Chapter 79: What Did I Entrust You With? Get Lost!

"Cough, cough..." Zhao Fuhe gripped Gu Pingsheng's hand. "I didn't do it, truly—Senior Sister sent it herself. If you don't believe me, you can ask...the man beside her. She doesn't love you at all. If she had even a shred of sincerity, she wouldn't have said those things to me. She—"

"Enough!" Gu Pingsheng tightened his grip, and Zhao Fuhe's face began to turn an unnatural shade of purple from lack of air.

She looked at him. "If you kill me, then no one will...no one will be able to...save her."

Gu Pingsheng's thin lips pressed together tightly, his deep, shadowed gaze revealing not the slightest glimmer of light. After several seconds, he abruptly released her hand.

Zhao Fuhe collapsed to the floor, clutching her throat, coughing violently.

He stared down at her coldly. "Zhao Fuhe, do not test the limits of my patience. Once your sole value is gone, I will make your life worse than death."

Faced with his icy words, Zhao Fuhe staggered to her feet, sorrow and pain clouding her eyes. "All this time we've been together, was it nothing but a transaction to you?"

Gu Pingsheng looked at her in silence, his gaze heavy.

She rose on tiptoe, intending to kiss him, but he evaded her.

He left only one sentence: "Take care of your health," then strode out of the hotel.

Take care of your health—once, Zhao Fuhe thought those words were gentle concern. Now, every time she heard them, they felt nothing but bitterly mocking.

He never truly cared for her!

"Ah, ah, ah!" In a rage, Zhao Fuhe swept everything off the table onto the floor. She was unwilling—truly unwilling!

Unwilling to be used as nothing more than a tool.

Why, why could this man be so obsessed with her in bed, taking her again and again, yet be forever unfathomable once the sheets cooled?

Every time she thought she had mastered him, reality would slap her hard in the face.

Lanhu County.

Gu Pingsheng returned home, not to find Wen Zhixia, but a man in a suit, holding a folder.

"Good evening, Mr. Gu. I'm Ms. Wen's lawyer—my surname is Qin." Lawyer Qin stood, extending his hand.

Gu Pingsheng glanced at him, already guessing his purpose. "Get out!"

Lawyer Qin hadn't even spoken before he was thrown out—something he hadn't anticipated. "Mr. Gu, I'm here today at Ms. Wen's request, I—"

"If my wife has something to say to me, she doesn't need to commission you. Get lost!" Gu Pingsheng tugged at his tie impatiently.

Lawyer Qin was speechless. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed that the president of Gu Xia Group—a young, distinguished leader in business—could be so vulgar.

Gu Pingsheng called security, reporting that an unknown intruder had entered his home, and ordered them to remove the man.

Lawyer Qin was ushered out without even a chance to repeat his purpose.

Standing by the door guarded with utmost vigilance, Lawyer Qin picked up his briefcase, dusted it off, and felt he'd certainly broadened his horizons today.

"Ms. Wen...Mr. Gu had me thrown out. Honestly, I didn't even get a chance to speak. Perhaps, when you have time, we should sit down together and talk?"

Lawyer Qin returned to his car, phoning Wen Zhixia to report his experience.

Wen Zhixia paused. "...Thank you for your trouble."

"Wen, why did you need a lawyer?" Hua Qianjiao munched on a pastry, curious.

Wen Zhixia put her phone down. "Divorce."

Hua Qianjiao's fork fell onto the table, her eyes wide. "Why?"

Wen Zhixia answered quietly, "...Irreconcilable feelings."

At this point, she no longer wished to expose Gu Pingsheng's actions to anyone. She didn't want to tear things apart for all to see. Since they had once been in love, she wanted them both to part with dignity.

Hua Qianjiao half-understood, for in her memory, Mr. Gu had always treated Wen kindly.

"Will you be sad, Wen?" Innocent souls always ask the questions that pierce the heart, without realizing it.

Wen Zhixia's lashes trembled. After a long, long pause, her voice came, dry and slow. "...Yes."

If separation wasn't painful, then perhaps she had never truly loved.

"Then..." Zhao Fuhe wanted to say more, but caught sight of a familiar figure through the window.

Wen Zhixia followed her gaze—it was Lin Huixian, but the man beside her was not Qing Qi, but a portly middle-aged man. Wen Zhixia's eyes paused. "Who is—"

"That's Lin Huixian's..." Hua Qianjiao searched for the right word, finally settling on, "...man."

Wen Zhixia lifted her gaze. "Qing Qi cut her off?"

Hua Qianjiao tugged at her falling hair. "Seems so. Then Lin Huixian found a wealthy American businessman, but he has a wife abroad and is quite old. Why do you think Lin Huixian went for such an old man?"

"It's certainly not for love," Wen Zhixia replied.

Hua Qianjiao blinked. "Why does she always like men with fiancées or wives?"

Wen Zhixia answered coolly, "She enjoys debasing herself."

Other people's possessions are always better—other people's men, too.

Hua Qianjiao nodded in agreement.

But as they were about to leave, they stumbled upon a drama in the parking lot.

Lin Huixian was lovingly preparing to get into the car with the American businessman, when Qing Qi rushed out, his face dark and tense, staring hard at the pair.

The American businessman sensed something amiss, looking at his young girlfriend. "Do you know him?"

Lin Huixian shook her head, but her eyes locked onto Qing Qi, filled with sorrow and pain, as if everything happening was forced upon her.

Qing Qi approached. "Huixian, who is he?!"

"Qing Qi, we've broken up. Please...don't come looking for me again. He's my boyfriend. I'm happy now. Don't..." Tears welled in her eyes. "Don't disturb my peace anymore."

Qing Qi pulled her toward him. "He could be your father, and you say he's your boyfriend?!"

The American businessman watched the scene unfold; he wasn't a fool, and soon realized the woman he had spent so much money on was still involved with another man. "Lin Huixian, what is this? Who is this man?"

Caught between them, Lin Huixian suddenly squatted down and burst into tears.

Hua Qianjiao frowned, wanting to step forward, but Wen Zhixia stopped her. "The play isn't over yet. If you go now, you'll hand Lin Huixian a ready-made excuse."

From her understanding of Lin Huixian, the woman would use Hua Qianjiao's innocence to play the role of true love—pretending to be pure while behaving otherwise.

She seduced someone else's fiancé, and when things didn't go her way, she found another man to provoke Qing Qi, wanting both men to bow and serve her, all the while maintaining her innocent image.

Hua Qianjiao obeyed, pouting quietly but watching on.

"What do you want from me? Haven't I done enough for you? I was willing to be your mistress, despised and cursed, all for you. But you broke up with me for Hua Qianjiao. Do you know how much it hurt when you said that? I wanted to die." Lin Huixian stood up, wiped her tears, and took the American businessman's arm, giving him a tearful smile. "He saved me, gave me new life, and a reason to go on."

Her words filled Qing Qi with guilt and showed gratitude and affection to her new patron.

Wen Zhixia thought Lin Huixian wasted her talents not doing business negotiations. Her greed for vanity transformed into rebirth in her mouth, her ability to distort truth was truly astonishing.

"If that old man had no money, would she still find meaning in life?" Hua Qianjiao muttered.

Wen Zhixia looked at her in surprise, then replied, "No. She'd find another fool to pay for her luxury before Qing Qi gave in."

Hua Qianjiao walked to the car, pouting and twisting her clothes with her fingers. "I think these men are a little dumb."

Even a child could see through it—why couldn't these business elites?

Wen Zhixia drove past the trio, honking as she did, leaving them nothing but a glimpse of the car's taillights.

"Any man who survives in his field isn't truly stupid. If the moves are out in the open, maybe they won't notice once or twice, but after several times, they can't help but see. But you can never awaken someone who pretends to sleep. Maybe they think there's no harm in it." Wen Zhixia glanced at her. "Qing Qi isn't right for you. Your Brother Lanzhou is a better candidate."

Hua Qianjiao puffed her cheeks and frowned. "Compared to Brother Lanzhou, I still like you better, Wen."

Her childish tone and expression made Wen Zhixia laugh. "Silly girl, you—"

Her head spun, a buzzing filled her ears, and she lost all sense of her surroundings, cutting her words short.

Wen Zhixia shook her head, using the last bit of clarity to pull the car over, then slumped over the steering wheel, clutching her chest and breathing heavily.

Hua Qianjiao was frightened by the sudden episode. "Wen, what's wrong? Wen...phone, phone..."

Panicking, she fumbled for the phone, taking several seconds to get it out. "Emergency number, what's the emergency number, Wen? The number..."

Unable to recall the emergency number in her panic, she called the most recent contact on the phone—Ye Lanzhou. As soon as the call connected, her tearful voice startled him. "Brother Lanzhou, help! Wen fainted suddenly..."

Gu Pingsheng received Ye Lanzhou's call, leaping from his desk in alarm, so hurried that he slammed into the corner. "Where are you?"

Half-conscious, Wen Zhixia felt as if she were drifting between dream and reality. She heard commotion, Hua Qianjiao's frightened sobs, and...a man's heavy breathing.

Ye Lanzhou was closer to Wen Zhixia's car than Lanhu County, but he and Gu Pingsheng arrived almost simultaneously.

When Wen Zhixia was sent into the emergency room, Ye Lanzhou glanced at the man who had rushed out in just a shirt and slippers, wanting to joke that even Mr. Gu could look so desperate. But seeing Gu Pingsheng's grave expression, he said nothing.

"She'll be okay..." Ye Lanzhou patted Gu Pingsheng's shoulder in comfort.

Gu Pingsheng stood with his hand covering his mouth, his fingertips trembling. He stared into the emergency room lights, unmoving for a long, long time.

After what seemed an eternity, just as Ye Lanzhou thought he wouldn't speak again, Gu Pingsheng's voice sounded once more. "She fears hospitalization. She never liked hospitals."

Hua Qianjiao watched Gu Pingsheng's back, worried for Wen Zhixia and puzzled. She felt Mr. Gu cared deeply for Wen, yet Wen said they were incompatible.

Wen Zhixia was wheeled out and into the ward. Gu Pingsheng's long fingers brushed lightly over her cheek, his thin lips moving faintly. "Don't be afraid," he whispered.

Director Zhang entered, exchanged a glance with Gu Pingsheng, then Gu Pingsheng turned to Ye Lanzhou. "Watch her for me a while."

Ye Lanzhou nodded.

Gu Pingsheng glanced back at Wen Zhixia on the bed, then followed Director Zhang out.

The two spoke in the office for over half an hour, and even as Wen Zhixia began to regain consciousness, they had not returned.

"Thank goodness you're awake, Wen! Are you alright? Does anything hurt?" Hua Qianjiao helped her sit up and hugged her tightly. Miss Hua hadn't lied—she truly adored her Wen. Seeing Wen Zhixia pale and lying in bed hurt her more than being ill herself.

Wen Zhixia smiled gently. "I'm fine now."

Hua Qianjiao looked up. "But Mr. Gu is talking with a doctor about you, and he hasn't come back yet."

In her mind, if it were a simple illness, it wouldn't take so long to discuss, right?

Wen Zhixia paused at her words. "He...came, too?"

Does that mean he now knows her condition?

The thought made Wen Zhixia frown. She had no wish for their divorce to become complicated.