Red Bean Lives in the Republic of China - Chapter 24.2

Chapter 24.2

After a thorough search, they exited Pan’s house.

He Yunqin, and Wang Peter hopped into their car.

Yu Hongdou wanted to tag along with Yu Chongyi, but Mrs. Yu stopped her, saying, “Your brother and his friends are working on the case. Why do you want to follow them? Don’t mess things up further.” 

Yu Hongdou replied, “I’m now the assistant specifically hired by Inspector Wang. How could I possibly cause trouble?” 

Mrs. Yu recalled what happened back in Yuqi’s room. Still, she doubted Yu Hongdou’s claim and glanced at Yu Chongyi for reassurance. Yu Chongyi hesitated momentarily, looking at the two in the car.

Wang Peter overheard the exchange between the mother and daughter and raised an eyebrow. ‘Although Yu Hongdou seems sweet and innocent, she is as good at telling lies as He Yunqin.’

Having a general idea about Yu Hongdou, Wang Peter wanted to challenge the young lady. So he rolled down the window, ready to have a word battle.

But He Yunqin jumped in first, not giving Wang Peter a chance to butt in. “Mr. Yu, Miss. Yu, please get in the car quickly.” 

Yu Chongyi quickly pulled Yu Hongdou along, and they both got into the car under Wang Peter’s watchful gaze.

****

When the car stopped near the police station, Yu Chongyi hopped out of the car and went to look up the phone number for Nanbao Foreign Trade Company.

Yu Hongdou pulled out a scented handkerchief, took a whiff, and then turned to He Yunqin, saying, “Chen Baidie went through the trouble of writing that number in lipstick, thinking it was super important. If she was worried about forgetting it, why did she wipe it off later?” 

He Yunqin leaned back, stretching out his long legs. “The only call Chen Baidie made the night she vanished was to order a taxi. That number on the mirror might have been written down before. She could have memorised it or changed her mind at the last second. Either way, she probably found the lipstick colour annoying and wanted to get rid of it.”

“The staff were supposed to tidy up the room daily. Earlier, when the number was still visible, they knew their master wanted to keep it, and they wouldn’t touch it. But then Chen Baidie wiped it off herself, so why did the staff leave the smudged dirt behind? When we checked, the lipstick mark was still there, which suggests the staff didn’t have an opportunity to clean the room before they realized Chen Baidie was missing. This leads me to think that Chen Baidie might have erased the number the night before she vanished, and when the staff discovered she was gone the next day, they obviously didn’t think to clean the room. I can’t shake the feeling that her writing and erasing the number has something to do with her financial backer,” Yu Hongdou said with a confused look.

“Miss Yu makes a good point,” He Yunqin replied after pulling out a cigarette from his trouser pocket.

Yu Hongdou caught the playful tone in the man’s voice. She raised an eyebrow and asked, “Am I wrong?”

He Yunqin: “…”

‘Cat got your tongue, huh?’ Yu Hongdou thought about the weird attitude of He Yunqin whenever they talked about Chen Baidie’s financial sponsor. ‘He can’t even continue the conversation. It’s simply unbelievable.’

Thinking back to the night when the concierge at Chen Baidie’s apartment recognised He Yunqin, a thought flashed through her mind. ‘Could it be that He Yunqin is Chen Baidie’s financial backer? That’s why he doesn’t like to talk about it, and that’s why he took the initiative to intervene in the case.’

The more she thought about it, the more she felt that it could be true.

‘It was said that He Yunqin had been studying abroad since he was a teenager, so he must be at most 24 or 25 now. Chen Baidie has been famous for several years, so there should be some age difference between them. So… could it be a sister-brother relationship?’

She suddenly recalled that this guy had actually visited Miss Qiu on the third floor. ‘Even though she could hide her age with makeup, she has to be at least 27. Maybe He Yunqin just prefers older women. As for Duan Mingyi, she’s around the same age as him, but she is still his sister-in-law…’

She had been sneaking a peek at too many scandalous news articles and magazines behind my mom’s back, and now those wild thoughts just keep flooding my mind.

He Yunqin noticed that Yu Hongdou had been quiet for a while, and when he glanced in the rearview mirror, he saw her expression was a mix of emotions. He couldn’t quite figure out what was on her mind, so he joked, “I’m not the one funding Chen Baidie.”

Yu Hongdou jumped a little. ‘How did he know what I’m thinking?’ 

He Yunqin rubbed his nose, realising that his comment might have been unnecessary. Just as he was about to say something else to lighten the mood, Yu Chongyi returned and leaned against the car window.

“There’s no phone number starting with 7 linked to the properties owned by Nanbao Foreign Company. The villa at Mingquan Mountain doesn’t have a phone installed yet. But I checked other wealthy properties in the area, and all the phone numbers start with 7.”

He Yunqin flicked his cigarette butt away and replied, “Mr. Yu, I can’t speak for others, but regarding Chen Baidie, your Director Bai has searched nearly all of Shanghai for her, and it’s been over ten days with no sign of her. If they’ve managed to stay hidden for this long, there’s definitely a reason behind it. You need to inform the higher-ups right away and start searching Mingquan Mountain, especially focusing on Liuyun Temple and the villa owned by Nanbao Foreign. 

Company. Inspector Wang and I will follow Lu Jingheng.”

“Mr. He, do you mean that Chen Baidie and my cousin might be hidden in Mingquan Mountain?” Yu Chongyi was really surprised by He Yunqin’s words.

“The murderer left too few clues. Everything is still just speculation. We have to give it a try. Mr. Yu, go to Mingquan Mountain immediately. If you have any news, come to us immediately,” He Yunqin said.

***

When they got to the Grand Theatre, He Yunqin parked the car in a discreet spot on the side.

Yu Hongdou glanced across the street and soon spotted the Lu family’s car approaching. Once it stopped, Lu Jingheng stepped out and opened the door for Li Lulu and the other girls. After they exited, he bowed slightly like a true gentleman and guided them inside. A little while later, he came back out and exchanged a few words with the driver, who nodded and slowly drove off.

The movie ran for an hour.

Yu Hongdou enjoyed the cakes He Yunqin had bought for her. She felt increasingly drowsy and noticed He Yunqin reclining in his chair with his eyes shut, seemingly napping.

Meanwhile, Wang Peter pulled out a wine bottle and sipped quietly, still full of energy.

Yu Hongdou glanced across the street and saw that the movie was still ongoing.

Just as she was going to take a quick nap in the back seat, Lu Jingheng, Li Lulu, and the others came out of the theatre.

The driver was right on time, arriving a quarter of an hour before the show finished. When he spotted the young master coming out, he quickly stepped forward to open the door.

It seemed that Lu Jingheng had put some effort into winning over Li Lulu. After dropping her off at the Li family home, he patiently took several other students back to their apartments one by one before finally heading to Yiyuan Road, where the Lu family lived.

“This wayward son took quite a hit from you a few months back, and he was only on the straight and narrow for a short time. Now that he’s back on his feet, he’s ramped up his playboy antics. Just look at the women he’s been chasing lately—there must be at least ten! I wonder how long this latest fling will last. Honestly, the only one he’s really focused on over the years seems to be your young mistress.” Wang Peter’s sarcastic words echoed inside the car.

He Yunqin laughed lightly, saying, “It doesn’t really matter who he goes after, as long as it doesn’t involve me.”

Listening to the conversation between the two men, Yu Hongdou was so taken aback that she dropped her piece of cake. ‘It seems that He Yunqin and Lu Jingheng have a history. Surprisingly, that matter is tied to Duan Mingyi’.

Suddenly, she recalled the gossip about He Yunqin and Duan Mingyi that had made headlines, spreading like wildfire across Shanghai. ‘Could it be that Lu Jingheng has leaked that information on purpose?’

The car trailed behind, maintaining a safe distance from the Lu family’s car.

Upon reaching Lu Mansion, Lu Jingheng stepped out confidently, ready to head inside. But just as he was about to take a step, the driver said something. He turned around in surprise and finally spotted the car parked discreetly in the back.

Yu Hongdou raised an eyebrow.

He Yunqin had followed Lu Jingheng without being noticed until the very end, but Lu’s driver finally caught them.

Lu Jingheng glanced over, seemingly recognising He Yunqin, and his expression turned furious. Just then, several cars came speeding on the road and stopped at the gate of Lu Mansion.

The car door swung open, and Director Bai stepped out of the car, followed closely by a group of policemen, including Yu Hongdou’s brother. They quickly surrounded Lu Jingheng.

Wang Peter shot a glance at He Yunqin and remarked, “Now that Bai Haili is here, something significant must have been uncovered at Mingquan Mountain.” 

Just as the police were about to cuff Lu Jingheng and shove him into the squad car, he shouted, “Bai Haili, what’s going on? You were just playing cards with my dad at my place yesterday, and now you’re turning against me. What did I do wrong? My dad is in here—are you brave enough to tell him to his face?” 

Director Bai scoffed, “Master Lu, the trouble you’ve caused this time is too big for me to sweep under the rug! We just discovered Chen Baidie’s bloody clothes at the Lu family villa in Mingquan Mountain. We have strong reasons to believe you’re involved in Chen Baidie’s disappearance. Instead of making a scene, you should explain how you kidnapped Chen Baidie, Pan Yuqi, and the others. Otherwise, not even the king of heaven can save you!”

End of chapter 24

Have a nice day!