Evening, in Lin Shu's personal dressing room, the atmosphere was oppressive.
The person she had sent to investigate Su Qianqian had just reported back, but the result felt like punching cotton.
"Not at the company?" Lin Shu's beautiful eyes fixed on her assistant standing respectfully to the side.
"Gone all afternoon? Where did she go?"
The assistant felt her scalp prickle under the gaze and replied softly, "She... asked for leave."
"The HR record shows sick leave, with a certificate from a hospital."
"Sick leave?" Lin Shu scoffed, her tone full of suspicion.
"What a coincidence. Which hospital? Is the certificate real?"
The assistant bowed her head even lower. "We checked. It's from the Central City Hospital. The certificate is genuine."
She paused, then added, "We also discreetly asked people around her. They all said she really wasn't in that day and that she hadn't looked well for a while."
Lin Shu frowned, her suspicions not entirely dispelled, but with solid evidence before her, she couldn't immediately find a flaw.
The internal rules at the Shen Group were strict, and the sick leave procedures were complete. No matter how much she doubted, she had no grounds to dig deeper.
She took a deep breath, her tense shoulders relaxing slightly.
It wasn't Su Qianqian. Good, it wasn't that little bitch.
If it had really been her silently climbing into Gu Chengyu's bed, the threat would have been too great.
But if not her, then who could it be?
Gu Chengyu had been cold to her for months now.
Her previous tactic of playing hard to get hadn't made him come back; instead, it seemed to have genuinely angered him.
Several endorsements had been inexplicably replaced, and there had been no word from him at all.
He must have found another woman!
The thought that Gu Chengyu might be holding another woman in his arms right now, indulging in pleasure, drove Lin Shu nearly mad with jealousy.
She waved her hand, dismissing the assistant, and sat back down in her chair, weary and irritable.
She had to win back Gu Chengyu's affection, and quickly.
She took out her phone, hesitated for a long moment, and finally dialed that familiar number.
The phone rang for a long time. Just as she thought it wouldn't be answered, the call finally connected.
"Hello?" The man's voice was deep and magnetic, yet carried a detached languidness. The background was quiet, not like an entertainment venue.
Lin Shu immediately softened her voice, lacing it with grievance and longing. "Chengyu, it's me."
"Hmm." Gu Chengyu's response was flat, unreadable.
"Are you still angry with me?" Lin Shu asked cautiously.
"I know I was wrong. I shouldn't have been so willful, just leaving like that."
"I just care about you too much. I was afraid you would abandon me one day..."
"Can we meet? I want to apologize to you in person."
"Do you have time tonight or tomorrow night?"
"Not tonight." Gu Chengyu refused directly. He paused, seeming to think of something, and a hint of something inscrutable entered his tone. "Tomorrow night. The usual place at Yun Que."
With that, he hung up before Lin Shu could respond.
Listening to the dial tone, Lin Shu was stunned for a few seconds before a wave of wild joy surged within her.
He agreed! He was willing to see her!
Although his tone was cold, his agreeing to meet was an opportunity! As long as they met, she was confident she could make him come back to her.
She immediately stood up, touching up her makeup in the mirror, her eyes reigniting with determination and ambition.
She absolutely had to seize this chance.
Meanwhile, Gu Chengyu looked down at the rosy cheeks of the young woman in his arms.
He crooked a finger and gently flicked her forehead, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
Tomorrow night's appointment had come at just the right time.
Win the bet, make a clean break.
And then make certain people understand their place, once and for all.
