My online dating circle has millions of followers, why would she put a collar on me?

After comforting Su Xiaoyue, Gu Qinghan poured her a cup of tea, then quietly went out and closed the door.

His entire body pressed against the wooden door panel.

A cold wind blew by, and her mind cleared up considerably.

She came to Kyoto to accompany Su Xiaoyue to meet her online boyfriend.

She thought of herself as a bystander, a protector, an outsider who had nothing to do with the matter.

But now she realizes that she is also caught in this web.

She feels so tired!

She took out her phone, the screen's light shining brightly in the darkness.

She squinted, opened WeChat, and tapped the pinned chat box.

The note says "baby".

The last message was sent in the afternoon.

She flipped up a few pages and came across the densely packed chat history.

Good morning, my wife.

Goodnight, my wife.

"Honey, I miss you."

"Honey, you look beautiful today."

She remembers every "wife," every voice message, and every photo.

She remembers the heartbeat she felt when she first opened that photo.

I remember the secret joy I felt when I saved that photo, set it as my wallpaper, and used it as my chat background.

I remember the sense of satisfaction I felt every time I received a transfer and it was accepted instantly, a feeling that "he was being well taken care of."

Remember all the time and feelings you invested in this relationship.

Those are all true.

At least, it's true for her.

But now, she suddenly felt uncertain.

It wasn't Jiang Yi's situation that made her doubt online dating itself, but rather because she suddenly realized something.

She chatted with this "baby" for so long, transferred more than a million yuan to him, and called him "husband" countless times, but she had never even heard his voice.

It's not that he didn't have the opportunity, it's that he wasn't willing.

Every time she says she wants to video chat, he says, "My face is injured."

Every time she said she wanted to make a phone call, he would say "it's inconvenient".

She thought it was shyness, timidity, or the awkwardness of a big boy when facing love.

But now she's starting to think that maybe it wasn't shyness.

Maybe that's just an excuse.

Perhaps from beginning to end, she was performing a one-woman show.

Gu Qinghan held her phone, stood by the window, and remained silent for a long time.

She looked down at the chat window on her phone.

The screen had gone dark, but when she touched the home button with her fingerprint, it vibrated and the screen lit up again.

She stared at the line "Baby, when can we meet?", her finger hovering above the send button, hesitant to press it.

She didn't know why she sent that message.

Was it because of Su Xiaoyue's incident that she began to doubt her own online relationship?

Or was it because she wanted to confirm something?

How can I confirm that the other party is real?

Can we confirm that those "wife," "I miss you," and "I love you" messages aren't coming from the mouth of a cold, code-based chatbot?

she does not know.

All she knew was that she needed an answer right now.

She is so insecure.

Regardless of what the answer is.

Gu Qinghan took a deep breath and pressed the send button.

"Baby, when can we meet up?"

After the message was sent.

one second.

two seconds.

three seconds.

One minute.

Instead of receiving news about "baby," I heard a familiar voice.

"Qinghan, you're here too!"

Gu Qinghan hurriedly put away her phone, looked up, and realized that it was actually Zhao Hanting and his son.

"Uncle, cousin."

Gu Qinghan quickly greeted him.

Zhao Zhiguo's gaze lingered on Gu Qinghan's face for a moment, then swept over the closed door behind her.

"Qinghan, what brings you here?"

Gu Qinghan subconsciously straightened up, her fingers curling slightly at her sides.

"I came with a friend."

Gu Qinghan's voice was a little lower than usual, and her gaze unconsciously shifted slightly towards the door behind her.

"She...is a victim."

Zhao Zhiguo followed her gaze to the door, his brows twitching slightly, but he didn't ask any further questions.

He neither pushed the door open nor asked Gu Qinghan to open it.

He simply nodded, his tone as flat as if he were discussing a completed official matter: "Was the statement taken?"

"I did it," Gu Qinghan said.

Zhao Zhiguo grunted in response and said nothing more.

His gaze shifted from Gu Qinghan to Zhao Hanting behind him.

"Come with me," Zhao Zhiguo said to Zhao Hanting, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.

Zhao Hanting said "Oh" and obediently followed. After taking two steps, he turned back and mouthed something to Gu Qinghan.

"Wait for me to come back."

Gu Qinghan's lips twitched as she looked at his winking and gesturing, but she didn't respond.

Zhao Zhiguo led Zhao Hanting to the corner at the end of the corridor and stopped.

He turned around and looked at his son, his eyes filled with something complex and indescribable.

"Don't get involved in that case anymore." Zhao Zhiguo's voice wasn't loud, but every word was like a nail. "When Anmian comes tomorrow, let her handle it herself."

Zhao Hanting paused for a moment: "Dad, that Jiang Yi..."

"I told you, don't interfere."

Zhao Zhiguo interrupted him, his tone a notch heavier than before.

"Just do your job and don't worry about anything else."

"I understand," Zhao Hanting replied sullenly, lowering his head.

"Also, no matter what Elder Xia and your Uncle Xia say, you must not get involved in anything concerning Xia Anmian."

"Mmm, I understand."

Zhao Zhiguo glanced at him and remained silent for two seconds.

"Don't say anything about your cousin's side either," he added.

Zhao Hanting paused for a moment, then asked, "What's wrong with what I said?"

"Don't play dumb, I don't believe you didn't see that file."

Zhao Hanting scratched the back of his head sheepishly, then nodded.

"Get some rest," he said, then turned and left.

The two accompanying men had been standing at the other end of the corridor. When they saw Zhao Zhiguo take a step, they immediately followed.

Zhao Hanting stood there watching his father's figure disappear at the end of the corridor. He stood there for two seconds, then turned around and walked back.

"Cousin." Seeing Zhao Hanting approach, Gu Qinghan quickly asked, "Are you alright?"

"What could possibly happen to me?" Zhao Hanting replied.

"Cousin," she said, her voice softer than usual, "I'd like to ask you for a favor."

Zhao Hanting put down his water glass: "Speak."

Gu Qinghan was silent for two seconds, as if he was carefully considering his words.

She took her phone out of her pocket, unlocked the screen, scrolled to the pinned chat box, and then handed the phone to Zhao Hanting.

"Help me look up this person."

Zhao Hanting glanced down at the screen.

The nickname is "Baby", and the profile picture is a completely black image.

The chat interface was filled with messages, the last one being sent by Gu Qinghan.

"Baby, when can we meet up?"

Zhao Hanting's pupils contracted slightly.

He didn't reach for his phone; he just stared at the black profile picture on the screen for about two seconds.

Then he raised his head and looked at Gu Qinghan.

"Cousin, you're having an online relationship too?"

Gu Qinghan's expression was somewhat unnatural, but she quickly returned to normal.

"I guess so. We've been chatting for over half a year, but we've never met in person. With what happened to Xiaoyue today, I'd like you to help me find out his real identity."