Jiang Shiyu looked up at the man before her as she spoke.
The man, who had been leisurely eating, put down his chopsticks, took a sip of water, and then opened his mouth in a clear, jade-like voice, "You've always been like this."
When Jiang Shiyu was a child, she saw small animals tearing each other apart, fighting to the death. Other girls found it cruel, and some were even scared to tears. Only Jiang Shiyu watched with a cold gaze, showing little emotion.
He had asked her if she wasn't afraid.
Even though he was older than her, he felt a sense of gore just by watching.
She had simply replied indifferently, "Survival of the fittest. This world is just that cruel."
In the past, he would have wondered how a girl could be so cold-blooded.
It was only later that he realized she had always been a victim, never a perpetrator.
Just like her years in the Gu family, perhaps.
"I had people investigate your maternal grandfather's death."
Jiang Shiyu, who had been picking up food, dropped the dish in her hand with a clatter upon hearing Murong Cheng's words.
"What?"
She stared at the man in shock, thinking she had misheard.
She had never doubted the cause of her maternal grandfather's death.
She didn't know when it started, but her maternal grandfather's health had not been good.
Although his death was sudden, her maternal grandfather had been terminally ill during that period.
He could pass away at any moment.
Therefore, Jiang Shiyu had always believed her maternal grandfather had died of illness.
"I never had the chance to tell you this... Your maternal grandfather had been taking a medication to maintain his health all those years. While it was said to be for maintenance, it was actually a slow-acting poison. Later, his condition worsened, and he became terminally ill, passing away in less than a year..."
Murong Cheng paused, observing Jiang Shiyu's expression, before continuing.
"Although we can't find evidence now, I've gathered a lot of information. We're just missing the witness and physical evidence. Your maternal grandfather's nutritionist at the time is now a high-ranking executive at Decheng, holding a significant amount of shares, which were gifted by Jiang Dehai. Everything points to a clear trail..."
A wave of shock washed over Jiang Shiyu.
Given Jiang Dehai's personality, why would he inexplicably gift so much money and shares to a stranger?
The following morning, Jiang Shiyu took half a day off to pay respects at her maternal grandfather's grave.
She burned paper money for her maternal grandfather, offered him wine, and kowtowed three times.
"Grandfather, your granddaughter knows this is not the right way, but in order for you to have justice in the afterlife, your granddaughter can only do this."
After Jiang Shiyu stood up, the cemetery management began to excavate the grave.
Her maternal grandfather had been buried directly without cremation. Mercury and formalin had been used for preservation. Even after more than a decade, the body should not have completely decomposed.
Indeed, as soon as the coffin was opened, a pungent odor assailed them – the smell of mercury and formalin, along with insect repellent.
Her maternal grandfather's body had hardly changed from when he was buried over ten years ago.
Looking at his face, Jiang Shiyu's nose stung, and she almost shed tears.
If her maternal grandfather had indeed been murdered by Jiang Dehai, she would make Jiang Dehai pay with his life, repaying blood with blood!
The body was sent to the forensic department for examination.
If her maternal grandfather was indeed murdered, there should still be residues in his body.
After all, it was a slow-acting poison, and chemical substances could remain in the body for a long time.
Jiang Shiyu returned to work in the afternoon, somewhat distracted.
Fang Yuan walked over with a cup of coffee, "Has everyone seen the news? I heard that a few days ago, Shiyu's old classmate bumped into her at the mall, and the outcome was simply tragic!"
Fang Yuan's words distorted the public opinion. Although everyone had seen the news, the truth behind it was unknown. Fang Yuan's statement made it seem as if Jiang Shiyu had deliberately made things difficult for her old classmate.
Jiang Shiyu was agitated and ignored Fang Yuan.
Fang Yuan chuckled, "Shiyu, aren't you going to explain to everyone?"
Jiang Shiyu let out a breath and stood up. She was the same height as Fang Yuan, and as she stood, she met Fang Yuan's eyes directly.
Fang Yuan was startled by the sharpness in Jiang Shiyu's eyes.
"I have things to do. If you have nothing to do, you can focus on your own work. Instead of caring about my gossip, it would be better to put more effort into yourself. Perhaps your crush will fall in love with you."
The relationship between Jiang Shiyu and Fang Yuan was an open secret among their colleagues. They hadn't expected Jiang Shiyu to be so bold as to speak so frankly, breaking the unspoken barrier.
To Fang Yuan, these words were nothing short of a blatant provocation.
She trembled, "What did you say?"
"I know your feelings for Murong Cheng, but no matter how I explain, you won't believe me. I don't even know who your crush is, let alone that it's Murong Cheng... Since you also know I'm Murong Cheng's wife, your actions are just a futile attempt to bother me!
After speaking, Jiang Shiyu sat back down.
She had to deal with the forensic examination of her maternal grandfather's body and didn't have time to argue with Fang Yuan about such meaningless matters.
Fang Yuan staggered as if struck a heavy blow.
The colleagues' gazes were filled with unspoken understanding.
Fang Yuan glared at Jiang Shiyu intensely before turning and walking out of the office area.
The forensic results for her maternal grandfather would take a few more days. As Jiang Shiyu got into her car after work that evening, Murong Cheng's deep voice asked, "Are you coming home for dinner tonight?"
It was a question.
Jiang Shiyu felt a bit tired and wanted to shake her head, but thinking that delaying it further would mean an unknown wait, she nodded in agreement.
"If you don't want to go, we can just go home." Murong Cheng held the steering wheel. The only light in the car was the ambient glow, casting a deep blue light on the man's stern face, his voice as low and mysterious as his demeanor.
"It's better to do it now than later. Let's go today," Jiang Shiyu fastened her seatbelt.
All the way, the man held her hand with his right hand.
The Murong family mansion was located in a villa district in the city center. Although it was in the city center, the environment was very quiet, with a large garden. After driving for a distance into the mansion area, they stopped at the entrance.
Before the car had even come to a complete stop, a servant stepped forward to open the door.
"Don't be afraid. I'm here for everything. They can't eat you."
As Jiang Shiyu stepped out of the car, her small hand was grasped by Murong Cheng.
The man's deep voice carried with the night breeze.
Jiang Shiyu felt a sense of stability within her heart.
"Mmm..."
As they entered the foyer, they heard a lively sound of laughter and conversation from the hall.
The first-floor hall was brightly lit, with a crystal chandelier overhead refracting myriad glazed colors. The hall was spacious and grand, and all the furnishings inside were extraordinarily valuable.
Not only were Murong family members seated on the sofas in the hall, but also a familiar figure.
"Acheng, you're back. Come quickly, this is Miss Fang Yuan from the Fang family."
Song Yu caught sight of Murong Cheng entering and greeted him warmly, without acknowledging Jiang Shiyu, completely ignoring her.
Jiang Shiyu hadn't expected Fang Yuan to be there and saw Fang Yuan sitting on the sofa at a glance.
Fang Yuan was wearing a simple, low-key yet luxurious silk dress in a light pink hue. She had light makeup and her hair was loosely styled, with a strand of hair falling onto her long, fair neck, resembling a noble swan, her every move and smile exuding nobility.