142: Chapter 142: The Investigation Begins

The room was very quiet, with only the sound of a towel rubbing against hair.

Cao Kun could smell the faint scent of shampoo from her hair, and her own unique aura, which carried a hint of fragility.

Xiao Baihe could feel the warmth of Cao Kun's palm and his gentle movements; the icy crack in her heart seemed to be quietly filled by this sliver of warmth.

Since her daughter's disappearance, she had been living in pain and despair, without a single person to rely on.

The bullying from evil neighbors and the hopelessness of searching for her daughter had brought her to the brink of collapse.

But Cao Kun's appearance was like a ray of light shining into her dark world.

He saved her life, helped her stand up to the evil neighbors, and now he was going to help her avenge her daughter.

This man had become her sole reliance.

"Cao Kun," Xiao Baihe spoke softly, her voice a bit raspy, "Thank you. If it weren't for you, I might be dead already, and I would never have known the truth about Xiaojing."

Cao Kun's movements as he dried her hair paused for a moment. He looked at Xiao Baihe's profile in the mirror and said softly, "No need for thanks. Since I promised to help you, I'll see it through to the end. Xiaojing was a good child; she shouldn't have died in vain."

Xiao Baihe's eyes reddened again. She turned around to look at Cao Kun, her eyes brimming with tears.

"If... if Xiaojing were still alive, she would probably be calling you 'Uncle' by now."

"She was so well-behaved and loved to smile. Every time she saw other children, she would take the initiative to greet them..."

As she spoke, she couldn't help but choke up again.

Cao Kun reached out and gently wiped the tears from her face. As his fingertips touched her warm cheek, their eyes met, and the atmosphere in the air instantly became ambiguous.

Xiao Baihe's heart rate suddenly quickened. She could feel the warmth of Cao Kun's palm and the heartache and tenderness in his eyes.

Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she instinctively wanted to pull away, yet she was reluctant to let go of this bit of warmth.

Cao Kun also noticed the change in the atmosphere, and his own heart rate accelerated slightly.

Xiao Baihe was very beautiful. Although she had endured so much pain and looked somewhat haggard, it still couldn't hide her beauty.

Her eyes were large, and now, filled with tears, she looked exceptionally pitiful, making one instinctively want to protect her.

The two of them gazed at each other, the distance between them closing.

Cao Kun could smell the faint fragrance on her, and Xiao Baihe could feel his warm breath.

Just then, Xiao Baihe's stomach suddenly gave a "gurgle," breaking the ambiguous atmosphere in the room.

Xiao Baihe's face instantly turned bright red. She lowered her head in embarrassment: "I... I'm hungry."

Cao Kun snapped back to his senses and couldn't help but smile, the earlier tension vanishing: "It's good that you're hungry. I'll go buy you something to eat. What do you want?"

"Anything is fine, just something light," Xiao Baihe whispered.

"Alright, wait in the room. I'll be back soon." After saying that, Cao Kun turned and walked out of the room.

Watching Cao Kun's departing back, Xiao Baihe touched her burning cheeks. Her heart was a mess, yet there was also an inexplicable flutter.

She walked to the bedside and sat down. Images of Cao Kun drying her hair and wiping her tears, along with his gentle gaze, kept flashing through her mind.

In all these years, besides her late husband, no man had ever treated her this well.

Before long, Cao Kun returned, carrying several portions of light porridge and side dishes.

"Eat up. They're all the light flavors you like."

Xiao Baihe nodded, picked up a spoon, and took small sips of the porridge.

Perhaps she really was hungry, or perhaps Cao Kun's company gave her a bit of an appetite, but she actually finished half a bowl of porridge and ate some of the side dishes.

After eating, they both finished washing up and prepared for bed.

There was only one large bed in the room, and Xiao Baihe felt a bit awkward: "Maybe... I should sleep on the sofa."

"No need," Cao Kun said quickly. "The bed is large; we can each just sleep on one side."

Xiao Baihe hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded.

She lay on one side of the bed with her back to Cao Kun, feeling nervous.

Cao Kun lay on the other side and didn't say anything either.

The room was very quiet; only the sound of their light breathing could be heard.

Xiao Baihe kept her eyes open, not feeling sleepy at all.

She could feel Cao Kun's presence beside her and felt an inexplicable sense of peace.

For the first time in so many days, she didn't have a nightmare and wasn't swallowed by despair.

She quietly turned around and looked at Cao Kun's back, her heart filled with gratitude.

The night passed in silence. Both occupied with their own thoughts, they spent their first night in Nanhe County.

Early the next morning.

Cao Kun and Xiao Baihe began their investigation.

They first went to the place where Xiaojing had disappeared.

A small Park in the western suburbs of the county seat.

That was Xiaojing's favorite place to play and also where she was last seen.

The Park was very quiet, with a few elderly people doing morning exercises.

Xiao Baihe walked to the slide where Xiaojing often played. Looking at the empty slide, tears began to flow again.

"Xiaojing disappeared right here. I went to the Supermarket nearby to buy water. It only took a few minutes, but when I came back, she was gone..."

Cao Kun patted her back and comforted her: "Don't be sad. We will definitely find evidence and make Chairman Zhao pay the price."

Afterward, the two of them began to ask around the county about Chairman Zhao's situation.

They went to the Charity Primary School Chairman Zhao founded, the sales office of Hengtong Real Estate, and the Charity Foundation that Chairman Zhao frequently visited.

Everywhere they went, they heard nothing but praise for Chairman Zhao.

A teacher at the Charity Primary School said: "Director Zhao comes to the school every month to visit the children. He buys them stationery and clothes, and even gives us teachers bonuses. He really is a great man."

An employee of Hengtong Real Estate said: "Director Zhao is exceptionally good to us employees. The pay is high, the benefits are great, and he never withholds our wages. He also frequently organizes charity work for us. Following Director Zhao makes us feel very proud."

A staff member at the Charity Foundation said: "Director Zhao donates a lot of money every year to help impoverished families and children who have dropped out of school. The development of our Nanhe County today wouldn't be possible without Director Zhao's contributions."

With every bit of praise she heard, the doubt in Xiao Baihe's heart grew.

Looking at the sincere expressions of those people and hearing their heartfelt praise, she began to feel more and more that Cao Kun might have really made a mistake.

How could such a good person be the demon who murdered her daughter?

Back at the hotel, Xiao Baihe finally couldn't help but ask Cao Kun.

"Cao Kun, everyone says Chairman Zhao is a good person. Is it possible you really made a mistake? Could Xiaojing have actually been human-trafficked and still be alive?"

There was a hint of hope in her tone. She would rather believe her daughter had been trafficked than believe her daughter had been murdered by a "good person" like Chairman Zhao.

Cao Kun looked at her, his tone firm: "Lily, I haven't made a mistake. Chairman Zhao's goodness is all a facade."

"Right now, we've only heard superficial evaluations. We haven't yet conducted a deep investigation into his private life."

"He definitely has a side that no one knows about. Let's be a little more patient; we will definitely find evidence."

Xiao Baihe fell silent. She didn't know who to believe.

On one side was everyone's praise, and on the other were Cao Kun's words. Her heart was full of conflict.

...