Chapter 45: The Heritage of the Ning Family

"Yichen... don't!"

She called out to me through her tears.

My retreating figure paused slightly, and I came to a halt.

Yet it was not out of a softened heart; rather, there were words I needed to tell her.

"Liu Zhuyin, I think you have always been mistaken."

"The truth is, I have never loved you."

I spoke against my true feelings—how could I have never loved her?

It was simply that I no longer loved her now.

"What?"

"How is it possible that you never loved me?"

"Yichen, I beg you, do not say such things. My heart hurts."

Her voice trembled, her tears dampening her clothes.

Gripped by a tangle of grievance and incomprehension, her eyes seemed to plead with countless unspoken words of affection.

"What I said is the truth."

"My marrying you was merely to fulfill a promise from back then."

"You should know that my parents were seriously ill and I needed money; it was Madam Liu who helped me."

She was well aware of this contract.

"I know, but I didn't mind."

"Back then... back then, because I was heartbroken over A-zhou, I casually found someone to marry."

"Yet after marrying you, though I didn't say it aloud, I never realized how difficult it was to be wedded to someone you didn't love."

"On the contrary... I gradually grew accustomed to you. It was only after we divorced that I discovered how important you were to me."

"I only realized then that I had already fallen in love with you!"

Liu Zhuyin spoke with intense emotion.

"You have loved the wrong person. From the very beginning, we were nothing more than a transaction."

"Without that contract, you and I would have had no intersection whatsoever."

"An affection tainted from its root should not be paired with a word as sacred as love."

My response only stirred her to greater emotion, prompting her to offer a more detailed explanation.

"No! You are wrong!"

"Even if it was a transaction, we still spent five years living together."

"Our love was not earth-shattering, but affection grew day by day."

"We have passed the age of grand, tumultuous passions; you should be able to understand me, shouldn't you?"

I truly did not understand.

Was this "affection growing day by day" of which she spoke truly love... or merely habit?

Nor did I care to find out.

"Very well, that is your own affair."

"But we have truly divorced."

"I hope you will remember that."

I looked at her earnestly.

"Furthermore, do not misunderstand what happened today."

"Had it been anyone else instead of you, I still would not have stood by and done nothing."

With those words, I turned and walked away.

Perhaps it was my hesitation? Or perhaps my lack of firmness.

Had it led her to misunderstand?

It seemed I must not give her any further opportunities in the future.

Outside, a heavy rain had begun to fall.

Turning back, I saw Liu Zhuyin hugging herself, weeping even more bitterly.

Yet I still did not turn back, and drove away.

Liu Zhuyin was heartbroken.

Even though she knew it would not be easy to retain my heart,

today's words of mine had wounded her too deeply!

Five years, nothing more than a transaction?

Were they really just a transaction all along?

Was it solely because of the contract that he had attended to her every need? That he had doused her in such indulgence?

She plunged into doubt.

If I truly did not love her, then what qualifications did she... have to make me stay?

The next day, putting these matters behind me, I took Luo Mingzhu to bid on a foreign investment project.

"Miss Luo, Mr. Gu, please take a seat!"

Liang Sihai, the person in charge of the foreign investment project, welcomed us warmly.

"Director Liang, let us get straight to the point."

"We are determined to secure this project!"

I produced the proposal and handed it to him with a smile.

Liang Sihai let out a hearty laugh. "Mr. Gu, I know of you. Your reputation as the 'King of Hell' in the industry is thunderous."

"If I may flatter you, I hold great personal regard for you!"

"Should we cooperate, I would rest absolute peace of mind!"

I did not take Liang Sihai's words to heart.

Such external monikers meant little in the eyes of men like him.

"The Luo family, the Liu family, and... the Bai family."

"Enough strength!"

Liang Sihai glanced over the proposal, looking at the three joint official seals at the bottom, and nodded slightly.

"However, there is one thing I still wish to remind Mr. Gu of."

"This project... the Ning family is also very interested in it."

His words caused me to frown.

The Ning family?

Ning Yuanzhou?

With the Ning family reduced to a broken sail, how could they hope to contend with us?

Yet he would not have made such a remark without reason.

"Although the Ning family is no longer what it used to be, old master Ning was a veteran who retired from the front lines. Even though he is gone, his connections remain."

"Recently, I have heard that young master Ning Yuanzhou has been scurrying about, working harder than he ever has before."

"Therefore, if Mr. Gu wishes to win this project, you cannot keep your eyes fixed solely upon the project itself!"

"You understand my meaning, don't you?"

Naturally, I understood.

On the chessboard, the goal is victory.

Yet what influences the game is far more than just the black and white stones.

"Thank you, Director Liang. We will be mindful of this."

Though we did not finalize the project today, I had acquired a piece of vital intelligence!

Ning Yuanzhou intended to meddle in this foreign investment project as well.

"Ning Yuanzhou? Isn't that Liu Zhuyin's kept boy?"

"What is he trying to do? Curry favor and show off?"

As soon as we stepped outside, Luo Mingzhu pouted her little lips.

"Most likely."

In truth...

had I not given my word to Luo Mingzhu, withdrawing at this moment would have been the best course of action!

Indeed, lending a hand to Ning Yuanzhou was not entirely out of the question.

If he could keep Liu Zhuyin, my departure would become all the easier.

Yet now, I was riding a tiger and difficult to dismount.

To pull out and retreat now was something neither Luo Mingzhu nor Bai Beichuan would likely stomach.

"Indeed."

"Yet it has nothing to do with us. On the contrary... Director Liang's words today revealed a deeper implication."

Luo Mingzhu froze, staring at me blankly.

"You mean... the Ning family has a better chance than we do?"

I nodded. If such a situation did not exist, why would Director Liang have solemnly spoken to me about Ning Yuanzhou?

"Precisely."

"The Ning family... I underestimated them after all!"

I sneered coldly, intending to return and gather information on the Ning family.

To my surprise, however, Madam Liu called, asking me to visit her office.

I drove there without delay.

The moment we met, Madam Liu pulled me aside.

"Xiaochen, that scoundrel Ning Yuanzhou is also trying to stick his hands into the foreign investment project."

"And... he has used the Ning family's connections to cozy up to a senior executive of the foreign firm."

"If he manages to sign this project, then A-yin is afraid..."

Madam Liu worried that Liu Zhuyin still harbored lingering feelings for Ning Yuanzhou.

I, however, cared nothing for that.

Yet I truly could not let go of this project.

"Mother, rest assured, I will secure this project."

Madam Liu let out a sigh of relief. "That's good. Ning Yuanzhou only has a good grandfather to thank; otherwise, how could he ever compare to you?"

"Still, you must not lower your guard, understand?"

I forced a bitter smile; she must have misunderstood my intentions.

With no way to explain, I could only nod.

Who could have anticipated that at that very moment, Ning Yuanzhou would arrive.

Not just him, but Liu Zhuyin as well.

The two of them walked into Madam Liu's office together.

"Oh, Mr. Gu is here as well?"

"Splendid!"

Catching sight of me, he offered a fake smile and greeted me hypocritically.

Liu Zhuyin looked at me, a dim look in her eyes, and without a word, she seated herself to the side.

I felt a sudden sense of oddity. Wasn't her foot sprained?

Yet the way she carried herself...

A wave of frustration washed over me. Had she been faking it all along? She was growing quite clever indeed!

"Mother, you talk."

Unwilling to have any further contact with the two of them, I turned to leave.

Only to be stopped by Ning Yuanzhou's voice.

"Mr. Gu, let's have a chat, shall we?"