Gu Huaiyu’s breathing quickened slightly; that incident was the one thing he was most unwilling to mention.
The truth of it...
A few seconds later, Gu Huaiyu spoke, but instead of responding to Bai Ruochu, he told her coldly,
“Bai Ruochu, let me tell you, this is the first and last time...”
“If you ever dare to go behind my back and use such underhanded methods against Su Wan again...”
“...then don't blame me for disregarding the ties between our families. I will make sure you face the consequences!”
This blatant warning was like a blunt knife, carving deeply into Bai Ruochu’s heart.
She finally confirmed it: Gu Huaiyu really did still have feelings for Su Wan!
At the very least, he would never allow anyone else to humiliate her in such a way!
Sadness, embarrassment, the sting of betrayal, and a burning jealousy instantly consumed her.
Tears welled up uncontrollably in her eyes, but she forced them back.
“Fine... fine! Gu Huaiyu, you’re something else!” Bai Ruochu’s voice trembled with extreme emotion, but beneath it lay a desperate, all-consuming hatred.
“You really do still care about her!”
“I never thought you would actually threaten me for her sake...” Bai Ruochu felt as if her heart had been gouged out; the pain was almost suffocating.
“Think whatever you want.” Gu Huaiyu seemed disinclined to say more. His tone returned to its usual coldness, but it was now even more distant. “Just remember what I said.”
The call ended.
Bai Ruochu leaned against the cold wall, her entire body chilled. Tears finally fell, smudging her exquisite eye makeup.
Grief, anger, humiliation, and the fear of his blatant warning—a cocktail of emotions surged, nearly drowning her.
But soon, another darker, more intense emotion covered everything like thick ink.
It was a monstrous hatred—hatred for Su Wan!
She couldn't let Su Wan live any longer!
Originally, she had wanted to watch Su Wan struggle in the mud, slowly crushing every bit of her hope.
But now, she had changed her mind.
Su Wan had to die!
The sooner, the better!
Only when Su Wan vanished completely would Gu Huaiyu’s misplaced feelings be severed for good!
Meanwhile, in the CEO's office on the top floor of the Gu Corporation.
Gu Huaiyu tossed his phone onto the wide mahogany desk with a soft thud.
He stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows, overlooking the city's neon lights, his brow furrowed.
Bai Ruochu’s words had confirmed his suspicions.
Bai Ruochu really had been the one pulling the strings behind Su Wan’s recent troubles, and her methods were incredibly base.
This filled him with an inexplicable irritation and a trace of anger that he didn't want to examine too closely.
What really bothered him, however, was the outcome Bai Ruochu described: the bizarre coma of Li Bao and his men, Su Wan and Liu Xin leaving unscathed, and the Liu family’s sudden change in attitude toward Liu Xin...
None of it made sense.
Based on his understanding of Su Wan, there was no way she could have handled those situations.
To say nothing of Liu Xin.
So, what exactly had happened?
At that thought, Gu Huaiyu immediately used his connections to investigate the matter with the utmost urgency.
Soon, a more detailed report was delivered to him.
After reading the sequence of events, Gu Huaiyu’s brow furrowed even deeper.
Everything that had transpired pointed toward a single core.
Su Wan... the girl who was once bright, charming, and simple-minded—the girl he had viewed as a beautiful pawn in his plans—seemed to have become a complete stranger in the short time since her family's downfall.
What exactly had happened to her?
Who was helping her?
Or... had she undergone some unknown change herself?
Gu Huaiyu leaned back in his chair, his gaze deep as he looked out at the bustling night view of Jiangcheng.
Su Wan, the pawn he thought he had completely controlled and could discard at will, was now like a shroud of mist, capturing his attention once again.
He hadn't even noticed that he now harbored an indescribable curiosity toward her.
...
Su Wan returned to Blue Star and checked the system panel. She found that the cooldown for Autonomous Travel had begun; in twelve hours, she would be able to travel back to the Apocalyptic Plane.
Su Wan could use these twelve hours to handle other matters.
The most urgent task now was to secure the ownership of this unfinished building.
To achieve that, she needed a significant amount of capital.
Su Wan didn't go straight to the bank or contact Zhou Shikun.
She had to convert the gold in her possession into cash first.
Small amounts of gold could be exchanged anywhere, but for larger quantities, she needed a more discreet channel.
She had a suitable candidate in mind—Old Ghost.
Old Ghost’s shop was located deep within an unremarkable alley in the old district. The storefront was dilapidated, and the sign vaguely read “Miscellaneous Recycling.”
But those in the know understood that this was one of the few places in Jiangcheng that conducted “no questions asked” business.
Old Ghost himself was in his fifties, thin and shrewd, with eyes that held a mix of cloudiness and piercing clarity.
He only cared about money and rules, not favors or backgrounds. Whether it was the Su family at their peak or the destitute Su Wan of today, as long as one entered his door with hard currency or could pay the price, he was the fairest businessman around.
Carrying a small bag, Su Wan knocked on the closed iron door with practiced familiarity.
Three long, two short—a specific rhythm.
A small window in the door slid open. Old Ghost’s cloudy eyes glanced at her, and without asking questions, the lock clicked open.
The shop was dimly lit, filled with various secondhand goods and devices of unknown purpose. The air smelled of metal and dust.
Old Ghost sat behind a heavy, old wooden desk, rolling two polished walnuts in his hand.
“Miss Su, what a rare guest.” Old Ghost’s voice was hoarse and devoid of emotion. “Coming here means the usual rules.”
“I know.” Su Wan placed her canvas bag on the table and opened it, revealing the gleaming gold bars inside.
“I have some gold to sell.”
Without even lifting his eyelids, Old Ghost picked up a specialized small scale and a tester, skillfully beginning to check the purity and weight.
The process was silent and efficient.
A few minutes later, he quoted a figure slightly lower than the market price but absolutely fair—the cost of “no questions asked.”
Su Wan nodded in agreement.
The transaction was completed quickly, and 2.1 million in cash was transferred to the unregistered account Su Wan specified.
“Need anything else?” Old Ghost stowed the gold as if it were merely scrap metal, his gaze returning to Su Wan.
Seeing that Su Wan had no intention of leaving, he knew she wasn't just here to sell.
“I want to buy information,” Su Wan said bluntly.
“I want to know which bank holds the mortgage for the unfinished building in Jinxiu Garden, and ideally, the contact information for the bank's business manager.”
Old Ghost narrowed his eyes, seemingly evaluating the value of this request and the service he could provide.
Rate on N.U.
