The Devoted Female Supporting Lead and the White Moonlight’s Sister Got a Happy Ending (GL) - Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Something’s Wrong

When He Baizhou stepped out of the banquet hall, she saw Chen Minjun waiting outside.

This little follower was truly dedicated, sticking by Shao Qingran even on a day like this. She wondered if Xu Chengyue found it intrusive.

Upon seeing her, He Baizhou paused her departure and changed direction to walk toward her.

Chen Minjun was sitting on a small sofa in the waiting area, head down and buried in her phone. It wasn’t until a shadow fell over her, blocking the light, that she looked up. Seeing He Baizhou, she was startled and hurriedly put away her phone, standing up politely to greet her. “Director He.”

Logically, since He Baizhou was Shao Qingran’s suitor and Chen Minjun was Shao Qingran’s follower, the two should have been quite familiar. In reality, Chen Minjun was a bit intimidated by He Baizhou. This was partly due to He Baizhou’s background and partly due to her aloof, detached temperament.

Even when with Shao Qingran, He Baizhou was silent most of the time, sitting alone in a corner and rarely speaking to anyone except Shao Qingran herself.

Even a “domineering CEO” like Xu Chengyue didn’t give off as much of an oppressive aura as she did.

Consequently, while Chen Minjun could brazenly call Xu Chengyue “Chengyue” to act close, she could only address He Baizhou with the somewhat awkward title of “Director He.”

Fortunately, He Baizhou didn’t find the title strange. She nodded and said, “Sit. I have something to ask you.”

Chen Minjun immediately became tense. She sat up straight and forced a smile. “What is it? Please, go ahead.”

“Yesterday I heard you say that Shao Peiran is Qingran’s cousin. How come I’ve never heard of her or seen her before? Do they rarely stay in touch?” He Baizhou asked.

Chen Minjun was surprised that the question was about this, but she actually knew the answer. “Qingran’s aunt moved abroad after her divorce and hasn’t returned since. Of course you wouldn’t have seen her. I heard things were unpleasant with the family during the divorce—issues with the older generation, I’m not entirely sure… anyway, they basically have no contact.”

“So, you guys don’t know where she is either?” He Baizhou frowned.

Chen Minjun blinked, then realized. “I do know this much: she called for a hotel car to take her to the airport this morning. I assume she’s heading back to Australia?”

She went abroad… This was far beyond He Baizhou’s expectations. Yesterday, Shao Peiran looked travel-worn and appeared to have just arrived; He Baizhou had assumed she would stay in the country for a few days. Even though she had no reason to visit even if Shao Peiran had stayed, she couldn’t help but feel disappointed to learn she had left directly.

However, she quickly suppressed her emotions and asked, “What about contact information? Can Qingran get in touch with her?”

Chen Minjun shook her head. “Definitely not. I’ve never heard of them contacting each other.”

It seemed their relationship as relatives was indeed very distant.

He Baizhou nodded slightly and stood up from the sofa. Before leaving, a spark of inspiration suddenly flashed through her mind. She paused and turned back to ask Chen Minjun, “How many aunts does Qingran have?”

“Just one. How many could there be?” Chen Minjun looked at her, bewildered.

Hearing this, He Baizhou pressed her thin lips together firmly.

She remembered Lin Hezhi standing on the stage yesterday, praising Shao Qingran to the heavens as if she were the only worthy successor—valuing her more than a biological child. Meanwhile, the actual biological daughter sat below the stage, without a single word of interaction with him from beginning to end.

Then He Baizhou remembered that when Shao Peiran first saw her nameplate at the table, she had let out a mocking sneer.

At the time, she didn’t understand, but looking back now, she must have seen Lin Hezhi’s name. Whoever arranged the seating likely didn’t know the family’s grievances and had placed the father and daughter at the same table.

And Shao Peiran’s reaction? She hadn’t hesitated to take her nameplate and move it to another table.

What exactly had happened to make the relationship between a father and daughter so terrible?

He Baizhou didn’t know, but looking back at everything that happened yesterday, she felt she suddenly understood a lot. Shao Peiran’s loneliness, her coldness, and the way she drank cup after cup at the table all seemed to have a reason now.

After leaving the waiting area, He Baizhou didn’t depart immediately. Instead, she took the elevator upstairs and returned to her room.

The room was empty, with almost no trace left behind. But as He Baizhou sat on the bed, she caught a faint, nebulous scent. By the time she tried to identify it, it was gone. Nevertheless, she felt inexplicably happy. She collapsed onto the bed and closed her eyes.

The scent remained elusive—seemingly distant yet close. It disappeared when she tried to sniff it and drifted out on its own when she relaxed.

He Baizhou lay there for a while, and her mood gradually calmed down.

When she opened her eyes, her gaze swept over the nightstand. She froze for a moment, scrambled up, and eagerly pulled open the top drawer.

A pair of red bell-pepper earrings lay quietly inside.

He Baizhou had helped take them off Shao Peiran’s ears after she lay down last night. Fearing they might get lost, she had put them in the drawer. Shao Peiran likely hadn’t remembered them when she left and hadn’t checked the drawer, leaving this “stray fish” behind.

He Baizhou reached out and took them out.

The small earrings were exquisitely crafted. Once in her hand, He Baizhou discovered they weren’t purely red but had mottled patches of green and yellow; because of this, they looked even more like real chilies. However, they felt warm and smooth to the touch, likely polished from some kind of natural mineral stone.

It was quite a clever piece of craftsmanship.

She admired them in her palm for a moment, then walked to the wardrobe. She opened the door, found a small box used for cufflinks, and solemnly placed the earrings inside before tucking the box into her pocket.

He Baizhou glanced around the room one last time before picking up the phone to call room service to clean up and change the bedding.

Then she went downstairs again, started her car, and left the hotel.

Half an hour later, the black business car stopped below Xinglin Hospital. He Baizhou got out and entered the hospital. She was already somewhat cold by nature, and here she was even more solemn and stern, looking inviolable. Medical staff who saw her along the way would stop and bow their heads in greeting, while He Baizhou responded with a nod.

She took the elevator to the sixth floor. When Gao Yiwen saw her, she was shocked. “Why are you here?”

“I’m here to work. Is there a problem?” He Baizhou pushed open the door to the Director’s office, sat down behind the desk, and asked Gao Yiwen, who followed her in, “Is there anything to deal with today?”

“Just routine matters; I’ve already handled them according to your previous instructions.” Gao Yiwen spoke, then asked again, “Weren’t you going to your crush’s wedding? Why are you back at work so soon?”

“The wedding is over,” He Baizhou said. “What, am I supposed to follow them on their honeymoon?”

“Then you should find a place to drown your sorrows in alcohol and vent your frustrations,” Gao Yiwen suggested.

He Baizhou raised an eyebrow. “What do I have to be frustrated about?”

“The love of your life got married, and the bride wasn’t you—isn’t that frustrating enough?” Gao Yiwen replied instinctively, but then she looked at He Baizhou’s face and was quite surprised. “You really don’t seem that frustrated?”

“She’s already married. From now on, we’re just ordinary friends,” He Baizhou said.

“Something’s wrong…” Gao Yiwen shook her head, one arm across her chest and the other propping up her chin. “You are very ‘wrong.'”

She had been with He Baizhou for a long time. In Gao Yiwen’s view, He Baizhou had a world-weary air and spent most of her time in an emotionless state. It was only when she went to see Shao Qingran that she showed some lively humanity. So, although she didn’t show any dramatic displays of love, everyone who knew her knew that Shao Qingran was different.

Now that Shao Qingran was married, given He Baizhou’s personality, she obviously wouldn’t do anything like forcing her hand. But she should be affected at least a little bit, right?

How come… she actually seemed to be in a pretty good mood?

However, no one could pry a word out of He Baizhou regarding things she didn’t want to say. Seeing that she had already started pretending to look at documents, Gao Yiwen shrugged and went out to continue working.

A few years ago, He Baizhou had opened this hospital after returning to the country. Although it was a private hospital, because it had strong capital backing and the He family’s connections, Xinglin Hospital possessed cutting-edge equipment and top-tier talent from the moment it was established. Moreover, she could transfer personnel from elsewhere at any time to form powerful expert teams. Consequently, after the hospital opened, it quickly secured a foothold in the high-priced real estate of S City.

She herself was not a professional and didn’t interfere with the hospital’s routine operations, only providing various supports, so she was quite idle and had very flexible working hours. But as her assistant, Gao Yiwen was extremely busy and had no time to chat idly.

The busyness lasted until quitting time.

When Gao Yiwen entered the Director’s office again to report on the day’s work, she saw He Baizhou playing with an exquisite earring.

Upon seeing her, He Baizhou looked up and asked with interest, “Tell me, what do you think about me getting an ear piercing?”

“???” If it weren’t for the fact that He Baizhou hadn’t left the room or seen anyone else since she arrived today, Gao Yiwen would have thought she had been replaced by an impostor. She paled in shock, dropped her documents, anxiously grabbed He Baizhou’s hand, and shouted sternly, “What evil spirit is causing trouble here? Quickly return my Director to me!”

To be honest, He Baizhou didn’t have much feminine temperament. Due to her mixed heritage, her features were deep and her profile was sharp; her overall appearance was somewhat piercing, with no sense of feminine softness. She was exquisite and beautiful, but it was a beauty that blurred gender lines.

However, He Baizhou clearly didn’t think there was any problem with that. she was indifferent toward various styles and never showed any preference, acting as if she didn’t care about anything.

If it weren’t for the fact that this person was too “gloomy” and lacked any ethereal air, Gao Yiwen often felt she was more like an immortal who had transcended the world.

So her sudden mention of getting an ear piercing was, to Gao Yiwen, more terrifying than seeing a ghost.

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