Quick Transmigration: Why did you provoke him? He's love-struck!

Chapter 268 Thorny Rose (25)

Zhang Caiyun's face stiffened slightly, her eyes darting around: "No, she would never tell me these things."

Zhang Caiyun clearly didn't want to get involved in this matter, and even if she remembered something, she wouldn't tell the truth.

"I see." Yan Zhen's face showed a hint of disappointment. "I was presumptuous. As you know, my mother is rather withdrawn and didn't have many friends before. You were her closest friend. I don't know who else to ask but you."

Zhang Caiyun opened her mouth, hesitated, and finally smiled awkwardly: "I'm sorry, I couldn't help you."

Yan Zhen nodded, stood up and said, "Then I won't disturb your rest any longer."

"Hey, good."

Zhang Caiyun saw Yan Zhen to the door, and Qi Su ran out of the kitchen, his hands still wet: "Xiao Xun, are you leaving?"

"Correct."

"I'll take you downstairs."

Zhang Caiyun seemed to want to stop him, but Qi Su didn't give her the chance. He and Yan Zhen left one after the other and immediately closed the door from the outside.

The two walked downstairs. The streetlights at the entrance of the building were dim. Qi Su glanced around and, seeing no one, lowered his voice and said, "Xiao Xun, don't take it to heart. It's not that my mom doesn't want to help you, she's just... she's timid."

"It's not her fault, I understand." Yan Zhen smiled.

Zhang Caiyun is just a low-level worker in society. She works more than ten hours a day and earns a few thousand yuan a month. The couple has worked diligently for more than 20 years, but they still haven't been able to afford a house in this city.

With elderly parents to care for and young children to raise, and a low family resilience to financial risks, they are unwilling to get involved in matters involving murder.

She was afraid that if she said something wrong, the murderer might follow the clues and come knocking on her door, stabbing her or her family members, which would be enough to destroy half of her world.

She dared not take any risks.

Qi Su sighed and asked again, "Are you in some kind of trouble? Is your stepfather treating you badly?"

Yan Zhen's mind raced. He decided to start with Qi Su, hoping to indirectly extract information from Zhang Caiyun.

Thinking about this, she said, "He molested me."

Qi Su's pupils contracted slightly: "This...did you call the police?"

"No, I don't have the ability to live independently yet, and I also have asthma. He pays for all my tuition and medication, so I don't dare to go against him."

Yan Zhen said, "Moreover, if I report him for molestation, I have no evidence. To outsiders, he has always been an honest and kind man who loves me, his daughter. Only I know that he is actually a devil. I suspect that he killed my mother."

Qi Su clenched his fists, his cheeks flushed with anger: "So you want to find evidence that he committed murder and send him to prison?"

"Yes, only in this way can I get free from him."

Qi Su gritted his teeth secretly, and the passionate young man made a decision almost immediately: "Xiao Xun, I'll help you."

Yan Zhen then feigned surprise: "But Auntie..."

"Don't tell my mom, we'll investigate secretly," Qi Su said. "My mom talks in her sleep, and she answers whatever we ask. I'll find an opportunity to get some information out of her and see if I can get any news from her."

Yan Zhen's eyes lit up: "Thank you so much, Brother Qi Su."

Qi Su's ears burned again, and he quickly waved his hand shyly: "Of course, we've known each other since we were kids, I can't just watch you get bullied... Let's exchange contact information, tell me what you want to know, and I'll try to get the information out of my mom."

Yan Zhen took out his phone, pulled up the WeChat QR code, and added Qi Su as a friend.

Qi Su knew it wasn't convenient for him to stay outside any longer: "Then I'll head back now. Be careful on your way."

"OK, bye."

Qi Su turned and went upstairs. Yan Zhen watched his figure disappear into the stairwell, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Although it's unclear how much of a role Qi Su can play, having an extra helper is never a bad thing.

This trip was worthwhile.

With that thought in mind, she put on a mask and left.

Not far away, a car, hidden in the shadows, witnessed the entire conversation between Yan Zhen and Qi Su downstairs from the residential building.

Feeling the chill emanating from the person in the back seat, the driver unconsciously lowered his voice: "Young Master, Miss Lin has left. Should we follow her?"

"Keep up." Song Yi's voice no longer had the deep, cold tone he used when speaking to Yan Zhen; it was now the voice of a boy going through puberty.

The car started, and Song Yi stared at the still-lit stairwell, his voice cold and stern: "Also, have someone investigate who this man is. I don't want to see him leave the house again before the New Year."

The driver instantly understood what he meant: "Yes."

Yan Zhen walked out of the urban village and looked up at the bus route map in front of the bus stop.

Several vehicles can get to her rented place, but the route is a bit roundabout and takes at least an hour.

As she was comparing the best bus routes, a sudden chill ran down her spine. A strong sixth sense told her that someone was watching her from nearby.

Yan Zhen's first thought was Wang Jianchun.

Judging by the time, this old man should have been discharged from the hospital.

If I were to confront him here, assuming he comes prepared, I would be at a disadvantage.

Thinking of this, Yan Zhen made a decisive decision: Let's go!

She didn't wait for the bus; instead, she hailed a taxi on the roadside and left.

Throughout the journey, although Yan Zhen was sitting in the car, the feeling of being followed grew stronger and stronger.

When they arrived near the rental apartment, Yan Zhen was careful and didn't ask the taxi driver to drive downstairs. Instead, he chose to stop in front of a shopping mall.

After getting out of the car, Yan Zhen calmly entered the mall. Then, taking advantage of the security guard's inattention, she went up to the clothing store on the second floor through the fire escape. Looking down through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows displaying mannequins, she could clearly see the people and cars outside.

She needed to confirm whether the person following her was Wang Jianchun.

If so, she needs to prepare early.

Yan Zhen patiently waited upstairs for more than twenty minutes, but instead of waiting for Wang Jianchun, he encountered a familiar face—Song Yi's driver, Uncle Wu.

Uncle Wu disguised himself simply by wearing a thick coat, a mask, and a hat, looking no different from most ordinary middle-aged people shopping in the mall.

But when he entered the mall, he bumped into someone walking out, and in that instant, Yan Zhen saw him.

What's Uncle Wu doing here?

Does his presence here prove that Song Yi is also nearby?

Yan Zhen squinted and searched around.

But Song Yi couldn't find him. She soon discovered that Uncle Wu had gone up to the second floor. He was looking around as he walked, and he kept looking down at his phone. He was obviously looking for someone.

Is he looking for her?

Was it Song Yi who instructed him to come and find him?

How did he know he went up to the second floor?

In an instant, countless questions popped into Yan Zhen's mind, forming a bold conjecture that made her heart tremble.

To verify this guess, Yan Zhen stopped hiding next to the models and stood out openly, picking out clothes from the nearest available source.