Not as innocent as he had imagined

Without looking back, Qiao Hua said, "That's private. It's none of your business."

Seeing this, Gu Junxing said heatedly, "Brother, she kept trying to leave while I was here. She must be going to meet her lover!"

Qiao Hua frowned. "Watch what you say. You can't just throw accusations around."

Gu Wenze fixed his gaze on Qiao Hua, his voice grave. "Then tell me, where exactly are you going?"

Qiao Hua brushed him off. "That's none of your business. I don't owe you an explanation."

Gu Junxing snorted. "Brother, look how guilty she looks. She must be going to meet her lover. Otherwise, why won't she tell you where she's going?"

With every word he said, Gu Wenze's eyes grew colder. "You're not going anywhere," he said in a low voice. "Stay home."

Qiao Hua's brows drew tighter. "Why should I? I'm free to go wherever I want. You have no say in it."

A low, dangerous note crept into Gu Wenze's voice. "Then try me and see whether I have a say."

Perhaps Qiao Hua's repeated defiance had pushed Gu Wenze's pent-up emotions to the breaking point. Agitation surged through his chest, ready to erupt at any moment.

Sensing the danger radiating from Gu Wenze, Qiao Hua realized he wasn't joking.

If she stepped outside, there was no telling what he might do.

Did Jiang Nan give Gu Wenze a hard time? Is that why he's so angry?

That must be it. Why else wouldn't he have answered my call?

I can already picture Jiang Nan rejecting him. Tsk, tsk. There's always a reason a pitiful person is so detestable.

This is all Gu Junxing's fault. Of all the times he could have come, he had to show up just as I was leaving. If he'd agreed to go to Jiang Nan's place, I'd already be out of here.

These brothers really do outdo each other when it comes to making people's lives miserable.

Gu Wenze's gaze grew serious.

Qiao Hua had called him?

Why didn't he know about it?

Unaware that Gu Wenze's thoughts had drifted elsewhere, Qiao Hua checked the time on her phone. Even if she went to the hospital now, she probably wouldn't be able to have the surgery.

Qiao Hua silently cursed both Gu Wenze and Gu Junxing, then turned and went upstairs.

Seeing that Qiao Hua had stopped fighting him, Gu Wenze's expression softened a little. He turned back to Gu Junxing, took out a black card, and handed it over. "Use the money on this card for now. When I see Mom in the next couple of days, I'll explain things to her for you."

Gu Junxing took the card and was about to leave with his head lowered when he suddenly remembered something and stopped.

Seeing his hesitation, Gu Wenze adjusted the watch on his wrist. "Anything else?"

Gu Junxing glanced toward the second floor. "Brother, I heard Jiang Nan is back. What are you and Qiao... your wife going to do?"

"Why do you ask?" Gu Wenze looked up at Gu Junxing.

"Brother, other people might not see it, but I do. You're clearly in love with Jiang Nan." Gu Junxing hesitated before continuing, "If your wife hadn't drugged you back then, you wouldn't have had to get married."

If Qiao Hua hadn't interfered, Jiang Nan might have been the one married to his brother now.

Gu Wenze said nothing.

It was true that he had once loved Jiang Nan, but after so many years, his urge to have her had gradually faded. Now, he only saw her as an ordinary friend.

Gu Wenze's tone was flat. "There's no future for Jiang Nan and me."

For some reason, Gu Junxing actually felt relieved to hear that.

Perhaps it was because Qiao Hua had helped him see Tan Ruiyu's true colors, so he didn't really want his brother to divorce her.

Qiao Hua loved his brother so much. If they divorced, she might not be able to go on living.

"All right, then. I'll get going, Brother." With that weight lifted from his mind, Gu Junxing looked much more relaxed.

Recalling Qiao Hua's thoughts, Gu Wenze suddenly stopped him. "Wait."

Gu Junxing scratched his head in confusion. "Brother, is there something else?"

Gu Wenze's expression remained unchanged. "Remember to get a medical checkup. If that woman really was after your money, she might have hooked up with plenty of rich men before you. Be careful about catching something."

At the mention of this, Gu Junxing sniffled. "I already did, but the results won't be out for a few days."

He just didn't know whether it was already too late. After all, they had been together for several months.

He silently prayed that, as long as he was all right, he could stop picking on Qiao Hua and get along with her peacefully from now on.

After Gu Junxing left, Gu Wenze went upstairs. Instead of returning to his own room, he went to the guest room next door and knocked.

There was no response, but the light was on.

Guessing that Qiao Hua was deliberately ignoring him, Gu Wenze said coldly, "Open the door, or I'll get the spare key."

After a while, the door opened from inside. Qiao Hua frowned slightly. "What do you want?"

Gu Wenze's gaze swept over the fair skin of her neck before settling on her face. "Where were you trying to go earlier?"

Qiao Hua said casually, "I just wanted to go out and wander around."

That explanation didn't convince Gu Wenze. If she had only wanted to wander around, why hadn't she dared tell him?

Clearly, Qiao Hua was hiding something from him.

Gu Wenze narrowed his eyes slightly. "Qiao Hua, are you hiding something from me?"

Qiao Hua's heart skipped a beat.

Had Gu Wenze figured something out?

She tried to keep her tone light. "What could I possibly be hiding from you? I just wanted to go for a walk."

Gu Wenze studied Qiao Hua's expression, trying to find some sign that she was lying. Her face remained unchanged as she let him scrutinize her.

"You'd better not be hiding anything from me," Gu Wenze said darkly. "If I find out you are, I won't let you off."

Qiao Hua couldn't be bothered to listen to him bark. She instinctively moved to close the door, but Gu Wenze braced his arm against it.

"Anything else?"

Gu Wenze was silent for a moment. "Did you call me earlier?"

Qiao Hua pursed her lips. "Your brother was hanging around here and refusing to leave, so I called you."

Don't you know you rejected the call yourself? Why ask when you already know?

Gu Wenze grew thoughtful.

He always kept his phone with him, except when his jacket had gotten wet and he'd gone into the restroom to deal with it.

Jiang Nan had been the only person outside then.

A possibility flashed through his mind, and Gu Wenze's eyes darkened. "I was busy at the time. I didn't see it."

Qiao Hua said dismissively, "It doesn't matter whether you saw it. It wasn't the first time, anyway."

When the original Qiao Hua had called Gu Wenze in the past, he had rarely answered. He had either been busy working or busy keeping Jiang Nan company.

Qiao Hua was used to it by now.

"Mr. Gu, is there anything else?" Qiao Hua made it clear he should leave. "If not, I'm going to rest."

Hearing the coldness in Qiao Hua's voice, Gu Wenze slowly withdrew the hand braced against the door. She seized the chance to shut it, leaving him alone in the hallway.

Gu Wenze stood outside the door for a long time before turning and returning to his room. He took his phone from his pocket and opened the call log. Sure enough, there was a missed call from Qiao Hua.

His phone had been outside at the time. Jiang Nan was the only person who could have rejected the call.

Yet Jiang Nan hadn't mentioned it to him.

Gu Wenze recalled Qiao Hua's earlier thoughts. Could Jiang Nan really be less innocent than he had imagined?