My Gorgeous Wife Relies on Her Beauty to Commit Crimes - Chapter 17

“Prepare the car, we’re going home.”

Shen Jin called the driver, who was momentarily taken aback, hadn’t the young mistress said she wouldn’t be returning tonight due to prior engagements?

The driver brought Shen Jin to Shen Manor, but she didn’t have him drive straight in. Instead, she waited until the house quieted down and the crowd dispersed. Xie Jing opened the door, only to find no one outside.

She had already moved back to the second floor, where only Shen Jin resided. The maids lived in the rear quarters, and since they had to keep an eye on Shen Tuo, the bodyguards stayed on the first floor, making movement inconvenient. Fortunately, Xie Jing’s room had been restored shortly after the flooding.

Xie Jing stepped out cautiously, switching to a pair of lightweight sneakers to muffle her footsteps and avoid alerting those downstairs.

Shen Jin’s door wasn’t locked. Xie Jing turned the handle gently, and it opened without resistance.

Inside, the sheer curtains filtered the dim glow from the courtyard lights, casting a faint illumination that kept the room from complete darkness.

Xie Jing quickly located the safe. Seeing it untouched, she exhaled in relief Shen Jin likely hadn’t discovered the surveillance device, or else the safe wouldn’t have been left here so carelessly.

Closing the door softly, Xie Jing crouched before the safe. The combination flashed through her mind as she carefully turned the dial. With a soft click, the safe opened!

There was no time for celebration. Inside lay only a single document folder. Her expression solemn, Xie Jing retrieved it and, under the dim light from the window, saw Ye Jinyao’s adoption certificate and an asset distribution agreement.

Who is Ye Jinyao? Xie Jing frowned, deep in thought.

This name was entirely absent from the information she had gathered. The adoption certificate stated that thirty years ago, the Shen couple had adopted a girl.

Thirty years ago, A girl!

Xie Jing’s mind buzzed. She immediately unfolded the asset distribution agreement, which detailed how the Shen couple had allocated five percent of their shares to Shen Jin, that is, Ye Jinyao!

The realization struck her like lightning.

Ye Jinyao is Shen Jin! And Shen Jin isn’t the biological child of the Shen couple!

She stood frozen in shock, taking several moments to regain her composure before continuing to scan the document.

The Shen family held a 51% controlling stake in Shen Corporation. Of this, Old Guan, Shen Tuo’s great-grandfather, owned 11%, the Shen couple held 30%, and Shen Fu possessed 10% transferred to him at birth by Old Guan and the couple. Later, the couple allocated another 5% as the “Shen family bride shares,” and 5% to Shen Jin (Ye Jinyao). After the three passed away, Shen Fu’s shares were inherited by his son, Shen Tuo, while the remaining 20% remained temporarily under Old Guan’s custody.

The sheer volume of information overwhelmed Xie Jing. After a brief pause to steady herself, she pulled out her phone and began snapping photos.

Just then, the manor gates creaked open outside. A black car rolled in, its headlights piercing the darkness and startling Xie Jing, Shen Jin had returned!

Stepping out of the car, Shen Jin glanced up at the unlit second-floor windows and asked a maid, “Where is Miss Xie?”

The maid replied in a hushed tone, “Miss Xie is upstairs.”

Shen Jin nodded and entered the house, her footsteps ascending the staircase. Hearing the commotion below, Xie Jing’s heart raced. Her hands trembled, nearly dropping the phone. She hurriedly finished photographing the documents as the footsteps outside drew closer.

Why is Shen Jin back now! Didn’t she say she wouldn’t return tonight? Otherwise, Xie Jing wouldn’t have taken the risk to act!

Xie Jingxin’s heart nearly leapt out of her throat. She heard footsteps stop at the door. Stuffing the documents back into the file bag, she closed the safe just as Shen Jin paused outside and asked, “Did Shen Tuo act up again today?”

The housekeeper bowed her head and replied, “The young master was still throwing a tantrum earlier, but when Miss Xie returned and went in to see him, he calmed down. He ate his meal and just fell asleep.”

“Good.” Shen Jin pushed the door open and said, “You should rest early too.”

“Yes, ma’am.” The housekeeper was deferential. After all, Shen Jin wasn’t a difficult employer, and the wages were high. She had no intention of leaving Shen Manor.

Shen Jin turned on the light, dispelling the darkness in the room.

Her gaze lowered to the footprints left on the plush rug by the door. This rug was newly placed at her request, difficult to maintain, requiring daily cleaning. Any step on it would leave a mark, and now, a pair of footprints was clearly imprinted there.

The housekeeper responsible for tidying wouldn’t overlook such traces. She was a long-time employee who had worked at Shen Manor for over a decade, planning to retire there. She treated Shen Jin with great respect and was meticulous in her cleaning, ensuring the rug’s fibers were smoothed without leaving any marks.

Judging by the direction of the footprints, whoever had entered her room hadn’t left yet.

Shen Jin narrowed her eyes, glancing at the safe. Outwardly, it appeared untouched, but her instincts told her otherwise. The air carried an unease, as if a stranger had trespassed into her territory.

She stepped further inside and noticed a bulge under the neatly spread-out blanket.

Shen Jin pulled the blanket aside to reveal Xie Jing lying naked on her bed. Her starry eyes were hazy as she gazed at Shen Jin, then she reached up, looping her arms around Shen Jin’s neck and pulling her down. Xie Jing straddled her waist, leaning in close until her breath, fragrant as orchids, brushed Shen Jin’s nose. “I’ll be leaving in a few days,” she murmured. “Just as you wished.”

Shen Jin yanked her wrists away, gripping them tightly enough to make Xie Jing wince. Xie Jing licked her lips and said, “One last night. I’m leaving anyway.”

She was trying to distract Shen Jin with seduction, masking the real reason for her presence here.

Shen Jin twisted Xie Jing’s arms behind her back, binding them with her own tie before tossing her onto the bed and covering her with the blanket.

Xie Jing giggled. “So Aunt Shen likes it this way.”

Shen Jin didn’t respond. Instead, she pulled out a small UV flashlight from her pocket and shone it on the safe, revealing several fresh fingerprints.

That morning, she had instructed the housekeeper to wipe the safe clean while wearing gloves, leaving no traces. Yet now, fingerprints were clearly visible on the safe’s dial.

Silently, Shen Jin opened the safe. The contents were still there, arranged exactly as before, but under the UV light, new fingerprints also appeared on the file bag.

Shen Jin closed the safe and turned to look at Xie Jing on the bed.

Xie Jing rubbed her cheek against the blanket, her heart pounding nervously. But she feigned nonchalance, teasing, “Is this how Aunt Shen wants to play?”

She flexed her bound hands.

Shen Jin strode over, gripping Xie Jing’s chin. “Who sent you?” she demanded in a low voice. “What do you want from me?”

Xie Jing widened her eyes in mock innocence. “Aunt Shen, what are you talking about?”

“The Xie family has long been destroyed, and Xie Jing’s whereabouts are unknown. Few know about the relationship between the Shen and Xie families. The Xie family would never raise a child like you! First, you deliberately approached Shen Tuo, then pretended to be Xie Jing to get close to me. What exactly do you want? What are you trying to get from me?”

Xie Jing’s eyes turned icy when Shen Jin mentioned the Xie family. Her reaction didn’t seem feigned. She struggled fiercely, wrenching her chin free from Shen Jin’s grip, and spat through gritted teeth, “Don’t you dare mention my parents!”

“Shen Jin, sleeping with you was my choice! But I won’t let you insult my parents!”

Shen Jin was startled by the hatred in her gaze. Before she could react, Xie Jing bit down hard on her palm. Clenching her teeth, Xie Jing’s voice was muffled but fierce: “You can look down on me! But you don’t get to insult them!”

Shen Jin’s chest heaved.

She yanked her hand away violently. Xie Jing held on tight, as if determined to tear a chunk of flesh from her, but Shen Jin still managed to shake her off, sending her crashing to the side.

Shen Jin sighed. “Now you know everything. Fine, I’ll treat you as Xie Jing. So, can you tell me your purpose?”

Kneeling on the bed, Shen Jin cupped Xie Jing’s face, her tone softening. “We might even share the same goal after all, neither of us is truly a Shen.”

“Untie me first,” Xie Jing said, her mind sharp.

Shen Jin was a formidable businesswoman, and Xie Jing knew she couldn’t outmaneuver her. Playing dumb, she said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I sneaked into your room just to sleep with you. I was afraid you wouldn’t let me in when you got back.”

Shen Jin’s house had no surveillance. Though she had found fingerprints on the safe, Xie Jing could easily claim she’d touched it out of curiosity or by accident. There was no gold, jewelry, or missing valuables inside, even if she called the police, they wouldn’t take the case.

Shen Jin pressed her lips together. Even if this woman really was Xie Jing, what grudge did she hold against the Shen family or against her that would drive her to such extremes?

Xie Jing knew Shen Jin didn’t believe her, but she had already obtained the most crucial clue. If she refused to talk, Shen Jin had no leverage. She couldn’t keep Xie Jing tied to her bed forever. Untying the makeshift restraint, Shen Jin released her only for Xie Jing to shove her onto the bed and straddle her instead. Under the light, Xie Jing looked like a delicate jade statue, still acting her part.

“Aunt Shen, if you don’t like me, just say so. I won’t bother you anymore.”

Xie Jing’s voice trembled with fake tears. “I just really liked you, that’s all. I wanted to say goodbye. If you don’t want me, I’ll leave right now!”

She tried to bolt, but Shen Jin caught her wrist and pulled her back into her arms.

Shen Jin closed her eyes, feeling utterly wretched.

She knew Xie Jing was lying, yet the truth laid bare left her heart in turmoil.

“Stay tonight,” Shen Jin said.

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