Chapter 31: Never to Become a Mother

Gu Xia Group.

“President Gu, you wanted to see me.” Li Yueting approached with a cup of coffee, gently placing it by his hand. She stood so close that Gu Pingsheng could distinctly catch the scent of her perfume.

His well-defined fingers rubbed the edge of the coffee cup as he spoke in a low, inscrutable tone, “Who came by the office yesterday afternoon?”

Li Yueting’s breath caught for an instant; she almost immediately understood what he was after. Fortunately, having worked by his side for years, she had long cultivated an unflappable composure. “Yesterday afternoon, President Zhao came by, Assistant Chen delivered some documents, and I believe President Wang passed through as well…”

He lifted his deep, enigmatic gaze. “Is that so? It seems you’ve forgotten someone.”

Li Yueting asked, “Are you referring to…?”

Gu Pingsheng fell silent, his eyes fixed on her.

Only then did Li Yueting seem to grasp the underlying meaning of his words. “I am your secretary, President Gu. Of course, I was here yesterday afternoon as well.”

Her words and demeanor conveyed that her presence in the CEO’s office was entirely within her responsibilities—nothing unusual, perfectly reasonable.

Gu Pingsheng laid his phone flat on the desk. The screen lit up, displaying yesterday’s incoming call from Wen Zhixia.

Li Yueting looked at him, puzzled. “President Gu, what do you want me to see?”

Her performance was flawless, her expression seamless and unimpeachable.

Gu Pingsheng pressed his knuckles to the desk and stood, moving closer to her.

He was tall, and as he leaned in, his presence filled the space with an overwhelming sense of masculinity.

This was the first time he had ever come so close to her on his own accord. Li Yueting tilted her head slightly, closing her eyes with a faint tremor of her lashes, her anticipation clear as her fingers instinctively moved to encircle his strong waist.

What she did not expect was this:

Gu Pingsheng’s raised hand suddenly clamped around her throat. As shock flooded her eyes, his gaze turned pitch-black. “What you wanted, I’ve given you. But if anything happens to her, no amount of deaths will absolve you!”

Li Yueting struggled, trying to pry his hand away, but she couldn’t. “I didn’t…”

His grip tightened, her breath grew shallower, her face already turning a purplish hue. “No, it wasn’t me…”

Gu Pingsheng’s eyes narrowed, cold and devoid of any light.

Clutching his hand, Li Yueting’s eyes began to roll back; just as she was on the verge of suffocation and fainting, Gu Pingsheng released her, shoving her aside.

Weak and gasping for air, Li Yueting collapsed onto the floor, clutching her neck.

“From today onward, you won’t be staying here. HR will assign you a new position. Get out!” He stared down at her, his voice low and commanding.

Struggling to her feet, Li Yueting’s pain was evident, though she forced herself to appear composed and strong—like a small flower battered by the wind, yet stubbornly resilient, with a certain beauty. “You promised me that as long as I didn’t resign, I could always be your secretary. I traded my entire future—my inability to have children, to ever become a mother—for this position.”

“I have done nothing, and I will never pay for something I haven’t done. I didn’t hang up your call. No one knows better than I do how much Wen Zhixia means to you—why would I do something so foolish?” She continued, “If I truly meant harm, I could have answered the call myself and said something to make her misunderstand. Even if I were that foolish, I’d at least remember to delete the call record, wouldn’t I?”

Her words were logical. Over the years as his secretary, she had been cautious and rarely made mistakes—how could she leave behind such an obvious flaw?

Sitting in his chair, Gu Pingsheng’s fingers tapped the desk, emitting a soft, rhythmic sound.

It was his habitual gesture when deep in thought.

“I will find out who did this,” Li Yueting said again.

Gu Pingsheng looked up at her, silent for a long moment, then said, “Leave.”

Tears fell from Li Yueting’s eyes as she looked at him, like one wronged and deeply aggrieved.

“You have one afternoon. If you don’t find the culprit, report to HR.”

As she turned to the door, Gu Pingsheng’s voice rang out once more.

Li Yueting’s hand froze on the doorknob at his words. She hadn’t expected that even now, Gu Pingsheng was determined to find out who had hung up the call.

Her fingers clenched tightly around the handle, her gaze lowered. “Alright.”

Exiting the CEO’s office, Li Yueting’s fists tightened until her nails dug into her palms. All this fuss over a single phone call! Should she envy the depth of their bond, or should she mock the weight he placed on a woman, given how many others he had outside?

She too wondered: if one day, the once-formidable Ms. Wen learned that the man she’d loved for years was actually keeping other women, how would she react?

“Secretary Li, what happened to you?” Assistant Chen happened to walk by and was startled by the bruises on her neck.

Li Yueting eyed the documents in his hand, a spark of calculation flashing through her mind.

“Chen, I need to discuss something with you.”

Though unsure what needed discussing, Assistant Chen followed her outside.

Ten minutes later, Assistant Chen looked at her in shock, shaking his head repeatedly. “No, I can’t agree to this…”

Li Yueting said, “Last month’s tender—because someone carelessly leaked our bidding plan and base price, we nearly lost the bid. How did Gu Xia Group deal with the last traitor who harmed the company’s interests? They pursued the matter to the end; that employee’s reputation was ruined, he couldn’t work in the industry again, and he was sent to jail.”

Assistant Chen stammered, “This isn’t the same—I made an honest mistake. I was just tricked in conversation, and in the end, the company wasn’t actually harmed.”

“Whether it was a careless mistake or intentional depends on the investigation team’s judgment.” Li Yueting leaned in, whispering near his ear, “You were flustered delivering documents and accidentally bumped into a ringing phone, or… you can face the investigation and risk being fired. I believe you know which to choose.”

Li Yueting knew perfectly well that, for the same incident, her involvement would be seen as calculated, while for an outsider, it would truly be a mistake.

That afternoon, an internal notice was suddenly posted in the group, announcing disciplinary action against Assistant Chen for negligence.

Li Yueting saw it, put away her phone, and stood before the restroom mirror, tying a brightly colored scarf around her neck.

...

“Wen, what do you think of this one?”

In two days, it would be Mr. Hua’s birthday. After dinner, Hua Qianjiao dragged Wen Zhixia out to choose a gift.

Wen Zhixia, a bit tired, sat on a small sofa, slightly out of breath, and shook her head.

Seeing this, Hua Qianjiao picked up another option. “How about this?”

Wen Zhixia advised, “Your choices are too youthful—not suitable for Chairman Hua’s status.”

Hua Qianjiao pursed her lips. “Oh. I’ll keep looking.”

Full of energy, she seemed tireless. Lowering her head, Wen Zhixia noticed a financial magazine on the table—an exclusive interview with Gu Pingsheng. She paused, then flipped through a couple of pages.

Business interviews inevitably touched on the entrepreneur’s rise to success.

Many things, unremarkable at the time, now seemed pivotal in hindsight—every step fraught with both challenge and opportunity.

A freshly graduated university student, striving to stand out among countless entrepreneurs, could only forge ahead with courage and audacity.

It was hard to imagine the poised and distinguished President Gu of today once bowing and scraping, smiling until his face hurt just to win people over. His temper had never been easy; several times, Wen Zhixia had feared he’d lose control and create a scene.

He’d been called an “inexperienced boy, destined for nothing” to his face, lectured condescendingly by so-called seasoned professionals, forced to drink until he could barely stand—yet he always maintained absolute composure.

The once unruly youth in fine clothes grew up quickly; later, when she asked him, he could hold her and say, “A fist must be drawn back before it can strike with real force.”

He was telling her: he hadn’t become petty or lost his edge—he was simply gathering strength for his ultimate ascent.

One of the few times he lost his temper was at a business dinner with an investor. The investor dismissed their project but became interested in Wen Zhixia instead.

Fresh out of university, Wen Zhixia was strikingly beautiful and pure—just looking at her sparked all kinds of thoughts.

Feigning drunkenness, the investor asked her to see him home, claiming they could discuss project details along the way.

Wen Zhixia hesitated, then agreed. She wasn’t naive—she knew his intentions, but she also had the sudden idea that perhaps, by going along, she could finally secure the long-sought investment.

She was thorough in her preparations and had already investigated this venture capitalist. Years before, he’d married into a wealthy family as a live-in son-in-law. Now, with his father-in-law aging and his wife absorbed in beauty treatments and their child, he finally had some freedom.

But as long as his father-in-law lived, the investor would always be constrained. If anyone found out he was using the company as a front for his own games, it would spell disaster for him—valuable leverage in her hands.

Yet, her carefully laid plans fell apart with Gu Pingsheng. He refused to let her go, his opposition resolute.

She pushed his hand away, never imagining that the once-tactful, self-effacing Gu Pingsheng would resort to physical violence against the investor as she was getting into the car.

That night, they spent the night at the police station, accused of assault.

Gu Pingsheng ended up spending over a month in jail. Only after his release did Wen Zhixia see the scars on him and realize the investor had sent thugs after him in prison.

Reading the interview brought a flood of memories. Closing the magazine, she looked up to see how Hua Qianjiao was doing, only to find herself locking eyes with someone familiar.

The other party was clearly surprised to see her look up so suddenly.

After staring at the magazine too long, Wen Zhixia blinked. “Mr. Zhang.”

Zhang Zhiyan glanced at the magazine in her hand, catching Gu Pingsheng’s name, then lifted the item in his own hand. “Just here to pick up some sleeve garters. And you?”

Having long been influenced by British gentlemen, Zhang Zhiyan took great pride in his appearance. Most well-dressed men cared about ties, cufflinks, or lapel pins, but few wore sleeve garters.

“I’m here shopping with a friend,” she replied.

He nodded, adjusting his sleeve garters. There was a mirror above her to the left; his left hand seemed a bit clumsy, and after much effort, he still wasn’t satisfied with the fit on his right arm.

With no shop assistant in sight, he looked around, then turned to Wen Zhixia with a wry smile. “Could you help me out? I have a touch of OCD—if they’re not perfect, I can’t walk comfortably.”

Setting the magazine aside, Wen Zhixia stood up.

He relaxed his arm, trusting her entirely. Bowing his head, he could see her dark lashes and fresh, delicate features. “Out shopping, but haven’t bought anything?”

He’d noticed she didn’t have a single shopping bag.

“Probably just not in the mood to buy.” If she wanted something, she was direct and purposeful. So whenever she shopped with Hua Qianjiao, it really was just “window shopping.”

Once she’d finished, Wen Zhixia stepped back, creating a polite distance. “All done.”

Zhang Zhiyan looked down, checking the symmetry, and smiled. “Perfect.”

Wen Zhixia nodded politely.

“Would you and your friend like to join me for a meal?” he asked.

“No, thank you. We just ate. Don’t let us delay you, Mr. Zhang.”

Seeing her cool and reserved manner, Zhang Zhiyan said, “In that case, goodbye.”

He’d only come for the sleeve garters, and since she declined his invitation, he paid and left.

Once Hua Qianjiao had finally chosen a gift, and Wen Zhixia approved, she cheerfully went to pay.

“Mr. Zhang has already told us to charge any purchases you two make here to his account,” the clerk said with a professional smile as she packed their items.

“Mr. Zhang?” Hua Qianjiao looked at Wen Zhixia in confusion.

Wen Zhixia paused, pulling out her own card. “No need. Please use this one.”

“I’m sorry, miss, but the payment’s already been processed.”

“Wen, are you and that man close?” In Hua Qianjiao’s mind, only close friends would pick up the tab for each other.

Wen Zhixia hesitated. “…We’re acquainted.”

One should never accept unearned favors. Though Hua Qianjiao bought the items, it was Wen Zhixia who owed the favor. After a moment’s thought, she picked out a pair of bow tie clips in Zhang Zhiyan’s style and paid for them herself.

After she left, Li Yueting, who had watched everything unfold from outside, put away her phone.

“I’ll take these two dresses.”

Li Yueting entered a boutique, saved the photo to her WeChat, and then turned off her phone.

At the counter, she shook her dead phone apologetically. “I’m so sorry, my phone just died. Can I log into WeChat on yours to pay?”

The sales assistant hesitated, but seeing the expensive designer bag Li Yueting had set casually on the counter, let her guard down. “Of course.”

After logging out, the assistant handed her the phone.

Li Yueting smiled, took the phone, sent the photo to a memorized number via SMS, then deleted the message.

Handing the phone back, she said, “Oh, I guess I’ll try my own phone again—it needs a code to log in from a strange device.”

Only then did the assistant recall this detail, belatedly realizing she’d played right into Li Yueting’s little act.

Gu Xia Group, CEO’s office.

“…Senior, my brother’s leg was broken while he was in custody. The doctor says… even with treatment, he’ll be left disabled. What should I do?” Zhao Fuhe sobbed over the phone.

Gu Pingsheng flipped through a file with one hand; he had long been aware of this situation.

A leg lost means there’s no hope of full recovery.

“How is your health?” he asked.

Zhao Fuhe was pleased he remembered her illness. “Much better now. The doctor says I’m frail and should take more care with diet and rest.”

“Alright.” Gu Pingsheng pressed his fingers to the file and leaned back. “I’ll arrange for a nutritionist to help you recover.”

“Thank you for caring, Senior. But what about my brother? I really don’t know what to do. Please help me…” Zhao Fuhe’s tone softened, clinging to him like a parasitic flower, as if she could not survive without his support.

Gu Pingsheng’s fingers twitched. “…I’ll ask Director Zhang to check on him.”

Knock, knock, knock—a knock at the door.

Gu Pingsheng looked up. “I’m busy. That’s all for now.”

After hanging up, he called out, “Come in.”

“President Gu, the new design samples are ready.” The designer signaled for staff to bring them in, unveiling the cloth covering the new pieces.

Gu Pingsheng stood, eyes sweeping over them.

High-end ready-to-wear was a new venture for Gu Xia Group that year, and everyone knew President Gu favored this subsidiary, personally overseeing nearly everything.

“These are good. Tailor these pieces to my wife’s measurements and have them delivered to Lanhu Manor.” He pointed to about half the collection.

The designer was unsurprised. “Yes, sir.”

Suddenly, a message notification lit up his phone. Glancing over, he assumed it was spam and was about to delete it—until he saw it was a photograph.

Bathed in the glow of sunset, glimmering light fell across a woman’s shoulder. Wen Zhixia, her delicate brows lowered, was adjusting another man’s clothing. In the man’s eyes, only her reflection could be seen.

Gu Pingsheng’s hand clenched tightly around his phone.

“President Gu, any further instructions?” the designer asked, noticing his silence.

Gu Pingsheng’s eyes were cold as ice as he sat down. “Leave.”