Qin Auntie, Save Me [Rebirth] 107

Chapter 107

Shen Yiqiu had thought Qin Qianrou’s father would make demands or pressure her after meeting her. However, since that day, there had been no further developments, as if her daughter’s girlfriend was of no particular concern.

“Jiejie, could it be that Uncle Qin wasn’t satisfied with my performance that day?” Shen Yiqiu thought she had done well, but he was her girlfriend’s father after all, and she wanted to make a good impression.

Not just Shen Yiqiu, even Qin Qianrou had found that day a little unusual, her father had called her to his study before they left, asked a few questions about her work, and mentioned He Chao and Shen Zhifeng, although briefly, it had still made Qin Qianrou suspicious.

Her father worked in Kyoto, his responsibilities unrelated to Shen Zhifeng’s field, and if his interest stemmed solely from Shen Yiqiu, his approach wouldn’t have been so… subtle.

“Don’t overthink it, I was satisfied with your performance.” Qin Qianrou kissed Shen Yiqiu’s cheek reassuringly.

“But isn’t your family’s reaction a bit too… calm?”

“You were expecting a dramatic confrontation?”

“Of course not,” Shen Yiqiu sighed softly, “I just hope our relationship can progress smoothly.”

Qin Qianrou put her arm around her shoulders, her cheek nuzzling against Shen Yiqiu’s neck, “It will, we’ll be fine.”

The investigation into Shen Zhifeng’s matter, however, hadn’t yielded any further clues, and Shen Yiqiu felt they were looking in the wrong direction.

“If we follow the same approach as everyone else, we won’t find anything. My father…” Shen Yiqiu paused, taking a deep breath before continuing, “He’s been gone for so long, everything that could be investigated must have already been investigated countless times, we’re just… chasing ghosts now.”

Shen Yiqiu had been thinking about this these past few days, where exactly was the problem? The experiments had been real, so why was there no trace of them?

Qin Qianrou’s knowledge of Shen Zhifeng was limited, and she couldn’t find anything new from the existing materials either, so they had to return to the source, she had been worried when Shen Yiqiu brought this up, but now, seeing her focused on the problem itself, her mood only slightly subdued, she felt more at ease participating in the discussion.

“Perhaps we should try a different approach?”

Shen Yiqiu looked at her, “Such as?”

“Your mother, or… you.”

Seeing her confusion, Qin Qianrou explained, “Based on my years of experience as a reporter, sometimes, important things aren’t kept with the person themselves, but entrusted to someone they trust completely, someone close to them.”

The Shen couple had been very loving, a close-knit family, could it be that Shen Zhifeng had secretly left clues with his wife or his daughter?

“When I was in the hospital, Shao Qidong’s eagerness, perhaps he was also thinking this way.”

Shen Yiqiu had initially thought Shao Qidong only wanted the research data her father had left behind, now, however, she wondered if he had been looking for something else.

“That’s a possibility.”

Shen Yiqiu looked down at herself, “But what clues could I possibly have?”

Qin Qianrou found her adorable, no matter what, she couldn’t help but reach out and stroke her hair gently. “Don’t worry, we’ll find it.”

How could she not worry? With the He Chao program nearing completion, its submission to the station directors for review had caused quite a stir.

Li Wan, after three days of endless meetings, was exhausted, and during a break, she called Qin Qianrou, “Qianrou, you should come back to the station when you have time.”

“Is there a problem with the program approval?”

“Not exactly a problem, but I feel the station director isn’t very happy with us being so… direct.”

The station director had been appointed after the Dongsheng advertising incident, he wasn’t very familiar with program production, and getting the He Chao program approved initially had already been difficult, getting it broadcast now might not be so easy.

“I was planning on coming back anyway, I’ll be at the station tomorrow afternoon.”

Qin Qianrou returned to the television station the next day and went straight to Li Wan’s office.

No one at the station knew the true purpose of her recent trips to Hai City, but with Jiang Yuan’s agreement to appear on the program, everyone assumed it was thanks to Qin Qianrou’s persuasive skills.

“Everything is ready, we just need a final push, and it seems you’re that push.” Li Wan sent the meeting minutes to Qin Qianrou.

“What’s the attitude of the other directors?”

“Most of them are supportive, but ultimately, it’s up to the station director.”

Qin Qianrou quickly scanned the meeting minutes and identified the problem.

“Is the station director afraid of taking responsibility?”

Li Wan chuckled wryly, “Not exactly afraid, but he’s an outsider, newly appointed, and with the recent scandal having just subsided, if this program causes another public outcry, he’ll be the one held accountable.”

Their families both had members in leadership positions; they understood the station director’s concerns.

“He’s not completely opposed to it, otherwise he wouldn’t have approved the project initially, he just wants someone to share the responsibility.”

They sat in silence for a moment, then Qin Qianrou suddenly said, “I’ll talk to the station director, and I’ll take responsibility for any consequences after the program airs.”

Li Wan was shocked. “Are you crazy? This program, once broadcast, will definitely cause a stir, you’re practically volunteering as a target.”

Li Wan disagreed, she didn’t think it was necessary.

“I’m the one who insisted on this program, I’ve already given my assurances during the initial proposal, what’s wrong with doing it again?”

Li Wan, realizing the implications, looked at her friend intently.

“Qianrou, are you hiding something from me?”

Qin Qianrou’s lips tightened, she couldn’t lie to Li Wan, after so many years of working together, supporting each other through thick and thin, she couldn’t deceive her.

“I knew this trip back to Hai City wouldn’t be entirely… pleasant.” Li Wan had heard about their visit to the Qin family and had been happy for them.

“It’s my own decision, Xiao Wan, I’ve already considered this.”

Qin Qianrou’s tone was calm and composed, as if she had indeed thought this through carefully.

If Li Wan hadn’t known her for so many years, she might have been fooled.

“What happened? You won’t even tell me?”

“My family… might be facing some… difficulties soon.”

Li Wan was stunned, speechless.

“What do you mean?”

Qin Qianrou, recalling her father’s words in the study that day, she couldn’t repeat them verbatim, so she could only offer a vague explanation.

“Someone is pressuring my father, he’s facing some challenges at work.”

This was a subtle understatement, at her father’s level, these so-called “challenges” wouldn’t be minor issues, it could involve a suspension, an investigation, even public scrutiny.

“How could this be?” Li Wan was puzzled, from Grandfather Qin to her father, although holding high positions, they had always been upright and honorable officials.

“It seems to be related to the He Chao case, Jiang Yuan said the forces behind He Chao are very powerful, more than we can imagine.”

Li Wan found it ridiculous, “So they’re targeting your father to… warn you?”

Qin Qianrou had initially thought the same, but her father had told her it wasn’t entirely the case.

He had said, “Your mother and I thoroughly investigated the Xinting Hotel incident, the trail went cold in Hai City, but there are still people in Kyoto paying close attention to this, so we suspect the mastermind is in Kyoto.”

No wonder Wen Yirong had been so vague after her investigation, those hidden in the shadows of Kyoto weren’t easy to find.

Qin Qianrou’s father naturally wouldn’t tolerate such a threat, after all, if not for Shen Yiqiu, he and Wen Yirong couldn’t bear to imagine their daughter’s current predicament, having weathered countless storms throughout their lives, yet with their daughter’s matter, they had become incredibly cautious.

They were grateful to Shen Yiqiu, they sympathized with her past experiences, but accepting her as their daughter’s lifelong partner, they still had reservations, however, with this storm brewing, targeting the Qin family,

Father Qin hoped that, just like before, Shen Yiqiu could protect Qin Qianrou.

**

Zhuo Cheng, since the incident where he had been secretly filmed, had become withdrawn and despondent. If not for his professional skills, he might have already lost his position at Dongsheng Group.

He had tried to meet with Shao Qidong several times afterwards, besides work reports, his private requests had been denied by Shao Qidong’s secretary, using various excuses. Even he, usually so oblivious, could sense something was wrong, Shao Qidong, although not openly reprimanding him, was gradually isolating him.

The overseas branch was now operating smoothly, the initial successful transactions hadn’t raised any red flags, and had even been praised as a successful example of overseas expansion, becoming a model case for high-tech enterprises.

However, Shao Qidong’s trips to the US had become increasingly frequent, sometimes bringing Zhuo Cheng along, sometimes not, and after a while, Zhuo Cheng noticed a pattern, he was excluded from the initial negotiations, only involved in the final signing of the contracts.

Many of those contracts were signed by Zhuo Cheng as the head of the overseas branch, if anything went wrong, he would be the one held accountable.

Shao Qidong was looking for a scapegoat, and Zhuo Cheng understood his intentions.

Those secretly filmed images and videos were like an invisible noose around his neck, and now, being manipulated and used by Shao Qidong, his once proud ego was shattered.

He couldn’t just sit and wait for his demise; Zhuo Cheng knew he had to fight back, otherwise, his fate wouldn’t be any better than He Chao’s.

The He Chao program, after being broadcast, had caused a public outcry, He Chao’s imprisonment earlier had only caused a stir within the academic community, but this time, it was a national issue.

The station director was both pleased and apprehensive, it had been a while since Meng City Television had produced such a sensational program, its ratings reportedly rivaling the national news program “Xinwen Lianbo.”

“Sister Xiao Wan, our official Weibo account is exploding again, I can’t keep up with all the comments.”

“I’ll assign you another assistant, we can’t be careless with this, and don’t neglect it just because we’re short-staffed. If you still can’t manage, let me know.”

Both Li Wan and Qin Qianrou had been incredibly busy lately, the program divided into three parts, broadcast weekly, and after the second episode, the online comments had exploded.

“I told you, this program will definitely be the biggest story of the year, after the last episode, some people might not even be able to sleep.”

Qin Qianrou was also pleased, their persistence had paid off.

“Being able to broadcast it completely, without any interference, that’s already a victory.” Qin Qianrou had given her assurances to the station director, she would take responsibility for any negative consequences.

With her status and reputation at Meng City Television, taking responsibility meant resigning, Li Wan had initially wanted to take the blame, but Qin Qianrou wouldn’t allow it.

Li Wan, recalling their earlier conversation, asked tentatively, “Qianrou, have you… been planning on leaving the station?”

Qin Qianrou’s fingers flew across the keyboard, she was working on a short commentary.

“Why would you say that?”

“You’ve questioned the station’s current approval process before, you felt it was too rigid, that some important social issues were being ignored because of their sensitive nature, you didn’t agree with it.”

They had discussed this privately, and Qin Qianrou had indeed expressed her disapproval.

Qin Qianrou’s typing slowed down slightly, “I’m indeed dissatisfied with some of the current procedures, but leaving now… the timing isn’t right.”

Li Wan’s heart sank slightly, so Qianrou intended to leave eventually, just not now.

“Is it because of Shen Yiqiu?”

Li Wan thought that Qin Qianrou’s relationship would inevitably affect her career.

“No, it has nothing to do with her.”

“But… aren’t you worried about being exposed, so you’re thinking of leaving the industry?”

Qin Qianrou knew Li Wan had misunderstood, she stopped typing and explained patiently, “I’ve considered leaving because I feel the current system doesn’t align with my… aspirations. My relationship with Shen Yiqiu might have some impact, but even if I were with someone else, there would be other challenges.”

She paused, then emphasized, “Even if I leave the television station in the future, I won’t leave the industry, being a reporter has always been my dream.”

Jiang Yuan, after recording her segment for the program, had been taken back into custody, the information she had revealed now evidence against her, she had, however, been surprisingly calm, cooperating fully, confessing to many things, details she hadn’t been able to reveal on the program, all laid bare during the investigation,

as expected, after the three episodes aired, the public outcry continued, making certain individuals in Kyoto uneasy, although Jiang Yuan had been detained again, her safety wasn’t a concern,

Qin Qianrou’s father had called her several times during the broadcast, not mentioning any specifics, just asking how she was doing, Wen Yirong had been staying in Meng City and would occasionally invite them to Seven Mansions for dinner,

Qin Qianrou felt that during the Qin family’s prosperous times, she had been alone, now, with the family facing difficulties, she finally felt her parents’ care and concern,

“Jiejie, don’t worry, no matter what happens, you have me.”

Qin Qianrou had told Shen Yiqiu that the Qin family might be facing some challenges soon, she didn’t know the details, she hadn’t asked Shen Yiqiu to stay, but she knew she wouldn’t leave.

“It’s all my fault, if I hadn’t investigated my father’s matter, you wouldn’t be facing this.”

Shen Yiqiu had been blaming herself ever since she found out, even their nightly intimacy had decreased, and Qin Qianrou was annoyed, “I told you this so you wouldn’t overthink things, and now, not only are you overthinking, you’re also blaming yourself, I should have just kept it a secret.”

They had agreed in Hai City to be honest with each other, so although Qin Qianrou hadn’t revealed the details of the power struggle in Kyoto, she had still told Shen Yiqiu about the challenges facing the Qin family.

“I just feel bad, being with me should make your life better, not like this, causing trouble for your family.” Shen Yiqiu’s explanation was filled with sadness.

Qin Qianrou sat up, facing Shen Yiqiu,

“If I hadn’t met you, wouldn’t I have still investigated He Chao? Would my parents have bowed down to those forces because of me? Those people are the ones in the wrong, why should we blame ourselves?”

Shen Yiqiu understood this logic, of course, but with Qin Qianrou involved, she couldn’t help but worry.

“Shen Yiqiu, I didn’t become a reporter because of you, but I want to continue being a reporter because of you.”

Shen Yiqiu looked at her, Jiejie without makeup, her beauty even more pure and natural,

“Because of you, I’m more courageous, more confident in pursuing my dreams.”

Shen Yiqiu, her heart melting under Qin Qianrou’s kiss, her guilt and self-blame dissipating in the warm glow of the bedside lamp, Jiejie’s skin, like the silk of her nightgown, so smooth and soft against her, her right hand instinctively reaching out,

Qin Qianrou, however, gently stopped her, her voice weak and playful, “No superpowers tonight.”