Chapter 49 Photos

That blurry yet glaring photo, taken late one night after working overtime, pierced Yu Ling's softest spot like a poisoned ice needle. In the photo, Zhao Chen's profile, a face he had never shown her before, shone with respect and composure, and the woman with distinguished temperament standing shoulder to shoulder with him... These images flashed repeatedly in Yu Ling's mind, each one bringing a sharp, stabbing pain and a cold, icy panic.

She didn't know how she got back to 1601. Zhao Chen was still waiting downstairs, taking her heavy commuter bag and opening the car door for her, just like he had countless times before. He was even keenly aware of her pale face and unusual silence, and asked with concern, "What's wrong, Lingling? You look so bad? Are you tired from working overtime?" His warm palm habitually touched her forehead.

Yu Ling jerked her head away as if burned, avoiding his touch. She huddled in the passenger seat, her face turned toward the rapidly receding light outside the window. Her voice was muffled, nasal, and unconcealed with fatigue: "It's nothing... just a little sleepy." She didn't dare look at him, afraid she'd lose control of the urge to question him, and even more afraid of seeing any hint of guilt or evasion in his eyes.

Zhao Chen's hand froze in mid-air, a subtle gloom and... hurt flashing across his eyes. He silently withdrew his hand without further questioning, simply turning up the air conditioning in the car. Soothing light music played in the car, but the atmosphere was oppressive and suffocating.

Returning to the apartment, Yu Ling went straight into the bathroom and locked the door. The warm water washed over her body, but it couldn't dispel the coldness and confusion in her heart.

The images in the photo alternated with the shimmering silver box in the study and the label that read "Gu's - Nirvana Plan - Core Key Alpha," like a never-ending nightmare. Deception, danger, another woman... The overwhelming fear and grievances were like an icy tide, nearly drowning her.

She stared at her pale, haggard face in the mirror, her eyes filled with confusion and pain. This "home," this haven that once brought her endless warmth and security, now seemed like a vast, ornate cage, filled with lies and unknown threats. She even began to wonder if this "home" itself was part of that man's carefully woven dream.

The next day was Saturday. Yu Ling, sleepless all night, emerged from her bedroom with dark circles under her eyes. The aroma of breakfast filled the living room. Zhao Chen, wearing a small whale-shaped apron, was placing golden sunny-side-up eggs and crispy toast on the table. Sunlight streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, creating a warm and beautiful scene, but it could no longer touch Yu Ling's cold heart.

"Lingling, are you awake? Eat it while it's hot." Zhao Chen looked up with a gentle smile on his face, but there was a hint of cautious observation in his eyes.

"Hmm," Yu Ling muttered, pulling out a chair and sitting down. She picked up her knife and fork, but her food tasted bland. She lowered her eyes, mechanically cutting the food on her plate, studiously avoiding Zhao Chen's gaze. The only sound in the living room was the gentle clinking of cutlery. Silence, like an invisible wall, separated them.

Zhao Chen looked at her obvious avoidance and the dark shadows under her eyes, and his fingers tightened slightly around the coffee cup. He was silent for a moment, then put the cup down and spoke in a softer voice, "Lingling, did something happen last night? Was it something going wrong at work? Or…" He paused, his amber eyes fixed on her. "…did someone upset you?"

He asked the last half of the question very carefully and tentatively.

Yu Ling's grip on her knife and fork suddenly stopped! Her fingertips turned white from the force. Had someone upset her? The woman at the entrance of the cafe? Was he testing her knowledge? Or was he... just feeling guilty?

A wave of cold anger instantly rushed to her head! She raised her head abruptly, staring directly at Zhao Chen with red eyes. Her lips moved, and the words "Who is that woman?!" almost burst out of her mouth!

However, just as the words were about to leave his mouth, Zhao Chen's phone, which was resting on the dining table, lit up. A work email alert popped up, its title bar flashing with a few English words: "Nirvana Phase II Review." Nirvana Project! Phase II Review!

Those few words, like a bucket of cold water, doused Yu Ling's sudden rage, leaving only a deep-seated fear and powerlessness. Questioning? Falling out? Before this man, wielding immense secrets and power, and facing his "Nirvana Plan" that hinged on the survival of an entire business empire, her anger and grievance seemed insignificant and laughable. Perhaps the woman in the cafe was just a tiny, insignificant part of his complex world.

A crushing sense of exhaustion and utter despair instantly gripped her. The anger in her eyes quickly died, leaving only a hollow, blank expression. She lowered her head again, avoiding Zhao Chen's probing gaze. Her voice was hoarse and hollow, "...Nothing. Just tired." She pushed aside her barely touched plate and stood up. "I'm going to the study to find a book to read."

After saying that, she stopped looking at Zhao Chen, turned around and walked quickly into the study, closing the door as if she was escaping from the plague.

Zhao Chen sat at the dining table, watching Yu Ling's barely touched breakfast and her hurried escape. The gentle smile on his face vanished completely. He stared at the closed study door, his amber eyes filled with a thick haze, anxiety, and a sense of isolation. His hands, resting on his knees, clenched into fists.

In the study, Yu Ling leaned against the cold door, gasping for breath. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest, filled with the shock and fear of having survived a catastrophe. She had nearly lost control! She had almost thrown the photo in his face!

No! Don't be impulsive!

Before she sees his true face and has enough strength to protect herself, breaking up with him will only put her in a more dangerous situation!

She needed to calm down. She needed to distract herself. She needed to do something to calm her emotions that were about to explode.

Her eyes wandered around the study. The huge bookshelves were filled with all kinds of books, from financial management to world classics, and even some professional books with complicated formulas printed on the covers that she couldn't understand at all. Her eyes finally landed on the huge, rolling filing cabinet against the wall.

This filing cabinet was Zhao Chen's exclusive use and was usually locked. But today... Yu Ling's gaze fell on the side of the cabinet—in that small keyhole, there seemed to be... a silver key inserted? And the cabinet door didn't seem to be completely closed, leaving a tiny gap!

My heart skipped a beat! Was it "not closed tightly" again? Just like the study door that morning!

A huge temptation and an impulse to risk everything once again seized Yu Ling! Could that mysterious cabinet contain more secrets about his identity, about the "Nirvana Plan," or even... about that woman?

She held her breath, as if being pulled by an invisible string, as she walked step by step towards the huge filing cabinet. Her fingertips, with a barely perceptible tremor, gently rested on the cold metal door.

Take a deep breath and pull hard!

The cabinet door slid open silently to both sides!