Shen Mo kept searching. He needed to find something that belonged to this mysterious "lover"—if only to learn his name.
The All-Seeing Eye had a limitation: it could only trace the information of an item's current owner. Anyone who previously used or possessed the object? Totally inaccessible.
Just like now. The system confirmed the existence of a "lover," but as for who he was… it drew a complete blank.
Shen Mo scoured every corner of the room. Still no clue.As time dragged on, his head began to throb and beads of sweat dotted his forehead.
He had to give up for now.
Right then, Jiang Baibai returned from the kitchen, a cup of freshly steeped tea in hand. The moment she saw Shen Mo's pale face and sweat-soaked forehead, she gasped in alarm.
"Shen Mo, are you okay?"
He forced a crooked smile. "I'm fine. Just... long day at work."
"You're… only now feeling tired?" she asked, clearly skeptical. Just earlier, he'd looked totally fine.
"Ahem," Shen Mo coughed and began making things up on the fly. "I've got a weird body, you know? Delayed fatigue. Doesn't hit me when it should—it waits to sucker punch me later."
"O-oh… I see." Jiang Baibai nodded, half-convinced, and passed him the teacup. "Here, drink this and take a break."
She didn't question him further, though the logic seemed a little off.
Maybe the front counter work really was that tough…
She'd been in the back kitchen the whole time—she had no idea how much stress he was under.The thought made her cheeks flush slightly. Then, in a tentative voice, she said:
"Um… I'm pretty good at massages. My dad says I'm great at it. Want to try…?"
Shen Mo choked—literally. He nearly spit his tea all over the table.
"No, no, I'm fine! Just resting is good enough," he said hastily.
"O-oh… okay." Jiang Baibai nodded quickly, then glanced around and chose a seat not too close but not too far from him.
She sat down with her legs together, hands folded neatly on her lap, head lowered like a student meeting a teacher. Her cheeks were pink, and she couldn't bring herself to look him in the eye.
It was her first time alone with a boy at home. Of course she was nervous.
Shen Mo sipped his tea, silently observing her.
What a pure, honest girl...
And yet, of all people, she had to get caught up in something like this?
He gently set the cup down and looked at her seriously.
"Hey… I wanted to ask you something. It's about this whole marriage situation. Is that okay?"
Jiang Baibai flinched. Her face went visibly pale.
Shen Mo immediately backtracked. "Ah—if you don't want to talk about it, forget I asked."
"No, it's okay. You can ask," she said, shaking her head quickly. Her lips forced into a smile.
Her voice softened as she added under her breath, "It's already happening anyway…"
Shen Mo nodded and asked earnestly, "What's your fiancé's name? Do you know anything about him?"
"His name's Gao Qi. He's supposed to be a manager at a tech company. His dad owns the company."
"What company?"
"Yuehu Tech. It's not in our Song'an District. It's over in Huayang. My mom works there too."
Gao Qi. Yuehu Tech. Shen Mo made a mental note.
He cast a glance toward the bedroom—still quiet. Then, returning his gaze to Jiang Baibai, he asked carefully:
"So your mom… she came home recently, right?"
"Yeah. Just a week ago."
"She really hasn't come home at all in the last ten years?"
This time, Jiang Baibai visibly trembled.
But after a moment of hesitation, she still answered:
"No. She's never come back until now."
"Did she ever call, at least?"
Jiang Baibai slowly shook her head. "Almost never. On holidays, or for her birthday, I'd call her… but she rarely picked up."
By the time she said this, her eyes were already brimming with tears.
Shen Mo fell silent.
There was no more doubt.
Chen Wanyu—the woman who had walked back into her daughter's life—wasn't here out of love.
She hadn't returned to build a future with her child.
She had an agenda.
So this is what a heartless mother looks like…
Even a beast wouldn't eat its own young.
Creak—
The bedroom door opened. Both Shen Mo and Jiang Baibai turned their heads at the sound.
Chen Wanyu stepped out, now dressed in a fiery red dress and holding a jangling set of car keys.
"Baibai, I'm heading out for a bit. Stay safe at home," she said flatly. Then, throwing a sideways glance at Shen Mo, she added with a smirk:
"And you… be careful who you trust. Don't get tricked by the wrong kind of people."
Jiang Baibai, not catching the underlying meaning, simply nodded. "Okay, Mom. Got it."
Chen Wanyu turned without another word and left.
Shen Mo's eyes followed her every movement. Just before she disappeared, he zoomed in on the keyring in her hand.
Two distinct car keys.
[Object: Toyota car key — Owner: Chen Wanyu][Object: Porsche car key — Borrower: Chen Wanyu | Owner: Lin Chuan]
Lin Chuan?
Shen Mo blinked and turned to Jiang Baibai.
"Your mom's really doing well for herself, huh? She's even driving a Porsche now?"
"Porsche?" Jiang Baibai shook her head. "No way. She only drives a Toyota."
Shen Mo nodded like it was no big deal. "Ah—my bad. Must've seen it wrong."
He downed the rest of his tea, then stood and grabbed his backpack.
"Sorry, I've gotta head out. Something just came up."
"So soon?" Jiang Baibai looked surprised. He'd barely been here five minutes.
"Don't get me wrong, your tea was great. I mean that." Shen Mo quickly reassured her. "It's just… urgent."
Her ears turned a bit red. "Th-thanks…"
"Alright. See you."
He waved as he walked out the door.
"See you," she said softly.
Shen Mo exited the building and began tailing Chen Wanyu from a distance.
She turned corner after corner, and about five minutes later, arrived at a parking lot. There, she stopped in front of a sleek black Porsche.
[Object: Porsche — Borrower: Chen Wanyu | Owner: Lin Chuan]
Perfect.
Hidden in the shadows, Shen Mo opened his backpack. A black cat poked its head out.
"Can you follow that car?" he whispered.
"Piece of cake," Buchi replied with a scoff.
"Good. Wear this."
He pulled out a tiny collar with a camera attached—a pet surveillance gadget he picked up from a tech shop on his way home.
He fastened it around Buchi's neck.
"Follow them. Snap every photo you can. I want proof—of her, and of this Lin Chuan guy."