Chapter 57 Clues: "Has he gone mad?"
After finishing my work, it was nearly dusk.
Almost instinctively, Qiao Yunzheng looked up to search for that tall figure. After staring at the empty house for a long time, she suddenly realized that Wen Hong was still at the company and hadn't gone home.
She shook her head, laughing at her own silly behavior just now.
Before, no matter where she was or what she was busy with, she could always see Wen Hong when she turned around. He always followed her silently, looking relaxed and carefree, as if nothing else could interest him except her.
At first, she was even a little annoyed by his "unproductive" behavior and gently reminded him, "Don't you have to care about Junyu's affairs?"
He glanced at her casually: "Knowing people and using them well will make things twice as easy. Besides, you are my esteemed employer, so I should provide you with 24/7 service."
She was often rendered speechless by his various far-fetched reasons, and she even wondered how there could be such a shameless person in the world.
Now that she understands everything, she feels a pang of regret for her past ignorance, for failing to recognize his unspoken affection.
Generally speaking, it is only when feelings run deep that one realizes how short time is.
Qiao Yunzheng carefully selected a fitted dress, checked her makeup in the mirror, and nodded in satisfaction. After saying goodbye to Yao Jing, she drove straight to Wen's.
Due to her status, she did not go directly into the Wen Group building, but instead waited in a temporary parking space on the tree-lined path outside.
While waiting, she opened Dianping (a Chinese review platform), thought for a moment, and typed "the best restaurants for couples on a date" into the search box and clicked search.
A fraction of a second later, the interface redirected, and the first result was a Western restaurant with an interesting name: Listening to the Wind.
Only after the light from Wen Hong's office window went out did Qiao Yunzheng send him a message at the perfect moment: [Finished with work?]
The reply came almost instantly: 【Where are you?】
Qiao Yunzheng's eyes crinkled into a smile, her mood brightening from the unspoken understanding between them: [At the door.]
Within minutes, Wen Hong strode in from the doorway, opened the car door, and got in.
He habitually reached out and pinched her cheek. Seeing her face, which looked even more delicate and beautiful than usual, he couldn't help but give her a light peck on the lips: "Why are you here so late?"
Qiao Yunzheng wore exquisite makeup, her skin was clear and fair. She smiled and said, "I missed you, so I came to see you."
Wen Hong was slightly taken aback by her direct confession before a smile spread across her face.
We drove to that Western restaurant.
Because the reservation time was already late and all the private rooms were booked, Qiao Yunzheng could only get a table in the lobby.
The restaurant occupies the highest point in the city, offering panoramic views of Kunming's nightscape through its massive glass curtain wall.
Wen Hong followed Qiao Yunzheng and took a seat as directed by the waiter. After glancing at the glass candlestick on the table, which glowed with an ambiguous soft light, and at the couples around her behaving intimately, she quickly understood what was going on.
Qiao Yunzheng pretended not to notice, smoothed the stray hairs by her ear, and casually explained, "Su Ran recommended this restaurant before, so I thought I'd come and check it out."
“Hmm,” Wen Hong smiled, not exposing her, “Su Ran does have a good eye.”
It wasn't until the food was served that Qiao Yunzheng began to feel a little regretful.
To be honest, the taste was just average. These trendy restaurants are probably all about the hype and the perfect atmosphere; most people who come here aren't really there for the food.
Feeling a little guilty, she leaned closer to Wen Hong and asked, "Should we try another place?"
Wen Hong smiled and said, "I think it's great."
Suddenly, the girl sitting at the next table exclaimed, "Ah!"
At this sound, everyone looked over, and even the melodious piano music suddenly stopped.
Qiao Yunzheng turned her head to look and saw the boy who was with her lean over and ask with concern, "What's wrong?"
The girl covered her mouth, her words muffled. After a moment, she spat out a ring, her confusion instantly replaced by surprise. She guessed what it was and couldn't contain her excitement: "This is..."
The boy knelt down on one knee, put his hands behind his back, took the bouquet of flowers that the waiter quietly handed him, presented it to the girl, and passionately confessed: "My dear, marry me."
Immediately, the crowd erupted in cheers, applause, applause, and blessings, while the melodious piano music shifted its focus, its tune tender and captivating.
This unexpected excitement did not spoil the mood of the onlookers; on the contrary, they were touched by the affection and looked at the people around them with even more tenderness and affection.
Qiao Yunzheng was also watching. She smiled and was genuinely happy for them. The routine was old, but the sincerity was what mattered.
Wen Hong glanced at it a few times before looking away, her gaze settling on Qiao Yunzheng, seemingly lost in thought.
After finishing their meal and getting back in the car, he suddenly said, "Ah Zheng, let's get married again!"
Qiao Yunzheng was about to start the car when she heard this and was stunned: "What?"
“Let’s do it again,” he said, staring into her eyes, solemn and earnest. “This time, I’ll make up for everything I owe you.”
Qiao Yunzheng then understood what he meant, and she smiled frankly: "Those things are not important, we don't need those things between us."
He stubbornly shook his head: "My Azheng deserves the best in the world."
In the past, he was cautious, a despicable thief, hiding and concealing his fleeting affection, not daring to expose it to the light of day.
Now that they have confessed their feelings for each other, he should be open and honest, and give the best of everything in the world to the girl he loves.
Back home, the two snuggled together on the sofa.
Remembering Jiang Qi's phone call during the day, Qiao Yunzheng quickly sat up straight and told Wen Hong the news.
After hearing her words, Wen Hong did not show much surprise. He slightly looked away and replied, "Yes, if you want to go, I'll go with you."
Qiao Yunzheng was so engrossed in the joy of finding the important clue that she didn't notice anything unusual. She opened her calendar, chose a time when both of them were relatively free, and sent a message to Jiang Qi to arrange a meeting.
That day, the flight to Feicheng was in the afternoon. Wen Hong was busy at Wen's until noon before she could finally leave. She shut down her computer and dragged her tired steps out of the office.
With three hours until his flight, and the Qiao residence and the airport being in opposite directions, it was too late to go home. He called Qiao Yunzheng and told her to head out immediately, while he waited nearby.
Just a few hundred meters from Wenshi is Kuncheng's most bustling commercial street.
He glanced at the huge logo of the jewelry store not far away and decided to go inside.
Seeing his dignified and refined demeanor, the shop assistant came over to greet him warmly.
Wen Hong didn't respond, her gaze sweeping briefly across the glass display case before quickly moving on.
The shop assistant understood immediately and called out to him just before he turned to leave: "Sir, we have another prized possession in our vault. If you have time today, I think it's worth seeing."
In the past, Wen Hong would have scoffed at this kind of rhetoric.
His phone beeped with a message. He opened it and saw it was from Qiao Yunzheng: [Are you done with your work? I'll probably leave in about an hour, arriving at your company building around 2 PM.]
He smiled and typed quickly: "Almost there, no rush. Drive slowly and be careful."
He tossed his phone back into his pocket before glancing at the shop assistant and casually replying, "Okay."
He was led to the VIP reception room on the second floor. The manager, wearing white gloves, carefully took a gemstone from the safe and placed it on the velvet cushion in front of Wen Hong.
Wen Hong lowered his eyes and glanced at her indifferently.
Given his status, he had seen many fine things. Although the gemstone in front of him was of exceptional quality, it was not yet at the point that he would immediately feel the urge to buy it.
Seeing that his expression remained indifferent, the sales clerk panicked a little, but the account manager next to him remained calm and composed, not at all bothered by Wen Hong's indifference, and continued to introduce the piece in a gentle voice: "The name of this piece is 'Eternal Guardian'. Our chief brand designer said that it is waiting for a story worthy of it, and I think that perhaps you are the beginning of that story."
When Wen Hong came out of the jewelry store, she was carrying a beautifully packaged handbag.
He glanced at the time; it was only half an hour before his appointment with Qiao Yunzheng, so he headed downstairs to the company.
I had only taken a few steps when the phone rang.
He glanced at the caller ID; it was an unfamiliar number from Jiangcheng.
Wen Hong frowned, pressed the answer button, and said in a cold voice, "Hello?"
The voice on the other end sounded somewhat familiar: "Mr. Wen, I think we need to meet."
His expression remained unchanged: "What is it?"
The man paused for a moment and said, "Your mother had some things in my possession that I need to give to you in person."
*
Just as Qiao Yunzheng was driving towards Wen's, she received a call from Wen Hong.
She pressed the answer button on the central control display screen, and before he could speak, she said, "Wen Hong, I'm almost there, about two more intersections."
Wen Hong paused for a moment before replying in a low voice, "A-Zheng, I'm sorry, I probably can't go."
Qiao Yunzheng asked suspiciously, "What's wrong? Is something at the company holding you back?"
In the few seconds of silence, Qiao Yunzheng could only hear the faint sound of electricity.
"Wen Hong? Is your signal bad?"
Wen Hong's voice then came through: "Yes, there are some things that need to be dealt with urgently."
Qiao Yunzheng understood the current situation of the Wen family, so such a sudden event was not unusual: "Oh, okay then! I can go by myself, but I'll be back in two days."
Wen Hong paused for a moment: "Can you do it yourself?"
Qiao Yunzheng smiled and said, "Of course, no problem, don't worry! I'll call you when I have news."
After hanging up the phone, Qiao Yunzheng turned around at the intersection and went straight to the airport.
When she landed in Shencheng, Jiang Qi was already waiting at the airport.
He hadn't changed much since the last time they met, still dressed casually. However, as they walked out together, he seemed to deliberately keep his distance, as if she were some kind of monster that made him dare not get close.
Qiao Yunzheng found it strange and asked, "What's wrong?"
She looked at him, then at the two large paving stones separating them. The last time they met, he was completely at ease, not at all reserved or socially awkward.
Jiang Qi gave a wry smile: "You have no idea how long your sister-in-law has been pestering me ever since we last met. I'm scared..."
She hadn't expected such a hidden story and couldn't help but ask in surprise, "You mean, Miao Miao?"
“Yes, that’s right,” Jiang Qi’s face flashed with a strange light, “that cunning little devil.”
The two got into Jiang Qi's car, which was parked outside, and drove together toward the sanatorium.
Jiang Qi handed a stack of documents to Qiao Yunzheng, explaining to her on the way: "This guy named Yuan Ming used to be a long-time employee of your Qiao Group. He has a simple family background, no relatives, and his wife and children died in a car accident more than 20 years ago, leaving him all alone. He started working with your father a long time ago and is considered one of the founders of Qiao Group. However, he is honest and simple-minded, and a bit stubborn, so he never had any opportunities for promotion and spent his whole life working on projects."
Qiao Yunzheng nodded, opened the file bag, and took out the person's information.
When I saw that photo, I was shocked, and my pupils widened suddenly.
Jiang Qi was driving and didn't notice her reaction. He continued, "After that incident three years ago, the project team underwent a major reshuffle, and he resigned and left Qiao's. After that, we lost contact with him and never found any trace of him."
"Until recently, I went to the nursing home to visit a client, and by sheer coincidence, I saw him there. When I checked with the nursing home, I found out that it was indeed the same person."
“He…” Qiao Yunzheng’s hand trembled slightly as she held the page. “Has he gone mad?”
“He does have some mental issues,” Jiang Qi explained. “However, the hospital staff said that he was like this when he was sent there, and the person who sent him there seemed to be quite wealthy.”
"Was someone sent there?"
"Yes, the young lady at the hospital said that the man was quite young and handsome, so as soon as I asked, she remembered him immediately. You know, that's a very high-end sanatorium in Shencheng. Anyone who can afford that kind of fee must be very rich."
As Qiao Yunzheng listened, her fingers gradually tightened.
The face in that photo was none other than the homeless man who had followed her when she was in the Joe's parking lot.
Author's Note: Thank you to "Sunshine" for the nutrient solution! Mua!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
