CM | Chapter 58

Gu Yao moved fast. In truth, even she herself did not understand why she had rushed back under the covers so quickly. It was not like she had meant to eavesdrop. Zhu Shengxi had been standing outside the door talking on the phone, and he had shown no intention of avoiding anyone.

But in any case, she had already scrambled back into bed as fast as she could and lay on her side with her back to the door.

The door opened, then closed, and someone walked in softly.

Gu Yao knew the person who came in was Zhu Shengxi.

She slowly closed her eyes. While steadying her breathing, she kept replaying what she had just heard, Today’s matter, you’d better have a reasonable explanation.

Today’s matter? What had happened today?

Something at Zhu Shengxi’s company? Or…

And then the next line, I don’t want to hear any unnecessary words. As for how to clean this up, handle it yourself.

That sentence could be interpreted in many ways. Of course, no matter which one it was, the person on the other end of the line had definitely done something wrong and made Zhu Shengxi very unhappy, so he had told that person to figure out how to make up for it.

So what exactly had happened?

Tian Fang’s case had already been wrapped up. There had also been no new news about “Jiangcheng Gene” appearing before the public recently. The storm from before had all but settled, and Zhu Shengxi had been very calm these past few days, not at all like someone anxious because something had happened.

Gu Yao closed her eyes and thought about all this. She vaguely felt that after Zhu Shengxi came in, he did not approach the bed, but sat in the sofa by the wall and stayed still for a long time.

Then, a thought suddenly popped into her head, all at once.

Who had sent those punks who suddenly showed up today to teach Xu Shuo a lesson?

For some reason, Gu Yao instantly linked it to Zhu Shengxi, along with the last thing he had said to her when he went out during the day: “So, there’s no need for us to keep dealing with that boring lawyer anymore. We’re not from the same circle, so we should keep a proper distance.”

Zhu Shengxi’s expression had been very calm when he said it, and there had been no trace of displeasure in his eyes. But now that she thought about it, she kept feeling like there was more to his words.

And just now, when he had been on the phone outside the door, although she had not seen his expression clearly, she had vaguely seen his face turn slightly to the side, his brows tightly furrowed, as if he were extremely impatient.

His tone had also carried a chill, even cold enough to seem inhuman.

Those two sentences also seemed able to connect with what had happened today…

But could all of this just be her overthinking?

People were often like this. Once a thought appeared, even before its truth had been confirmed, they would subconsciously start fitting every detail to that thought, and the more they thought about it, the more certain it seemed.

Of course Gu Yao understood that this kind of psychological projection could not be trusted, but she also knew how important subconscious conviction and instinctive recognition could be. In many unsolved cases that were difficult to crack, especially when rational analysis had already reached a dead end and no breakthrough could be found, subconsciousness and instinct often played a decisive guiding role.

Thinking of this, Gu Yao drew in a breath, then very gently turned over under the covers so that her face was facing outward, toward the man sitting on the sofa opposite.

Zhu Shengxi had kept the same posture the entire time. Ever since he sat down, he had been scrolling on his phone. She did not know whether he was sending emails or using WeChat, but his phone was on silent. His fingers moved quickly across the screen, his brows never loosening in the slightest, his face also tightly drawn, his jaw clenched so hard it carved out sharp, knife-like lines.

He looked like he was simmering with anger, yet suppressing it. He was utterly different from the man Gu Yao usually saw, the one who always wore a faint smile. In fact, he looked even more like the Zhu Shengxi she had seen in those photos before, the one who faced other women with that same expression, either impatient or cold.

Because she saw it with her own eyes in this moment, Gu Yao could not help recalling everything that had happened over the past year, as well as her own impression and understanding of this man. She even began to wonder whether she had ever truly known him. Before this, she had been able to find all kinds of excuses for him, like he was a businessman, not some warm little heater for everyone, so there was no need for him to be as sunny as spring toward every woman. As long as he was good to her alone, that was enough.

But now…

Maybe it was because Gu Yao’s gaze was too hard to ignore. After dealing with messages on his phone for a while, Zhu Shengxi seemed to sense something and casually lifted his eyelids. He just happened to meet Gu Yao’s eyes. She was lying there on her side, staring straight at him.

Zhu Shengxi first froze, then raised his brows and revealed a smile. All the coldness on his face vanished at once. The moment his features relaxed, spring returned to the world in an instant.

“You’re awake.”

Zhu Shengxi put away his phone and stood up. He walked to the low cabinet, poured a cup of warm water, then sat in the chair by the bed. With one arm he supported Gu Yao as she was about to get up, and handed her the water.

Gu Yao sat up, took the cup, drank a sip, and said, “You’re so busy and still came to the hospital. Won’t that delay your work?”

Zhu Shengxi smiled. “Nothing I have matters more than you. Besides, with an accident like today, if I didn’t come, I’d be kneeling on a washboard when I got home.”

If this had been before, Gu Yao would have answered with a smile at that joke. But now…

Gu Yao suddenly asked, “I just saw that you didn’t look too good. Did something happen at the company again and bother you?”

Zhu Shengxi said, “The people underneath me aren’t careful enough with their work. There are always little mistakes from time to time.”

Gu Yao was silent for two seconds. Her gaze rested quietly on him. She did not take up that thread, but said, “By the way, why didn’t you ask me why I ended up in the hospital? Who told you to come?”

Zhu Shengxi paused, and the smile on his face faded a little by little. “Xu Shuo.”

After a beat, he added, “But when I saw you pass out, I was really worried, so I didn’t ask him in detail. He only roughly said he ran into a few petty thieves and you got dragged into it.”

Gu Yao thought for a moment. “It’s not really being dragged into it. I just couldn’t stand it and got nosy, so I called the police. Those people weren’t petty thieves either. Petty thieves wouldn’t come out openly in broad daylight. They had knives, hammers, and iron bars in their hands. It looked more like a vendetta between underworld factions.”

Zhu Shengxi frowned slightly and followed up, “If it was a vendetta between underworld factions, why would they target Xu Shuo? That shows the people and things he usually comes into contact with are all problematic. I told you during the day too, Tian Fang’s case is already over, and it’s time for us to cut ties with that person. Look, if you don’t listen to me, you’ll get dragged into these boring matters…”

Zhu Shengxi’s tone was somewhat urgent. Only halfway through did he suddenly realize it. He immediately stopped, then sighed. “Sorry, I was too anxious. I’m not blaming you.”

From beginning to end, Gu Yao was extremely calm and steady. When the subconscious in her heart gradually came to believe in one thing, everything she heard, saw, and thought would uncontrollably gather around that conviction.

It was just that this conviction left her in a very bad mood.

Gu Yao took a deep breath. She knew she was not the kind of person who guessed at other people’s minds, so she might as well ask directly.

She said, “Xu Shuo has only been in Jiangcheng for a month. Who could he have offended? If it really was a vendetta between underworld factions, they could have done it secretly. Choosing to strike right under the law office in such a blatant way just shows it was only a small scuffle and they never intended to go all the way. Rather than ‘vendetta,’ it’s more like teaching him a lesson. But what I can’t figure out is, besides Tian Fang’s case, he hasn’t been involved in anything else. Who would want to teach him a lesson? Unless he stuck his nose into something he shouldn’t have.”

Gu Yao’s analysis was watertight, and Zhu Shengxi could not answer for a moment.

After a while, he followed her lead and said, “You mean someone was unhappy with what he did in Tian Fang’s case, so they found people to teach him a lesson?”

Gu Yao smiled. “Obviously, his meddling stepped on someone’s toes.”

Zhu Shengxi fell silent.

But his gaze was not calm. For a moment, a great many emotions flowed through it, tangled together and incredibly complicated.

After a while, he lowered his voice and asked softly, “Are you suspecting me?”

Gu Yao pressed her lips together. She had not expected him to ask first. She had thought he would cover it up a little longer.

Then she asked back, “So was I wrong to suspect you?”

Zhu Shengxi did not answer directly. He leaned back against the chair, curled one corner of his mouth, and said, “Why would I do that?”

Gu Yao said, “Because you didn’t want me to have too much contact with him.”

Zhu Shengxi gave a low laugh. “He’s not qualified to be my rival in love.”

Oh, really?

Gu Yao went on, “In Tian Fang’s case, you originally wanted to turn it into intentional injury. You didn’t expect him to step in and insist on getting Tian Fang acquitted, and because of him, you became a defense witness and were forced to appear in front of the media to explain why you were standing on the opposite side of the Li family. At the press conference for the Panda Blood Charity Foundation, reporters even raised doubts to your face. All of this ran counter to the plan you had set beforehand. He meddled in so many things and unearthed so much that the media couldn’t dig up. It does seem reasonable that you’d find people to give him a warning.”

When Gu Yao’s words fell, Zhu Shengxi did not speak for a long time.

His gaze turned incomparably deep in an instant.

Gu Yao did not dodge or retreat. She just let him look. By this point, she suddenly had the feeling that they were finally meeting properly for the first time.

Until Zhu Shengxi blinked and asked, “Have you been suspicious of me all along, or did you only start thinking this way because he told you something?”

Gu Yao said, “You’re a businessman. You should know that if someone tries to drive a wedge between people, sometimes it backfires. And I have my own judgment too. If you could really make everything watertight and leave me with not the slightest suspicion, then we wouldn’t be having this conversation now.”

Zhu Shengxi gave no reply, only smiled a little.

Gu Yao pressed, “So I guessed everything right?”

Zhu Shengxi drew in a breath, crossed his legs, folded his arms over his chest, and lifted his chin with a rather haughty air. In an instant, he seemed to become a different person.

“Why don’t you try standing in my shoes and thinking for me? If it were you, and you had to manage a huge corporation, with subordinates who never gave you peace and kept causing trouble, even leading to a death case. You’d have to clean up the mess, deal with the media, and find a way that works for everyone to calm everything down. Then some nobody comes out of nowhere to stir things up, trying to wreck all your plans, treating it like entertainment and loving every bit of the chaos, deliberately wanting to drag everything into broad daylight, and he keeps getting close to your girlfriend. What would you do?”

Zhu Shengxi spoke with absolute conviction. Gu Yao understood all these reasons too. From his point of view, Xu Shuo’s meddling really was annoying, like a mosquito disturbing someone’s dream. He had to be slapped to death.

But…

Gu Yao said, “So that’s your reason for finding people to teach him a lesson?”

Zhu Shengxi stiffened for a second. His thin lips moved. “Yes.”

Then he added, “But I never thought I’d drag you into it.”

Gu Yao said, “But I think, for you to get angry enough to find people to teach him a lesson, it probably wasn’t just because he made it hard for you to keep up appearances in front of the media. Was there some other reason too?”

Zhu Shengxi raised a brow, but did not answer.

Until Gu Yao pointed it out. “For example, because this case made me discover that Du Tong was involved too.”

Zhu Shengxi said, “I already explained Du Tong’s matter.”

Gu Yao said, “Is that so, but why were you two pretending not to be familiar with each other in front of people? You could clearly even sit together and watch a game.”

Zhu Shengxi froze. Surprise flashed in his eyes, but he quickly understood. “Last time, when you suggested we go watch the game together, was it because of this?”

Gu Yao then said, “And Tian Fang. Why did you and she go to Jeane Bar together? A chance encounter? Or did you arrange it?”

Zhu Shengxi froze again.

At this point, Gu Yao no longer planned to keep hiding anything. Since the conversation had already come this far, it would be better to lay everything out plainly. Besides, only by bringing it up so suddenly could the reaction he showed be the truest.

Zhu Shengxi said, “I had no feelings for Tian Fang at all. It was all one-sided on her part.”

Gu Yao nodded. “I absolutely believe that. Oh, and Yan Zhen, Jiang Xinyun, and Song Miao. I also know they all had some kind of interest in you, more or less, but you never moved. With your personality, you’d never waste time on romance. You’re not a lustful man, and you don’t have any interest in collecting trophies, but I’m very curious. Why are there so many women around you? Is it because of business, or because of some other reason you can’t say?”

Zhu Shengxi said nothing for a long time. He truly had not expected Gu Yao to know so much.

Since Zhu Shengxi did not speak, Gu Yao waited quietly and observed his reaction. He was calmer than she had imagined. Aside from surprise, there was not a trace of panic on his face, as if there was nothing much to being found out about these things.

Only when Zhu Shengxi suddenly said, “These things must have been told to you by someone, right? Was it Xu Shuo?”

At this point, did it still matter who had told her?

Gu Yao took a breath and said, “There’s one more person, Xiao Ling.”

Zhu Shengxi was completely stunned.

Gu Yao seized that instant and quickly added, “I dreamed of a girl. Her name was Xiao Ling.”

Zhu Shengxi frowned. “You mean you dreamed of Xiao Ling?”

Gu Yao said, “Yes.”

His expression changed subtly again in that instant, very quickly, from appearing to being flat calm in less than a second.

Gu Yao blinked, as if she had caught something, and yet as if she had caught nothing at all.

Zhu Shengxi smiled and said, “That should also have been told to you by the one surnamed Xu. Looks like it was the right call to have people teach him a lesson. He really did meddle in a lot of things. What a pity. I even told them before to leave some room, not to make a big fuss, so they never intended to hurt him. If I had known this person had told you so much nonsense, the matter this time would not have been so simple.”

Gu Yao’s eyes widened in an instant. She could hardly believe her ears.

She murmured, “I thought you were going to explain.”

Zhu Shengxi said, “The facts are right in front of you. You already don’t trust me, so what meaning would there be in my explaining more? Before he appeared, everything between us had been very good. All of this happened because he butted in.”

Gu Yao suddenly remembered that Zhu Shengxi had once said he had been a delinquent in high school. She had not believed it then, but now she seemed to see that shadow. In truth, he had never changed at his core. It was just that the halo of a young entrepreneur was too strong, helping him conceal his essence.

Thinking of this, Gu Yao felt cold inside. She lowered her eyelids and said, “There’s one more thing I want to know.”

Zhu Shengxi said, “Go ahead.”

Gu Yao slowly closed her eyes. “Before I had the car accident, did I always know you were that kind of person?”

Did she knowingly still stay with him?

Zhu Shengxi paused for a few seconds and did not answer right away. He leaned forward and lifted a hand to brush the hair away from beside Gu Yao’s ear, his movements unbearably gentle.

But Gu Yao subconsciously stiffened.

Only then did Zhu Shengxi say in a low voice, “Gu Yao, I’ve lied many times in my life, and I’ve deceived many people. But with you alone… the person I least want to hurt or lie to is you. As for what everyone else thinks, or how they see me, I don’t care.”

Gu Yao opened her eyes at once and met Zhu Shengxi’s gaze.

They saw each other’s reflections in one another’s eyes.

From the moment he entered the room until now, this was the first time sincerity had shown in his eyes.

Gu Yao stared into those black eyes and said once again, “I’m asking whether, a year ago, I already knew you were this kind of person.”

After a long silence, Zhu Shengxi smiled. “No, you didn’t.”