With his address known and his current situation understood, Tianyi conceived of the simplest solution: upon meeting Shu Zhenhao, he would directly order him to return abroad. If he refused, the remittance accounts previously set up by Shu Zhongze would be cut off, and he would no longer receive any living expenses.
If Shu Zhenhao complied and returned abroad to behave himself, Tianyi promised to give him a sum of money in addition to his previous living expenses, enough for his wife and children abroad to live comfortably for several years.
Between remaining in Lancheng as a disruptive beggar or returning abroad to continue his comfortable life, Shu Zhenhao knew exactly which choice to make.
He unhesitatingly chose the latter. As he left after his terms were agreed upon with Tianyi, he smiled and said, "Those people think they can still use me, treat me as a tool. But I am no longer the person I was in my youth. This time, I will agree to their demands to return, purely to get more for myself. As for their talk of inheritance rights, that's just a pie in the sky, a complete joke."
Tianyi turned, finally facing him directly, and said, "You are clever, at least more so than you appear. Why don't you make an honest living instead of always trying to extort money?"
"The Shu family owes me, and they owe my mother even more!"
Tianyi expressed his helplessness regarding Shu Zhenhao's mindset: "You are truly incorrigible. Back then, they were all adults, and it was a consensual matter..."
"That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about how the Shu family promised to ensure my mother's future livelihood but never gave her a single cent. Instead, they sent people to injure her, causing her to die of depression in poverty and destitution."
Tianyi found this hard to believe, as it didn't sound like something Shu Zhongze would do. How could a man like Shu Zhongze be stingy with money towards women?
A significant part of his appeal to women was his status as a wealthy young master and his generous spending.
"Can you elaborate on what happened to your mother?"
Shu Zhenhao had kept certain things and words bottled up for years. After learning the truth back then, no one he confided in truly believed him or wanted to listen.
Today, when Qin Tianyi expressed a desire to understand the events of the past, Shu Zhenhao had nothing to hide and recounted everything he had investigated.
After listening, Tianyi simply frowned without speaking.
Seeing Tianyi's silence, Shu Zhenhao added menacingly, "Go back and tell your wife that although she is now the heir to the Shu family, she must remember to regularly transfer my living expenses from the Shu family's accounts! Otherwise, I will return and cause trouble for you all..."
Tianyi, however, completely ignored his threat and interrupted him to ask, "After your mother brought you to find Shu Zhongze back then, it was Jia Nanfang who negotiated with your mother, wasn't it? And you didn't know about these matters until later, when Jia Nanfang told you about your mother's plight after you started working at the company, which prompted you to investigate?"
Shu Zhenhao nodded inexplicably, "Yes, why?"
"Don't you find these events suspicious? Shu Zhongze wouldn't be so short on money as to let the woman who bore him a child live in poverty. And you mentioned that Jia Nanfang took care of you for a few years when you were young and treated you reasonably well. Later, when you joined Shu Corporation, Shu Zhongze favored you greatly, and she also praised you, often telling others that you were the most suitable heir. Have you ever considered why she did that?"
"Why?" After going abroad, Shu Zhenhao had a nagging feeling that he had been trapped by Jia Nanfang, but he couldn't be sure. After all, his mother's suffering was something he had investigated himself, and that couldn't be faked.
"She was setting you up for a fall," Tianyi said. "And back then, only she could have manipulated the situation between Shu Zhongze and your mother. If Shu Zhongze truly intended to make you his heir, you would have been the greatest enemy to her and her daughter. Naturally, she would have done everything she could to sow discord between father and son, making Shu Zhongze completely abandon the idea of you as his heir."
Shu Zhenhao, like someone awakened from a dream, began to recall the events of the past in detail.
Tianyi saw no need to prolong the conversation, stating only what was necessary: "You are a witness to these events, and you should be able to figure out who truly owes you."
With that, he turned and left the hotel where Shu Zhenhao was staying.
When he arrived at the Shu family mansion, he saw Susu sitting by the poolside, the residual glow of the setting sun illuminating her face.
Her slightly melancholic expression was as beautiful as a painting.
Tianyi walked towards her quietly, standing behind her without her noticing.
"What are you thinking about, all alone?"
Hearing his voice, Susu, who had expected him, was not surprised. She slowly turned her head to look at him and said, "Nothing much. I was just feeling a bit sad thinking that such a beautiful house will be left vacant."
Tianyi gently placed his hand on her shoulder and said, "This Shu family mansion is built on a prime location. I visited a few times with my parents when I was young. There were many children here then, and it was quite lively. I didn't like playing with them; they were all quite precocious and had heavy thoughts. So, I would always go to the deserted poolside to stay until my parents called me back."
"So, you and Shu Yan were childhood sweethearts. No wonder she's so devoted to you?"
"I barely spoke to her when we were children," Tianyi said with a smile, teasing her. "Why do you sound so jealous?"
"Are you trying to show off your irresistible charm? Even without speaking, you made someone fall madly in love with you. Imagine what would happen if you actually said a few words."
Tianyi sat down beside her, chuckling, "In front of you, how would I dare to show off? I'm just stating the truth."
Susu linked her arm through his and said, "Now I feel that it might have been a good thing that Shu Zhongze didn't know about my existence and didn't bring me here. In this environment, the children all learned deceit and treachery. Even Shu Yan, who was highly favored, was almost drowned in this pool by her own siblings."
"It seems you've heard quite a bit today. Are you here to uncover the sins that happened here?" Tianyi suddenly remembered that he had saved Shu Yan that time she nearly drowned.
If he hadn't saved her back then, perhaps she wouldn't have grown up to harm others.
Susu finally smiled and said, "I'm not a detective, nor am I a police officer like Kang Xi. I came here to dismiss most of the household staff, leaving only two to look after the property. Since no one lives here anymore, there's no need for extravagance. The Shu family doesn't have much left, so it's best to save where we can."
"That's true. It all depends on whether Hengheng will want to live here in the future."
Susu immediately looked at him and asked seriously, "But my father said before he passed away that he wanted Hengheng to change his surname to Shu. Are you willing?"
"I'm not foolish, of course, I'm willing. Whether Hengheng is surnamed Shu or Qin, it doesn't change the fact that he is my son," Tianyi said, hooking her chin with his finger, completely unconcerned.
He had also overheard Shu Zhongze speaking to Susu about this. He had long wanted to tell Susu that there was nothing wrong with Hengheng inheriting the Shu Corporation in the future, and he agreed with Shu Zhongze's plans for the future.