If You Could Hear My Heart

Looking at Xu Chaomu's curious expression, Shen Chi knew she was about to start gossiping again.

While eating, he said, "He got drunk and wandered into the staff dormitory at the police station."

"Pffft." Xu Chaomu burst out laughing. "Men really grow guts after drinking. And then?"

"And then, before he even saw Ayu, Ayu heard noises and thought it was a thief. In the dark, he gave him a good beating."

Xu Chaomu had seen Ayu's skills before. A beating?

"Did he end up crippled?" Xu Chaomu laughed uncontrollably.

"Not crippled, but he did break a few bones. He's still lying in the hospital," Shen Chi said casually. This incident had even delayed Miao Xiu's affairs for a while.

"Ayu sure didn't hold back. What happened next? Did Ayu take him to the hospital?"

"What else? Leave him there to wail in pain all night?"

"Haha." Xu Chaomu still found it hilarious. "Actually, Miao Xiu is a pretty nice guy. He's the only one among your friends who isn't secretly pretentious. Too bad he ran into an ice queen."

"Since when is he my friend?"

"Hey, isn't he someone you know? How is he not a friend?"

"Business associate."

Xu Chaomu didn't press further. Alright, a business associate it is. Who knows, they might become friends someday.

They kept chatting and eating, and then... they completely forgot about Xiaobao.

Poor Xiaobao felt so aggrieved. He thought Shen Chi and Xu Chaomu were just joking with him, telling him to wait a bit before calling him back.

But he'd been standing under the sun for half an hour, and no one had called him back!

Xiaobao blinked his eyes and darted over to the shade of a big tree.

The cool shade felt nice. Hehe, Xiaobao grinned smugly to himself.

In the end... later that day, after Shen Chi discovered Xiaobao's little stunt, Xiaobao was punished to stand under the sun for ten minutes before lunch every day for a whole week!

...

A few days later, Shen Chi made a trip to the hospital.

At the hospital, Shen Chi intercepted Miao Xiu, who was there for a follow-up checkup.

Seeing his pitiful expression, Shen Chi couldn't help but make things worse. "Not crippled yet?"

Miao Xiu rolled his eyes at him and hopped a little. "President Shen, you're truly heartless."

"Miao Xiu, do you know why you can't get the girl?" Shen Chi asked leisurely, looking at him.

Miao Xiu glared at him. "Why don't you try chasing after an ice-cold beauty?"

"No, no, that's not the point. The point is, your flirting skills are way off," Shen Chi said in a good mood, smiling.

"For example..." Miao Xiu looked at him curiously.

"For example..." Shen Chi sized him up, paused intentionally, and reached out his hand. "Pay me half a million, and I'll tell you."

"What the hell, Shen Chi! Are you robbing a bank?!" Miao Xiu immediately jumped up but pulled a muscle, grimacing in pain again.

"When you were asking me for five hundred thousand, I didn't hear you call it bank robbery," Shen Chi replied with a sly grin.

"..." Miao Xiu got the point. Damn old fox.

"Not interested? Fine, then forget it." Shen Chi turned to leave.

"How about this, President Shen? I'll dig up the clues you need next, and I won't charge a penny. Deal?" Miao Xiu tried striking a bargain.

"You've already taken millions from me, haven't you? Young Master Miao, with all your family's wealth, couldn't you let this slide?"

"My parents froze all my bank cards!" Miao Xiu huffed.

"Oh? Is that so..." Shen Chi looked at him with feigned sympathy.

"Alright, alright, President Shen, just see this as an investment in me. When I become a world-famous detective someday, I'll definitely... give you a discount." Miao Xiu conceded. "Now tell me, what's your method? Something that could work on my senior sister."

"Method, huh..." Shen Chi didn't reply.

"President Shen, I'll be at your beck and call in the future, free of charge." Miao Xiu finally made up his mind.

In his heart, when it came down to money versus his senior sister, he'd definitely choose his senior sister.

Shen Chi patted his shoulder. "Your senior sister broke your bones. You need to learn to guilt-trip her, got it? For example, look at yourself, coming to the hospital all alone. Why not use that as an excuse to get her to accompany you? She's the one at fault. Even if you asked her to accompany you to the doctor every day, it wouldn't be unreasonable. Get it?"

"..." Miao Xiu realized that Shen Chi truly had a knack for dirty tricks.

"And besides, no matter how cold a woman is, she's still a woman. There are ways to move her. Don't just pursue blindly. Put in some thought," Shen Chi advised him earnestly.

"..." Miao Xiu was once again impressed by Shen Chi.

"You'll have to grasp the finer nuances yourself. Reflect and practice."

"President Shen, is this how you tricked Mrs. Shen?"

"Who said I tricked her? Mrs. Shen chased after me."

Miao Xiu found this hard to believe... Could a wily old hand like Shen Chi really be chased after by a woman?

"President Shen, you really are clever. No wonder you're the president of Shen Group." Miao Xiu didn't forget to throw in a compliment.

"Hmm, just okay," Shen Chi said modestly.

"President Shen, once my leg is healed, I'll make another trip to Xu Mengxi's hometown for you," Miao Xiu volunteered.

"Your efficiency is too low," Shen Chi remarked, dissatisfied.

"Didn't I get injured? President Shen, please be considerate," Miao Xiu said. "I've kept your matter in mind all along. During this time, I've been coordinating fingerprint matches with many people. Although I haven't found any results, my initial speculation seems increasingly likely—this woman might already be dead."

"Moreover, President Shen, both I and President Xiao stationed people by the tombstone. No one has come by during this period," Miao Xiu added.

Shen Chi was deep in thought. Was it possible that this woman really had died?

"President Shen, I'll go collect some items for you in a few days to see if they bear any traces," Miao Xiu offered.

"The chances of finding anything are slim, right?" Shen Chi asked.

"Hmm... It's going to be tough," Miao Xiu admitted.

"Do your best," Shen Chi said calmly.

Miao Xiu agreed. After all, he'd need this crafty pro to guide him in the future.

After leaving the hospital, Shen Chi received a call from the wedding planning company asking about details for the wedding.

Shen Chi decided to hold the wedding with Xu Chaomu next month, and Xu Chaomu agreed that it was time.

However, ever since having the kids, Xu Chaomu had been too busy dealing with the two little troublemakers. She told Shen Chi to keep the wedding low-key and simple.

Shen Chi had already been making preparations for some time. He personally oversaw many of the wedding details.

The invitations had long been sent out. Following Xu Chaomu's wishes, he didn't invite too many guests, only close friends and family.

Xu Chaomu did feel a bit of regret that Chenglang, Shui Fu, and her third brother could never make it...

But thankfully, her relationships with Zhou Ran and Shen Cexian had improved a lot. Perhaps a wedding with genuine blessings would be the most fulfilling kind.

Shen Cexian, who had been bedridden for a time because of the Shen Shihan situation, had recovered significantly by the day of the wedding.