I Want A Lifetime With You

Fu Heng submitted a file on Shu Qing to Fu Chengyan on the third day. There was not a lot in it, mostly a compendium of articles revolving around Shu Qing’s stint in the entertainment circle – Filmography, various activities and other mundane things. Nothing of substance, but sufficient to provide a rough idea of what kind of person that she was.

Fu Chengyan skimmed the information and noticed that there was not much pertaining to her interpersonal relations within the industry either. Apart from interactions with her cast and crew members on set, she did not seem to be much for socializing outside of work.

Other superfluous information was also very limited, as though they had been deliberately erased. The report, however, did hit upon an important discovery in the form of a photograph that featured a meeting between Shu Qing and a woman who appeared to be Jiang Yu, the daughter of Jiang Shizheng.

This photograph seemed to be dated as both women still looked very young in it. In her youth, Shu Qing uncannily resembled Shi Nuan and Shen Qianan.

The two women were covertly snapped convening inside a coffee shop, possibly by the paparazzi. The quality of the photograph was poor but there were a number of them with accompanying write-ups regarding Shu Qing. Some of which speculated the meeting to be a showdown between a rich man’s wife and her husband’s mistress.

Fu Chengyan curled his lips as he tossed the file onto the table. He then raised his head to regard Zhou Zheng. “Is there anything else?”

“Yes.” Zhou Zheng nodded. “This is Shu Qing’s schedule over these few days. She basically hasn’t been anywhere outside of the hotel, but was spotted visiting the Roving Villa before that.” Zhou Zheng produced a photograph which he passed along to Fu Chengyan.

Fu Chen squinted his eyes at the courtyard in the picture. “Emerald Garden?”

“That’s right, Mr. Fu.” Zhou Zheng nodded again. “This stretch used to be owned by the Li Group. You own another villa close by.” After he took a moment to think, Zhou Zheng continued, “I’ve looked into the identity of the registered occupant for Emerald Garden and found that it was no one special, so there’s not much to go on. But in order to own property in the area, one has to meet several criteria, so it’s not something that could be achieved by any ordinary person!”

“Get Liang Lin on it. We have to find out who the proprietor of Emerald Garden is!”

“Understood!” Zhou Zheng then paused momentarily. “But there’s one more thing!”

“Speak!”

“On the day you and Mrs. Fu called on Old Master Jiang at his home, Shu Qing was in the vicinity!”

Fu Chengyan blinked. “What?”

“Shu Qing was nearby. This is footage captured by a security camera in the area.” Zhou Zheng then presented Fu Chengyan with another photograph. “Shu Qing bumped into Mrs. Fu on the way out before she left in a hurry. This was captured on Huaihai Road. Shu Qing got into a vehicle there and subsequently went to Emerald Garden!”

Fu Chengyan looked at the second photograph in his hand and the scene was as Zhou Zheng described. As it was dark, the image from the security footage was not the best. But Fu Chengyan could tell from Shu Qing’s expression that she was distressed.

The corner of Fu Chengyan’s lips curled upwards. “Intriguing!”

“Shall we continue to investigate, Mr. Fu?”

“Definitely yes. It’s best if we get to the bottom of this matter.” Fu Chengyan was interested to know what was it about Shu Qing that led Shen Feng to abandon his family and remain head over heels for her for so many years.

are at it, have Shaoqing check on Shi Wei

Zheng laughed awkwardly, “Mr. Fu, as I’ve

a common practice for artistes under contract with Xinhuang to take on side gigs?” Fu Chengyan asked an unrelated question in

paused for a while before he replied, “Actually, the artistes are forbidden from doing so as a general rule. But since there are so many of them on the books, resources aren’t always evenly distributed. So the practice of them doing work in a private capacity is sort of an open secret. The company will close one eye so long as the other terms of their contract remain fulfilled. Why?

quite out of the loop. But inferring from Fu Chengyan’s tone, Zhou Zheng felt like he might

give me some time. I’ll

“It’s no big deal. See to what I have asked of you

“Understood!”

part of the day on the couch in deep contemplation before he rang up Su Shaoqing.

up after leaving the operation theater. He was preparing to do his rounds in the wards and did not expect to get a call from Fu Chengyan. Su Shaoqing was dumbfounded. “How

he pulled on his coat with the other. When he saw a silhouette pass by outside, Su Shaoqing

and regarded him frostily,

Bai? I’ll come with you!” Su Shaoqing said

frown as she looked sideways at him.

got to do with me?” Su Shaoqing smiled cheerily as he clutched his phone. He picked up

him down fiercely. “Are you mental? Arbitrarily claiming someone else’s son as your own? Bai has only one father and he is Qin Yanzhi!” She gritted her teeth. “Now

she said, his face dimmed. But he quickly reverted to his

are?” Fu Ling looked

hours for them anyway!” As Su Shaoqing spoke, he reached out to hold Fu Ling’s hand but was rebuffed by her. She then eyeballed him with revulsion. “I think you need to get your head checked! Even if I’m open to it, your family might

Su Shaoqing’s face. “It’s me you would

felt it laughable. “That wasn’t what you told me when you rejected

mistake, Ling!”

that’s a mistake, it’s exclusively your own. Nothing to do with

“Ling!”

bring this up in front of me again. You know that I’m not interested so why do you insist on pushing my buttons?”

disappear down the end of the corridor. Though he stood up

sight of him became the subject of quiet chatter between the occasional passing nurses. “Who was

see how he

she is the one he had been waiting for all

after the voices of the nurses faded

lips.

held a prolonged silence before he responded, “We must all live and die by our own decisions.

his lips, “Aren’t you enjoying this a little

not a