"This address should be the clue Jing Hong left for me." Jing Meng let out a sigh, her eyes downcast as she pondered. "It's a pity I can't see the surveillance footage."
"Who says you can't?" Pei Shiyi casually stuffed the slip of paper into his pocket and pulled Jing Meng toward the security room.
"President Pei?! What brings you here?" The security guard stood up immediately upon seeing Pei Shiyi and scrambled to offer him a seat.
Jing Meng stood there, speechless. How could she have forgotten the sheer influence of the Pei Family?
"I lost something. I'm here to look through the surveillance," Pei Shiyi said, leaning forward with his elbows propped on the console. He flashed the guard a thin smile. "Is that a problem?"
The guard shook his head vigorously. "No problem at all, President Pei! Please, look as much as you like."
Pei Shiyi gave a faint grunt of acknowledgement and sat down in silence, waiting as Jing Meng reviewed the recordings.
The frames played one by one. Figures moved across the screen at varying speeds until a certain image appeared. An incredible thought suddenly seized Jing Meng. She immediately followed the route she had memorized from the footage and ran forward.
When she finally reached the door that had appeared last in the video, she began to knock frantically. As her desperation grew, she started hammering on the door with her bare fists.
"Is anyone inside?" Jing Meng shouted at the top of her lungs, but the room remained as silent as a tomb.
Pei Shiyi hadn't expected Jing Meng to resort to such violence. Seeing her about to strike the door again, he quickly caught her hands to stop her.
"Calm down first," Pei Shiyi said. He reached up, untied his necktie, and wrapped it twice around Jing Meng's bruised hand.
Jing Meng looked at his actions in a daze. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to settle her nerves, and then dialed a locksmith company directly. "Hello, can you come for an emergency unlocking? If so, I'll send you the address now."
A professional voice quickly responded from the other end, "We can."
After sending the address to the number provided, Jing Meng turned to Pei Shiyi. "I'll wait here for the locksmith. Can you go back to that address I sent you before? I'm worried there might be some clues we overlooked."
Pei Shiyi didn't answer, his eyes radiating a silent refusal.
Jing Meng sighed helplessly. "Pei Shiyi, I'm not a child. I can take care of myself. Please!"
Pei Shiyi's lip line tightened. He looked at Jing Meng with an unreadable expression, then turned and left without a word.
Watching his receding back, Jing Meng let out a massive sigh of relief.
She had just realized why the place looked so familiar the owner of this apartment was actually Jenny. Based on Old Madam Pei's behavior, she seemed to be very fond of Jenny. If Pei Shiyi were to run into her here, it would likely cause a major conflict between him and Old Madam Pei.
Pei Shiyi had helped her so much; she couldn't let her own troubles become the reason he argued with his mother.
Once Pei Shiyi was gone, Jing Meng sat by the door and waited patiently. Her dark eyes kept darting toward the elevator, hoping the locksmith would arrive soon so she could see what was inside the room.
When the locksmith finally arrived, Jing Meng urged him forward. "Master, it's right here."
There were regulations for locksmithing, however; it wasn't a matter of simply paying for the service. The man set his tools on the floor and said with a smile, "For safety's sake, Miss, please show me your valid identification, such as your ID card."
Even though the house had nothing to do with her, Jing Meng immediately produced her ID. "Here is my identification. Can we open the door now?"
Just as she finished speaking, the sound of the elevator opening echoed again, followed by a sharp interrogation. "Jing Meng? What are you doing here?"
Looking toward the sound, she saw Jenny walking over with an arrogant swagger. Jing Meng's heart skipped a beat, but she forced herself to remain composed. "Master, don't mind her. Open the door first."
Jing Meng intended to bypass Jenny and get the door open. The locksmith skillfully pulled out a set of tools, but just as he was about to start, Jenny rushed forward and grabbed his hand. "Are you opening the lock to my home without my permission?"
One person wanted it open, the other didn't, and there clearly seemed to be a grudge between them. The locksmith shrewdly retracted his tools and spoke in a professional tone. "You two, if you haven't reached an agreement, I'll be heading back. But before I go, I must advise you it's best not to break into a home that isn't yours, or you'll be facing prison time."
Having given his warning, the locksmith picked up his tools and turned to leave, clearly unwilling to wade into these murky waters.
Seeing her hope of finding the person ruined by Jenny's sudden appearance, a sense of indignation flared within Jing Meng. She could no longer back down. "Jenny, if this is your house, open the door this instant. Otherwise, don't blame me for being ruthless."
Jenny's eyes flickered toward the locked door behind her, and she let out a disdainful laugh. "It's my house; I'll open it when I want to. When I don't, I'd like to see who dares to pick the lock and break into a private residence. After all, the police in our country aren't pushovers."
It was a blatant threat, but because there was truth in her words, Jing Meng was ultimately unwilling to clash with her head-on. "Rest assured, this is a society ruled by law. No one is constantly looking to break it."
"That would be for the best. Why haven't you left yet? What are you still hovering here for?" Jenny laughed mockingly, her eyes full of contempt.
Jing Meng had met many overbearing people, but Jenny was the one she despised most. Even if she had to leave, she couldn't let it be that easy. She gave Jing Meng a provocative smile.
"Don't think you can just fly up the branch and become a Phoenix. The Pei Family will never want a daughter in law like you."
Jing Meng clenched her fists and gave a cold laugh. "Miss Jenny, you certainly talk about the Pei Family a lot. It seems your relationship with them is quite good?"
"As long as you know. After all..." While Jenny was distracted, Jing Meng raised her hand and, imitating the way Jing Hong did it, delivered a heavy hand chop to the side of her neck. The force was substantial; she watched as the other woman's eyes fluttered shut and she collapsed to the ground in an unconscious heap.
It was Jing Meng's first time hitting someone like that, and she had used a great deal of strength. She shook her aching hand, caught Jenny's falling body, and took the opportunity to fish the keys out of Jenny's bag and open the door.
Tossing the unconscious woman onto the sofa, Jing Meng let out a cold laugh. If Jenny hadn't gone out of her way to provoke her today, she wouldn't have resorted to such a tactic.
"Since you insisted on stepping over my bottom line, you have only yourself to blame."
While Jenny was still out, Jing Meng searched every corner of the apartment, inside and out. Still, she found absolutely nothing.
Had she guessed wrong? But knowing Jing Hong's character, he would never leave her a useless clue. If it wasn't here, then the only possibility was...
She hadn't expected a woman like Jenny to be clever enough to find an accomplice at a critical moment.
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