Qin He closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Since they had planned such meticulous escape routes, it's not something we can catch up to right away. We can't just keep chasing them; we have to find a way to get ahead of them."
As she spoke, Qin He swayed.
The string of recent events had already left her physically and mentally exhausted, and today's high-intensity work had further drained her spirit.
Qian Zimo nodded. "We'll discuss this tomorrow. You need to go back now!"
Qian Zimo's tone was stern, his attitude resolute.
Seeing Qin He unwilling to leave, he turned to Gu Qishen. "Please take her back and let her get some proper rest."
Their eyes met, and Gu Qishen nodded. "Alright."
As he started to stand up, Qin He's stance softened. She nodded. "I'll go back. Inform me immediately if there's any news."
Qin He got into the car with Gu Qishen. As the car drove along the road, she sat in the back seat, silent. When she closed her eyes, all she saw was Qi Yang collapsing in front of her, shot. The warm blood had long been wiped away, but the searing heat of that moment seemed to linger.
Gu Qishen sat beside Qin He and reached out, taking her hand. He looked up at Yu Jing in the front seat. "Return to Sen Garden."
The car changed direction, turning away from the route to Qin's house and heading towards Sen Garden. Qin He turned to Gu Qishen, her eyes filled with confusion.
"Your mother is with Lele at the hospital. Qin Yun hasn't been staying at the Qin residence lately. I'm worried about you going back alone," Gu Qishen explained.
Qin He nodded and turned to look at the passing night scenery. After a pause, she finally spoke, "Shishi still hasn't been found, and now Qi Yang is gone. Gu Qishen, I'm so tired. I even considered handing Wanfang Lun over to them. I don't want any more people to be lost."
But if she handed it over, and they got what they wanted, she would never be able to avenge the deceased. Xiang Mingjun, Qi Yang, the kidnapping, the car accident, and the burning of the Qin family. Qin He's hands tightened abruptly, her fingernails digging into Gu Qishen's fingers. Her teeth chattered slightly, her grief mingled with hatred. "Why them? Why, why? What are those golden thread patterns?"
Gu Qishen lowered his gaze, his hand, still being gripped, remained still. Watching the woman he loved being tormented by these events, a chilling murderous intent rose within him. He gently pulled Qin He into his embrace, his voice deep and reassuring. "Don't worry. This will all be over soon."
Qin He was silent for a moment. "They could have shot me today, but they didn't." She had been lying on top of Qi Yang, a perfect target. After shooting Qi Yang, they had ample time to fire more shots at her, but they didn't. The man standing on the suspended ladder in the distance wore a mask, but she could feel him watching her.
Qin He's hands trembled. "I want to investigate everyone who has ever been associated with the Qin family!"
The car had already arrived at Sen Garden. Gu Qishen led Qin He to a room on the second floor. He gave her the master bedroom and sat in the room with her for a while. Qin He seemed to be trapped in a nightmare, her brow furrowed, muttering about who it could be. She tried to unravel the mystery, starting from the first car accident.
"The first car accident happened shortly after I acquired Wanfang Lun. They were trying to kill me then. Later, I met you—" Qin He mused, the most direct sign of things being wrong was when Xiang Mingjun had the accident. It was then that they started targeting people around her, not the Qin family directly. Even during Lele's kidnapping, Gu Qishen had said they hadn't intended to kill Lele, and that Lele would have been safe even if he hadn't intervened. But around the time of Xiang Mingjun's incident, she didn't recall meeting any new friends. Qin He frowned, unable to piece things together. She felt like hitting her own head. "I can't figure it out—"
A hand reached out and took hers. Qin He looked up, and Gu Qishen was staring at her intently. "If you can't figure it out, don't force yourself. Rest first. This isn't helping." Gu Qishen's voice was gentle. Qin He pouted, and all the sorrow and grievances of the day surged up. Tears welled in her eyes. "But Qi Yang—" Gu Qishen's heart ached. He was gone, and he didn't know how to comfort Qin He. "Qi Yang's revenge will be served," he murmured softly.
Qin He wiped her tears, forcing herself to calm down. But as she calmed down, she realized how close she and Gu Qishen were. When she looked up, she met his dark, star-like eyes. Qin He's heart skipped a beat. She had intended to push Gu Qishen away. But as her hand rested on his chest, it softened. She and Gu Qishen had finally reached this point; she should try to trust him and get closer to him again. Qin He gently wrapped her arms around Gu Qishen's waist. They embraced each other, and Qin He's voice was low, "Tomorrow, remember to take Lele to Grandma Gu's place." She would only be at ease if someone was looking after Lele. Gu Qishen gave a soft "mm," and they sat quietly for a while, almost able to hear each other's heartbeats. "You must be very tired today too. Go back and rest."
After Gu Qishen left, Qin He went into the bathroom to shower. She looked down, her expression still listless. Witnessing her friend die before her eyes was a profound trauma.
In the following days, the forces that had been secretly brewing in Qingcheng began to surface. The Qin family, the Gu family, and an unknown faction were now openly searching the city. Qin He had reported Qi Yang's death to the police. The police had already been investigating a series of unsolved mysteries surrounding the Qin family, including accidents, arson, and kidnapping, but they had never found the culprits. The Qin family was also conducting their own search, so the police largely turned a blind eye.
No clues were found after a week. Qin He had been staying at Sen Garden all week. She had informed Qin Yun that she was safe and had been closely following the investigation, while also searching for clues online herself.
It was eleven-thirty in the morning. Qin He's door was knocked on by a maid. "Miss Qin, the master requests you come down for lunch." "Understood," Qin He replied. For the past week, Gu Qishen had returned every day at noon to have lunch with her. Gu Corporation had also undergone significant changes this week, with several high-level executives being dismissed. The former shareholder, Vice President Zhang, had meekly sold all his shares to Gu Qishen at a low price and left in disgrace. Qingcheng had become increasingly chaotic during this period, which was supposed to be Gu Corporation's busiest time. Yet, he still made time every day to come back and have meals with her.