Becoming the Caged Canary of a Forced Love - Chapter 34

Gu Nian’s fingers tapped lightly against the armrest of his chair as he stared at the documents before him, lost in thought. After a long silence, he finally spoke.

“Continue investigating the specific details of that car accident.”

“Also,” he added, turning to look at the fading scars on his wrist, “give me every piece of intelligence you can find on Lin Nuo and Pei Jichuan.”

The scars on the wrist were a chaotic crisscross; a few were cut so deep that it was impossible not to leave a permanent mark. It was clear that the original owner had acted with a heart determined to die. Was Pei Jichuan’s current tenderness merely a facade? What other secrets was he hiding?

Gu Nian checked the time and stood up, setting the documents aside. “I’ve been here too long. I have to go, or Pei Jichuan will find out.”

With that, he walked toward the door.

Zhou Yi snapped to his feet instantly. His gaze followed Gu Nian’s every movement. He opened his mouth in a slight panic, but his throat seemed to have lost its function, his lips merely quivering in a futile attempt to speak.

Suddenly, Gu Nian stopped and looked back. Zhou Yi’s eyes lit up immediately. In Gu Nian’s presence, he shed all his disguises; there was no mask of gentleness or humility—he was simply himself.

Gu Nian turned his head slightly. Though his expression remained cold, it had softened just a fraction. “I’m counting on you, Zhou Yi. You’ve worked hard.” He followed the words with a faint, fleeting smile.

That smile pinned Zhou Yi to the spot, leaving him unable to recover for a long time. It wasn’t until long after Gu Nian had left that he finally regained his senses. He walked to the sofa where Gu Nian had sat, his fingertips tracing the armrest where the other’s hand had rested.

At that moment, his parched heart felt as though it had been filled. He took a deep breath. The long years of waiting had been excruciatingly difficult, but fortunately, Gu Nian had truly returned.

His heart was a mess of conflict. Pei Jichuan was a formidable man; even as a competitor, Zhou Yi admired him. To sit atop a top-tier financial conglomerate at such a young age and manage it so flawlessly was no ordinary feat.

Zhou Yi knew he relied on Gu Nian to control Tianyu. He truly had no talent for business; he could handle small matters, but the major decisions were always made by Gu Nian. Years ago, when Black Crow was plagued by internal strife and external threats, Gu Nian had single-handedly purged the opposition, even wiping out powerful forces like the Red Ghost Triad. His decision back then to spend a fortune launching a satellite had directly propelled Tianyu to the top of the cutting-edge technology industry.

In this world, it seemed only the most exceptional person could be worthy of Gu Nian. Yet, seeing them together in such intimacy still drove him mad with jealousy. Zhou Yi slumped back into the sofa, leaning his head against the backrest to feel the lingering warmth Gu Nian had left behind.

Inside the car, Little Wang shifted restlessly. Despite it being winter, beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. He had just reported to Butler Zhao that Young Master Lin was buying pastries at the shop; the butler had simply told him to follow the Young Master’s orders and wait outside, contacting him only if an emergency occurred.

The shop was crowded, and the customers by the windows and doors blocked his view completely. Just as he was anxiously deciding whether to go inside to look, a familiar figure appeared. Little Wang breathed a sigh of relief.

Gu Nian walked out of the café carrying the packaged cake. He climbed into the car and carefully placed the cake down.

“Why did the Young Master take so long?” Little Wang started the engine, observing Gu Nian’s expression in the rearview mirror. It might have been his imagination, but the Young Master’s face looked somewhat grim.

“It was a bit crowded. I had to wait in line for a bit,” Gu Nian replied casually, his eyes fixed on the window. He clearly didn’t want to talk, so Little Wang tactfully shut his mouth. Shortly after they drove away, the crowd at the café’s windows and doors dispersed completely.

With the partnership negotiations finished, preparations for the New Year began. The New Year holiday was long, and with the sudden relaxation of the schedule, a joyful atmosphere permeated the entire group headquarters.

Gu Nian took the private elevator straight to the top floor as usual, with Little Wang behind him carrying the lunch boxes. The elevator doors opened, and Gu Nian followed Secretary Han toward the office.

Assistant Jiang was standing by, holding a stack of documents as she waited for the elevator. Standing at over 175cm, she was striking even without high heels. Gu Nian seemed drawn to her for a moment, casting a casual glance before looking away. Secretary Han, leading the way, also glanced at Assistant Jiang as they passed.

Assistant Jiang’s eyes met Gu Nian’s. A flash of surprise seemed to flicker in her gaze, but it vanished quickly. Her large, black-rimmed glasses obscured most of her face. As the elevator arrived, she gave a slight bow before turning to enter.

When they reached the office, Pei Jichuan was on the phone. Upon seeing Gu Nian, he ignored the person on the other end and hung up to greet him. They sat in their usual spot for lunch.

Today’s spread was relatively bountiful but consisted entirely of home-cooked style dishes. The Pei family’s nutritionists did not allow the employer to consume food heavy in oil or salt, so the chef’s creations were always light. The only “heavy” dish lately had been that crispy roasted pork belly; under the looming glares of the chef and nutritionist, Gu Nian had eaten it with a clear conscience.

After finishing his meal, Pei Jichuan wiped the corner of his mouth. Gu Nian was currently holding a plate with a small cake—the one he had just bought at the café. Pei Jichuan didn’t say anything a wet blanket would, such as mentioning how “unhealthy” it was; he simply watched him silently.

Gu Nian only ate half before he was finished. He set the cake down and licked the corner of his mouth. Pei Jichuan’s Adam’s apple bobbed. The cream had smeared quite a bit, so Pei Jichuan ended up “wiping” it clean for him, getting a chance to taste the cream himself.

During the meal, Pei Jichuan’s phone had rung several times. He had ignored it before finally setting it to silent.

“The New Year is coming up. Do you want to go back to the ancestral home with me to meet my grandfather?” Pei Jichuan held Gu Nian’s hand. Even though the heating in the room was sufficient, Gu Nian’s hands remained inexplicably icy.

Gu Nian’s brows furrowed slightly. “Is that okay?” he asked softly.

“Of course it is. Grandfather has always wanted to meet you, but your health was poor, so I didn’t bring you over.” A faint smile appeared on Pei Jichuan’s usually cold and detached face—a look reserved solely for Gu Nian.

Then, as if remembering something, Pei Jichuan added, “However, you’ll inevitably run into some annoying people. Just ignore them. If necessary, you don’t need to be polite—just handle them like you did with Qian Minghui.”

Gu Nian nodded as if he understood. He knew exactly who Pei Jichuan was referring to: his father, the mistress-turned-wife, and the illegitimate son. Pei Jichuan was only six when his mother died, yet that illegitimate son was only a few months younger than him. Not long after his mother passed, the father had brought them into the family.

Speaking of Qian Minghui, the Wanjin Group had risen suddenly this past summer, yet before winter was even over, they had quietly vanished. Pei Jichuan had moved quickly, largely because Wanjin was merely a “grassroots” operation; even the company’s accountants were President Qian’s relatives, and the books were full of holes. Their disappearance was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake—though it created ripples at first, it ultimately vanished without a trace, destined to become nothing more than a joke whispered among the elite.