Chapter 117

Chapter 117

The person Xie Qiyan had asked Huo Yang to keep watching was named An Bihua. He was also Hou Mengqiu’s so-called cousin.

Five years after Hou Mengqiu married Xie Tianqi, she suddenly brought this cousin into the Xie Family and made him their driver. She claimed this distant relative of hers couldn’t find work and had asked her for help.

Who knew how Hou Mengqiu had managed to fool them back then? Or perhaps she had tampered with An Bihua’s records, making everyone in the Xie Family believe her nonsense.

As for what kind of cousin he really was, she knew better than anyone.

Xie Qiyan had investigated Hou Mengqiu because he suspected Yao Qin’s disappearance had something to do with her. He hadn’t expected the investigation to uncover the sordid affair between Hou Mengqiu and An Bihua.

After Xie Tianqi fell into a coma, Hou Mengqiu went mad, and Xie An disappeared along with An Bihua.

With a grandson missing from the Xie Family, the Old Master was naturally anxious. Just as he was about to call the police, Xie Qiyan handed him a stack of photos.

The photos captured years’ worth of Hou Mengqiu and An Bihua’s private meetings-images so filthy they were hard on the eyes.

After looking through them, before Xie Qiyan could even say anything, the Old Master, who had been desperate to find his grandson, called back everyone he had sent out.

The Xie Family would not be looking for Xie An, this youngest grandson of theirs, anymore.

Xie Qiyan didn’t know why the Old Master became so certain after seeing the photos that Xie An was not a descendant of the Xie Family. Nor was he interested in whether Xie An truly carried Xie blood. He only wanted to pry the truth of what had happened back then out of Hou Mengqiu’s mouth.

But Hou Mengqiu was a tough nut to crack. Once she went mad, Xie Qiyan was completely at a loss.

Unless they found Xie An and used him as leverage against her.

Hou Mengqiu had both played the fool and sent Xie An away because she was afraid of the Old Master’s questioning, and also afraid that the ugly things she had done would become known to both the Xie Family and the Hou family.

Beyond that, perhaps there was some other reason too, but Xie Qiyan couldn’t guess what it was.

The roads were slick with snow, so Yu Fei drove slowly, and the distance was long. During that hour, Xia Wanzhi listened to Xie Qiyan’s heavy breathing and quietly held his hand, trying to soothe the chaos in his heart.

Xie Qiyan gave Yu Fei, who kept glancing at the rearview mirror, a cold look. Feeling guilty, Yu Fei simply tilted the rearview mirror away so he wouldn’t even be able to see them out of the corner of his eye.

Xia Wanzhi: “…”

Xie Qiyan openly laced his fingers with Xia Wanzhi’s.

She hadn’t fully understood everything Huo Yang had said, but now was not the time to ask. Since she couldn’t help, she would at least try not to get in the way.

After they arrived at the Mental Hospital, Xie Qiyan pulled a scarf from who knew where and wrapped it around Xia Wanzhi, afraid her cold would worsen. He also walked faster than usual.

Xia Wanzhi practically had to run to keep up.

Once they entered a heated area, Xia Wanzhi let out a breath. Before she could even stand steady, Xie Qiyan was already touching her head and face, checking her temperature.

“Are you cold?” Knowing how unusually afraid of the cold she was, Xie Qiyan worried she might be frozen stupid.

Xia Wanzhi: “…”

Every time she caught a cold, Xie Qiyan seemed especially afraid that she would develop a fever.

Just like Old Xia.

Xia Wanzhi wondered if perhaps Comrade Xia Yongqing had exaggerated every single time she had ever run a fever, deliberately making Xie Qiyan anxious.

“I’m not cold. You, on the other hand-your hands are freezing like ice.” Xia Wanzhi held his hand and pressed it against her face to warm him up.

Warmth surged through Xie Qiyan’s chest. He withdrew his hand and pinched her fingers, which were also cool, then went to pour a cup of hot water for Xia Wanzhi to hold and warm her hands.

When the director learned Xie Qiyan had arrived, he hurried over and gave him a detailed update on Hou Mengqiu’s condition.

Yu Fei gave a soft sneer after hearing it. “When we passed through the corridor just now, I saw a delirious old man grabbing snow and eating it. Shouldn’t a lunatic of Hou Mengqiu’s caliber be out there with a basin, scooping up a whole bowl of snow to serve herself at the table?”

Huo Yang found that reasonable. He nodded, then asked, “Director, are lunatics afraid of the cold too?”

The director: “…”

“You’re saying she’s been very well-behaved lately?” Xie Qiyan had no interest in joking. His dark eyes were heavy and cold.

The director was afraid of Xie Qiyan. You could offend anyone, but not a capitalist. So ever since Xie Qiyan had sent Hou Mengqiu here, the director had cooperated with whatever Xie Qiyan said.

As for whether Hou Mengqiu was truly insane or only pretending, he had never given a definite answer. In his heart, however, he believed that Hou Mengqiu had really gone mad.
But lately…

He had begun to doubt his own judgment again.

“We provide heating in all patient rooms. Perhaps Mrs. Xie really is just sensitive to the cold,” the director said. He had no way of answering whether a madwoman was supposed to be afraid of the cold or not.

Aside from staying indoors for warmth not seeming like something a madwoman would do, Hou Mengqiu’s other behavior was the same as before.

Xie Qiyan pondered for a moment. “Bring her here.”

Whether she was insane or not, Xie Qiyan already had a pretty good idea.

Hou Mengqiu was dragged in by the arms, looking utterly disheveled.

The woman’s howls were frightening, and Xia Wanzhi instinctively stepped behind Xie Qiyan.

Once Hou Mengqiu entered the room, she swept her gaze around before fixing on Xia Wanzhi. Her eyes widened, and she laughed with her mouth hanging open as she tried to rush toward Xia Wanzhi. “Daughter… my good daughter…”

Xia Wanzhi had seen Hou Mengqiu before, but never like this-so terrifying.

Two sturdy, broad-shouldered female orderlies held her fast. No matter how she howled, they did not loosen their grip in the slightest. After a while, she gradually quieted down and simply stared at Xia Wanzhi with a foolish grin.

Xie Qiyan stepped forward, completely shielding Xia Wanzhi behind him. He looked coldly at Hou Mengqiu. “If Xie An doesn’t come back soon, the Old Master will remove him from the family genealogy.”

Those words were meant to test Hou Mengqiu. The Old Master had not said any such thing.

But even if he had not said it, Xie Qiyan could guess that the Old Master would do exactly that.

That old man was even more certain than he was that Xie An was not a descendant of the Xie Family.

The Xie Family usually brought out the genealogy on the first day of the Lunar New Year. Counting the days, there was only a little over a month left.

Everyone watched Hou Mengqiu’s expression, but after pretending for so long, she had already perfected the act. She did not reveal the slightest flaw and continued staring at Xia Wanzhi like a mindless fool.

Since the test failed, Xie Qiyan had her taken away again. His eyes narrowed slightly as he asked the director thoughtfully, “Do the other patients all stay in double rooms?”

The director shook his head. “We arrange stable patients to stay together. Only those with violent tendencies are placed in single rooms.”

“Starting today, move her into a double room.” After saying that, Xie Qiyan’s gaze sharpened, and he added, “Find someone a little crazier to room with her.”

They had placed her in a single room before because they thought that when she was alone, she might let her guard down and expose something. But unexpectedly, she was this good at acting.

If the first method did not work, then they would use the second.

He refused to believe she could keep pretending forever.

Before leaving, Xie Qiyan personally instructed the people stationed here to monitor Hou Mengqiu to relax their vigilance a little. Previously, they had watched her too closely, but after half a year with no results, they could only try the opposite approach.

Only when their people loosened up would Hou Mengqiu reveal an opening.

“If someone approaches her, just follow them in secret. Don’t let yourself be discovered,” Xie Qiyan specifically added.

Now that An Bihua had returned, he would definitely come to find Hou Mengqiu.

Xie Qiyan had to give them a chance to meet before he could learn more.

The snow fell harder and harder. Winter nights came early, and after dark, the wind grew even more biting. After Xia Wanzhi got into the car, she shivered, and Xie Qiyan forcibly took both her hands in his.

Xie Qiyan rubbed her hands, then leaned his face close to warm them. “Were you scared just now?”

Xia Wanzhi only shook her head without saying anything. After glaring at him, she tucked her head down like a quail, too embarrassed to make a sound.

In the front seats, Yu Fei and Huo Yang were completely treated as air by Xie Qiyan.

After the drop-off at Lanting Bieyuan, Yu Fei finally let out the breath he had been holding in. “Old Huo, do you think I should suggest to President Xie that we install a partition in the car?”

The car was a luxury vehicle, and the interior fittings were all top-tier as well. The only thing missing was a partition.

For once, Huo Yang agreed with Yu Fei’s ridiculous idea. “Sure. You suggest it.”

After all, he was not the one who often had to be the driver, the third wheel, and the unwilling witness to their lovey-dovey displays.

They had gained a lot recently. At the very least, they had fully grasped An Bihua’s movements. Next, all they had to do was wait-wait for him to go see Hou Mengqiu. Then they would follow the trail and drag out that Xie guy, the bastard young master.

With this bargaining chip in hand, when the time came, whatever Xie Qiyan wanted to know, Hou Mengqiu would have to spill every last detail.