Nyoi-Bo Studio

  Nyoi-Bo Studio

  “It was an assassin from the Crimson Sand Organization, but we don’t know who sent him,” Shi Yan said.

  An assassin from the Crimson Sand Organization?

  … Chao Yan?

  He said he would not do anything to hurt Fu Tingyu.

  Even if someone else had hired the organization, he could have still rejected it.

  So why did not he reject the hit?

  Chao Yan had asked what her plans were in Xi Yan before she arrived in the locale. He must have known someone had put a mark on Fu Tingyu’s head and hired an assassin from the Crimson Sand Organization.

  Qin Shu clenched her blanket tightly. Chao Yan, how could he do this to her?

  That night…


  Qin Shu ate her porridge slowly. Even though she had lost her appetite long ago, she continued spooning mouthfuls of porridge into her mouth. She had to eat something, or she would not recover her strength.

  She could not taste anything. It all tasted the same, whether the porridge or the accompanying side dishes. Bland. Only a dim awareness that told her she had to finish her food kept her from wasting it.

  Shi Yan knocked on the door and entered the room. When he saw Qin Shu sitting on the hospital bed, her face devoid of colour, he could not help but hesitate.

  Qin Shu heard the door opening and looked up. It was Shi Yan. “Is there any news of him?” she asked.

  “Ye Luo just returned with news. He said that a body of a man washed ashore. The body is of a similar size as the Fourth Young Master…”


  Before Shi Yan finished speaking, the bowl in Qin Shu’s hand clattered to the ground, spilling its steaming contents all over the floor.

  Qin Shu spoke with a tremor, “… Say that again.”


  “Young Madam Fu, Ye Luo has asked if you would help in identifying the body…”


  The final few words caught in his throat, and Shi Yan found it difficult to utter them.

  Half an hour later…


  Qin Shu followed Ye Luo to the local police station and was led to the morgue by Xiao Yang, who was in charge this time.

  ‘The air in the morgue carried the cloying smell of formaldehyde mixed with a touch of decay. One would have easily missed the faint scent if no one paid attention to it.

  ‘The morgue was fairly empty, and only a corpse covered by a white cloth laid quietly on a cold, metal bed.

  “Facial identification was not possible with the extent of decomposition to the victim’s face. However, we managed to extract DNA from the body, but it’ll take some time before we get the results,” Xiao Yang said as he lifted the white cloth covering the corpse.

  Qin Shu merely took a glance at the corpse without moving too close. Just as Xiao Yang had said, the degree of decomposition was more than 150%. It was impossible to identify the body through its appearance. She stared long and hard before letting out a sigh of relief. Having received the confirmation she

  needed, Qin Shu spun on a heel and swept out of the morgue.

  Shi Yan thought that the Young Madam could not stomach the sight, so he called out, “Young Madam Fu.”


  “It’s not him.” Qin Shu said as she took large strides out the door.

  ‘Was it not the Fourth Young Master?

  Shi Yan was overjoyed. He turned to Xiao Yang and said, “If Young Madam Fu says it’s not the Fourth Young Master, then it can’t be him. Apologies for troubling you, Officer Yang. Please excuse us.”


  Shi Yan bade farewell and chased the Young Madam as she sped down the hall.

  Shi Yan was unsure why he trusted the Young Madam’s judgment so easily, but he did not think she was wrong. It was probably because the Young Madam knew the Fourth Young Master better than he did.

  ‘The weather was better that day than it had been the previous two.

  Qin Shu, Gu Yan, Mo Chengxu, and Shi Yan were at the beach.

  Xiao Jiu left something at the hotel, so Qin Shu asked Ye Luo to accompany him and fetch what he had left behind.

  ‘The beach was undeveloped. It was not a tourist attraction. Almost all the people living in the area were fishermen who lived by the sea.

  “Young Madam Fu, Ye Luo sent people to search the area, but they didn’t find the Fourth Young Master. He sent more people to search the area again today, but they still couldn’t find anything – not at the local hospital, police station, or surrounding residential areas. I’ve mobilized ten submarines to scour

  the surrounding sea,” Shi Yan said.

  Qin Shu looked around. There were several fishing boats docked in the bay.

  “If we can’t find any trace of him, it means he’s still alive. We’ll keep looking until we find him.”


  “You’re right. Brother Yu will be fine,” Mo Chengxu agreed.

  Gu Yan looked at the sea. Fu Tingyu was fine; he had to be. Those who stepped through the gates of hell were as tough as cockroaches, nigh unkillable!

  On the way back, Qin Shu addressed Mo Chengxu, ‘Well visit CEO He tomorrow and get the rights to develop the Yunya Scenic Area.”


  ‘Mo Chengxu was unsure how to react to Qin Shu’s sudden decision.

  Gu Yan and Shi Yan turned to Qin Shu at the same time. Her condition was much better than it had been a few days ago.

  “Tingyu wants to develop this area. I can’t let him down.” Qin Shu explained succinctly.

  She would proceed as planned while Fu Tingyu was away. She would not let the company or her family suffer a loss.

  Everything would be as he had left it without fail.

  ‘Mo Chengxu listened to what Qin Shu had to say. Even though he had never seen Qin Shu’s abilities before, he would go with her tomorrow and follow her lead. ‘Tl make the appointment, then.”


  The next day, Qin Shu and Mo Chengxu visited CEO He’s at his house in Xiyan.

  Qin Shu wore a pure black suit with her hair tied into a ponytail. It made her look neat and capable. She looked like a strong woman who had been in the business world for many years.

  She had not slept well lately, and the dark circles around her eyes were quite pronounced. She put on some light makeup to mask her fatigue to surprising effect.

  Qin Shu was thankful for all the experiences she had faced thus far; if not, she would have collapsed under the weight of the pain she was suffering long ago.

  ‘Mo Chengxu did not have much confidence to obtain the rights to develop the Yunya Scenic Area. That changed, however, when he saw Qin Shu in her imposing get-up. It put his mind at ease.

  Shi Yan also followed them in their visit to CEO He’s mansion.

  At this moment, in Jiangcheng…


  Ye Xue was holding a suit in one hand. It was the suit Jiang Yu had worn on the night it had rained. After spending some time at the dry cleaners, it was as good as new. She had not had the opportunity to return this suit to him but now was her chance.

  She folded the suit and put it away in her handbag, She carried it with her, waiting for the perfect moment to retum it to Jiang Yu at work.

  She saw Lin Wan at the front desk as she walked into the company. It looked like she had been waiting for her.

  Had she been assigned a task already? It was so early in the morning!

  Ye Xue greeted, “Secretary Lin, were you waiting for me?”


  Lin Wan sized up Ye Xue. She had not taken Ye Xue seriously and merely thought this intern would leave as soon as the internship period ended.

  Unexpectedly, she learnt that Ye Xue and Jiang Yu were classmates. They even dated in university.

  It did not seem like Jiang Yu was willing to let her leave even after the internship ended.

  Jiang Yu had informed her that once Ye Xue’s internship ended, she would be transferred to the Planning Department as an understudy supervised by Manager Zhang.

  It was as good as opening the backdoor for Ye Xue.

  It was a threat to her position.

  “Follow me to the breakroom. There’s something I need to say to you.”


  Lin Wan headed to the breakroom without looking back, her words hanging in the air coldly.

  Uncertainty danced in Ye Xue’s eyes. What was there Secretary Lin needed to say that couldn’t be said where they were?

  She left her handbag on the chair and followed Secretary Lin to the breakroom.

  Lin Wan stood in front of the water cooler. She asked, “Secretary Lin, is there something you need me for?”


  “You’ve been here for your internship for quite some time. I’ve seen your work. I ordered you to do these miscellaneous tasks to fast track your promotion so that you’d become an official employee sooner. I’ve reported your hard work to Jiang Yu, and we agree you should be transferred to the Planning

  Department where you wont get bullied by outsiders.”


  Ye Xue was a little surprised. She thought Lin Wan didn’t like her, and that was why she made her do this and that. Ye Xue had not expected Lin Wan to put in good words for her in front of Jiang Yu. Gratitude towards Lin Wan bubbled up from the depths of the heart……