The flight from Kyoto to Jincheng took two hours. Including the time spent waiting at the airport, checking in luggage, and going through the other procedures, the entire journey would take at least four or five hours.
Yet Gu Yan had come without saying a word, traveling hundreds of kilometers all by himself.
The weather in Jincheng was different from Kyoto. Although he was wearing a scarf and a hat, every patch of exposed skin had been reddened by the cold wind.
Yi Heng felt a sharp ache in his heart.
His hands, which had been hanging loosely at his sides, curled into fists.
Then he took Gu Yan’s icy hand and pressed it directly against the side of his neck.
“I’ll have everything taken care of soon. Aren’t you tired from traveling all this way?”
“Not at all. I already slept on the plane.”
Yi Heng held Gu Yan’s fingertips between his palms, gently rubbing them to warm them up.
Meanwhile, Gu Yan carefully studied Yi Heng’s face, then looked him over from head to toe.
Only after confirming that Yi Heng hadn’t been injured did he finally feel a little relieved.
Yi Nantu noticed that Yi Heng had been gone for quite some time.
Worried that reporters might have followed him all the way to the hotel, she went to open the door.
But the moment she did, she saw her usually stern, unsmiling nephew standing in the corridor.
A barely perceptible smile curved his lips as he lowered his head and reverently kissed the back of the young man’s hand.
How on earth had someone managed to materialize out of a phone call in the space of just a few minutes?
Yi Nantu’s composure nearly cracked.
An impulsive urge surged through her, making her question whether her eyes were playing tricks on her.
For a moment, she wanted nothing more than to slam the door shut.
Gu Yan also noticed the woman standing inside.
He immediately snatched his hand back.
Unfortunately, his fingernail accidentally scraped across the back of Yi Heng’s hand, leaving behind a thin red mark resembling a cat scratch.
Yi Heng: “…”
After a brief explanation, Yi Nantu finally understood that Gu Yan hadn’t somehow crawled through the telephone line.
He had actually flown to Jincheng that very afternoon.
“Hello. I’m Yi Heng’s aunt. We’ve met before.”
“Mm… Hello, Auntie.”
Gu Yan knew that the woman standing before him was Du Ting’s mother.
Their only previous encounter had been on the day of Du Ting’s trial.
The atmosphere became slightly awkward.
Yi Nantu’s cool, detached gaze fell upon Gu Yan and Yi Heng’s intertwined hands.
She adjusted the shawl draped over her shoulders and turned away, concealing the fleeting trace of envy in her eyes.
“Come inside.”
Yi Heng poured Gu Yan a cup of hot tea to warm him up.
He had nothing to hide from Gu Yan, so he continued discussing the following day’s arrangements with Yi Nantu right in front of him.
“We managed to calm the families down in time today, so the incident hasn’t had much of an impact on the group’s share price.”
Yi Nantu leaned back slightly against the sofa.
“Tomorrow, depending on the situation, we can answer a few questions from the media. But we need to be careful. Someone was clearly trying to deliberately stir up the families’ emotions today.”
“Mm. Regardless of what happens, they’ve lost their loved ones. Their needs must come first.”
As he spoke, Yi Heng raised the air conditioner’s temperature a little.
He even fetched a blanket for Gu Yan, despite the latter quietly insisting that he didn’t need one.
Yi Nantu merely raised an eyebrow without commenting.
Just then, Gu Yan’s phone rang.
The caller ID displayed the same encrypted number he’d dialed at noon.
Gu Yan answered immediately and switched on the speakerphone.
“We’ve found something. Just as you suspected, an unexplained sum of money has appeared in Gu Chengjing’s company’s accounts.”
Yi Nantu and Yi Heng exchanged glances.
Both leaned forward to listen more closely.
Gu Yan asked calmly,
“Can you identify who transferred the money?”
“I’m very sorry… Not at the moment.”
A hint of disappointment crossed Gu Yan’s face.
“All right, understood. Don’t mention anything I’ve asked you to investigate to anyone.”
“Understood.”
The moment the call ended, Yi Nantu realized that the situation was far more complicated than she’d initially thought.
Her sharp gaze settled on the phone lying on the table.
“Gu Chengjing is involved in this too?”
She didn’t yet understand the connection.
But Gu Yan and Yi Heng both knew exactly what it might mean.
A chemical plant had just suffered a devastating explosion, and immediately afterward, Gu Chengjing’s company had received an unexpected windfall.
How could there possibly be such a convenient coincidence?
Yi Heng made a decision on the spot.
He ordered his people to investigate the Yi Group’s recent financial expenditures.
They discovered that this was the time of year when the group carried out its annual raw-material procurement.
Recently, the Yi Group had allocated twenty million yuan to the chemical plant for purchasing materials.
Yi Heng narrowed his eyes.
“The explosion was probably deliberate. Someone may have staged an accident to embezzle the allocated funds.”
Twenty million yuan was no small sum.
But how much of that money had actually been spent on purchasing raw materials?
Once the chemical plant exploded, everything inside would be reduced to ashes.
All the culprit had to do was claim that the purchased materials had been stored in the warehouse and destroyed in the explosion.
With that simple explanation, they could easily pocket an enormous amount of money.
Gu Yan ran a hand through his hair and murmured,
“But the workers inside…”
For the sake of personal greed, someone had been willing to sacrifice more than a dozen innocent lives.
The thought that such a person could be hiding within the Yi Group, wearing a friendly smile while concealing the nature of a predator, was deeply chilling.
Now that was what it truly meant to treat ordinary people’s lives as worthless.
Whoever took that money might not live long enough to enjoy spending it.
However, these were still only assumptions.
They had no evidence yet.
Yi Nantu had spent many years navigating the business world and had accumulated extensive experience.
It didn’t take her long to piece together most of the connections.
She rarely lost her composure, but this time her face darkened with fury.
“Have someone verify every invoice for the raw-material purchases and contact the upstream suppliers directly.”
“If the entire amount was genuinely spent on materials, then fine. But if any money is unaccounted for, even a single cent, I want it traced!”
By the time all the necessary arrangements had been made, it was already past two in the morning.
Gu Yan had claimed that he’d slept on the plane.
But after such a long, exhausting journey, how could he possibly avoid feeling tired simply by saying he wasn’t?
He curled up on the sofa, struggling to keep his eyes open.
Yi Heng’s voice drifted into his ears, deep and soothing, like the gentle, melodious sound of a cello at a concert.
Before long, Gu Yan could no longer resist the overwhelming drowsiness and quietly fell asleep.
“He really hasn’t experienced this kind of thing before.”
Yi Nantu watched as Yi Heng carefully pulled the blanket back over Gu Yan after it had slipped down.
“It’s getting late. You should take him back and let him rest.”
Yi Heng bent down, slipping one arm beneath the crook of Gu Yan’s knees.
As he moved, he accidentally brushed against the scarf wrapped around Gu Yan’s neck.
Gu Yan opened his eyes slightly, his voice thick with sleep.
“Sorry… I must have fallen asleep. Where were we?”
Without giving him any room to protest, Yi Heng lifted him into his arms.
“We’re finished. It’s time to go back and get some rest.”
Gu Yan tilted his head to glance out the window.
It was pitch-black outside, making it impossible to tell what time it was.
The hotel corridor was completely silent. Even Yi Heng’s leather shoes made no sound as he walked across the carpet.
Perhaps he really was exhausted.
Gu Yan buried half his face in his scarf and nestled comfortably against Yi Heng, drifting back to sleep.
He was far too sleepy to worry about feeling embarrassed over being carried in front of Yi Nantu.
Yi Heng carried him straight back to their room.
But at the exact moment the door closed, a camera flash flickered from a hidden corner at the far end of the corridor.
“Hey! Why did you turn on the flash?”
“I forgot to switch it off. But I don’t think he saw it.”
Two reporters were hiding behind a large potted plant, secretly observing everything happening in the corridor through its dense foliage.
One of them scrolled through the photographs he’d just taken, barely able to contain his excitement.
“See? I told you staking out this place would pay off! All that waiting wasn’t for nothing. Once we publish this, it’ll be absolutely explosive news!”
In the photograph, Yi Heng was holding a slender young man in his arms.
The young man’s face was turned inward, making it impossible to identify him.
The blanket covering him had slipped down slightly.
All that could be seen was the exposed skin at the back of his neck, which was remarkably fair.
He was probably an Omega.
The other reporter whispered,
“Wait a minute. Doesn’t Yi Heng already have a partner? I heard they’re even engaged. Could the person we just saw actually be his fiancé?”
“Impossible! Yi Heng only brought people from the Yi Group with him. We’ve been watching everyone coming in and out of this hotel the whole time. Have you ever seen that boy with him before?”
“He must be some new lover Yi Heng picked up in Jincheng. And we just happened to catch them!”
The more the reporter spoke, the more excited he became.
It was almost as though he could already see his bonus waving at him.
“Unbelievable! Everyone thinks Yi Heng came here to handle the chemical plant explosion, but it turns out he’s busy screwing around with someone in his hotel room!”
“And the explosion is still all over the news. Perfect timing! We’ll expose him tomorrow!”
Inside the room, Yi Heng pulled back the covers and began helping Gu Yan take off his clothes.
Gu Yan was so sleepy that Yi Heng couldn’t bear to disturb him.
However, Gu Yan instinctively grabbed hold of his sweater, unwilling to let Yi Heng see his neck.
“It’s fine. I’ll just sleep like this.”
“You’ll get too hot.”
“I won’t.”
Yi Heng didn’t insist.
By the time he finished showering and returned, Gu Yan was already fast asleep.
A small pool of warm yellow light from the bedside lamp fell softly across Gu Yan’s face.
And he said he wouldn’t get hot.
There was already sweat on the tip of his nose.
Yi Heng sighed helplessly.
He gathered the warm body into his arms and eventually helped Gu Yan remove his sweater.
Gu Yan was sleeping so deeply that he didn’t wake up despite being moved around several times.
Yi Heng was about to turn off the light when his gaze suddenly fell upon a red mark on Gu Yan’s neck.
The wound was neither deep nor particularly long.
But the neck was one of the most vulnerable parts of the human body.
Just beneath the skin lay arteries essential to survival.
Even a seemingly minor injury in that area could prove fatal.
Yi Heng pressed his lips tightly together.
In an instant, he understood why Gu Yan had been so determined to keep his neck covered.
Hadn’t they already agreed in their contract that Gu Yan wasn’t allowed to lie to him anymore?
A trace of anger appeared on Yi Heng’s face.
But when he noticed the dark circles beneath Gu Yan’s eyes, he could only force himself to suppress his frustration.
Fortunately, Gu Yan was safe.
There would be plenty of time to settle this matter properly later.
He gently stroked Gu Yan’s cheek before switching off the light.
The room fell into darkness.
The following day, a sensational headline shot straight to the top of the financial news.
#Yi Group President Suspected of Secret Affair During Chemical Plant Explosion Investigation
The headline had been crafted with remarkable cunning.
By using the word “suspected” and attaching photographic evidence, the reporters had made it easy for countless readers to assume the accusation was true.
Netizens were immediately outraged.
They accused Yi Heng of showing no genuine concern for the explosion and lacking even the most basic respect for the victims.
His personal character was also called into question.
The story spread at an astonishing speed.
Almost everyone following the chemical plant incident soon heard about the scandal.
That morning, Wang Zhiliang was eating breakfast when his father turned the television volume up so high that it was practically impossible not to hear the news.
“HOLY FUCK?!”
The moment Wang Zhiliang saw the photograph of Yi Heng holding someone in his arms, he nearly jumped out of his seat.
His best buddy had been cheated on???
He immediately grabbed his phone and bombarded Gu Yan with calls.
The instant the call connected, he launched into a furious tirade against Yi Heng.
“That cheating bastard! Someone like him doesn’t deserve you! He’s even worse than that guy surnamed Lin!”
“He looks all respectable and decent, but he’s actually a complete animal!”
“Just wait! One of these days, I’ll drag him into an alley, throw a sack over his head, and beat the crap out of him for you…”
Gu Yan didn’t say anything.
Wang Zhiliang assumed the betrayal had dealt his friend a devastating emotional blow.
He paused for a moment before softening his tone.
“It’s okay. I’ve already cursed him out for you. There are plenty of Alphas in the world.”
“D-Don’t be too upset, all right? I know loads of amazing, strong, handsome Alphas. I’ll introduce every single one of them to you when I get the chance!”
The person holding the phone was Yi Heng.
He spoke in a calm, indifferent voice.
“That won’t be necessary. Thank you.”
Wang Zhiliang: “…………”
He repeatedly checked his phone screen to make sure he hadn’t dialed the wrong number.
Nothing was more terrifying than the sudden silence.
Click!
Wang Zhiliang hung up immediately.
The neurons in his brain felt as though they were tying themselves into knots.
He desperately tried to process the overwhelming amount of information he’d received in that single second.
At the same time, he forced himself to recall every miserable experience he’d ever had, hoping it would somehow help him regain his composure.
After a long while, he finally dialed the number again with trembling fingers.
Yi Heng answered once more.
Wang Zhiliang swallowed repeatedly.
“Y-You… Why are you answering his phone?”
“I-I saw the news this morning, you know! What have you done to my buddy? Whatever it is, we can talk about it! Just don’t hurt him!”
The longer he spoke, the quieter and less confident his voice became.
A faint crease appeared between Yi Heng’s eyebrows.
He glanced at Gu Yan, who was still sleeping soundly beside him.
“Why do you think?”
Wang Zhiliang’s rusty brain slowly began turning its gears.
“Y-You… you… you…”
He stammered for what felt like an eternity before finally finding his voice.
His eyes widened so dramatically that they almost popped out of their sockets.
“THE MISTRESS IN THE NEWS IS GU YAN?!”
As luck would have it, Gu Yan woke up at that exact moment and heard Wang Zhiliang’s words.
“Did you take the wrong medication or something?”
Still half asleep, Gu Yan snatched the phone and fired back a groggy retort.
Wang Zhiliang sounded utterly aggrieved.
“Don’t you two know what’s in the news today? Someone’s spreading false rumors!”
If he’d known this would happen, he would’ve minded his own business!
Now every single insult he’d hurled at Yi Heng had been heard by Yi Heng himself!
Gu Yan opened his phone and scrolled through the news.
When he realized that the person at the center of the scandal everyone was gossiping about was none other than himself, he was rendered completely speechless.
Gu Yan: “…”
Whatever drowsiness remained in his body vanished in an instant.
Wang Zhiliang awkwardly apologized to Yi Heng.
“I’m really sorry. I got a little too worked up this morning. Please don’t take it personally. I was actually… cursing at myself.”
“What did you say?” Gu Yan asked.
He glanced at Yi Heng, whose expression was rather difficult to interpret.
Wang Zhiliang immediately began stumbling over his words.
“N-Nothing! Absolutely nothing! It was a misunderstanding. The whole thing was just a misunderstanding!”
Gu Yan was far more concerned about how Yi Heng planned to handle the media interviews that day than whatever Wang Zhiliang had said before he woke up.
Yi Heng had already finished getting dressed.
With practiced ease, he straightened and tied the necktie Gu Yan had wrinkled slightly when he’d grabbed it the previous day.
“Don’t worry. We just need to clear up the misunderstanding.”
However, before Yi Heng could even face the major media outlets, the gates of the Yi family residence in Kyoto were opened by none other than Mrs. Yi herself.
She had taken special care with her appearance that morning.
From her outfit and makeup to the precise curve of every strand of hair framing her temples, everything had been meticulously styled by professionals.
The reporters who had been waiting outside immediately surged forward.
Cameras, microphones, and telephoto lenses were thrust so close to Mrs. Yi’s face that they nearly touched her.
Everyone was desperate to find out whether the morning’s scandal was true.
Yi Feng was worried that his mother might become so furious that something unfortunate would happen.
His father, however, already knew exactly what his wife intended to say.
Rather than showing the slightest concern, he simply reached out and pulled Yi Feng back.
“Don’t go interfering. Your mother has been going on about making a statement herself all morning. Didn’t you know she spent two whole hours doing her makeup?”
Yi Feng: “?”
Mrs. Yi gracefully smoothed her hair.
Then, standing before the assembled reporters, she calmly announced,
“The news this morning is true.”
An uproar immediately swept through the crowd.
The reporters erupted into excited chatter, their voices overlapping as they struggled to process her unexpected admission.
Mrs. Yi remained perfectly composed.
She waited patiently until their initial shock subsided and the crowd quieted down on its own.
Only then did a meaningful smile appear on her lips.
Her voice carried an unmistakable note of pride.
“Oh? How did you all find out I have a daughter-in-law?”
This time, it was the reporters’ turn to be completely dumbfounded.
Mrs. Yi gave a casual wave of her hand, signaling for someone to bring forward a small box containing a marriage certificate.
At some point, the top of the box had been replaced with a transparent glass lid, allowing everyone to see the marriage certificate displayed neatly inside.
Mrs. Yi proudly held the box up in front of the cameras, showing it off as though it were her most precious treasure.
“The person in the news is my daughter-in-law. He made a special trip to Jincheng to help my son handle his work. They’re a young couple in love. What’s wrong with them sharing a hug?”
The reporters from the various media outlets exchanged bewildered glances.
Their expressions looked as though they’d just swallowed live flies.
Even the viewers watching the live broadcast from their television screens felt as though they’d been force-fed an enormous helping of public affection without the slightest warning.
So the entire scandal had been nothing more than one monumental misunderstanding!
Mrs. Yi even had someone stand at the entrance holding the box containing the marriage certificate.
If she could, she would have announced to the entire world that Gu Yan and Yi Heng were married.
Meanwhile, Gu Yan was sitting in the car, scrolling through the latest financial headlines on his phone.
His face was burning bright red with embarrassment.
Yi Heng’s subsequent responses to the reporters’ questions went smoothly as well.
Every department throughout the Yi Group actively cooperated with the police investigation.
As for the two reporters responsible for creating the ridiculous misunderstanding…
Not only did they fail to receive the bonuses they’d been dreaming of, but they also received a thorough dressing-down from their superiors.
“Finally, everything’s been taken care of. So now we just have to wait for the final investigation results, right?”
After spending an entire day following Yi Heng around and experiencing his relentlessly packed schedule firsthand, Gu Yan was now sprawled face down on the sofa in their hotel room.
The soles of his feet were aching terribly.
“You’re this busy every single day. Don’t you ever get tired?”
He turned his head to ask Yi Heng, only to notice that something wasn’t quite right.
Yi Heng was standing motionless beside the door.
A faint but unmistakable trace of Alpha pheromones was spreading through the air around him.
Gu Yan immediately scrambled to his feet and hurried over to take Yi Heng’s hand.
“What’s wrong?”
Yi Heng raised his eyes.
Struggling to restrain his strength, he abruptly pushed Gu Yan away.
“Leave. Now.”
Gu Yan had no idea what was happening.
He froze in confusion.
But in the next instant, the sharp, cold scent of fir trees suddenly flooded his senses, growing so intense that it seemed on the verge of erupting.
Gu Yan’s pupils contracted.
Could this be…
An Alpha’s rut?
Leave a Reply