The Cinnabar Mole of a Beijing Circle Tycoon

What should have been a half-hour journey took Shen Qingyao an hour and a half to complete.

As the car slowly drove into the parking garage, she successfully reversed into the space on her first try.

The moment she extinguished the fire, she let out a long sigh of relief, and when she turned to look at Meng Jiangyu, her eyes shone like stars: "Wasn't my last reverse parking maneuver amazing!"

Meng Jiangyu unbuckled his seatbelt, reached out to wipe the sweat from her forehead, his fingertips slightly cool: "It's more than good; it's far beyond my expectations."

He leaned closer, his nose almost touching her forehead, his tone filled with undisguised doting, "My little girl is amazing. It was her first time driving, and she got home safely without panicking at all. She'll definitely be an excellent female driver in the future."

Shen Qingyao's cheeks flushed from his praise, and she shrank back in her seat, but couldn't help but smile.

The motion-sensor lights in the garage illuminated her flushed cheeks and also reflected the deep, unyielding tenderness in Meng Jiangyu's eyes.

Holding a takeout box, Meng Jiangyu led Shen Qingyao home, saying, "I'll buy you a car tomorrow, so you can practice driving it!"

The takeout box contained sea urchin sashimi and salmon sushi that Shen Qingyao had brought for Lu Ying.

Lu Ying had just returned from clubbing and there was nothing to eat at home, so she was starving.

Meng Jiangyu handed the items to the housekeeper and asked him to deliver them.

"No need, I usually have a driver to pick me up and drop me off, I won't drive the car very often!" Shen Qingyao said, holding a warm bowl of corn juice.

Meng Jiangyu was playing with Shen Qingyao's left hand. Her left wrist had been fractured before and was still in the recovery period.

Meng Jiangyu took meticulous care of her, asking, "Does your wrist usually hurt?"

"It doesn't hurt at all, I don't feel anything normally!" Shen Qingyao said, drinking her corn juice.

"You still need to be careful, it takes a hundred days to recover from a broken bone!" Meng Jiangyu pressed the button for the top-floor elevator.

"Mmm, I know. I don't usually use this hand to hold things, except when I'm wearing a watch or bracelet!" Shen Qingyao said coquettishly.

"It's okay if we don't buy a car for now. There are more than a dozen cars in the garage at Yu Garden. You can just go and get one whenever you want. The key is in the bedside table in the room."

The elevator doors opened, and Meng Jiangyu led Shen Qingyao out. "We'll buy it when you have a car you like!"

"Okay!" Meng Jiangyu unlocked the room with his fingerprint, and the lights in the room turned on instantly.

Meng Jiangyu knelt down to help Shen Qingyao change her shoes. "Hasn't Zhang Ma come back yet?"

"Okay!" Meng Jiangyu took out his slippers. "I'll tell her to come over tomorrow!"

Night fell through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a soft glow over the living room.

Shen Qingyao casually placed the corn juice on the island counter. "Did Mr. Lu bully Sister Fang?"

"Why are you suddenly asking this?" Meng Jiangyu straightened his shoes in the entryway and walked inside. "What did Fang Shuning say to you?"

Shen Qingyao sat on a chair by the island counter. "She went on a road trip by herself a while ago! I asked her why she went alone, and she seemed very lonely and didn't answer me!"

Meng Jiangyu sat down next to Shen Qingyao and poured her a cup of hot water. "So you suspect that Lu Linchuan bullied Fang Shuning?"

"Of course! Otherwise, why would I drive out alone?"

"Honey, things in this world aren't always black and white. Everyone has their own difficulties!" Meng Jiangyu took a sip of hot water.

Shen Qingyao's gossipy nature was piqued, and she was also a little worried about Fang Shuning. "What happened?"

Shen Qingyao unconsciously traced the cold surface of the counter with her fingertips, her brows slightly furrowed.

Meng Jiangyu glanced at her, reached out and ruffled her hair, a knowing look in his eyes: "I knew you'd ask this when you got back."

He got up and took a bottle of red wine from the wine cabinet. The corkscrew clicked open the cork, and the rich aroma of the wine wafted out. "This is a legacy issue."

Shen Qingyao leaned closer, her concern deepening: "Stop keeping me in suspense, just tell me."

Meng Jiangyu poured the decanted red wine into two stemmed glasses, pushed one towards her, and gently rubbed the glass with his fingertips: "Fang Shuning's father used to work in the municipal sector, leading the construction of a large building. It was a promising job. However, things didn't go as planned. The building collapsed just a few days after it was topped out, killing and injuring countless workers and nearby residents."

Shen Qingyao gasped, her fingers tightening slightly around the wine glass: "That serious? What happened next?"

"And then? When the wall falls, everyone pushes it down." Meng Jiangyu's voice deepened, tinged with coldness. "Her father was the ringleader, so naturally he was the one pushed out. The chain of evidence was airtight; he couldn't clear his name even if he jumped into the Yellow River. He was directly dismissed from his post and imprisoned. The victims' families blocked the government building entrance with banners. Before her father was taken away by the Discipline Inspection Commission, he jumped off the roof of the government building and died on the spot."

"So her father admitted it was his responsibility, and that's why he committed suicide out of guilt?" Shen Qingyao was somewhat shocked.

"His father was utterly speechless in the face of the evidence; his moral compass was shattered!"

"So, is this related to his father?" Shen Qingyao took a sip of red wine. A sour taste spread across her tongue, and she felt even worse inside.

"He was the one who initiated the effort, so he certainly bears some responsibility, but at most it's a matter of inadequate oversight!"

"I don't understand? Why would a perfectly good building collapse?" Shen Qingyao frowned.

"Because his father is an incompetent but good official!" Meng Jiangyu took a sip of red wine. "With his abilities and experience, he simply couldn't have led this project. He trusted his subordinates too much, kept quiet about their affairs, and didn't even notice when they accepted bribes or when the developer used substandard building materials."

"The disciplinary committee will definitely be able to find out! Why would he jump off a building? Wouldn't that just confirm his guilt?"

"Honey, you're oversimplifying politics. Her father doesn't understand political maneuvering, he has no leverage, and no connections, so nobody's willing to protect him!"

"His subordinates took sides in advance, so that once his position became vacant, the higher-ups could put their own people in."

"His subordinates are disgusting! They do the unethical things themselves and then make others take the blame."

"Baby, human nature can't withstand the test. When millions or tens of millions are placed in front of you, very few people will remain unmoved." Meng Jiangyu looked at Shen Qingyao. "Only when a Vajra is wrathful can a Bodhisattva be gentle. A compassionate heart must be tempered with ruthless methods."

Shen Qingyao's eyes reddened slightly, her heart felt like it was being gripped by something, and her voice softened a bit: "Then who else is in her family?"

"She and her mother. But her mother also committed suicide for love." Meng Jiangyu's tone was very calm. "The day after her father passed away, her mother swallowed sleeping pills at home and couldn't be saved."

There was a moment of silence by the island platform, with only the soft rustling of the evening breeze through the treetops outside the window.

"Sister Fang must have been so desperate back then!" Shen Qingyao's tears streamed down her face. "So, was her father's case closed?"

"The outside reports have already concluded the case, but Fang Shuning doesn't believe her father would do such a heartless thing!" Meng Jiangyu leaned against the island platform, looking out at the deep night. "She started going door to door to ask people in Beijing's social circle who could speak up, but the case involved too many people, and the water was too deep. No one was willing to wade into this mess for the sake of the already fallen Fang family."

He turned to look at Shen Qingyao, his tone tinged with helplessness: "To put it bluntly, back then, Fang Shuning had no power, no influence, and no bargaining chips, so no one was willing to bet on her."

Shen Qingyao's nose tingled, and she felt even more sorry for the always quiet girl: "What about Lu Linchuan? How did he get involved with Sister Fang?"

"A dinner party." A hint of regret flashed in Meng Jiangyu's eyes. "Fang Shuning wanted to ask a high-ranking official at the dinner party for help. Lu Linchuan happened to be there as well, and he only glanced at her once."

"Love at first sight?" Shen Qingyao looked up, her eyes filled with disbelief.

"I guess so." Meng Jiangyu nodded. "He inquired about Fang Shuning's case, learned the whole story, and took it on without hesitation. He hired the best legal team, used the Lu family's connections, and painstakingly investigated the evidence and dug up the criminal record bit by bit. He managed to pry open this ironclad case and find out the whole story."