Returning - Chapter 87

Chapter 87: Secrets

Ji Sui didn't mention a word about what happened with the Zhuang family. It was such a disgraceful affair, he probably didn't want to bring it up with her, so Zhao Yu didn't ask about it either.

A week later, Zhao Yu received an email from the private investigator. The men Zhuang Yiqing had hired to attack the woman hadn't been found yet, but the woman who was beaten had died in the hospital after her injuries worsened. She had undergone surgery previously, something the attackers didn't know.

This should be called manslaughter, right?

Staring at the email for a long while, Zhao Yu suddenly grinned. For anyone else, it would be called manslaughter. For Zhuang Yiqing, it was called innocence.

She, the mastermind behind the scenes, was innocent, and by extension, the men who carried out the attack could also escape punishment. As for the victim's family, who knew what situation they were in now.

Such a familiar plot.

And in this, wasn't there also credit owed to Xu Chengyan and Ji Sui? Even... credit to Zhuang Ye? Although he was abroad, he would certainly stand on his own sister's side.

In that moment, Zhao Yu suddenly felt disgusted.

Those men of high status, who always seemed so unattainable, were all equally filthy at their core.

They only cared about the people they cared about, only cared about their own interests. So-called fairness and justice simply didn't exist.

"Whoa, what's wrong with you? You've been spacing out for ages." Wang Qi waved a hand in front of her face. "Don't tell me Xia Nan was right, and with a certain someone not coming to work, you're all restless?"

Zhao Yu snapped out of her daze and shook her head with a smile. "Don't listen to Xia Nan's nonsense. How is that possible?"

The "certain someone" Wang Qi referred to was, naturally, Xue Zi'ang. After they had left Xue Zhan's villa that day, he hadn't shown up since. She heard he had taken a long leave; it seemed the incident that day had hit him hard.

Wang Qi leisurely took a sip of coffee, glanced at the tightly shut door to Xue Zhan's office, then let her gaze settle back on Zhao Yu's face. "What's really going on with you and Director Xue? If it's fake, then isn't our superior a bit too idle, playing this kind of game with you? Knowing him, he's not that bored. If it's real, the state of you two lately doesn't look like it either."

Zhao Yu pursed her lips. "Who knows?"

She wasn't trying to brush Wang Qi off; she genuinely didn't know what her relationship with Xue Zhan counted as now.

Temporarily off-stage acting partners? Anyway, with Xue Zi'ang absent from the company all week, she and Xue Zhan didn't need to act anymore, so their relationship had reverted to the normal working dynamic of assistant and superior.

As for the kiss that morning, since he didn't mention it, she pretended it never happened.

It was just that when facing him now, she was a bit more cautious. After all, she had no way of confirming whether his suspicions had been aroused, or how much he knew about her affairs.

Face the soldiers, block the water with earth—that was all she could do for now.

Xue Zhan had taken people to an industry association event and hadn't been in the office all morning. Now, only Zhao Yu and Wang Qi were left in the secretariat, which was perfect for a chat.

Before long, Xia Nan, who had gone out on an errand, returned, looking utterly excited. As soon as she sat at her workstation, she looked up at the camera overhead and asked Wang Qi, "Is that thing really broken?"

Wang Qi nodded. "I specifically went to the surveillance room to confirm. It's really broken, and they haven't had time to replace it yet."

"That's wonderful." Xia Nan immediately twisted in her seat without a care for her image, kicked her legs to scoot her chair over to Zhao Yu and Wang Qi, and took out her phone. "Then let me show you something."

Wang Qi wore a mischievous grin. "Young lady, are you trying to get us to watch a video during work hours?"

"Yeah, but not a dirty film, a tragic drama. Oh, wait, more accurately, it's not watching, it's listening." Xia Nan mysteriously opened the audio recording interface on her phone, her gaze towards Zhao Yu especially meaningful. "Listen to a heart-wrenchingly touching tragic recording."

After pressing play, the first sound was a stern female voice: "A woman who can be stolen away isn't worth your effort. If you've got the ability, learn from your uncle. See what kind of man makes a woman willingly stay. He can run Huajin based on his own skills. And you? How did you earn your Vice President title? If not for your status as the eldest grandson of the Xue family, what position do you think you could hold at Huacan? Do you think those women would still swarm around you like flies?"

Zhao Yu froze, instinctively exchanging a glance with Wang Qi. They both recognized that voice—it was Liu Ling, the General Manager of Huaqi, Xue Zi'ang's mother.

Wang Qi poked Xia Nan's arm. "Young people are so bold. You actually dared to secretly record President Liu talking?"

Xia Nan looked innocent. "It wasn't intentional. I just happened to stumble upon it and couldn't resist. Listen to the rest, the next part is the main point."

After a brief static noise, it seemed Liu Ling sighed and asked, "Do you really like that Zhao Yu that much?"

"Like... of course I like... I love her, I just love her, I won't marry anyone else, none of you can take her away, not even Xue Zhan..." This was Xue Zi'ang's voice, but his tone sounded off.

Meeting Zhao Yu's puzzled gaze, Xia Nan raised her eyebrows proudly. "He was drunk. I happened to see him when I went downstairs. Tsk, dead drunk, made President Liu really angry. But they say drunk words are honest words, so you can judge those words for yourself. There was actually another part before this, a passionate confession about you, but I wasn't prepared and didn't record it. Anyway, I found it quite touching when I heard it."

Wang Qi looked at Xia Nan with annoyance. "You turned traitor so quickly? What about our plan to ruthlessly torment the scumbag?"

Xia Nan shrugged. "I just felt that my boss is pretty miserable right now. Hearing him like this, he really has fallen for Sister Zhao Yu, so I just... Sister Zhao Yu, why don't you give him a chance and make up with him? I'm still waiting for you to marry into a wealthy family and show me that legendary rich life."

Zhao Yu gave a self-deprecating smile. "Don't get your hopes up. A commoner like me doesn't dare to have those kinds of daydreams."

She truly hadn't expected Xue Zi'ang to harbor so many genuine feelings for her, but right now, she only cared about whether that sincerity still held any value for her to exploit.

It was already past three in the afternoon when Xue Zhan returned. The event wasn't over yet; Gu Shuyang and the others he had taken with him were still at the venue, and the secretariat remained sparsely populated and quiet.

With Xue Zi'ang away, Xia Nan was juggling multiple roles, busy inside and out. Wang Qi had also been dispatched by Xue Zhan to handle other matters. When Liu Ling came up to find Xue Zhan, Zhao Yu was the only one outside the office.

Fortunately, this cold-faced, domineering female executive had never viewed her as a prospective daughter-in-law, so encountering her at the company was actually less awkward for Zhao Yu. She simply offered a formulaic, polite greeting.

Given Liu Ling's status, she didn't need an appointment or to be announced to enter Xue Zhan's office. Watching her push the door open and enter, Zhao Yu instinctively got up to pour tea. Only after standing did she notice the door wasn't shut tight.

In an instant, what Wang Qi had said earlier flashed through Zhao Yu's mind: the surveillance was broken and hadn't been replaced. And she could almost guess that the reason Liu Ling had rushed up as soon as Xue Zhan returned was definitely related to her.

After hesitating for a few seconds and checking her surroundings, Zhao Yu finally mustered her courage and quietly crept closer to the office, standing silently by the door, listening to the sounds inside.

"It was agreed she would leave the company. Why did you go back on your word?" This was Liu Ling's voice, carrying an interrogating tone. And the "she" referred to was likely Zhao Yu.

"You think sending her away will solve the problem? You know Xue Zi'ang's temper better than I do. The more he can't find someone, the more anxious and fixated he gets. If she stays by his side, over time, he'll naturally grow tired of her." Xue Zhan's tone was flat, devoid of emotion.

"And has he grown tired yet? Last night he went out, got drunk, and got into a fight. I only had someone bring him back this morning. Do you know he's nearly ended up in the hospital several times these past few days? Xue Zhan, tell me honestly, did you keep Zhao Yu in the company for Zi'ang's sake, or for your own? Don't tell me you've actually taken a liking to that woman?"

"What kind of woman I take a liking to seems, well, none of your concern, Sister-in-Law."

"Yes, it's none of my concern. Your affairs, who am I, an outsider, to meddle in? But out of everyone, why must you fight Zi'ang over a woman? He's your own nephew, the only son of your eldest brother. Don't you forget how your eldest brother died..."

"President Liu." Before Liu Ling could finish, Xue Zhan cut her off coldly, his tone carrying a sharpness Zhao Yu had never heard before.

For a moment, the office fell into a brief silence. Just as Zhao Yu was considering quickly leaving, she heard Liu Ling inside sigh. "Yes, everything is my fault. I shouldn't have made you share the responsibility. You were innocent from the start. It was me, shamelessly seducing you, it was me... But Xue Zhan, Zi'ang is your eldest brother's only son. Even if only for the sake of blood ties and family..."

"I understand." Xue Zhan's voice had lost its earlier sharpness, now sounding somewhat weary. "I've never wanted to hurt him. But you've spoiled him rotten. He has no sense of responsibility, no drive. He simply can't take over the company. If you truly want what's best for him, stop indulging his constant nonsense and idleness. Also, Zhao Yu might not be a good person. You shouldn't soften just because of a few words from Xue Zi'ang. I have a handle on this matter."

Hearing that last sentence, Zhao Yu, still reeling from shock, suddenly felt a jolt of alarm.

Xue Zhan was indeed already suspicious of her.

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