Fu Sinian stayed in his office the entire morning, yet he didn’t manage to read a single document. Standing before the floor-to-ceiling window, he watched the endless stream of traffic below, while the scenes from the morning replayed again and again in his mind—Su Wanning’s evasive gaze, her flustered expression, and that cufflink engraved with “JC.”
He took out his phone and scrolled to the name “Lu Zeyan” in his contacts. Lu Zeyan was the vice president he trusted most at Huachen Group, as well as his closest friend from university days. They had started the business together, building Huachen into what it was today. Their bond had long surpassed that of ordinary friendship.
The call was picked up quickly, and Lu Zeyan’s hearty voice came through, “Sinian, why are you calling at this hour? Shouldn’t you be in the morning meeting?”
Fu Sinian fell silent for a moment before speaking in a low voice, “Zeyan, are you free right now? I want to see you.”
There was a brief pause on the other end. Lu Zeyan clearly caught the unusual tone in his voice. “Where are you? I’ll come over immediately.”
“Platinum Yue Hotel. The usual place.”
“Alright. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
After hanging up, Fu Sinian picked up his suit jacket, gave a few brief instructions to his secretary, and took the elevator straight down to the underground parking garage. Platinum Yue Hotel was a five-star hotel under the Huachen Group. The private tea room on the top floor was where they often discussed important matters.
By the time he arrived, Lu Zeyan was already there. The tea room was filled with a faint sandalwood fragrance. A decorative screen blocked out the outside noise, leaving only the gentle sound of a guqin flowing through the air.
Lu Zeyan looked up as he entered, his brows knitting slightly. “What happened? You don’t look well.”
Fu Sinian sat across from him. A waiter promptly served his usual Longjing tea and quietly withdrew.
The fragrance of tea curled in the air, yet it couldn’t ease the heavy atmosphere between them.
Fu Sinian didn’t answer directly. Instead, he pulled up a photo of the cufflink on his phone and pushed it toward Lu Zeyan. Then he briefly recounted the unusual incident at the breakfast stall that morning, along with Su Wanning’s reaction upon seeing the cufflink.
As Lu Zeyan listened, his expression grew darker with every word. When he heard that Su Wanning had thrown the cufflink into the trash and casually dismissed it as “a worthless little thing,” he finally couldn’t hold back. Slamming his hand against the table, he stood up abruptly.
“Has she lost her mind?” His voice trembled with anger. “Haven’t you treated her well enough, Sinian? How dare she do this to you!”
Fu Sinian lowered his gaze to the tea leaves drifting in his cup, a bitter smile tugging at his lips. Hadn’t he treated her well enough? From the time they dated to their marriage, he had cherished her like a treasure, unwilling to let her suffer even the slightest grievance. When she said she didn’t want to work, he used his connections to arrange a relaxed position for her. When she said she liked something, he bought the Moon Lake Bay villa and put it under her name. When she said she wanted something, he wished he could place the entire world before her.
And yet, this was what he received in return.
Lu Zeyan paced back and forth in the tea room, his face flushed with anger. “Who the hell does that Gu Jingchen think he is? How could he even compare to you? Has Su Wanning lost her mind?”
Fu Sinian lifted his eyes, his voice frighteningly calm. “That’s why I want you to help me find out the truth.”
Lu Zeyan immediately stopped pacing and sat back down heavily across from him, his gaze sharp. “Tell me. What do you want me to investigate? I’ll arrange people right away.”
Fu Sinian took a sip of tea, the bitter taste spreading across his tongue. “Three things. First, find out the exact brand and purchase channel of this cufflink. I want to know who bought it.”
“No problem.” Lu Zeyan nodded. “What’s the second?”
“Second, conduct a detailed investigation into Wanning’s movements and communication records over the past two months.” Fu Sinian’s fingertips unconsciously traced the rim of his cup. “I want to know exactly where she’s been and who she’s met.”
A trace of hesitation flickered in Lu Zeyan’s eyes, but he still agreed. “Alright. And the third?”
“Third, focus on investigating that Gu Jingchen.” Fu Sinian’s gaze turned cold. “I want to know his background and what his intentions are in approaching Wanning.”
Lu Zeyan took out his phone and quickly noted everything down. “Don’t worry. I’ll use all available resources and get you an answer as soon as possible.” He paused, then looked at Fu Sinian. “But Sinian, you need to be mentally prepared. If… if we really uncover something, what are you planning to do?”
Fu Sinian didn’t answer immediately. He turned his head to look out the window. At some point, the sky over the capital had grown overcast, mirroring his current mood.
After a long silence, he finally said softly, “Let’s talk about it after we know the truth.”
Lu Zeyan sighed and reached out to pat his shoulder. “No matter what happens, I’ve got your back.”
Fu Sinian nodded and raised his cup, draining the now lukewarm tea in one gulp. The bitterness spread from his tongue straight into his heart.
He knew that from this moment on, some things could never go back to the way they were. And he had to know the truth, no matter how cruel it might be.
When he left Platinum Yue Hotel, a light drizzle had already begun to fall outside. Fu Sinian didn’t open an umbrella, letting the cold rain fall against his face.
Lu Zeyan followed behind him, hesitating as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he only said, “Wait for my news. At most twenty-four hours.”
Fu Sinian nodded and got into his car.
The windshield wipers swept back and forth, blurring the road ahead—just like his current state of mind, clouded and uncertain.
But he knew one thing clearly.
No matter what lay ahead, he had to keep moving forward. Even if it led into a bottomless abyss, he needed to see with his own eyes what kind of place the woman he once loved so deeply had pushed him into.