One week before bidding, the DNA comparison results from the Provincial People's Hospital came out. Wanting had taken advantage of the pre-employment physical examination to submit her own DNA data and Shen Zhengye's DNA data left in the bidder's materials for comparison. She used an expedited procedure under the pretext of potential genetic disease screening.
"Probability of parent-child relationship: 99.99%."
She looked at the report. Her palm went cold. Not Li Cuiting. Not Su Wanting. She was Shen Nian'an. The biological daughter of Shen Zhengye and Gu Zhilan. The child who had been kidnapped for twenty-four years.
She locked the report in a drawer and took a deep breath. She didn't immediately go to Shen Zhengye. The bidding hadn't concluded yet. She couldn't let personal identity affect the bidding outcome. But she had a vague feeling that someone was watching her in the dark.
That same night, she came out of the office and walked to the bus stop to wait for the last bus. Her phone vibrated. A text message from an unfamiliar number:
"Leave the provincial capital. It would be better for you."
She frowned at the screen. Was just about to reply when another text message popped in. Different number:
"Be careful of Shen Yixuan. He now knows your identity."
Two text messages. Two tones. One was a threat. One sounded like a warning.
She suddenly looked up and scanned around. The road was empty. Streetlights made the sidewalk look deathly pale. Behind the plane trees, it was pitch black - nothing visible. A second text from the second number came:
"Shen Yixuan has obtained DNA samples. He is preparing to destroy you at the bidding meeting. You only have one week."
Wanting gripped her phone tightly. She didn't know who sent the messages, but she knew this information was most likely true. She searched the two numbers. Both had provincial capital area codes. Both were anonymous prepaid cards. One wanted her to leave. One wanted to help her. Who was helping her in the dark?
She couldn't figure it out. But there was no time to ponder right now. The bus came. She got on and sat in the last row by the window. Through the glass, she kept watching the bus stop direction. No one was there. But she knew someone was watching her. More than one person.
At the same time, Shen Yixuan was also moving urgently. The person who went to Shiqiao Village reported back. A few words: Li Cuiting was bought by Li Dashan from a human trafficker for eight thousand yuan.
Shen Yixuan's face went white.
He thought of another method. At an informal communication meeting before the bidding, he "happened" to sit next to Wanting. She drank some water. The paper cup was still on the table. After the meeting, he quickly collected the paper cup. Three days later the results came out. Probability of parent-child relationship: 99.99%. She truly was the biological daughter of Shen Zhengye and Gu Zhilan.
He stood in his own office looking at the report with those words on it. His face was white as paper. Then he crumpled up the report and threw it into the trash can. Squatted on the ground and buried his face in his palms.
After a long time, he stood up and turned on the paper shredder.
The night before bidding, Shen Yixuan knocked on Shen Zhengye's study door.
"Dad, I have something to discuss with you."
His expression was very serious.
"Regarding Su Wanting from Hongtu Real Estate. I conducted some investigations and discovered she may have been involved in copying core project data during her time at Ruiheng."
Shen Zhengye picked up the report and flipped through a few pages.
"What are you implying?"
"I want to say this person's character is questionable. There are significant risks in Wand cooperating with her."
Shen Yixuan's tone was sincere.
"Dad, I'm not trying to interfere with the bidding. I just don't want you to be deceived by her."
Shen Zhengye was silent for a long time.
"Understood. The bidding meeting will proceed as scheduled tomorrow."
Shen Yixuan nodded and left. What he didn't know was that after he left, Shen Zhengye picked up that report again and flipped to the last page. The last page had a photo of Su Wanting attached. Shen Zhengye looked at the face in the photo. Round face. Large eyes. The curve of the mouth. He suddenly felt he had seen it somewhere before.
He took out that old photo album from the drawer. The four-year-old little girl with two small braids, smiling until her eyes curved into crescents. He placed the two photos side by side.
He closed his eyes. A tear slid down. Memories floated up in his mind...