Chapter 81: Private Detective (Double Chapter)

He truly felt as if he were losing something.

"Jin, what are you thinking about?"

Hearing Ning Qinghuan's voice, Pei Jin returned to his senses. He managed a faint smile. "It's nothing."

Noticing his expression, Ning Qinghuan feigned casualness as she asked, "Why is Yun Zhuo with your brother? They seem very close."

Pei Jin looked at her in silence, a glance that unsettled Ning Qinghuan. She tried to steady herself, her expression turning forlorn. "Ever since you broke off your engagement with Yun Zhuo, she's been distant with me. Even though I explained that I only helped you because I owed you a favor, it didn't change anything. We used to be inseparable, but now... I feel really sad about it."

Pei Jin tugged at the corner of his lips.

He used to think Ning Qinghuan was simply kind-hearted. Now, he suddenly felt that what they had done was unforgivable, unworthy of Yun Zhuo's forgiveness.

He had only approached Ning Qinghuan in the first place because Yun Zhuo introduced her as her best friend. Back then, Ning Qinghuan had stood beside Yun Zhuo, warm and poised, treating him with natural ease. He'd thought that if he got close to Yun Zhuo's best friend, perhaps Yun Zhuo would stop clinging to him. So he began to spend time with Ning Qinghuan, always showing generosity and tenderness toward her in front of Yun Zhuo or others.

But somewhere along the way, he found himself truly drawn to Ning Qinghuan, to the point where he hurt Yun Zhuo, broke off the engagement publicly and left her in disgrace, all to follow Ning Qinghuan without hesitation.

And yet, throughout, Ning Qinghuan had never given him even the slightest acknowledgment.

He couldn't feel any affection from her—it was all his own passion sustaining the relationship.

His gaze drifted back to Yun Zhuo's profile.

She was talking to Pei Qiaonian, laughing at something. Her smile was radiant.

He drew a deep breath and replied blandly, "My brother and Yun Zhuo got married."

Ning Qinghuan's hand shook, her glass dropping to the floor with a crisp sound. Sensing Pei Jin's gaze, she hurriedly wiped the water off the table, flustered. "Sorry, I was just too surprised... Yun Zhuo used to say she was afraid of your brother. I never thought she'd marry him... Why wasn't there a wedding?"

Pei Jin pretended not to notice her panic, his tone even colder. "It was a flash marriage. I only found out today. Since she broke off our engagement, whoever she marries is no concern of mine."

"I see... That's probably for the best," Ning Qinghuan murmured offhandedly, glancing at Pei Qiaonian's table.

They seemed to have finished eating. Yun Zhuo even polished off the remaining half of her cherry cake. Pei Qiaonian called over a waiter and had another slice of cherry cake packed for Yun Zhuo to take with her.

She had never seen Pei Qiaonian treat anyone so thoughtfully—not even the first time she met him by design. He'd always worn that forbidding, unapproachable expression. When she sought his help, he only frowned impatiently, but still managed to kick down the two executives who tried to take advantage of her, breaking their legs, and then walked her out of the hotel unharmed. The hotel manager chased after him to apologize, and even the executives he'd beaten hobbled after him, begging his forgiveness.

This is what power looks like.

He stood at the apex of Beijing’s elite, untouchable by anyone.

She had managed to get his contact information, thinking she could win him over slowly.

But she never expected he would marry in a flash!

When had it happened? On the day Yun Zhuo was jilted, Pei Qiaonian had still opposed Pei Jin breaking off the engagement. Later, he was knocked unconscious when Yun Zhuo fell on him from the stairs. So, after he woke up, he must have gotten to know Yun Zhuo because of that incident.

No wonder Yun Zhuo called Pei Jin that day, agreeing to the breakup on the condition that she could see Pei Qiaonian.

So this is where it all began.

That’s why Pei Qiaonian blocked her contact and ignored her messages—he had started a new family. For a man like Pei Qiaonian, if he had wanted to fool around, he'd have done so years ago. But there had never been a single woman around him; he kept himself clean.

Now that he was married, he was even less likely to seek women elsewhere, let alone cheat.

Ning Qinghuan’s fist clenched tightly under the table. Had she inadvertently helped Yun Zhuo? Without Pei Jin, she ended up with a better man.

Lost in her thoughts, she saw Pei Qiaonian and Yun Zhuo get up to leave, ignoring their presence entirely.

Pei Qiaonian truly didn't acknowledge them; Yun Zhuo, on the other hand, didn't dare to look their way, for fear that if she so much as glanced at Pei Jin, Pei Qiaonian would suspect she still had feelings for him or was stealing company secrets.

Only after they exited the French restaurant did Yun Zhuo suddenly stop, listening in disbelief to the mechanical voice in her ear.

[Ding. Target’s favorability: 30.]

An hour ago, the favorability score had still been negative.

How had it suddenly jumped to a positive value—and by so much?

Was it because she’d become his sister-in-law? Did he feel relieved she could no longer pester him, and was secretly delighted?

She followed Pei Qiaonian into the luxury car, noticing as the car turned that they were headed to the Lan Hai Villa again.

Yun Zhuo had no desire to go there. That was Pei Qiaonian’s territory, and she felt uncomfortable there.

She turned to the assistant, Gao, and said, “Mr. Gao, could you drop me off at Apartment 56, Magnolia Residence? That’s where I live.”

Gao was so startled he hit the brakes. He glanced at Pei Qiaonian in the rearview mirror, and seeing no change in expression, braced himself and replied, “Yes, madam.”

Yun Zhuo breathed a sigh of relief.

The car was silent. Since she’d mentioned returning to her rented apartment, Pei Qiaonian hadn’t spoken a word to her. The air-conditioning was still blowing cold, making Yun Zhuo stare at her nose, her nose at her heart, maintaining this meditative posture, nearly falling asleep.

Thankfully, the car soon stopped, and Gao’s voice sounded: “Madam, we’ve arrived at Magnolia Residence.”

Yun Zhuo immediately perked up, opened the door. “Thank you.”

Just before closing the door, she caught a glimpse of Pei Qiaonian’s face, meeting his icy gaze. Startled, she shut the door without delay.

Pei Qiaonian stared at the door, his face darkening.

The next moment, the door opened again, and his expression instantly softened.

He knew it—Yun Zhuo couldn’t bear to leave him and wanted to return to Lan Hai Villa. She was just employing a tactic, hoping he’d ask her to stay, wasn’t she?

He was about to give her an out. “Since you’re coming ba—”

But Yun Zhuo was faster, grabbing the cake box from the seat and smiling at him. “I forgot my cake. Also, have a good evening.”

She closed the door, cutting off his unfinished words.

The phrase “since you’re coming back, get in the car” was stuck in his throat.

He glared at the door, cold fury radiating from him.

Gao watched him in the mirror, worried he might kick the door off its hinges any second.

Gao ventured, “Sir, Madam is already inside. Shall I take you home?”

“Heh,” Pei Qiaonian let out a cold laugh.

Just as Gao thought he was about to say something severe, Pei Qiaonian ground out, “I’ll never buy her another little cake to take away again.”

Gao thought, That’s... quite harsh. Even he found it ridiculous.

But Pei Qiaonian was still fuming. “Let her go wherever she wants. I don’t even want to bring her home with me. That so-called apartment is a dump anyway. If she regrets not coming to Lan Hai Villa tomorrow, I won’t pay her any attention!”

Gao glanced at the apartment. It looked fine to him—costing several thousand per month in rent alone. But Pei Qiaonian was clearly angry, even if he didn’t realize it himself.

“Drive. Take me home.”

Gao complied and drove away.

For Yun Zhuo, this was her first time returning to the original owner’s apartment after transmigrating into this body.

It was a space entirely her own.

The door opened with facial recognition, allowing her to enter with ease.

She switched on the lights. The room was decorated in a minimalist beige, with black-and-white checkered floors lending a European flair. The place wasn’t large—a typical one-bedroom, one-living room, with a kitchen and bath.

She set the cake on the table.

Since no one had cleaned, a thin layer of dust covered everything.

Yun Zhuo spent two hours tidying up.

Exhausted after cleaning, she collapsed, only checking her messages at half past ten.

Pei Qiaonian had sent one: [Did you see my charger?]

But that had been sent an hour and a half ago.

Yun Zhuo wiped the sweat from her brow.

Oh no, would Pei Qiaonian think she was ignoring him on purpose?

She replied: [It’s on the desk in the study.]

Immediately, a bold red exclamation mark appeared.

Yun Zhuo: “…”

Did he block her just because she didn’t find his charger?

She stared at the exclamation mark for a full minute.

She considered calling to explain, but at this hour, he was probably working. Better not to disturb him.

She’d talk to him tomorrow.

Just then, a call from an unfamiliar number appeared on her phone.

Yun Zhuo studied it for a moment, then answered. “Hello, who is this?”

“Yun Zhuo! Where have you been all day? Why didn’t you go to the company?” Xu Mu Ning’s furious voice shot through, her anger obvious.

Yun Zhuo checked the screen, confirming that the call was from someone else’s phone.

She asked, “What do you want?”

Given their poor relationship, Xu Mu Ning would never call her willingly—like a weasel wishing the chicken a happy New Year.

“Heh, you’ve got some nerve. Coming back to Beijing and not even telling the family or your parents. You’re nothing but a wretch—your upbringing was wasted on you. I’ll have Dad and Mom freeze your cards. Let’s see how you survive on the streets!”

Xu Mu Ning’s venomous curses seemed to relieve her. The thought of getting Yun Zhuo’s hair and kicking her out of the family excited her.

“In a few days, you’ll be out of the Xu family for good. If you beg me, maybe I’ll toss you a few hundred bucks.” She sounded smug.

Yun Zhuo found this utterly baffling.

“Are you crazy? Don’t come here ranting. Call a cab to the psychiatric hospital and get yourself checked out.”

With that, she hung up and blocked the number.

Whether she went to the company or returned to the Xu family was none of Xu Mu Ning’s business.

In her memories, the original owner had never liked going back to the Xu family.

Her father didn’t care for her.

Her mother followed suit.

That place was more a cage than a home.

If not for her foster mother’s illness, the original owner would never have lived there.

Thinking of this, Yun Zhuo transferred a hundred thousand from her account to cover her foster mother’s ongoing medical bills. Tomorrow, she’d go to the hospital to ask if surgery could cure her mother’s paralysis.

Then she washed up and went to bed.

Meanwhile, in Lan Hai Villa—

Pei Qiaonian sat on the bed.

Tonight, for the first time, he didn’t go to the study to work.

His gaze lingered, intentionally or not, on his phone’s blank screen.

Had Yun Zhuo not realized he’d blocked her?

Why hadn’t she called to ask?

Worried he seemed too eager, he got up, fetched a book from the study, and settled down to wait.

He was waiting for Yun Zhuo to admit her fault, not because he wanted to hear her voice. If she called within ten minutes, he might forgive her and reward her with a hundred thousand.

Pei Qiaonian kept a cold face as time ticked by.

For the first time, he found the villa’s silence oppressive. He was used to solitude, but now, it felt oddly uncomfortable.

Without the familiar sounds of the television in the living room and Yun Zhuo’s laughter, something was missing. He couldn’t say exactly what, but his heart felt empty.

He waited until eleven.

Yun Zhuo still hadn’t appeared.

Pei Qiaonian: “…”

He took Yun Zhuo off the blacklist, telling himself she probably hadn’t noticed.

Good—better she hadn’t. Otherwise, it would be embarrassing.

For the first time in half a month, he couldn’t sleep.

He got up to look for sleeping pills, but found only an empty bottle in his room. He had to go to the medicine cabinet in the living room.

He switched on the corridor lights; the brightness stretched all the way downstairs.

He could see everything clearly.

He couldn’t help but smile.

…

The next day.

Yun Zhuo still didn’t go to Xingyue Media, but instead visited a private detective agency.

She handed over an old photograph—a man, thin, with slanted, triangular eyes, a crooked, downturned mouth, a fierce look, a scar beneath his right eye, and sparse hair.

She placed the photo before the detective.

He studied her, a polite smile on his otherwise unremarkable face. Adjusting his glasses, he asked, “Miss, do you need help locating someone?”

Yun Zhuo nodded. “Yes.”

“Is this your father? Your uncle? Or a friend? Is he missing, or abducted? What do you need us to do?”

She glanced at the photo.

The man depicted was the original owner’s foster father, Zhang Weiqiang. In the novel, he had recently arrived in Beijing, searching everywhere for her foster mother.

Yun Zhuo could not allow him to find her foster mother and disturb their peace.

She drew a breath, her eyes icy cold. “I want you to find him, and then make sure he dies in an accident. Can you do that?”

The private detective coughed violently. “Miss, are you asking us to... kill—” He lowered his voice. “To kill someone?”

Yun Zhuo’s face showed no emotion. The original owner’s memories were filled with darkness.

Her foster father’s abuse, his attempt to violate her on her eighteenth birthday, the way he vented his rage on her foster mother after she escaped—leaving her paralyzed and dependent on expensive treatment, while he remained at large.

Yun Zhuo lifted the black briefcase at her feet and poured out stacks of red bills, covering the table before the detective.

She leaned in, hands on the table. “This is a hundred thousand as a deposit. If he dies, I’ll pay you five million. It’s just an accident, and he deserves it. If you won’t do it, tell me where he is and I’ll take care of him myself.”