Xu Tingyu also took out her phone and carefully checked it. She found that the content had indeed been completely deleted.
"Maybe this is the answer we're looking for," she said, looking up at Chen Yan with a glimmer of excitement in her eyes.
Chen Yan also caught on.
Right, besides those with vested interests, who else would delete this content? And it must have cost a fortune.
On their way back to Xu Tingyu's place, they started contacting people separately to conduct investigations.
Before they even got home, Xu Tingyu's phone rang. It was an unfamiliar number.
Without hesitation, Xu Tingyu answered it.
"Miss Xu Tingyu, please, save me," a panicked male voice came from the other end of the phone. His voice was distorted due to extreme panic.
Xu Tingyu couldn't recognize who it was at all. Frowning, she asked, "Who are you? What's going on?"
"I'm Cai Lan... Ah, I'll tell you the real cause of Xie Shu's death now. Give me five million, no, two million will do. I need to make the deal right away," the voice on the other end sounded out of breath, as if he was running.
Xu Tingyu frowned but didn't hesitate. "Okay. Where are you now? I'll send someone to find you, or you can just tell me on the phone."
The other person was so panicked. The content he was about to reveal was most likely true. In other words, this was not just a deal but also a cry for help.
Most importantly, the words "real cause of death" made Xu Tingyu's temples throb.
Cai Lan refused to talk on the phone and gave an address.
"Someone is chasing me now. Be careful when you come to find me. Don't let anyone know, especially the Qi family," he said and hung up the phone before Xu Tingyu could say anything.
Xu Tingyu stared at the black screen of her phone for a while.
Chen Yan beside her couldn't help asking, "What happened? Who called you?"
"It was Cai Lan. He said someone was chasing him. He wants me to give him two million, and he'll tell me the truth about Xie Shu's death. I'm sending someone to meet him now," she explained to Chen Yan while sending a message on her phone.
Chen Yan thought this matter wasn't that simple. "Why did he come to you only after the news about Xie Shu came out? You gave him a chance before, but he didn't take it. Is he trying to deceive you with a fluke now that his cards are exposed?"
Hearing this, Xu Tingyu's hand paused while typing, and then she continued to send the message.
It was indeed possible. Cai Lan was a gambler, and his words weren't very trustworthy. After all, gamblers could make up any story for money. He had lost everything due to gambling and was in a miserable state. It was possible that he wanted to squeeze one last sum of money from Xu Tingyu after seeing the news about Xie Shu.
"However, even if there's the slightest possibility, I have to go back. He told me to be careful of the Qi family. I want to know why." Xu Tingyu was confused about the role the Qi family played in this matter. But since she had already invested so much in this matter, what did one more trip to Jingdu matter?
Chen Yan knew she had made up her mind, so he didn't try to persuade her. Instead, he replied, "I'll go back with you."
If the Qi family was involved, it was indeed "reasonable" that they could make the hot search disappear silently. But if it was related to the Qi family, Xu Tingyu shouldn't face it alone, as she might also be in danger.
Xu Tingyu immediately asked Shu Shu to book tickets for her and Chen Yan. At the same time, she contacted a private detective she had been working with and asked him to go to Cai Lan's address first. The detective readily agreed after receiving the deposit.
Shu Shu was very surprised to hear that she was flying back to Jingdu again. She executed the task immediately and then asked what was going on.
"I'm booking tickets now. What happened? Do you need me to do anything else?"
Xu Tingyu didn't want too many people to know. It wasn't that she didn't trust them, but this matter was of great importance. The more people involved, the more likely the news would leak.
"It's nothing. I have something to take care of. You and A Xing keep an eye on the progress of the next performance. Contact me immediately if there are any problems," she replied. Then she and Chen Yan took a car back to the airport. They didn't even have time to enter the house.
Fortunately, they caught the last flight to Jingdu. Before boarding the plane, Xu Tingyu received a message from the private detective saying that he was on his way to the address Cai Lan provided.
Xu Tingyu didn't say much. She asked Shu Shu to transfer two million to the detective first. But at the same time, she told him not to give the money to Cai Lan unless it was absolutely necessary. She just wanted the detective to try to keep Cai Lan there because she had some questions to ask him in person. The detective agreed.
After arranging everything, Xu Tingyu closed her eyes in her seat. She had been on the plane for most of these days, eating and sleeping poorly. There were faint dark circles under her eyes, but her expression wasn't too tired.
Chen Yan asked for a blanket and covered her with it himself. "Get some sleep first. You need to conserve your energy when we get to Jingdu."
Just as Xu Tingyu was about to speak, she heard someone behind her ask, "Excuse me, are you Miss Xu Tingyu?"
They both turned around and saw a girl in her early twenties. She had a delicate makeup and trendy clothes. Her eyes sparkled when she looked at Xu Tingyu.
Xu Tingyu nodded. "Yes. May I ask who you are?" She was a bit on edge now, always feeling that someone was about to reveal something to her.
However, this girl was just an ordinary fan.
"Hello, Miss Xu. You're my idol. I'm also a dance student, and I really like your dances. Can I take a photo with you?" the girl took out her phone.
Although Xu Tingyu wasn't in the mood, the girl was polite and full of admiration. Moreover, she accurately mentioned the locations of several of Xu Tingyu's performances, so it was obvious that she was a real fan. So Xu Tingyu smiled and said, "Sure."
Actually, she could have emphasized that her trip was private and asked the girl not to post the photos on social media. But then she thought it might be too deliberate and arouse the girl's suspicion. After all, she wasn't a public figure, and even if the photos were posted, they wouldn't attract much attention. So she just cooperated and took a few photos, then lay down again to pretend to sleep.
During this time, Chen Yan kept looking at her with gentle eyes. Although it might not be the right time to think this way, he still thought that Xu Tingyu should be this dazzling and be pursued by people. With her strength, she should have lived such a life. But before, she had been delayed for too long. Even now, the influence of the Qi family was still continuing, making her life a mess. If Xie Shu's death was really related to the Qi family, he didn't dare to imagine how deep the内幕 was. After all, the Qi family had gone to so much trouble, and it could only be to cover up a more terrifying truth. So what could it be?