A madman in France? How come he's always at crime scenes!

The Tan family's old residence is located west of Feishui City.

It's called an old house, but it's just a courtyard that was renovated a few years ago. There are no exaggerated stone lions at the entrance, nor are there any magnificent golden gates. The gray walls and green tiles give it a very simple and rustic look.

When Lin Zhiyi arrived, it was already dark.

The moment the driver brought the car to a stop, the gate opened from the inside.

A woman in her late thirties emerged from behind the door, wearing a light gray apron, with gentle features and her hair pulled back low.

"Zhiyi is back."

Lin Zhiyi got out of the car, her expression having returned to normal.

"Sister Lian."

The woman smiled and reached out to take the bag from her hand.

"No need," Lin Zhiyi said softly, "I'll take it myself."

Sister Lian didn't insist and stepped aside.

Lin Zhiyi nodded slightly to Sister Lian. She had a very good impression of this maid who had been working for the Tan family for ten years.

Sister Lian came to the Tan family later.

That year, Lin Zhiyi was seventeen years old and had just started her second year of high school. The Tan family kitchen had a new batch of staff, and that's when she first met this woman.

Back then, Sister Lian was much thinner than she is now. She didn't talk much, but she was very meticulous in her work and remembered all the family's habits, big and small.

Over the years, she has become more like a quiet part of the family than a nanny.

Lin Zhiyi walked into the courtyard.

The room was warmly lit, and the aroma of stewing soup wafted from the kitchen.

In the living room, Tan Ming was lying on the sofa playing games. Hearing footsteps, he turned his head to look, then turned his attention back to the TV screen.

"Sis, you're here."

He called out to people, but his hands never stopped moving.

Gunshots rang out. Tan Ming had his legs propped up on the edge of the coffee table, with a car key lying at his feet. The keychain had the logo of a supercar brand on it.

Lin Zhiyi glanced at his posture.

"foot."

Tan Ming immediately lowered his leg as if by muscle memory, but then realized what was happening a moment later.

"I just got back, why are you being as fierce as my dad?"

Lin Zhiyi ignored him and walked closer, immediately noticing Tan Ming's panda eyes.

"Stayed up all night again?"

"No," Tan Ming said matter-of-factly. "I didn't sleep at all last night, so how can that be considered staying up all night?"

Lin Zhiyi just stared at him without saying a word, making Tan Ming's heart pound.

"Okay, okay, I'll play for a little longer."

He put the handle down, looking defiant.

If his friends saw this, they'd all be utterly dumbfounded.

In the second-generation elites circle of Feishui, Young Master Tan is a well-known figure. He drives recklessly and spends money lavishly. Often, before you've even had a punch in the face, he'll be showered with cash.

But in front of Lin Zhiyi, that bit of arrogance always diminishes by three points.

It wasn't that Lin Zhiyi actually beat him up, but whenever he caused trouble as a child and was punished by Tan Yongren, only Lin Zhiyi dared to go in and say a few words for him.

After saying that, she came out and scolded him until he didn't dare to breathe.

Over time, Tan Ming developed a strange perception.

It doesn't matter if outsiders offend him, but not Lin Zhiyi.

"I came back quite early today," Lin Zhiyi said.

"My dad called me back, how could I not come back soon?"

Tan Ming glanced upstairs and lowered his voice.

"Besides, today isn't..."

He stopped talking, scratched his head, and grinned foolishly at Lin Zhiyi.

Lin Zhiyi smiled slightly, not paying much attention. No matter what her younger brother did outside, their relationship was still very good.

However, I still spoke up to remind them.

"You should keep a low profile lately and not cause trouble for the family outside."

"Okay, okay, it's the same few sentences every day. I'm tired of hearing them."

Lin Zhiyi glanced at him.

"You know I only say these few sentences every day."

"I know, I know."

Tan Ming raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.

"Drink less, drive less fast, stay away from those shady characters, stop causing my dad worry, and stop making you clean up his messes."

Lin Zhiyi didn't continue scolding him.

Tan Ming has many flaws and a spoiled temper, but he is not stupid. He has just had a smooth life since childhood and knows that someone will cover for him if he gets into trouble, so he naturally developed a spoiled personality.

It's hard to truly grow up without experiencing a major setback.

"It's good that you know."

Lin Zhiyi put her bag next to the sofa.

Tan Ming looked at her and suddenly leaned closer.

"Sis, are you in a bad mood today?"

Lin Zhiyi paused slightly.

"Is there?"

"Yes," Tan Ming said seriously, "when you scold me, there's a murderous glint in your eyes."

Lin Zhiyi was amused by his words.

"You're not happy because there's no murderous aura?"

"That's different." Tan Ming scratched his head. "You look more like my dad now. Do you understand the oppressive feeling? Sis, no one will want you if you keep acting like this."

"Are you looking for trouble?"

Just as he finished speaking, footsteps came from the direction of the stairs.

Tan Ming immediately sat up straight.

Lin Zhiyi looked up.

Tan Yongren came down from the second floor, wearing a dark gray loungewear shirt, his hair neatly combed, his face expressionless, yet he easily calmed people down.

He glanced at Tan Ming.

"Finished the game?"

Tan Ming immediately shoved the handle behind his back.

"Just...just opened."

Tan Yongren didn't expose him, but turned his gaze to Lin Zhiyi, his expression softening.

"Zhiyi is back."

Lin Zhiyi stood up.

"dad."

Tan Yongren walked down the last step and glanced at her.

"You don't look too good." Tan Yongren's tone was gentle. "After coming back this morning, why did you go back to the old house again? Did you miss your dad?"

Lin Zhiyi's heart skipped a beat.

This question was asked so naturally; it was just an ordinary elder asking about the itinerary.

But the feeling of being watched all the time made Lin Zhiyi very uncomfortable.

She quickly lowered her eyes, suppressing the strange feeling.

"Grab something."

"Old stuff?"

Lin Zhiyi looked up at him.

Tan Yongren smiled.

"On this day, you're going back to the old house, aren't you just going to look through the things your dad left behind?"

Speaking casually, Lin Zhiyi gradually relaxed.

"There's nothing special, just some of his old writing materials and such."

Tan Yongren walked up to her, patted her on the shoulder, and said with emotion.

"As people get older, they realize that they shouldn't dwell on old things too much. If they do, their minds will become very chaotic."

Tan Ming whispered a comment from the side.

"Then what about that pile of old teapots in your study?"

Tan Yongren's gaze swept over, and Tan Ming immediately shut up.

Lin Zhiyi smiled, pursing her lips.

Only then did the atmosphere in the room truly relax.

Sister Lian walked out from the restaurant.

"Mr. Tan, the dishes are ready."

"Let's eat."

Tan Yongren turned and walked towards the restaurant.

While he turned away, Tan Ming mouthed something to Lin Zhiyi.

help me.

Lin Zhiyi ignored him.

There weren't many dishes on the table, and they were all home-style dishes.

After Lin Zhiyi sat down, Tan Yongren pushed the soup bowl in front of her.

"Drink something hot. When you were little, you never liked to eat after coming back from the cemetery."

Lin Zhiyi took the bowl.

"I was still young then."

"It's not that much bigger now."

Tan Ming was immediately amused upon hearing this.

"Dad, my sister can already take care of me, am I still a child?"

Tan Yongren said indifferently, "Being able to control you is no skill."

Tan Ming choked and lowered his head to eat his rice.

Lin Zhiyi lowered her head and took a sip. The soup was warm, and the taste was no different from before.

Whenever she encountered setbacks in her life, work, or studies, she would return to the Tan family home for a meal.

Tan Yongren is not a talkative person, but he always manages to prepare everything that needs to be prepared, so she rarely needs to say a word.

At the dinner table, Tan Ming mentioned that a friend had invited him to test drive a new motorcycle, but Tan Yongren shut him down with a "You're not allowed to go."

Why?

"I just saw the news two days ago that two people were killed in a car accident. I don't want to be an elderly person burying a child."

"Your hair isn't even white..."

Tan Ming muttered something under his breath, but Tan Yongren glanced at him and immediately fell silent.

Lin Zhiyi put down her chopsticks.

"If you really want to enjoy driving, wear protective gear on the track and don't mess around on the road."

Tan Ming muttered to himself.

"The racetrack is so boring."

Tan Yongren looked at him.

"If you're bored, just go to a company and find a job."

"I think the track is quite interesting," Tan Ming immediately changed his tune.

Lin Zhiyi couldn't help but laugh.

Tan Yongren smiled and moved a plate of steamed shrimp and egg closer to her.

"Your dad used to be like that too."

Lin Zhiyi paused, the spoon in her hand still.

Tan Yongren seemed to be recalling old memories.

"Back then, when we went out to discuss business, your dad was always the most stubborn one. He would say he didn't care, but behind the scenes, he would keep track of every single penny in the accounts."

Tan Ming was curious.

"Is Uncle Lin that amazing?"

"Impressive." Tan Yongren glanced at him. "Unlike you, you're a complete negative example."

Tan Ming fell silent again.

But Lin Zhiyi was inexplicably touched as she listened to these words.

She suddenly wanted to ask Tan Yongren if there were really any suspicious points on the day her father had the accident, as Wu Liang had said.

But as she was about to speak, she saw Tan Yongren bending down to serve her soup.

The movements were natural, just like countless times over the past twenty years.

Lin Zhiyi suppressed the question.

"Was my dad well-liked at his previous company?"

Tan Yongren placed the soup in front of her.

"It's alright. It's just that it's too serious, which doesn't appeal to lazy people."

"Did you see him before the accident that day?"

There was a moment of silence at the dining table.

Tan Ming raised his head slightly.

Lin Zhiyi realized her question was abrupt as soon as she asked it, so she lowered her eyes and drank her soup.

Tan Yongren looked at her for a while, his expression unchanged.

"I've seen it."

Lin Zhiyi looked up.

"There was a lot going on at the company that day, and your dad was working overtime. I even told him to go home early."

Tan Yongren spoke gently, revealing no sign of anything amiss.

"Who knows..."

The rest of the sentence was left unsaid.

Lin Zhiyi nodded gently.

"I went to the cemetery today and it suddenly came to mind."

"That's normal," Tan Yongren said. "You tend to think more on this day every year."

He neither pressed for details nor avoided the question.

This only made Lin Zhiyi more agitated.