Slow to mature after marriage

Mu Siwan turned and left, only to run into Meng Qing, who was rushing over.

He took long strides, a thin layer of sweat beading on his forehead, and stopped abruptly when he saw her. He glanced at her from head to toe, seeing her calm expression, inscrutable, and his Adam's apple bobbed.

"Just now... Wanwan didn't say anything too offensive to you, did she?"

Mu Siwan looked at him: "She said I stole her brother."

Meng Qing's brow twitched. "This kid's been getting stuck on things lately. I'll go talk to him and he'll be fine. Don't take it to heart."

Mu Siwan shook her head: "It's nothing."

After saying that, she walked past him and left.

Meng Qing stood there, watching her departing figure, clenched his fist, and turned to find Meng Wan.

When they found her, Meng Wan was squatting at the entrance of the alley, scratching the ground with a twig.

"Meng Wan." His face darkened.

Meng Wan looked up and saw that his expression was off. Her heart skipped a beat, and she stood up.

"What nonsense were you spouting in front of Mu Siwan just now?" Meng Qing's voice was low, but every word was filled with anger. "What do you mean by stealing your brother? I will always be your brother."

"But...but..." Meng Wan saw that he was really angry and was scared, so she muttered softly, "I just can't stand her indifferent attitude towards everyone. Our family doesn't owe her anything."

"Doesn't your family owe her anything?"

Meng Qing's chest trembled with anger as he stared at her, saying each word clearly, "Meng Wan, listen carefully—what your biological parents did to Mu Siwan is tantamount to imprisonment, and to put it more seriously, it's punishable by imprisonment. Do you understand?"

"Brother, what nonsense are you talking about? What do you mean by 'de facto imprisonment'?" Meng Wan's eyes widened. "Without my parents, Mu Siwan would have starved to death on the streets long ago."

Meng Qing took a deep breath, his gaze complex.

"Whether I'm talking nonsense or not, you can go home and ask your biological parents."

-

At the same time, at Yanhe International Building.

The lights were off in the top-floor office.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows was the night view of northern Beijing, with thousands of lights spread out at his feet. The light shone in, illuminating only half of the man's cold and stern face.

Bo Yan sat in the leather chair, his suit jacket off and draped over the back of the chair, his shirt sleeves rolled up to his forearms, and a stack of papers in his hand.

Another stack of papers lay open on the desk.

The files, compiled by a private investigator, detail everything about Mu Siwan's life from childhood to adulthood, arranged chronologically to form a cold, hard record.

He turned to the last page and didn't move on.

Fingers rested on the paper, knuckles slightly white.

The office was quiet. The only sounds were the ticking of the wall clock and the man's heavy, suppressed breathing.

He recalled what the private investigator had said that afternoon.

"According to information provided by the Mu family's servants, Miss Mu was never allowed to leave the house or attend school from a young age. All her lessons were taught by private tutors who came to her home."

"The Mu family has had several batches of servants, but one rule has never changed—the attic on the second floor is locked from the outside. If she makes a mistake, or if Mu Cheng is in a bad mood, he will lock her in there. The longest time was two days and one night, without giving her any food."

Bo Yan turned a page. The paper was covered with photos of Mu Siwan at different ages, each one showing a blank expression.

"Later, the Mu family's business declined, and Mu Cheng began to drink heavily. When drunk, he would become violent, mainly attacking Ms. Mu Siwan and her younger brother Mu Sigui, and occasionally Xu Ruolin would also be involved. The neighbors called the police twice, but Mu Cheng had some connections in Beijing, so in the end, nothing came of it."

The detective paused for a moment after saying this.

"The worst time was when Ms. Mu Siwan was locked in the mourning hall of the Mu family's old mansion for two days and two nights. She was only twelve years old at the time."

Bo Yan closed the document, his fingertips stroking the kraft paper cover, his eyes lowered, and he remained motionless for a long time.

The light outside the window went completely dark.

The office was pitch black, with only the silhouette of a man sitting there stiffly, like a silent sculpture.

It wasn't until the phone rang that Bo Yan came back to his senses and looked down at it.

[Wife]: Bo Yan, I have to work overtime tonight and will be back very late. Don't wait for me.

He stared at the words, his eyes inexplicably welling up with tears.

Bo Yan tilted his head back, closed his eyes in the darkness, and after a long while, he lowered his head to type.

[Bo Yan]: Okay, I understand.

The light from the screen shone on the man's face, revealing a pair of emotionless eyes.

Bo Yan pressed the intercom, "Wang Jin, come in."

Assistant Wang pushed open the door and entered, feeling the man's imposing aura, and sweat dripped from his forehead.

Why do I inexplicably feel a murderous aura?

Bo Yan: "What's the progress of that AI project with the Mu family?"

"Everything is normal. Mu Cheng's cash flow is already tight. He just took out a bridge loan last month, and the interest rate is not low." Wang Jin paused. "Based on the current situation, the Mu family can only hold on for a maximum of three more months."

"We can't wait three more months," the man sighed. "The Mu family is about to collapse."

"Prepare to withdraw investment." Bo Yan tapped his finger on the table. "I want to time the withdrawal when they are at their most vulnerable—when the funding chain breaks, the project collapses, and economic crimes occur, all at once."

Wang Jin nodded: "Understood."

Suddenly remembering something, she said, "Oh right, the Mu family's newly found biological daughter has her birthday next Thursday. I heard that Mu Cheng invited a lot of people that day; executives from several companies in Beijing received invitations. It's quite a grand affair."

"I've sent invitations to you and your wife," Wang Jin added. "Would you like to attend with your wife?"

"Madam won't go; we don't want to frighten her."

Bo Yan said calmly, "I'll go."

Wang Jin responded, but the image of the pile of bone specimens in Mu Yanyuan's living room flashed through his mind, and a thin layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Who scared whom is really hard to say.

He didn't dare say it aloud and turned to leave.

-

Late at night, Mu Siwan was still working overtime.

Xiao Qin sat next to her, her head slowly drooping.

"Are you going first?"

Xiao Qin shook his head violently, his eyelids drooping as he forced them open: "No, I must stand with my master through thick and thin."

Mu Siwan took a mint out of her pocket and tossed it over: "Wake me up."

The peppermint candy was put into her bag by Bo Yan at some point.

She took a bite herself. The cool minty flavor spread, and she felt a bit more awake.

He lowered his head and continued writing the report.

My phone vibrated.

[Bo Yan]: Still not off work?

[Mu Siwan]: Not yet, you don't need to wait for me to come home.

[Bo Yan]: Hmm.

Half an hour later, Xiao Qin went to make coffee. As she passed by the window, she suddenly let out a soft gasp.

"Master, your grandmaster is here to pick you up! He's downstairs!"

Her tone betrayed the elation of a CP fan who had just gotten some sweetness.

Mu Siwan looked down in surprise.

Downstairs, near the entrance of the forensic center, a man leaned against his car. His shirt sleeves were rolled up to his forearms, and a cigarette was between his fingers. The flickering light in the night illuminated half of his profile. The dissipating smoke blurred the lines of his brow and jaw, shrouding him in shadow, giving him a cold and weary air.

Mu Siwan lowered her eyes and glanced at her phone again.

He didn't text her to urge her. He just waited quietly downstairs.

Once I start typing the report again, I can't calm my mind.

After nearly three months of getting to know each other, this was the first time Mu Siwan had ever seen Bo Yan smoking.

Is he in a bad mood today?

Mu Siwan stopped typing, looked up at Xiao Qin, and was about to speak.

Xiao Qin snapped her fingers and said impatiently, "Leave the rest to me, Master, go find Grandmaster!"