SWNOVELXO Chapter 9: Didn't we agree you wouldn't blow my cover?
Gao Qi returned to the company quickly, needing to handle the matter promptly.
Before leaving, he even stopped by a store and bought a 1/6 scale Iron Man figurine for Shen Mo, the classic MK3 armor version.
Shen Mo gratefully accepted it, his heart warmed.
Big Brother, from now on, I'm your little brother.
Gao Qi had originally planned to buy one for Xia Ying too, but she had refused.
She felt that she hadn't contributed enough to deserve such a gift. After all, from collecting evidence to convincing Gao Qi, it had all been Shen Mo's work.
Of course, the most important reason was that she genuinely wasn't interested in such things.
Shen Mo gently lifted the figurine, feeling satisfied with its weight.
"Let's go, it's time to head back," he said, lifting his leg to leave.
"Wait a second," Xia Ying called out.
Shen Mo looked at her in confusion.
Xia Ying gazed at him, then asked seriously, "Can you tell me how you got those photos?"
This question had been on her mind since last night. She had wanted to ask, but didn't want to disturb him, so she held it in until now.
Because the photos were so clear, with such perfect angles, it looked like someone had been standing right next to Lin Chuan and Xia Ying, taking them.
But that was impossible, right?
Normally, when you're taking candid shots, you'd have to be far away, and the pictures would definitely be blurry.
Shen Mo naturally couldn't tell her. He simply replied with two words:
"It's a secret."
"Come on, tell me~ I won't tell anyone."
Xia Ying pouted, her big eyes staring at him with a pleading look.
And coupled with her beautiful face, it was a lethal combination for any man.
But unfortunately, she met her match.
Shen Mo was a down-to-earth rationalist. "Acting on impulse" wasn't something that would happen to him.
Beauty had no effect on him.
"Don't flirt with me. I already said it's a secret, and I won't tell you." He coldly rejected her.
Xia Ying couldn't help but show a disappointed little expression.
"Hmph, I won't talk to you anymore. I'm leaving."
With that, she turned and walked away.
Beep—
Suddenly, a sharp honk sounded behind them.
Both of them turned around, only to see an electric scooter speeding towards them, just two meters away.
Shen Mo was on the inner side of the sidewalk, so the scooter wouldn't hit him. He didn't need to step aside.
But Xia Ying was different.
She had stepped out a bit, just about to cross the pedestrian crossing, and was directly in front of the scooter!
For the high-speed electric scooter, two meters was barely any distance.
There was no time to brake, and the person couldn't avoid it!
It was going to hit her!
At the critical moment, a strong hand grabbed Xia Ying's wrist, pulling her toward the safety of the sidewalk.
Whoosh—
The electric scooter whizzed by, narrowly missing the edge of the sidewalk.
Bang!
The box containing the figurine fell to the ground.
Xia Ying directly crashed into Shen Mo's arms, her body pressing tightly against his.
Shen Mo froze, like he had been struck by lightning.
He could feel the soft, delicate sensation of her body in his arms, and the pressure from her full chest against him, which was even bigger than apples.
Sorry, I still overestimated myself.
Beauty is truly something else…
They both stood frozen for a second or two, before jumping apart as if they had been shocked by electricity.
"T-thank you..." Xia Ying mumbled, lowering her head, too embarrassed to look at Shen Mo, afraid he would see her red face.
It was the first time in her life she had been so close to the opposite sex.
So, this is what it feels like to be in a man's embrace…
"Ahem, n-no problem," Shen Mo coughed awkwardly, trying to act calm.
"Well... I'll leave now. Bye."
Xia Ying lowered her head and quickly walked away.
Shen Mo stood there, silently watching her graceful figure walking away.
That feeling was nice.
Too bad it was too short. A few more seconds, maybe half a minute, would have been perfect...
Wait, wait!
He suddenly shook his head, brushing away those thoughts, and bent down to pick up the figurine.
Then, he left.
*****
Later that afternoon, Gao Qi swiftly dealt with matters at the company.
When Lin Chuan and Chen Wanyu walked into his office, they were immediately surrounded by several police officers.
At first, they were terrified but still tried to act innocent and refused to admit anything.
But once Gao Qi laid out all the photos, there was no longer any way to hide.
Lin Chuan reluctantly admitted to forging the accounts and even pointed out that Chen Wanyu was his accomplice.
After all, criminals who point out their partners could get a reduced sentence, though it was rare.
Chen Wanyu, desperate, broke down in front of everyone and began to fight with Lin Chuan.
The two, who had been so affectionate just moments ago, were now at each other's throats.
Of course, all of this was just a trivial spectacle.
In the end, the police took them away to the station, where they would face the legal consequences.
They would likely spend at least five years in prison.
*****
That evening, when Jiang Bai Bai returned home from work, she heard from Jiang Yi that Gao Qi had canceled the engagement and even paid off the remaining 50,000 debt.
Father and daughter embraced each other, overwhelmed with joy.
Although they didn't know exactly what had happened, the situation was now better, and that was enough for them.
Knock, knock, knock—
There was a knock at the door.
Jiang Bai Bai wiped away her tears and opened the door to find Shen Mo and Xia Ying standing outside.
"You guys are here? Come in," she said, surprised and happy.
With their arrival, the previously quiet little home was suddenly filled with warmth.
"Congratulations, Bai Bai! You're going back to school!" Xia Ying smiled warmly, "And congratulations, Uncle Jiang, for paying off the debt and being able to live a peaceful life."
Shen Mo sat quietly in the back, not saying anything, just nodding silently.
He enjoyed being in the background.
Before coming here, he and Xia Ying had agreed that if Bai Bai and Jiang Yi asked who had helped them, Xia Ying would take credit for it.
After all, she was the daughter of the CEO, and it made sense for her to have found out about this.
He just had to continue being the ordinary college student.
Low profile—this was the way to survive longer.
After chatting for a while, the father and daughter soon asked if they knew the details of the matter.
Xia Ying then explained the fake account case and the marriage scam. After hearing the whole story, Jiang Bai Bai and her father were left in shock.
"I can't believe Mom would do such a thing..."
Jiang Bai Bai's voice broke as she sobbed. This cruel reality was too much for her to bear.
Jiang Yi, beside her, also reddened his eyes.
Now he understood how ridiculous it was to have believed that Chen Wanyu returning meant she truly wanted to reconcile. He had foolishly thought this marriage could save the family and give his daughter a good life.
It took a long while before the father and daughter finally calmed down.
"Xia Ying, can I ask you something?" Jiang Bai Bai suddenly asked.
"Of course, what is it?" Xia Ying responded.
"I want to ask, do you know who exposed all of Mom's actions?"
The moment she said this, Shen Mo instinctively shrank back.
"This, I know for sure," Xia Ying nodded. Then, she suddenly turned toward Shen Mo, sitting at the back, and said:
"These were all Shen Mo's doing—from gathering evidence to negotiating the annulment of the engagement, it was all thanks to him."
Instantly, everyone turned their gaze to Shen Mo.
Shen Mo: "..."
He stared at Xia Ying in shock.
Wait... Did you just…
Didn't we agree you wouldn't blow my cover?