Chà Chà Novel

The housekeeper noticed that Gu Yan had suddenly stopped moving and asked worriedly,

“Mr. Gu, is something wrong?”

Gu Yan shook his head slightly, the corners of his mouth twitching into a stiff, forced smile.

“I was just lost in thought.”

He put the photographs down as casually as he would any ordinary document.

Then he brought over a hair dryer and carefully dried everything.

Without saying a word, Gu Yan slipped the dried photographs back into their envelope, making it look as though no one had ever touched them.

The other documents were also restored to their original positions, apart from a few slightly wrinkled areas.

Yi Heng didn’t want to tell him.

And Gu Yan didn’t want Yi Heng to know that he had found out.

He opened the desk drawer.

To his shock, several more envelopes lay inside, identical to the one in his hand.

His throat seemed to constrict once again.

It felt as though his heart had stopped pumping blood to his limbs.

Unbeknownst to him, Yi Heng had silently shielded him from so much.

The earliest envelope in the drawer dated back half a month.

There were even numerous selfies of the original Gu Yan partying and indulging himself with his friends.

Gu Yan had no idea how the person lurking in the shadows had obtained those photographs.

All he knew was that a chill was creeping down his spine.

From the fragmented messages written on the backs of the pictures, he gradually pieced together several crucial facts.

Yi Heng had threatened someone’s interests.

That person had hired people to secretly follow and photograph Gu Yan.

They were using Gu Yan’s personal safety to threaten Yi Heng.

And to protect him, Yi Heng had actually stopped his investigation.

“Mr. Gu, all these documents have been dried…”

The housekeeper nervously rubbed her hands together, guilt written across her face.

“Are they really alright? Can they still be used?”

If contracts worth hundreds of millions, or even billions, were damaged because she had spilled water on them, she could sell everything she owned and still never afford to compensate for the loss.

Gu Yan closed the drawer.

His thoughts were tangled into an impossible knot.

“It’s alright… It’s alright… Everything’s alright.”

He repeated the words three times.

Rather than reassuring the frightened housekeeper, it seemed he was trying to convince himself.

Gu Yan forced himself to calm down and organize his thoughts.

But his brain felt like a frozen computer.

No matter how many times he tried to restart it, nothing worked.

By the time they had nearly finished tidying the study, Yi Heng happened to return home.

The sound of the front door opening was like a sudden ray of light breaking through a crack in a world that had been plunged into endless darkness.

Yet it was also like a clap of thunder exploding beside Gu Yan’s ears, jolting him awake.

Panic and confusion flashed through his eyes.

But he quickly concealed them, forcing himself to look relaxed as he walked out.

“You’re back? Have you eaten dinner?”

Perhaps Gu Yan’s complexion looked unusually pale, because Yi Heng immediately sensed that something was wrong.

“Not yet.”

Just then, the housekeeper emerged from the study.

She bowed deeply to Yi Heng, looking extremely apologetic.

“I’m terribly sorry, President Yi. While I was cleaning, I accidentally knocked over your water glass and soaked all the documents on the desk.”

“But we’ve already dried everything. I’m truly sorry.”

The housekeeper had originally worked at the Yi family’s villa.

After Yi Heng purchased this residence, she had come here at his mother’s request to take care of his daily needs.

She had served the Yi family for more than ten years and had never made such a serious mistake before.

However, she had always worked diligently and devotedly.

Over the years, she had practically become a member of the family.

So Yi Heng didn’t pursue the matter.

“It’s fine. The documents on the desk weren’t particularly important.”

The housekeeper hesitated.

“But I think there were some contracts among them…”

“Those were only drafts, not finalized contracts.”

Only then did some color finally return to the housekeeper’s lips.

“Let’s eat.”

Afraid that Yi Heng might remember the envelope he had left tucked among the documents, Gu Yan quickly changed the subject.

“I made all the dishes tonight myself. Come and try them. See if my cooking has improved!”

Once Yi Heng was home, he visibly relaxed.

It was difficult to say exactly what had touched something inside him.

Perhaps it was the familiar surroundings and warm lighting.

Perhaps it was the table filled with dishes that suited his tastes.

Or perhaps it was the person inviting him to dinner…

For once, Yi Heng felt an unusual sense of ease.

All his work-related concerns were temporarily pushed aside.

Gu Yan held his chopsticks but didn’t touch his food.

He quietly waited for Yi Heng’s evaluation.

He looked like a student who had worked desperately hard to achieve excellent grades and was eagerly awaiting praise and recognition from the teacher marking his exam.

Yi Heng picked up a piece of fish and tasted it.

“Mm. Your cooking has improved beyond my expectations.”

It was a genuinely heartfelt compliment.

Even the housekeeper couldn’t help smiling when she heard it.

Gu Yan had finally received the praise he had been hoping for.

Yet he wasn’t nearly as happy as he’d imagined.

He watched Yi Heng eating, his emotions tangled and difficult to understand.

Then he picked up his spoon and slowly stirred the soup in his bowl.

Yi Heng seemed born to command the negotiating table.

He followed the principle of remaining silent during meals and at bedtime, and every movement he made carried an air of effortless elegance and refinement.

Gu Yan slowly chewed the food in his mouth.

The meat was clearly fresh and delicious, yet to him it tasted strangely dry.

He couldn’t tell where his cooking had improved at all.

In the end, he could only swallow it down.

“You…”

As dinner was drawing to a close, Gu Yan finally spoke.

There were so many things he wanted to ask Yi Heng about the letters and photographs.

Throughout the meal, he had been silently rehearsing the questions in his mind.

Has someone been threatening you lately?

Are you in some kind of trouble?

I found an envelope on your desk.

Why are you protecting me like this?

But the moment Yi Heng raised his eyes to look at him, every carefully prepared word vanished.

Gu Yan opened his mouth, only to find himself unable to say what he truly wanted.

“Try this tofu too! I followed the recipe exactly, without changing a single thing!”

As he spoke, Gu Yan curved his eyes into a smile, concealing his momentary distraction.

Yi Heng watched him silently.

His knuckles brushed lightly against the side of his bowl.

In fact, the piece of food he had just picked up was already tofu.

*

Gu Yan could barely remember how he had made it through the rest of that evening.

All he knew was that, somewhere in the haze of sleep, he had heard Yi Heng softly say,

“Good night.”

When he woke the following morning, Yi Heng had already left for work, just as he always did.

Gu Yan had once again unconsciously migrated to Yi Heng’s side of the bed during the night.

He lingered beneath the covers for a while, reaching out to touch the space beside him.

There was no warmth left in the bedding.

Gradually, his thoughts returned to him.

Then he suddenly sat bolt upright, grabbed his phone from the bedside table, and made a call.

It was answered after only a few rings.

“Stop watching the man from the repair shop for now,” Gu Yan instructed. “There’s something more important I need you to investigate.”

He had to find out exactly what Yi Heng had been doing lately to frighten the person behind the scenes so badly that they had resorted to such blatant threats.

The waiting felt unbearably long.

For an entire half day, Gu Yan couldn’t bring himself to do anything else.

He sat on the living room sofa, concentrating entirely on sorting through the enormous amount of information in his head.

Near noon, his subordinate finally called back.

Recently, Yi Heng had launched a thorough investigation into the company’s internal management.

He had removed numerous employees who had secured positions within the Yi Group through personal connections, while boldly promoting new talent.

From top to bottom, the entire organization had undergone a sweeping restructuring.

Yi Heng’s actions had provoked dissatisfaction among many major shareholders.

Even the board of directors had begun putting pressure on him.

However, Yi Heng possessed absolute authority within the group.

Those external obstacles were little more than a mantis trying to stop a moving carriage.

They were hardly worth mentioning.

Yet just as he was about to purge the Yi Group’s senior leadership as well, Yi Heng had abruptly ordered the investigation to stop.

The shareholders whose interests had been threatened had even turned the tables, accusing the directors and senior executives of infringing upon their legitimate rights and threatening to sue Yi Heng in court.

The man reporting to Gu Yan had handled countless matters across the country on behalf of his grandfather.

He was experienced and widely knowledgeable.

But even he was puzzled this time.

“This situation is genuinely strange.”

“From what I’ve uncovered, Yi Heng stopping the investigation at the most critical moment is practically inviting disaster upon himself.”

“He has plenty of capable people working under him. He could easily have pressed forward and eliminated every last parasite within the Yi Group in one decisive move.”

Opportunities like this were extremely rare.

Because Yi Heng had failed to complete the purge, the group was now surrounded by hostile forces waiting for an opening.

Many of those involved had become even more cautious.

Removing them in the future would be far more difficult.

Gu Yan lowered his head and gripped his hair tightly.

When his subordinate described Yi Heng as someone whose vital weakness had suddenly been seized and exploited, Gu Yan felt even worse.

Just yesterday, he had been acting like a complete fool, asking Yi Heng to go to the movies with him.

He had even been secretly delighted over stealing a little extra affection.

At one point, he had almost completely forgotten that countless unseen eyes were watching them from the shadows.

Now that he clearly understood the dangerous position Yi Heng was trapped in, unable to advance or retreat, Gu Yan pressed his lips tightly together.

The photographs he had seen the previous night felt like daggers, stabbing into his heart again and again.

Was this the price of being selfish?

Was he simply reaping what he had sown?

If he hadn’t stubbornly stayed by Yi Heng’s side because of his own selfish desires…

If his feelings for Yi Heng hadn’t grown into something more…

Would any of this have happened?

Gu Yan didn’t know what he could do to help Yi Heng.

Among the people in management who had a motive to do something like this, the only person he could think of was Du Ting.

He sat quietly curled up on the sofa.

Yet inside, it felt as though he had slammed headfirst into an impenetrable wall.

When he finally spoke again, his voice had become strangely hoarse and distorted.

“Then what do you think those people will do next?”

His subordinate fell silent for a long moment before finally delivering the harsh truth.

“Yi Heng’s position within the company is far from optimistic right now. But if he launches a strong counterattack immediately, there’s still a chance to turn things around.”

“If he can’t devote his full attention to resisting the pressure, I’m afraid… he’ll either be sabotaged by people within his own organization or targeted by rival companies.”

Gu Yan clasped his hands tightly together, rubbing them with increasing force.

He kept pressing and scraping at the skin between his thumb and index finger, as though trying to channel all his anxiety into that one spot.

There was little confidence left in his voice.

“Is there another possibility? For example… could he be deliberately setting a trap for them?”

“It’s possible. But the risk would be enormous, and the potential cost unimaginable.”

“It would be even more dangerous than an all-or-nothing last stand. If he failed, the entire business landscape of the capital could be turned upside down.”

“… Alright. I understand.”

Gu Yan stared at the empty house before ending the call.

Had things really reached a dead end?

He had never imagined that one day he would become a dagger in someone else’s hand, aimed directly at Yi Heng.

And Yi Heng…

Yi Heng wasn’t even trying to dodge it.

Yi Heng had already lost so much in this silent war.

He couldn’t afford to take another reckless gamble and lose even more.

It shouldn’t be like this…

Gu Yan slowly walked toward his bedroom.

In truth, he had already thought of a solution.

But that solution felt like a heavy hammer striking straight into his heart.

For a moment, even his breathing seemed to stop.

*

Yi Group Headquarters, exactly six o’clock in the evening.

The secretary gently knocked on the president’s office door.

Yi Heng was signing documents.

“Come in.”

The secretary approached his desk and quietly asked whether he wanted his usual working dinner brought up.

Yi Heng capped his pen.

“No need. I won’t be working overtime tonight.”

“I’ve finished signing all of these. Take them back to the relevant departments.”

“Understood.”

Yi Heng briefly tidied his desk before picking up his phone to check it.

Gu Yan hadn’t sent him a single message all day.

Yi Heng himself had been occupied with one meeting after another and hadn’t had time to message him either.

In the past, they would always exchange a few words, whether or not there was anything important to discuss.

Yi Heng turned off the screen, picked up the coat hanging over the back of his chair, and strode out.

The company was close to home, only a little over ten minutes away.

He had expected to return to the familiar sight of Gu Yan enthusiastically playing chef in the kitchen alongside the housekeeper, just as he had so many times before.

But when Yi Heng arrived home, only the housekeeper was busy in the kitchen.

He looked around the house.

Unable to find the familiar figure, he asked the housekeeper, who was bringing a bowl of nourishing porridge to the dining table,

“Where’s Gu Yan?”

“Mr. Gu? I saw him this morning, but I haven’t seen him since I arrived this afternoon.”

“He probably had something to do and won’t be coming home for dinner.”

Yi Heng put down his coat and went into the bathroom to wash his hands.

But his gaze suddenly froze.

The toothbrush and cup that had always stood beside his own were gone.

The towel hanging nearby had disappeared as well.

Yi Heng immediately turned off the faucet and pushed open the bedroom door.

On the large bed, where two blankets had always been neatly folded together, only one remained.

The beanbag chair that had been placed opposite the bed had vanished without a trace.

Yi Heng’s Adam’s apple moved slowly.

He opened the walk-in closet.

When he confirmed that Gu Yan’s entire wardrobe had been emptied, a faint reddish glimmer appeared deep within his eyes.

He immediately called Gu Yan.

Ring… Ring…

The ringing echoed through the silent dressing room.

With every unanswered ring, Yi Heng’s expression grew darker.

Connecting…

“Where are you?”

“Yi Heng, my pheromone disorder has been cured. I don’t need your treatment anymore.”

Gu Yan’s voice was clear and calm, accompanied by the faint electronic static of the phone connection.

“I lied to you before. But it’s not too late to admit it now.”

“I think… we can end our agreement.”

In the apartment, Gu Yan stood by the window, gripping the curtain so tightly that his fingers almost seemed ready to tear it apart.

Yi Heng said nothing on the other end.

All Gu Yan could hear was the unmistakable sound of his breathing.

His heart clenched painfully.

“You don’t have your family pressuring you to get married anymore, and you don’t have countless admirers pursuing you either.”

“There’s no reason for us to keep pretending to be a couple and deceiving everyone.”

“I left your aunt’s necklace in the box on your study desk.”

“Thank you for helping me with my treatment.”

“It’s been a pleasure working with you.”

Yi Heng remained silent.

With no response from him, Gu Yan could only keep talking, filling the silence with one explanation after another.

By the time he reached his final words, he could no longer steady his breathing.

His voice trembled.

He had spent the entire afternoon thinking about what to say.

And the entire afternoon hesitating over whether to say it at all.

Right now, Yi Heng was standing at the edge of a cliff.

Gu Yan didn’t want him to gamble everything on a reckless move.

Nor did he want to become Yi Heng’s fatal weakness.

At the very least, he didn’t want to be a burden in their relationship.

He had to push Yi Heng back to safety.

Then he would secretly search for evidence against Du Ting.

Even if he ended up falling into the abyss and being shattered beyond repair, he wouldn’t regret it.

Yi Heng finally spoke.

“Why?”

“What do you mean, why?”

“We were only together because of an agreement. Now that both our problems have been resolved, the agreement naturally comes to an end.”

On the other end of the line, Yi Heng’s fingers suddenly tightened.

His grip was so powerful that he nearly crushed the phone in his hand.

He was just about to speak.

But Gu Yan seemed to have anticipated the exact moment and quickly pressed the button to end the call.

If he had hesitated even a second longer…

If he had heard Yi Heng’s voice again…

No matter what Yi Heng said, Gu Yan was afraid he would lose his resolve and go running back.

He turned to look at the large and small boxes stacked near the doorway.

The same moving company he had hired last time had now helped him move everything back.

Gu Yan began taking his belongings out, one item at a time.

When he moved into Yi Heng’s home, the movers had arranged everything for him.

Only now, as he unpacked everything himself, did he realize with surprise just how many possessions he had brought over.

He started when the streetlights first came on.

By the time he emptied the final box, the night had grown completely still.

Using his memory, Gu Yan returned every item to its original place.

Everything looked exactly as it had before.

As though nothing had ever been moved.

Once he finished unpacking, he glanced at his phone.

Just as he had hoped, there were no messages.

Then he began cleaning the apartment without stopping.

It wasn’t that Gu Yan was obsessed with cleanliness.

His thoughts were simply too chaotic, and he couldn’t allow himself a moment of idleness.

Because whenever he stopped moving, Yi Heng immediately filled his mind.

And he couldn’t help wondering how Yi Heng felt.

Was he disappointed?

Was he speechless with frustration?

Would he hate me? Would he despise me from now on?

How ironic.

He had been the one who thought himself clever in the beginning.

And in the end, he had also been the one to admit that he’d lied.

Gu Yan wiped an ordinary table four or five times.

Each time, he convinced himself that the previous attempt hadn’t been thorough enough.

Even the picture frames on the cabinet weren’t spared.

He polished the glass until it shone brighter than the lights.

Vacuuming, mopping, scrubbing the sink, making the bed, folding the blankets…

He had never done these chores before.

Yet in a single evening, he became so practiced at them that he could hardly have been more efficient.

He was like an exceptionally demanding cleaner who couldn’t tolerate even the tiniest speck of dust.

Only when there was absolutely nothing left to do did Gu Yan finally collapse onto the sofa, utterly exhausted.

He didn’t feel like taking a shower.

He didn’t even know what time it was.

Clack.

One of his slippers slipped off his foot and fell to the floor.

Perhaps because he was so tired, he rubbed his eyes.

Then he lay motionless on his stomach across the sofa.

He looked perfectly fine.

Quiet and peaceful.

No crying. No fussing.

Just another ordinary evening.

Except that when he finally raised his head again, the corners of his eyes were slightly red.