Chapter 68: Not a relative, not a stranger
He Qian received Yang Xiao's international call today during lunch.
Yang Xiao, who is in the United States, usually reports his progress to He Qian at 10 a.m. every day. The time difference in the United States is exactly around 10 p.m., when he finishes his work for the day and returns to the hotel.
But today, the call came several hours late. He Qian couldn't help but feel anxious. "What's the delay?"
"Boss He! When we were following Xu Keran, we filmed his...his..."
"Speak nicely! Are you trying to drive me crazy?"
Yang Xiao hesitated: "His wife and children!"
"Is there any problem with his wife and children? Send it to me!" He Qian did not hang up, exited the call interface, and directly entered the WeChat chat with Yang Xiao.
Three or five seconds later, I received a photo!
The first time He Qian saw the photo, it was like a bolt from the blue! That face, the face he had imagined thousands of times! It had disappeared from his world for thirteen years, but today it suddenly appeared before his eyes!
It was Qin Xiang! The woman holding Xu Keran's arm was the Qin Xiang he had been thinking about for countless days and nights!
The lower right corner of the photo shows the time the shutter button was pressed: 2022-08-25!!
It was the date in the United States! All of He Qian's beliefs were instantly shattered and crushed! His world felt like it was falling apart!
Qin Xiang is really not dead! She is still alive and well! She is living well in the United States!
In the second photo, Qin Xiang and Xu Keran were both beaming, with a twelve or thirteen-year-old boy standing between them! In the close-up, the child's features were roughly the same as Xu Keran's. There was no need to speculate; it was 80% certain he was Xu Keran's son!
Yang Xiao finally sent him a 15-second short video. Qin Xiang was holding the hand of the boy who was about the same height as her, while Xu Keran was hugging her shoulders on the other side. The family of three was walking happily on the street!
He Qian played it over and over again. This Qin Xiang could talk, laugh, and move around! She wasn't fake! She was alive!
"Boss He! What should I do?" Yang Xiao's scalp was numb! Initially, he was looking for Xu Keran and that background music. He had to find him out and get to the bottom of it. After almost six months of waiting, he discovered such a ridiculous plot! Xu Keran's wife was Qin Xiang! The boss's fiancée who had died thirteen years earlier!
He Qian was speechless, as if there was something stuck in his throat. It seemed that his lungs could not get any oxygen. His mind was gradually becoming confused. He only received one message in his mind: Qin Xiang was not dead!
"Our people have already found the information today and confirmed that Xu Keran's... wife is indeed Qin Xiang! They registered their marriage in May 2009, and the child is theirs. He's thirteen years old this year and was born in the United States in October 2009! I've scanned all the information and sent it to your email."
He Qian listened to the voice coming from the phone. He heard every word, but how could he understand it?
In March 2009, a fire broke out in his mother's laboratory, killing both his mother and Qin Xiang. Qin Xiang was three months pregnant at the time, and they were already discussing a wedding date! Now he's told that Qin Xiang is not only not dead, but has become someone else's wife and even gave birth to a child in October of the same year she "died"!
That child...it was because Qin Xiang was pregnant that they started discussing marriage. Now, should they tell him that the child has nothing to do with him?
For the past thirteen years, he has been brooding over Qin Xiang and the unborn child, and venting all his anger and hatred on Song Li!
What does all the pain Song Li endured matter?
Yang Xiao couldn't see the gloom on He Qian's face at the moment. He knew very well what the age match of the child meant to He Qian. "I've asked someone to find a way to do a paternity test between Xu Keran and the child. Mr. He, what should I do next?"
"Follow them closely, I'll be there in the next few days." He Qian's voice was trembling, and he used all his strength to say this.
"Yes!" Yang Xiao didn't hang up the phone because he could clearly hear He Qian gasping for breath. He was so frightened by this scene that his heart almost stopped beating. His boss must be in a bad condition. "Mr. He, are you okay?"
He Qian locked himself in the office from noon until the end of everyone's lunch break. Even when Li Yueping came to call him, he didn't open the door.
He sat dejectedly on the ground, all his sharpness and pride seemed to have disappeared. His mind was sometimes blank, sometimes messy. How would he face Song Li next?
What is the truth behind the laboratory fire that led to his mother's death? Why did Qin Xiang orchestrate the fire and fake her own death to trick him into traveling to the United States to get married and have children?
What conspiracy is hidden here that he doesn't know about! His mother died in an unclear way, and he must get to the bottom of it!
It was not until he locked himself up for three hours and received a call from Wang Hao that he woke up from his confusion!
"Mr. He, Miss Song went into a wing of the Jinyan Teahouse. We can't see who is inside!"
"What is she doing there?" He Qian focused his attention. Didn't she have an appointment with someone from the Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau at this time this afternoon?
"Miss Song said she wanted to meet a friend and chat for a few minutes, but it's been over half an hour and she still hasn't come out. We're in the teahouse lobby. Yang Lifang just called her, but she said she's out of service. I think the signal in that room must be blocked!"
He Qian got up from the floor and asked, "Didn't you find anyone suspicious?"
"I sent a photo to your phone. I think it's the car of the man who met Miss Song, because besides ours, it's the only car at the door. But I've never seen the license plate. Should I send it to Second Master and ask him to check it out?"
He Qian quickly switched the phone interface and opened the photo sent by Wang Hao. It showed two cars parked next to each other. The white one with license plate "Yuan A SL678" belonged to Song Li, and the one next to her was a black one with license plate "筀A 12345"!
Zhucheng? He Qian couldn't think of any friends Song Li might have in Zhucheng! Zhu A, that would be Nan Ning from Zhucheng...
"Mr. He!" Wang Hao called him, "Should we break in?"
“How many exits does the teahouse have?”
"Two, one in front and one behind. We have people there. I'm sure Miss Song and that person are still inside."
"Then there's no need to go in. Just keep waiting. Even if Song Li leaves first, you two can stay and see who comes out!"
"Yes, Mr. He!"
He Qian forwarded Wang Hao's photo to Yang Xiao. Within two minutes, Yang Xiao called back, "I've seen this license plate before! You asked me to go get some information from the chairman before, and this car was parked right outside the door! The man was in the chairman's study at the time, so I didn't see him!"
"My dad?" He Qian was stunned! Could it be that his own father had come to Song Li?
On second thought, that didn't make sense. Would his father even need to investigate Song Li's information? Besides, the license plate was from Zhucheng! That meant this person had contacted his father before and knew him?
Who else could there be in Zhucheng?
The only thing He Qian could think of was Ling Puyan and Ling Puyan's parents!
That's right! Ling Puyan's parents were in the Southern Military Region in Zhucheng. Before Ling Puyan participated in peacekeeping, he had also spent three or four years in the Southern Military Region!
Is Ling Puyan investigating Song Li? What's the reason? Is Ling Puyan interested in Song Li?
He Qian was momentarily unable to accept this information, but then he felt it all made sense. Those people were only secretly investigating Song Li's information and hadn't done anything to harm her. When Song Nanshan needed a kidney transplant, another group was also looking for the same kidney source! Song Youran had gone missing, only to be returned alive!
They are not only investigating Song Li, but also helping Song Li! If it is Ling Puyan, it is not surprising! At least he will not hurt Song Li!
It's the military's job, no wonder they can't find any traces no matter how hard they try.
He Qian rubbed his temples in panic. Not wanting to hesitate any longer, he called Ling Puyan immediately. He had to confirm this matter immediately!
"Why did you send someone to investigate Song Li?"
"Who are you to Song Li?" Ling Puyan said stiffly, not allowing any intrusion. "I'm investigating Song Li, why are you questioning me?"
Ling Puyan did not deny it, and his calm attitude clearly showed that he had been waiting for him to come to him.
He Qian smiled jokingly. Who was he to Song Li? This was the first time someone asked him this. He had never thought he would encounter such a ridiculous question!
"You have no relationship with her, so why are you so worried about her? You've tortured her for thirteen years, He Qian. What qualifications do you have to control her life? Who are you to question me?"
He Qianru was hit hard, and he felt an unprecedented blow! Yes, he and Song Li had been entangled for thirteen years, and he had never thought about their relationship!
Neither relative nor stranger.
The more Ling Puyan investigated, the more heartbroken he became! He had been living in regret every day recently, hating himself for admitting his impulsive desire to understand Song Li too late, thus trapping her in trouble for thirteen years!
He should have softened his heart when he first met her ten years ago.
Song Li’s current low point in life cannot be compensated by just a few words of comfort, all thanks to He Qian!
"Since you already know, I might as well give you another piece of information. Qin Xiang and Xu Keran have been married in the United States for thirteen years. It was the same year that Aunt Hua's laboratory burned down. The fire happened in March. They registered their marriage in May, and their child was born at the end of October."
"Yang Xiao should have passed this information to you today, right?" Ling Puyan hit his city wall with sarcasm!
This means that this information was first found out by Ling Puyan's people, and Yang Xiao was able to obtain it because Ling Puyan wanted to use Yang Xiao to deliver it to He Qian!
The strength of the military is indeed beyond He Qian's reach!
"I'll give you the truth, and you'll let go of Song Li."
"I will find out the truth myself! Song Li...you are dreaming!"
He Qian's heart was filled with unbearable annoyance. The news that Qin Xiang was still alive had already caught him off guard. Now even his own brother had come out to disrupt his relationship with Song Li, and was even trying to "steal" her from him?!
It's simply a fantasy!
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