Volume 1, Chapter 7: Aunt Li's Investigation

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Li Shuhe sat on the hospital bed, eating the boxed meal her aunt had just bought, her eyes contentedly narrowed. The evening sunlight draped over Li Shuhe’s shoulders, gilding them with a golden edge, composing a romantic melody of youthful dreams.

Duan Xiadong was somewhat dazed, his thoughts drifting back to that evening ten years ago—the first time he truly looked at Li Shuhe. The sunset was just right that day; he hid behind the door, watching the fading light fall on the faces of the boy and girl by the window. Time stood still, and the world was peaceful.

Yet, he was absent from that picture. The girl never once glanced at him; her eyes were fixed solely on Fang Shenzhai.

Duan Xiadong’s gaze darkened. Recently, Li Shuhe had stopped wearing makeup, which stirred memories of those old scenes. But things were different now. Li Shuhe had nothing by her side; she could only rely on him.

Thinking this, Duan Xiadong sneered coldly. Whatever he desired, he would obtain by any means necessary. He had already deprived her of the support of her parents. If not for the trouble her uncle posed, he wouldn’t even have spared her aunt.

He intended to gradually strip away everything around Li Shuhe, leaving her utterly bereft—including the reputation and goodwill she had painstakingly built. She would only have him to depend on, and her gaze would have no choice but to turn to him.

“Weren’t you supposed to wait for me? I’ve been looking for you for a long time.”

The indifferent voice shattered the warm atmosphere in the room. Li Shuhe’s aunt, who had never liked Duan Xiadong, grew even angrier at his arrival and immediately confronted him.

“How dare you say that? Shuhe hasn’t eaten all day, and you just left her there alone. If I hadn’t seen it, she would have starved!”

Duan Xiadong felt a flicker of guilt but quickly brushed it aside. It was only hunger for a while; couldn’t she wait until he finished seeing the doctor with Xiao Qiu?

“Next time, tell me in advance if you haven’t eaten.”

He meant to show concern, but the words turned cold as soon as they left his mouth. With a sharp remark, Duan Xiadong gave himself an out, signaling to drop the matter. Li Shuhe’s aunt opened her mouth to say more but was stopped by Li Shuhe tugging her sleeve.

“Aunt, don’t blame Brother Xiadong. It’s my fault for not telling him. Don’t forget, we just made a promise.”

Li Shuhe winked at her from an angle Duan Xiadong couldn’t see. Instantly, her aunt relented; she couldn’t ruin Shuhe’s plan.

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“Brother Xiadong, have you eaten?”

Li Shuhe was becoming increasingly adept at playing “her.” Duan Xiadong was pleased by her tactfulness—a woman he had cultivated for years.

“No, you eat first. I’ll buy a meal for Xiao Qiu and come back to see you.”

After speaking, Duan Xiadong carefully watched Li Shuhe’s expression. When he saw her frown, he understood—she still wanted to compete with Xiao Qiu. Yet, he felt a strange relief; she was still the same in character. That gave him peace of mind.

Li Shuhe knew “she” was always at odds with Duan Xiao Qiu. Hearing Duan Xiadong’s words, she couldn’t help but pout, sulking silently.

“You really want to compete with Xiao Qiu over everything. Fine, I’ll stay and eat with you. But next time, don’t do this. She’s younger; you need to be considerate.”

Seeing Li Shuhe’s expression, Duan Xiadong seemed to feel guilty for neglecting her and took the initiative to stay. Behind them, Li Shuhe’s aunt rolled her eyes in exasperation.

If Li Shuhe hadn’t repeatedly assured her that she was only trying to gather evidence to expose Duan Xiadong’s schemes against her sister-in-law and had no intention of marrying him, her aunt would have stormed over and given him a good beating.

Look at what he says—is that even human speech? Thankfully, Li Shuhe had come to her senses. If she were still desperately trying to marry Duan Xiadong like before, the aunt would have severed all ties with her.

Li Shuhe found the delicious meal suddenly tasteless. After finishing quickly, she responsibly reminded Duan Xiadong, “You and Xiao Qiu haven’t eaten yet. You should go eat; I’m done.”

Duan Xiadong had expected Li Shuhe to understand his feelings and feed him as before, but she ate silently by herself. His face darkened, and he remained still for a long moment.

Seeing Duan Xiadong’s sullen face, Li Shuhe knew he was about to find fault again. She recalled key moments from their interactions and offered an explanation.

“Sorry, Brother Xiadong, I’m hurt and it’s inconvenient to share a meal with you. That’s why I didn’t let you taste my food. I hope you don’t mind.”

Duan Xiadong snorted coldly, somewhat approving her excuse. In their relationship, he was always the one being pampered and rising above. Used to this dynamic, he didn’t even pretend in front of Li Shuhe’s aunt.

“I have to go now. The factory is busy; I won’t come to see you anymore. Once you’re discharged, come live with me.”

“All right!”

Li Shuhe blinked wide-eyed, secretly eager for him to leave quickly.

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“You really want me to leave?”

Duan Xiadong felt uneasy watching Li Shuhe’s hopeful expression.

Her smile never faltered. “I’m just looking forward to the day I get discharged so I can see you every day! I’ll take good care of my injury and won’t cause trouble.”

“See, you’re sensible.”

Duan Xiadong nodded in satisfaction and turned to leave.

After watching him go, Li Shuhe finally slumped down.

That scoundrel’s gaze was sharp, able to detect her emotions so keenly. She’d have to be even more careful from now on.

“This Duan Xiadong is really hopeless, even worse than his father!”

Li Shuhe’s aunt, hands on hips, fumed. “You’re not fooling me, right? If you truly want to be with him, I’ll definitely cut ties with you!”

“All right, Aunt, I swear I would never marry him.”

Li Shuhe comforted her aunt. “As for the past five years, some things happened—I’ll tell you everything later.”

“Aunt, I need your help. Everyone outside thinks I set the fire. The money Duan Xiadong paid didn’t buy the truth; it only made things worse.”

Hearing Li Shuhe, her aunt realized the gravity of the situation.

“What should we do then? What about the police? Haven’t they investigated?”

“I’m afraid someone wants me to take the blame. Aunt, you have to go to the scene and see if there are any clues. The fire didn’t start in the restroom—I crawled out from there; it was the last place to burn.”

Her aunt nodded. “But I don’t understand these things.”

“You just need to observe from a distance; you can’t get inside the cinema. Focus on the burning of the outer buildings—the walls near the fire’s origin will be the blackest.”

Li Shuhe pondered. The culprits probably didn’t have time to tamper with the scene. Many people died in this fire; the authorities would want to suppress it quickly.

That would give her time to find evidence favorable to her.

“Aunt, I remember there’s a camera at home belonging to Uncle. Take it with you.”