Chapter 317 How to Deal With It
It's most likely in Zheng Mingyuan's hands. He won't easily show it to anyone, much less hand it over to the authorities—the real evidence must be hidden somewhere he trusts most.
“I’m sure that letter is fake! He just wants to harm my uncle. He’s fabricating charges out of thin air to ruin our family so he can monopolize the family’s resources.”
Qiao Wanyin gritted her teeth and said, word by word, "As long as we can find evidence that he forged the documents, there will be a turning point in this matter. Even just a piece of paper for handwriting comparison, or a draft with the ink still wet, is enough for us to turn the tables."
Fu Maihe gasped, his fingers twisting together so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
Her breathing became rapid, and her face turned pale, as if she had just finished a long-distance run.
After a long silence, she said in a trembling voice, "This is terrifying... If we're found out... Zheng Mingyuan isn't a kind person. If he finds out it was me... my whole family will be in trouble..."
"I know it's dangerous."
Qiao Wanyin grabbed her icy hand tightly, so hard it almost hurt.
“But this is the fastest way to save Uncle. If Zheng Mingyuan dares to make a move, he will never leave any evidence for us to turn the tables on. He will destroy it, hide it, and set a trap—but as long as there is a crack, we must slip through. Maihe, you are the only one who can get close to his house. And only you can let Xiaowen bring you into the house without any suspicion.”
The room was eerily quiet; you could hear a pin drop.
The little gray-brown bird outside the window tilted its head and cooed twice. Its clear voice carried a hint of loneliness, sounding particularly abrupt in the quiet air.
Fu Maihe sat on the edge of the chair, her hands tightly gripping the hem of her skirt, her knuckles turning white.
She bit her lower lip so hard it almost bled, her eyes darting around as if she were being suffocated by something heavy.
Qiao Wanyin saw it all and felt a pang of pain in her heart.
Of course she understands.
This girl was pampered by her family since she was a child. She was even afraid of stepping on ants when she walked, and she would scream and run away when she saw insects.
But now, she is not facing an ant, but a wrongful conviction that could destroy the reputation of her entire family.
She knew that Fu Maihe's uncle, Fu Zhiyuan, was being framed as the mastermind behind an embezzlement case, and the evidence was conclusive, with both witnesses and physical evidence.
But the truth is hidden in the shadows where others cannot see it.
Right now, she has no choice but to push her this once.
Even if it breaks my heart, I have to do it.
"I went."
Fu Maihe suddenly raised his head, a light flashing in his eyes, as bright as a flame that suddenly ignites in the dead of night, burning and resolute, "I'll go."
Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried a resolute quality, as if she had used all her strength to suppress her fear.
Qiao Wanyin felt a surge of warmth in her heart, her eyes stung slightly, and her throat felt like it was blocked by something. After a long while, she managed to squeeze out a single word: "Mai He..."
She wanted to say "Don't go," and "Be careful," but in the end, all she could manage was a soft sigh, full of heartache and helplessness.
"My uncle loves me the most."
Fu Maihe's voice trembled slightly, but she still straightened her back. "He carried me to school on his back since I was little. On rainy days, he would rather get wet himself than let the umbrella cover my head... I can't watch him be wronged to death."
As she said this, tears welled up in her eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall.
Qiao Wanyin pulled her into her arms and hugged her tightly, as if she wanted to pass on all her courage and strength to her.
A moment later, she released her grip, her tone becoming calm and swift: "Go under the pretense of visiting Xiaowen, but don't give yourself away. The key is to search the study and the safe, looking for the original or a copy of that letter. That letter is the only breakthrough."
"His study is on the third floor, and it's always locked."
Fu Maihe tried hard to recall, "But Xiaowen had told me before that her father never guarded against her, thinking she was a good daughter who wouldn't rummage through things. The key... the key was hidden under that celadon vase in the foyer."
"Very good!"
Qiao Wanyin's eyes lit up, as if she had suddenly seen a ray of light in the darkness. "Remember, whether you find it or not, you must come out within an hour! It's too dangerous if you exceed that time. If you do run into someone, just say you came to borrow a novel from Xiaowen and also take a look at the new comic books she bought."
Fu Maihe nodded emphatically, his gaze resolute.
Suddenly, her brow twitched, as if she remembered something: "Oh right... Xiaowen mentioned that her father has a strange habit: he always makes an extra copy of any important document and hides it, saying it's just in case."
Where to hide it?
Qiao Wanyin hurriedly moved closer, almost touching her, and pressed her for an answer, her voice low but filled with anxiety.
"She didn't say the whole thing."
Fu Maihe frowned, her fingers unconsciously rubbing her lips. "She just muttered something like...the usual place? I asked her what she meant, but she shook her head and wouldn't say. She only said, 'I can't tell you everything about my dad.'"
Qiao Wanyin froze, her mind racing as if searching for clues in a fog.
She suddenly remembered that the original novel mentioned that Zheng Mingyuan loved collecting antiques, especially porcelain and calligraphy and paintings from the Republic of China period. He even hired people to appraise them and once spent a fortune at an auction.
She looked up abruptly, her eyes blazing: "Maihe, does the Zheng family have a room specifically for storing antiques?"
"have!"
Fu Maihe clapped his hands, his voice becoming excited, "First floor! There's a small room, not big, but it's filled with blue and white porcelain vases, jade carvings, and several mahogany cabinets. Even my dad went to see it once and said he was dizzy looking at it, there were too many things and it was too cluttered, it was practically a warehouse."
They exchanged a glance, and a glimmer of hope ignited in their hearts at the same time.
They whispered and went over the details several times—from the timing of entering the door and the location of hiding the key, to how to deal with it if they ran into Zheng Mingyuan, and even the escape route was reviewed several times to ensure that there were no oversights.
Outside the door, footsteps approached from afar, making a slight creaking sound on the wooden floor.
Then, the doorknob was turned gently.
"Wanyin, are you feeling better?"
It was Lin Shuxian's voice, gentle yet filled with concern.
She stopped in the outer room, holding a glass of warm water in her hand. "I heard you coughing earlier, and I was worried you had a fever, so I came up to check on you."
My nephew's wife came back because of family matters.
If something really happened, she, as an elder, wouldn't be able to live with herself, which is why she came up to visit.
Qiao Wanyin quickly gave Fu Maihe a wink, her eyes sharp and decisive, signaling her to open the door.
Fu Maihe took a deep breath, suppressing the panic in her heart, and quickly walked to the door, gently pulling it open.
"Much better, Auntie."
She said softly, forcing a smile, her voice gentle, "It was just a bit stuffy, so I opened the window to let in some fresh air, and now I feel much better."
Lin Shuxian carried a steaming cup of milk into the room, the wisps of white steam rising from the rim of the cup swaying gently in the morning light.
Her gaze never left Qiao Wanyin, her eyes filled with concern and heartache.
"Have something warm to drink. You're not alone anymore."
She spoke softly, her tone gentle as if afraid of disturbing something.
"I'm so sorry this time, I've made you worry while you're pregnant."
She sighed softly, handed over the cup, and unconsciously stroked her slightly protruding belly with her fingers, her expression complex.
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