Gu Chongyang and Lin Huichu were both wearing masks, speaking to each other in low tones. Lin Huichu’s eyes were red and swollen; she had clearly been crying for a long time.
Shen Weilan narrowed her eyes. She took out her phone, turned on the recording function, and captured their entire conversation. When she noticed they were about to leave, she immediately crouched down to avoid being seen.
Once she had left the apartment and gotten into her car, Shen Weilan messaged Ye Xuxu: "Bestie, could you please help me look into Gu Chongyang and Lin Huichu again? Oh, right—it would be best to focus your investigation on four years ago, when Lin Huichu was still in university."
Ye Xuxu was likely at a club; Shen Weilan waited a long time but received no reply.
...
The next day at noon, at A City International Airport.
Pei Heng walked out dragging his suitcase, with Shen Weilan already waiting for him. It had been a long time since they last met, so they shared a familiar hug—a gesture of longing between best friends.
"Welcome to A City," Shen Weilan said with a smile. She looked him up and down. He was dressed in a white shirt, a white T-shirt, and clean white sneakers—very casual.
Pei Heng was ten years her senior, thirty-six this year, yet time had left no mark on his face. He looked like a man in his early twenties, with clear, fair skin and a sunny smile.
"Looking handsome again!"
Facing Shen Weilan’s compliment, Pei Heng joked, "Of course, the nourishment of love makes one younger."
Shen Weilan was stunned and immediately grew gossipy. She draped an arm over Pei Heng’s shoulder. "Spit it out! Are you really dating? Which girl is so blind that she actually took a liking to you?"
The latter remark was clearly just friendly banter. Pei Heng came from an excellent family and was a good man; any woman who chose him would clearly have good taste.
"I was joking, you actually believed me?" Pei Heng said, though the corners of his mouth lifted inadvertently. It was clearly no joke; he just wanted to keep the relationship under wraps.
"Tsk tsk! So, now that you have a girlfriend, you’ve forgotten your best friend? I never expected you to be the type to favor romance over friendship." Shen Weilan huffed, took the suitcase from him, and strode forward.
Pei Heng followed behind, offering explanations, the two of them acting like a bickering couple.
Not far away, Huo Junxiao’s gaze rested on them. His brows knitted almost imperceptibly, his expression clouded and unreadable. His assistant, Yu Dong, followed his line of sight and said, "Isn't that Dr. Shen's sister? Why is she messing around with a man like that? It’ll be trouble if the media catches this."
Shen Weilan’s alleged abuse of her stepson was currently a hot topic online; Yu Dong had read the news and was well aware of the situation.
"Don't concern yourself with irrelevant people." With those words, Huo Junxiao turned and left.
Yu Dong hurried to follow, but Huo Junxiao stopped after only a few steps. His previously ruddy complexion turned deathly pale, his lips lost all color, and his hands began to tremble uncontrollably.
Yu Dong’s pupils shrank. He rushed forward to steady Huo Junxiao. "Lord Huo, you’re having an episode. Let’s head back."
Huo Junxiao had originally planned to fly to M Country on business, but with his physical condition deteriorating, he had no choice but to seek out Shen Huaibei first.
...
Shen Weilan brought Pei Heng to her apartment. "You take this room. If you need to work, there’s a study."
"Won't staying here be bad for you?" Pei Heng had actually preferred to stay in a hotel.
Shen Weilan laughed. "This apartment is mine. I can let whoever I want stay here; I don’t care what others think."
"I’m actually worried about affecting you. I’m afraid that in the middle of a divorce, people might spread rumors that you're cheating."
Shen Weilan waved a hand. "You don't need to worry about me. My conduct is upright, so I don't fear what others say. Just settle in."
Since she was being so hospitable, Pei Heng didn't refuse further. "Alright. If you have things to do, go ahead. Don't worry about me."
"I'm not busy. I still need to go downstairs to pick up some daily necessities for you. I haven't lived here since I got married, so everything must be expired by now."
"Fine, let’s go together in a bit."
Shen Weilan checked the time. "You haven't had lunch yet, have you? Let’s grab a bite before we go shopping."
"Whatever you say."
"Let's go, then."
The two left while chatting and laughing. They ate at a restaurant and then headed to the supermarket for supplies. Once finished, Shen Weilan dropped Pei Heng back at the apartment, handed him the key card, and then returned to the Shen Family estate.
As soon as she walked in, she saw Yu Dong sitting on the sofa. She had seen him many times before, and his presence meant that Huo Junxiao was also here. Why did this guy keep coming to her place?
Yu Dong was scrolling through his phone, completely unaware that Shen Weilan had sat down beside him.
"What are you looking at so intensely?"
The sudden voice startled Yu Dong. He clapped a hand to his chest and let out a few breaths. "Miss Shen, you scared me to death. Why do you walk so silently?"
"It’s not that I walk silently; it’s that you were too absorbed in your phone," Shen Weilan said helplessly.
"My apologies." Yu Dong scratched his head apologetically.
"Why is your Lord Huo here at my house again? Is he not feeling well?" Shen Weilan began fishing for information. She hadn't been able to get anything out of her brother, so why not try Yu Dong?
But she had underestimated him. He was even tighter-lipped than Shen Huaibei; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to stay by Huo Junxiao's side all this time.
"Miss Shen, you’re in trouble." Yu Dong sat up straight, his expression solemn.
Shen Weilan frowned. She was supposed to be the one asking questions! How had he turned the tables on her? "Hm? In trouble?"
Yu Dong handed her his phone. "See for yourself."
Shen Weilan took the phone and glanced at it. Oh, she was trending again. This time was different, though—she was trending alongside Pei Heng.
The video was complete: from her picking him up at the airport, to their arrival at the apartment, their meal at the restaurant, and then back home from the supermarket. The footage recorded their every move. If they were a married couple or lovers, such a video would be fine—people would even think them affectionate.
But the problem was that Shen Weilan was currently a married woman, yet she was brazenly shopping, eating, and returning to an apartment with another man. No matter how innocent they were, in the eyes of netizens, it was stained.
Shen Weilan’s reaction was calm, as if she weren't the protagonist of the video. She handed the phone back to Yu Dong, her tone indifferent. "I thought it was a video of me committing murder or arson. It turns out it's just someone with an agenda turning me hosting a friend into a reality dating show."
She had expected to be filmed today and didn't mind at all. After all, Gu Yunze was cheating on her quite openly. She didn't care about a bit of reputation; what she cared about was whether she could vent her anger. If people misunderstood, fine—let them think Gu Yunze was being cuckolded.
Gu Yunze was a man who cared deeply about his face. After today's incident, once she returned to the Gu Family, he would certainly demand a divorce. Oh, and he would probably pull out that property settlement agreement for her to sign, too.
"Hosting a friend?" Yu Dong frowned, looking unconvinced. "Lord Huo and I saw you hugging and holding each other at the airport. Don't try to deny it."