Chapter 27

“I thought friends were people who would unconditionally support you when you needed them.” Xu Zhuwen’s tears finally fell; she felt a sense of humiliation from being rejected. “I came here today to give it a try.”

“True friends won’t watch you jump into a fire.” Gao Yinxi didn’t dwell on her petty thoughts and handed her a tissue. “I can help you with anything in your personal life, but I can’t pay for Qian Song’s mistakes, even if he’s your husband.”

Moreover, it's about a relationship with someone that offers no guarantees whatsoever.

Xu Zhuwen's face instantly drained of all color. Her lips trembled, but she couldn't utter a single word; only her chest heaved violently.

A huge, ominous premonition gripped her, leaving her limbs cold.

She wiped away her tears, then suddenly realized an even more terrifying question: "How...how did you get these photos? Did you investigate him?"

“Why would I investigate him? It’s unnecessary.” Gao Yinxi’s expression remained indifferent when Qian Song was mentioned. “As for Qian Song’s company, the problems are too obvious. Anyone who works seriously can see the issues. As for those photos, I just happened to come across them.”

A wave of nausea washed over her, and Xu Zhuwen abruptly raised her hand to cover her mouth, her knuckles turning white as she strained to suppress the nauseating, pungent odor that threatened to burst her throat. She felt a wave of dizziness wash over her; the luxurious furnishings of the office, Gao Yinxi's excessively calm face, the blinding light of the crystal chandelier… everything began to distort and warp.

A sharp, stabbing pain shot through her heart, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.

Gao Yinxi obtained this information effortlessly, which shows what?

It's highly likely that the problem is already quite serious.

"So, you knew Qian Song was cheating on you all along, but you never told me?"

“I don’t want to hurt you before I have solid evidence.” Gao Yinxi’s tone was somewhat complicated. “Besides… I’m not sure you’ll believe me instead of him.”

Clearly, judging from the current situation, it was the right thing for her not to tell the other party immediately.

Gao Yinxi's gaze finally fell once again on Xu Zhuwen's pale face, which was filled with despair.

There was no sympathy in that gaze, only a cruel understanding and a hint of barely perceptible weariness.

The thumb of the hand holding the phone slowly rubbed against the screen.

"Wenwen." Her voice lowered, carrying even greater weight. "A man whose company is rotten to the core, yet he refuses to step up and makes his girlfriend borrow money from her best friend. He makes empty promises, not even bothering to mention interest or a repayment plan, let alone collateral or guarantees. Who does he think he is? Who does he think you are? Does he think my money, Gao Yinxi's money, is some kind of charity fund falling from the sky? Or..."

She narrowed her eyes slightly, her sharp gaze piercing Xu Zhuwen, "...Do you think you're particularly stupid and easily manipulated?"

Xu Zhuwen's body swayed violently, as if he had been struck hard by an invisible hammer.

Gao Yinxi's words were like poisoned needles, piercing her most vulnerable and least willing place with pinpoint accuracy.

Was he really just a complete joke being used by Qian Song?

A tremendous sense of shame, mixed with overwhelming anger and the excruciating pain of being utterly betrayed, suddenly exploded in her chest.

The feeling was so intense that it instantly overwhelmed all her reason and ability to think.

She suddenly raised her head, her eyes bloodshot, staring intently at Gao Yinxi, her lips trembling, as if she wanted to scream, to refute, to question whether all of this was a conspiracy... but her throat felt like it was blocked by scalding sandpaper, and she couldn't make a sound.

Tears finally broke free, gushing out and instantly blurring her vision. They landed hot on the back of her hand, which she had been covering her mouth with, and dripped onto the cold, clean tabletop.

She suddenly realized how blind she had been during this period; in order to maintain her relationship with Qian Song, she had indeed ignored a lot of other information.

"I need some time to think." Xu Zhuwen grabbed her bag, wanting to escape as quickly as possible.

"Wenwen," Gao Yinxi called out to her, "No matter what decision you make, I will never let you starve. But please remember, love should not cloud your judgment. Qian Song is not worth it."

"I, Gao Yinxi, will only use my money to save those who deserve it."

"People worth saving"... These five words, like five cold bullets, precisely pierced Xu Zhuwen's last shred of precarious support.

She didn't turn around and strode towards the elevator.

She needs air, she needs to get away from all of this.

The moment the elevator doors closed, she saw Gao Yinxi standing at the door, her face full of worry.

As Xu Zhuwen stepped out of the Six Senses Hotel, a cool breeze brushed against her face, and her phone rang.

It was a message from Qian Song: "Guardian Angel: Honey, how did the talks go? Did Gao Yinxi agree?"

She stared at the screen and suddenly felt that the person who sent her the message was a complete stranger. The way he addressed her, the tone of his voice, the man hiding behind her and telling her to borrow money... was he really someone she was worth risking her life for?

Xu Zhuwen turned off her phone and wandered aimlessly through the streets.

The neon lights became blurry patches of color in her moist vision.

She recalled the photo of Bali on the wall of Gao Yinxi's apartment, where three girls were smiling so brightly, as if no troubles in the world could touch them.

Now, facing a crisis of trust in both her love and friendship, she doesn't know how to face them next.

That night, Xu Zhuwen did not return to the house she rented with Qian Song, nor did she reply to Qian Song's messages; she even briefly blocked him.

She carried her bag and wandered aimlessly down the street. When she got tired, she saw a chain hotel in front of her, so she went in and booked a double room on a high floor.

The hotel is not as luxurious as Six Senses, but it is still exquisite, clean, and has a good environment.

There is a park downstairs, and in the distance, the river is brightly lit.

After entering the room, she felt as heavy as if she were filled with lead. She lay down on the bed for a while before getting up to take a shower. After showering, she saw the lights outside the window, picked up her phone, and ordered a bottle of wine on a certain platform.

Then he sent a message to Gao Yinxi:

Wenwen: Send me Qian Song's photos and videos.

Gao Yinxi, sitting in her car, saw Xu Zhuwen's message and immediately sent her the video and photos she wanted.

Then, she asked with concern, "Audrey: Are you home yet?"

Gao Yinxi sat in the car, looked at her phone screen where no new messages had arrived, sighed softly, then started the car and drove out of her designated parking space.

...

Outside the window, the long-awaited thunder finally roared, and a pale light instantly illuminated the gloomy sky.

The enormous sound seemed to explode in Xu Zhuwen's mind as well.

She sat on the windowsill in the hotel, looking at the screen on her phone. Suddenly, she raised her hand and bit down hard, using the pain to relieve her uncontrollable sobs.

Her gaze was entirely focused on the hands of the middle-aged woman in the painting.

The ring she was wearing on that hand was exactly the same as the design sketch of a ring she had once found tucked inside a book on Qian Song's bookshelf.

When she first saw the design, she secretly admired the ring, thinking it was quite beautiful. She just didn't know who Qian Song had designed it for, since the book containing the design was a very old one, and the design looked slightly yellowed and had been around for many years.

Unexpectedly, she now sees the finished product from that picture.

It was worn by an older woman who appeared to have considerable financial resources, yet was very close to Qian Song.

But she's so old!

So big!

But Qian Song looked at her with such tenderness, so very tenderness.

...

When Yuan Ergeng opened the door, it was already close to 10 p.m.

The motion-sensor light in the entryway turned on, and he quietly changed into his slippers, careful not to wake Gao Yinxi, who might already be asleep.

However, when he entered the living room, he found his girlfriend curled up in a corner of the sofa, holding a cup of rose and fruit tea that had long since gone cold, staring unfocused at the silent "Little Forest" playing on the TV.

"Wife?"

He called out, his voice hoarse from the work, and casually tossed the keys onto the low cabinet in the entryway.

I took off my leather shoes and put on soft-soled slippers. My footsteps made only a slight rubbing sound on the wooden floor.

The main light in the living room wasn't on; only a floor lamp in the corner of the sofa was lit, its dim yellow glow resembling old rice paper soaked with water, barely creating a small patch of warmth.

He carried the packing bag he had specially brought back and sat down next to her. "Why aren't you asleep yet?"

Gao Yinxi then snapped out of her daze and forced a smile, "I'll be waiting for you."

She put down her teacup, her fingers unconsciously stroking the rim.

"Little Forest" is a movie that Gao Yinxi watches repeatedly whenever she encounters troubles, in order to relieve her emotions.

Yuan Er knew her all too well.

At this moment, her languid expression, coupled with an lingering melancholy between her brows, and the subtle tapping of her right index finger on the side of the cup, all told him that something was wrong.

"What's wrong?" He reached out and gently touched the back of her hand that was sticking out from under the blanket; it felt a little cool.

Gao Yinxi did not answer immediately, but closed her eyes and let his warm, dry hands gently stroke her arms and shoulders.

"Tell me, what's troubling you so much?" Yuan Ergeng reached out and tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear. "Is it about the hotel, or about the company?"

Gao Yinxi shook her head slightly, her lips pressed tightly together, a gesture of trying her best to suppress some kind of surging emotion.

Yinxi hadn't shown such strong negative emotions in a long time.

Seeing that she was unwilling to talk for the time being, Yuan Ergeng gently placed the takeout bag he was carrying in his other hand on the table. "I brought some ginseng chicken soup. Do you want some? If you do, I'll heat it up."

Gao Yinxi slightly lifted her eyelids. "Drink."

She's been so upset about what happened this afternoon that she hasn't eaten yet.

"I'll heat it up."

Yuan Er gently pinched Gao Yinxi's cheek before getting up and going to the kitchen.

The kitchen in the house is very large and semi-open.

Soon, a warm and comforting aroma of chicken soup wafted over, carrying a faint hint of medicinal scent, like an invisible hand gently wiping away the heavy weariness in Gao Yinxi's heart.

This familiar aroma comes from the Yuan family's unique soup recipe. Whenever Yuan Ergeng comes home, he always brings some over and warms a pot for her, warming both her stomach and her heart.

Taking advantage of the popularity of inspirational quotes on Weibo, Yuan Er returned to Gao Yinxi's side.

Gao Yinxi sighed, finally put down her cup, and turned to him. "Xu Zhuwen came to see me today."

"Hmm?" he responded, indicating that he was listening, his thumb unconsciously stroking the back of her hand.

Gao Yinxi took a breath, lowered her gaze, and looked down at their clasped hands. "She... wants to borrow money, and it's a considerable amount."

Borrow money?

Yuan Ergeng's heart skipped a beat.

He knew that Xu Zhuwen came from an ordinary family, that he had a stable job, and that she was a very outstanding woman with a refined lifestyle. The fact that she suddenly wanted to borrow such a large sum of money…

The image of Xu Zhuwen's boyfriend, Qian Song, flashed through his mind instantly—the man who always dressed impeccably but could never help but talk about "channels," "management," and "capital" whenever they met.

"For Qian Song?" Yuan Ergeng's voice deepened, not as a question, but as a statement.

Gao Yinxi nodded, not looking at him, and lowered her voice even further, "Yes, she said Qian Song's company... has encountered a huge hurdle and is on the verge of collapse. The banks won't lend to them, and they've exhausted all the outside resources they can find. She's extremely anxious, saying... saying that if no more funds are injected, it will be completely over."

Yuan Er raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Didn't she just recently go to Chengdu with Qian Song and post a bunch of photos on her WeChat Moments?"

“Sigh—” Gao Yinxi’s voice was tinged with weariness. “She came to my office today and immediately asked me for money.”

"Two million? She came directly to you to borrow it?" Yuan Er almost burst out laughing. "Does she think of you as an ATM?"

"Second watch!" Gao Yinxi frowned. "Don't talk to Wenwen like that."

Although Wenwen's attitude when she came to borrow money this afternoon hurt her, she still cherishes and respects the friendship between them.

"That's not how you use 'good friend' in a relationship. Asking to borrow two million every other day." Yuan Er shook his head, his disdain gone. "You refused, didn't you?"

Gao Yinxi nodded again, this time faster, with a hint of determination, but then her shoulders slumped, revealing a deeper weariness and... grievance?

She finally raised her eyes to look at Yuan Ergeng, her gaze as complex as a tangled mess, containing helplessness, sadness, and a trace of burning pain.

“I refused outright, saying that it was impossible to lend the money to Qian Song, and I also said some unfounded things about Qian Song.”

“A wise choice.” Yuan Ergeng grasped her hand. “Qian Song’s company has a problematic business model, and its products are not popular in the market. It’s a bottomless pit; no matter how much you invest, it’s all going down the drain.”

Actually, back when they first met Qin Song, they discovered some details about Qian Song's company during their conversations. They went home and sighed, wondering why Qian Song, who was almost fifty, was still so naive as to run such a company.

Anyone with a discerning eye can see that this business is doomed to fail and will only lose money.

Gao Yinxi appeared even more melancholy, "The problem is, Wenwen said I'm being biased, and she even said..."