When Gong Hengye pushed the door open, someone in the private room cursed, “Who the hell doesn’t know the rules? Don’t you know how to knock—”
Then, the voice abruptly cut off.
The lively atmosphere in the room instantly chilled to ice.
Aside from Gong Chen and the women called to entertain the guests, everyone else in the private room was from the Gong Corporation’s project department.
Apart from the project department’s general manager, the rest were all responsible for the amusement park project.
Wen Yue glanced around and even recognized a few low-tier celebrities from the industry.
No one had expected Gong Hengye to appear.
Seeing the figure at the door, the project department’s general manager was instantly sobered by fear.
He pushed away the woman beside him, and as he stood up, his legs gave way, causing him to kneel helplessly. “Boss!”
Gong Hengye strode slowly into the private room, carrying his unique, casual yet sharp and intimidating presence.
Even though he was alone, even though he didn’t speak, it was enough to make everyone in the room weak in the knees.
Wen Yue’s hand was held by Gong Hengye, and to avoid drawing attention, instead of letting go, he tucked her hand into the pocket of his suit pants.
Wen Yue’s nonexistent heartbeat instantly went haywire.
His hand was already warm, tightly enveloping her small hand. Placing it in his pocket made the warmth even more intense.
She stiffened, not daring to move.
Gong Hengye remained calm and composed. To others, he simply had one hand tucked in his pocket, his cold gaze sweeping over everyone. “It seems I’ve come at an inconvenient time?”
The project department manager scrambled to his feet, forcing an awkward smile. “Boss, what are you saying? We’re overjoyed to have you here, absolutely overjoyed.”
As he spoke, his eyes kept darting toward Gong Chen, silently pleading for help.
Though heavily intoxicated, Gong Chen had also heard the commotion.
He looked up, and upon seeing Gong Hengye, he smiled. “Uncle, what brings you here?”
Clearly, he hadn’t noticed Wen Yue.
Gong Hengye’s gaze fell calmly on the woman in Gong Chen’s arms. When he saw her features clearly, his brow tightened instantly. “What is this?”
The woman in Gong Chen’s arms brightened upon seeing Gong Hengye.
This man was simply too exceptional—even more handsome than the third young master of the Gong family. Yet his presence was too imposing, clearly someone of high status who commanded respect and deterred any improper thoughts.
This made her eyes light up, but she also felt a bit flustered, quickly lowering her gaze.
Gong Chen, however, noticed Gong Hengye’s gaze. He glanced at the woman in his arms, his smile deepening. “What, Uncle, do you fancy her too?”
He released the woman in his arms, patted her hip, and spoke in a casual, flippant tone. “Go, Yueyue, offer my uncle a drink.”
If Wen Yue had remained calm before, she was now completely unable to stay composed.
Yueyue?
Gong Hengye’s expression grew even colder. “What did you call her?”
Leaning back on the sofa, Gong Chen closed his eyes and rubbed his throbbing temples. “Yueyue. I just gave her that name. What do you think, Uncle?”
The woman Gong Chen had called Yueyue had already walked up to Gong Hengye with a glass of wine. “Unc—”
Gong Hengye took the glass from her hand.
He walked up to Gong Chen and, without hesitation, splashed the wine in his face.
The air froze.
Gong Hengye’s gaze was icy. “Do you know what you’re doing?”Gong Chen wiped the wine from his face, still wearing his usual lazy, carefree expression. “I don’t get it. If you don’t want to drink, just say so. Why get so angry?”
“Drink?”
Gong Hengye threw the glass in his hand. The loud crash in the quiet private room made everyone tremble with fear.
His gaze swept across the room, and he sneered, speaking bluntly, “Everyone here, go to the finance department first thing tomorrow morning to settle your salaries and get out of the Gong Corporation.”
Everyone was stunned. “Boss…”
Gong Chen’s expression also changed. He sat up straight, gritting his teeth as he stared at Gong Hengye. “On what grounds?”
“Do you really want me to spell it out?”
Gong Hengye looked at him with cold disdain. “Gong Chen, the reason they’re leaving the company is because they tried to bribe and corrupt you, the third young master of the Gong family. This is the only face I’m saving for you out of respect for the old master.
If you keep asking why, I won’t mind releasing the emails and messages exchanged between you all.
By then, you won’t be sitting here asking me why—you’ll be sitting in a police station, asking the police why.”
As soon as he said this, Gong Chen’s expression shifted, and everyone else understood.
Gong Hengye already knew about their scheme!
So, when Gong Hengye uttered the word “get out,” no one dared to delay any longer. They scrambled out in a panic.
After all, leaving the Gong Corporation like this still left them the possibility of finding work elsewhere.
But if Gong Hengye really exposed everything, not only would they never find another job, they’d also end up in the police station alongside Gong Chen.
Only when the room was left with just Gong Chen and Gong Hengye did Gong Hengye speak coldly again, “Once you’ve sobered up, get on a plane to France immediately.”
With that, he turned to leave, but Gong Chen couldn’t hold back any longer. “On what grounds?”
He stood up, teeth clenched, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Gong Hengye. “On what grounds do you get to order me around? On what grounds did you have Yueyue’s body cremated? Gong Hengye, who do you think you are? Just the son of a murderer, that’s all. What right do you have to tell me to get out?”
“That’s right, you’re not just the son of a murderer—you’re a murderer yourself. You killed my Yueyue. You’re the killer!”
At his words, Wen Yue’s eyes widened in shock.
The son of a murderer?
She suddenly remembered what he had said to her in the car that stormy night.
So…
But that couldn’t be right. Gong Hengye looked so much like the old master of the Gong family—anyone could tell they were father and son at a glance.
As she hesitated, she saw Gong Hengye’s expression turn completely icy, inch by inch.
The grip on her hand loosened, and the warmth instantly left her.
He raised his hand and swung at Gong Chen without any emotion.
Gong Chen’s right cheek took the full force of the blow, his lip splitting as his body, which had just stood up, collapsed back down.
He grunted in pain, touching his blood-stained lip.
Gong Hengye leaned down, grabbing Gong Chen by the collar, his tone deceptively calm. “Let me make this clear. No matter whose son I am, when I tell you to get out, you get out!”
“As for Wen Yue, the one who killed her was you. You drove her to her death. If we’re talking about a murderer, you’re the murderer. So who are you putting on this act of devotion for now?”
At this point, Gong Hengye even let out a laugh—cold and mocking. “Even if Wen Yue could see this so-called devotion of yours, she’d only find it disgusting.”
Wen Yue quickly nodded vigorously beside him. “Yes, it’s absolutely disgusting.”She truly hated how blind she had been before, to have ever thought Gong Chen was a good person, to have ever agreed to his pursuit!
If she were still alive now, she would want to punch Gong Chen twice as hard.
And to give another woman the name Yueyue—who was he trying to insult!
Gong Hengye said, “Prison or a flight—choose for yourself.”
After delivering the words in an indifferent tone, he released his grip, tossing Gong Chen aside like trash, then turned and walked away.
Wen Yue hurried to follow. “Uncle, wait for me.”
But his steps were quick, as if he couldn’t hear her voice.
Wen Yue bit her lip tightly. “Uncle…”
He finally spoke. “Don’t talk.”
Wen Yue fell silent, quietly following him.
Until they got into the car.
His expression remained calm, but the moment he started the car, he pressed the accelerator to the floor.
The vehicle shot out like a black lightning bolt, instantly speeding far into the distance.
Fortunately, Wen Yue was now a soul; otherwise, she estimated she would have been scared to death by the speed.
Her gaze fell on Gong Hengye’s hands gripping the steering wheel—they were clearly trembling.
She could tell he wasn’t as calm as he appeared. Looking up, his profile was hidden in the dim light, his features tense and imposing.
As they sped along, the horns of passing vehicles blared incessantly, but he seemed not to hear them, not slowing down in the slightest.
Wen Yue bit her lip tightly and didn’t try to persuade him, silently accompanying him instead.
She knew he had his limits.
The car roared through the city, growing more and more remote, with fewer pedestrians and vehicles.
There were no skyscrapers or neon lights along the roadside, only the pale glow of streetlights.
He parked the car by the moat outside the city.
Wen Yue glanced out the window, then turned her head to look at him.
After the high-speed drive, his hands gripping the steering wheel were so tight that his knuckles had turned ashen, the blue veins on the back of his hands clearly visible.
Wen Yue’s throat tightened. Just as she was about to speak, “Uncle…”
He unbuckled his seatbelt, took a cigarette case and lighter from the storage compartment, opened the car door, and got out. “Going for a smoke. Stay in the car.”
With that, he closed the door.
Wen Yue frowned, watching as he walked to the railing by the moat with his back to her, lowering his head to light a cigarette.
Only she couldn’t see that his hands were trembling, taking several attempts to light the lighter.
He took a deep drag, as if choking, and leaned one hand on the railing, bending slightly as he coughed a few times.
Wen Yue’s chest felt as if stuffed with cotton, unbearably stifled.
She had never seen Gong Hengye like this before.
Though he appeared calm and emotionally steady, she knew he was suffering.
She bit her lip tightly and, without further hesitation, got out of the car.
Walking up behind him, she wrapped her arms around his waist, slowly tightening her embrace.
She tilted her head, resting her cheek against his back near his heart, and softly called, “Uncle…”
When her soft form pressed against his back, Gong Hengye visibly stiffened further.
His hand on the railing tightened slightly as he instinctively straightened up, murmuring, “Didn’t I tell you to stay in the car? Be careful you don’t get burned.”
Wen Yue pursed her lips lightly, unsure how to explain, but at that moment, she just wanted to hold him and didn’t want to let go.
So she hesitated. “I thought you might be feeling a bit cold, so I wanted to give you some warmth.”
Gong Hengye lowered his gaze, looking at the arms encircling his waist. After a moment of silence, he couldn’t help but curve his lips slightly. “Are you sure you’re not making me colder?”
Wen Yue: “…”
She let out an “oh” and instinctively started to loosen her grip.
She had forgotten—she was colder than a refrigerator now.But the next second, his hand resting on the railing fell onto the back of her hand, gripping it tightly and pressing it against his waist.
His voice, having just smoked, was a bit hoarse. “But being a little colder can make people calmer. That’s good.”
Wen Yue: “…Oh.”
She pursed her lips, tightened her grip, and held him even closer.
A moment later, he slowly turned around.
She instinctively looked up at him, while he lowered his gaze, staring into her eyes.
In his eyes, there seemed to be shattered starlight, flickering faintly.
He asked curiously, “Are you crying?”
Wen Yue blinked and said, “I don’t know… maybe.”
He asked again, “Why are you crying?”
She pursed her lips and still whispered, “I don’t know.”
He smiled, raised his hand, and touched the corner of her eye with his thumb, as if to wipe away her tears. “Why are you so silly?”
Wen Yue pouted slightly and said nothing.
His gaze then fell on her soft, full lips, and his thumb slid down from the corner of her eye, landing on her slightly pouted mouth. He gently rubbed it before pressing down with a bit more force.
His gaze deepened, and though he said nothing, the intimate gesture was already a question.
Wen Yue’s eyelashes trembled, but she didn’t move. Instead, her hands around his waist instinctively tightened even more.
He curved his lips slightly, his Adam’s apple rolling as he lowered his face, slowly leaning closer to her…