Chapter 215: Item
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
Jian Hui did not say she had heard of them, nor did she answer that she had not. She looked at Ruan Yesheng, then shifted her gaze away a little.
Ruan Yesheng instantly became sure.
Jian Hui had heard of them.
Jian Hui is an open and straightforward person. This reaction didn't look like awkwardness or deliberate hiding. Instead, she seemed troubled and deep in thought. She was likely weighing whether she should say it or not.
Ruan Yesheng could tell Jian Hui did not want to lie to her.
“I have heard these two names.” Jian Hui’s gaze also became much more sorrowful. When she looked at Ruan Yesheng, there was some sympathy in her eyes. She said, “But I didn't expect that you are their daughter.”
Ruan Yesheng grabbed her arm and leaned forward, wanting to immediately ask one question after another. The pain and confusion of all these years had already pressed down on her body until she could hardly breathe. It almost burst out at this moment, but she quickly held herself back and adjusted her posture, sitting more properly.
To avoid making Jian Hui feel burdened, she could only slow her pace as much as possible.
Hearing this, Xi Mo also unconsciously held her breath. As expected, Jian Hui knew the inside story.
Right now, the connection point between Jian Sun and Ruan Yesheng’s parents was only linked through those similarly formatted serial numbers. Jian Sun had been investigating something. During the investigation, he had likely followed clues and found information related to Ruan Yesheng’s parents. Jian Hui was deeply trusted by Jian Sun and was knowledgeable, so there was a high chance Jian Sun had asked her about some things before.
But from Jian Hui’s answer, she probably did not know everything.
“Sister Jian Hui, can I ask you some questions about my parents?” Ruan Yesheng tried hard to control the slight trembling in her voice and said softly, “Something happened to them a few years ago.”
“...Ruanruan.” Jian Hui sighed and said, “Did Xi Mo bring you here today for this?”
Her voice was very gentle, without a trace of blame for this purpose, but rather with a sense of helplessness.
Even though Ruan Yesheng had only met Jian Hui today, she could feel Jian Hui was a sincere person and liked sincere people too. Ruan Yesheng could not bear to put on an act in front of her and said seriously, “Yes. We found some clues about what happened to my parents back then, and they are related to Mr. Jian Sun, so we wanted to ask him while visiting for the New Year. I heard Mr. Jian Sun trusts you a lot. Maybe you would know something too, so I wanted to talk more with you, make you happy, and hopefully leave a good impression on you.”
Her gaze was so sincere, with tears welling up in her eyes, as she said, "My purpose in visiting you wasn't entirely pure, but I can assure you that there was absolutely no falsehood in our conversation today. I genuinely enjoyed talking with you, and I benefited greatly from your insights."
“…I can sense that.” Jian Hui looked into her eyes and said, “I know you were not pretending.”
Seeing this, Xi Mo quickly said, "Sister Jian Hui, it was my idea to bring Yesheng here. She has suffered a lot over the years in order to find out the truth about her parents. If you really know something about her parents, could you help her? We will keep everything we find out confidential and it will not affect your and Uncle's arrangements."
“I really want to help you,” Jian Hui said, “but this is not something I can decide on my own. I need to discuss it with Jian Sun and ask for his opinion.”
As she spoke, she stood up and said, "If Jian Sun is unwilling, then I... I'm afraid I can't help you. You should be prepared."
Ruan Yesheng and Xi Mo quickly stood up as well. Ruan Yesheng said gratefully, "Thank you, Sister Jian Hui. It's already a great help that you are willing to ask."
She thought to herself that if Jian Sun still refused in the end, she would think of another way.
Jian Hui patted Ruan Yesheng on the shoulder and comforted her. “It’s okay. Wait here for me.”
"Okay." The two nodded at the same time and stood obediently in place.
Jian Hui looked at their synchronized actions. “You can sit. I am not making you stand as punishment. You did not do anything wrong.”
“...Okay.” The two sat down beside the sofa at the same time.
Jian Hui tilted her head and looked at them for a moment, then she touched each of their heads once before walking toward Jian Sun’s study.
Outside the study, Jian Hui knocked on the door. It quickly opened, and a tall man walked out. He was dressed simply and had a thin, handsome appearance. But his gaze was far gloomier than others his age, as if some unclear cold darkness was hidden inside. Jian Sun was much younger than his older sister Jian Yuan. When Jian Yuan died, he had still only been a student.
Seeing Jian Hui standing outside, Jian Sun asked, “Sister Hui, is it time to eat?”
Jian Hui said, “Eat your head.”
Jian Sun: "..."
Seeing that Jian Hui's expression was different from usual, he said calmly, "...Then I'll go cook. Could you ask the two little ones what they want to eat?"
"I don't think we'll be able to eat anytime soon," Jian Hui said. "I have something to tell you."
Jian Sun turned his face to look in the direction of the living room, then nodded. He didn't speak, and Jian Hui followed him into the study, where the door closed.
"Don't be nervous." Xi Mo sat down next to Ruan Yesheng and held her hand. "Let's wait a little longer. Whatever the result, Sister Jian Hui will tell us. If Uncle refuses, I'll go and beg him again. If that still doesn't work, then I'll..."
“You will what?” Ruan Yesheng always felt Xi Mo seemed anxious many times today. She knew it was because Xi Mo was afraid they wouldn't get answers, afraid she would fall into huge disappointment.
After searching so hard for so long, Xi Mo hoped she could move a few more steps forward on this difficult road of investigation.
“...I will tell him some things about my mom. Uncle cares a lot about Mom.” At this point, Xi Mo lowered her head and said guiltily, “I know I should not bring Mom into this, but this may be the only way to improve the chance of success.”
Ruan Yesheng gripped her hand tightly: "...You told me not to be nervous just now, but you were actually more nervous than I am."
Xi Mo: "..."
“You’ve already done so much for me,” Ruan Yesheng said. “Even if we don’t get anything today, don’t blame yourself. We still have a lot of time. We will keep walking together, and I also hope you can find out what happened to your mother back then.”
She really wanted to hug Xi Mo right then and there, but she didn't know if Jian Sun had hidden cameras in her house, because Xi Mo had told her that Jian Sun was an extremely cautious person. Reason kept her alert, reminding her not to do anything that would seem to go beyond "friendship" in front of others.
Xi Mo looked at her, nodded, and felt the warmth of Ruan Yesheng in her palm.
After a while, Jian Hui came out of the study and stood in front of them.
They looked up at Jian Hui, neither daring to breathe.
“Jian Sun agreed,” Jian Hui said. “Come with me.”
The two practically jumped up from the sofa. Xi Mo hurriedly went to get the documents she had brought, while Jian Hui glanced at them and said, "Take your time. You can ask us any questions later."
"Will you be there?" Xi Mo asked in a low voice.
“Of course I will,” Jian Hui replied.
Xi Mo secretly breathed a sigh of relief. The two followed Jian Hui into Jian Sun's study. Jian Sun was sitting at a long table with some documents on it, and several whiteboards standing not far away, with no marks left on them.
Seeing the two women enter, Jian Sun glanced at them and said to Ruan Yesheng first, "Miss Ruan, please sit down."
Previously, when Ruan Yesheng heard Xi Mo mention that Xi Ji had provided the information about the Xiao Hui Ling Landfill, they both came to the same conclusion: when they met Xi Ji in the flower room, Xi Ji already knew about Ruan Yesheng. However, Xi Ji kept it a secret, acting as if it were his first time interacting with Ruan Yesheng, and was very natural.
With this premise in mind, Ruan Yesheng paid special attention to Jian Sun's eyes this time. Because she was more attentive, she was able to see some things hidden in Jian Sun's eyes.
Jian Sun was actually observing her as well.
Ruan Yesheng became increasingly certain that Jian Sun had known about her before. When she came today, Jian Hui was clearly meeting her for the first time, but Jian Sun was different, which meant that Jian Sun might have investigated her background long ago.
But while discussing things with Jian Hui, Jian Sun had not told her detailed information about Ruan Yesheng. Instead, he mainly focused on her parents. This led Jian Hui to not connect Ruan Yesheng to Yan Biechun and Ruan Xijian when she first heard her name or even met her in person.
"Thank you, Mr. Jian," Ruan Yesheng replied cautiously, walking to the table and sitting down in one of the chairs. She wasn't sure how to address Jian Sun, so she could only be very polite, since Jian Sun had a strange temper and was far less easy to deal with than Jian Hui.
Xi Mo followed Ruan Yesheng and sat down next to her.
Jian Sun then glanced at the file folder Xi Mo had placed on the table, her tone formal: "Xi Mo, are these documents for me to see? Bring them here."
Jian Hui sat down next to Ruan Yesheng and said to Jian Sun, "Don't put on airs in front of them. They're not your delivery workers who need you to keep order, and this isn't a meeting. Since you agreed, let's get straight to the point."
Jian Sun: "..."
Ruan Yesheng: "..."
Xi Mo: "..."
Jian Sun then lowered his head, took a sip of tea, glanced at Xi Mo and Ruan Yesheng, and said, "Who wants to ask first?"
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
The two exchanged a glance. Xi Mo nodded to Ruan Yesheng, who took a deep breath and said, "Mr. Jian, Xi Mo said he once saw a number on the whiteboard in your study. The number should start with XFH2508 and end with four digits. May I ask what this number is? I've seen similar numbers before. If it's convenient for you, could we exchange the number information?"
“Convenient.” Jian Sun got up and wrote a number on the whiteboard next to the desk.
The serial number was XFH25083344.
Ruan Yesheng’s expression darkened. Again, this absurd serial number style, almost like a game. 3344...
“Where did you find this serial number?” Ruan Yesheng wrote down all the serial numbers she investigated and handed the paper onto the table in front of Jian Sun before asking again.
“In a village in Guizhou.” Jian Sun answered.
Ruan Yesheng’s heart sank further. “Could you please explain the details?”
Without hesitation, Jian Sun said, "I found an abandoned wooden house in the mountains near that village. Inside, I found several photos, one of which had a number etched into human skin. There was a lot of blood in the house, indicating something must have happened, but no body was found. There were trails of blood on the ground that stretched outside, suggesting that a dead person may have lived in the house and been carried off and eaten by wild animals. I investigated the area for a while but didn't find anything else."
Upon hearing this, Ruan Yesheng instinctively sat up even straighter. The photo of her parents' expedition team showed six people: the team leader from Guizhou, Yan Biechun, Ruan Xijian, the guide, and another male and female biologist.
The team leader from Guizhou and Yan Biechun are both dead, with serial numbers cruelly carved into their bodies.
When Ruan Yesheng and Yan Tinghuan found the guide, he had already become a vegetable, surviving in the hospital for years through equipment and medicine. Only during last summer vacation did he finally pass away. The guide also had a similar serial number on his body.
As for Ruan Xijian, she disappeared. At least no body had been found.
The photo Jian Sun found of skin carved with a serial number was most likely one of the two expedition team members Ruan Yesheng still could not trace.
"Can we deduce some information from the skin in the photo, such as whether the deceased was male or female?" Ruan Yesheng asked hurriedly.
“You can’t tell, it was already a bloody mess.” Jian Sun said, “You already know about the members of that scientific expedition team that went to Guizhou back then. My answer is that I guess the same as you, but I can’t be sure which of the remaining two people it is.”
Ruan Yesheng confirmed it completely, and Jian Sun also found out about the scientific expedition team.
“May I ask why you investigated this expedition team?” Ruan Yesheng sincerely asked. “My parents joined this expedition team. How much do you know about my parents... can you tell me?”
A hint of sadness flickered in Jian Sun's eyes as he said, "It's because of my sister. I've been investigating the cause of my sister Jian Yuan's death, and I found out about that research team by following the clues during that process."
Xi Mo felt a pang of pain in her heart, and her hands clenched tightly. She stared at Jian Sun for a moment, then looked at Ruan Yesheng again.
Ruan Yesheng's gaze softened.
After a moment, Xi Mo took out a photo from the file folder and stared at it blankly. Could it be that the root of everything lies with her mother, Jian Yuan?
Xi Mo pushed the photo onto the table in front of Jian Sun and said in a low voice, "Uncle, this is what I found among my mother's belongings."
That was a letter that Jian Yuan left behind.
In her letter, Jian Yuan wrote: "I have a bad feeling about this. It feels like someone is watching me. I will go to Changsha next month. Let’s meet at our old place. I will bring that item with me. It’s getting stranger and stranger. Please take a look for me.”
The envelope had no recipient or address, so it was unclear whether it was a blank letter that Jian Yuan had written and sent again, or whether the letter was never actually sent.
Jian Sun picked up the photo and glanced at it, his expression growing even colder.
Xi Mo could tell that Jian Sun already knew about this.
“What exactly was the item Mom mentioned in this letter?” Xi Mo almost held her breath as she asked. “And who in Changsha was she contacting? From the tone, this person should have been someone Mom trusted.”
Jian Sun stared blankly at the handwriting in the photo and did not answer for a while.
At this moment, Jian Hui sighed and said, “Xi Mo, that item was very valuable. It was the Lingzhi Jade your mom collected back then.”
“...Lingzhi Jade.” Xi Mo murmured.
No wonder during their earlier chat, when she asked Jian Hui whether she had seen Lingzhi Jade, Jian Hui said she had not seen it in person but had seen photos.
If Jian Yuan really collected a piece of Lingzhi Jade back then, a priceless treasure like this would definitely have inventory records of incoming and outgoing goods.
After Jian Yuan's death,her antique business was taken over by Jian Sun. Jian Sun could easily access the old inventory records. So the photos of Lingzhi Jade Jian Hui mentioned most likely came from Jian Sun bringing the inventory record photos to ask for her opinion, and only then did she understand the related situation.
When Xi Mo saw the letter, she also planned to ask Jian Sun about the inventory records. However, she was worried that Jian Sun would not be willing to tell her, and she rarely saw Jian Sun. So she originally planned to find an opportunity to bring up the matter with Jian Sun on the day of the New Year's greetings gathering.
"But why is the Lingzhi Jade becoming more and more strange?" Xi Mo hurriedly asked again.
Jian Hui said, “We didn't know either at that time. Jian Sun went to ask the person mentioned in the letter in Changsha to find out the situation and see if he could investigate what exactly happened to Sister Yuan back then.”
Before Xi Mo could continue speaking, Jian Hui said, “That person was called Yang Shirong. He lived in Changsha and was an expert who was very skilled at appraising antiques.”
