the truth
Shen Zhihe knew his homeroom teacher, Song Yuhuan, had founded a club. When he found Song Yuhuan, the setting sun was tinting the rust of the abandoned factory a dark red. The wind blew scraps of paper through the rusted iron roof, swirling across the rubble and mixing with the distant whistle of a freight train, making the air heavy and stuffy.
The smell of rust mixed with dust from the abandoned factory hit Shen Zhihe in the face. He stood inside the mottled iron gate, his eyes sweeping over the dilapidated machinery piled in the corner, and finally landing on the figure in casual clothes not far away.
Song Yuhuan was talking to someone nearby with his head down. He looked up at the voice and paused for a moment when he saw who was coming. Then, he suppressed his surprise and walked towards him. Sunlight slanted in through the cracks in the factory building, casting bright and dark shadows on his face. He didn't smile. "Student Chen, I didn't expect you to find this place. Tell me, what do you want from me?"
The club members behind him glanced over at him, their gazes vaguely inquiring. Shen Zhihe, however, seemed oblivious, merely raising his eyebrows slightly. His tone was so flat that no emotion could be discerned: "Teacher, I'd like you to investigate someone."
He raised his hand, pulled a photo from his pocket, and handed it over. The girl in the photo, with her eyebrows curved and eyes smiling at the camera, was none other than Xu Huanxi. "Find out who she's been with, both before and now," Shen Zhihe said, his gaze settling on the photo, his voice lowered. "The more details, the better."
Song Yuhuan paused as she took the photo, then looked up at him with a subtle inquiry in her eyes: "Mr. Shen, is there any special reason why you suddenly checked this?"
"Private matter." Shen Zhihe didn't explain much, just looked at him, "The price is negotiable."
A week later, Song Yuhuan sat on the sofa by the window, his fingertips hovering over the phone screen for a moment before finally dialing Shen Zhihe's number. The moment the call was connected, he sighed softly, his tone carrying a certain indescribable complexity: "Mr. Shen, there are some things... I don't know if I should tell you, but after thinking about it, I still feel that you should know."
Shen Zhihe was silent, his steady breathing the only sound, as if he was patiently waiting for the next words. Song Yuhuan paused, her voice lowered. "The person you're talking about used to be a nightclub's top performer. Everyone who's been to that nightclub knows she had murky relationships with quite a few people."
He paused, as if weighing his words, before continuing, "Moreover, in recent years, she's been particularly close to a man named Li Liang, practically inseparable. I heard from someone she knows that she was previously pregnant with a girl. Considering the timing and relationship, the child... should be Li Liang's."
Shen Zhihe remained silent on the other end of the line, but Song Yuhuan could sense a slight tension in the air. He took a deep breath and delivered the crucial message: "You might not know this, but this Li Liang, while seemingly unremarkable, has a powerful backing that's constantly working against your company. He's considered your father's longtime business rival."
After saying this, Song Yuhuan fell silent. The only sound in the receiver was the shallow breathing of each other, as if they were both digesting this string of news full of secrets and undercurrents.
Shen Zhihe's fingers gripping the phone suddenly tightened, his knuckles turning white. The light from the screen reflected in his deep eyes, but it didn't dispel the coldness within. He froze for a few seconds, his Adam's apple rolling. His voice was strained with suppressed tension: "I'll send someone to your club to give you the money." He paused, his tone suddenly becoming more serious, carrying an undeniable warning, "I hope you can keep my investigation to yourself."
Song Yuhuan coughed softly on the other end of the line, the sound of someone watching a performance unfold. "And one more thing," he said, deliberately whetting her appetite before adding slowly, "I forgot to mention this—that girl has been frequenting the Rose Hotel with Li Liang lately."
Shen Zhihe's heart sank, and his grip on the phone tightened. The Rose Hotel? Of course he knew that place; it was only two blocks from his home. He hadn't expected his usually reclusive and quiet stepmother to be involved in such matters.
"I heard from the front desk that they'll be there tonight." Song Yuhuan's voice was filled with mischief. "If you have time, why not try your luck? You might see something with your own eyes."
As the words fell, the phone was softly disconnected, leaving only the busy tone echoing in his ears. Shen Zhihe stood there, the air around him seemed to freeze instantly. The emotions he had suppressed just now now surged up, a mixture of surprise, anger, and a hint of panic that he was unwilling to admit. He looked out the window. The night was deep, and the direction of the Rose Hotel was hidden in the deep darkness, like a dormant trap, waiting for someone to approach step by step.
It was late at night, and the surrounding noise gradually subsided. Shen Zhihe settled Shen Zhiyuan down, making sure he was asleep, before quietly closing the door.
The Rose Hotel Song Yuhuan had mentioned on the phone pierced his heart like a tiny thorn. He couldn't tell whether it was a glimmer of hope or a subconscious unwillingness to let go of any possibility, but a thought quietly emerged: What if? What if I could actually encounter something here? Perhaps it would solve some of my mysteries.
Once the thought took root, he couldn't suppress it. Shen Zhihe drove to the Rose Hotel, but didn't dare get too close. He chose a patch of dense grass and hid in it. The night wind rustled the leaves, masking his presence. He held his breath, his eyes fixed on the ambiguous neon sign at the hotel entrance.
After an unknown amount of time, a slightly shrill laugh came from far away. Shen Zhihe's heart tightened, and he subconsciously lowered his body, carefully revealing only one eye.
Two figures appeared in his sight. The woman, wearing a burgundy fishtail dress that swayed gently with her steps, outlining her exquisite curves, was Xu Huanxi. The man whose arm she was affectionately holding was a middle-aged man with a noticeable bulge. Shen Zhihe recognized him; it was Li Liang.
The two walked towards the hotel hand in hand. Xu Huanxi had a charming smile on her face and was saying something to Li Liang with her head tilted to the side. Li Liang looked very pleased and patted the back of Xu Huanxi's hand from time to time.
Shen Zhihe hid in the bushes, his fingertips tightening slightly, and a dark light flashed in his eyes. This scene was obviously beyond his expectations.
Shen Zhihe watched the two figures disappear behind the hotel's revolving door. Without a moment's delay, he immediately stepped out from the shadows, trying to make his steps appear casual, and followed them in like an ordinary guest. He pulled the brim of his hat even lower, almost covering half of his face, and kept a distance from the two people.
Xu Huanxi and Li Liang chatted and laughed as they walked towards the elevator, not noticing the deliberately low-key figure behind them. Only when the elevator doors closed and the numbers slowly ticked did Shen Zhihe breathe a sigh of relief and turn to walk towards the front desk.
He cleared his throat, deliberately making his voice sound anxious but not too out of control: "Hello."
The young girl at the front desk looked up with a standard smile on her face.
"I'm the driver of those two people just now." Shen Zhihe pointed in the direction of the elevator and said naturally, "That lady left her phone in my car, and I have to rush to get it to her. Can you help me check which room they booked?"
The girl took a quick look at him. He was wearing a clean, dark coat. Although his hat was pulled down low, he spoke with a sincere attitude, not seeming suspicious. She didn't ask any further questions, her tone remaining gentle. "Don't worry, I'll get it done for you right away."
As she spoke, she skillfully tapped a few times on the computer, her eyes fixed on the screen to check the information, her fingertips making a light sound on the keyboard. Shen Zhihe's hands hanging at his side clenched slightly, and there was a subtle tension in his eyes.
The young lady's gaze stayed on the screen for a moment, and she quickly looked up at him, "It's Ms. Xu and Mr. Li, right? They checked into room 1808, and this is the spare room card." After that, she handed Shen Zhihe a room card.
"Excuse me," Shen Zhihe quickly took the room card, his voice deliberately hoarse. He turned and hurried toward the elevator, his fingertips trembling slightly as he pressed the "18" button. The elevator door slowly closed, revealing his blurry figure in the mirror. A complex mix of emotions surged in his eyes beneath his hat—a sharp glint of having grasped a clue, yet also a hint of inexplicable melancholy.
The elevator reached the eighteenth floor, its soft ding sound resonating distinctly in the silent corridor. Shen Zhihe walked softly along the thickly carpeted corridor. The wall lamps on either side of the corridor emitted a dim, ambiguous light, stretching his shadow back and forth.
The door to Room 1808 was ajar, and faint voices could be heard from within. Xu Huanxi's laughter was even more charming than when she was at the doorway, mingling with Li Liang's heavy breathing and vague whispers. Shen Zhihe stood still outside the door, his fingertips clenched until white. He didn't push the door open immediately, but simply pressed against the cold wall, like a silent stone statue, listening to the disturbing sounds from within, the darkness in his eyes gradually fading.
Suddenly, the waiter pushed the cart around the corner and didn't notice Shen Zhihe standing sideways, and the corner of the cart lightly hit his arm.
Shen Zhihe stumbled a bit after being bumped into. His eyes swept over the other person's starched white uniform, which was a little stiff from washing. The ID card pinned to his collar swayed. He raised his hand to rub his injured arm. His face was calm, but his tone was natural, as if he was saying something very ordinary: "Hello, I'm the new waiter."
The waiter was stunned, and the words of apology he was about to say got stuck in his throat.
Shen Zhihe pointed at the cart in his hand and continued, "The sister at the front desk said she has something to talk to you about, so she asked me to look after these things for you. You go over first." He nodded slightly as he spoke, his gesture was polite, and his eyes held just the right amount of caution of a newcomer, making it impossible to find any fault with him.
The waiter frowned, clearly puzzled. He hadn't heard anyone new was coming today. He didn't look like a waiter, but remembering that the front desk staff did occasionally need someone on short notice, he hesitated for a few seconds before offering the cart handle. "There are uniforms in the cart... Thank you for your help."
"No trouble." Shen Zhihe took the handle and watched the waiter turn and walk towards the front desk. The curve of his mouth faded almost imperceptibly. He lowered his head and glanced at the neatly stacked items on the cart, a trace of inquiry flashing across his eyes.
Shen Zhihe changed into the hotel room service uniform, the ironed fabric accentuating his tall figure. He walked slowly to the door of Room 1808, tapped his knuckles three times, and spoke in a steady voice, "Hello, room service."
There was a moment of silence inside the room, so quiet that the subtle whirring of the air conditioning system could be heard. After a moment, a woman's voice, clearly tired, came out, her tone somewhat lazy: "Come in."
Shen Zhihe pushed the door open and entered, his gaze calmly scanning the room. He followed the routine, making the bed and replacing the toiletries. Bent down to wipe the table, he quickly slipped a fingernail-sized black camera into the gap behind the bedside table. He then hid a miniature voice recorder under the edge of the sofa cushion. The entire process took only a few seconds, seamless and flawless.
Finally, he bent down to pick up a few tissues scattered on the floor and threw them into the trash can, with a standard service smile on his face all the time: "Sir, Madam, the room has been cleaned. Is there anything else you need?"
When he straightened up, Li Liang was hugging Xu Huanxi and waving at him with rapid gestures, clearly reminding him to leave as soon as possible. Shen Zhihe didn't look at him again, and walked briskly out of the room, gently closing the door. The carpet in the hallway absorbed all the sound, as if the brief stop had never happened.
"Next, let's wait and see what happens at Xu Huanxi's birthday party next week."
Shen Zhihe's voice was low, but it carried a subtle chill, like an ice-hardened blade gently slicing through the air. He pushed the cart, its wheels scraping against the smooth floor, making a regular, monotonous sound that echoed lingeringly in the endlessly empty corridor.
The wall lamps on either side of the corridor cast a dim glow, stretching his shadow very long, which then gradually shortened and deformed with his footsteps. Until the tall figure completely merged into the shadows at the end of the corridor, only the fading sound of rollers remained, and it was finally swallowed up by the thick silence.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
