"This..." Qu Liushou was somewhat reluctant, saying, "How about we each take one piece? Rest assured, Iâll definitely hide it well, and I promise no one will find it."
Right now, Ye Qing still needed Qu Liushou, so she couldnât let him have second thoughts. Hence, Ye Qing casually gave him one. The two boxes looked identical, and if she didnât open them, she wouldnât know what was inside.
However, she had been paying attention earlier and knew which box she held. She deliberately gave him the box with the Hidden Spring Palace Painting. The erotic painting wasnât worth money; even if painted in ancient times, no painting or calligraphy would be that valuable. If those items couldnât be retrieved, they would split them this way.
After Ye Qing gave Qu Liushou his share, she didnât give him a chance to open and look; instead, she said, "Donât forget to keep an eye on Aunt Wuâs family these days. Iâll go back and press Aunt Wu to see if I can get something out of her." Once Ye Qing finished speaking, she told Qu Liushou Aunt Wuâs address in Capital City.
"Iâve spent a night here, and I need to hurry back. Best not to come here these days, and make sure to take the quilt as well. If Aunt Wu accidentally reveals the address here, none of us can escape. In the end, if she benefits alone, can you swallow that?"
Qu Liushou definitely thought Ye Qingâs words made sense, gratefully nodding, "Iâll listen to you. Iâll clean up here now, and I promise not to leave any traces."
"Hmm," Ye Qing furrowed her brows, feeling quite annoyed, and left the yard. Holding the box in her hand, she went straight back to her and Mei Langchiâs home. She had to hide the things and couldnât let Mei Langchi find out.
Though even if he discovered them, it didnât matter. Mei Langchi probably hadnât ever seen or heard about these things.
Ye Qing placed the items at the bottom of her wardrobe in the room, then changed her clothes and headed directly to the hospital.
Upon reaching the hospital, it turned out Mei Langchi was sitting beside Hua Hua. Ye Qing felt a pang in her heart and paused, saying, "Why are you here, and whereâs our mom?"
Unexpectedly, Mei Langchi didnât answer her but looked up at her and said, "Where were you last night?"
Ye Qing froze for a second and then naturally said, "I was at our home last night; I went back to change clothes."
"Is that so?"
These two words confused Ye Qing, leaving her uncertain whether Mei Langchi understood or didnât believe her.
Ye Qing didnât have the energy to worry about this because Hua Hua woke up on the bed.
After a while, Ye Qing realized Xie Lingzhi had left early in the morning, and in these two hours, only Mei Langchi was watching.
Ye Qing felt a slight sense of guilt, being somewhat cautious around Mei Langchi.
"Langchi, is there any news from home?"
"Not yet," Mei Langchi said this and directly stood up to leave, and Ye Qing didnât call him back. After all, not being his biological child, he wouldnât feel compassion towards Hua Hua. She didnât need him to be particularly kind to Hua Hua, as long as he didnât show hostility.
No news meant there wasnât any; it seemed the police work wasnât going well. She wasnât sure if Aunt Wu was behind this; anyway, their things were stolen and then taken by someone else. According to Qu Liushou, this person was likely Aunt Wu.
That nanny was hiding deep indeed; Ye Qing had underestimated this housekeeper lady.
Ye Qing stayed steadily in the hospital for three or four days until Hua Hua was discharged from the hospital and returned to the compound.
With Spring Festival approaching, every household was preparing for the new year; the streets were filled with a strong festive vibe. Only the Mei Family remained silent. This silence wasnât due to fewer family members, but rather an eerie atmosphere, making people feel somewhat stifled.
Old Mrs. Mei had been ill since returning home; it was a heartache, constantly thinking about the lost items. Unable to eat or sleep well, she had lost a lot of weight within a few days.
Xie Lingzhi was okay, however. She and Liang Qian had to go to the hospital every day to take care of Mr. Mei. Mr. Mei had already been moved from the ICU to a regular ward; his legs hadnât recovered yet, and he couldnât get out of bed. However, there were caretakers at night, guards during the day, and Mei Lang Jun, Han Yi, Mei Langchi, Xie Lingzhi, and Liang Qian only occasionally brought meals. Sometimes they werenât needed; most of the time, the younger generation brought meals directly.
The doctor said Mr. Mei could be discharged in two or three days.
Ye Qing returned home with her child and found Aunt Wu busy preparing lunch. No one in the Mei Family seemed to have suspected her.
Mei Shuping and Mei Shuqing had been occupied with military and theft matters these days. Chen Haichang, on the other hand, was idling around; with such a large factory, he should be busy with the upcoming year-end, yet he wasnât anxious at all, casually sitting on the couch, eyeing her continuously since she entered the Mei Family home, his gaze unnerved her.