A Man's Heart Was Impossible to Fathom

Noticing something was off with Qiao Hua, Gu Wenze looked up at her. "What's wrong?"

Qiao Hua forced down the nausea rising in her throat and feigned composure. "Nothing."

Gu Wenze watched Qiao Hua for a moment. Only when he saw that her expression was calm did he look away and continue eating.

Qiao Hua quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

While Gu Wenze wasn't looking, she discreetly pushed the sweet-and-sour pork farther away. Her stomach felt much better afterward.

She had never expected her pregnancy symptoms to start so soon.

To distract Gu Wenze, Qiao Hua casually asked, "Why didn't you go to Jiang Nan's tonight?"

Gu Wenze's chopsticks paused. He raised his head, his stern face seeming to frost over.

"Do you really want me to go to Jiang Nan's?"

You used to go to Jiang Nan's all the time without me saying anything, didn't you?

You'd stay all day, practically wishing you could move in with her.

Now that I'm telling you to go, you won't. A man's heart really is impossible to fathom.

An unreadable emotion colored Gu Wenze's deep eyes. "She only just came back, so I visited her a few extra times. She's pretty much settled in now. I'll be coming home more often from now on."

Startled, Qiao Hua nearly dropped her chopsticks onto the table. "More often?"

Please don't. Ideally, you'd move in with Jiang Nan and never come back.

Better yet, put in some effort and win her over, then bring Jiang Nan into this house. That would give me a reason to move out.

An inexplicable irritation stirred inside Gu Wenze. "What's with that reaction? Do you really not want me to come home?"

Qiao Hua gave him a hollow smile. "Mr. Gu, you don't have to force yourself for my sake. If you want to see Jiang Nan, go ahead. Please don't let me drive a wedge between you two."

Haven't I made it obvious enough? I'm practically delivering you to Jiang Nan's bed.

Gu Wenze stared at Qiao Hua with icy eyes.

Had Qiao Hua come up with another way to attract his attention because he wasn't coming home?

He had to admit that this tactic worked much better than her relentless pestering had.

"You're not important enough to drive a wedge between Jiang Nan and me." Gu Wenze's voice was low. "Stop flattering yourself."

Even without Gu Wenze saying it, Qiao Hua knew that perfectly well.

Who could rival Jiang Nan, his unforgettable first love?

But if Gu Wenze loved Jiang Nan so much, why hadn't he kicked the original Qiao Hua out sooner and brought Jiang Nan home?

Presumably, Jiang Nan hadn't accepted Gu Wenze yet, which was why he had kept the original Qiao Hua around.

Honestly, did the leads in domineering-CEO novels not know how to speak?

Something that could be resolved with a single sentence always ended up becoming so complicated.

Qiao Hua was almost tempted to say it for them.

Qiao Hua's thoughts kept pouring into Gu Wenze's ears. His expression grew darker and darker, and even the fragrant food before him no longer seemed appetizing.

Gu Wenze suddenly set his chopsticks down with a clack, pushed back his chair, and went upstairs.

Qiao Hua had no idea what had gotten into Gu Wenze this time. Without dwelling on it, she looked up and told Nanny in the kitchen, "Could you make the food a little lighter from now on?"

Nanny asked in confusion, "Miss Qiao, is the seasoning too heavy?"

Qiao Hua nodded. "Mr. Gu recently became a monk, so he can't eat meat. It would be best to make only vegetarian dishes from now on."

Nanny looked utterly stunned, as though she had never imagined that Gu Wenze, who appeared so decisive and forceful, was secretly a monk.

Without looking at Nanny's expression, Qiao Hua happily continued eating.

After dinner, Qiao Hua went upstairs. She had barely opened the door when she collided with a solid chest.

The sudden pain made Qiao Hua clutch her head. A corner of a bathrobe entered her field of vision. She slowly looked up and met a pair of eyes as deep as the sea.

Qiao Hua suddenly realized something was wrong. She glanced at the room's decor and only then realized she had entered the wrong room.

After all, the original Qiao Hua had lived in the master bedroom for three years. Habits were hard to change overnight.

Gu Wenze looked down at Qiao Hua, deep contempt lurking in his eyes. "You've only been out of this room for a few days, and you already can't help yourself?"

He had known Qiao Hua was playing hard to get. Moving into the spare bedroom had merely been another tactic to attract his attention.

"Qiao Hua, if you're going to pretend, at least keep it up a little longer. This only makes me look down on you." Gu Wenze stepped forward, his tall frame exuding an invisible pressure that weighed on her chest. "I'm telling you, even if you want to move back in now, I won't allow it."

Qiao Hua gave him a strange look. "You're overthinking it. I just walked into the wrong room."

The mocking words on the tip of Gu Wenze's tongue were stopped short by that remark. His eyes narrowed dangerously. "The wrong room?"

"I forgot I'd moved into the spare bedroom. It just slipped my mind for a moment." Qiao Hua raised a hand. "Don't worry. I'm leaving right now."

Without looking at Gu Wenze's expression behind her, Qiao Hua turned and left.

Gu Wenze's face darkened like a thundercloud, and his grip on the doorknob tightened until it creaked.

Qiao Hua had only walked into the wrong room?

So she hadn't intended to move back in at all?

Gu Wenze didn't believe Qiao Hua's explanation for a second. Someone who had clung to him so relentlessly couldn't possibly be indifferent.

Yet the sight of Qiao Hua leaving without even looking back made it seem as though she truly didn't care.

At that moment, an inexplicable agitation rose in Gu Wenze's chest. He turned back into his room and slammed the door.

A sudden bang rang out behind her, making Qiao Hua jump. When she turned around, all she saw was a firmly shut door.

"What a lunatic," Qiao Hua muttered.

"Mrs. Weng, you're back."

As soon as Weng Fenghua stepped into the villa, Jiang Nan rose from the sofa, wearing a gentle, charming smile.

At the sight of her, some of the warmth faded from Weng Fenghua's expression. "Oh, it's you. What brings you here?"

Jiang Nan failed to notice the coldness in Weng Fenghua's words and walked over to her. "I happened to be passing by, so I stopped in to see you."

"Why did you get home so late today?"

Yesterday, Jiang Nan had invited Weng Fenghua out for a beauty treatment and deliberately brought up Qiao Hua in a roundabout way. That was why Weng Fenghua had gone to trouble Qiao Hua first thing that morning.

She had arrived early precisely so she could hear Weng Fenghua describe how she had made things difficult for Qiao Hua.

Weng Fenghua said coolly, "Do I have to report to you what time I come home?"

Jiang Nan's expression froze. She forced a strained smile. "You've misunderstood. I was just worried about you."

Weng Fenghua said nothing in response.

Watching her expression, Jiang Nan cautiously said, "I heard you went to see Miss Qiao today."

Weng Fenghua gave a hum of acknowledgment, making no attempt to deny it.

Jiang Nan's clenched fingers betrayed her excitement, but she feigned calm. "Did Miss Qiao upset you again? Her temperament isn't very good, but she isn't a bad person. Otherwise, Wenze wouldn't have stayed with her for so many years."

In the past, whenever Jiang Nan said something like this, Weng Fenghua would disdainfully declare that Qiao Hua wasn't good enough for Gu Wenze and that Jiang Nan was the only daughter-in-law she would accept.

This time, however, Weng Fenghua didn't disagree. "You're right. Qiao Hua is a good girl."

For an instant, Jiang Nan looked stunned. "What?"

Weng Fenghua said evenly, "After spending time with Qiao Hua today, I found her straightforward. She's much better than certain two-faced people."

The latter remark clearly carried an insinuation. Jiang Nan's face turned ashen, unsure whom Weng Fenghua was referring to.

Weng Fenghua suddenly said, "I'm tired and want to go upstairs to rest. You should head home."

Jiang Nan froze for a moment before recovering her smile. "All right. I won't disturb you, then."

Weng Fenghua took a few steps, then suddenly turned back. "Did you already know there was something wrong with Everwell Medical?"

Jiang Nan paused. Under Weng Fenghua's sharp, probing gaze, a fine layer of sweat formed on her palms, but she kept her expression calm. "This is the first I've heard of that medical institution."

A trace of mockery showed in Weng Fenghua's eyes. Without saying anything more, she turned and went upstairs.

As she watched Weng Fenghua disappear up the stairs, the smile vanished completely from Jiang Nan's face, replaced by a complicated expression.

Weng Fenghua had clearly been so warm toward her yesterday. How had her attitude changed overnight?

Had Qiao Hua said something to Weng Fenghua?

No.

Impossible.

Weng Fenghua had always despised Qiao Hua. There was no way she would listen to her.

Jiang Nan's nails dug deep into her palms, and she couldn't suppress the panic rising inside her.

What exactly had happened?

Why weren't things going the way she had expected?