After Redeeming the Female Lead, I Faked My Death and Escaped - Chapter 38.1

Ying Xu no longer showed any lingering reluctance.

If Gu Qingzhu truly misunderstood and tried to keep her, it would only backfire.

Yet, at this moment, Gu Qingzhu took the initiative to offer to walk her out.

Though the distance was merely from the room door to the elevator, the fact that the omega was willing to take these few steps was proof enough that everything Ying Xu had done today held value.

A faint smile lingered in Gu Qingzhu’s eyes, her mood seemingly quite pleasant.

Rumors outside often claimed that Qinghong had been a mentor to Gu Qingzhu, and in return, Gu Qingzhu remained loyal despite numerous companies vying for her attention.

But in Ying Xu’s eyes, Gu Qingzhu was far from the sense of “belonging” to Qinghong that she outwardly projected. Perhaps, in Gu Qingzhu’s heart, leaving Qinghong had long been a premeditated act that had simply never come to fruition.

Ying Xu was like a catalyst, accelerating Gu Qingzhu’s separation from the past.

After Ying Xu left, Assistant Lu could visibly see the smile on Gu Qingzhu’s face fade considerably.

“You can go back too,” Gu Qingzhu said nonchalantly. “You’ve worked hard today.”

Assistant Lu was pleasantly surprised. The Gu Qingzhu of the past would never have been so “lenient.” She was racking her brain for the right words to respond with warmth when the elevator doors suddenly opened again.

The first to dart out was a small, pitch-black dog. Its owner held the leash and, upon seeing Gu Qingzhu, a look of surprise flashed in their eyes: “You”

Assistant Lu was startled.

Though she hadn’t witnessed Gu Qingzhu’s extreme reactions firsthand, Ying Xu had tactfully reminded her not to let Gu Qingzhu come into contact with animals.

Instinctively, Assistant Lu began to placate the dog owner while stealing glances at Gu Qingzhu, fearing she might do something drastic.

But all she met was a slightly furrowed brow and a cold expression of displeasure.

Gu Qingzhu stared at the dog, and the dog barked at her twice. The omega’s gaze grew even icier, and the barking intensified.

Assistant Lu:

Well, that was certainly unusual.

But not in the way she had imagined.

The lights flickered dimly.

By the time Ying Xu saw Assistant Lu’s message, she had just parked her car.

The clamor of voices filled the air as an unexpected downpour trapped pedestrians, forcing them to crowd nearby.

She quickly skimmed through the message, equally surprised by the stark contrast in Gu Qingzhu’s reactions to the two animals.

With dogs, the omega displayed a normal level of annoyance, even a hint of endearment. But with cats… her reaction bordered on a phobic, physical response, trembling uncontrollably.

It was as if “cats” were an indelible, terrifying memory etched into her mind.

Killing cats, torturing cats, or a combination of both if Gu Qingzhu had only witnessed it once, she wouldn’t have reacted so severely.

But she had grown up in an exceptionally privileged environment. Who would do such things around her? And why would she have seen them?

Ying Xu couldn’t find an answer but earnestly reminded Assistant Lu once more.

The next moment, an umbrella unfurled, the crisp sound of raindrops filling her ears.

This umbrella was the same one Ying Xu had casually taken from the Qinghong reception desk on the night of her public apology.

Back then, Gu Qingzhu and Qinghong had been inseparable, colluding as one. Yet, in just a few months, the tides had turned entirely in Ying Xu’s favor. Perhaps soon, she would no longer be a pawn in the game but the one holding the reins.

At the thought of that possibility, Ying Xu smirked playfully. Her steps remained steady as she moved forward, undeterred by the rain.

The rain poured down, soaking the green grass and pattering against the window ledge.

“Connection failed. Please try again.”

After three failed attempts to communicate with the account named [XY], a cold voice finally broke the silence in the quiet room: “It seems she isn’t as cooperative as you imagined.”

Sheng Changming replied, “Perhaps there was an unexpected issue.”

His tone was light, as if it were just a minor hiccup, until he checked his messages and saw a photo of a man with a bruised and swollen face, his hands bound, looking utterly defeated.

That man was Sheng Changming’s longtime close friend.

When he tried contacting Shan Qiaoyun again, the device bluntly notified him that her phone was turned off.

Sheng Changming’s expression darkened.

He refused to believe that Gu Qingzhu had gifted Ying Xu shares just to let an alpha vent her anger.

On the contrary, it was retaliation and a threat.

Today, she could easily seat a “powerless nobody” in the shareholders’ meeting.

Tomorrow, the owner of Sheng Corporation could be replaced.

“What are you still waiting for?” After steadying his breath repeatedly, Sheng Changming finally turned a cold gaze toward the woman silently watching the screen on the other side. “Have you forgotten how she died?”

Sheng Changming had come here with one purpose: to persuade Wei Xuyan.

The Xu and Gu families had close ties, and because of Ying Xu’s connection, Wei Xuyan knew exactly what kind of information to leak to ensure Gu Qingzhu couldn’t recover.

If Gu Qingzhu wanted to break free from Qinghong’s control or worse, retaliate it was better to strike first and eliminate any chance of mutual destruction.

Wei Xuyan spoke, her voice indifferent: “Don’t you think she’s pitiful?”

Sheng Changming felt like he’d just heard a joke.

“Think about Ying Xu,” he sneered. “No one pitied her when she died in that car accident.”

On the screen, the city was shrouded in rain, the neon lights blurring as the perspective shifted.

The images reflected in Wei Xuyan’s pupils, and in the end, she relented.

Their argument had flared up quickly and died down just as fast, neither willing to humiliate the other further.

Satisfied with the outcome, Sheng Changming immediately took his leave. As he walked out, his phone screen lit up displaying a chat log with Ying Xu, filled with unsent messages from Sheng Qiuyu.

A single dog couldn’t ruin Gu Qingzhu’s good mood.

The elevator ascended straight to the 26th floor, an exclusive entertainment level adorned with lavish decor and state of the art equipment, bright as daylight. People mingled and danced, but the moment Gu Qingzhu appeared, their movements paused briefly, replaced by polite or fawning greetings of “Miss Gu.”

Gu Qingzhu didn’t see the director she was looking for.

Most of her pending matters were nearly resolved. The only reason she stayed was to meet him and pave the way for Ying Xu.

Whether it was investing in the production or securing other resources, Gu Qingzhu didn’t mind, as long as Ying Xu got the role.

But the director wasn’t here, and the visit was in vain. After a brief moment of surprise, she didn’t dwell on it.

Soon, a local film festival would take place. Both she and the renowned director were invited. She could bring it up in person then.

Ying Xu was probably already at the residence.

In her mind’s eye, she could see the alpha sitting with a book in hand.

Which book would she be reading today?

As her thoughts drifted, a servant approached with a drink. A passing acquaintance nearby smiled and said, “Qingzhu, care for a toast?”

Gu Qingzhu accepted the glass but didn’t drink. Excessive alcohol would only cloud her mind, a realization she had come to after that incident in the car, prompting her to limit her intake.

Still, accepting the drink was a gesture of courtesy.

Many were too intimidated by Gu Qingzhu to speak up casually, but they soon noticed she only listened, never engaging in conversation. Even when addressed, she would offer nothing more than a slight nod, as if her thoughts were far from the discussion.

No one took offense. Instead, they assumed their topics simply failed to capture her interest and began reevaluating their choices.

The atmosphere remained light as the group chatted and laughed.

Until someone brought up a new subject.

“Speaking of which, why hasn’t Song Fei arrived yet?”

A woman chuckled. “She’s recently gotten a new pet absolutely adores it. Won’t say what it looks like, insists we see it in person.”

Someone immediately guessed it might be a parrot, joking that Sheng Qiuyu often posted pictures of cute little birds.

Assistant Lu, eavesdropping behind Gu Qingzhu, felt her heart lurch first at the word “pet,” then settle when she realized it was Song Fei’s.

Song Fei had left a strong impression on her. In the time she’d served as Gu Qingzhu’s assistant, the woman had repeatedly provoked conflicts, always one-sided, to the point where Gu Qingzhu couldn’t even be bothered to retaliate anymore.

Hearing the name now, Gu Qingzhu’s eyes flashed with irritation, her interest completely extinguished.

Just as she set down her glass, the door swung open. Song Fei, clad in black, strode in cradling a slender, hairless creature lean and sinewy.

At first, Assistant Lu couldn’t make out what it was. Then the creature shifted, its piercing blue eyes locking onto them,

Or rather, onto Gu Qingzhu.

Even those unfamiliar quickly learned from others that it was a hairless cat. Some looked surprised, others visibly displeased, but no one reacted like Gu Qingzhu, whose expression turned icy the moment their gazes met.

It was like some ingrained, genetic allergic reaction utterly beyond her control.

Assistant Lu instantly realized Ying Xu’s warning had been spot-on.

“Qingzhu,” she blurted, hoping to snap her back to clarity.

But before the omega could respond, Song Fei’s gaze had already landed on them. Staring at Gu Qingzhu’s face, she smirked. “If it isn’t the renowned actress Gu Qingzhu. Come on, Little Ying, say hello.”

Song Fei lifted the cat’s paw with one hand. The hairless creature, its wrinkled skin rippling like disturbed water, twisted unnaturally.

“What did you call it?” Gu Qingzhu’s voice was unnervingly quiet.

Song Fei grinned, pressing her cheek against the cat. “Little Ying. Doesn’t it remind you of that… what’s-her-name, Ying Xu? I picked it just for you.”

“They say these cats don’t live long. When it dies, I can give you its eyes.”

No one dared to intervene, but everyone noticed Gu Qingzhu’s face growing paler.

“Song Fei,” she said, her breath uneven. “My patience with you has limits.”

“What’s the matter?” Song Fei had come precisely to provoke her. Seeing this reaction only fueled her delight. “Just a shared name, and you’re already rattled? Or is the great Gu Qingzhu actually scared of a cat?”

Assistant Lu instinctively said, “Miss Song, Qingzhu is allergic to cats. Please ”

“Allergic?” Song Fei dismissed the concern with a wave of her hand, setting the cat down and pointing at Gu Qingzhu. “It doesn’t have fur. What’s there to be allergic to? Go say hello to her.”

Normally, a cat in a crowded environment wouldn’t understand a command like “approach someone.”

But this cat moved, step by step, its tail lightly swishing as it walked toward Gu Qingzhu.

Assistant Lu tried to stop the cat, but someone blocked her: “It’s just a cat. It won’t do anything.”

A sudden chill ran down her spine it felt like everything was a carefully laid trap.

Why had Song Fei appeared so abruptly, bringing a cat and insisting Gu Qingzhu interact with it?

This was a secret. Assistant Lu herself had only learned about it from Xu Ying. But that alpha cherished Gu Qingzhu so deeply, she would never expose her weakness to the world.

So, who had?