Chapter 44: Time’s Up? Time to Go Back?
Assistant Liu was truly worthy of being President Gu’s right-hand man. When the boss said to investigate, he didn’t specify how deep to dig. So naturally, Liu went all in, digging up everything about Shi Jingyan, down to his underwear.
The report submitted was a full two centimeters thick.
It contained detailed testimonies from classmates who had known Shen Xi and Shi Jingyan from high school through university.
A few classmates claimed that the two were already together in high school, but most said they weren’t.
University classmates confirmed seeing them holding hands in their first year, meaning they were definitely dating.
Even more shocking, the investigation revealed that while dating Shen Xi, Shi Jingyan had cheated on her several times with another freshman girl.
There were also records of him booking hotel rooms with multiple women, as well as casual hookups arranged through dating apps.
The report even included contact information for these women. Basically, he's a scumbag.
On the other hand, Shen Xi's records are very clean. She has never done anything strange.
But something was odd. Shen Xi’s records from her time abroad were surprisingly vague, as if someone had intentionally erased them.
Despite thorough investigation, there was no evidence of anyone tampering with her records.
All they could confirm was that Shen Xi studied design, but even her professors and classmates had no clear idea what she actually worked on.
Gu Hanling flipped through the pages, reading carefully.
It took him almost an hour to finish the report. When he finally put it down, he frowned.
He really didn’t get it. Back then, Shen Xi might have had bad taste. Fine, he could let that slide.
But now? What could she possibly see in a guy like Shi Jingyan?
That man only liked women beneath him in status. So he wouldn’t have to take responsibility and they’d always listen to him.
Besides having a barely passable face, what else did he even have to offer?
What part of him was so irresistible that Shen Xi still liked him now?
Gu Hanling couldn’t wrap his head around it. Compared to that ‘scumbag’, he was superior in every way.
So why…?
Why wasn’t that blind woman falling for him instead?
"What does he have that I don’t?"
Butler Wang only took a second to think before replying smoothly.
"Sir, you must be joking. Even if you added up a hundred Shi Jingyans, they still wouldn’t compare to you."
He paused for a moment before adding.
"But… is it possible that it’s because of something you said? You once told Madam that if she had any inappropriate thoughts about you, she’d be violating your contract… and it would cost her two years' worth of salary."
In a way, Butler Wang’s thinking was the closest to Shen Xi’s, though he only got half the picture.
"……"
Gu Hanling lifted his gaze, staring at the butler expressionlessly. Butler Wang looked at him in a daze. Their eyes met, and they both blinked.
The man cleared his dry throat. Then he let out a low chuckle, as if he found the idea ridiculous.
"I was asking about Shi Jingyan. Did I say I wanted Shen Xi to have feelings for me?"
"Sir, you’re saying…?"
…………………………………………
Meanwhile, at the Recording Studio…
An Yufei’s friend was no ordinary person. His recording studio was the best in Su City, equipped with top-tier technology. Many of Yufei’s albums were recorded there.
With ‘Moonlight Goddess’ still trending, keeping things confidential was crucial. That was the main reason Yufei chose this studio.
With Shen Xi’s pure vocals and the team’s careful guidance, they spent the entire afternoon recreating the exact sheet music from her past life into an electronic track.
After a few test runs, they finally began official recording. This was a rare opportunity, being able to record a professional-quality single meant they could release it anytime.
After all, live performances could never match studio-quality audio and a song needed to be complete to truly shine.
It was Shen Xi’s first time recording in a professional studio, so she couldn’t help feeling a little nervous.
She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and recalled the emotions and story from the original MV in her past life.
Then, she opened her eyes, now filled with determination and focus, and gave Yufei a small nod.
Yufei met her gaze, smiling with encouragement and trust. He signaled the sound engineer, who quickly got everything ready.
As the familiar intro began, Shen Xi found the rhythm, parted her lips, and sang:
“I never thought I’d lose the chance to hold your hand again…”
………………………………………
From the moment Shen Xi started singing, An Yufei’s gaze never left her. His eyes shone brighter and brighter, and his heartbeat sped up uncontrollably.
She was already a stunning beauty, but in this moment, completely immersed in her music, she was so breathtaking that it was almost unreal.
If Gu Hanling knew that the precious treasure he wanted to keep hidden was now radiating her charm for the world to see, he would probably lose his mind on the spot.
Even An Yufei’s seasoned musician friends were stunned into silence by her voice. One of them couldn’t help but whisper in awe.
“Damn. Your girlfriend’s voice and musical sense are insane. She was born for this. This song is gonna be a hit for sure.”
An Yufei’s eyes twinkled with laughter and pride as he shook his head slightly.
“She’s not my girlfriend… yet.”
He might have denied it, but his eyes never left her. And on his face, there was an unmistakable trace of expectation.
……………………………………….
Late Night at the Villa.
By the time Shen Xi rushed back to the villa, it was already 10 PM.
The lights inside were all on, yet the atmosphere felt strangely heavy and silent.
She snuck in like a guilty thief, her throat sore after an entire day of singing. Feeling thirsty, she tiptoed toward the fridge in the living room.
Quietly opening it, she reached in and pulled out a bottle of her precious, ice-cold ‘82 Fat Otaku Happy Water’, a.k.a. Coca-Cola.
After all, not everyone loves this cheap carbonated drink.
Twisting the cap open, she heard a satisfying hiss.
She tilted her head back and took a huge gulp. The chilled cola fizzed down her throat, the bubbles tingling and sending a refreshing shiver through her body, instantly washing away her fatigue.
"Burp—"
A loud, utterly unladylike burp escaped her lips. She smacked her lips, clicked her tongue in satisfaction, and muttered softly.
“Damn, that hits the spot.”
Just as she was about to take another sip, she caught a glimpse of a tall figure slowly emerging from the elevator.
Her heart skipped a beat. Her hand, still clutching the Coke bottle, froze midair.
No need to guess. It could only be Gu Hanling.
Oh no.
Her annual salary was about to take another hit.
Forcing an awkward chuckle, she braced herself and greeted him with a guilty smile.
“Heh… Big brother, you’re still awake?”
Gu Hanling frowned, his voice cold and sharp.
"What do you think? Drinking ice water in the middle of the night, you're going to suffer for it."
“I… I was just a little thirsty.”
She mumbled weakly, avoiding his gaze, looking guilty as hell. Instinctively, she hid the Coke behind her back, as if afraid he’d snatch it away.
Gu Hanling was so angry at the woman's actions that he laughed.
He had been a little annoyed at first, but when he saw her adorably sneaky behavior, his frustration deflated like a popped balloon.
He didn’t say another word.
After a while, Shen Xi realized something was off. There was no follow-up scolding.
Confused, she peeked up cautiously. Only to realize he was gone.
Huh?
Did the evil capitalist overlord just… let her off?
No pay deduction?!
Still wary, Shen Xi tiptoed back to her bedroom. Only to find Gu Hanling already lying on her bed, eyes closed, waiting for her.
…Wait, what?!
Perhaps it was Gu Hanling’s cursed words coming true, “You're going to suffer for it.”
The moment she stepped into her bedroom, a sharp, unbearable pain tore through her stomach. It felt like an invisible hand was viciously crushing her insides.
Her face drained of all color, turning as pale as a sheet. A thin layer of cold sweat formed on her forehead.
“Ugh…”
She let out a pained whimper, her once steady steps faltering. Her body swayed uncontrollably, and before she knew it. She was falling.
Her vision blurred, and the floor rushed toward her. Just as she braced herself for the painful impact. She fell into a warm, solid embrace instead.
Even in the midst of agonizing pain, she recognized the familiar scent. It was Gu Hanling.
Holding her up, his strong grip tightened. But then he suddenly froze. He felt something strange. A warm, wet sensation soaked his hand.
He subconsciously raised his hand to look, his pupils shrunk in shock. His hand was covered in blood. Under the soft glow of the lights, it was a dazzling crimson.
“Xixi!”
His voice was sharp with panic.
“Butler! Call the doctor, NOW!”
The sharp pain blurred Shen Xi's vision, and she vaguely saw the blood on the man's hand. Her heart went cold. Perhaps her time in this world was finally up, was it time to go back?