"Someone has been here."
Though Xiao Chen spoke quietly, his words instantly changed the Su sisters' expressions.
"A thief?" Su Xiaomeng guessed, but the untouched living room didn't fit. If burglars had broken in, the place would be a mess.
Once sure there was no immediate danger, Xiao Chen stepped inside, scanning the room carefully.
"Don't overthink, Xiao Chen. Nothing's been touched," Su Xiaomeng said impatiently, flopping onto the sofa.
Ignoring her, he moved about the room, pausing here and there, clearly searching for something.
"Hey, I'm talking to you!" Xiaomeng snapped, her irritation rising.
"Xiaomeng, stop making noise," Su Qing said, frowning. She had a feeling Xiao Chen wasn't acting without reason.
"If it really was a thief, they'd have turned the place upside down," Xiaomeng argued.
"Who said stealing was their goal?" Xiao Chen replied evenly.
"What then? Dropping off gifts?" she mocked.
Xiao Chen smiled faintly, then opened his palm. Resting there was something tiny, barely the size of a fingernail.
"You're right—they weren't here to steal. They came to leave something."
The sisters leaned closer.
"What is it?"
"A bug."
Su Qing's face darkened. To her, eavesdropping was far worse than a break-in.
"This model covers a range of about thirty meters," Xiao Chen explained. "Enough to pick up everything in this living room."
Suspicious, Xiaomeng narrowed her eyes. "This isn't one of your own tricks, is it? Just a way to make yourself look important?"
Caught off guard, Xiao Chen almost laughed. "Why would I bother?"
"Then how do you explain it suddenly showing up?"
"How should I know?" He turned toward Su Qing. "Could this be your business rivals, or—"
"Maybe," Su Qing cut him off quickly, giving him a meaningful look.
Puzzled, Xiao Chen let it drop.
"Business rivals plant bugs now? That's disgusting," Xiaomeng muttered.
"The business world is a battlefield. People use all sorts of tactics," Su Qing sighed. "Xiao Chen, is that the only one?"
"I've only found this one in the living room. I need to check upstairs."
Her face tightened. "Then please, check."
"And if it's not just bugs but cameras…" Xiaomeng shuddered.
Prodded by both sisters, Xiao Chen searched upstairs and discovered another bug—this time in Su Qing's bedroom. Clearly, the intruders had targeted her.
"Shouldn't we call the police?" Xiaomeng asked, staring at the devices on the table.
Su Qing shook her head. "It won't help. And it might make things worse."
"Then what? If they could plant them once, they can do it again."
Her worry deepened. A sudden thought struck her, draining the color from her face.
Xiao Chen noticed. Thinking she was simply anxious, he offered a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. I have a solution."
From his room, he brought out HER, explaining, "This device blocks all eavesdropping and hidden recording. As long as it's on, you're safe."
Su Qing relaxed at last, while Xiaomeng glared at Xiao Chen, remembering last night's "technical failure" with the camera. He felt her stare and inwardly groaned.
"Keep HER running in a hidden spot," Su Qing instructed. "We'll deal with the bugs later. It's late—let's all rest."
Grabbing the devices, Xiao Chen hurried to his room before Xiaomeng could explode.
That night, however, he didn't sleep well. Dreams of Su Yunfei's bloody figure—and the tragedy from half a month ago—haunted him.
At dawn, he rose, still heavy-hearted, and wandered to the living room where breakfast had already been set. He couldn't help but smile. Whoever said a female president had to be cold? Su Qing was clearly both strong and gentle.
When she emerged from the kitchen, Xiao Chen immediately noticed her pale face. "Didn't sleep well?"
"Not much, thinking about the bugs."
"Relax," he said. "With me here, nothing will happen to you or your sister."
His words stirred her heart—apart from her late brother, no man had ever spoken to her like that.
Downstairs, Xiaomeng sulked through breakfast, still glaring at Xiao Chen but holding her tongue for her sister's sake.
Later, after dropping Xiaomeng at school, Xiao Chen accompanied Su Qing to the company. He intended to head straight to security, but joined her in the office first.
The moment he entered, he frowned.
"What is it?" Su Qing asked.
"This place is bugged too." He quickly located a device identical to the ones at the villa.
Su Qing's expression hardened. "In my office?"
"Check the surveillance footage," Xiao Chen suggested.
They hurried to the monitoring room, combed through the recordings, but found no intruders. Whoever planted the bugs had covered their tracks.
"What now?" Su Qing asked, her voice betraying unease.
"First, I'll question the night guards," Xiao Chen said firmly.
Su Qing thought for a moment. "The head of security position is still vacant. Why don't you take it? It would make things much easier."
Xiao Chen blinked, caught off guard. Him—the security chief?