If You Could Hear My Heart

In a dark corner, there was only a sliver of light. She was well hidden, yet Shen Shihan still caught sight of her.

He was naturally sensitive; whenever there was a stir, his sharp eyes quickly took notice.

The woman had been crying all along, yet her tears were restrained and stubborn.

It was a common enough sight; in such places, it was nothing unusual for women to be bullied.

But after a brief appraisal, he lifted his gaze and his steady footsteps brought him to where she was.

Frightened by the sound of his footsteps, the woman jolted and immediately looked up, shrinking back into the corner.

The light illuminated her face, revealing eyes filled with fear and panic, like a deer in headlights, disoriented and staggering. Her eyes were red and streaked with tears.

But after a few forceful beats of her heart, she calmed down.

It was him.

The man who had just intervened on her behalf in the private room.

“Why are you hiding here?” Shen Shihan furrowed his brow as he looked at her.

This was the third time they had met. He wasn’t the type to meddle in others’ affairs, but it seemed that every encounter had him doing just that.

The woman gathered her composure, concealing any semblance of discomfort, and said indifferently, “It’s nothing.”

She wiped away her tears and stood up, trying to walk out of the corner.

But to walk away, she would inevitably have to pass by Shen Shihan.

“You, don’t you remember me?” Shen Shihan looked at her, slightly squinting his eyes.

However, he found his question humorous almost as soon as he asked it. The first time they had met, she had been unconscious in a car, her head bleeding; how could she recognize him? Besides, did it matter whether she recognized him or not?

“Of course I remember. Thank you, sir, for helping me in the private room just now.” The woman’s face was devoid of any expression, as cold as ever.

“What’s your name?” Shen Shihan asked, his voice indifferent.

“MO Shuifu,” the woman replied ambiguously, her voice barely audible.

After speaking, she briskly walked past Shen Shihan, with an eagerness to escape.

Anyone who came here was someone she couldn’t afford to provoke.

Acting on an impulse he couldn’t explain, Shen Shihan reached back and caught her arm, not letting her leave.

“MO Shuifu?” he murmured her name, one syllable at a time. His low voice, though cold and detached, was exceptionally pleasant to hear.

Probably unused to being pulled and tugged by a man, MO Shuifu immediately became angry: “Sir, please conduct yourself with dignity!”

Shen Shihan also let go of her arm: “Sorry.”

MO Shuifu bowed her head, not looking at him. She ran off swiftly, not turning back, quickly disappearing from Shen Shihan’s view.

Shen Shihan chuckled to himself; she really was a woman who didn’t recognize a good deed.

Still, when it came down to it, it was he who had meddled unnecessarily.

He let out a cold laugh and irritably took off his coat, draping it over his arm, and stepped out of the cramped, narrow corner.

By the time he went to the parking garage to retrieve his car, MO Shuifu was nowhere to be seen. Pressing the accelerator, he drove toward the Shen family’s villa.

It was already past ten o’clock at night, but the city center was still bustling. The streets were crowded with people. When he reached a traffic light, the red signal came on and Shen Shihan brought the car to a stop.

While waiting for the green light, he turned his head to look outside. In this dazzling city of lights, crowds surged, indulging in luxury and revelry.

As he grew impatient, his phone rang.

“Xiaoma, what is it?”

“Third Young Master, haven’t you been asking me to look into that girl’s background?”

“Have you found something?” Shen Shihan suddenly became much more alert.

This was something he had set in motion last year, but there wasn’t a single clue. It was no wonder, given that Xu Chaomu’s mother had died many years ago, and their home had been destroyed in an explosion, obliterating any potential leads.

Previously, he had thought Xu Chaomu was just an orphan adopted by the Shen family, but now, a strong feeling told him it wasn’t that simple.

Zhou Ran was quiet, yet very proud. There were countless orphans in C City; she wouldn’t possibly fancy Xu Chaomu, a naughty and mischievous little girl.

“No,” the voice on the other end grew weaker, “When we were searching, it seemed someone else was looking too. Several times when we came upon a clue, it would mysteriously vanish.”

“Someone is interfering?” Shen Shihan’s voice was icy.

“Yes, and it seems it’s not the same person. At least three parties are meddling with the investigation into Xu Chaomu’s past.”

“So what are you trying to tell me?”

Just as the green light came on, Shen Shihan stepped on the gas, revealing no expression. His face was lit by an otherworldly glow, casting his profile in stark, cold lines.

“Third Young Master, we found out something. Xu Mengxi knew Zhou Ran and Shen Cexian,” the man on the phone whispered.

“And then?”

“Then we couldn’t find anything more.”

“Let’s play a guessing game then. What do you think, was Xu Mengxi’s death an accident or a coincidence?”

“I… can’t say,” the other party’s voice weakened further.

Shen Shihan knew he wouldn’t dare to guess, and he laughed, his mirth as gentle as a breeze through willows, but his tone was laced with ruthlessness: “Then we won’t guess. Keep investigating. Guesses can’t be counted on.”

“Understood, Third Young Master.”

After hanging up, Shen Shihan rolled down the car’s window.

The wind poured in continuously, but it didn’t make him feel cold.

The car passed the busiest commercial district, then drove past Shen Group’s towering building.

The Group’s building stood proudly in the most prime location in the city center. Its facade was brand new, and the words “Shen Group” glittered amidst the play of light and shadow, dazzling onlookers.

When Shen Shihan arrived at the tranquil Splendid World villas, the area was already very quiet.

Under the streetlights, moths fluttered towards the light, spiraling around.

In the Shen family’s villa, only Shen Chi’s room was still lit. Every other room was silent and peaceful.

After parking the car in the garage, Shen Shihan returned to his own room.

Exhausted from the day, as he lay in the bathtub and closed his eyes, the day’s people and events flashed through his mind like fleeting clouds.

He remembered Xu Chaomu had been very happy that day, her smile like a blooming sunflower, bright and splendid. She could tell stories, dance, and sit beside him carefree, calling him “Third Brother.”

He had taken many photos of her as she laughed, unable to stop, resonating with the boundless blossoms around her..