Chapter Forty: Suspicion

The night deepened. Su Qing soon fell into a heavy sleep on the tatami mat, her breathing rhythmic and even.

Yu Ling, however, felt no hint of drowsiness. Clad in a soft bathrobe, she stood alone on the terrace. The mountain night air carried a chill, brushing against her slightly damp hair. In the distance lay a range of undulating, black mountain silhouettes, the silence so profound that only the faint chirping of insects and the rustling of wind through leaves could be heard.

Her phone stubbornly continued to display "No Service." She dialed repeatedly, but the receiver offered only a busy tone. This absolute state of isolation caused the anxiety in the pit of her stomach to grow like wild weeds.

Staring at the screen, she acted on an inexplicable impulse and opened her browser. With the signal weak, the page loaded agonizingly slowly. Biting her lower lip, she typed the name that had been circling in her mind like a curse, letter by letter, into the search bar:

Gu Qianqian.

The connection flickered; the page struggled to load. Yu Ling’s heartbeat accelerated in sync with the spinning icon. The waiting felt infinitely prolonged, every second heavy with unknown torment.

Finally, the page loaded. Although the images were incomplete, the long text was legible enough.

The first things to catch her eye were several photos that had loaded—grainy, yet clearly showing a backdrop of luxury. The woman in the photos was strikingly beautiful, with exquisite makeup and a refined air, wearing expensive gowns at yacht parties or high-society galas, surrounded by the wealthy and powerful.

In one photo, she was arm-in-arm with a handsome, scholarly-looking middle-aged man, her smile gentle. The caption read: "Attending a charity gala with my father, Gu Changhai."

Gu Changhai? The name... it sounded familiar. Yu Ling racked her brain—had she seen it on the cover of some business magazine?

She scrolled down, and the related information under the search term popped up:

Gu Qianqian, the only daughter of Gu Changhai, Chairman of the Gu Group in Haicheng. Ivy League graduate. Socialite, philanthropist. One of the primary heirs to the Gu Group...

The Gu Group!

Yu Ling’s pupils constricted! Was this the "Gu Group" whose fate had been sealed in Zhao Chen’s cold phone call?

The majority shareholder of the priceless "Whispers of the Galaxy" dress brand?

The "Gu Group" that Zhao Chen had referred to in that cold, emotionless voice, saying, "Handle it as planned"?

A chilling frost shot from the soles of her feet straight to her crown. Yu Ling’s fingers, gripping the phone, turned icy; her fingertips trembled.

Gu Qianqian! The heiress of the Gu Group! Zhao Chen’s ex-girlfriend? Or someone with an even more complex connection?

Who was the person on the other end of that phone, anxiously urging Zhao Chen? What did "Qianqian is still looking for you" mean? What did "looking" imply? Was it obsession? Or... revenge?

Countless terrifying conjectures coiled around Yu Ling’s heart like cold vipers, leaving her gasping for air. She looked at the beautiful yet melancholic eyes of Gu Qianqian in the photos, then recalled the sudden, icy hostility Zhao Chen had radiated when he answered that call. A clear realization struck her like a thunderbolt:

Zhao Chen’s so-called "ordinary employee" status was a total joke! He was not only far from ordinary, but he likely had deep, perhaps even life-or-death ties to the colossal Gu Group. His supposed "trouble" was no minor spat; it was a storm capable of toppling a business empire!

And she, Yu Ling, an ordinary woman who had stumbled into a whirlwind marriage with him, was being dragged into the center of an unfathomable vortex she could never hope to understand!

Overwhelming fear and the rage of being utterly deceived and placed in danger seized her. She could no longer endure this isolation! She had to contact him! Now! Immediately!

Yu Ling spun around and rushed back into the room. Ignoring whether she might wake Su Qing, she grabbed her coat and room card and bolted out the door! She needed a signal! She had to hear his voice! She had to demand answers! What was going on?!

The hotel corridor was silent in the dead of night, only her frantic footsteps echoing in the empty space. Like a headless fly, she sprinted toward the main lobby, hoping the open terrain there might offer a signal.

However, just as she rounded a corner of the cloister, a tall, familiar figure appeared like a ghost in the dim light of the corridor, blocking her path.

Zhao Chen!

He was wearing dark casual clothes with a thin windbreaker thrown over them, looking as if he had just arrived. The night dew from the mountains seemed to cling to his hair, carrying a cool dampness.

There was not a trace of surprise on his face, only a profound, unshakable concern and a hint of imperceptible exhaustion. His amber eyes, deep as an ancient well under the dim light, locked onto the sprinting Yu Ling.

"Lingling?" His low voice echoed in the silent hallway, slightly raspy, yet it strangely smoothed out the ragged breathing caused by her frantic run. "It’s so late—why are you running? What happened?" He took a step forward, reaching out with a natural motion to steady her trembling shoulders.

Yu Ling slammed on the brakes, her chest heaving, staring at the man who had appeared so abruptly. She clutched the phone, which still displayed "No Service," the search page for "Gu Qianqian" still open on the screen.

Looking at the familiar, worried, and gentle expression on Zhao Chen’s face, then thinking of the prominent, melancholic-eyed Gu Qianqian on her phone, a massive sense of absurdity and cold fury shattered her last shred of reason.

"Zhao Chen!" She violently swatted his hand away. Her voice, distorted by agitation and fear, turned shrill and jarring in the silent corridor. She thrust the phone toward him, the screen nearly hitting his face, the clear image of Gu Qianqian’s beautiful, distant face visible.

"Tell me!" Yu Ling stared dead into his eyes, each word forced out through gritted teeth, heavy with a nasal tone and uncontrollable trembling. "Who is this Gu Qianqian?! What is this about the Gu Group?! What is your so-called 'ordinary job' really?! And that phone call! The one that made you change your expression the moment you heard it! How many more things are you lying to me about?!"