Chapter 44: Regret

“Aunt Qiao.” Mu Ling threw herself in Qiao Jingjia’s arms like a drowning person catching a piece of driftwood.

Mu Rongxuan said a word of thanks, but his expression was somewhat disapproving.

He felt that this matter was just children being naughty. He could solve it even without Qiao Jingjia’s help. However, it was more appropriate and convenient if Qiao Jingjia stepped in.

Mu Rongxuan thought in his heart, ‘Su Zi passed away, and now Qiao Jingjia is so eager to curry favor with the Mu family because she wants to be a legitimate wife.’

…

After appeasing Mu Ling, Qiao Jingjia followed Mu Zening upstairs to his room.

The room still looked the same.

Su Zi’s photo was on the dressing table. Her smile was faint but her eyes were confident and firm.

Qiao Jingjia took in the picture silently.

Mu Zening opened the drawer and passed her several USB drives. “It’s all here.”

“Thank you.” Qiao Jingjia returned to her senses and quickly took the items.

She took out her laptop from her bag and connected the USB drive. She frowned as she checked the contents.

Mu Zening asked her, “What have you been looking for these few days?”

“Oh, just some information for work…” Qiao Jingjia did not find anything useful. She returned the USB drive to Mu Zening, slightly disappointed.

“There’s nothing in the USB drive?” Mu Zening put the item back. “She usually uses her laptop and transmits data by mail, so the USB drive is rarely used.”

“There were some problems with the laptop.” Qiao Jingjia thought for a moment before asking him, “Zening, who else has touched Sister Su’s laptop besides you?”

Mu Zening frowned. “No one has. Why do you ask? Is there anything important in the laptop?”

“No…” Qiao Jingjia forced a smile and replied casually, “Some colleagues in the archives department want to do some filing, so I was worried that there’ll be omissions.”

Mu Zening did not ask anything more.

Qiao Jingjia packed up some old document folders that Su Zi had used and prepared to return to the prosecutor’s office.

As Mu Zening was sending her off, they happened to bump into Mu Rongcheng, Mu Zi, and Bai Wei, who just came back.

Witnessing her own husband together with another woman made Mu Zi’s eyes sting. She immediately looked down.

However, a certain someone did not let her.

Mu Rongcheng leaned over to her ear and said, “Sister-in-law passed away only a few days ago, but third brother already has a close female friend accompanying him. If third sister-in-law knew, do you think she would jump up from under the ground in anger?”

Mu Zi glared at him. “Third sister-in-law drowned to death. Even if she jumps, it would be from the water.”

She recalled how her body had bloated and rotted in the river and felt unreconciled. She deliberately raised her voice, “It’s been so long but third sister-in-law still hasn’t been found. She doesn’t even have a grave. Third sister-in-law is really pitiful!”

Mu Zening’s face immediately went pale.

Beside him, Qiao Jingjia’s expression did not look very good either.

“It’s not that she hasn’t been found, but that no one has any time to find her. Third brother has his hands full trying to save the Mu Group. He’s a very busy man.” Mu Rongcheng continued. His voice seemed to carry a mocking tone and his smile grew sinister.

He was very satisfied with Mu Zi’s reaction.

When Mu Zi saw Mu Zening, she did not look heartbroken or grieving. Instead, her eyes were full of dislike, which made Mu Rongcheng very happy.

Bai Wei frowned, feeling that her children were being very disrespectful to the deceased for speaking like that.

She muttered under her breath, “Bodhisattva, please watch over us.” Then, she urged Mu Rongcheng and Mu Zi. “Let’s go back.”

After the three had left, Qiao Jingjia took Mu Zening’s hand and appeased, “Zening, don’t blame yourself. The waters of Green River flow fast and there are many undercurrents under the water. It’s hard to pinpoint where the body was washed away. You’ve already tried your best. Sister Su is in heaven now. She won’t blame you.”

Mu Zening stood stiffly and murmured absent-mindedly, “Would she really not blame me? …I vowed to take good care of her when we got married, but now, I can’t even bury her. Jingjia, I… I really regret it…”