The Plough

Realizing she had slipped up and revealed a flaw, He You'an immediately shut her mouth and remained silent.

But Yue Dingtang was in no hurry. He sat across from He You'an, in the same chair that Mr. Cheng had sat in when he arrived.

With his hands clasped and his legs crossed, he exuded an air of calm and sophistication. He was practically tailor-made to be a professor, and it was clear at a glance that he was a scholar who had returned from studying abroad. Local scholars typically wore long robes in their daily lives, so there was a clear distinction between the two.

He You'an had seen many handsome men before, but none quite like him. The men she acted with, like Wei Hongxuan, were one in a hundred with extraordinary looks. Otherwise, his wife Su Tao wouldn't be so guarded against other women, treating them like thieves, afraid that Wei Hongxuan would have any entanglements with them.

Even so, whether it was Yue Dingtang or Ling Shu, they were still considered the cream of the crop here.

Ling Shu's handsomeness was completely different from Yue Dingtang's meticulousness. Unlike the latter's attention to detail, Ling Shu was carefree and unrestrained, his peach blossom eyes inadvertently attracting a bunch of uninvited admirers. Whether he wore a cloth jacket or a long coat, he had a different kind of charm.

But right now, He You'an had no mood to appreciate it all. Her mind was in chaos, unable to meet Yue Dingtang's gaze as usual, their wills locked in a tug of war. 

"Mr. Yue, I'm feeling a bit tired and it's inconvenient to entertain you. Please come back tomorrow."

"Miss Qian, your relationship with her is not actually very good."

Yue Dingtang said calmly, adjusting his posture and finding a more comfortable position.

"I've had someone investigate and found that Miss Qian has not been entirely honest. During her time as your maid, she has stolen from you several times. You wanted to get rid of her, but couldn't. So, you are not entirely unsuspicious in her death."

"Ling Shu has a good impression of you and has never suspected you. He believes everything you say and has been following your lead in the investigation. But I am not like that.

"I feel that in this case, you have behaved too innocently and too perfectly, making it feel too unreal. So when Ling Shu helped you search for the killer, I started from a different angle and tried to open the box of truth.

"As a movie star, you have a far-reaching reputation and many people either like or dislike you. But to put it plainly, if you were to die, you would only get one day on the front page of the newspaper. Soon after, a more beautiful, younger, and better actress would appear, replacing you and occupying people's attention.

If you were a high-ranking official, perhaps there would be value in threatening your life through assassination. But Miss He, forgive me for being blunt, those who hate you would either kill you directly or make meaningless threats that cannot mobilize such manpower to harm you repeatedly.

"Since neither of these possibilities exist, there is only one left: these threatening letters were all planned by you alone."

Miss He listened quietly without interruption. Until Yue Dingtang stopped talking, she slowly said, "I thought Mr. Yue came to visit my illness, but I didn't expect him to come and accuse me. May I ask Mr. Yue, if all of this is my doing, why would I harm myself? If there was even a slight mistake today, my life would have been lost. The injuries on my head and shoulders are severe, any doctor who comes can prove it. Why do you have to make such malicious speculations about me?"

Yue Dingtang replied, "That's for you to answer. As I just said, you had a feud with the Miss Qian, but after her death, you didn't mention it at all. Wasn't that intentional concealment? I even have reason to suspect that you deliberately created all of this to kill Miss Qian."

He You'an frowned, "According to what you said, since my maid has already died, why would I need to create this injury myself?" 

Yue Dingtang said, "Perhaps you want to completely clear yourself of suspicion. After all, the matter ends with Miss Qian. Some things are too obvious. The trick of pretending to be sick should have a beginning and an end, a head and a tail."

He You'an sighed.

She felt dizzy, closed her eyes and remained silent for a while before opening them again.

"Mr. Yue, in my mind, you are calm and rational. You shouldn't be so eager to label people. Qian Shi was indeed unscrupulous. I once wanted to drive her away, but she begged me pitifully. I felt sorry for her poor family background and difficult life, so I let her stay. Besides, at that time, Mr. Shen also pleaded for her."

Yue Dingtang couldn't help but raise his eyebrows. "Mr. Shen? Shen Shiqi?"

"Yes," He You'an replied.

How could someone like Shen Shiqi plead for a maid who was not particularly attractive or special?

Not to mention, she had no outstanding qualities. If it weren't for He You'an speaking up, Yue Dingtang would never have thought there was such a hidden truth.

"Why did Shen Shiqi plead for her?"

"Because Qian Shi was sent by Shen Shiqi to monitor me."

He You'an's expression remained calm and unchanged, as if she had not realized she had just said something shocking.

Even Yue Dingtang couldn't help but be stunned.

But He You'an just laughed.

"Mr. Yue, why are you so surprised? It's a well-known fact that I am Shen Shiqi's person."

Yue Dingtang asked, "And what about Chen Wendong?"

He You'an was silent for a moment.

"I can tell you some of what I know about the situation."

"Please do." 

"Many people know about my relationship with Mr. Shen, but he has an extremely strong desire for control. He not only wants to possess me, but also does not allow me to leave his grasp. So, Qian Shi and Chen Wendong, in name, are a maid and a driver who take care of my daily needs, but in reality, both of them were sent by Shen Shiqi to monitor me.

"I need to interact with many people for my work. At first, I thought it was because Mr. Shen didn't trust me. But later, I found out that there were some things he couldn't handle himself and needed me to do it for him. He would give me some documents to pass on to others because my identity was enough to cover up any suspicion. The presence of Chen Wendong and Qian Shi ensures that I won't make any mistakes."

Yue Dingtang asked, "What kind of documents? Is Shen Shiqi not just a businessman?"

He You'an said calmly, "I don't know. I never ask. I believe you know better than me that the less you know, the safer you are."

Yue Dingtang asked, "Then why did you suddenly tell me all this?"

He You'an replied, "Because Chen Wendong disappeared."

Yue Dingtang asked, "When?"

He You'an said, "He was still here this morning, but after the accident on set, he disappeared."

Yue Dingtang asked, "Was there anything strange about it?" 

He You'an said, "To be honest, I did write that note. At the time, I had already noticed something strange about Chen Wendong. He wasn't just monitoring me, he also wanted to kill me. 

"But I had no evidence, so I could only write that anonymous note to warn you all. Who knew that right after that, the accident on set happened. Cheng Wendong came to visit me and happened to be standing under the collapsed beam. He had just left when the beam fell, luckily he was unharmed, but another person and I were injured. So, they suspected that Chen Wendong was the mastermind behind all the threatening letters. He appeared to be targeting me, but in reality, he wanted to kill Mr. Cheng." 

Yue Dingtang said, "I don't understand. Even if Cheng Gong is just a businessman with a wide network and more acquaintances, what ability does he have to make Chen Wendong go through so much trouble? If Chen Wendong really wants to kill someone, he could just shoot and kill both of you when you're in the car with Mr. Cheng."

He You'an replied, "That's not something I should be concerned about. All I know is that Chen Wendong's plot failed, and he fled in a panic without a trace. Mr. Cheng has ordered people to search for him everywhere, and I'm sure they'll find him soon enough, and then we'll have our answers."

"That's not it," said Yue Dingtang, not stopping his thoughts because of her words.

"When you received the first threatening letter, you didn't know Mr. Cheng yet, so Chen Wendong's hypothesis of using you to kill Mr. Cheng is contradictory." 

"There is no contradiction at all. Chen Wendong's initial target was Mr. Shen, but later he switched to Mr. Cheng. He wanted to kill Shen Shiqi and Cheng Gong easily, and make everyone not suspect him. However, it was difficult, so he needed to go through such twists and turns. Otherwise, as you said, I am just an actor. If I die, I die. There is really no need to make such a fuss."

He You'an shook her head, as if sighing about the wickedness of human nature.

"Mr. Yue, I know that you and Mr. Ling have been working hard for my sake. I also feel guilty and will definitely give you both the reward you deserve. Since Mr. Cheng has already noticed, Chen Wendong is unlikely to come after me again. Let's stop investigating this matter."

Yue Dingtang asked, "Did Mr. Cheng tell you all of this?" 

He You'an nodded and said, "Yes, after Mr. Cheng found out about the threats and harassment I had been receiving through those letters, he sent people to investigate. Eventually, they traced it back to Chen Wendong. Chen Wendong became desperate and planned the accident on the set. He even wanted to ambush Mr. Cheng's car on the street before, but luckily Mr. Cheng was alert and nothing happened."

Yue Dingtang pondered for a moment.

"It seems that Mr. Cheng treats you very well. When he saw you with him before, Ling Shu even felt sorry for you for a while." 

He You'an smiled bitterly, "Someone like me, how could I have true freedom of choice? Meeting Mr. Cheng is already a stroke of luck for me. Mr. Ling treats me well, and I know that many people like me because of my appearance and fame, but Mr. Ling treats me like a true friend, with equal respect, always considering me. Talking to him is like basking in the warm spring breeze. Unfortunately, as a wandering actor with no family background, I don't deserve such a good friend. Please convey my apologies to Mr. Ling and tell him not to bother with my affairs from now on."

Yue Dingtang said coldly, "If he hears what you just said, he will definitely come to help you find the murderer. He will never leave you alone."

He You'an sighed, "Then there's no need to say anything. Just tell him that I don't want to pursue this any further."

... 

When Yue Dingtang returned to the hospital room, Ling Shu was already fast asleep.

The light was still on, shining brightly and piercing to the eyes, but Ling Shu had pulled the blanket over his eyes and buried his head halfway in it, yet he could still sleep soundly.

Yue Dingtang walked over and pulled Ling Shu's hand, which was covered by the blanket, out and placed it outside the bed to prevent the needle on the back of his hand from being misplaced.

Ling Shu, unaware of his surroundings, had a slight smile on his lips, innocent and carefree.

Although his forehead was still a bit warm, it had improved significantly compared to before, and he would probably be discharged in a couple of days.

The premise was that he wouldn't continue to torment himself.

Yue Dingtang felt that with Ling Shu's personality, he would probably remember about himself and He You'an sharing a hospital tomorrow, and he wouldn't be able to resist asking for the truth. To avoid running into Mr. Cheng and causing any misunderstandings, Yue Dingtang decided to stay overnight at the hospital to keep an eye on him.

Occasionally, Yue Dingtang had this feeling that he had inexplicably gained a son, and he was especially worried about him.

With this helpless thought in mind, Yue Dingtang leaned back in his chair and entered an uncomfortable sleep.

After a night of bizarre and fragmented dreams, he opened his eyes again to the light pouring in through the curtains.

Yue Dingtang found himself lying flat on the bed, still covered in blankets.

His suit jacket was still there, as were his shoes, but Ling Shu, who should have been lying here, was nowhere to be found.

Yue Dingtang rubbed his forehead, trying to clear his head.

Just then, the door opened and Ling Shu walked in, swaying gently. Wrapped in his coat and still wearing his hospital gown, "Oh, Old Yue, you're awake?" he greeted, acting as though the patient was Yue Dingtang.

Yue Dingtang asked, "Where did you go?"

"I went to buy breakfast!" Ling Shu held up his soy milk and fried dough sticks, "I figured you stayed up all night watching over me, so you must be hungry. Now that you're awake, you can have breakfast."

"I really appreciate it, but do you remember how you got sick?" Yue Dingtang asked.

Ling Shu was puzzled, "I had a fever. Why, did you wake up with amnesia?"

Yue Dingtang took a deep breath and realized that from past to present, people with the surname Ling had a talent for being infuriating.

"If you remember, you should know that going out to eat while still sick can worsen the condition." 

"Thank you for your hard work, Captain Yue. Everything is in order now. Do you know what?" Ling Shu leaned in mysteriously. "Something big has happened!"

Yue Dingtang replied casually, "He You'an is also in this hospital. I found out yesterday."

Ling Shu was taken aback. "What happened to her?"

Yue Dingtang thought to himself, "I shouldn't have been so quick to speak."

"So, what's the big news?" Ling Shu asked.

"Shen Shiqi is dead!" he replied.