A Sharp Edge Emerges From The Mist Chapter 24

birthday surprise

Living together enters its second week.The running-in is still going on, but the bumps are getting less and less, and a kind of plain and stable rhythm that belongs to “home” has been quietly established.Lin Jianfeng was used to sweating profusely in the gym in the early morning and Shen Qingwu’s unbeatable cup of black coffee; Shen Qingwu began to look forward to the aroma of food wafting from the kitchen in the evening. Occasionally, with Lin Jianfeng’s encouragement, he would try to help with some simpler ingredients, such as washing vegetables or beating eggs – although his movements still showed an unskilled caution.

In terms of investigation, clues to the “Gemini” attack have been mired overseas, but the secret investigation of “Iron Shield” security and its related parties has made progress.The Economic Investigation Detachment found that the quotations for several large-scale event security contracts undertaken by “Iron Shield” in the past three years were much higher than the market level, and most of the payers were several “cultural companies” with close relations with Xincheng Construction and Changhe Trading.The flow of funds is suspicious, but no direct evidence of violation has been found.

The pressure still exists and the danger is not far away, but in this penthouse apartment, they have built a temporary and relatively stable haven for themselves.

This morning, Lin Jianfeng got up early for morning exercises as usual.As soon as she got off the treadmill and wiped her sweat, she saw Shen Qingwu standing at the door of the gym holding a coffee cup, seemingly waiting for her.

“Morning.” Lin Jianfeng’s breathing was short, and his forehead was wet with sweat.

“Morning.” Shen Qingwu nodded, his eyes lingering on her smooth shoulder line outlined by the sportswear (avoiding the scar on her left shoulder) for a moment, and then quickly moved away, “Qin Mo will bring breakfast and today’s briefing in ten minutes. Also…” She paused, and her tone sounded casual, “Do you have time in the evening? I booked a restaurant, the food is good, and the environment is clean.”

Lin Jianfeng was a little surprised.Shen Qingwu took the initiative to offer to eat out, which was rare.Especially in this sensitive period.

“Restaurant? Is it safe?” Her first reaction was risk assessment.

“I asked Qin Mo to screen them, and the privacy was very high. The security was also rearranged.” Shen Qingwu explained, taking a sip of coffee and hiding something, “Just…change the environment and relax. You have been tired these days.”

Well reasoned and thoughtful.Lin Jianfeng thought for a while and nodded: “Okay.”

Shen Qingwu seemed to be relieved, the corners of his mouth curved slightly, and he turned and left the gym.

Lin Jianfeng looked at her leaving figure with a trace of doubt in his heart.Shen Qingwu didn’t seem like someone who would specially arrange dinner out just to “relax”.She is more like the type who spends all her energy on the blade, and even her leisure time is purposeful.

However, maybe I was overthinking it.Lin Jianfeng shook his head and walked into the bathroom.

Throughout the day, Shen Qingwu seemed busier than usual, with constant video conferences and spending more time in the study.Lin Jianfeng focused on sorting out the details of the suspicious contracts of “Iron Shield”, trying to find a breakthrough.

In the evening, Qin Mo sent two sets of matching clothes – not formal clothes, but more casual and exquisite styles.Lin Jianfeng wore dark gray wool blend trousers and a soft off-white turtleneck cashmere sweater; Shen Qingwu wore a neatly tailored black dress with a beige cashmere coat.

“Mr. Shen told me specifically.” Qin Mo said with a smile, with a glint in his eyes that Lin Jianfeng couldn’t understand, “She said to relax tonight and don’t need to dress too formally.”

Lin Jianfeng looked at the suit, and his doubts deepened.But she didn’t say anything and put it on.

At seven o’clock sharp, Shen Qingwu came down from upstairs.She put on that black dress, her long hair was draped softly behind her shoulders, and she put on light makeup on her face, which made her look a little less sharp and more elegant than usual.Seeing that Lin Jianfeng had changed clothes and was waiting in the living room, her eyes paused on her for a few seconds, and a glimmer of satisfaction, even gentleness, flashed across her eyes.

“Let’s go.” Shen Qingwu’s voice was softer than usual.

The restaurant is located in a quiet old house area in the city center. It is an independent three-story building that has been transformed into a private restaurant that only accepts guests by appointment.The security is indeed tight. Shen Qingwu is on duty at the entrance in a low-key manner. There are few guests inside and the environment is elegant and quiet.

The waiter led them to a private room by the window on the second floor.Outside the window is a carefully tended small garden, dotted with cold-resistant green plants and warm yellow floor lamps even in winter.Exquisite tableware and a bottle of chilled champagne were already placed on the table.

After sitting down, Shen Qingwu signaled the waiter to serve the food.The dishes are ordered in advance and come out one after another. The dishes are beautifully presented and the taste is indeed outstanding.Shen Qingwu seemed to be in a good mood and talked more than usual. He talked about the resume of the restaurant chef, the history of the old bungalow, and even occasionally commented on the combination of the dishes.

Lin Jianfeng listened cooperatively and tasted the delicious food, but there was always an indescribable and strange feeling in his heart.It was all so…normal, so wonderful.It’s not so beautiful as the life they should live now, nor the atmosphere Shen Qingwu would actively create.

Dessert is the restaurant’s signature lava chocolate cake.When the waiter brought it, there was a small, burning number candle on the cake – “29”.

Lin Jianfeng looked at the candle and was stunned.

Today…is her birthday?

She never deliberately remembers her birthday, and is busy working on cases all year round. Such days often pass quietly in the midst of busyness and exhaustion.Even she almost forgot about it.

She raised her head suddenly and looked at Shen Qingwu opposite.

Shen Qingwu was looking at her with a smile. The smile had lost all the coldness and calculation. Under the warm yellow light, it looked unusually soft, even with a little… sly pride.

“Happy birthday, Lin Jianfeng.” She said softly, her voice softer than ever before.

Lin Jianfeng’s heart felt as if it had been lightly hit by something. It felt sour and soft, and an unbelievable warmth surged up.She looked at Shen Qingwu, her own reflection clearly reflected in her eyes, and the unabashed, pure warmth that bloomed only for her.

“How…how do you know?” Her throat was a little tight.

“Your entry file.” Shen Qingwu blinked, and his cunningness became more obvious. “As a ‘partner’, it is reasonable to understand the basic information, right?”

Reasonable as hell.Lin Jianfeng thought to himself, but the corners of his mouth raised uncontrollably.A strange warmth that made her almost at a loss spread from the deepest part of her heart and instantly filled her limbs.

“Make a wish.” Shen Qingwu motioned for her to blow out the candles.

Lin Jianfeng looked at the small, dancing flames, and then looked at Shen Qingwu’s expectant eyes.She closed her eyes and thought seriously for a few seconds.

wish…

It is hoped that the case will come to light soon and the murderer will be brought to justice.

I hope Shen Qingwu can truly get out of the shadow of the past.

I hope… they can continue like this and walk side by side.

She opened her eyes and blew out the candle.

The waiter withdrew in time and gently closed the door.There were only two of them left in the private room, and the quiet night in the garden outside the window.

“Gift.” Shen Qingwu took out a flat, neatly packaged dark blue velvet box from his bag and pushed it in front of Lin Jianfeng.

Lin Jianfeng opened the box.It wasn’t jewelry or anything expensive.Instead, it was a USB flash drive, with a folded, old-looking copy of the drawing attached next to it.

She picked up the USB flash drive and drawings and looked at Shen Qingwu doubtfully.

“In the USB flash drive, there are all the images and photos that I can find about the scene of my parents’ ‘accident’ ten years ago that have not been officially recorded, including some blurry images taken by onlookers with old-fashioned mobile phones at the time, and… I bought them at a high price from the relics of a deceased investigative journalist, and he secretly kept them.Scanned copy of the original notes of the on-site inspection.” Shen Qingwu’s voice calmed down, with a settled solemnity, “Many details are slightly different from the later official report, such as the direction of the dumping of key equipment debris, and the whereabouts of several workers who were supposed to be on duty before and after the incident.”

Lin Jianfeng’s heart skipped a beat.She knew the value of this information.This may be the first key to open the dusty door of the truth back then.

“As for that drawing…” Shen Qingwu’s eyes fell on the copy in Lin Jianfeng’s hand, and his eyes became a little distant. “It was the original and rejected first version of the safe evacuation channel design drawing for that project. My father personally revised it, proposed several key hidden danger points, and marked improvement suggestions. But the second version of the drawing that was finally adopted…’ignored’ most of his suggestions.”

She paused and looked at Lin Jianfeng: “The original copy of this picture should be in the project archives of that year, but it has long been ‘missing’. This copy is a backup that my father used to keep at home during his lifetime. I also accidentally discovered it recently when I was sorting out old things.”

Lin Jianfeng carefully unfolded the slightly yellowed copy of the drawing.Above are neat engineering drawing lines, with clear annotations written in blue pen next to them. The handwriting is strong and powerful, pointing out the risks of insufficient width of several passages, unreasonable emergency lighting layout, and the risk of a vent being too close to a load-bearing structure.

If these comments were adopted, perhaps… the tragedy would not happen.

And is their “ignoring” an accident or man-made?

This gift is too heavy and too precious.It was not only a birthday surprise, but also Shen Qingwu’s unreserved trust in her. It was the most painful wound that he had been pursuing most persistently for the past ten years, calmly presented in front of her and entrusted to her hands.

Lin Jianfeng raised his head and looked at Shen Qingwu.Under the light, Shen Qingwu’s expression was calm, but the usual layer of ice in his eyes had long since melted, leaving only a deep candor mixed with hope and vulnerability.

“This is… something I’ve been looking for for three years and haven’t been able to find.” Lin Jianfeng’s voice was a little hoarse, “Why did you…”

“Because I found that maybe my investigation direction in the past was really wrong.” Shen Qingwu interrupted her and smiled self-deprecatingly, “I always want to find out the biggest culprit behind it and think about revenge. But I ignore the most basic facts – how did the accident happen? What’s the ‘negligence’?Deliberately?Who lied?This picture and these information may not point to a high-ranking leader of the “Underworld”, but to find them and pry open their mouths, maybe… is the shortest way to the truth.”

She looked at Lin Jianfeng with stern eyes: “Lin Jianfeng, you said that you should use legal means to find out. These are the most ‘legal’ and most critical clues that I can provide. The rest… I leave it to you.”

Lin Jianfeng held the USB flash drive and drawings in his hand tightly. His fingertips could feel the softness of the velvet box and the roughness of the paper.She looked at Shen Qingwu, the woman who gave her her most cherished (and painful) past as a gift, and her chest was filled with some kind of swollen emotion that was almost overflowing.

Not sympathy, not pity.

It’s admiration, touching, responsibility, and… a profound heartbeat that she can’t ignore more and more.

“Thank you, Qingwu.” Lin Jianfeng called her name for the first time, not “Mr. Shen”, not “Shen Qingwu”, but the closer and more private “Qingwu”.

Shen Qingwu’s eyelashes trembled slightly, and the roots of his ears were slightly red, but the smile at the corner of his mouth became deeper, with a sense of relief and pure joy.

Outside the window, the night is gentle.

In the private room, the candlelight flickered, reflecting the clear reflection of each other in their eyes.

This birthday, there is no grand party, no noisy blessings.

There is only a heavy trust, a quiet dinner, and the possibility of the truth that spanned ten years and was finally handed to my hands.

For Lin Jianfeng, this is the best birthday gift she has received in twenty-nine years.

Not one.