She abandoned her husband first, then her children, and was ecstatic after the divorce.

Lin Qingran's fingers tapped unconsciously on the sofa armrest, her brows furrowed as she sorted through the complex information she had just received.

Having discussed this much, she probably understood the underlying logic.

But the truth is rather heavy.

"If Li Qing was dismissed for this reason, then there are only two possibilities."

Lin Qingran spoke slowly, raising her head slightly and looking out the window at the blurry horizon in the distance, as if trying to find an answer in that endless distance.

“Either Li Qing left to take the blame for Old Master Fu, but…” Lin Qingran paused, gently shook her head, and a hint of denial flashed in her eyes, “That possibility is unlikely.”

She unconsciously clenched her fists, as if trying to grasp that fleeting thought.

"If Li Qing really left for this reason, then he was kind to Old Master Fu. How could someone as shrewd as Old Master Fu easily drive away his benefactor?"

As Lin Qingran spoke, a mocking smirk appeared on her face.

She knew Old Master Fu's cold-hearted nature all too well.

"Even if Li Qing knows his secret, Old Master Fu will still coax and flatter him in public, and will never let him go easily. After all, only by keeping someone who knows your secret by your side can you feel at ease."

Bo Ye, who was sitting to the side, watched Lin Qingran quietly and gently held her hand.

Lin Qingran felt the warmth of his palm, turned her head slightly, and gave Bo Ye a reassuring look.

"If we rule out that possibility, there's only one possibility left."

Lin Qingran took a deep breath and continued.

"Li Qing did not take the blame for Old Master Fu. In fact, Old Master Fu did not tell him the inside story at the beginning. But he found out in secret and used it to blackmail Old Master Fu until he completely offended him before choosing to leave."

Bo Ye listened to Lin Qingran's analysis and couldn't help but nod slightly.

"But leaving isn't enough. With Old Master Fu's methods, he will never let Li Qing go easily. So Li Qing must have a powerful backer so that he can leave Old Master Fu with peace of mind."

Lin Qingran's speech gradually quickened, and her thoughts became increasingly clear.

"Then it's very likely that Fu Liancheng is Li Qing's backer. In that case, it would make sense for Fu Liancheng to keep Fu Xiuheng locked up in the manor under Li Qing's name."

After Lin Qingran finished speaking, she let out a long breath, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.

However, Wen Qingyu, who had remained silent all along, raised a question at this moment.

Her voice, tinged with confusion, came through the phone, "When Old Master Fu had his accident, Fu Liancheng was just a teenager. How could he possibly have the ability to stand up to Old Master Fu?"

A brief silence fell over the room as everyone pondered the question.

Lin Qingran's gaze turned serious again. She bit her lower lip and fell into deep thought.

After a while, Lin Qingran slowly spoke.

"Then his mother is the one with the problem."

Lin Qingran took a deep breath.

"It's not that I want to make unfounded assumptions about a poor woman who was abandoned and died in childbirth, but the fact is so obvious."

Lin Qingran's voice was very soft, yet it could be clearly heard in the quiet space.

"Qingyu, think about it. How could a woman from an ordinary background stay by the side of such a shrewd man as Old Master Fu for so many years, and still make him unable to forget her and unwilling to discuss the matter of that woman? Is there anything so simple in this world?"

As Lin Qingran spoke, she gently shook her head, a few strands of hair slipping down her cheek.

She raised her hand to tuck her hair behind her ear, her movements slow and deliberate, as if weighed down by her heavy thoughts.

"Ever since Old Master Fu inherited the Fu Group, he has controlled everything. People come and go around him, like fleeting clouds. But whether he was around or after he left, he always managed to maintain his position."

Lin Qingran's gaze grew increasingly profound, as if trying to pierce through the darkness.

“Unless…” she paused, a hint of mockery flashing in her eyes.

"Unless Old Master Fu was truly hopelessly devoted in his youth, willing to disregard everything for this woman and abandon his usual shrewdness and calculation. But is that possible? Do you think that's like Old Master Fu's style?"

That woman may have truly held a very important place in Old Master Fu's heart, or perhaps, given her abilities back then, there was indeed no way for Old Master Fu to stand out from his brother in the competition.

This led to their eventual disappointing departure.

But what are the chances that an ordinary woman can give birth to a child alone outside the home?

Lin Qingran quickly turned her head, her gaze fixed on Bo Shicheng beside her.

"The only information you found out at the time was that Old Master Fu had an illegitimate child, but what exactly happened regarding the woman's childbirth?"

Bo Shicheng frowned slightly, a hint of helplessness on his face. He slowly shook his head, a touch of apology in his eyes, and said.

"I've tried my best to investigate, but that's all the information I can find. There's really no more specific information about that woman's childbirth."

Lin Qingran pursed her lips, a determined glint in her eyes. She immediately took out her phone and gave Wen Qingyu another instruction.

"Qingyu, go and investigate the matter of Fu Liancheng's birth mother again. You must do everything you can to find more detailed clues and not overlook any details."

After hanging up the phone, Lin Qingran took a deep breath and turned to look at Bo Ye.

"We need to go and see Old Master Fu; we can't just wait around like this anymore."

Bo Ye nodded slightly, and the three of them hit it off immediately and began to discuss countermeasures.

After they had made all the necessary preparations and left the hotel, Lin Qingran's phone rang as she got into the car. It was a call from Wen Qingyu.

Lin Qingran hurriedly pressed the answer button, and Wen Qingyu's voice on the other end of the phone was filled with excitement.

"Sister, there's progress! Apparently, a college classmate who once pursued that woman took her in after she left Old Master Fu while pregnant. Later, after she passed away, he handed Fu Liancheng over to her family."

Lin Qingran's eyes widened suddenly. She gripped her phone tightly, and her voice unconsciously rose a few decibels.

"Okay, Qingyu, continue to investigate the background of that college classmate. I'll go find Grandpa Fu first."

They quickly arrived at Old Master Fu's residence, but just like last time, they were stopped at the door.

If Old Master Fu was somewhat polite to Lin Qingran last time, this time, he had absolutely no patience left.