One Year After Her Sister-In-Law Was Widowed - Chapter 59

The meeting ended, but no one left the conference room.

Ji Zhuozhou had discarded her usual gentle demeanor. She was aggressive, step by step, refuting every difficulty thrown her way by the head office without any attempt to hide her intent. She felt something was wrong; she could no longer allow the people from the head office to keep stalling.

She needed them to leave immediately.

However, these representatives from the head office had been treated with nothing but reverence since their arrival. Now, having their pride wounded so abruptly by Ji Zhuozhou, their expressions grew uglier by the second.

One could hear a pin drop in the room.

Ji Zhuozhou took a deep breath, softening her tone slightly as she addressed the leader of the three. “Grand-aunt, everyone says Huarui is famous, that its market share is vast, and that it is indestructible. But Grand-aunt, you should know that Huarui is currently on a downward slope.”

“Grand-aunt, we are family. We all want Huari to be better. In the future, cooperation will be inevitable. Let’s leave it at that.”

The woman with green eyes looked at her and suddenly broke into a smile, masking some of her overbearing aura. “What are you saying? Of course, your Grand-aunt wants you to do better and better; that’s why I was a bit strict with you.”

“Seeing you grow to such a level, I have nothing to worry about. we were already planning to leave this week. If you encounter any problems you don’t understand in the future, don’t forget that we are family. You can always call me.”

Ji Zhuozhou nodded. “Naturally. It’s about that time; Grand-aunt, if you have nothing planned for lunch, why don’t we eat together?”

Seeing that the woman did not object, Ji Zhuozhou continued, “Is there anything you’d like to eat? I’ll have someone book a restaurant.”

Everyone present was a high-level executive—shrewd individuals who could tell that the two had reached a consensus through a mix of emotional appeals, threats, and alliances. They had completed a trade of interests.

The atmosphere became harmonious.

The group left Huarui in high spirits. After lunch, Ji Zhuozhou sent the three from the head office back to rest, bid farewell to the other company executives, and got into her car alone.

She checked a message on her phone and followed a GPS location to a coffee shop.

As soon as she entered, Luo Wen, who was waiting at a table, spotted her. Standing up, Luo Wen politely pulled out a chair for her and asked, “Am I disturbing your rest, Miss Ji?”

Ji Zhuozhou sat down and shook her head. “No.”

Luo Wen returned to her seat and called a server to take their order.

Ji Zhuozhou ordered a coffee at random and looked at Luo Wen. “Is there something today?”

For Luo Wen to meet her privately and call her “Miss Ji” meant this wasn’t about company business. In this moment, Luo Wen did not represent Shengjing.

Luo Wen laughed, her features sharp yet radiant. “Miss Ji has given me the cold shoulder for so long. Is it not okay to just meet up?”

Ji Zhuozhou did not beat around the bush. “President Luo is a busy person. I doubt this is just a social visit.”

Luo Wen shrugged and spoke truthfully. “My family wants to see you.”

Ji Zhuozhou was startled. “So soon?”

Luo Wen forced a smile. “Yes, we did have a blind date, after all. It’s quite urgent.”

Even knowing Luo Wen didn’t mean it that way—that she was merely trying to bridge the distance between them—Ji Zhuozhou felt her heart sink. She thought of Xiao Shuangyu’s unhappiness and of Xiao Shuangyu’s current unknown whereabouts.

She said, “I will go.”

Luo Wen’s eyes lit up, and she repeatedly said “Good.”

Ji Zhuozhou’s voice didn’t stop there. “But our ‘blind dating’ should be considered over. I’d appreciate it if President Luo didn’t bring it up again.”

Luo Wen gave a forced chuckle. “Then I wish President Ji success in her future blind dates.”

Those deep green eyes darkened, hidden behind Ji Zhuozhou’s faint, polite smile.

She nodded.

After setting a time with Luo Wen—agreeing to meet at the airport later—Ji Zhuozhou left the coffee shop immediately.

She still didn’t return to Huarui. After calling President Li and the Chief Secretary to arrange several matters, she headed to the other side of the city.

At the Wan family home, Wan Qiyan had returned after several days of wild partying. To her family, she was an eyesore no matter how they looked at her.

Wan Qiyan didn’t care in the slightest. It wasn’t as if she was treated any better when she stayed at home every day. She had finally returned from abroad after several years; it wasn’t like anyone cherished her arrival anyway. If it weren’t for a specific matter, she wouldn’t have bothered coming back.

Wan Qiyan ignored their impatience. She even crossed her legs on the coffee table right in front of her aunt’s furrowed brow, eating grapes while messaging Xiao Shuangyu.

Although they had parted ways in Haishi, Wan Qiyan still checked in on Xiao Shuangyu daily.

Xiao Shuangyu hadn’t been using her phone much lately, but she still made sure to reply with a few words every day. Seeing that Xiao Shuangyu’s schedule was packed, Wan Qiyan felt a sense of relief.

Being busy was good. Being busy meant there was no time to think about messy things. Seeing Xiao Shuangyu living a full life made her feel fulfilled as well.

Look at that—Xiao Shuangyu had even proactively sent her an update today.

Xiao Shuangyu sent an overhead photo of a drum kit, saying they were practicing. She mentioned that practicing on the plateau seemed more tiring, but hoped the results would be better.

Wan Qiyan knew the band had gone out for a training camp; otherwise, she would have tagged along. Seeing them play every day for the past few days, she thought they were just slacking off.

Wan Qiyan laughed out loud without mercy, messaging back that they were only tired because they finally remembered to do actual work. She told them to be careful not to collapse from exhaustion.

Below the contact’s name, the status “The other party is typing…” appeared. Wan Qiyan didn’t even reach for another grape, intending to wait and read the message first.

Just then, her aunt answered the doorbell and walked over crossly. “Someone’s looking for you. At the door.”

Wan Qiyan instinctively asked, “Who is it?”

Her aunt shook her head. “Never seen her.”

She left immediately, not even intending to bring the guest in for a cup of tea, likely assuming whoever was looking for Wan Qiyan couldn’t be anyone important.

Wan Qiyan rolled her eyes and silently mimicked her aunt’s “Never seen her.” Seeing that Xiao Shuangyu’s message—”Okay, we will”—had come through, she stood up and walked outside.

Wan Qiyan was unaware that Xiao Shuangyu had hidden the fact that her glands were inflamed and that she had gone to the hospital.

However, the moment she stepped outside and saw the person, Wan Qiyan was stunned.

Is… isn’t this Ji Zhuozhou?

Hearing the door open, Ji Zhuozhou instinctively looked over, then peered behind Wan Qiyan, seeing no one else.

Wan Qiyan had been abroad for several years, so Ji Zhuozhou had never met her. Just as she was about to ask if she was Wan Qiyan, the other woman walked up to her.

Across the fence, Wan Qiyan feigned surprise. “Ah, aren’t you LianLian’s sister-in-law? You’re looking for me?”

Ji Zhuozhou froze for a second, then quickly nodded.

She didn’t pay attention to Wan Qiyan’s subtle hostility, nor did she deny the title. Being recognized by Wan Qiyan was better than her experience at the bar, where she couldn’t even find a basis for inquiry.

Her voice was very soft. “Is LianLian here with you?”

Wan Qiyan looked surprised. “You came here to find LianLian?”

Ji Zhuozhou nodded. “She hasn’t been home for a long time. Do you know where she went?”

Wan Qiyan laughed. “Then you’re too late. She was with me a few days ago, but I don’t know where she is now. Why didn’t you come looking for her a few days ago?”

A few days ago… Ji Zhuozhou couldn’t remember.

Ji Zhuozhou left Wan Qiyan and returned to her car. She hadn’t even driven out of the residential area before she stopped and dialed a number. “Did you find her?”

Her voice rose. “How can you people not find a single person! Clues? What clues could I have? If I had clues, why would I need you!”

She was almost screaming. “Everyone, go look! Find her! I’ll pay any amount, just find her! I want it done fast!!!”

She hung up the phone.

She leaned her forehead against her hands on the steering wheel, a sense of powerlessness rising in her heart.

She never realized that in this information age, finding one person could actually be this difficult.

After leaving Wan Qiyan, Ji Zhuozhou went directly to the airport to meet Luo Wen. They flew to North City to visit the Luo family.

The next morning, Ji Zhuozhou left the Luo residence early and flew back to South City alone.

On the plane, Ji Zhuozhou instinctively opened the WeChat “Add Friends” interface and looked at A-Nan’s Moments once more.

Suddenly, she sat bolt upright and quickly took screenshots to send to several people.

A-Nan’s Moments had finally refreshed with a new post.

Back!

The attached photo was of the sign at the South City High-Speed Railway Station.

Finally seeing a trace of their whereabouts, Ji Zhuozhou immediately sent people to keep a close watch. She had to know where Xiao Shuangyu went after returning.

After doing all this, Ji Zhuozhou hurriedly pulled up her chat with Xiao Shuangyu. Looking at the small yellow smiley face after the name, her heart suddenly raced.

The chat interface still only contained her own messages; Xiao Shuangyu had not responded.

She carefully sent a “Good morning” and asked what Xiao Shuangyu was doing.

She couldn’t resist making a call, but the other side was powered off.

Even after landing, she received no reply from Xiao Shuangyu. Instead, the people she hired told her that only two people had returned. Xiao Shuangyu was not with them.

If the person hadn’t said they were certain of the train numbers and would continue searching for new information, Ji Zhuozhou would have gone mad.

If Xiao Shuangyu was alone… how was she supposed to find her?

On this day, more people were looking for an Alpha named “Xiao Shuangyu” and “LianLian.” More people were being asked about her.

It was more feverish than the previous days, more frantic. At any cost, it was an all-out dragnet.

On the trending searches, a hashtag quietly appeared.

Who Is Xiao Shuangyu

The hashtag dropped out of the rankings before it could climb high, but it still sparked curiosity among many.

Somehow, the news reached the ears of the people from the head office. That afternoon, after seeing them off to the airport, the woman with green eyes suddenly whispered to Ji Zhuozhou, “Handle your emotional problems properly.”

Ji Zhuozhou said nothing.

After hesitating for a moment at the airport, she gave up on searching in another direction and went home.

She sat on the sofa, picking up the collar Xiao Shuangyu had left behind, slowly stroking it. She sat there in the dark all night.

Everything was about to be resolved.

She had handled everything clearly.

But why was it that Xiao Shuangyu, who should have been celebrating with her, couldn’t be found no matter what?

Dawn broke.

Ji Zhuozhou went back to the office, only to leave again an hour later.

There were many voices in the company. Some had noticed the hashtag that appeared and disappeared yesterday. People who were familiar or unfamiliar with Xiao Shuangyu were discussing it.

Ji Zhuozhou paid no attention to the gossip. She had already hired people to suppress the comments regarding the hashtag.

Now, she was rushing toward an address.

She found it.

Xiao Shuangyu… has been found.