If You Could Hear My Heart

The woman was clearly frightened by Xiao Mo's words. Yes, she was only driven to murder because she was threatened.

If she told Xiao Mo, her child might still have a chance to survive. If she didn't tell Xiao Mo, her child would probably still die.

Moreover, she now knew Xiao Mo's identity. She believed Xiao Mo wouldn't do anything utterly insane.

Seeing her waver, Xiao Mo instructed the people beside him to unlock her handcuffs.

As soon as the handcuffs were released, Xiao Mo handed her a pen.

The woman wrote down the detailed address, process, and specifics of her meeting with Bai Man while speaking as she went.

Just as she was writing, footsteps echoed behind Xiao Mo.

She turned her head, only to find that Shen Chi and Xu Chaomu had arrived.

The woman's pen paused briefly. She looked up at Shen Chi and Xu Chaomu, her gaze lingering on Xu Chaomu for a moment.

Xu Chaomu's chest tightened. In this woman's eyes, she saw emptiness and despair, as well as profound grief.

Xu Chaomu asked Xiao Mo quietly, "Why did she kill someone?"

"She was hired," Xiao Mo replied coolly. "Her son is in someone's hands."

"Who wants to kill me?" Xu Chaomu pressed further.

"Bai Man," Xiao Mo answered bluntly.

Xu Chaomu felt her chest go cold. She finally believed that Shen Chi's judgment had been correct all along.

Bai Man would never accept defeat; her personality from a young age had determined it!

From childhood to adulthood, Bai Man had been pampered. She always got the best of everything; whatever she wanted, she got—except for Shen Chi.

It seemed that Shen Chi had been her sole failure throughout her life, a failure that had led to her unwavering resentment.

The woman appeared to realize that Xu Chaomu also had a child. Suddenly, she lunged forward, her eyes filled with pleading. "Save my son!"

Shen Chi hurriedly shielded Xu Chaomu, who took a step back, sizing up the woman before her.

Perhaps hateful people always have their pitiable moments.

Xu Chaomu said calmly, "Your son is innocent. We'll do everything we can."

The woman's eyes instantly lit up with hope. She nodded repeatedly, as though she had found strength and motivation.

Xu Chaomu couldn't bear to stay any longer. After lingering for a while, she left.

Even the air inside felt stifling to her. Once she ran outside and looked up at the sun in the sky, she finally felt a lot more relieved.

"Are you okay?" Shen Chi handed her a bottle of water.

Xu Chaomu took it, shook her head, and said, "I'm fine, just feeling a little sad."

"The human heart is complicated," Shen Chi remarked, glancing at the sun outside.

"Honey…" Xu Chaomu leaned against him. "If it were me, and someone used my son to threaten me, I might've committed a crime too."

"Do you think your husband is dead?" Shen Chi stroked her hair.

"…" Xu Chaomu chuckled, feeling a warmth in her chest. She tapped his face lightly. "Don't say nonsense."

"Don't worry, I'm here." Shen Chi pulled her into his arms.

"Didn't you say Bai Man is in Singapore? Where exactly is she? How did she know our whereabouts?" Xu Chaomu asked, still full of questions.

Shen Chi whispered in her ear, "No matter how much I tell you, just act like you don't know anything."

"Alright…"

Shen Chi ruffled her hair. "I think I'd better not tell you. You tend to worry too much. With two kids already keeping you busy, leave these things to your husband."

"Then you must protect the kids." Xu Chaomu's eyes were filled with deep concern.

"Trust me."

"Well… I do trust you."

The two of them stood by the floor-to-ceiling window for a long time as Shen Chi accompanied Xu Chaomu, watching the sun slowly set. The sunlight shifted from intense and blinding to gentle and subdued.

The afternoon of late autumn carried a trace of warmth. The sky was crystal clear, and in the distance, the mountains were adorned with fiery red maple leaves.

Looking out from the floor-to-ceiling window, rugged cliffs rose in the remote landscape, the scenery mesmerizing.

Just as they were admiring the view, a faint cough sounded behind them—"cough, cough."

Xu Chaomu awkwardly disentangled herself from Shen Chi's embrace and turned around to look.

Behind them stood a tall, slim woman dressed in a black leather jacket and black cowhide ankle boots. Her presence was commanding and cold, with an air of rejection that kept strangers at bay.

Her long black hair was tied into a high ponytail, making her appear aloof and proud.

Xu Chaomu was slightly surprised, having not noticed her footsteps earlier.

Could this be Ayu, the person Shen Chi had mentioned?

Ayu's figure bore some similarities to Xu Chaomu's, though Ayu was taller.

"Mr. Shen." Ayu spoke softly and walked over to Shen Chi.

"Mm."

"I just checked all the surveillance from the hotel. Mr. Xiao also provided me with the information from the perpetrator," Ayu said. "Give me three days, I'll find Bai Man."

"Do you need any help?"

"No."

"Alright, keep me updated on the situation," Shen Chi said. "Thank you for your hard work."

"Just doing my job."

With that, Ayu turned and was ready to leave.

But just then, a man emerged from the corner, dressed in a gray trench coat, young and handsome.

He glanced at Ayu and smiled. "What a coincidence, running into my senior here."

Ayu shot him a cold glare. "Are you sure you're not stalking me?"

"Do you think I have that much free time? If I did, I'd be better off using it to earn more money," the man replied.

"You'd better not be." Ayu left a cold, indifferent remark before departing with an icy expression.

Xu Chaomu was baffled. Who was this man?

The man walked over, smiling. "That's just how my senior is—a block of ice."

"Mr. Jiu, what brings you here?" Shen Chi said indifferently.

Miao Xiu chuckled. "I came to see Mr. Xiao. You and Mrs. Shen carry on."

With that, Miao Xiu hurried off.

Xu Chaomu looked at Shen Chi, then at the direction where Miao Xiu and Ayu had disappeared, and asked curiously, "Who is that man?"

"A detective," Shen Chi replied. "Quit being a cop just to be a detective."

"Come on, don't talk down about him! Everyone has their own path," Xu Chaomu said, laughing. "Being a detective isn't so bad—it's all about keen observation."

"Keen observation? More like meddling and ruining lives."

Xu Chaomu guessed Shen Chi's meaning. Private detectives often dealt with cases like collecting evidence of husbands cheating or wives having affairs with the man next door.

"By the way, how does Xiao Mo know him?" Xu Chaomu wondered aloud.

"Probably hired him to investigate the Bai Man situation," Shen Chi said with a faint grin.

Shen Chi didn't reveal the truth to Xu Chaomu, suspecting that Miao Xiu had come to discuss Xu Mengxi with Xiao Mo.

"Ohhh." Xu Chaomu didn't suspect anything and nodded.

"By the way, Ayu is so cold—I couldn't even look her in the eyes," Xu Chaomu remarked.

"Yeah, that's her personality. Her parents were both police officers, but they died during a mission when she was very young. She later became a police officer herself."

"She looks pretty young."

"About your age," Shen Chi said with a smile.

"So, do you like women like me, or women like Ayu?" Xu Chaomu tilted her head upwards.