The richest man's parents were kidnapped, and his adorable son captivated the entire family.

An uncontrollable rage burst forth from his chest.

"Xie Yumin!" His voice was low and trembling, like muffled thunder before an earthquake, "What are these?!"

He turned abruptly, his shadow almost completely obscuring Xie Yumin's slender figure. His tall frame exuded an overwhelming sense of oppression, and one finger pointed intently at the painting.

"Why is this picture book, which should be in Mengmeng's hospital room, in your house?"

"Was that painting on the wall painted by her?"

"Have you seen her? You've been in contact with Mengmeng, haven't you?! Tell me the truth!"

Xie Yumin felt as if all her blood had been drained away in an instant; her face turned deathly pale, her lips trembled, and she was speechless for a moment.

Her heart was pounding and her mind was in turmoil, but she knew she absolutely could not admit it!

Gu Yinshen was furious and deeply suspicious. If she admitted anything, he would probably take the most extreme measures immediately, and she would not even be able to get close to Mengmeng again!

She struggled to suppress the fear and trembling in her heart, forcing herself to speak calmly:

"Mr. Gu, you've misunderstood."

“This painting… was done when Mengmeng was hospitalized. Aunt Zhang brought her here once, and the child was feeling bored, so she painted it here.”

"The picture book was also something she left behind that time. I... I really like her, so I kept the things, just this once."

“After that, I never saw her in private again. If you don’t believe me, you can ask Aunt Zhang; she can testify to that.”

Her voice trembled with weariness, yet she desperately tried to appear calm and innocent. She lowered her eyelashes, avoiding direct confrontation with Gu Yinshen, but forced her gaze to meet his during crucial sentences.

A subtle psychological game is quietly unfolding.

Gu Yinshen's eyes were sharp, his gaze like a hawk locking onto its prey. His eyes were fixed on her face, trying to read a flaw from her every expression.

Her explanation sounded reasonable.

But the more reasonable it seemed, the colder it felt to him.

Why did Aunt Zhang bring her here?

"You 'like her a lot,' so much so that you can't bear to take down her paintings?"

"You're not seeing her again? But your expression and the photos on your phone... do they really seem like you've only seen her once?"

These questions echoed wildly in his mind.

He didn't speak immediately, but slowly straightened up, as if he had sunk into an ice peak in the eye of a storm.

The air seemed to freeze, making it feel suffocating.

Xie Yumin thought he had finally suppressed his anger and was about to breathe a sigh of relief when she saw the guest off.

His gaze shifted, sweeping towards her desk.

The desk was a little messy, with a pile of sticky notes lying around. One of them had delicate handwriting on it:

Mengmeng is allergic to cow's milk (soy milk can be used as a substitute), wants to listen to "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" before bed, is afraid of thunder and needs a hug, and likes strawberry-flavored Vitamin D...

Gu Yinshen's expression changed drastically.

This record chilled him to the bone even more than the paintings on the wall.

This isn't a "liking" that comes from chance encounters; it's the details that can only be discovered through daily companionship, the habit list that only a mother would remember.

He remained calm.

As Xie Yumin turned around, he slowly reached out, pretending to adjust his cuffs, and quietly clenched the note in his palm. His fingertips were slightly cool, yet the coolness was distinct and piercing.

He walked to the door expressionlessly and said in a low but cold voice:

I will investigate your explanation.

"If you've ever hidden anything from Mengmeng... I will never let you get away with it."

After saying that, he pressed the elevator button and his figure disappeared into the night.

The night was deep, and neon lights flickered outside the window.

Ruolan walked into the empty office in her high heels, threw her bag onto the sofa with a large, forceful motion, as if to shatter the pent-up anger in her chest.

Her face was as cold as a sculpture; her features, originally delicate and beautiful, were now distorted with anger. Her long nails dug into her palms, leaving deep red marks on her skin.

The phone screen was still lit up; it was a text message just sent by her informant who had been planted next to Gu Yinshen.

"Confirmed: President Gu just left Xie Yumin's residence, where he stayed for about an hour. He did not report his whereabouts in advance."

"Update: The private investigation team has officially been launched, targeting Xie Yumin."

Ruolan's pupils suddenly constricted, and she even paused for a moment.

"He actually went to her house in person?" she muttered through gritted teeth, her voice laced with venom. "And he even hired a private investigator at this critical juncture?"

She swallowed the churning anger, her chest heaving. She certainly didn't believe Xie Yumin was merely "outstanding at work," otherwise why would Gu Yinshen be so concerned about a woman who had been gone for six years, whose identity was suspicious, and whose private behavior was strange?!

She could sense that the woman possessed a secret she couldn't see, yet one powerful enough to shake everything.

"I can't wait any longer... I can't gamble anymore." She walked to the full-length mirror, looked at her own狰狞 (zhengning - ferocious/hideous) expression in the mirror, and growled fiercely, word by word:

"Xie Yumin, this time, I'm going to shut you up for good."

She turned around abruptly, pulled out another hidden phone, and dialed a number.

"I've already chosen the person. Their identity must be carefully concealed. The target is at X Hospital, VIP room number seven. Act quickly, and leave no evidence."

Her eyes were sinister, and the corners of her lips curled into an almost maniacal smile.

“Control that brat… If she dares to resist, I’ll take her life.”

The hospital was quiet and oppressive late at night, with the occasional nurse pushing an equipment cart by. The VIP ward area, which was usually heavily guarded, was now breached by a man-made loophole.

Several unfamiliar men dressed in formal attire held stamped "official documents from welfare institutions," so convincingly forged that they were almost indistinguishable from genuine ones. The leader, with a cold and hard expression, said: "We received a report that the child in this ward is suspected of being abused. We are assisting in the transfer and placement in accordance with the law. Please cooperate with the investigation."

Their tone was so forceful it was irresistible, and they even presented a clearly photoshopped "temporary court order".

The on-duty nurses hesitated to make a decision, but one of them took advantage of the chaos to press the switch for the backup passage, and the outer door of the ward immediately opened.

They rushed straight to ward number seven.

Aunt Zhang immediately sensed something was wrong, locked the ward door from the inside, unplugged the door bolt, and pressed herself almost against the door, using her body to block it.

"Who! Who are you? You can't just take a child away from the hospital!" she demanded sharply, her hand trembling as she pressed the red emergency call button on the wall.

"Get away from me! Children shouldn't see strangers!"

Boom!

The door was pounded on by the thugs, and the metal lock groaned as if it were about to shatter.

"Aunt Zhang, sob sob sob..." In the corner, Mengmeng was so frightened that she curled up into a ball, her little hands gripping the bed sheet tightly, her little face covered in tears.

The next second, the door was suddenly kicked open!

Aunt Zhang's eyes reddened, and without hesitation, she grabbed a vase from the table and smashed it at them! "Get out!"

But she, an elderly woman, was no match for him.

"boom!"

A burly man grabbed her arm and shoved her hard against the wall.