The Cold CEO Chases His White Moonlight - Chapter 25.1

The moment Ji Zhiwei realized she was about to be caught in a flash flood, she probably wasn’t thinking about anything at all.

Motherless, fatherless, with only a couple of friends there was nothing to hold her back.

Her only lingering attachment, her unrequited love, had long since become a joke.

How pathetic. Why was she still thinking about that person even in death?

The water was violent and swift. Even if Ji Zhiwei had been fully conscious and calm, she likely wouldn’t have been able to escape.

Tossed up and down by the current, her body was battered painfully from all sides.

Just before losing consciousness, she only felt something in her pocket shatter one thing, then another.

A force surged from where they had broken, lifting Ji Zhiwei upward, preventing her from colliding with the rocks at the riverbed.

Earlier that same day, Gu Yunhui had just finished a meeting.

She returned to her office and asked her secretary, “Anything else on the agenda today?”

The secretary hesitated.

“Speak. I don’t have the patience for mind games.”

Guessing Ji Zhiwei’s thoughts was exhausting enough Gu Yunhui had little tolerance for those she knew too well.

“Well last week, you promised Miss Ji you’d visit her in Yuncheng today.”

Gu Yunhui froze. She had completely forgotten.

She took off her glasses and rubbed her temples. “What time was I supposed to be there?”

“You’re already two hours late,” the secretary answered truthfully.

“Tch.” It was unclear whom Gu Yunhui was scoffing at.

She closed her eyes for two minutes, pulled out her phone, and saw that her last chat with Ji Zhiwei was from the previous week. She decided not to go.

Her little canary seemed to be throwing a tantrum. She had no idea why and couldn’t be bothered to coax her.

“If there’s nothing else, you can leave.” Gu Yunhui flipped open a file, clearly indifferent.

The secretary didn’t dare say more.

Yet no one could have predicted that, just over an hour later, news would break of a flash flood in Yuncheng near the restaurant where Gu Yunhui had promised to meet Ji Zhiwei.

“Director Gu, perhaps you should go check on her?” The secretary had met Ji Zhiwei before.

Her family had served the Gu family for generations, and she knew how the Ji family had treated Gu Yunhui in the past.

But in the secretary’s opinion, Ji Zhiwei was a sweet and well-behaved girl Gu Yunhui’s grievances had little to do with her.

“Check on what? Is that silly girl stupid enough to run into a flood?” Gu Yunhui felt inexplicably irritated, her heart pounding as if something terrible had happened.

She stared at the breaking news about the flash flood, her mind restless.

But in the end, she didn’t go to Yuncheng. Her afternoon wasn’t particularly busy, but she saw no reason to.

It wasn’t until evening that Ye Pingsheng’s call reached Gu Yunhui.

“Has Xiao Ji contacted you?” Ye Pingsheng knew Ji Zhiwei had gone to meet a “friend” likely Gu Yunhui which was why she called.

“No, we haven’t spoken in a week.” Gu Yunhui had already planned to go for a massage and was about to leave.

“A week? She was supposed to meet you today, wasn’t she? You never mind. She hasn’t returned to the set. Could you try reaching out? She’d definitely reply to you.” Ye Pingsheng sounded genuinely frantic.

Yuncheng was unusual, it wasn’t the rainy season, but this time of year was particularly dangerous.

And Ji Zhiwei wasn’t familiar with the area. If she had wandered off and gotten caught in the flood… Ye Pingsheng didn’t dare imagine the consequences.

Frowning, Gu Yunhui hung up. The ominous feeling in her heart seemed to be materializing.

Still, she patiently sent Ji Zhiwei a message.

Like a stone sinking into the sea, there was no reply.

Gu Yunhui let out a sigh, canceled the scheduled massage, and returned to the small villa.

The room was cold and desolate, devoid of any human warmth. Gu Yunhui lay sideways on the sofa, repeatedly scrolling through updates about the flash flood, hoping for a reply.

But what she received next was news of Ji Zhiweii’s suspected death.

“Missing? No body found? But personal belongings were recovered, and death is almost certain? Alright, I understand.”

Gu Yunhui hung up Ye Pingsheng’s call, her expression icy, as if Ji Zhiwei had never had anything to do with her.

She buried herself in work.

Her secretary watched as she went about her day as usual discussing projects, attending meetings, signing documents.

There was no change in her demeanor. She still wore her near-symbolic smile and exchanged ambiguous jokes with business partners.

It was as if the girl’s disappearance meant nothing to Gu Yunhui, leaving no impact whatsoever.

The Gu family truly was this cold. The secretary couldn’t help but feel sorry for Ji Zhiwei.

But then she thought, at least Ji Zhiwei couldn’t see this. Otherwise, how heartbroken would she be?

Anyone with eyes could see that Ji Zhiwei had loved Gu Yunhui.

Only Gu Yunhui, perhaps unaware or simply indifferent, remained unmoved.

How Ji Zhiwei felt about her had never mattered.

Gu Yunhui must have genuinely believed that.

Otherwise, how could she react like this?

A living, breathing person had just died, and Gu Yunhui didn’t show the slightest ripple of emotion.

A week passed, just like that, calm and uneventful.

Gu Yunhui glanced at the date. It was that time again. She should message Ji Zhiwei.

It felt like she had forgotten something. Gu Yunhui typed away, lost in thought. What was it?

A day passed, and Ji Zhiwei still hadn’t replied.

With her work done for the day, Gu Yunhui held her phone, staring blankly.

Had she neglected Ji Zhiwei for too long, making her angry?

Why wasn’t she replying?

The secretary couldn’t take it anymore.

“President Gu,” she ventured, risking her job. “Miss Ji… died in that flash flood.” After the reminder, she quickly left the office.

Right. Ji Zhiwei was gone.

She was gone.

This was the truth Gu Yunhui had been deliberately avoiding.

She slammed her phone onto the desk and stared ahead, her usually expressive eyes now dull and lifeless.

Ji Zhiwei… Gu Yunhui whispered the name again, the familiar smiling face surfacing in her mind. Finally, her heart clenched.

The pain was unbearable.

Gu Yunhui drove back to the small villa.

Opening the door, the interior was dark and cold, a thin layer of dust covering the floor.

She didn’t turn on the lights, relying on the faint glow from neighboring houses to see the vase on the coffee table.

The flowers inside had been bought long ago, now dried and yellowed.

Gu Yunhui reached to pick up the vase, but at her touch, the withered roses crumbled.

Petals scattered, and she had no choice but to throw them away, along with the vase.

Then she remembered. The vase had been bought by Ji Zhiweii. A cheap trinket from a street stall, costing mere cents.

She hadn’t liked it at first. But now, holding it, the cold biting into her skin, Gu Yunhui couldn’t bring herself to let go.

Her hand paused mid-motion.

She remembered something else, they had used this vase for something unspeakable.

On the dining table, that time she had pressed Ji Zhiwei down so hard the girl caught a cold.

Gu Yunhui buried her head in her arms, feeling only how cold the room was no wonder Ji Zhiwei had caught a cold back then.

When Ji Zhiwei was sick, what had she done for her?

It seemed like nothing. Not even a word of concern, nor buying her medicine.

How nice it would have been if she could have spent more time with her back then.

Gu Yunhui tilted her head and caught sight of the shadow between the sofa and the wall.

The last time she had brought Ji Zhiwei back from the suburbs, Ji Zhiwei had hidden there.

They were both born into wealthy families so why had she been so timid?

It was a pity Gu Yunhui had never asked. Now, she would never get the answer to that question.

She stood up and walked over. No one reached out to her for a hug.

So she imitated the person in her memory and curled up in that little corner.

It was cold and dark, and leaning against the wall brought no sense of security.

Gu Yunhui blinked repeatedly, but the girl flashing before her eyes always had the same appearance.

Hair as blue as the ocean, eyes golden like amber, and a face still carrying a hint of baby fat.

She missed Ji Zhiwei.

Gu Yunhui stayed there for who knows how long before stumbling upstairs to the master bedroom where they had often made love.

At the door hung a small dreamcatcher, whispering the beautiful wishes of the one who had decorated it.

But the net was already torn.

Gu Yunhui took it down, tucked it into her embrace, and pushed the door open.

The room still carried Ji Zhiwei’s scent, still bore her traces.

Unable to resist, Gu Yunhui turned on the light. The brightness stung her eyes, bringing a momentary sharp pain.

Her eyes grew moist, but her expression remained unchanged.

She stared at the slightly ajar bathroom door, as if a petite figure might still be hiding there, harboring unspeakable thoughts, deliberately trying to seduce her.

Her mind wavered, and she actually walked toward the bathroom.

Pushing the door open, a gust of wind howled past her face.

It was just the window being open. After closing it, the room fell into complete silence, leaving only Gu Yunhui behind.

The incense in the corner had long burned out. Gu Yunhui picked it up and stored it away, along with the dreamcatcher.

Ji Zhiwei was gone, and all that remained were broken remnants.

In the end, Gu Yunhui lay on the bed, cold as an ice cellar, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Whether her eyes were open or closed, it was always that one person.

As if she could still hear her laughter, as if she could still hold her and sleep peacefully.

Don’t think about that girl anymore.

Finally, unable to resist, Gu Yunhui wrapped the blanket around herself, hugging it as a poor substitute.

After all, that girl was from the Ji family. Raising her hadn’t been out of love.

But no matter how much her back ached, it couldn’t suppress the suffocating weight in her chest.

What am I even doing?

Gu Yunhui hugged the blanket, curling into a tiny ball.

Light spilled in through the window dawn had arrived.

She hadn’t slept all night. Gu Yunhui went to work with dark circles under her eyes, her oppressive aura making the employees too afraid to even breathe loudly.

Dazed by the busy day, she nearly reached out to text Ji Zhiwei again after work.

But when she saw the grayed-out profile picture, her hand jerked back as if electrocuted, dropping the phone.

How could I forget again. Slowly, she picked up the phone and lowered her gaze.

She actually still wanted to talk to Ji Zhiwei.

No longer just to do those things.

Gu Yunhui just wanted to see Ji Zhiwei maybe cup her face, maybe just hold her normally, and then talk.

About anything. Like what had happened at school, or who she had met while filming.

Had they ever talked like that before? Gu Yunhui could hardly remember.

Two more days passed.

Gu Yunhui barely rested at all.

She couldn’t sleep. In her dreams, Ji Zhiwei played with her, called her “Sister Yun,” kissed her so passionately that Gu Yunhui knew it was just a dream.

She woke up repeatedly, only to find Ji Zhiwei nowhere in sight. Every time she thought of her, every time she wanted to go find her, she would remember, Ji Zhiwei was gone.

If Ji Zhiwei had just been throwing a tantrum, ignoring her, if she had just run away, she could have been found.

If only it had been that simple.

How Gu Yunhui wished for a chance to coax her back. But she no longer had that opportunity.

Returning to the home she usually lived in, she rummaged through a storage box and pulled out a case.

The case was still quite exquisite. Expensive, too Gu Yunhui hadn’t treated it carelessly.

Inside were all the little gifts Ji Zhiwei had given her over the years.

Including the bookmark from last year’s birthday.

Gu Yunhui had never used any of them, yet she had carefully stored them all away.

At the time, she hadn’t understood why she did it.

They were gifts from the child of her enemy, cheap things that should have been thrown away.

Yet she had kept them, even using such a fine case for them.

The case was worth dozens of times more than the gifts inside.

Now, Gu Yunhui was beginning to understand.

She must have fallen for Ji Zhiwei long ago, developing a weakness.

That was why she had instinctively cared for Ji Zhiwei, helped her even when reason held her back, she still intervened to deal with the bullying from the Yan family and at school.

That was why everyone around her thought she treated Ji Zhiwei well, that she had genuine feelings.

Only she had been foolish, believing those feelings were just an act.

The idiot wasn’t Ji Zhiwei, it was her.

Her mother hadn’t been wrong. A beloved person truly was a weakness fragile yet sharp, now piercing her heart, the pain unbearable.

Gu Yunhui placed the vase, dreamcatcher, scented candle, and this case together, storing them in an even more expensive bag before locking it away.

The gifts were cheap, but Gu Yunhui now understood they were all handmade by Ji Zhiwei.

Just like that meal, that bowl of noodles.

Just like every time Ji Zhiwei stayed over and cooked for her.

Gu Yunhui had checked the cards she’d given Ji Zhiwei over the years. Aside from the monthly living expenses, Ji Zhiwei hadn’t touched a single cent, saving up several million.

Ji Zhiwei had refused to take her money, scrimping and saving to buy her cakes, make her gifts, cook for her.

And Gu Yunhui had never even celebrated Ji Zhiwei’s birthday.

She had never even properly tasted the meals Ji Zhiwei made for her.

Every time she saw Ji Zhiwei putting in so much effort for her, Gu Yunhui had felt uneasy.

She used to think it was because Ji Zhiwei annoyed her, but she never felt disgust just restless, as if Ji Zhiwei had disrupted her composure.

In truth, it was because she felt unworthy, afraid of falling for her, afraid of having this weakness.

What had truly irritated her was her own heart.

In the second week of Ji Zhiwei’s disappearance, Gu Yunhui found time to visit Yuncheng.

Support The Cold CEO Chases His White Moonlight