However, judging from Xiao Yuan's behavior just now, Qiao Zhen could guess the gist of it. She said to the man, "There's no need for an apology. It's good that the child is alright. However, the mastermind behind the murder should be thoroughly investigated."

After seeing the man off, Qiao Zhen realized she had gotten up very early and felt a little tired.

Lu Zheng kept her up for a long time last night, so she didn't get a good night's sleep.

As if sensing Qiao Zhen's resentment, Lu Zheng asked from the side, "What's wrong? Were you too tired to sleep well last night?"

Qiao Zhen glared at him: "Shouldn't I ask you about that?"

"If you haven't slept well, go back to sleep. Anyway, the company is mine." Lu Zheng saw through her and smiled, which made Qiao Zhen even angrier.

This man, he tricked her and he's still so heartless.

"Forget it." Qiao Zhen gave him a disgruntled look; she was still angry about what happened with Song Shiyi.

After quickly tidying up, she went out and only then did she realize that Gu Xijue had sent her a message.

Qiao Zhen immediately returned the call.

Why are you up so early too?

Upon hearing this, Gu Xijue chuckled and said, "What, are you saying that only officials are allowed to set fires, while ordinary people are forbidden to light lamps?"

Qiao Zhen was amused by him and got straight to the point.

"Has there been any progress on that matter?" Qiao Zhen was still concerned about Dean Zhou's affairs.

"Soon," Gu Xijue replied.

But Qiao Zhen felt a surge of unease. She pursed her lips, suppressing the same feeling in her heart, and asked, "Is there something you need?"

"It's nothing much, I just opened a new studio, would you like to take a look?"

Upon hearing this, Qiao Zhen initially wanted to refuse, but seeing that it was still early and she had nothing else to do, she agreed.

I rushed over to the address. The studio wasn't big, but it was fully furnished.

“They all work incredibly hard, they basically sleep at the company, so the studio is a bit messy, please don’t mind.”

Upon hearing this, Qiao Zhen shook her head.

She admires those who work with their lives on the line, so how could she possibly find fault with them?

"When did you decide to open a studio?" Qiao Zhen looked at the studio, feeling that it was all rather sudden.

"It's nothing. I just opened it because I liked it. What's the problem?"

Qiao Zhen was taken aback for a moment, then shook her head: "Of course not, but you already have a successful company, aren't you afraid of being overwhelmed by starting a studio?"

"So what? You can't unleash your potential if you don't push yourself in adversity."

Gu Xijue smiled, and the two of them walked into the studio, where they saw that the staff had already started working.

The staff members nearby also noticed Qiao Zhen and Gu Xijue and couldn't help but laugh, "Mr. Gu, is this your little darling wife?"

Upon hearing this, both Qiao Zhen and Gu Xijue looked somewhat embarrassed.

Gu Xijue glanced back at Qiao Zhen, noticing her slightly flushed cheeks, and then turned away to explain, "What are you talking about? She's just a friend of mine."

Qiao Zhen was also a little embarrassed. If this got back to Lu Zheng, she didn't dare to think about it any further.

Upon hearing this, the friends next to him were all taken aback and quickly changed the subject.

After this awkward little incident, Qiao Zhen made an excuse to leave quickly.

Gu Xijue went to see Qiao Zhen off. Before leaving, he apologized to her, "I'm really sorry, my friends don't know how to keep their mouths shut. Please don't take it to heart."

"It's nothing." Qiao Zhen waved her hand, but the image of Lu Zheng's face kept flashing through her mind.

After parting ways with Gu Xijue, Qiao Zhen went home and was stunned when she saw Lu Zheng's figure.

Stepping forward, Qiao Zhen asked, "Why aren't you at work?"

When Lu Zheng saw that they had arrived, he grabbed Qiao Zhen's arm and pulled her into his arms: "I'd like to ask you, what did you do after you left home?"

Upon hearing this, Qiao Zhen was stunned for a moment, then became somewhat exasperated.

How does Lu Zheng know everything?

She struggled to get off Lu Zheng, but the man held her even tighter: "Trying to run now? Too late."

Feeling the stiffness of the woman in his arms, a smile crept onto his lips.

"I...I didn't do anything, Mr. Lu." Qiao Zhen smiled and touched her hair, but her heart was pounding.

He probably can't tell that he's such a good actor.

Lu Zheng found her clumsy acting ridiculous and just laughed.

"If you didn't do anything, then you did something. Speak properly."

Hearing the man's slightly warning tone, Qiao Zhen became serious, coughed twice, and said, "I... ran into my friend, so I went to his studio to take a look."

"Which friend of yours?" Lu Zheng asked, a barely perceptible danger lurking in his eyes.

Upon seeing this, Qiao Zhen's eyes flashed with a barely perceptible confusion: "It's Yan Simiao."

Upon hearing this, Lu Zheng's expression remained indifferent, seemingly without any doubt.

"You're just a minor shareholder in that company, why are you so concerned?"

Previously, Qiao Zhen had also wanted to do some investing, so she invested in several of Yan Simiao's companies.

So, by a twist of fate, it's still somewhat plausible.

Hearing this, Qiao Zhen pouted, looking unhappy: "It's just about working hard to make money."

"Then why were you feeling guilty just now?" Lu Zheng asked, seeing her reaction.

Qiao Zhen was stunned for a moment, and stammered, "No...no way."

Seeing this, Lu Zheng didn't want to argue with her childish behavior, and smiled, "Okay, no."

Knowing it was almost time for work, Qiao Zhen and Lu Zheng went to the company.

The two got out of the car in the parking lot, and to avoid being seen, Qiao Zhen took a detour to the company gate and went inside.

He had barely stepped into Lu's company building when he bumped head-on into a woman.

"ah!"

Caught off guard, Qiao Zhen was dizzy from the impact and took a while to recover by leaning against the wall.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!