Chapter 108: Retrieving Information

When Lin Feng got home, he saw that his wife’s face was clouded and dark, and he could not help feeling a flicker of panic.

Lately he had been coming home early every night, and he had not been drinking. Thinking of that, he straightened his back and walked over softly.

“Xiao Hui, what’s wrong?”

Mrs. Lin lifted her eyes from her phone and looked at him, her eyes red and swollen.

Lin Feng was startled. He hurried over and put an arm around her shoulders. “Who bullied you? Was it that little brat Lin Ruiyang?”

Lin Ruiyang, who had just come downstairs for water, happened to pass by: ...

Hearing the footsteps, Lin Feng shot to his feet. “Ruiyang, how can you bully your mother? If she asks you something, just answer her. You’re already this old, and you still don’t know how to behave.” As he spoke, he gave Lin Ruiyang a look, signaling him to come over and apologize.

Lin Ruiyang stared at him in utter confusion: ?

Mrs. Lin glanced at the two of them. “It has nothing to do with Ruiyang. Ruiyang, go upstairs and do your homework first.”

“Mm.” Lin Ruiyang looked at his mother. He had already been heading upstairs to do his homework; he did not need anyone to tell him.

After rummaging in the fridge for a drink, he walked over to Mrs. Lin and pulled a crumpled slip of paper from his pocket.

Lin Feng and Mrs. Lin both froze. “What’s this?”

“Somebody’s autograph.” Lin Ruiyang tossed out the words and went straight upstairs.

Mrs. Lin had not yet recovered her senses when Lin Feng smoothed the paper flat. It was a little rabbit drawing, with Shen Qing’s name written in the middle.

“See? Our son is so thoughtful.” Lin Feng sat down beside Mrs. Lin and pressed the autograph into her hand.

Seeing Shen Qing’s signature, Mrs. Lin’s expression grew even heavier.

“W-what is it?” Lin Feng asked cautiously.

Mrs. Lin pouted, her voice thick with tears. “Qingqing is too pitiful. I’m furious!”

That morning, Mrs. Lin had seen the trending topics on Weibo, all of them from people trashing Shen Qing. Gangster, illegitimate daughter, empty-headed fool, worthless burden... every insult was worse than the last.

When Mrs. Lin saw it, she was infuriated beyond measure and immediately took out her phone to argue with the keyboard warriors who were cursing the loudest.

But just as Mrs. Lin typed a few words, more than a dozen replies sprang up on the other side. She failed to defend Shen Qing and was instead torn to shreds.

Thinking of that, tears kept slipping down her cheeks. All day long she had not even dared to call Shen Qing, so worried that she could not eat properly.

If she called and the girl did not even know, then mentioning it would only expose the whole thing. But if she did not call and something happened to Shen Qing... after all, there were already far too many people who had ended their lives because of online abuse.

Lin Feng took her phone and looked at the posts, unable to help frowning.

That child Shen Qing, although she was rather cold and her grades were poor, the bullying at school and the accusation of being an illegitimate daughter...

“How could she possibly be an illegitimate daughter!” Mrs. Lin exploded on the spot. “When Feifei got married, I even gave her a red envelope.”

Mrs. Lin’s heart was full of regret. Back when she graduated from university, she should have stayed close to Shen Fangfei and watched over her properly. Then she would not have gone off and married so muddleheadedly.

Lin Feng gently patted her shoulder and comforted her in a low voice. “Don’t worry. I’ll handle this.”

After he had calmed Mrs. Lin down, Lin Feng went into the study, thought for a moment, took out his phone, and called his secretary.

“Mayor, what can I do for you?”

“Go to the civil affairs bureau archives and ask whether the divorce records for Yu Fei and Shen Fangfei can be retrieved.”

The secretary paused on the other end, thinking of the online rumor that Shen Qing was an illegitimate daughter.

“Understood. I’ll call and ask right away.”

Lin Feng gave a brief acknowledgment and hung up.

About seven or eight minutes later, the secretary’s call came through again.

“Mayor, the information has already been sent to your email. However, there is one more thing.”

“What is it?”

“People from the Public Security Bureau got to the information before we did. That’s all I was able to find out.”

Lin Feng’s gaze darkened. People from the Public Security Bureau?

In his mind, he suddenly recalled how Lan Xinqiao had addressed someone on the phone that day. It seemed to have been Miss Shen. Could it have been Shen Qing?

“Mayor? Are you still there?” The secretary, seeing that Lin Feng had been silent for a long time, spoke up to remind him.

Lin Feng collected himself. “Mm, I know about this now. Hang up.”

“All right. Please get some rest.”

Lin Feng ended the call, opened his email, and found the divorce records. After calculating the years, he saw that when Shen Qing’s parents divorced, she had already been six years old.