After I died, they cried in the live studio

Chapter 37 Thousands of clues
In the dead of night, Sang Shuwan sat alone in a rocking chair in front of the window. The moonlight outside the window was like water, shining through the gauze curtains, casting mottled shadows on the ground, just like her messy mood at the moment. Her thoughts drifted, and she unconsciously returned to the celebrity-filled dinner party.

The crystal chandelier was dazzling, and the bright light intertwined with the rich aroma of wine, creating an atmosphere of decadence and extravagance in the entire banquet hall. The dignitaries from all walks of life were dressed in gorgeous clothes, dancing around, and laughter and joy were heard one after another. Sang Shuwan had come with Alice to join in the fun and find some illustration inspiration, so he hid in the corner and silently looked at everyone.

At that time, there was quite a commotion at the door. She looked up and saw Chu Ling walking in with big strides. He was wearing a pure black suit, which made him look tall and straight. The fabric had a noble sheen, which just outlined his broad shoulders and narrow waist. His face was cold, his eyes were as deep as a pool, so deep that you couldn't see the bottom. His nose was high, his lips were slightly pursed, and the aura he exuded was cold and strong, which made the surrounding temperature drop a little.

As soon as Sang Shuwan's eyes met his, her heart trembled inexplicably. What surprised her even more was Chu Ling's eyes - they seemed to be wrapped in a thousand-year-old glacier, and they also hid a trace of emotions that she couldn't understand. Coincidentally, at this moment, Jiang Cimu walked towards her with a smile. The two of them only exchanged a few words, but Sang Shuwan caught a glimpse of Chu Ling's eyes from the corner of her eyes. There was a hint of jealousy in it, which made her full of doubts.

In the quiet room at this moment, memories flooded in. Sang Shuwan could no longer suppress the doubts in her heart, so she picked up her phone and called Alice. When the call was connected, she spoke quickly: "Alice, do you remember the last dinner? I have been thinking about it again and again today. Chu Ling's eyes are too strange. I know that he and Jiang Cimu are old enemies, but the way he looks at us, he can't hide his jealousy. Who is Chu Ling? What is the story in the past? Why does he look at us like that?"

Alice was silent for a moment on the other end of the phone, then sighed softly, "Shu Wan, Chu Ling is not a simple person. After the Chu Group was handed over to him, it rose rapidly, and his methods were thunderous. No one in the business world dared to provoke him easily. As for the past, he had an unforgettable love, but later the woman left without saying goodbye, which hurt him deeply. Perhaps seeing you and Jiang Cimu getting close awakened the possessiveness in his heart. The specific reason, I'm afraid only he himself knows."

After hanging up the phone, Sang Shuwan leaned back in his chair, brows furrowed, his mind full of the information revealed by Alice. He secretly thought that he could not avoid the future entanglement with Chu Ling.

It just so happened that Jiang Cimu came to talk to her, and the two of them just had a few ordinary jokes. Sang Shuwan accidentally raised her eyes and met Chu Ling's eyes - that look, cold and with a hint of burning jealousy, was fleeting, but it made her heart tremble. Thinking back, Sang Shuwan couldn't help shaking her head, tapping her forehead and muttering: "I must be overthinking, how could a person like him..." As she was speaking, her finger had already pressed the hang-up button.

On the other end of the phone, Alice seemed to have sensed something and raised her voice anxiously, "Wait, don't hang up yet!" Sang Shuwan's hands trembled and the phone almost slipped. She looked puzzled and frowned as she asked into the microphone, "Why? What's wrong, Alice? Why are you so startled?" Her voice unconsciously carried a hint of anxiety.

Alice was panting and talking very fast: "Shu Wan, don't take it lightly! I just remembered something crucial. Chu Ling is a well-known vindictive and ruthless person in the business circle, and he is also very paranoid in his emotions. The look in his eyes last time was definitely not what you thought. It is said that his ex-girlfriend is somewhat similar to you in figure and temperament. You can't be sure that he treats you as a meal replacement. If you get close to Jiang Cimu in the future, you might cause trouble. You must be careful!"

Sang Shuwan opened his eyes wide, his lips slightly parted, his face full of astonishment, and after a long while he stammered, "How could it be..." The hand holding the phone tightened unconsciously, his knuckles turned white, and a chill rose in his heart. His originally peaceful life was like a disturbed lake, rippling with uneasy ripples.

The night outside the window was getting thicker and thicker, like ink that could not be dissolved. Sang Shuwan was alone on the sofa in the room, with only a desk lamp on, the dim light trying to dispel the darkness around her. The screen of her mobile phone suddenly lit up, it was a message from Alice, her heart skipped a beat, and she clicked it with trembling fingers.

Several photos popped up. Sang Shuwan glanced at them carelessly at first, but when her eyes fell on one of them, her eyes widened instantly, her body suddenly sat up straight, and she almost threw her phone away. She stared at the screen intently, her fingers unconsciously zooming in on the photo, her breathing became rapid, and she kept muttering, "This... How is this possible?"

In the photo, Chu Ling's ex-girlfriend smiled sweetly, with curved eyebrows, straight nose, and the curve of the corners of her lips exuded a gentleness; looking at herself in the mirror, if you don't deliberately compare, although the hairstyle and makeup are different, the contours of the facial features and the temperament of the whole body are as if they were copied. Sang Shuwan raised his hand to rub his temple, his brows twisted into a "chuan" shape, and the disbelief on his face slowly turned into helplessness. He smiled bitterly and sighed: "No wonder, no wonder Chu Ling looked at me so strangely today."

Thinking of this, she felt like a huge stone was blocking her heart, and she felt suffocated. She threw her phone aside, stood up and paced back and forth in the room, her skirt swaying with her hurried footsteps. After a few trips, Sang Shuwan gritted her teeth, grabbed a coat and put it on, pushed the door open, and went straight to Jiang Cimu's residence. The light in Jiang Cimu's room was on, and warm yellow light leaked out through the crack in the door. Sang Shuwan raised her hand and knocked on the door. After two "dong dong" sounds, a steady male voice came from inside: "Come in." She took a deep breath, suppressed the panic in her heart, and pushed the door open.

Inside the house, Jiang Cimu was wearing a casual white shirt, with his collar slightly open and his sleeves casually rolled up. He was sitting lazily at the table, shaking the goblet with his slender fingers, and the deep red wine was swirling in the glass. Seeing Sang Shuwan coming in, he raised his eyebrows slightly, put down the wine glass, stood up and took two steps to greet her, with a smile on his face: "What a rare guest, Shuwan, you came to see me so late, what happened?"

Sang Shuwan walked straight to the table, propped up her hands on the table, her chest heaving slightly, raised her eyes and looked directly at Jiang Cimu, her eyes red, and said anxiously: "Cimu, I just saw the photo of Chu Ling's ex-girlfriend, guess what? I look almost exactly like her! The way Chu Ling looked at us today explains everything. You and Chu Ling have been holding a grudge for a long time, did I accidentally become the fuse between you?"

The smile on Jiang Ci Mu's face faded instantly. His brows were furrowed, his eyes were solemn. He walked around to Sang Shu Wan, patted her shoulder gently, and whispered to comfort her: "Shu Wan, don't panic. Even if Chu Ling is a bastard, he can't take his anger out on you. If he dares to do anything wrong, I will definitely protect you." As he spoke, he clenched his fists, and a hint of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes.

Sang Shuwan pursed her lips, bit her lower lip with her pearly teeth, frowned slightly, and revealed a bit of just the right amount of worry. She slowly walked to the table and gently put down her phone. The photo of Chu Ling's ex-girlfriend on the screen came into her eyes, like a stone breaking the calm surface of a lake, disturbing her mood.

"Ci Mu, take a look." Sang Shuwan's voice was gentle, like the spring breeze blowing across the lake, but the ending tone was trembling slightly. "I was really surprised to encounter this today. Chu Ling and I have never met before, let alone any grudges or revenge. But I got involved with him for no reason, just because..." She paused, raised her eyes and looked at Jiang Ci Mu, with some helplessness in her eyes, "Just because I look like his ex-girlfriend."

As she spoke, she unconsciously folded her hands in front of her, twisting her fingers restlessly, taking small steps, and pacing slowly, with the hem of her skirt swaying slightly. "Although I'm not afraid, I'm still a little worried. You know Chu Ling's style of doing things. He's a man of his word in the business world, and his methods are very ruthless. I'm worried that he's been confused by the past and will take his anger out on me, which will probably cause a lot of trouble in the future."

Sang Shuwan walked to Jiang Cimu and stopped, looking at him with bright eyes, stretched out her hand and gently grabbed his sleeve, and said gently and firmly: "Cimu, I know I can't avoid it, so I don't plan to back down. It's just that it's a bit difficult for me to do this alone. Fortunately, I have you by my side. With you around, I feel much more at ease. If we discuss it in advance, we can always find a way to deal with it. We must not let the situation get out of control."

Jiang Ci Mu was originally sitting leisurely at the table, but after listening to Sang Shuwan's talk, the laziness on his face disappeared instantly, and strong anger surged in his deep eyes. He stood up with a "swoosh", and the chair rubbed against the ground, making a harsh sound.

Jiang Cimu strode in front of Sang Shuwan, holding her shoulders firmly with both hands, leaning forward slightly, looking straight into her eyes, his originally gentle voice now carried an unquestionable fierceness: "Shuwan, just put your heart in your stomach." As he spoke, he exerted a little force on his hands, as if to pass the strength to her, "If Chu Ling has even a little courage and dares to touch a hair on your head, I, Jiang Cimu, swear here, no matter what, I will make him pay a thousand times the price!"

Sang Shuwan looked up at him, her eyes slightly red, warmth welling up in her heart. Just as she was about to speak, Jiang Ci Mu gently pinched her shoulder again and continued, "No one can hurt you under my nose. So what if Chu Ling has means? He always has to weigh the rules and human relationships in the business world. I have plenty of ways to check and balance him. From now on, whether you go out or do things, if you notice something wrong, contact me the first time, okay?" His tone was firm, full of determination to protect his shortcomings.

(End of this chapter)