Chapter 96: It’s a Photo of a Bed

“Sister Wen, will you get better soon?” Hua Qianjiao rested her chin on her hand, looking at her with a hint of gloom.

Wen Zhixia’s faint smile faltered slightly. “...Yes.”

Hua Qianjiao nervously tugged at the hem of her clothes. “Qing Qi said he’d take me out to play. I originally wanted to go with you, but now that Sister Wen is sick, you definitely can’t come.”

Hearing this, Wen Zhixia suddenly realized that this time when Hua Qianjiao came, someone seemed to be missing by her side.

“Where’s Ye Shao?” she asked.

Biting her rosy lips, Hua Qianjiao’s eyes flickered nervously, as if she had done something she wasn’t proud of.

Wen Zhixia raised an eyebrow, waiting for her answer.

Licking her dry lips, Hua Qianjiao whispered, “He... he’s busy.”

“Busy to come with you?” Wen Zhixia didn’t believe it. Since Ye Lanzhou returned to the country, Yanran had become Hua Qianjiao’s protector, watching over her like a child, never trusting her to go out alone. And Hua Qianjiao clearly relied a lot on this “brother,” knowing he would always indulge her, so she liked to spend time with him whenever possible.

Hua Qianjiao lowered her head, fidgeting with her clothes. “Yes.”

“Did you upset him?” Wen Zhixia asked based on what she knew of her.

Frowning, Hua Qianjiao puffed out her cheeks. “...I didn’t.”

“Then what happened?”

“I... I got drunk a few days ago and accidentally kissed him. He wants me to be responsible, but I told him... I don’t like him.” Her voice grew softer and softer until it was barely audible, like a mosquito’s hum. “He got angry afterward.”

Wen Zhixia didn’t know what to say after hearing this. “You really don’t like Ye Shao?”

“I like him, but it’s impossible... I already have Qing Qi.”

Young girls, when stubborn, cling to a path without turning back. Wen Zhixia didn’t know when Hua Qianjiao’s fledgling feelings would resolve; her only hope was that she wouldn’t be hurt too deeply by Qing Qi.

That Qing Qi wasn’t worth trusting; fortunately, the Hua family stood behind her, so Qing Qi wouldn’t dare to do anything outrageous.

Hua Qianjiao was still lamenting that she couldn’t go out to play with her, so Wen Zhixia comforted her briefly, telling her to enjoy herself and not worry about her.

Hua Qianjiao’s mood came and went quickly, soon forgetting about Ye Lanzhou entirely.

---

Berlin.

Xu Qichen rested his arm on the sofa, squinting his eyes for a moment, a still-open laptop beside him.

When the phone rang, Jin Mao furrowed his brow; clearly, this wasn’t a good time as his master had just closed his eyes for a short rest.

Hesitating whether to step outside, Jin Mao watched as Xu Qichen woke up.

“Hand it over.”

Jin Mao had no choice but to pass the phone, intending to persuade him to rest, but Xu Qichen answered the call, forcing Jin Mao to swallow back his words.

Jin Mao didn’t know what Shen Wenyan said on the other end, hearing only the occasional “Hmm” from Xu Qichen.

The call didn’t last long, barely ten minutes, and Xu Qichen’s replies were few, fitting his usual style.

After hanging up, Jin Mao saw Xu Qichen turning the phone between his fingers, lost in thought.

“Jin Mao, it’s time to wrap up matters in Berlin.”

Jin Mao paused, then after a few seconds, realized, “Sir... you mean...”

“Prepare to leave. It’s time to return.”

So many years had passed.

The little girl who once insisted on testing the medicine on herself before taking it seemed like a distant memory.

Hearing this, Jin Mao’s expression stirred with emotion. “Yes.”

However, the Xu family’s empire was vast; putting the return on the agenda wasn’t something that could be resolved in a day or two. At least this wasn’t a rash decision made on impulse.

---

Chengya Residence.

“Miss Zhao, please get out of the car,” the driver said as he parked and opened the door.

Zhao Fuhe stepped out but missed her footing, nearly toppling sideways. The driver quickly reached out to steady her.

Today, Zhao Fuhe’s makeup and attire were meticulously chosen to outshine Wen Zhixia. The V-neck design accentuated her figure perfectly, and the driver caught a glimpse of her as she leaned against him.

Perhaps reminded of something, the driver’s gaze lingered on her neckline, his eyes burning with a certain heat. He swallowed hard.

Noticing his stare, Zhao Fuhe hastily straightened, clutching her collar, and slapped him sharply. “Blind dog’s eyes! How dare you fancy me!”

He was just a lowly driver, yet dared to take liberties with her.

The driver bowed his head, apologizing, “Sorry, Miss Zhao.”

Zhao Fuhe sneered at his groveling. “Remember your place. Don’t think that hanging around the senior for years has made you special. In the end, you’re just a servant driver with no chance of rising up. If you want a woman, find someone on your level. Don’t be a lazy toad dreaming of eating swan meat. If you pull this again, I’ll have the senior fire you.”

She arrogantly placed herself above him, disdainful of his profession and insulting his worth.

The driver lowered his head, expression unreadable. After Zhao Fuhe scoffed and entered the residence, he slowly raised his hand to his face, eyes filled with unspoken meaning.

Zhao Fuhe was right—he was just a lowly driver. But she... wasn’t a noble lady either. To put it plainly, she was just a mistress. She had only risen by chance and foolishly believed she had transformed from a sparrow into a phoenix.

But to become a phoenix, you have to be one already, like Wen Zhixia, to have the right to be high above others.

---

Provincial Hospital.

As Director Zhang had said, Wen Zhixia’s condition relapsed. Her previously lowered temperature rose again. Thanks to the hospital’s advanced equipment, it was caught in time and wasn’t as severe as before.

But all this was superficial; the pain in her sternum was far more intense.

In moments of semi-consciousness, she vaguely heard someone calling her.

Clutching her chest and squinting, she met the gaze of a kind pair of eyes. Wen Zhixia softly called her “Grandma.”

Her grandmother looked at her with pity, holding her hand tightly, repeating over and over, “Don’t be afraid, it will be okay. Our Xiaxia is the strongest.”

Wen Zhixia held her chest, voice soft and choking, “But it hurts so much...”

It really hurt.

She had always been afraid of pain.

Zhou Anbei watched the man holding Wen Zhixia’s hand beside the hospital bed, tenderly wiping her tears and kissing her. For a moment, he found it hard to reconcile this with the figure of the autocratic Mr. Gu from the company.

When the pain subsided, Wen Zhixia fell into a weary sleep.

Outside the door, Director Zhang waited. After a brief conversation, Zhou Anbei approached, phone in hand.

“Mr. Gu, it’s... Miss Zhao calling.”

Zhao Fuhe’s coquettish voice asked if he had time tonight. She said she’d bought a beautiful new set of pajamas and wanted to show them to him.

Gu Pingsheng rubbed his fingers together, his narrow eyes narrowing. “Do you think I’m in the mood for that right now?”

“I know you’re worried about Sister’s illness, but staying in the hospital all the time will make you sick. I’m worried about you too. I’ve prepared some food and learned massage. You can relax a little, not be so tense. If something happens to you because of taking care of Sister, I’m sure Sister wouldn’t want that either.” Zhao Fuhe spritzed perfume on her wrists, then gently rubbed it on her neck. “How about it, Senior?”

“The surgery is coming soon. Would you refuse a simple request like mine?” Zhao Fuhe stammered when he didn’t respond.

Gu Pingsheng’s dark eyes glanced toward the hospital room.

“Director Zhang said madam will sleep until tomorrow morning,” Zhou Anbei said.

---

Under the cloak of night.

A Bugatti stopped in front of Chengya Residence.

An hour later, the bedroom echoed with whispers of passion, the car interior thick with smoke.

“Senior, give me another child... mmm...”

Her words trailed off abruptly as the man’s sudden force stopped.

“Ah!”

When the bedroom light suddenly flicked on, the woman’s scream of terror rang out.

---

Morning.

Zhao Fuhe sat on the sofa, hair disheveled, laughing and crying at her reflection. Moments later, she smashed the mirror in her hands to pieces.

“Ah!!!”

Barefoot, she stepped on the shards, crying and screaming as if mad.

Outside, the bodyguards stood silently at the residence gate, as if hearing nothing.

Zhao Fuhe destroyed everything within reach, yelling until her voice grew hoarse.

After an unknown time, she calmed, clenching her phone tightly, finding Wen Zhixia’s contact.

Half-awake, Wen Zhixia seemed to hear Hua Qianjiao calling her. She opened her eyes drowsily; Hua Qianjiao was supposed to be away for a week, and this was only the third day.

“Madam, your phone has vibrated many times,” Aunt Zhao said as she approached when Wen Zhixia woke.

Supporting herself to sit up, Wen Zhixia nodded and picked up her phone.

The screen lit up, showing missed calls and unread messages.

By habit, she opened the messages first, since urgent matters usually followed up with texts if calls weren’t answered.

She saw Hua Qianjiao’s missed call but tapped on a message instead.

It was a photo taken in bed.

She recognized the couple immediately—Gu Pingsheng and Zhao Fuhe.

It wasn’t doctored.

For some reason, at a glance, Wen Zhixia just knew it.

She had received similar photos before—from Jiang Wanwan.

Back then, she boldly exposed the scheme, saying the photo was fake, that she wouldn’t trust a stranger over her own husband.

But now, she couldn’t say such things anymore.

Before her mind could react, her fingers trembled.

She closed her eyes and remained so for a long time, very long.

“Madam?”