Chapter 15
Edward Quan ·
He paused.
His smile twisted.
“It was never me.”
Chapter 20: The Man Behind the Velvet Curtain
Gu Chengyuan’s words stirred the entire hall.
Ye Manqing immediately frowned.
“Who are you trying to blame now?”
The old man laughed coldly.
“I don’t need to blame anyone.”
“Because that person is standing right here in this room.”
I looked around.
Unfamiliar faces.
Expensive suits.
Confused expressions.
Who else could there be?
Gu Mingzhe stepped forward.
“Dad, explain yourself.”
The old man looked at his son.
His gaze was complicated.
“Mingzhe.”
“You’ve always thought I was the most ruthless person in this family.”
He fell silent.
The old man continued:
“But do you know who first proposed getting rid of Xia Qinglan?”
Ye Manqing’s face immediately went pale.
“Shut up!”
Gu Chengyuan laughed.
“Are you afraid?”
She clenched her fists.
He said slowly:
“That person…”
Suddenly—
A loud crash came from behind the stage.
The lights in the hall went out.
Screams rang out everywhere.
I jumped.
“Ah!”
A hand suddenly grabbed my wrist.
I spun around in alarm.
In the darkness, a voice said:
“Come with me.”
I immediately asked:
“Who are you?”
The person paused.
“Don’t ask!”
That made me even more nervous.
“How will I know who you are if I don’t ask?”
“…”
“Are you a security guard?”
“…”
“Or a waiter?”
“CAN YOU SHUT UP?”
I recognized him at once.
A man’s voice.
Very familiar.
It was the man who had called to threaten me!
I immediately shouted:
“PRESIDENT GU! SOMEONE’S TRYING TO KIDNAP ME!”
The hand tightened around my wrist.
“Do you want to die?”
I panicked.
“No! I haven’t even gotten this month’s salary yet!”
The man: “…”
Just then, the emergency lights came on.
I saw the face of the person holding me.
Chen Kai.
I was stunned.
“Huh?”
He was stunned too.
Because the next thing I suddenly asked was:
“Didn’t you just go onstage to testify?”
Chen Kai’s face went pale.
I continued:
“Why are you kidnapping me now?”
He gritted his teeth.
“Shut up!”
I looked at him.
Then at the hand gripping my wrist.
Finally, I asked seriously:
“Are you getting paid for this job?”
Chen Kai: “…”
I continued:
“If so, how much?”
“…”
“Do you get benefits?”
“…”
“Does it count as overtime?”
Chen Kai suddenly shouted:
“CAN YOU STOP ASKING QUESTIONS?”
I jumped.
“Yes!”
Just then—
A group of police officers rushed over.
Chen Kai immediately let go.
But it was too late.
They subdued him on the spot.
I stood motionless.
Gu Mingzhe ran over.
“Ruoxi!”
I turned around.
He held my shoulders.
“Are you all right?”
I shook my head.
“Yes.”
He breathed a sigh of relief.
But I immediately added:
“There’s just one thing…”
He tensed up.
“What is it?”
I looked at my wrist.
“My sleeve is wrinkled.”
Gu Mingzhe: “…”
He closed his eyes.
Then laughed.
A laugh both helpless and relieved.
“It’s all right.”
“I’ll replace it.”
I immediately looked up.
“Really?”
“Really.”
I was touched.
Best president in the world!
But just then—
Another shout rang out.
“Old Master Gu is gone!”
Everyone turned.
On the stage.
Where the old man had just been standing—
There was now no one.
Chapter 21: The Man Who Vanished and the Second Will
Gu Chengyuan disappeared in the middle of the party.
The police immediately sealed off the exits.
But he had prepared an escape route in advance.
A service door behind the stage led down to the basement.
The cameras there had been disabled for exactly seven minutes.
Seven minutes.
Enough time for someone familiar with the villa to get away.
Gu Mingzhe stood before the surveillance screen.
His expression was icy.
“Dad planned this in advance.”
I stood beside him.
I didn’t know what to say.
But just then, my phone vibrated again.
I looked at the screen.
A message from an unknown number.
“If you want to save your biological mother, come to the place where it all began.”
I was stunned.
The place where it all began?
I looked at Gu Mingzhe.
He read the message.
His brow immediately furrowed.
“Wanhe Mall.”
I was confused.
“Are you sure?”
He nodded.
“That’s where you met Xiaoyu.”
I thought about it.
Then suddenly asked:
“But why does he want me to go there?”
No one answered.
I continued:
“If he wanted to kidnap me, he could choose somewhere more deserted.”
Gu Mingzhe paused.
I looked at him.
“The mall has lots of cameras.”
“And plenty of people.”
“And the police already cordoned it off once.”
“Why would he choose that place?”
Gu Mingzhe fell silent.
After a long while, he said slowly:
“Because there’s something there.”
I looked up.
He continued:
“Something he needs you to find.”
I immediately thought of the silver bracelet.
“Could it be connected to the Xia family?”
He nodded.
“Very likely.”
We immediately informed the police.
But before we could leave, my mother suddenly took my hand.
“Ruoxi.”
I turned around.
“Mom?”
She looked at me.
Her eyes full of worry.
“You don’t have to go.”
I was silent.
She continued:
“This has nothing to do with you.”
I looked at her.
Then gently shook my head.
“It does.”
My mother was stunned.
I smiled.
“Someone sent me that message.”
“And threatened my biological mother.”
I paused.
“I can’t pretend I don’t know.”
My mother began to cry.
I hugged her.
“Don’t worry.”
“I won’t do anything reckless by myself.”
“The police will be with me.”
She nodded.
But just as I was about to leave, Dad suddenly called out.
“Ruoxi!”
I turned around.
“Yes?”
He looked at me.
It was a long while before he spoke.
“Remember one thing.”
I immediately became serious.
“Yes!”
He took a deep breath.
“If you run into a bad person…”
I nodded.
“Yes?”
He gritted his teeth.
“DON’T TALK NONSENSE!”
Me: “…”
Dad.
At a time like this—
Couldn’t you say something more touching?
Chapter 22: The Shopping Mall and the Final Encounter
Eleven at night.
Wanhe Mall was closed.
The exterior lights were still on.
But inside, everything was completely quiet.
I stood outside the entrance.
Gu Mingzhe stood beside me.
The police had deployed officers at strategic positions.
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