Chapter 162: Suspicion, Calmness

Chapter 162: Chapter 162: Suspicion, Calmness

Zhao Nuanyue cherished her feelings for Hua Yusen and his love for her, so she couldn’t cry or cause a scene.

Right now, Guo Dongmei held the moral high ground, so all Zhao Nuanyue could do was endure. If she argued with Guo Dongmei, it would surely put Hua Yusen in a bind and jeopardize their mission.

Besides, Zhao Nuanyue also found it strange. ’Of all the times Guo Dongmei could have shown up, why now? Does she have some ulterior motive?’

’That woman doesn’t cherish Hua Yusen at all. So I will possess him like the treasure he is. All of this just requires patience and waiting.’

Zhao Nuanyang came out of the house carrying his sister, ready for lunch. He saw there was suddenly an extra person—a stranger—in the courtyard but paid her no mind. Instead, he took out a small bowl and served a portion of rice for the Little Red Carp.

The Little Red Carp sensed something evil about Guo Dongmei, which made her wary. However, because it was shrouded by something, she couldn’t perceive exactly what it was.

Yang Guanghui and Hua Yusen came in from outside, talking and laughing, and didn’t see Guo Dongmei in the courtyard.

But the moment Guo Dongmei saw Hua Yusen, her face lit up with joy. She rushed over and lunged toward him.

Hua Yusen quickly dodged, thinking he was being attacked. When he got a clear look at the person, panic seized his heart, and his face paled. He immediately looked toward Zhao Nuanyue.

Guo Dongmei took advantage of Hua Yusen’s stunned hesitation to grab his arm. "Yu Sen, I missed you! I came to see you," she said joyfully. "How have you been?"

Zhao Nuanyue didn’t look up. She simply sat on her stool and started feeding the Little Red Carp.

But the Little Red Carp’s eyes were glued to Guo Dongmei. Zhao Nuanyue frowned and said, "Eat. Focus on your food and don’t get distracted."

"Oh!" the Little Red Carp complied, but her big eyes kept darting back to Guo Dongmei, curious about what it was that made her feel so uncomfortable.

Zhao Nuanyang stared at Hua Yusen, dumbfounded. His gaze fixed on the arm that Guo Dongmei was clinging to, and in that act, he saw deception and absurdity.

Filled with immense resentment, the fury in Zhao Nuanyang’s eyes looked as if it could burn.

Zhao Nuanyang was about to stand up and give Hua Yusen a brutal beating for bullying and deceiving his sister.

Just then, Zhao Nuanyue suddenly pressed down on Zhao Nuanyang as he was getting up. "Sit down and eat!" she said sternly.

Only then did Zhao Nuanyang look at his sister. Her face was expressionless, as if she were perfectly calm and completely unaffected.

Wang Yuan and Li Qiong were also surprised by Zhao Nuanyue’s composure. ’Is there really nothing between Zhao Nuanyue and Hua Yusen? Have we been misunderstanding them all this time?’

Yang Guanghui sighed without a word. As a man, he could sense Hua Yusen’s feelings for Zhao Nuanyue. He just hadn’t expected Hua Yusen to have a fiancée. This complicated things. If Hua Yusen didn’t handle this properly, he was bound to hurt both young women.

Hua Yusen was incredibly tense. He knew he had already hurt this kind girl.

To complete his mission, he couldn’t have a showdown with Guo Dongmei yet.

"You... H-how did you get here?" Hua Yusen asked, flustered and stammering. ’Right,’ he thought, ’my work trip here is a secret. I never told Guo Dongmei. How did she find out?’

At this thought, Hua Yusen forced himself to calm down, his mind racing.

Guo Dongmei had just noticed Hua Yusen’s eyes fall on that pretty girl’s face. ’Could he have taken a fancy to that young woman, Zhao Nuanyue?’

’Well now, this Hua Yusen sure has some nerve!’

"I missed you, so I came," Guo Dongmei said, hugging Hua Yusen’s arm tightly. "Did you miss me? By the way, I brought you lots of things, including your favorite Osmanthus Cake."

Hua Yusen frowned and said slowly, "Actually, you’re the one who likes it. I’ve never been a fan of Osmanthus Cake."

Hearing this, Guo Dongmei froze. A flicker of embarrassment crossed her face before she immediately smiled again and said, "Then tell me what you like. I’ll make it or buy it for you."

"How did you know I was here?" Hua Yusen ignored everything else; this was the one question he needed an answer to.

Guo Dongmei’s heart skipped a beat. ’I can’t just say my brother investigated him; that would definitely make him suspicious.’ After thinking for a moment, she smiled and said, "I ran into Chen Lei. I found out from him."

’Chen Lei?’

’Impossible.’

’Chen Lei is my childhood friend, someone I recruited into the unit myself. He’s extremely loyal to both me and the organization. Chen Lei also knows how important and secret this mission is; he would never tell anyone.’

’In that case, there’s only one possible conclusion: Guo Dongmei had me investigated, and through some very secretive power, no less.’

’I recall the last time I saw Guo Dongmei was two and a half years ago. That was when our engagement was set. The two of us had just sat across from each other, shared a meal, and barely exchanged a few sentences. For her to be acting this affectionately now is completely over the top.’

"Oh, you haven’t eaten, have you? Join us," Hua Yusen said, his mind spinning. The thought that Guo Dongmei’s visit might not be so innocent put him on high alert.

Guo Dongmei took some pastries, peanuts, and a sealed can of fruit out of her bundle and placed them on the table.

"Oh, my," Guo Dongmei said with a smile, turning to Zhao Nuanyue. "Is this your child? She’s so cute. Come, Auntie will give you a treat."

"She’s my sister!" the Little Red Carp answered, her big eyes still sizing up Guo Dongmei.

"Oh, so she’s your sister," Guo Dongmei laughed. "Come here, little one, have some of this canned fruit."

The Little Red Carp didn’t dare accept it. She shrank back as Guo Dongmei approached. The closer the woman got, the stronger that evil sensation became.

"Thank you, she’s just shy," Zhao Nuanyue said softly. "And too much sugar will give her cavities. But thank you."

Guo Dongmei gave Zhao Nuanyue a smirk. ’This little hussy is quite the schemer,’ she thought. ’Judging by Hua Yusen’s reaction just now, and that young man’s expression, there’s definitely something illicit going on between her and Hua Yusen.’

’And yet, this Zhao Nuanyue... faced with the arrival of me, his rightful fiancée, she panicked for a moment but then quickly regained her composure. It’s obvious she’s no simple woman. She’s calculating and cunning.’

Zhao Nuanyue, for her part, wasn’t afraid. ’What was there to fear?’

’She’s just a woman using the Hua family to climb the social ladder. I don’t believe Hua Yusen would actually be with someone like that.’

’Since it’s impossible for them to end up together, what do I have to worry about?’

As for the guilt she had felt, it began to fade away the moment she saw Guo Dongmei.

Hua Yusen was on edge. Seeing that Zhao Nuanyue wasn’t angry or resentful, he breathed a small sigh of relief. But at the same time, a sense of disappointment washed over him. ’Does this mean she doesn’t care? That she doesn’t care about me?’