Chapter 561: Episode 18: Gu Qingzhu Goes Missing

Han Yi’s face darkened; it seemed he was being waited on here. He felt his daughter had been led astray, and as for the reason, well, wasn’t it obvious? It must have been Brother Pei Hao who led her astray. He secretly thought to himself that once Pei Hao was discharged, he would definitely give this brat a good dressing down!

Guoguo wasn’t afraid of Han Yi’s darkened face at all, "Daddy, I like him, I really really like him."

Han Yi’s face grew even darker, exuding an aura of melancholy, "Guoguo, there are plenty of good men in the world, a vast forest waving at you. Why would you stop in front of a crooked tree? Go out and see some other scenery, will you?"

Guoguo glared, "Brother Pei Hao is not a crooked tree."

Han Yi snorted coldly; all those trying to hook up with his daughter were crooked trees!

"Daddy, I’ve grown up, and I need to start dating sometime. You can’t expect me to never get married, right?"

Han Yi stiffened; if he could, he’d rather keep his daughter forever. Just the thought of his daughter being taken away by another man pained his heart.

Guoguo hugged Han Yi’s arm, "Daddy, I truly like Brother Pei Hao, and think about it, we’ve grown up together since childhood, we understand each other, and both families know each other well. It’s better than me finding someone you don’t know outside, right?"

Han Yi frowned; it did sound reasonable, but why did it feel so unsettling? He glanced sideways at his daughter, "Is he really that good?" She hadn’t even married yet, and she was already speaking up for him.

Guoguo nodded earnestly, "Yes, he is very good, really very good."

Han Yi looked at his daughter’s bright eyes and sighed internally, his silly daughter. He couldn’t help but grit his teeth and thought to himself, just wait, once Pei Hao was discharged, he would find him and have a serious "drink" together.

Han Yi was full of melancholy and no longer wanted to go to the hospital. Seeing Pei Hao in the sickroom only angered him more, "Come back to the hotel with me."

Guoguo looked troubled, "Daddy, why don’t you go back first? I want to go back to the sickroom."

Cold air seemed to burst from Han Yi, his teeth gritting noisily as he huffed heavily and walked away without looking back. What’s the use of raising a daughter, his elbow turning outwards, wounding the heart of an old father.

Back at the hotel, he called Yu Xiao Xuan, who was shooting a film. Yu Xiao Xuan was surprised to hear about Guoguo liking Pei Hao and felt a bit regretful. Why couldn’t it be Haohao? Sigh!

"You tell me, did I raise her for nothing? Leaving me alone in the hotel," Han Yi expressed his sadness.

Yu Xiao Xuan snorted lightly, "She’s already twenty-four. Other girls her age have been in love hundreds of times. What’s so alarming about her liking someone?"

Han Yi clutched his chest in agony, "But she’s the treasure I held in my palms, just like that, spirited away, and I’m not allowed to be heartbroken?"

Yu Xiao Xuan rolled her eyes, "You weren’t planning on supporting her for a lifetime, and she’ll get married sooner or later. What’s wrong with Haohao? We know his background very well, and I think he is quite suitable."

"I didn’t say he was bad," Han Yi sulked; he just couldn’t bear to let go of his daughter!

"A girl cannot be held on to forever; if you try, it will end in resentment. She likes Haohao, and Haohao likes her back. Nothing could be better. Once Haohao is discharged, we should talk to Chenxi and their family, and set a wedding date."

Han Yi’s expression cracked; he had come to share his grievances with his wife, but how did it turn into discussing his daughter’s engagement? He hadn’t agreed to it yet.

"Yu Xiao Xuan, I don’t agree," Han Yi’s face turned steely.

Yu Xiao Xuan gave him a big eye roll; Han Yi had never let little boys get close to Guoguo since she was young, for fear that someone would spirit his precious daughter away. She had even worried at one point that her daughter might never marry. Now that such a suitable person had appeared, of course, she agreed.

"What don’t you agree with? Is Haohao not good enough or not from a good enough family? Or are his parents not up to standard?"

Han Yi faltered; those weren’t the reasons, of course.

"Han Yi, when a daughter grows up, she needs to get married, and it’s not like she’s marrying far away. The two families live so close, just an hour’s drive. What are your objections?"

Han Yi mournfully said, "Wife, I’ve raised her for over twenty years."

"Well, my parents raised me for over twenty years too," countered Yu Xiao Xuan, "Alright, no more talking. My turn is coming up, I’m hanging up." And with that, she hung up the phone without hesitation.

Han Yi stared at the darkened screen and touched his nose. Why was his fate so miserable? His wife not only failed to support him, but she also wanted their daughter to marry off sooner. Woe is me...

Guoguo, of course, had no idea her dear father’s heart had already shattered into glass shards. At that moment, she was in the hospital room taking care of Pei Hao.

Pei Hao had just undergone surgery and could only eat liquid food. Guoguo was feeding him thin porridge, and she had put quite some effort into making this bowl of porridge.

"Do you want more?" After finishing a bowl, Guoguo asked softly.

Pei Hao shook his head; his appetite was poor, and he had struggled to finish that bowl of porridge.

"About Uncle Han..."

Guoguo was unconcerned, "It’s fine, my dad will come around soon. He just can’t let go of me." If push came to shove, she still had her mom. Her mom would definitely be on her side, and with her mom’s involvement, her dad’s agreement was only a matter of time.

Pei Hao could actually understand Han Yi’s feelings well. If he were Han Yi, he’d feel blocked too.

"Once my health improves a bit, I’ll go to Uncle Han personally to explain." Pei Hao spoke softly.

Guoguo nodded; that was an inevitable step.

She stared intently at Pei Hao, who raised an eyebrow, "What’s wrong?"

Guoguo’s ears turned slightly red, "Brother Pei Hao, from now on I am your girlfriend, right?"

Pei Hao chuckled, "You don’t want to?"

"Not at all, I’m willing." Guoguo immediately replied. She had looked forward to this day for so long, how could she not be willing?

"Then it’s settled, you being my boyfriend can’t regret it, and you must never change," Guoguo quickly interjected.

"That won’t do." Pei Hao shook his head, "I don’t want to be your boyfriend for a lifetime, I also want to walk into the church with you."

Guoguo’s heart suddenly skipped a beat, she lowered her head and remained silent, her ears burning.

Pei Hao looked at her, his gaze tender.

After a while, when the heat on her face had subsided, she looked up at Pei Hao, "I’ll go fetch some water." Saying this, she got up and left the hospital room.

Pei Hao watched her leave, and just as she was about to exit the room, he called out, "Are you fetching water without a kettle?"

Guoguo’s steps halted, she quickly turned back to grab the kettle, then fled the hospital room.

Pei Hao couldn’t help but smile, this silly girl.

**

A week after Pei Hao’s surgery, Fu Chenxuan returned to the country, and Guoguo stayed in the United States to take care of Pei Hao.

Having been away for a while, work had piled up like a mountain, and it took Fu Chenxuan three consecutive nights of overtime to sort it out.

Once again leaving the company under the starlight, Pei Hao received a call from Lin Jing, "Jingjing."

"Chenxuan, have you slept?" Lin Jing’s voice came through the phone, weary.

"I just stepped out of the company, what’s up?"

"Do you have time tomorrow? Let’s meet. My parents asked me to bring some local products for your aunt and uncle, come and pick them up."

Fu Chenxuan just remembered that Lin Jing went back to her hometown recently, "You’re back?"

"Yes, I arrived today. Come and pick them up after work tomorrow. If I’m not at home, let Jiandan give them to you."

"Okay."

Hearing the exhaustion in her voice, Fu Chenxuan hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Jingjing, are you okay? You sound very tired?"

Lin Jing curved her lips, "I’m fine, probably just tired from the long car ride. Chenxuan, I won’t talk anymore, I’m going to sleep early tonight. Goodbye."

Fu Chenxuan frowned slightly, today Lin Jing’s behavior was strange. However, he didn’t think much about it.

Lin Jing hung up the phone, rubbed her temples, and looked utterly exhausted. Without even taking a bath, she went to bed and slept until the middle of the night. Not sure what she dreamt of, she woke up sweating profusely, her face pale. She took deep breaths for a long time before finally getting up and walking out of the bedroom.

The house was quiet, Jiandan was already asleep. She opened the fridge and took out several cans of beer, sitting alone on the sofa and slowly drinking.

This trip back home was due to her mother’s forcible command. After returning, she had a fierce argument with her mother, and if it weren’t for her father, she might not have been able to return.

She understood her mother’s change in temperament due to her brother’s death, but that incident wasn’t her fault. Why should the blame be placed on her? Her father asked her to understand her mother more, but who was there to understand her? She felt wronged too.

Because of her brother’s death, her mother treated her like an enemy. These many years, who knew how much pain she had endured. Managing not to go insane was already a testament to her mental strength.

Lin Jing finished all the beer in the fridge by herself. Her alcohol tolerance wasn’t good, and soon she felt dizzy. She stood up and staggered back to her room, thinking that now she should be able to sleep.

The next day, when Fu Chenxuan came to pick up the local products, Lin Jing was not at home, only Jiandan was there. Jiandan handed a large bag to Fu Chenxuan, "This is it, these are all special products prepared by Lin Jing for your parents."

"Thank you. Where is Jingjing?" Fu Chenxuan asked as he set it aside.

"She’s still at work, she’s been working overtime these past few days. Oh, by the way, if you have time, give her a call. She’s not in a great mood, she was drinking by herself last night." Jiandan had only realized this after seeing the empty bottles in the trash can when she woke up in the morning.

Hearing this, Fu Chenxuan’s brow furrowed, "Drinking alone? What happened?"

Jiandan shook her head. "I’m not sure, she didn’t tell me anything. If you really care about her, ask her yourself."

Jiandan yawned, she had slept late the previous night and had been busy all day. She was sleeping before Fu Chenxuan arrived, and it had taken a lot of effort just to get up and open the door for him.

Seeing this, Fu Chenxuan tactfully took the bag and left. He thought about it and gave Lin Jing a call, "Jingjing, I’ve got the stuff, thank you."

Lin Jing spoke softly, "No need to thank me, it was prepared by my dad... my mom. Have your aunt and uncle try them, and if they like them, I’ll send more next time."

"Alright, if you have time tomorrow, let’s have a meal together, lunch or dinner, whenever suits you."

"I haven’t had time these past few days, I’ve been back for a while, and I have a lot of work," Lin Jing refused, her mood clearly off during these days. She didn’t want to bring any negative energy to Fu Chenxuan, and she especially didn’t want him to see her in distress.

"Okay, call me when you are free," Fu Chenxuan said.

Lin Jing hung up the phone and continued to bury herself in work, which was the only thing that could distract her right now.

Fu Chenxuan returned home, handed the local products to the housekeeper, and then saw his father return. "Dad."

Fu Heng nodded, gave him several intense looks that made Fu Chenxuan feel uneasy before averting his gaze. Then, without a word, he went upstairs, leaving Fu Chenxuan baffled. He hadn’t done anything wrong today, had he? Why was his dad looking at him like that?

Fu Heng went to find Shen Qinglan who was pruning plants on the balcony. "Qinglan," he called.

"Uh, you’re back," Shen Qinglan responded without even lifting her head, her excitement to see him return home had naturally waned after more than twenty years of marriage.

"Gu Qingzhu has disappeared," Fu Heng said gravely.

Shen Qinglan’s movements halted, she put down the scissors, and looked at him steadily, "What do you mean?"

Fu Heng licked his lips.

Gu Qingzhu’s last mission had actually been her final one; she had been deep undercover for four years and it was finally time to wrap things up. Everything had started smoothly, and during the trade, the police appeared and caught the traders red-handed. Unexpectedly, the third-in-command of Gu Qingzhu’s organization had shown up, seeing that he couldn’t rescue the boss, he turned towards Gu Qingzhu, not to save her, but to kill her. During the chase, Gu Qingzhu disappeared.

"Was she captured by the third-in-command?" Shen Qinglan frowned.

Fu Heng shook his head, "No, the third-in-command died on the spot. The police and our people searched the area thoroughly but didn’t find her." He actually suspected that Gu Qingzhu might have fallen off a cliff, as there was a tall cliff about a hundred meters high, less than three kilometers from the trading site, and there were signs of human activity and struggle there as well.

Shen Qinglan’s expression turned grim, "Do many people know about this?"

Fu Heng shook his head again, "Currently, only the high-ranking police officers handling the case and I know her identity. Others just think she’s a fugitive on the run."

"Did the third-in-command try to kill Gu Qingzhu because her identity was exposed?" Shen Qinglan’s brow furrowed deeply.

"Very likely." Gu Qingzhu had a high stature in that organization, and she usually had a good relationship with the third-in-command. He wouldn’t have acted like that unless her identity had been revealed.

This was going to be troublesome.

"Do you need my help?" asked Shen Qinglan.

Fu Heng shook his head, "There are many people involved in the search; you shouldn’t get involved." He was merely informing Shen Qinglan so she could be prepared.

Shen Qinglan nodded, her expression serious.

At dinner, the couple came downstairs, their expressions calm, managing not to let Fu Chenxuan notice anything unusual.

**

It was three days later when Lin Jing called Fu Chenxuan, while Fu Shuyi was sitting in his office. "Okay, see you after work."

Fu Shuyi looked curiously at her brother, "Brother, who are you meeting?"

"Lin Jing, I’m going to have dinner with her later, you head home first."

Fu Shuyi’s eyes darted around, "Brother, I want to come too, I’m tired of eating at home, I want to join you."

"Weren’t you just complaining about wanting auntie to make you steamed fish tonight?" Fu Chenxuan mercilessly exposed her.

Fu Shuyi wasn’t embarrassed at all and smiled broadly, "Steamed fish can be eaten anytime, but your dinners can’t."

Fu Chenxuan was helpless, when had he become so stingy?

"Brother, or are you saying it’s a date and I’d be in the way?"

"Nonsense, it’s just a meal among friends, if you want to come, then come," Fu Chenxuan chided lightly.

Fu Shuyi chuckled, the gleam in her eyes flickering; friends, huh, some people might not think so.

Fu Chenxuan took his sister to pick up Lin Jing, who was about to open the passenger door when she saw Fu Shuyi, smiling at her broadly; Lin Jing paused and then opened the back seat door.

Fu Shuyi turned, still smiling, "Sister Lin Jing, you don’t mind me joining for the meal, do you?"

Lin Jing laughed lightly, "Of course not."

Fu Shuyi was pleased, "Brother, I want boiled fish."

Fu Chenxuan didn’t respond but turned to consult Lin Jing, "What would you like to eat?"

"Let’s have boiled fish then, I’m fine with anything," Lin Jing spoke gently.

Fu Shuyi pouted, boring.

At the restaurant, it was natural for Fu Shuyi to sit next to Fu Chenxuan. Fu Chenxuan looked at Lin Jing, "You’ve been home once, how come you’ve lost so much weight?" It seemed she had slimmed down by two or three sizes compared to the last time he saw her.

Lin Jing smiled, "I’m on a diet."

"Sister Lin Jing, you’re already slim enough, no need to lose more weight, otherwise you’ll turn into a skeleton," Fu Shuyi interjected.

"A woman never thinks she’s too thin."

"You’re right, Shuyi. You’re too thin now, stop losing weight, it’s affecting your health," said Fu Chenxuan as Lin Jing’s current state looked quite haggard.

Lin Jing smiled and responded with an okay. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

At the dining table, Lin Jing spoke very little; most of the time, it was Fu Shuyi talking with the two, mostly to Fu Chenxuan, "Sister Lin Jing, you’re about the same age as my brother, right? Do you have someone you like?" Fu Shuyi asked seemingly casually in the middle of the meal.

Lin Jing paused slightly and gently shook her head, "Not yet."

"Sister Lin Jing, someone as outstanding as you must have many admirers, isn’t there anyone who has touched your heart?"

Lin Jing shook her head, "I’m currently not interested in dating. I just want to focus on my job."

"Oh," Fu Shuyi looked at Lin Jing thoughtfully. She clearly liked Brother but didn’t plan to express it; what did that mean? However, it was probably for the best as she didn’t like Lin Jing being with her brother. It wasn’t that Lin Jing was not good, but Fu Shuyi felt that she was too depressing and full of negative energy, which Fu Shuyi disliked.

Although it was not very obvious, Lin Jing was a person extremely sensitive to others’ emotions. From the first time she met Lin Jing, she had this feeling, and subsequent interactions only confirmed it. However, if Lin Jing was just friends with her brother, she naturally had no objections.

After finishing the meal, Lin Jing left first. Fu Chenxuan looked helplessly at his sister, "Tangtang, do you have some misunderstanding about Lin Jing?"

Fu Shuyi looked bafflingly clueless, "Ah, misunderstanding? No."

"You seem to dislike her a lot." He knew his sister well enough to tell whether she liked someone or not.

"I’ve told you before, haven’t I? I really don’t like her."

"Can you tell me why?" asked Fu Chenxuan, puzzled. Lin Jing had always been kind to Fu Shuyi; where had she offended this girl?

Fu Shuyi tilted her head and thought, "Perhaps our auras are just incompatible."

Fu Chenxuan frowned and flicked her on the forehead, "Tell the truth."

Fu Shuyi covered her forehead, looking aggrieved, "You actually hit me, I’m going to tell Daddy, hmm."

Fu Chenxuan watched her act quietly; he hadn’t even used much force, "If you don’t tell me now, I will really hit you later."

Fu Shuyi pouted, "Comrade Xiao Fu, this is not right, sisters are to be cherished."

"Keep babbling."

"Okay, it’s just that she seems to carry too much negative energy, gloomy."

Fu Chenxuan frowned, "What kind of description is that?" How did a nice girl turn into a witch in her mouth?

Fu Shuyi shrugged, "You wanted me to tell the truth, now that I have, you don’t believe me. You’re really hard to please; okay, I’m going home, drive me home."

Fu Chenxuan drove, his mind still on Fu Shuyi’s words as they travelled. He didn’t feel Lin Jing was filled with negative energy, but he could tell Lin Jing was troubled. No matter how well she hid it, the sorrow in her eyes would inadvertently reveal itself; she seemed unhappy.

"Brother, you haven’t seen her for over twenty years, do you still feel the same way about her as when you were kids?" Fu Shuyi asked curiously.

Fu Chenxuan thought for a moment and shook his head, "The feeling is definitely different now; so much time has passed, people change." Lin Jing had changed a lot.

"I’m just friends with her now, don’t be so cynical towards her in the future."

"She doesn’t regard you just as a friend." Fu Shuyi muttered under her breath. Fu Chenxuan didn’t catch it and asked again. Fu Shuyi shook her head, "I said how could I be cynical towards her, being a cute and youthful girl like me, I’m always friendly and harmonious with everyone, how could you describe me as cynical."

"Shuyi."

Fu Shuyi raised her hands, "Alright, alright, I got it. From now on, I’ll definitely treat her gently and greet her with a smile, satisfied now?"

Fu Chenxuan looked at her helplessly but said no more. However, he took her words to heart, thinking maybe something had happened to Lin Jing and decided to ask her about it sometime.

Since Fu Shuyi was there today, Lin Jing didn’t eat well, so the next day, Fu Chenxuan invited Lin Jing to a meal alone.

"Jingjing, is there something troubling you?" Lin Jing seemed even more silent after coming back.

Lin Jing looked up at him, "No, what troubles could I have? Maybe it’s just work being too exhausting recently, so my body can’t keep up." She thought Fu Chenxuan was referring to her significant weight loss.

"Jingjing, we are friends. If there’s anything you need help with, you can tell me, I’ll definitely help you if I can," Fu Chenxuan spoke earnestly.

Lin Jing looked quietly into his eyes, feeling a slight acidity in her heart, just as she was about to speak, Fu Chenxuan’s phone rang, and his expression changed as soon as he answered.