And so, the days passed in this routine. Every morning before school, Jiang Xiaosi would stop by Shen Mo’s house, and after school, she would return again. Each time, she somehow managed to show up just when Shen Mo was eating, shamelessly inviting herself to join him for dinner.
Shen Mo was annoyed, while Jiang Xiaosi was pleased with herself. After all, it wasn’t her fault his life was so rigidly scheduled—he always got up, ate, and went to bed at the same times every day.
One afternoon, Jiang Xiaosi arrived at Shen Mo’s house and found his two assistants, Chen Anyuan and Hu Hui, already there. She cheerfully greeted them, completely ignoring their dumbfounded expressions, and sat on the sofa with Pudding, playing with the dog.
Chen Anyuan and Hu Hui exchanged whispers.
“Professor Shen actually got a dog!”
“Yeah, and a cute one at that. And he’s also got a kid living here?”
“I thought he only had a sister and no other family. Could she be his illegitimate daughter?”
“No way. She’s too old to be an illegitimate child. Maybe she’s just a friend’s kid who’s visiting.”
Shen Mo, holding a file, shot them a cold glance, and the two obediently followed him into the restoration room.
After bathing Pudding and drying its fur, Jiang Xiaosi noticed the group hadn’t come out yet, and no one was cooking. Feeling generous, she decided to cook dinner for them herself, as a way to repay Shen Mo for his hospitality.
Truth be told, she was grateful that Shen Mo allowed Pudding to stay. Being able to see him every day made Jiang Xiaosi feel both happy and sweet inside. But Shen Mo was merely providing the space—she was still the one taking care of the dog most of the time.
Shen Mo spent most of his time working, and Jiang Xiaosi was considerate enough not to bother him. Occasionally adding an extra pair of chopsticks at the dinner table was something he gradually got used to. However, the main reason he tolerated her presence was that they still hadn’t found Yang Yan, and the case remained unsolved. With Jiang Xiaosi’s life in potential danger, seeing her daily gave him some peace of mind. If something happened to her because of him, he would never forgive himself.
When Shen Mo, Chen Anyuan, and Hu Hui emerged from the restoration room, the smell of food greeted them. Jiang Xiaosi had set the table and smiled warmly. “All done? Come eat!”
Chen Anyuan and Hu Hui exchanged glances, feeling both surprised and honored. They had been working with Professor Shen for so long and had never once been invited to dine at his house.
Shen Mo seemed mildly surprised that she could cook but showed no emotion as he casually said, “Sit down and eat.”
Chen Anyuan and Hu Hui eagerly sat down, but after a few bites, their happy expressions turned into grimaces. The taste was… unbearable!
Sneaking a glance at Shen Mo, they were shocked to see him eating quietly, as if nothing were amiss. His face showed no sign of approval or disapproval.
The two exchanged pained looks.
Jiang Xiaosi herself took a bite and immediately regretted it. She had always been picky about food, and although she didn’t expect gourmet meals every day, she was used to Jiang Liu’s delicious dishes and Shen Mo’s simple yet flavorful home cooking. She couldn’t believe how terrible her own cooking tasted. It made her tear up. She rushed to the bathroom to spit it out.
Shen Mo glanced in the direction of the bathroom, his brow furrowing deeply.
Before the meal was even finished, Chen Anyuan and Hu Hui made a hasty exit, excusing themselves.
Jiang Xiaosi couldn’t stomach the food either, so she pulled out some snacks from the fridge to eat instead. Shen Mo, however, finished half a bowl of rice and a bowl of soup. “Next time, use less MSG.” he said calmly.
Jiang Xiaosi’s eyes lit up in realization and nodded.
“These past few days, you haven’t been on QQ, right?” Shen Mo asked.
“I haven’t logged on, just like you said. It’s been killing me! It’s like quitting an addiction.”
After a brief pause, Shen Mo couldn’t help but ask, “What about your boyfriend?”
“My boyfriend? What boyfriend? I don’t have a boyfriend.” Jiang Xiaosi replied, puzzled.
No boyfriend? Then whose child was she carrying? Shen Mo’s frown deepened.
“Your parents don’t know?”
“My mom’s not around anymore. It’s just me and my dad.”
Children from single-parent families often matured faster. Shen Mo sighed softly. She was still so young—having a child now would ruin her life. But the thought of an abortion, especially after what happened with Ye Miao, made him immediately reject that idea.
“What does your father think?”
“Huh? What does my dad think about what? He’s a doctor, so he’s really busy. He’s always doing surgeries, and he works late into the night. I usually only see him in the middle of the night.”
“Where do you usually eat dinner?”
“If he’s back late, he makes me a feast. For lunch, I eat with my classmates at school. In the evenings, I sometimes come here to grab a meal!”
Jiang Xiaosi crunched on her snack, feeding pieces of meat to Pudding. Even the dog refused to eat the food she had cooked, turning its head away.
Shen Mo felt a slight twinge of sympathy. He began to accept her occasional presence at his dinner table.
At that moment, Shen Mo’s phone rang from somewhere in the house. Jiang Xiaosi searched for it and eventually found it in Pudding’s little doghouse. Shen Mo had apparently dropped it on the ground, and Pudding had taken it back as a prized decoration.
Without looking up, Shen Mo gestured for Jiang Xiaosi to answer the call.
Jiang Xiaosi picked up the phone, and an excited female voice came through. “Uncle! I stole the Purple Seal Insignia! Yixiu totally fell for it! Haha! I’m on my way back now!”
Jiang Xiaosi sweated a little. “Stole it?” Without a doubt, the person on the other end must be Shen Mo’s niece, Shen Koudan.
“Hello, who’s this?” Shen Koudan asked, suddenly confused. That didn’t sound like Xiao Tang. It sounded like a young girl.
“I’m Jiang Xiaosi. I’m helping Professor Shen with some things while I’m here. Do you need me to pass on a message?”
Knowing her uncle’s personality, Shen Koudan chuckled. “Thanks! Just let him know I got the Purple Seal Insignia, and I’ll be back in a few days. Tell him to be ready in case Yixiu comes after him!”
“Got it,” Jiang Xiaosi replied, and the call ended.
“Your niece says she stole the Purple Seal Insignia. What is it, and why did she have to steal it?”
Shen Mo didn’t even look at her. “None of your business. Wash the dishes and mop the floor.” With that, he turned and went back to his room to continue working.
Just then, the phone rang again. This time, it was Xiao Tang.
“Hello, Xiao Tang?”
“Xiaosi? Oh, great! Tell Professor Shen that we found a lead on Yang Yan. Someone saw his wife at a small store in his hometown, Fangqiu, a while ago. She bought supplies for two people, but no one saw Yang Yan. Do you think they’re hiding out together in his hometown?”
Jiang Xiaosi felt a glimmer of hope and quickly relayed the message.
Shen Mo furrowed his brow in thought. “Where is Fangqiu?”
Jiang Xiaosi tilted her head, trying to remember. “It’s a small village near Longpan Mountain. The roads aren’t great. It’s about five hours from Taoyuan City by car, and after you get off the bus, you’ll probably have to walk a bit.”
“Tell Xiao Tang to come pick me up.”
Jiang Xiaosi did as she was told and then watched as Shen Mo went upstairs to grab his black windbreaker and his carved purple sandalwood box.
“You’re going now? I want to go too!”
“No!” Shen Mo refused firmly. What was a young girl going to do in the mountains? Even though he was confident he could protect her from any ghosts or bandits, the mountain paths were slippery, and she was pregnant. What if she fell?
But Jiang Xiaosi wouldn’t back down. “This is about my safety! I have to go! Even if you don’t take me, I’ll find my own way there. I know where it is now.”
“You!” Shen Mo sighed in frustration and pointed to Shen Koudan’s room. “Go grab your coat and bring it with you.”
Only then did Jiang Xiaosi remember that she had left some clothes there. She ran upstairs to get them and found that Shen Mo had neatly folded them into perfect squares and placed them on the bed. A wave of warmth filled her heart, and a new, gentle feeling she had never experienced before lingered within her.
At that moment, her phone rang again. It was Jiang Liu.
“Xiaosi, where are you? Why aren’t you home yet?” Jiang Liu had noticed she’d been coming home late recently, and since she was sneaking out food and had secretly bought dog food, he suspected she was keeping a pet outside.
“Dad, I’m going to Fangqiu with some friends. I’ll be back in a couple of days.” She decided to be honest about where she was going, knowing that Jiang Liu would find out through their jade connection if she strayed too far.
Jiang Liu hesitated but didn’t press further. He just reminded her to be careful on the road.
After waiting for a while downstairs, Xiao Tang arrived in his car, with someone Jiang Xiaosi hadn’t met before—Lin Qiang, who was smoking a cigarette in the front seat.
Lin Qiang frowned as he looked at Jiang Xiaosi. “Does Shen Mo think this is a vacation? Why is he bringing a kid along?”
Xiao Tang quickly explained, “This is Jiang Xiaosi. She’s the one who got involved with Ye Miao through QQ. Since their contract states that she needs to find Yang Yan, she’s coming with us.”
Lin Qiang sat in the front while Shen Mo and Jiang Xiaosi climbed into the back. It was already 9 PM as the police car slowly pulled out of the city and headed toward Longpan Mountain.
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