Chapter 323 Safe
It doesn't look like decoration, it's more like...
organ?
Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly stepped forward, carefully taking the painting down.
Sure enough, behind the painting was a hidden compartment embedded in the wall—on the gray-black metal panel was an old-fashioned mechanical safe!
"Found it!"
She could barely control her breathing; her heart was pounding like a drum; her fingertips were trembling violently, and her nails were even slightly twitching.
But the next second, a chill ran down my spine—without the password, this thing was just a piece of scrap metal.
Footsteps came from the stairs, getting closer and closer, clearly audible.
Zheng Xiaowen has already gone upstairs.
Her expression changed drastically, and she dared not look at it again. She hurriedly hung the painting back in its original place, adjusting the angle to ensure that no flaws could be seen.
He turned and rushed out of the study, locking the door behind him with a swift and clean motion.
As soon as the door closed, a face peeked out from around the corner of the stairs—Zheng Xiaowen's figure came into view.
Why did it take you so long?
She frowned as she approached, her voice filled with genuine concern, "I've been waiting for ages. I thought you weren't feeling well and had fainted inside."
Fu Maihe suppressed her wildly beating heart and forced a smile: "I ate something bad and squatted for a while... I feel a little weak. I'm sorry to have worried you."
She paused for a moment, then smoothly changed the subject, "By the way, where's the new book you mentioned? I'd like to take a look."
Back in Zheng Xiaowen's room, she sat on the edge of the bed, casually flipping through a hardcover novel, her fingertips moving mechanically and stiffly.
The words on the pages were blurry and indistinct, but what kept replaying in her mind was the safe hidden behind the painting.
If you can't pick the lock, you'll have to think of another way.
“Xiaowen,” she suddenly closed the book in her hand, looked up, and said with a slightly hesitant tone, “Where is your dad’s new record player? I want to listen to it.”
Downstairs in the living room, she stood calmly beside the record player, her fingers gently tracing the black casing, as if she were genuinely interested in the machine.
In reality, however, her eyes would always inadvertently drift toward the small collection room in the corner, her gaze flickering with an undisguised curiosity and nervousness.
"What song is this? I've never heard it before, it's really good."
She listened intently to the melodious tune emanating from the loudspeaker and asked casually.
““A Thousand Words,” Zheng Xiaowen replied with a smile, her eyes instantly lighting up. “This is an old record that my dad specially brought back from Guangzhou. It’s impossible to buy it on the market now; it’s extremely rare.”
Taking advantage of the brief moment when Zheng Xiaowen turned to the kitchen to pour tea, Fu Maihe immediately seized the opportunity and quietly slipped back into the small collection room.
The room was small and not furnished, but every item on it bore the marks of time and was clearly an antique.
The most eye-catching item is a blue and white porcelain vase that is almost waist-high. The glaze is warm and the pattern is exquisite. It stands quietly on a mahogany shelf against the wall, looking particularly grand.
My sister-in-law once said that some antiques are used to store things.
She held her breath, quietly approached the porcelain bottle, and carefully reached out her hand, her fingertips slowly inserting into the bottle opening to feel inside.
It was cold and empty inside, with nothing but years of accumulated dust.
Empty.
"Wheat?"
Zheng Xiaowen's voice suddenly came from outside the door, tinged with a hint of doubt, "What are you doing in there?"
She shuddered, abruptly pulled her hand away, and took a step back in a panic, almost bumping into Zheng Xiaowen, who was carrying a teacup and about to enter.
“I…I just wanted to…take a quick look at your dad’s old stuff,” she stammered, her voice tight, her tongue seemingly tied in knots, her cheeks slightly flushed.
Zheng Xiaowen looked at her, blinked, and then laughed: "Oh my, it's like the sun has risen in the west. Didn't you used to hate these old things the most? You always said they were 'broken and old', how come you're interested in them today?"
Fu Maihe chuckled twice, forcing a smile, and took the hot tea offered by the other party. He lowered his head and took a big gulp. The scalding tea slid down his throat, but it couldn't suppress the anxiety in his heart.
It seems there's no chance today.
Half an hour later, she made up an excuse that she suddenly remembered she needed to go to the hospital to pick up her test results, hurriedly said goodbye to Zheng Xiaowen, and left the Zheng family almost as if she were escaping.
As soon as she stepped out the door, her legs went weak and she slid down the mottled outer wall, panting heavily. Fine beads of cold sweat appeared on her forehead as she barely managed to steady herself and avoid collapsing to the ground.
Just around the street corner, a dilapidated jeep with peeling paint and rusty body sat quietly under the shade of a tree.
The car window rolled down, and Fu Lian'an's face popped out, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily.
"Did you get it?"
He lowered his voice, which was hoarse and hurried.
Fu Maihe shook his head, looking exhausted. He opened the car door, got in, and closed it behind him. He said in a low voice, "I didn't find anything. There was a safe in the study, though. It was sealed and looked pretty new, but I didn't bring any tools, so I couldn't pry it open."
Fu Li'an frowned, reached out and lit a cigarette, the flame flickering in the dimly lit car.
He took a deep drag, then held the cigarette between his fingers and started the engine: "Go home first. This can't be rushed. We need to think it over some more."
When they returned to the Fu family's living room, Qiao Wanyin was pacing back and forth, her steps hurried and disordered, her leather shoes tapping on the floor with a "tap-tap" sound, as if each step was measuring the agony of waiting.
Her brows were furrowed, her face was filled with anxiety, and even the carpet under her feet was curled up from her stomping.
As soon as the brother and sister entered, she immediately went to greet them, asking rapidly, "How is it? Any clues? Did you find anything?"
Fu Maihe was too exhausted to say anything more. She slumped onto the sofa, leaned against the cushions, and sighed deeply. Then she recounted her every action, every word, and every probing attempt at the Zheng family's house in detail, without holding back.
"safe?"
Upon hearing this, Qiao Wanyin abruptly stopped, her gaze becoming deep and solemn. "Zheng Mingyuan... he really did hide something. He wouldn't have left a safe in the study for no reason."
“But I can’t open it,” Fu Maihe clenched her fists, her nails almost digging into her palms, her voice filled with resentment and frustration, “and… I just feel something is off.”
"What's strange about it?"
Qiao Wanyin immediately pressed, leaning forward and staring intently at her, "Explain yourself clearly, what exactly is wrong?"
Fu Maihe bit her lip, her brows furrowing slightly, her expression revealing a hint of unease and doubt. "The study is too clean, so clean that it doesn't look like a place that has been lived in for a long time. There isn't even a scrap of paper left. The bookshelves are empty, and the desk is spotless, as if someone had specially swept it. The vases in the collection room are all empty, without any flowers or decorations, and you can't even see a speck of dust. It's as if someone just carefully wiped them clean."
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