Chapter 33: Maybe You Should Run Away

Silence lingered on the other end of the phone, followed by the busy tone signaling the call had been cut off.

Qin Ying poured out the cold tea in her cup and refilled it with steaming hot tea. The cold smile on her lips deepened, tinged with calculation.

After leaving the private club, Gu Shen Shen was restless and uneasy. A sense of foreboding seemed to seep into every inch of her awareness, amplifying her anxiety. She had barely looked at her phone since morning, and had kept it on silent during her meeting with Qin Ying. She hadn't wanted to see Qin Ying, but there was no avoiding her forever; sooner or later, they would meet—and clash.

Upon getting into her car, she finally checked her phone, only to find that Zhou Ci had called several times in just a few minutes, each call closely spaced, sounding urgent. Gu Shen Shen frowned, her fingertip hovering over the screen for a long while, unable to bring herself to return the call. After much hesitation, she switched her phone off, unwilling to respond.

Shen Qi Qi, after receiving her call, left work early to come find her. The phone sat on the bar, constantly vibrating, but Gu Shen Shen paid it no mind, focusing only on her drink.

Shen Qi Qi was clearly out of place in the noisy bar, her air of refinement clashing with the surroundings. "Why aren't you answering Zhou Ci's calls?"

Gu Shen Shen had spent the past two hours in the bar thinking things through.

Qin Ying hadn't sought her out without reason. After all, Qin Ying had seen her at the hospital last time, yet didn't approach her immediately—she waited until now.

Gu Shen Shen slammed her glass down. "I was set up by his mother. I bet he's furious right now, probably wants to strangle me himself."

Shen Qi Qi looked at her, brows furrowed, unsure what to say. The two of them really were sisters in hardship, both entangled with the worst of the Zhou family.

"What did you do this time?"

Gu Shen Shen wrinkled her nose at the question and turned to her. "Two years ago, his mother came to see me and asked me to let go. At the time, I was preparing to buy back shares my aunt's family held, so I needed money. Besides, Zhou Ci wasn't himself then—I really wanted to leave him. Does that make me terrible?"

She spoke calmly, as if recounting something trivial.

Shen Qi Qi, on the other hand, was stunned, unable to keep from cupping Gu Shen Shen's face in her hands. "You're done for. He won't let you go."

Gu Shen Shen nodded in agreement. "I know. That's why I'm drinking—to work up some courage."

Shen Qi Qi said nothing. Zhou Ci was nothing like his brother—he was cold, ruthless, and merciless. In the past two years, countless rivals had been crushed by the Zhou Corporation under his hand. Everyone knew Zhou Ci was dangerous: feared by many, yet courted by all.

He never forgave, and was no friend to anyone.

"Maybe you should just run away," Shen Qi Qi finally suggested after a long pause.

"If I run, what happens to the Gu family? Zhou Ci only let me come back to him because he holds the Gu family in his hands," Gu Shen Shen shook her head. Even if her regret now was overwhelming, it was useless.

"So you know running won't help," a chilling voice suddenly dropped down from above.

Both women were startled.

Gu Shen Shen was then hauled to her feet by a man gripping her arm. In Zhou Ci's powerful hands, she seemed as fragile as a chick.

"Mr. Zhou, she's drunk. Please don't take it to heart," Shen Qi Qi spoke in a low voice, intimidated by Zhou Ci's presence.

Seeing him like this, she became deeply worried for Gu Shen Shen's safety.

"Mind your own business!" Zhou Ci snapped at her, his tone harsh.

Shen Qi Qi swallowed, instinctively backing away, and felt someone steady her waist from behind.

"There's no need for such hostility," a familiar gentle voice prompted her to look up—it was Zhou Yi Li.