Song Nuan left feeling wronged. Gu Qichen sat in his office, pinching the bridge of his nose.
His deep eyes were dark and unfathomable.
Regardless, the past connection meant that helping Song Nuan pave her way now was a form of repayment.
"Go find Jiang Huailin's contact information."
Yu Jing paused. "Jiang Huailin?"
"The person who wrote 'Jiang Yue Xing'."
Yu Jing acknowledged and left.
However, he didn't expect that this search would take several days.
All of Jiang Huailin's online information was encrypted. Even after contacting the website's backend, they only managed to obtain a mobile number.
The registered location of this Jiang Huailin's number was Qingcheng?
...
At the Qin family's residence, Qin He had just finished her live stream. While removing her makeup, she watched Shen Yilin by her side.
Shen Yilin diligently covered the photography equipment with dust covers.
Qin He chuckled. "The cleaning aunt will do this later."
Shen Yilin shook his head. "These are professional devices; it's better to be careful." To him, this equipment was expensive and deserved to be cherished.
Qin He smiled. "Has my brother been bothering you lately?"
"No, sister, please don't worry."
Ever since Qin Yun found out that Qin He was making beauty videos at home, he had been somewhat displeased.
But under Qin He's 'coercion', he didn't dare to say anything. He just kept a close eye on Shen Yilin, who came to their house every day.
Whenever any male approached her, Qin Yun would glare at them menacingly.
Qin He thought that perhaps the profound shadow cast by Gu Qichen's scummy behavior towards her had deeply affected her brother.
As they chatted, Qin He's phone rang.
She picked it up and looked at the caller ID, raising her eyebrows in surprise.
The phone had been personally modified by Qin He, featuring a main system and another, more hidden system.
It contained multiple SIM card slots, allowing her to switch numbers at will.
The current SIM card was the one she used when she posted as Jiang Huailin.
The website was contacting her?
Qin He answered the call, casually activating the voice changer. "Hello."
From the other end, a familiar voice responded, "Hello."
Just two words, and that familiar coldness seemed to wash over her.
Qin He moved her hand and checked the system display, suspecting her phone system had malfunctioned. Why would Gu Qichen call Jiang Huailin's number?
Confirming the system was fine, Qin He narrowed her eyes and pretended not to recognize the voice. "Who is this?"
"This is Gu Qichen of Gu Corporation. Are you Mr. Jiang?" Gu Qichen's voice was calm.
"Yes, Mr. Gu. Is there something you need?" Qin He held a makeup remover wipe, dabbing at the false eyelashes on her eyes.
"Do you have time? I'd like to discuss the casting for 'Jiang Yue Xing' with you."
Qin He sneered inwardly, recalling the incident where she'd asked Li Feng'an to change the female lead.
Gu Qichen was calling, presumably to champion the 'little green tea'.
Her voice was cold, and the male voice after the voice changer sounded even more blunt. "There's nothing to discuss about this matter."
With Song Nuan's pretentious demeanor, she thought she could play a heroic woman?
There was a pause on the other end. "I believe Director Li's professional judgment. He thinks Song Nuan is very suitable for the role of the female lead. Mr. Jiang, you surely want your work to achieve the best possible outcome."
Qin He narrowed her eyes and carefully removed her eyelashes. "I don't think she's suitable."
She offered no explanation.
The voice on the other end turned cold. "The investors also have the right to choose the cast. I hope Mr. Jiang understands this."
Qin He scoffed. "Then why are you calling me? If you have the guts, withdraw your investment!"
She hung up the call and threw the phone onto her vanity table with a hint of anger, letting out a mocking laugh.
...
At Gu Corporation, Gu Qichen stared coldly at the disconnected call.
He didn't consider it a major issue and was still approving documents, with his phone placed nearby on speaker.
Unexpectedly, he had encountered such an impudent person!
Yu Jing stood to the side, wishing he had no ears.
In all his years, this was the first time he had seen Mr. Gu get hung up on.
That line, "If you have the guts, withdraw your investment!" was utterly defiant.
Yu Jing cautiously stepped forward, looking at Gu Qichen, who was frowning at his phone.
"Mr. Gu, would you like me to call back?"
"No need," Gu Qichen said coldly.
"Then, do we need to put pressure on the director's side?" Yu Jing asked.
Gu Qichen shook his head, his brow furrowed.
He had promised Song Nuan about this matter, but pressuring Li Feng'an would be futile. The issue lay with Jiang Huailin.
As an investor, Gu Qichen knew that the original author of the novel had signed a contract and had not sold the copyright, only authorized its filming.
He did indeed have the right to choose the cast.
Gu Qichen's eyes deepened. "Jiang Huailin is from Qingcheng. Continue investigating him. I want to meet him in person."
A face-to-face conversation would be the most effective.
If all else failed, he could buy the rights to 'Jiang Yue Xing' at a high price.
Yu Jing looked miserable.
Lately, the tasks Mr. Gu assigned him were all so troublesome!
He had investigated Jiang Huailin for days and found nothing about his true identity, just like when he investigated his ex-wife's hospitalization records.
Yu Jing, who was usually perfect in his work, felt he might be experiencing a streak of bad luck.
Gu Qichen narrowed his eyes. During the call, he had heard music playing in the background.
It was a piece of instrumental music that sounded vaguely familiar, something he had heard while watching Qin He's live stream previously.
It was a very niche piece of music.
Gu Qichen was aware that Qin He's online following had recently exploded. Could this Jiang Huailin be a fan of Qin He's?
When work ended, Gu Qichen returned to Sen Garden.
Sen Garden was closer to Gu Corporation, and they had been living there since they got married.
He entered the house; the quiet dwelling was still.
The housekeeper took his coat, and Gu Qichen went to the bedroom.
The scent in the room was different from usual, and Gu Qichen frowned slightly, calling the housekeeper.
"Was the incense changed?"
"No, it hasn't been. It's still agarwood," the housekeeper replied respectfully.
Gu Qichen often suffered from headaches, and after using agarwood, which had a calming effect, they slowly began to alleviate.
The woody scent helped him concentrate better. Gu Qichen walked to the incense burner. White smoke curled from the bronze burner, forming wisps of mist.
He opened the incense burner and took a look.
The housekeeper explained in a low voice, "The previous agarwood ingredients were all handled by Madam herself. Although the raw material hasn't changed, someone else has handled it."
Qin He handled it herself?
Gu Qichen's hand paused. "You may go."
The housekeeper left the room. Gu Qichen looked at the still-burning incense. He looked up, his gaze sweeping over his marital home for the first time.
Even when he returned before, he had mostly stayed in the guest room.
The house had been meticulously cleaned, and there were no longer any traces of Qin He having lived there.
He entered the adjacent walk-in closet. In the large and exquisite closet, only a few clothes hung sparsely.
This was unlike Gu Qichen's impression of socialites and heiresses.
His brow furrowed. In the jewelry storage cabinet, only a ring and a bracelet sat alone.
The ring was the wedding ring, placed in the center of the velvet box with great care.
The bracelet was a gift from his grandmother to Qin He.
He looked at the wardrobe beside it. In the semi-open wardrobe, there were a few dresses he often saw Qin He wear, elegant and simple, with an unassuming style.
The rest consisted of only two nightgowns.
Cotton nightgowns, conservative in style...
The next second, he saw the faded collar of a garment, and his heart skipped a beat.
After marrying him, was Qin He desperate for money?
He prided himself on his meticulous mind, always successful in business dealings.
But only now did he realize that his thoughts had never been focused on Qin He.
During their two years of marriage, he had seen Qin He mostly when she needed to return to the old family residence.
He had never given his wife a card or money. These faded nightgowns, with their frayed cuffs, made it difficult for him to breathe for a moment.
Qin He, why did she—