Chapter 5: "I Don't Trust You"

As night fell, Lin Qingya stayed upstairs, and Qin Hai, after repairing the main gate with the help of the property staff, returned to his room. He carefully examined the pendant hanging from his chest in the mirror.

The pendant was white, elongated, slightly smaller than a fingertip, resembling jade but lighter, more like a piece of bone. The bone appeared aged, with a rich and solid patina.

While others might be uncertain about whether the pendant was made of jade or bone, Qin Hai was absolutely sure. It was bone, human bone, similar to the pendant he had before his rebirth.

The original bone was found in an IN organization secret base. IN organization had deployed skilled individuals to protect it, and Qin Hai had suffered injuries during the retrieval. However, subsequent analysis revealed nothing exceptional about the bone, except that it was indeed human.

Now, what surprised Qin Hai was that after his rebirth, he encountered a similar white bone pendant. According to the memories of this body, the bone had been left to him by his parents and had been hanging around his neck since he could remember.

"Could it be that this bone helped me with my rebirth?"

Studying the bone, Qin Hai couldn't help but recall the moment just before his rebirth. He vaguely remembered a flash of white light emanating from his chest, precisely where the pendant was. This led him to speculate that the bone played a crucial role in his unexpected rebirth.

After a thorough examination, Qin Hai couldn't fathom the mysteries surrounding this bone, similar to his previous attempts.

After a while, he sat cross-legged on the bed, preparing to practice martial arts. Compared to his past self, this body was too weak, and although he didn't plan to return to a life of danger, self-defense skills were essential.

As Qin Hai focused on beginning his practice, a dazzling white light erupted from his chest. Subsequently, a surge of internal energy flowed through his body, revitalizing every corner and transforming the weakened body.

"What is this?" Qin Hai exclaimed, astonished by the sudden and immense burst of true essence.

The entire process was brief, and the white light vanished almost instantly, restoring the bone pendant to its previous appearance. However, Qin Hai keenly sensed that the true essence in his body now mirrored that before his rebirth.

If not for the visible changes in his appearance, Qin Hai would almost believe he hadn't died at all. Alternatively, could the true essence he had painstakingly cultivated have also experienced rebirth with him?

In shock, Qin Hai couldn't contain his excitement, marveling at the unexpected turn of events. He couldn't help but appreciate the series of fortunate occurrences, all seemingly connected to this enigmatic bone.

"It seems this little thing is indeed something special. No wonder people from the IN organization went to great lengths to obtain it."

Excited, Qin Hai once again held up the bone pendant. There was no doubt in his mind that this bone played a role in his rebirth.

At that moment, a ringing tone echoed in the living room. Lin Qingya's phone was ringing, and shortly after, footsteps indicated her descent.

Uninterested in eavesdropping on Lin Qingya's call, Qin Hai resumed his study of the bone pendant. Suddenly, Lin Qingya's voice rang out loudly, "What did you say? Something's lost... Okay, I'm coming, and you call the police immediately... Yes, right away!"

Following this, the sound of a car engine outside suggested Lin Qingya's departure from Lijing Garden.

...

At midnight, Lin Qingya, dragging her exhausted body, returned to the villa. After closing the door, she collapsed onto the sofa in the dark.

Just like always, at home, she no longer needed to maintain any elegance; she relaxed however she pleased.

Lying on the sofa, gazing at the dark ceiling, Lin Qingya's brows remained furrowed.

Not long ago, the tightly secured Yafang Group headquarters surprisingly fell victim to thieves. Not only did they lose a considerable amount of cash, but several confidential business documents stored in the safe also vanished. The internal surveillance system recorded no suspicious clues.

She had just vented her frustration on the security department, berated them, and contacted the police to investigate the theft scene.

After a few hours, fatigue overwhelmed her.

Closing her eyes, Lin Qingya absentmindedly undid a few buttons on her chest, fully relaxing. She wished to sleep until morning.

Snap! The living room light suddenly turned on. Lin Qingya quickly shielded her eyes and, once accustomed to the light, was surprised to find Qin Hai sitting across from her, shamelessly examining her chest.

"Why are you here?" she asked, covering her chest, irritated, while turning her back to Qin Hai to hastily rearrange her clothes.

"As your future husband, shouldn't I wait for my wife to come home?" Qin Hai chuckled.

Lin Qingya hesitated, wondering if he genuinely cared about her safety. However, she quickly dismissed that thought, recalling his past deceptions and feigning innocence.

Organizing her clothes, she turned back, asking sternly, "Then why didn't you turn on the lights?"

"I'm alone; why waste electricity?" Qin Hai yawned, stood up, and waved. "Alright, you're back, and I'm relieved. Rest early; I'm really tired!"

Could it be that he had genuinely been waiting for her until now? Lin Qingya looked at Qin Hai, skeptical. Suddenly, she said, "Wait."

"What's up?" Qin Hai, seeing Lin Qingya's angry expression, quickly added with a smile, "Is there anything else?"

Lin Qingya hummed, pointing at the sofa. "Sit down; I have something to tell you."

Once Qin Hai sat down, Lin Qingya contemplated for a moment before saying, "My father has great trust in you. He always says you're an honest and reliable person, someone worth trusting. I want to know, is he right? Can I trust you?"

Qin Hai immediately praised, "Uncle Lin has a discerning eye; you should learn from him!"

"Is that so?" Lin Qingya, suppressing her anger, continued, "Then tell me, why did you look so honest a few days ago, and today you seem like a different person? Did you pretend to be honest before, deceiving my father? Did you hide something from him?"

With a face of innocence, Qin Hai exclaimed, "Wife, you really disappoint me! How could you ask such questions? Don't you know the reason?"

"Know the reason?" Lin Qingya asked in surprise. "How would I know the reason?"

Qin Hai patted his head sadly, even putting his head in front of Lin Qingya, looking like a pitiful servant. "Look, look, with such a big bump on my head from being hit by you, it's a miracle that I'm still alive. And you say you don't know the reason?"

Qin Hai raised his head, gripping Lin Qingya's delicate hands, kneeling on one knee, and excitedly said, "But I must thank you for this hit. It completely opened my mind. Yes, I suddenly understood. I used to live too pitifully, too constrained, too useless. I can say I didn't deserve you at all. But, my wife,

rest assured, I completely understand now. From now on, I must live as my true self, live brilliantly! Wife, I will never let you down!"

Finishing his speech, Qin Hai placed Lin Qingya's hands on his chest, gazing at her affectionately.

Internally, Qin Hai breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that he was fortunate to have quickly come up with a story. Revealing that he was reborn would not only shock her but might land him in a mental hospital tomorrow.

Lin Qingya, oblivious to Qin Hai's fabricated story, stared at him in shock. Unwittingly, she had witnessed Qin Hai's true feelings!

After a while, Lin Qingya suddenly awakened, hurriedly pulling her hands away from Qin Hai's chest. Her face turned red with embarrassment, stunning Qin Hai.

"Thinking about it, this guy suddenly became so rogue. It's all because of the hit I gave him!"

Lin Qingya was completely speechless, unsure whether she had done something good or bad.

Yet, an uneasy feeling crept into her heart.

After a while, Lin Qingya suddenly realized, hastily withdrawing her hands from Qin Hai's chest. A blush of embarrassment spread across her face, making her look stunningly beautiful, leaving Qin Hai in awe.

"Hmm, this guy suddenly turned into such a scoundrel. It's all because of the hit I gave him!"

Lin Qingya was utterly speechless, uncertain whether she had done something beneficial or harmful.

However, a faint sense of unease lingered in her heart.

After a moment, Lin Qingya abruptly woke up, quickly pulling her hands back from Qin Hai's chest. Her face turned red in embarrassment, looking breathtakingly beautiful and leaving Qin Hai dumbfounded.

"Grabbing the mole?" Watching Lin Qingya's rarely seen shy demeanor, Qin Hai was delighted, took his seat again, lit a cigarette, and frowned, "Although I haven't been in the company for long, from what I observe, many important areas have surveillance cameras. Did they not capture anything about who did it?"

The deceased Qin Hai had been working at Yafang Group for almost a month, so he was quite familiar with the company.

Lin Qingya shook her head. Her delicate eyebrows slightly furrowed, she said, "The surveillance videos are all normal. Now I suspect there might be an insider in the company."

After a brief pause, she looked at Qin Hai and said, "Since you said I can trust you, can you help me with something?"

Qin Hai exhaled a smoke ring, smiling, "Let me help you find the mole?"

Lin Qingya nodded slightly.

"What about the benefits? I won't do anything without benefits," Qin Hai grinned.

Lin Qingya snorted coldly, looking back at the sofa. "Try another one; this won't work!"

Qin Hai rubbed his hands, smiling slyly, "How about you kiss me? If you're not willing to kiss my mouth, you can kiss my face. I don't mind either way."

"Shameless!" Lin Qingya resisted the urge to slap this shameless scoundrel. She asked coldly, "Are you sure you can find the mole?"

Qin Hai leaned back on the sofa, smiling, "For others, it might be challenging, but for me, it's too easy."

Jokingly, as the founder and leader of the world-renowned mercenary organization, Starshine, finding an undercover agent within a company posed no difficulty.

Lin Qingya wanted to ask Qin Hai how he planned to do it, but seeing his deliberately mysterious appearance, she became annoyed. Instead, she said in a half-defiant tone, "Alright, I agree. If you can find the mole, I'll kiss you. If you can't, our engagement is off."

Damn, she actually agreed!

Now it was Qin Hai's turn to be surprised. He had only teased this silly daughter-in-law of his, but he hadn't expected her to agree, and so straightforwardly at that.

It seemed the appearance of the mole had truly angered Lin Qingya!

In Qin Hai's mind, he immediately envisioned Lin Qingya pouting and kissing him obediently. The whole person was getting excited.

"Good, a gentleman's word is his bond. It's settled!" Qin Hai laughed heartily, wanting to shake hands with Lin Qingya as a promise. Unfortunately, she didn't give him a chance to touch her hands again and went upstairs.

"Investigate the mole?" Watching Lin Qingya's graceful figure, Qin Hai, indifferent to Lin Qingya's coldness, grinned even more. "Seems like the days ahead will be quite interesting!