So quite a few people went there to hunt for treasure, especially in recent years with the popularity of tomb-raiding movies, which attracted even more to try their luck.
Lin Yuxiang's grave was actually a bit of a distance from that area, located in a public cemetery on the neighboring hill.
Back then, Shen Cui was stingy and unwilling to buy a good burial plot for Lin Yuxiang, so she casually bought the cheapest public cemetery to get rid of him.
However, this had its advantages.
At least it was far from those grave robbers.
The well-located cemeteries, which emphasized feng shui, happened to sit right on top of that cluster of ancient tombs.
So, wealthy families had specially sent people to guard the graves.
But it was useless. People nowadays are clever; they dug several winding tunnels extending upward.
Shen Qi was now somewhat glad her father's grave wasn't in the luxurious cemetery.
Moreover, the feng shui here was indeed very good, with green mountains surrounding and clear waters winding around the hills.
From a feng shui perspective, it seemed like a place that would greatly benefit descendants.
Shen Qi just hoped her father's spirit in heaven would bless her brother to recover soon and return to a normal life.
So, Shen Qi didn't plan to move her father's grave.
The motorcade stopped at the foot of the mountain in the parking lot.
The parking lot manager, seeing this fleet of luxury cars, immediately came out eagerly to greet them.
"Honored guests, are you here for feng shui consultation or to pay respects?" A short, thin, dark-skinned uncle approached, flattering them. "The feng shui here is the best. They say those buried here will bring great fortune to their descendants."
He Yining's phoenix eyes held a smile, and he glanced meaningfully at Shen Qi before saying, "Indeed, there will be great fortune."
Shen Qi didn't look at He Yining but smiled at the uncle and said, "Uncle, we're here to pay respects. My father is buried in the topmost grave on this hill."
After speaking, Shen Qi pointed to the neighboring hill.
The uncle looked at Shen Qi in surprise.
He had assumed Shen Qi's family would be buried on the hill with the best feng shui, not the most inconspicuous one.
But the uncle was good with words and quickly said, "The feng shui in this whole area is good. Everyone's fortune comes at different times. You, miss, have a good face. Even if you suffered early on, you'll enjoy wealth and honor for life."
As the uncle finished speaking, He Yining and Feng Manlun both glanced at him.
They hadn't expected this uncle to have such sharp insight.
Wasn't Shen Qi exactly like that?
She had suffered so much as a child, yet now, how many women in the country could match her?
Shen Qi smiled and said, "Thank you for your kind words."
"Well then, I won't disturb your worship. I offer incense, candles, and paper money, very cheap. Want some?" The uncle eagerly promoted.
Given how well-spoken the uncle was, they decisively bought some!
The family carried incense, candles, and paper money, with Shen Qi holding a bouquet of flowers, and the group marched up the hill in a grand procession.
The hill wasn't tall, just a hundred meters or so.
The repaired steps were swept fairly clean.
They quickly reached the top.
The bare tombstone at the very top was already overgrown with weeds.
Shen Wu and the bodyguards automatically went over to pull the weeds and repair the grave mound.
Shen Qi sat in front of the tombstone, placed the flowers before it, and carefully wiped the dust off the stone with a towel.
The photo of Lin Yuxiang on the tombstone was still so vivid, as if he were still alive yesterday.
He Yining saw that Lin Yuxiang had delicate features, like a painting.
No wonder his children, a son and a daughter, were both so exquisite.
Especially Shen Lu, with his stunning looks, was a rare sight in the world.
Shen Qi probably took after her mother, with a hint of heroic spirit in her brows.
Thinking of how Shen Ziyao, upon hearing that her husband had been with someone else just before she gave birth, signed the divorce papers and left without a second thought, it was clear she was a decisive woman.
And a very strong-willed one at that.
He Yining foresaw that meeting his mother-in-law in the future would be a tough hurdle.
Shen Qi finished wiping the tombstone, took the paper money from He Yining, and slowly began to burn it.
She said nothing, just burned it in silence.
The bodyguards had already finished repairing and reinforcing the grave.
The others stepped back, leaving space for Shen Qi and He Yining.
He Yining silently accompanied Shen Qi, one handing things over, the other burning.
Neither spoke.
After the paper money was burned, Shen Qi leaned entirely against the tombstone, her eyes filled with indescribable loneliness and desolation.
The look in Shen Qi's eyes deeply pierced He Yining's heart.
Why did she have such a look?
She had him now, so why was she still lonely and desolate?
Was he not good enough?
Or... did she not care about his kindness at all?
Then who did she care about?
He Yining suddenly remembered that in a file Xiaochun had given him, it mentioned that Shen Qi's first love had died in a fall during a hiking trip...
He Yining's heart suddenly felt uneasy.
Yes, he remembered!
The first time he met Shen Qi, she was so distracted, even ruining two of his shirts.
That day was the day after her first love's accident!
The Zhan Bo she mentioned was her first love...
Recalling how Shen Qi had cried so miserably in the rainstorm and how lost she had been those days, He Yining suddenly realized he was jealous!
That's right, he was jealous!
He was jealous of a dead man!
Was it only Zhan Bo who could make Shen Qi feel a sense of belonging?
"Your father in heaven would want to see you happy and joyful." He Yining couldn't help but speak up.
Shen Qi nodded but didn't reply.
A flicker of displeasure stirred in He Yining's heart.
If those words had come from Zhan Bo, she probably wouldn't have been so dismissive, right?
He Yining, as if possessed, stubbornly believed this.
Shen Qi's mind was now entirely immersed in her childhood.
Her memories were already very blurry.
She could only remember how her father used to lift her onto his shoulders, how he made her a flower swing and told her she was his little princess.
She also remembered the way her father smiled.
When he smiled, he was truly handsome.
No wonder Shen Cui had set her sights on him.
Though time had passed, the photo on the tombstone remained so vivid and lively.
Shen Qi slowly stood up from the ground, ready to leave.
Just then, two people approached from a distance.
They carried hoes and walked up to Shen Qi, glanced at the tombstone, and said in confusion, "Strange, who did this?"
Shen Qi couldn't help asking, "Excuse me, who are you?"
The two replied, "We were hired to repair the grave. Who hired you? Was it also a very beautiful woman?"
A beautiful woman?
Shen Qi's heart suddenly skipped a beat.
A beautiful woman?
This was her father's grave. Who would come to repair it?
Could it be... her mother?
The thought flashed through Shen Qi's mind, and she grabbed the man's arm: "Where is that woman? Where is she!"
The two were startled by Shen Qi's reaction, not understanding why this delicate girl was so agitated. They answered in confusion, "Just now. A very beautiful woman at the foot of the hill left some money and asked us to properly repair the grave."
Before they could finish, Shen Qi rushed down the hill like a madwoman.
She had to go see, she had to ask.
Was that person her mother!
If it was her mother...
Mom... Mom, don't leave me!
Mom!
Shen Qi ran down crying, losing control.
Tears unconsciously spilled from her eyes.
As she sprinted, they flew through the air and fell into the dust.
Shen Qi couldn't even hear the wind, only her own heartbeat.
That urgency, that longing, that fear of being abandoned again.
Shen Qi felt like all the blood in her body was boiling.
Every cell was screaming one word: Mom.
She had never seen her mother since birth.
Even if her father's mistake had implicated her, she had never blamed her.
Mom, please appear.
Mom, please come back.
Mom, please don't leave me.
Mom, I've already lost Dad; I can't lose you too...
Mom, Mom, Mom...
Shen Qi didn't notice a stone slab on the ground and tripped, falling.
She didn't even glance at the scraped spot, got up, and continued running madly.
She had to be fast, absolutely fast!
Maybe her mother was at the foot of the hill!
Maybe this time, she could find her!
It took over ten minutes to climb the hill, but only five to descend.
When she reached the bottom, she saw only an empty space with no one in sight.
Where were they?
Why didn't they wait for her?
It was all her fault for running too slowly!
If she had been a little faster, even a little, she might have met her!
All her fault!
Shen Qi could no longer control her grief, crouched down, hugged her knees, and silently wept.
He Yining sat beside her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder, offering silent comfort.
Shen Qi looked at him through tear-filled eyes, then lowered her gaze and said, "I missed my mom."
"Maybe it wasn't her?" He Yining tried to console her.
Shen Qi shook her head. "Grandma's family is in the northeast, and this is the far southwest, thousands of kilometers apart. No one but Mom would come this far to repair Dad's grave. Shen Cui buried him here back then, partly for convenience and partly to keep Grandma's family from visiting. So that person must be Mom."
Tears streamed down Shen Qi's face. "But I missed her. Next time, there might not be a chance. Mom hasn't gone back to Grandma's house. Meeting her again feels like a distant dream."
Seeing Shen Qi so heartbroken, He Yining's heart ached.
He wanted to help her, but since Shen Ziyao had left home for over twenty years without being found by the Shen family, it meant she had deliberately hidden her identity.
Besides, if he insisted on finding her, offending his mother-in-law wouldn't end well.
He didn't dare take that risk.
He could only respect his mother-in-law's choice.
Feng Manlun had also come down with the others and said to He Yining and Shen Qi, "We need to leave here quickly."
"What's happened?" He Yining looked up at him.