ebookslot Chapter 108 Nuonuo Informs: Dad's Study Has a Mask Hidden!
Chapter 108 Nuonuo Informs: Dad's Study Has a Mask Hidden!
"Dad! Look! Isn't this your mask?"
Nuonuo's clear, sweet voice echoed in the empty corridor, shattering the tranquility of the air and also shaking Lin Zhou's skull.
He stiffly lowered his head, his gaze fixed on the dark object in his daughter's hand.
It was a pure black half-face mask with a matte finish and a cold, aloof design.
The most crucial thing was that a very conspicuous pink hair tie was tied to the mask strap. It was a spare hair tie that Su Qingge had grabbed from the dressing table when he was in such a hurry to leave in the morning that the mask strap had come loose.
At this moment, the pink hair tie was like a noose around his neck, tightening little by little.
"Gulp."
Lin Zhou swallowed hard, feeling as if all the blood in his body had turned cold.
He made a final struggle, forcing a smile that was more like a grimace, and reached out to snatch the "evidence":
"My dear daughter, don't take things randomly. This...this is what that uncle dropped. It's dirty. Give it to Daddy quickly..."
“That’s not the case!”
Nuonuo nimbly dodged backward, hugged the mask to her chest, and innocently began her "troublemaking mode":
"This is Dad's! I've seen the exact same one in Dad's study!"
boom--!
This finishing blow was precise and ruthless, striking a vital point directly.
Lin Zhou was completely petrified, remaining in a bent-over, outstretched position, like a dried-up sculpture.
study?
The long-buried memories attacked him instantly.
He remembered!
Six months ago, he did buy a few masks online to attend Nuonuo Kindergarten's Halloween party, including a black mask of this style! He didn't use it and just tossed it to the top shelf of his bookshelf to collect dust.
Although those were mass-produced props and were somewhat different from the professionally customized ones we have now, in the eyes of a four-year-old, they were practically twins!
"study?"
Su Qingge, who had been silent all along, finally spoke.
Her voice was very soft, as soft as a breeze, yet it sent a chill down Lin Zhou's spine.
Su Qingge slowly walked forward, squatted down in front of Nuonuo, her gaze level with Nuonuo's, her eyes gentle yet strangely tender:
"Nuonuo, tell Mommy, did you really see this in Daddy's study?"
"Uh-huh!"
Nuonuo nodded vigorously, and to make it more convincing, she even held up her little finger to indicate the name:
"It's right on top of that tallest cabinet! I saw it last time Dad carried me to get my books! It's black, cool, and exactly the same as this!"
Su Qingge smiled.
That smile was like a hundred flowers blooming, yet it also carried a chilling murderous aura.
She stretched out her long, slender, fair fingers and gently hooked the pink hair tie on the mask.
"If I remember correctly..."
She raised her head, her gaze piercing as she looked directly at Lin Zhou's pale face, her tone slow and deliberate:
"I just bought this hair tie last week, and it seems to have disappeared before I left home this morning."
"Lin Zhou, can you explain to me why my hair tie is tied to the 'Lanling King' mask?"
Ironclad evidence.
The perpetrator was caught red-handed.
At this moment, all the clues, like a string of scattered pearls, were completely connected by this pink hair tie.
The familiar humming melody, the similar breathing habits, the line "I have a lovely daughter," plus the mask and hair tie that now appear at the "crime scene."
coincidence?
There are no such coincidences in this world!
Lin Zhou opened his mouth, his brain racing, trying to come up with a reason. For example, "I'm a fan of Lanling King, this is merchandise," or "I found my idol's mask and was so excited I tied a rope around it..."
But looking into Su Qingge's eyes, which seemed to see through everything, all excuses got stuck in his throat.
He knew that in front of this shrewd, almost enchanting woman, any lie would be futile.
Explanation is just a cover-up, and a cover-up is a confirmed diagnosis.
"Um... honey, if I say..."
Lin Zhou wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, chuckled dryly, and said, "This is actually... performance art, do you believe it?"
"Performance art?"
Su Qingge stood up and looked down at him, the smile on her lips instantly vanishing, replaced by a cold indifference.
She didn't get angry, nor did she question him on the spot.
Not a single extra word was uttered.
She simply took the mask from Nuonuo's hand, gripped it tightly, and her knuckles turned white from the force.
"Nuonuo, let's go."
Su Qingge picked up her daughter and turned to leave, her high heels clicking crisply and rapidly on the marble floor of the corridor.
That figure was resolute, cold, and exuded a sense of impending doom.
After taking a few steps, she suddenly stopped, turned her head, and showed Lin Zhou only a cold profile:
"What are you still standing there for?"
"go home."
"Let's have a proper talk."
She emphasized the last four words, each one seeming to be squeezed out from between her teeth.
Lin Zhou's heart skipped a beat.
It’s over.
This time they really messed up.
This isn't a talk at home; it's practically execution at home!
……
On the way back to Cloudtop Manor, the air pressure inside the car was so low it was suffocating.
Lin Zhou was driving the Cullinan, his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly, his palms sweaty. He secretly glanced at the back seat through the rearview mirror.
Su Qingge sat upright, wearing sunglasses that obscured her expression, but the chill emanating from her was enough to freeze the car's air conditioning. She kept toying with the black mask in her hand, her fingertips tracing the edge of the mask back and forth, her movements so slow it was unsettling.
Nuonuo seemed to sense that something was wrong, and obediently huddled in her high chair, hugging her pig plushie, not daring to make a sound.
This was probably the most silent and agonizing journey this luxury car had ever taken.
Forty minutes later.
The car drove into the estate and stopped in front of the villa.
"Aunt Wang!"
Before the car had even come to a complete stop, Su Qingge pushed open the door and got out, calling out in a cold voice.
The nanny, Aunt Wang, who had been waiting for a long time, quickly came out to greet her: "Madam, what's wrong? You look so pale?"
"Take Nuonuo to the children's room."
Su Qingge handed her sleepy daughter to Aunt Wang, her tone leaving no room for argument:
"Give her a bath, tell her a story, and lull her to sleep. No matter what noises are going on downstairs, don't take her out."
"Oh? Okay, okay."
Aunt Wang was completely bewildered, but seeing the hostess's menacing appearance, she didn't dare to ask any more questions and ran upstairs with Nuonuo in her arms.
"Daddy, save me..."
Nuonuo nestled on Aunt Wang's shoulder, casting a weak, pleading look at Lin Zhou.
Lin Zhou gave her a wry smile, as if to say, "Even Dad can't protect himself."
As Aunt Wang's figure disappeared around the corner of the stairs.
In the large living room, only Lin Zhou and Su Qingge remained.
The huge crystal chandelier cast a cold white light, which shone on the smooth, mirror-like floor, reflecting a cool and serene atmosphere.
Su Qingge casually tossed her bag onto the sofa.
"Smack."
She slammed the black Lanling King mask heavily onto the coffee table.
The sound wasn't loud, but it was like a gavel striking a court, making Lin Zhou's heart tremble.
He stood in the entryway, his hands trembling slightly as he changed his shoes. It felt like when he was a child and got a zero on a test, then went home to face his mother with the exam paper.
"Um... honey, would you like some water? I'll get you some..."
Lin Zhou was trying to ease the tension, or rather, buy time, in this clumsy way.
"Need not."
Su Qingge interrupted him.
She turned around, took off her sunglasses, and her phoenix eyes, now completely unobstructed, were as sharp as a newly drawn knife, piercing straight at Lin Zhou.
"Go upstairs."
She raised her hand, her slender fingers pointing to the room at the end of the second-floor corridor.
That was Lin Zhou's study.
It's also the place where Lin Zhou spends the most time at home, besides his bedroom.
"Go to the study."
Su Qingge's voice was calm, so calm it was frightening:
"Go inside and lock the door."
"I have something to ask you."