Chapter 44 Threat

The rapid ringing of the doorbell abruptly interrupted Yu Ling's raging rage. She froze in place, her chest heaving violently, her red eyes fixed on Zhao Chen.

The subtle tension in Zhao Chen's eyes vanished the moment the doorbell rang. The "helplessness" and "innocence" he'd displayed in response to her questioning were quickly replaced by a perfectly balanced look of surprise at being interrupted. He gestured a soothing "wait a moment" to Ling, his eyes aching with a calculated hint of innocence and apology. Then he turned and strode towards the entrance.

Yu Ling stood there, feeling a chill running down her spine. Her fists clenched, her nails digging deep into her palms. The shimmering silver metal box in the study, the label reading "Gu's - Nirvana Plan - Core Key Alpha," and Zhao Chen's utterly ridiculous "game strategy" explanation... It was like a cold, poisonous snake coiling around her heart. Anger, fear, and the humiliation of being fooled threatened to tear her apart! But then that damn doorbell...

From the entrance came the sound of Zhao Chen opening the door and whispering. Yu Ling forced herself to take a deep breath, trying to calm her emotions, which were about to explode. She couldn't lose control in front of outsiders, couldn't act hysterically like a madman. She needed to calm down. She needed to... see this man's true face!

Soon, Zhao Chen returned with an insulated bag emblazoned with the logo of a well-known fresh produce brand. A relaxed smile played on his face, as if the tension had never occurred. "It's a fresh produce delivery. The Australian Wagyu beef I ordered yesterday has arrived, along with your favorite cherries." He shook the bag, his tone as natural as if he were sharing good news, trying to lighten the mood. "Perfect, how about I fry you a steak for lunch?"

Yu Ling watched him act so nonchalant, feeling a chill rising from the depths of her heart. This man's mental state... was simply terrifying! She had just uncovered such a shocking secret, yet he had managed to switch to being a good family husband in a matter of seconds, even thinking about what steak to have for lunch?

She watched him approach, the gentle smile on his face as he tried to distract her with food, and the last shred of hope in her heart vanished completely. Question? Tear him apart? Faced with his impeccable disguise and strong psychological barriers, she would only look like an unreasonable fool.

She turned away abruptly, her voice as cold as poisoned ice: "No, I have no appetite." She stopped looking at him, turned around and walked quickly towards the bedroom, slamming the door shut! The loud bang of the door slamming echoed in the empty living room, like a desperate cry from the bottom of her heart.

Zhao Chen stood in the middle of the living room, still clutching the bag of expensive ingredients. His smile faded, and he gazed solemnly at the closed bedroom door. A complex mix of emotions swirled in his eyes—the pain of rejection, a deep sense of helplessness, and a hint of... unspeakable fatigue and gloom. He stood in silence for a moment, then gently placed the bag on the dining table. He turned and walked to the study, closing the door that separated the two worlds. Through the crack in the door, the faint sound of his low English voice reconnecting to the meeting and the crisp click of his keyboard could be heard.

In the next few days, the atmosphere in Apartment 1601 dropped to freezing point.

Yu Ling and Zhao Chen were like strangers living under the same roof. She studiously avoided his overtures—she wouldn't touch the breakfast he made, buying herself a loaf of bread; she ignored the warm water he placed on her bedside table; and when he tried to start a conversation, she either remained silent or offered a cold, perfunctory response.

She withdrew into a hard shell, armed herself with silence and coldness, and refused any possibility of communication. Only when she lay in the same bed at night with her back to him could she feel his silent gaze, so heavy that she could hardly breathe.

Zhao Chen didn't try to force an explanation or get closer. He simply silently fulfilled his "husband" duties—preparing food, cleaning, leaving the hallway light on when she came home late from work. His thoughtfulness remained omnipresent, but with a cautious distance and oppressive silence. A heavy haze enveloped him, making his aura gloomy.

The door of the study was often tightly closed, and the sound of keyboard tapping could be heard from inside until late at night, as if the student was silently dealing with the turbulent situation called "Nirvana Plan".

This suffocating stalemate was soon broken by a storm in the workplace.

Wednesday morning, Genesis Building, project team meeting.

The atmosphere was as heavy as the silence before a storm. Sitting at the enormous conference table, Project Director Lin Wei's face was ashen, and the core project team members dared not utter a word. Yu Ling sat in the back, staring at the red-marked proposal on the projection screen, her heart chilled.

Sitting across from the main table, Wang Dehai, the vice president of the company's largest client, Hongyuan Group, was slowly drumming his fingertips on the table, his face etched with undisguised arrogance and harshness. He was nearly fifty, well-maintained, but the shrewdness and calculation in his eyes was deeply unsettling.

"Director Lin," Wang Dehai drawled, his voice tinged with condescending scrutiny, "It's not that I don't give Chuangshi face. But our Hongyuan is such a big company, and this is such an important annual strategic cooperation, and you're trying to fool us with something like this?"

He pointed at the screen. "The proposal is hollow! The data is outdated! The core appeal is completely off! Especially the part about expanding into the Southeast Asian market." His sharp eyes swept across the room, finally pinpointing Yu Ling. "Manager Yu, right? You're the lead author of this part?"

Yu Ling's heart tightened. Facing Wang Dehai's unfriendly gaze, she straightened her back and said, "Yes, Mr. Wang."

"Hmph," Wang Dehai snorted coldly, his eyes like poisoned knives, "Young man, it's good to have ideas, but you must also be down-to-earth! You keep talking about new markets and new opportunities, but do you know how complicated the water is in Southeast Asia? How much research have you done on policy risks, cultural differences, and supply chain barriers? It's just empty talk! It's wishful thinking!" His rebuke was merciless, and every word was heartbreaking, drawing the attention of everyone present to Yu Ling.

"Mr. Wang, this part of the data we..." Lin Wei tried to explain.

"Data?" Wang Dehai interrupted her rudely, his expression even more caustic. "I don't want cold, hard data! I want a practical strategy based on deep market insights! Manager Yu's proposal is flashy and superficial, avoiding the important issues. In my opinion, it's simply a lack of ability and a perfunctory attitude!"

He escalated his attack directly into a personal attack. "I seriously doubt the qualifications of the personnel your company has assigned to lead our Hongyuan core project! If you can't immediately replace them with more experienced and capable people and come up with a substantive plan that satisfies me, then..." He dragged out his tone, full of threats, "We at Hongyuan will re-evaluate the necessity of cooperating with Chuangshi!"

A dead silence fell in the conference room. Everyone was stunned by Wang Dehai's ruthless, even humiliating, attack. This wasn't just a rejection of the proposal; it was a complete denial of Ling's personal abilities and professionalism! It was also a serious questioning of the entire Genesis project team! Hongyuan was one of Genesis's most important financial backers; if the partnership fell through, the consequences would be disastrous!