Siheyuan: tomb robbing? I am serious about hunting.

"Achen, what do you mean?" Her voice trembled slightly. "Are you suspecting Vice President Zhao and me? Suspecting there's something illicit between us?" Lin Chen watched Su Wanqing's panic, feeling no sympathy. This was all she deserved, the price she and Zhao Kai paid for betraying him. "I'm not suspecting you," Lin Chen said calmly. "I'm just reminding you that Zhao Kai is quite ambitious. He's been winning over people and excluding dissidents in the company for a long time. Stay away from him, or he'll use you and you'll regret it too late." He deliberately spoke tactfully, not directly exposing their conspiracy. He wanted Su Wanqing to believe that he was merely wary of Zhao Kai and didn't suspect her. Su Wanqing's eyes flickered with suspicion when she heard Lin Chen's words, but it was quickly replaced by a sense of grievance. She bit her lip, her eyes instantly reddened, tears welling up in them, making her look pitiful. "Achen, how can you say that?" She choked and said, her voice full of grievance. "Vice President Zhao and I are just colleagues. We have never had any improper dealings. Did you hear any gossip from others? Those are all rumors, don't believe them. You have to believe me, my feelings for you have never changed." Looking at Su Wanqing's tearful face, Lin Chen's heart was calm. In his previous life, he was deceived by this appearance. He thought Su Wanqing had suffered a great injustice, and he hugged her in his arms with heartache, apologized to her, and vowed never to doubt her again. But now, he knew clearly that this was just Su Wanqing's performance, a means for her to deceive him. Her tears, like crocodile tears, were hypocritical and cheap. "Of course I believe you." Lin Chen's tone suddenly softened. He reached out and gently stroked Su Wanqing's hair, his movements gentle, as if he were still the husband who loved her deeply. "How could I doubt you? You're the one I love most, and I believe in your loyalty. I'm just worried about you. After all, people's hearts are often hidden. Zhao Kai is a man of deep thoughts, and I'm afraid you're too naive and might be being used by him without even realizing it." Su Wanqing heard Lin Chen's gentle tone and felt the warmth of his hand, a flicker of joy in her eyes. She assumed that Lin Chen still believed in her as before, and that his previous suspicion was just a momentary misunderstanding. She immediately threw herself into Lin Chen's arms, tightly wrapping her arms around his waist, burying her head in his chest. She choked out a sob, "Ah Chen, you're so kind. I knew you wouldn't doubt me, that you truly loved me. Don't worry, I'll stay away from Vice President Zhao from now on and won't let you worry." Lin Chen patted Su Wanqing's back gently, but a cold smile played at the corner of his mouth. He could clearly smell the faint scent of men's perfume on Su Wanqing. It was a well-known cologne, fresh and elegant, but he was incredibly familiar with it—it was the perfume Zhao Kai often wore. In his previous life, he had smelled it on Zhao Kai many times, but he hadn't paid much attention to it at the time, simply dismissing it as Zhao Kai's personal preference. But now, the scent of this perfume emanating from Su Wanqing's body was self-evident. Su Wanqing cried in his arms for a while before slowly raising her head. Her face was still stained with tears, making her look even more pitiful. "Achen, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have lost my temper with you just now," she said softly, a hint of guilt in her tone. "I was just too afraid you'd doubt me. I really can't lose you." "Okay, stop crying." Lin Chen pushed Su Wanqing away and gently wiped the tears from her face. His movements were gentle, but his eyes were cold. "I know you didn't mean it. I don't blame you." He paused, his gaze settling on the cake box on the coffee table. "I don't have an appetite for this cake right now. Let's put it in the refrigerator and eat it tonight when I'm hungry." Su Wanqing nodded, a resigned smile on her face. "Okay, I'll listen to you." She picked up the cake box from the coffee table and turned to the kitchen. The refrigerator was in the corner, and she had to walk through the living room to reach it. Lin Chen sat on the sofa, his eyes following Su Wanqing's back closely, his eyes cold. Su Wanqing didn't know that Lin Chen had already tampered with the cake box as she turned to the kitchen. Just now, while picking up the cake box, he took advantage of Su Wanqing's inattention and decided to expose Zhao Kai's true identity in this life, preventing him from causing trouble in the company. When Su Wanqing heard Lin Chen's words, her face instantly turned pale, drained of all color. She jerked her head up, her eyes wide, and stared at Lin Chen, her tone tinged with panic and disbelief. It was just after the Qingming Festival in 1985, and the mist still hung heavy over the Jiangnan water village. Like a layer of crumpled cotton wool, it gently enveloped the reeds along the riverbank and the old locust tree at the village entrance, leaving even a faint hint of moisture in the air. At daybreak, Lin Wanqiu had already entered the mulberry garden, treading on the dew. She wore a washed-out blue shirt with patches on the cuffs and hems. Her trouser legs were rolled up to her knees, revealing calves stained with dirt—the mark of years of toiling in the fields. The mulberry orchard was vast, stretching as far as the eye could see. Rows of mulberry trees stood neatly, their tender green leaves adorned with glistening dewdrops. The breeze blew them down the edges, dripping into the soft soil with tiny splashes. Her footsteps in late autumn were gentle, trying not to damage the mulberry tree's roots. Her fingertips brushed against the velvety leaves, their softness yet resilience a familiar feeling from childhood. As the village's best silkworm farmer, she felt a deep connection to the orchard. As she walked, she meticulously inspected the leaves, occasionally pausing to gently pinch off insects or pull out weeds sprouting from the tree's base. When she reached the third row of mulberry trees, she paused. The easternmost tree was wrapped in a coil of silvery-white plastic string. Such string was a rarity in the village back then. The villagers usually use hemp rope or straw rope. Plastic rope is only sold occasionally in the supply and marketing cooperative in town, and the price is not cheap. Most people can't afford to buy it. Wanqiu stood on tiptoe and got closer. She found that half a newspaper corner was stuck in the knot. The newspaper was a little yellow and the edges were worn, but the two black lead characters "Guangzhou" on it were clearly visible. This is not something that belongs to the villagers. Wanqiu was certain. If anyone in the village had plastic rope, they would have used it as a treasure in important places and would never have tied it around a mulberry tree casually. Moreover, Guangzhou is so far away, and no one in the village has been there except the old party secretary's son who went out to serve in the army in his early years. Where did this newspaper come from? She frowned and reached out to carefully take off the half corner of the newspaper.