Volume One, Chapter 31: Two Women Vie for Favor in Jealousy, and Gu Qinghan Is Injured

Gu Qinghan stood with her handbag clutched in both hands before her. When she caught sight of Yan Fengjia, her eyes turned red in an instant. Her lips trembled, as if she had a thousand words to say but could not find the voice. Her mental state appeared poor; it was evident that since the recent incident, she had been caught between managing the family business and drowning in her own guilt.

Yan Fengjia waved, signaling for her to come outside. Gu Qinghan wiped her tears away with the back of her hand and followed him out, head bowed, behaving like an obedient young bride.

Outside the company, Yan Fengjia lit a cigarette. "Why are you here? I heard your family has been very busy with a major deal lately."

A few days ago, Shen Man had mentioned that his ex-girlfriend had traveled out of town. Rumor had it that there was a massive order; if successful, the Gu family would become the premier group in Qinghai City, more than doubling their scale. The Qinghai municipal government had even opened a "green channel" to provide them with strong support. For a time, the Yan family's rise and the Gu corporation’s stock surge had become hot topics in the city's financial circles.

Gu Qinghan pouted, her voice barely a whisper. "I already finished the field inspection. I just got back today and came straight to see you."

"Then why didn't you just call me?"

Gu Qinghan hesitated. "I am so sorry about what happened last time. I never meant to look down on you; I was just so worried about you and wanted to help you pay off your debts." She paused, then added, "But I heard recently... that you are working with the Shen family, and not only have your debts been cleared, but the projects that were put on hold have been restarted, right?"

"Yes, that's correct," Yan Fengjia did not hide it.

"Then... what exactly is your relationship with Shen Man?" As she spoke, Gu Qinghan clutched her hands tightly, her large, watery eyes filled with nervousness and anxiety.

Before Yan Fengjia could answer, a red supercar pulled up. A woman stepped out, wearing hot pants and white high heels. Removing her sunglasses, Shen Man placed a hand on her hip. "Mr. Yan, I've already picked out the house. I'm just waiting for you to sign the papers. Shall we go?"

Clearly, not enough time had passed for her to have actually inspected a property; Shen Man simply wanted to be with Yan Fengjia. As she spoke, she walked over and deliberately hooked her arm through Yan Fengjia’s in front of Gu Qinghan.

Seeing this, Gu Qinghan’s eyes grew even mistier, and she let her head droop. "It seems I’ve come at a bad time. I... I’ll go."

"Wait a moment," Yan Fengjia called out.

Gu Qinghan turned around with a start, then walked back with small, hesitant steps, head still lowered. "Is there something else?"

"She and I are just business partners. I asked her to help me look at houses because my father is getting old, and the old residence is too damp; it’s bad for his health."

"I can give you one!" Gu Qinghan’s eyes suddenly lit up. "My family is in real estate. We have many villas in prime locations. There are quite a few available at Kowloon Island right now. If you want one, how about I gift you one?" She grew excited, but quickly fell silent, wondering if she had made herself seem too cheap.

Shen Man chimed in from the side, "President Gu is certainly willing to spend a fortune. Kowloon Island is the most expensive area in Qinghai City; I hear those villas cost hundreds of millions."

Yan Fengjia frowned. "I won't take it for free. I can pay."

"Why don't you come and take a look?" Gu Qinghan suggested tentatively.

"Fine, lead the way." Yan Fengjia followed her without further ado. Shen Man, not to be outdone, clicked her heels and followed closely behind.

A striking scene unfolded at the Yan Group: two stunning women flanking Yan Fengjia, both seemingly harboring a sense of hostility toward each other. They were both prominent figures in Qinghai City, yet their temperaments were vastly different. Gu Qinghan was cold and introverted—the "good girl" in the eyes of elders, the ideal daughter-in-law. Shen Man was the modern urban bombshell, possessing the air of an arrogant, powerful heiress.

"Why did you get in?" Inside the Rolls-Royce, Gu Qinghan was displeased to see Shen Man brazenly taking the front passenger seat.

"I have nothing better to do, so I’ll tag along. If the villas at Kowloon Island are suitable, I’d like to move to a new place too—preferably where I can be Mr. Yan’s neighbor."

The Gu family driver had a dark expression. The wealthy were truly extravagant—swapping multi-hundred-million-dollar villas like they were nothing? Gu Qinghan didn't bother arguing with her. "Driver, let's go. To Kowloon Island."

The group soon arrived at Kowloon Island, an eco-friendly luxury villa complex that the Gu family had spent years and vast sums of money developing. Many high-profile figures from out of town had pulled strings, hoping for the Gu family head to open a backdoor so they could obtain a "green card" to reside there.

"Take a look and see which one you like," Gu Qinghan said as they walked through the sales hall, where staff scrambled to serve them tea.

Yan Fengjia took a brief look. "Anything is fine. Quiet, a bit secluded. How is the security here?"

"Naturally, it’s the best. We have world-class security systems, and even the guards are professionals hired from a specialized security firm, so you can rest easy."

Yan Fengjia eventually signed for Villa Number Seven and prepared to pay. Although the card was private, it had been issued by the Junlin Group and had no spending limit. However, when Gu Qinghan saw him trying to pay, she refused to accept it.

"You saved my father. It’s no big deal to gift you one. It’s only a few hundred million; it's a minor matter."

Yan Fengjia disliked haggling, so he accepted the gesture. All procedures were settled by midday. Just as he was about to leave, a man walked toward them.

"Killing intent?" Yan Fengjia’s footsteps paused. Suddenly, the man looked up, drew a menacing handgun from his coat, and pulled the trigger at Yan Fengjia.

"Watch out!" Gu Qinghan and Shen Man reacted almost simultaneously, both throwing themselves in front of Yan Fengjia.

In that split second, Yan Fengjia’s eyes narrowed. He stomped his right foot hard against the floor, causing a tile to shatter and launch into the air. With a wave of his hand, he struck the tile like a sword.

"Whoosh!"

Within a five-meter radius, a shard of the ceramic tile struck the man’s gun, knocking it from his hand.

"What!" The man was stunned. Before he could react, he saw darkness. Yan Fengjia had already closed the distance, grabbed the man by the throat, and lifted him into the air.

"Who sent you?" The man’s face turned red, but a cold smirk played on his lips. "I took the money, I do the job. I won't say a word."

Yan Fengjia smiled. "If you don't want to talk, then don't."

*Snap!*

With a slight exertion of force, Yan Fengjia crushed the man's throat. The scene in the hall descended into chaos.

"Yan Fengjia..." Shen Man’s voice behind him was filled with terror.

Yan Fengjia turned, and his pupils contracted. Gu Qinghan had collapsed into a pool of blood, her lips trembling.

"Clear the area!" Yan Fengjia rushed forward, his right hand moving like lightning to press acupoints and stop the bleeding. "Where is the lounge?" he asked the staff, his eyes burning red.

"T-this way, follow me."

"Yan Fengjia, am I... am I going to die?" Gu Qinghan’s forehead was drenched in cold sweat, her face as pale as paper.

"Don't you dare say that. Rest assured, with me here, even the King of Hell would have to retreat," Yan Fengjia said, carrying Gu Qinghan into the lounge and ordering everyone else to leave. "I need to remove your clothing. Don't be afraid. It might hurt for a moment, but I have to get the bullet out immediately."

Gu Qinghan gripped Yan Fengjia’s hand with her cold, small fingers, squeezing out a miserable smile. "Okay, I'm not afraid. As long as you are by my side, I'm not afraid of anything."