Wen Ying felt Sister Fang’s stance leaned toward Deng Shangwei, so she wasn’t willing to be fully honest with her.
Sister Fang, on the other hand, thought Wen Ying was too young to be exposed to the messy affairs of adults. If Wen Ying hadn’t noticed anything and only clued in because of Sister Fang’s hints, things could get complicated.
Both of them genuinely wanted the best for Deng Shangwei and Chen Li, but a lack of trust forced them into a dance of mutual evasion.
Sister Fang couldn’t pry the truth from Wen Ying and grew increasingly anxious.
As an employee, no matter how close you were to the boss, some things couldn’t be said!
What, was she supposed to tell Deng Shangwei not to cheat?
Which employee would dare be so tactless? They’d probably be fired the next day for something as trivial as stepping into the office with their left foot first!
Maybe she could subtly nudge Deng Shangwei instead.
After mulling it over, Sister Fang settled on that approach.
Meanwhile, Wen Ying’s thoughts were on Lili from the music college.
Deng Shangwei and Lili moved in completely different circles, there was no natural overlap. For them to cross paths, someone had to have made the introduction.
How was that connection made?
The mastermind couldn’t just bluntly say to Deng Shangwei, “I saw a college girl at the music academy who looks like your wife, go make friends with her.”
Deng Shangwei wasn’t stupid. A move that obvious would scream “trap.”
Lili’s appearance had to feel natural and unforced, catching Deng Shangwei off guard so he wouldn’t suspect a thing. That’s why, in her past life, he’d claimed he was set up, the “old haunt” those two seafood bosses mentioned!
Wen Ying wanted to keep tabs on Lili and dig into the seafood bosses, but she hadn’t mastered cloning herself. If only she could split into three, one to tail Lili, one to shadow the bosses, and one to stay home brushing up on math, physics, and chemistry.
Ugh, life was tough. She was just a kid, why did she have to shoulder so much?
Wen Ying rummaged through her bag and counted her cash.
Deng Shangwei had given her 5,800 yuan as pocket money. She’d spent 100 on milk tea for everyone, leaving 5,700.
Before coming to Rongcheng, her mom, Chen Ru, had given her 500 yuan.
That made Wen Ying’s total usable funds 6,200 yuan!
It wasn’t a fortune, but it wasn’t peanuts either. This was 2004, housing prices hadn’t skyrocketed yet, and 6,200 yuan went a long way.
She also had a savings book with her New Year’s money from childhood, but Chen Ru kept it locked away. That money was for looking, not touching, so Wen Ying pretended it didn’t exist.
Though she couldn’t split herself, Wen Ying had the foresight of a reborn soul.
Dreaming of lottery numbers to strike it rich was out, normal people didn’t memorize winning numbers from over a decade ago.
Her “foresight” was the network she’d built in her past life, which she could tap into early.
He Zhen was a no-go, Mr. Fancy-Pants was off in the UK cozying up with his senior, hmph!
Digging through her memories, Wen Ying fished out a usable contact.
As a lawyer in Shanghai, her clients sometimes hired private investigators for evidence. Not all of it was inadmissible, it depended on how it was used.
She’d worked a few times with a PI nicknamed “Detective Luo.”
One case stood out: a divorce lawsuit where the client’s husband cheated, hid assets, and tried to saddle his long-suffering wife with joint debt, a textbook scumbag.
That’s when Wen Ying met Detective Luo.
The details were too messy to recount, but she won the case, and Detective Luo’s contribution was huge.
Honestly, his nickname “Mistress Slayer” was well-earned. Born into a military family, he’d been a recon platoon leader by twenty, then transitioned from the army to film production, even acting in crews, before realizing his true calling as a detective.
He’d bragged to Wen Ying that before 2008, he was the only legit private investigator in Rongcheng.
The guy was sharp, ex-recon soldier and actor, perfect for tailing targets unnoticed.
His skills were top-notch, but he sucked at business. His detective agencies kept folding; he thrived as a lone wolf.
In 2004, Detective Luo hadn’t yet moved to Shanghai. He was still in Rongcheng, running a marriage investigation firm. What was it called…? Wen Ying couldn’t quite recall.
That whole day, Deng Shangwei didn’t show up at the company. In the afternoon, a Mazda pulled into the yard, honking. Wen Ying peeked out, it was Chen Li’s car.
Chen Li had picked up Deng Jie and Deng Hao from school and swung by to get Wen Ying after work.
“Auntie!”
Chen Li parked, circled the office greeting staff, then waved Wen Ying into the car. Sister Fang, despite doing nothing wrong, felt oddly guilty facing Chen Li.
As Chen Li drove off, she mused, “Did I wear the wrong clothes today, or is there dirt on my face? Why’s everyone looking at me funny?”
Wen Ying, still pondering Detective Luo’s firm, tensed at her words. Lili’s single loiter at the company had already sparked whispers. A few more visits, and the rumors would reach Chen Li.
She had to deal with Lili fast and root out whoever was behind her!
Studying Chen Li closely, Wen Ying noticed her new skirt and gushed, “Auntie, didn’t you check the mirror? You’re extra pretty today, that’s why everyone’s sneaking peeks!”
Chen Li grinned, sensing Wen Ying was evolving into a little smooth-talker.
The old Wen Ying wouldn’t have fawned like Deng Yaomei or tossed out compliments so freely. She used to keep her affection for loved ones bottled up, now she let it spill boldly. Chen Li wasn’t used to it but loved it. Who didn’t enjoy sweet words? They really did lift the spirit!
Pulling into the neighborhood, their Mazda crossed paths with an Audi.
The Audi beeped twice, catching Chen Li’s eye. The window rolled down, it was Teacher Lin.
“Sister Chen, what a coincidence! That thing you asked me to look into, I’ve got news. Did you manage to borrow the high school textbooks?”
Chen Li beamed. Teacher Lin was so reliable, finding a tutor that fast!
“No problem with the books. Lin, can I swing by your place tonight to talk details?”
Teacher Lin nodded. Wen Ying gave a polite goodbye.
The townhouse and villa sections had separate lanes, so the Audi and Mazda parted ways after a brief meet at the gate.
Running into Teacher Lin and hearing the tutoring was set boosted Wen Ying’s urgency. She’d racked her brain all afternoon for Detective Luo’s firm name. As Chen Li parked and Wen Ying opened the door, a white splat dropped from the sky, narrowly missing her face. Birds chirped overhead, and Wen Ying froze.
She’d almost been hit by bird poop.
But that wasn’t the point, the point was, she remembered the name!
Detective Luo’s firm had a cheesy name: “Lovebird.”
