Yu really likes them. He often talks to the cats and dogs as if communicating with them. Don’t find it strange if you see it.”
Ye Qingxu smiled and said, “Of course not. As long as Little Yu likes it. Let me hold the dogs’ leashes. This kid gets up early every day just to walk them. From now on, I’ll help him with it.”
Jin Ge furrowed his brow slightly but said nothing more. He just pondered inwardly. From the looks of it, Ye Qingxu didn’t seem to have been in contact with Shapeshifters and didn’t understand cat or dog speech. So, was Jiang Xiaoyu’s Shapeshifter talent from family genetics, a true genetic mutation, or perhaps from his mother’s side?
—
Jiang Xiaoyu was completely unaware of the conversation between Jin Ge and Ye Qingxu. Having a new direction for his suspicions, he began investigating.
Zhang Pangpang’s hand hadn’t fully healed yet, so the two simply took a cab to Wan Universe. Upon arriving at the magnificent building, they happened to run into Yang Guo getting out of a nanny van.
A swarm of entertainment reporters rushed over. Yang Guo stood smiling at the entrance, answering questions.
“Yes, preparations for the film and TV adaptation are already underway.”
“Thank you all for your support. I’m also very much looking forward to it.”
“There will be a new album too, but I don’t have a schedule right now. It’s planned to be ready next year.”
He seemed to be in a good mood, completely unaffected by the anomaly at his home a few days ago.
Zhang Pangpang stood to the side and snorted coldly. “Looks human, acts like a dog. Puts on a good show.”
Jiang Xiaoyu pursed his lips and patted Zhang Pangpang’s arm, saying softly, “Let’s go in first.”
With their investigation warrant, Wan Universe had no choice but to cooperate with the police. When they requested to question Yang Guo, the other side hesitated. “Please wait a moment. I need to consult the higher-ups and arrange an interrogation room.”
Soon, three middle-aged men in formal suits walked in. The leader nodded to Jiang Xiaoyu and Zhang Pangpang, his tone polite but with a hint of distance: “Officers, sorry to keep you waiting. I’m the manager of Wan Corporation’s legal department. Please follow me.”
Jiang Xiaoyu and Zhang Pangpang exchanged a glance and followed the three into the building.
When Yang Guo entered the interrogation room, his expression wasn’t great. He was led to his seat by legal and said sharply, “I don’t know what you want to know, but your actions are affecting my work! I’ll complain to the relevant departments!”
Jiang Xiaoyu remained unmoved and said gravely, “Mr. Yang, you have the obligation and responsibility to cooperate with the police.”
Zhang Pangpang also kept a straight face, knocked on the table, and got straight to the point. “Mr. Yang, where were you on the day Jiang Fei died?”
Yang Guo’s gaze had been on Jiang Xiaoyu. This guy was pretty good-looking; if not for the police uniform, he would’ve thought he was a new artist recruited by the company. Hearing Zhang Pangpang’s question, he shifted his gaze. Noticing the bandage on Zhang Pangpang’s hand, he furrowed his brow slightly before calmly saying, “I had a commercial performance at Reid Europe that day. I was resting in the lounge all noon.”
Jiang Xiaoyu asked, “We checked the call records. Jiang Fei called you that day.”
“Yeah, it was the company’s relocation celebration that day, and there was a commercial performance. He called to check on me, and after hanging up, I didn’t hear from him anymore.” Yang Guo seemed a bit impatient and preempted, “Officer, I stayed in the lounge all noon. I remember there are cameras there. You can just pull the surveillance footage. I never left, so how could I be involved in Jiang Fei’s death?”
Jiang Xiaoyu looked at him calmly and asked, “The exact time of Jiang Fei’s death hasn’t been disclosed publicly. How did you know we were asking about noon?”
Yang Guo’s face stiffened for an instant before quickly recovering. He said, “Isn’t everyone saying that? The body was discovered in the afternoon, so his time of death must have been before then. Right, Jiang Fei went out on errands that morning and called me to say he was coming to Reid Europe right after the morning commercial performance ended, so his time of death was probably within that timeframe.”
Zhang Pangpang was taking notes as Jiang Xiaoyu continued asking, “What did Jiang Fei do that morning?”
Yang Guo said, “Who knows what he went to do? He just said he was going out on business.”
“Do you know Luo Xi?”
Hearing this name, Yang Guo’s expression clearly became unnatural. He shifted his position on the chair a few times, thought about it and seemed to feel there was no need to hide, then regained his composure and said, “I know him. He’s Jiang Fei’s lover.”
“Were you aware that Jiang Fei went to Luo Xi’s home on the morning of the day he died?”
As if weighing how much the police already knew, Yang Guo pursed his lips, then said seriously, “Jiang Fei did tell me he was going to see Luo Xi, but matters regarding Luo Xi involve the company’s confidentiality agreement, so I can’t reveal too much. I can guarantee that Luo Xi and I are colleagues to some extent on normal days with no excessive interactions. As for him and Jiang Fei, I only know they’re lovers; I don’t know anything else.”
He finished in one breath, then showed a bit of distressed expression and added, “That day… when Jiang Fei called me, he said he’d stabbed Luo Xi… I don’t know what conflict arose between him and Luo Xi leading to one death and one injury, but this matter really has nothing to do with me.”
Zhang Pangpang snorted coldly. “When you say this matter has nothing to do with you, do you mean Luo Xi getting stabbed, or Jiang Fei getting stabbed to death?”
Yang Guo remained composed. “Of course, neither.” He seemed utterly fearless, bolstered by his perfect alibi at the time of Jiang Fei’s death.
Jiang Xiaoyu crossed his fingers on the table. His voice was very calm, yet it exploded like a thunderclap right by Yang Guo’s ear. “Mr. Yang, the film and TV drama you’re preparing involves quite a few fight scenes, right? No plans to hire martial arts stunt doubles or the like?”
Yang Guo suppressed his shock and smiled calmly with curved eyes. “No such plans. I’m a perfectionist with my own works and always insist on handling them personally. I believe that with my own hard training and the support of a professional team, we can shoot action scenes that satisfy the audience, so no need for stunt doubles.”
Jiang Xiaoyu nodded lightly and changed the subject. “Then I wish Mr. Yang every success and overflowing wealth.”
Yang Guo was already starting to sweat by now but endured and fielded a few more questions. When they summoned the next person, he pushed open the door, his hands and feet ice-cold, and called Zhao Peng. “What about that stand-in? Tell him to keep his mouth shut!”
It was getting dark when they left Wan Universe.
A cold expression crossed Zhang Pangpang’s round face. “This company’s confidentiality work is really top-notch.” They’d checked everyone connected to Jiang Fei at such a massive company, yet hadn’t gotten even a scrap of info.
Rain began to fall. Jiang Xiaoyu covered his forehead and said calmly, “Entertainment company—how could they survive without tight confidentiality?”
His phone rang in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw it was Ye Qingxu. “Mr. Ye?”
“Little Yu, you off work soon? I’m heading home from downtown and can swing by the police station to pick you up.”
Jiang Xiaoyu pulled Zhang Pangpang under shelter from the rain. Hearing this, he said, “No need. I’m handling a case near Reid Europe and can take a ride back later.”
“That’s perfect! I’m nearby in Reid Europe grabbing food. Rain’s picking up—send me your location, and I’ll come get you.” Excitement was clear in Ye Qingxu’s tone.
Jiang Xiaoyu hesitated, glanced at Zhang Pangpang’s bandaged fingers, and said softly, “Okay then. Sorry to trouble you.”
Ye Qingxu hadn’t returned to Pine City for decades and wasn’t familiar with the local landmarks. He didn’t follow the entertainment industry either, so he naturally had no idea Wan Universe had a branch here.
But even if he knew—even if he knew he’d run into that person there—he still would have gone. Because it was raining, and his child was waiting there for him.
