Helian Diejin naturally knew about Zhou Jinbai and Lin Xingwan. That bitch bore a striking resemblance to Helian Lingruo, and Helian Diejin despised Helian Lingruo above all else, followed closely by anyone who looked like her.
Furthermore, Lin Xingwan was the bastard offspring of Helian Lingruo, so it was natural that Helian Diejin would dislike her.
"You seem to know a lot about Lin Xingwan?" Zhou Jinbai's gaze, neither smiling nor frowning, fell upon Helian Diejin.
In fact, at the beginning, Zhou Jinbai had no good impression of Helian Diejin. Even over the years, though he had heard about Cen Jue and Helian Diejin, he had never paid Helian Diejin any mind.
Tonight was the first time Zhou Jinbai had seen Helian Diejin. The moment he laid eyes on her, Lin Xingwan's face flashed in his mind.
This woman looked very much like Lin Xingwan.
No!
To be precise, this woman didn't look like Lin Xingwan, but rather, she looked exactly like Lin Xingwan's mother.
Zhou Jinbai remembered how Lin Xingwan would stare blankly at her mother's photograph when she missed her. He had seen that photo many times.
Could it be... that Xingwan had some connection to the Helian family?
Otherwise, why would they look so alike?
Even the fragmented thoughts in Zhou Jinbai's mind suddenly connected.
"I don't know her very well. It's just that you were originally Zhiyuan's fiancé, but you were seduced by another woman, so I investigated her background. What, Jinbai, are you bothered by that?" Helian Diejin wore a calm and composed smile, answering Zhou Jinbai's question elegantly.
Zhou Jinbai also smiled, and everyone's smiles were so polite and hypocritical. "Then you must have seen Lin Xingwan's photo, right? She looks very much like you. No wonder Mr. Cen likes you. Now I understand."
Zhou Jinbai's words not only caused Helian Diejin's expression to darken but also drew Cen Jue's displeased gaze.
He had managed to offend two people with one sentence.
Helian Diejin hated her own face more than anything in her life, yet she obsessively desired it.
The ups and downs of her life were all because of this face.
When she was young and naive, this face allowed her to live a life she could never have imagined.
Yet, it was also this face that made her live in jealousy her entire life.
Whenever she saw her own face, she felt an inexplicable disgust. But if she resembled that person more, it seemed others would like her more.
As for Cen Jue, he felt that Zhou Jinbai's words were clearly hinting at something.
Zhou Jinbai's words even made Cen Jue recall things from a long time ago, thinking of the woman he loved most but ultimately did not end up with. In that moment, Helian Diejin and Cen Jue were both harboring their own thoughts.
"That girl, does she look a lot like her?" Cen Jue suddenly asked.
Zhou Jinbai nodded affirmatively. "Not just similar, she gives the impression of being cast from the same mold. And that girl's mother looks exactly like your wife. It's a pity she was abducted to a small mountain village over twenty years ago. Although she had a period of carefree time later, but..."
Zhou Jinbai's words perfectly captured Cen Jue's curiosity, yet he did not continue.
"But what?" Cen Jue even stepped forward excitedly, grabbing Zhou Jinbai's shoulder, his face full of questioning. His eyes, initially calm, turned anxious. At this moment, Cen Jue truly seemed to have come alive from his twenty years of being a walking dead.
"Helian Diejin, there are so many similar-looking people in the world, aren't you overreacting?"
Just as Helian Diejin finished speaking, Zhou Jinbai's gaze, filled with surprise, fixed on Helian Diejin's neck. His tone was unexpectedly casual. "That woman also has a conch pearl necklace identical to yours."
Zhou Jinbai leaned in for a closer look, then shook his head. "No, no, that woman's conch pearl necklace is even more beautiful than yours. Although her necklace is similar to yours, that necklace is the most beautiful conch pearl necklace I've ever seen."
Zhou Jinbai had said this intentionally, and as expected, Helian Diejin's dignified and elegant expression turned tense. Cen Jue's anxiety intensified.
"What nonsense are you spouting? Do you know how expensive this conch pearl necklace I'm wearing is?" Helian Diejin said, then smiled at Cen Jue. "Cen Jue, this conch pearl necklace was given to me by my father when he was young..."
Cen Jue simply looked at Helian Diejin coldly. He did not reply.
But Cen Jue knew that there were indeed two identical conch pearl necklaces in the world, one of which was worn by Helian Diejin.
Once, to provide a generous dowry for his daughter, Old Master Helian had searched the globe for the rarest, top-quality conch pearls from the moment Helian Lingruo was born. A single necklace took twenty years to create.
Originally, Old Master Helian did not want Helian Diejin to know about it, as this gift for Helian Lingruo was too precious. Even if he wanted to give Helian Diejin one, it would take over ten years.
Old Master Helian planned to compensate Helian Diejin in another way. However, since Helian Diejin had to be the same as Helian Lingruo, the old master had no choice but to find another one that looked similar.
Of course, anyone knowledgeable would immediately see that Helian Diejin's conch pearl necklace was worlds apart from Helian Lingruo's. But Helian Diejin cherished it dearly.
Now, Cen Jue completely believed Zhou Jinbai's words.
For years, Cen Jue had felt that Helian Lingruo was not dead, and was waiting for him somewhere in this world.
But he just couldn't find her!
Now, with Zhou Jinbai's words, a strong intuition told Cen Jue that he was close to finding Helian Lingruo.
"Mr. Dongfang, may we speak in private?" Cen Jue didn't even wait for Zhou Jinbai's agreement, directly grabbing Zhou Jinbai's arm and leading him into a nearby room.
When Helian Diejin saw this, she was extremely anxious.
In all her years, Helian Diejin had never been this anxious.
She had initially thought that since Lin Xingwan had disappeared without a trace, Zhou Jinbai was just a minor player. After all, Helian Diejin knew that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, she would never have any dealings with Zhou Jinbai.
But reality had slapped her hard. Helian Diejin was incredibly anxious.
"Auntie..." Cen Zhiyuan called out to Helian Diejin as she was about to follow them. Helian Diejin frowned and looked at Cen Zhiyuan inquiringly, not even bothering to ask, waiting for her to speak.
"If you follow them now, you'll make Uncle unhappy. You know, although Uncle doesn't usually get angry, when he does, he's the most difficult person to handle in the Cen family."
Cen Zhiyuan's words instantly dispelled Helian Diejin's urge to follow.
She could only watch resentfully as Zhou Jinbai and Cen Jue's backs gradually disappeared from her sight. She tried to comfort herself: No matter what Zhou Jinbai and Cen Jue said tonight, Helian Lingruo was dead. So much time had passed since then, and even if they investigated, there wouldn't be much evidence.
After this self-consolation, Helian Diejin's mood improved slightly.
"I'm a bit tired and want to rest." Helian Diejin couldn't be bothered to talk to Cen Zhiyuan anymore, as she actually disliked her.
Although this woman didn't look like Helian Lingruo, her aura was very similar to Helian Lingruo's. Helian Diejin detested anything that resembled Helian Lingruo.
Cen Zhiyuan looked thoughtfully in the direction Helian Diejin had left, a slight smile playing on her lips.
She had initially thought that after Lin Xingwan's disappearance, everything had come to a halt.
But now, it seemed the real show was just beginning.
Meanwhile, Zhou Jinbai and Cen Jue, who had left, had arrived in a lounge.
Cen Jue cautiously closed the door and asked with intense anxiety, "How much do you know about Lingruo? Tell me quickly."
Zhou Jinbai leisurely sat down on the sofa, his expression of coldness and seriousness a stark contrast to his earlier agitated demeanor.
"The person I mentioned, I actually don't know her name is Helian Lingruo," Zhou Jinbai said, while also politely making a cup of tea.
The calmer and more composed he was, the more uncomfortable Cen Jue became.
"You don't know she's called Helian Lingruo? Then what did you mean by everything you said just now? Were you deliberately deceiving me?" Cen Jue's eyes instantly turned cold. After all, he was once a powerful figure in Yanjing. Even though Cen Jue had retired from all affairs over the years, the sharpness emanating from his core was still not to be underestimated.
Anyone else would have been intimidated by Cen Jue's aura.
But the person facing Cen Jue was Zhou Jinbai.
He was like an experienced hunter, having laid his trap for a long time.
"Why don't you listen to me explain slowly?" Zhou Jinbai took a sip of tea. Cen Jue's anger was temporarily suppressed, but his gaze towards Zhou Jinbai was no longer as friendly. Cen Jue's intelligence returned, and now it was two wolves circling each other.
Cen Jue indeed quieted down. Zhou Jinbai then began to tell Cen Jue the story of Lin Xingwan's mother, starting from the small town.
He narrated everything as a story. Although Helian Lingruo was not mentioned in this story, after hearing it, Cen Jue's expression turned one of utter disbelief and agony.
"She is Lingruo! I'm sure of it, she is Lingruo! I never imagined that after Lingruo disappeared, such things would happen. It's all my fault, I was useless, I failed to protect her."
Cen Jue clutched his hair, his face contorted in pain, like a trapped beast.
And the one trapping him was none other than himself.
"Although I'm not sure if that woman is Helian Lingruo, I've been investigating why she was sent to a small town out of the blue, and even developed severe schizophrenia. I can only pray that she is not the once-proud Helian Lingruo. Otherwise, the person who harmed her to this state would never be redeemed, even in the deepest hell."
After speaking, Zhou Jinbai got up from the sofa and left the lounge, leaving Cen Jue alone to ponder.
His next target was Helian Diejin.
Although Zhou Jinbai had no evidence of Helian Diejin framing Helian Lingruo, in this world, many things did not require concrete proof.
Meanwhile, Helian Diejin, whom Zhou Jinbai was contemplating how to deal with, had arrived in a guest room of the Dongfang family.
Because Helian Diejin was in a state of agitation, she was completely unaware of the faintly scented incense burning in the room. After returning to her room, she tried to call Shi Zhesheng, but his phone was unreachable, making Helian Diejin even more frustrated.
"What a useless piece of trash!" When she needed him, she couldn't find him!
Helian Diejin desperately needed a way to vent her irritable mood, so she decided to take a bath.
In the large balcony bathtub, Helian Diejin filled it with water and then soaked in the bathwater filled with flower petals.
As the warm bathwater enveloped her entire body, Helian Diejin let out a comfortable hum.
She closed her eyes to rest, casting aside the day's frustrations.
However, Helian Diejin had a persistent feeling that someone was standing in front of her, watching her!
Helian Diejin opened her eyes. The room was empty, with nothing there.
It must be that she had recalled too many past events tonight, which was why she felt this way.
Helian Diejin rubbed her temples and closed her eyes again.
This time, Helian Diejin found the sensation of being watched even more intense.
She suddenly opened her eyes. A European-style floor-length mirror was placed in front of the fish tank. She saw a woman in white flash past in the mirror.
The floor-length mirror was directly facing her, so the woman who had just passed by in the mirror was behind her.
A chilling sensation ran down Helian Diejin's spine, and her body stiffened.
She slowly turned her head, only to find nothing behind her.
But when Helian Diejin turned back again, a face suddenly appeared before her.
This face was the one most deeply etched in her memory. Helian Diejin didn't even have time to scream before she fainted from sheer terror.