TNSFC – Chapter 96

Que Yining had been utterly exhausted these past few days. The intense pressure of work kept her constantly on edge. Que Linyang was not an easy opponent, and she never underestimated him. So, while dealing with the immediate crisis, she also had to constantly guard against his other moves, striving to be prepared for any eventuality.

Therefore, the moment she hit the bed and closed her eyes, she fell asleep almost instantly.

Gu Shanxue listened to her steady breathing, lying by the bedside and watching her.

Actually, they hadn’t known each other for a particularly long time, less than a year, from early last winter to the current midsummer.

Yet, she felt as if their first meeting had happened a long, long time ago, as if they had been walking hand in hand like this for ages.

It was a wondrous, indescribable feeling, like how you can never predict who will come into your life and knock on the door of your heart.

Kunna had known her for many years before occupying the position of a good friend in her heart.

If, before returning to the country, someone had told her that in less than a year she would fall hopelessly in love with someone of the same gender, she would have definitely thought that person was talking nonsense.

But life, it seemed, was just that unpredictable, bringing unexpected disasters and unexpected surprises.

Gu Shanxue remembered Que Yining in many forms: strong, proud, ruthless, astute, vulnerable, lonely, helpless, and muddled. She was like an endless treasure trove, one whose depths could never be fully fathomed.

She didn’t favor any particular version of her; she loved every version of her.

Gu Shanxue didn’t know when it started; by the time she was willing to face her own heart, she had already fallen in love.

Perhaps love was just that arbitrary and unreasonable. And she discovered she was incredibly lucky, because Que Yining loved her too.

This was simply the best thing in the world, enough to withstand any other hardship.

Gu Shanxue gently caressed Que Yining’s hand, gradually feeling sleepy amidst the sound of her breathing.

When Que Yining woke up, her head was still throbbing slightly.

Her eyes were dry. When she saw the person lying beside her, she paused her movements and softened her breathing.

She actually hadn’t expected herself to be so obedient as to close her eyes and fall asleep so quickly.

Love was truly a magical thing. Those who knew her well knew she wasn’t the type to be docile and obedient. No one would think of her as a harmless little lamb; they would only see her as a wolf that killed without batting an eye.

Que Yining used to think of herself this way too—proud and conceited, unlikely to bow her head for anyone, unlikely to willingly listen to another person. But it wasn’t until she met Gu Shanxue that she truly understood what ‘willingly’ meant.

Que Yining didn’t know if love made people dizzy, she only knew she was willing to be captured, willing for her emotions to fluctuate for Gu Shanxue, willing to be her devoted admirer.

She wasn’t in a hurry to get up. Instead, she turned her head to look at Gu Shanxue sleeping beside her.

Miss Gu looked so adorable even when asleep. Every feature of her face was exquisite; everything about her was exactly to her liking.

Perhaps Que Yining’s gaze was too focused, as Gu Shanxue’s eyelashes fluttered, and her eyes met Que Yining’s.

Que Yining smiled at her, then stole a kiss from her lips.

The beautiful heart-stealer brought a faint blush to Gu Shanxue’s face, but she didn’t shyly avert her gaze as she had before. After all, they had already done things far more embarrassing and intimate.

“Have you slept enough? Are you still feeling unwell anywhere?”

“My eyes still hurt a bit.”

Que Yining pressed her throbbing temples and, saying this, couldn’t help but rub her eyes.

“Don’t rub your eyes. Bacteria can easily cause an infection.”

Her hand was caught by Gu Shanxue. Gu Shanxue took out some eye drops from the cabinet in the lounge and had her continue to lie down obediently.

Que Yining kept her eyes open as Gu Shanxue administered the eye drops. After feeling slightly better, she washed her face and returned to the office.

She had missed several calls while resting. She immediately dialed them back. Gu Shanxue had her assistant send over some food and, while waiting, helped Que Yining look through some documents.

Although their fields were different, some aspects were still interconnected.

As the sun began to set, Que Yining received a call. Her spirits lifted, and she winked at Gu Shanxue.

“Okay, I understand. I’ll have someone keep an eye on things over there immediately.”

Que Yining’s voice carried a hint of excitement as she looked at Gu Shanxue.

“Shanxue, she really did send them away. I’m counting on you.”

“Alright, I’ve already found the people. Don’t worry.”

Before these events erupted, Que Yining had speculated whether Que Linyang would send his mistress and child away if things truly got chaotic.

After all, within the country, one had to abide by domestic laws. Que Linyang certainly wouldn’t leave such leverage within the country.

That child was evidence of his infidelity. Not to mention, his mistress had been connected to her car accident and had perhaps helped him handle even more matters. Leaving her in the country would also make her a target.

Someone as meticulous and suspicious as Que Linyang would definitely not send his mistress and son to a country he was unfamiliar with; he would certainly arrange for people to be there.

He had studied abroad for a period, and that country happened to be the one where Gu Shanxue had lived for several years.

Such a coincidence could only be described as fated. So, Que Yining had already discussed it with Gu Shanxue at that time, asking for her help.

Gu Shanxue’s influence was initially established abroad. Moreover, she frequently traveled abroad for business and had many local connections, so she was already prepared.

Que Yining had Lin Zhen keep an eye on Que Linyang’s situation. She had originally thought Que Linyang would send them abroad when she launched her counterattack. She hadn’t expected him to act so soon, before she had even released the evidence she held, now that things had just started to get messy.

Unfortunately for him, his plans were about to fall through.

Nine o’clock, domestic time. The plane landed.

Deng Zhi walked out of the airport with her son. She took off her sunglasses, searching for the person who was supposed to meet her. Soon, she saw a Caucasian woman approach and speak to her in English.

“Excuse me, are you Mr. Ming’s wife?”

Que Linyang was very cautious; he used an alias. Hearing her ask this, Deng Zhi figured this must be the person. She nodded, led her child with her into the car, and then called Que Linyang to report her safe arrival.

Sitting in the car, she watched the scenery outside grow increasingly desolate, and a sense of unease crept into her heart.

“Excuse me, aren’t we going to…”

Deng Zhi began to speak in English, but the phone in her hand was suddenly snatched by the Caucasian woman sitting next to her. The child in her arms was also grabbed by the woman, and the dark muzzle of a gun was pressed against her head.

“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll shut up.”

Deng Zhi knew something was wrong, but at this point, she had no way to send out any information. She obediently fell silent.

Good news arrived. Que Yining chuckled softly and dialed a number.

“We can start the counterattack.”

She had remained silent to the outside world for more than four or five days, working to the point of exhaustion. It was time for him to taste the bitterness of being overwhelmed.

On the other side, Que Linyang was already preparing to savor the fruits of his victory.

He opened a bottle of red wine and sat in his study, slowly enjoying it.

He could already smell the scent of victory. It was sure to be so sweet it would make him tremble all over.

So what if Que Yining tried her best to make amends? The Que family’s reputation was already ruined, the stock market had plummeted so badly, the industrial chain had shrunk significantly, and the market value had decreased. More and more people who understood the situation and knew how to adapt were calling him brother. He had been like a fish in water recently.

He believed that soon, with just a little more sustained effort on his part, the Que family would sooner or later be in the palm of his hand.

Suddenly, the phone rang in the room, somewhat disturbing his mood. However, he still answered it in good spirits. When he heard what the person on the other end said, he froze on the spot and immediately opened his computer to watch the video his assistant had sent him.

“Yes, it’s all fake. It was all just an act. He married me back then because he coveted my father’s influence. Later, when my father made a mistake and couldn’t provide him any more help, he changed completely. He started carousing outside and even threatened me to act with him.” In the video, Hou Manni seemed to be on the verge of a breakdown, sobbing uncontrollably. “My daughter has mild autism, and this was all forced upon her by him! I wanted a divorce a long time ago, but he used our daughter to threaten me and prevent me from leaving. I don’t know how there can be such a heartless man in the world. His disguise makes my scalp tingle and my heart turn cold. There can’t be a more terrifying demon in this world than him!”

“Then why did you choose to reveal these things at this time?”

“I just couldn’t bear it anymore. Even if I’m threatened, I have to tell this! He’s an adopted son, taken in by my father-in-law and mother-in-law, but he’s been scheming for the family fortune for so many years. The truth is not at all what he says. My in-laws treated him very well, gave him company shares, and even planned to give him more in the future. It’s perfectly natural and proper for my in-laws to leave the bulk of their assets to their biological daughter, who is already capable of inheriting, and they even said they would definitely compensate him. It’s just that he himself wasn’t satisfied and orchestrated all these things.”

“He’s not a good husband or a good father at all. He’s just a beast in human skin who has done many hypocritical things. He’s been having an affair for years, I knew it all along, but I was forced to act. He subjected me and our child to emotional abuse, yet he still used our relationship as a signboard to enhance his image!”

“And once, my sister-in-law was in a car accident that almost killed her. He was the mastermind behind that accident!”

Hou Manni’s painful accusations, delivered with tears streaming down her face, were captured on camera.

The scene was in an uproar. The reporters snapped photos even more furiously. They hadn’t expected that what was originally just a power struggle between wealthy families would involve such a shocking secret. This was attempted murder, absolutely sensational!

Que Linyang’s hands were trembling with anger. He looked at his wife in the video in disbelief, a chill running down his spine.

How dare she! He clearly had leverage over her too! How dare she do this!

Just half an hour ago, she had come into his room and told him to go to bed early.

“Boss, what do we do? This video is spreading too fast, and the reports are being published at an extremely rapid pace. Public opinion is already somewhat out of control!”

Que Linyang angrily smashed the wine glass on the floor and furiously wrecked the record player.

His phone screen suddenly lit up. An unknown number had sent him a message.

【Do you like this gift?】

These few words jumped on the screen, extremely glaring.

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