Shen Yixuan first saw the name Su Wanting during Wand's internal project review preparatory meeting. Project manager at Hongtu Real Estate. Bidder representative. He didn't pay attention. Names like this, after you see enough of them, you forget.
But three days later, while organizing his father's study, he flipped open an old photo album. The last page of the album had an old missing person notice tucked into it. A four-year-old little girl with two small braids, wearing a green jade pendant around her neck. Shen Nian'an.
He looked at that photo and suddenly remembered something. He opened his computer and pulled up Su Wanting's photo from the review meeting materials. One was four years old. One should have been in her late twenties. Separated by twenty-four years. But that arc of the eyes when smiling - resembled.
He took out his phone and searched for Su Wanting. Found an industry article with a photo of her attending a forum. In the photo, she wore a green jade pendant around her neck, with an orchid pattern. Identical to the one in the missing person notice.
Shen Yixuan slowly closed his notebook and leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes. If Su Wanting was Shen Nian'an, his position as heir would be completely untenable.
Shen Yixuan had been adopted by Shen Zhengye and his wife when he was three years old. By that time Nian'nian had already been missing for three years. Gu Zhilan was nearly broken by it. Shen Zhengye wasn't doing too well either. A neighbor introduced a child from the welfare institute. Said he was well-behaved, didn't cry or make a fuss. The couple went to see him. A skinny little boy with skin and bones squatting in the corner playing with mud. When he saw them, he stood up and called out "Uncle" timidly. Gu Zhilan cried on the spot.
Shen Yixuan had known since childhood that he wasn't biologically related. When he was six, he flipped open that old photo album, saw Nian'nian's photo, and asked Gu Zhilan who that little sister was. Gu Zhilan held him and said:
"She's your little sister. Your sister is lost. Mommy is looking for her."
He waited year after year. What came back was not a sister. It was more and more missing person notices. More and more disappointment. And increasingly silent parents.
He knew he was a substitute. But he still struggled desperately. Attended the best schools. Interned at Wand. Started from the very bottom. He wanted to prove that even without a biological daughter, he could prop up this family.
Now the biological daughter might be coming back. Everything he had might be lost.
"Cannot let her be recognized."
Shen Yixuan opened his eyes. His gaze darkened. He called the Human Resources Director:
"Help me pull a detailed resume of Su Wanting, project manager at Hongtu Real Estate. The reason is background investigation of a bidder."
The next day the resume was on his desk. Su Wanting. Original residence: Shiqiao Village. Adoptive parents: Li Dashan and Wang Cuihua. After university graduation, worked at Ruiheng and Hongtu successively.
Shiqiao Village. A village girl.
"Even if she looks alike, it doesn't prove anything."
He looked at the resume and muttered to himself. Paused.
"Arrange for someone to go to Shiqiao Village to investigate. I want solid evidence proving she has no blood relation to the Shen family."
What he didn't know was that half a month before he sent people to Shiqiao Village, someone had already gone to ask around. A woman in her fifties, claiming to be a journalist from the provincial capital. Asked extremely detailed questions. When did she arrive? From whose hands was she bought? Was she wearing anything around her neck?
That woman's name was Hu Xiufang. She worked as cleaning staff at Wand Tower.