Chapter 10

One cannot play with it, two cannot look at it, and three also cannot display it.

The group could only walk around the house.

Shu Shu had lavishly renovated the house at great expense; even though more than ten years have passed, its décor remains sturdy, understated yet not lacking in luxury.

Chu Lian wanted to draw everyone's attention away from the password cabinet, so she proactively led them to the balcony to view the distant river scenery.

Shu Shu then walked into her own bedroom.

The bedroom remained just as it always had been.

Except that her belongings were all gone, and traces of Chu Lian's life were everywhere.

Shu Shu suddenly recalled something, went to the wardrobe, pushed aside a curtain on one of the cabinets, placed her hand on a spot and pushed.

A hidden compartment slid out.

It revealed the fingerprint lock inside.

Shu Shu placed her fingertip on the glowing sensor.

Only a soft 'di' was heard.

Behind the wardrobe, a door panel slid to the side.

Shu Shu had specially designed an inner room inside the wardrobe.

It was used to store valuables.

When the door opened, the surrounding lights and the light inside the central high-quality gold glass cabinet all switched on.

It illuminated the watches, bracelets, necklaces, earrings inside the cabinet, and the branded bags on the three walls, making them shine brilliantly.

Shu Shu excitedly stepped forward.

My treasures.

"Thirteen years without seeing you, I must have missed you, right? Wah wah wah."

Shu Shu picked up one of the bags and lovingly hugged it to her chest.

This is a latest limited-edition bag she bought just before the incident, and she hasn't even used it twice yet.

But now it's already outdated, not fashionable!

Shu Shu reluctantly put down the bag and went to the central jewelry cabinet.

How does that saying go again?

"Diamonds are forever, a diamond lasts forever."

Fortunately, there is still a cabinet of diamonds and jewelry that can somewhat comfort her.

A layer of not-insubstantial dust lay on the glass cabinet.

Indicating that it hasn't been opened for a long time.

Shu Shu raised her eyebrows.

She also just discovered that the hidden door likewise bears traces of not having been moved for a long time.

Perhaps, since her, no one has entered here.

That's also right.

The hidden door is designed so secretly that it's hard to discover, and even if discovered, without fingerprint unlocking, no one can get in.

So, Shu Lingchen that little simpleton also never told the Chu family mother and daughter about the house having a hidden room?

Shu Shu gazed at the bags and jewelry.

Her heart was shouting.

"Don't rush, treasures don't rush, there's also the Moutai wall outside, don't rush."

"I will immediately bring you home!"

Subsequently Shu Shu exited the inner room, closed the door, and then left the bedroom.

"How is it, poor sour ghost, how's the tour? Has it broadened your horizons?"

As soon as Shu Shu came out, a piercing female voice came.

Zhang Lu crossed her arms, looked at Shu Shu with a face full of sarcasm, and said in a haughty tone:

"Cherish this opportunity well; after this village there will be no such shop; afterwards, even if you want to see, you won't be able to."

Shu Shu nodded.

She felt that what she said was not wrong at all.

This is indeed the last time she can properly and completely view this house.

But at the same time, it's also the last time for everyone in this house.

Just at the moment Zhang Lu's words fell, the next second.

"Ding-dong—"

The doorbell was pressed.

Chu Lian instinctively moved to open the door, but thinking there were still "servants" at home, she cleared her throat, sat upright on the sofa, and shouted to the kitchen: "Wu Ma, go open the door."

"Don't you see I'm busy? You have no hands, you won't go open it?"

With seven or eight people coming, making tea and cutting fruit is no small task.

Chu Lian's mother raised her head with an impatient look, only realizing when she saw everyone's doubtful and surprised gazes that her current identity was that of the servant Wu Ma.

Her face stiffened for two seconds; Chu Lian's mother embarrassedly offered an apologetic smile: "Sorry, Eldest Young Lady, I'll go open it now."

Saying that, she walked toward the entrance.

When the door opened.

Outside stood two people in work uniforms with suits, wearing nameplates on their chests.

"Hello, we are staff from the Yujingyuan Property Management Office."

Female staff member smiled and said: "The property fee for unit 1701 has been overdue for over a month; today is the deadline. We came to ask you to pay the property fee."

"What, what property fee?"

Madam, it's like this: your dedicated card for paying property fee has insufficient balance, causing last month's property fee payment to fail.

Chumu was bewildered.

She had lived in unit 1701 for several years, never paid any fees, and had long forgotten about the property fee.

When she heard the staff member mention the recharge card, her eyes flickered; she immediately ran back inside, pulled Chu Lian to one side, and lowered her voice:

"Quickly contact Xiao Chen, ask what's going on, the card for paying property fee has no money, tell him to hurry up and top it up, the property people have come to the door!"

Chu Lian was startled.

Like Chumu, she had always assumed that Shu Lingchen was paying all the fees for unit 1701.

Just as she was about to take out her phone to message Shu Lingchen, she discovered her phone was missing.

"Has anyone seen my phone?"

Chu Lian peered around, searching everywhere.

Everyone thought Chu Lian was looking for her phone to pay the property fee, so they followed along to help, but found nothing: "Not seen."

Zhang Lu took out her phone: "Xiao Lian, I'll call you."

She dialed several times, but heard no ringtone.

Chu Lian recalled that she seemed to have set her phone to silent.

So she hurriedly gave Chumu a look, signaling her to contact Shu Lingchen.

Chumu grabbed her phone and ran to the balcony.

No one noticed that Shu Shu, sitting on the single sofa, had her phone showing an ongoing call.

She had one ear wearing a Bluetooth earpiece.

"Hello? Who is it? Why call and not speak?"

Shu Lingchen's puzzled voice came from the other end.

Shu Shu typed and sent a text message: "I am your mother."

"Mom? You? You finally contacted me, is this your number?! Shu Lingchen was somewhat excited, because these days after school Shu Shu had disappeared without a trace, and no one knew where she went."

Shu Shu: "En."

"Where are you? Should I come find you? Why aren't you speaking, why send a text?"

"I'm not convenient to speak."

"Ah, did something happen to you? I'm coming to find you now!" Shu Lingchen said, immediately worried.

Shu Shu quickly typed: "No need, I just got a new phone card; the salesperson said it needs eight minutes of talk time to be officially activated."

"Oh, okay, just leave it like that and wait until the call time reaches eight minutes, then it's fine?"

Shu Shu's hand paused, then she replied seriously: "The person answering the call needs to speak; you sing a little apple for me to hear."

"???" Shu Lingchen: "Is there such a rule?"

Shu Shu: "Sing or not."

Three characters, even as text, Shu Lingchen felt oppressive pressure through the screen.

So he forced himself to start singing "Little Apple."

After finishing, he asked: "... How was it?"

Shu Shu: "Not bad, sing another."

Hearing this, Shu Lingchen felt somewhat flattered: "Really?"

Then he sang the next song.

Encouraged by his mother, he sang with greater immersion, even picking up the TV remote nearby and using it as a microphone.

Here.

When Shu Shu heard her son's first syllable, she expressionlessly pulled off the earpiece.

Damn kid, singing is deadly.

Chumu hurriedly returned from the balcony with her phone, telling Chu Lian: "Xiao Chen sent a message but got no reply, and the phone has been busy."

Chu Lian: "..."

Now what to do!

The two property staff members who had been waiting outside for a long time couldn't help but peek out and ask: "Owner of unit 1701?"

"..." Chu Lian walked to the entrance, her expression somewhat unnatural, and said in a negotiating tone: "Um, sorry, I can't find my phone; let's pay the property fee tomorrow?"

Delaying until tomorrow would allow Shu Lingchen to pay.

Then the female staff member kept a polite smile on her face but said: "I'm afraid not; the property fee for unit 1701 has been overdue for a long time, and we hope you can cooperate with our work."

She added: "The whole building is missing only unit 1701's property fee payment."