Chapter 13: Luo Minglang, Overwhelmed by Emotion

Convincing Chen Menglu to cooperate with her had been unexpected. At first, Zhang Guoguo had planned to use Luo Minglang’s feelings for her as a tool for revenge, but she soon realized this was impossible. The sudden appearance of Chen Menglu, combined with the fact that Luo Minglang and Gu Yiqiao were classmates, meant that a single misstep could easily expose her identity. Thus, appeasing Chen Menglu and exploiting her weaknesses for her own benefit was the wisest course of action.

After a long day of running around, it was dusk when she returned home. She parked her car, intending to shower and wait for Luo Minglang’s return, only to find he was already home. This surprised her—she’d been there for a week, and he always called before coming home, but not this time.

He sat quietly on the sofa in the dressing room, his back half-turned, motionless. Aunt Liu stood at the door. Zhang Guoguo asked, “What’s wrong with him?”

Aunt Liu, holding a tray, sounded anxious. “Madam, I don’t know. As soon as he came home, he asked where you were. I answered as you instructed, and he came upstairs. He’s been sitting in your dressing room since, lost in thought. I just brought in the stewed pear with rock sugar, and he ordered me out.”

“How long has he been like this?”

“Over two hours now.”

“All right, I understand. Go on with your work, leave this to me.” Zhang Guoguo took the tray and walked into the dressing room.

Hearing footsteps, Luo Minglang didn’t even turn his head. His voice was thunderous, “Get out. All of you, get out. Do I need to say it again?”

The rage in his tone startled Zhang Guoguo. She steadied herself, walked over, and looked at his profile—his face dark, stern, like a lion in fury.

“What’s wrong? Why are you so angry all of a sudden?” She set the stewed pear down, sat beside him, and gently offered him a spoonful. “Come, have some of Aunt Liu’s stewed pear. I heard you coughing last night, so I asked her to make this in the morning. Try it?”

He turned his face away, still severe, clearly furious. Zhang Guoguo couldn’t understand it. She knew he loved her deeply—if she showed him the slightest warmth, he would devote himself to her without hesitation. Why was he acting like this now?

Luo Minglang’s heart twisted in pain.

He looked at her with those innocent eyes, full of disappointment. “Where did you go today?”

She answered without hesitation, “I had lunch and went shopping with Menglu—the junior we met yesterday.”

“Really?” He didn’t believe her. His phoenix eyes brimmed with resentment. “Didn’t you actually go to ensure Gu Yiqiao’s safety?”

If something hadn’t happened, she always fought back. This time was no different. “Luo Minglang, are you out of your mind? How could you say something like that? Don’t you trust your own wife at all?”

That feeling was awful. Suddenly, she felt as if she’d returned to when Gu Yiqiao had questioned her about betraying him and selling company secrets—disappointed, heartbroken.

Even as she protested, Luo Minglang sat there unmoved. “The things you said to me last night, were they all lies?”

“Why would I lie to you?” She placed her hand on her heart, explaining, “I’m your wife.”

“But you can’t fool yourself—you’ve always loved Gu Yiqiao.”

“I won’t deny the past, but now, I don’t.”

Her firm reply still couldn’t dispel the turbulence of unease, displeasure, and hidden agony in his eyes. These emotions dragged his deep, steadfast love to the edge of an abyss, tormenting his very soul.

At last, a single tear slid down his handsome face. His gaze fell on the blue box on the table. “If that’s true, then what is this? How do you explain it?”

Zhang Guoguo looked at the tear on his striking face and understood—this was a tear of despair.

Her heart clenched in sudden empathy. She didn’t need to open the box to know that whatever was inside would deal a fatal blow to their relationship.

With trembling hands, she opened the box. The clear English words leapt out at her, sending a shock through her entire being—