Chapter 21: Miss Gu, It Was Not Easy for Me to Find You

Gu Shen returned home after midnight. The moment she remembered Zhou Ci making her copy the employee handbook, a surge of anger flared up inside her. She marched straight to the study to find paper and pen.

Pushing open the door, she was surprised to find Yang Liqiong still working at the desk. Instinctively, she glanced at the time on her phone, and the forceful energy she’d carried in evaporated at once.

“You’re back? Did your first day go well?” Yang Liqiong looked up at her briefly before returning to her work, her tone casual and indifferent.

“Yes,” Gu Shen replied, searching through the desk drawers on her own.

“What are you looking for?”

“Is there an unused notebook?”

Yang Liqiong reached under a stack of documents and handed her a leather-bound notebook.

“Were you with Zhou Ci the night before last?” Yang Liqiong suddenly asked.

Gu Shen’s expression remained calm. “I’ve always had an improper relationship with him.”

At this, Yang Liqiong finally looked up. “It’s your life—you can do as you please. Just don’t let it end in disaster.”

“That’s my business. You already have your obedient, dutiful eldest daughter. Just keep ignoring me like you did when I was a child.”

Every word was barbed, but Yang Liqiong’s face betrayed not the slightest trace of anger.

“You bought all the shares your cousin owned last year. If your grandmother finds out, she won’t let you off easily. Why don’t you discuss things with me before you make decisions like that?”

Gu Shen didn’t understand why Yang Liqiong would bring this up now—was she still thinking about those shares?

“He needed money, and I happened to have some to spare. Besides, the company belongs to the Gu family. Grandpa founded it himself. Giving dry shares to Aunt’s family was unreasonable to begin with.”

“Then why do you want to hold so many shares?”

Gu Shen smiled faintly. “My surname is Gu. At the very least, the company Grandpa built shouldn’t fall into the hands of someone with no blood ties to the family.”

The one with no blood ties was Gu Yanran.

Mother and daughter locked eyes, sparks flying between them, and the tension in the study grew thick as gunpowder.

“I have work to do. You should get back to yours,” Gu Shen said, turning to leave the study.

The next morning, Gu Shen handed the employee handbook, which she had copied nearly all night, to Zhou Ci.

Zhou Ci kept his head down, focused on his work, and paid her no attention. Gu Shen’s eyes betrayed her exhaustion, but she forced herself to keep it together during working hours. The last thing she needed was a confrontation with Zhou Ci.

Zhou Ci acted as if the hotel incident had never happened—not a word was mentioned. On the contrary, his heavy workload meant hers increased as well. Even though she was run off her feet, barely able to keep up, Zhou Ci showed no intention of finding anyone to help her.

Days passed in this relentless cycle.

Gu Shen was hardly ever out of Zhou Ci’s sight. Whether in the office or out on business, she was always at his side. After a while, she felt utterly drained.

During one of Zhou Ci’s social engagements, Gu Shen slipped away to a quiet corner, leaned against the wall, and nearly dozed off.

“Miss Gu, I’ve had quite the time looking for you.”

A male voice suddenly broke through her haze.

The tone made Gu Shen look up instinctively. She saw a man, tall and slightly overweight, his neck and hands adorned with conspicuous gold chains—a blatant display of wealth.

Her expression shifted minutely, a hint of nervousness flitting across her features. She lowered her voice. “Mr. Wang.”