I'm sorry, but your fiancé loves me.

"I don't think you're bad," he whispered.

He thought that whatever Yun Muqian did was understandable.

"But I wasn't particularly happy either," he added. The thought that Yun Muqian had gotten close to him for Zhou Xue's sake left him feeling uneasy.

Yun Muqian leaned back in her chair, tilting her head to look at him: "So you're not planning to help me?"

Qin Qihan was silent for a few seconds, then said, "You came here for her from the very beginning, didn't you?"

Yun Muqian did not deny it.

"You approached me, stayed with me, then left, and now you're back—all for her." His voice remained steady. "I wasn't wrong, was I?"

"So, do you still want to help me?"

"Yes." He answered quickly, as if afraid that if he hesitated even a second longer, she would take the opportunity away. "I'm unhappy because I've discovered that your purpose in doing all this wasn't for me."

He paused for a moment: "But I won't refuse you, so you don't need to explain."

She looked up at him: "Then starting tomorrow, cut off the Zhou family's financial chain."

Don't assume she'll stop there; she'll seize every opportunity to achieve her goal.

--

After being discharged from the hospital, Zhou Xue dialed a number on her mobile phone.

"Help me investigate someone," she said. "Yun Muqian, Qin Qihan's former secretary. She shouldn't be working at that company anymore. I need her background information, the more detailed the better."

But she wasn't 100% suspicious of her; it's just that she subconsciously investigated the backgrounds of the people around her.

What made Yun Muqian suspicious was that she was too perfect.

Education, work experience, social security records, entry and exit records—every column was filled out neatly, and every time point matched up.

But it's just too clean. So clean that it doesn't seem real.

She flipped to the last page, placed the paper back on the table, and tapped the edge of it lightly twice with her finger. Then she picked up her phone and dialed the number: "Can't find it?"

"We can't find anything," the person on the other end of the phone said. "Her resume is too clean. We've checked the records in her birthplace, and there are no obvious problems, but there's nothing to corroborate her identity either. It's like this person appeared out of thin air in this city."

The person on the other end of the phone asked, "If so, her previous identity information may have been erased. Some agencies offer this service, completely changing her identity and erasing all traces of her past. Do you still want to investigate?"

Zhou Xue flicked the cigarette ash into the ashtray, tilted her head, and thought for a moment: "Investigate. Investigate until you get results. Money is not a problem."

The person on the other end of the phone responded with a "yes," and then hung up.

Zhou Xue put her phone on the table, picked up the document and flipped through it again. Her gaze lingered on the words "no abnormalities" for a moment, then she closed the document and put it back in the brown paper bag.

There was a knock on the study door, and then Zhou Yao pushed it open and came in.

"Sis, you came back without even telling me."

When he came in, he was holding a glass of water. He saw her sitting behind her desk, her expression no different from usual, only a little quieter than before, as if she had already settled something in her heart.

"What are you busy with?" he asked.

"It's nothing," she said, closing the drawer. "I looked at something."

Zhou Yao said "Oh," and sat down in the chair opposite her, placing his water glass on the edge of the table. "Have you seen Yun Muqian recently?"

He asked, "After you were discharged from the hospital, did she come to see you again?"

Zhou Xue looked up at him, her gaze carrying a hint of scrutiny that was hard to define: "She comes quite often. What do you think of her?"

Zhou Yao smiled, seemingly lost in thought: "That's good. The fact that she came to see you means she's a nice person."

Do you think she's close to Qin Qihan?

Zhou Yao paused for a moment, then frowned slightly, his tone carrying a hint of indignation: "Sis, why are you still thinking about this? What could a secretary possibly have? You keep doubting her like this, who can stand it?"

Zhou Xue didn't speak, but leaned back in her chair and looked at him, the cigarette between her fingers still burning slowly, as if she were re-evaluating her younger brother.

"You seem to be very protective of her."

Zhou Yao frowned again: "I wasn't protecting her, I was just telling the truth. Aren't you tired of treating everyone like a suspect?"

Zhou Xue smiled. "I feel like you're not just telling the truth, you're standing up for her."

"Sis, can you please stop using your old tricks on everyone?"

Which one am I?

"It's just... everyone has ulterior motives, everyone's hiding secrets." Zhou Yao looked at her. "You weren't like this before."

Zhou Xue lowered her head, looking at the cigarette between her fingers. "I used to trust people, and what did I get in return?"

"That's Qin Qihan's problem, not everyone's problem."

How do you know it isn't?

Zhou Yao looked at her, as if searching for something to persuade her, but after a long while he couldn't find the right words, his voice muffled: "Anyway, I don't think Yun Muqian is that kind of person. She didn't do anything wrong, so don't treat her like this."

Zhou Xue's lips twitched slightly: "Are you very familiar with her?"

"Not really," he said, "but she didn't do anything wrong."

"I didn't say she did anything wrong," she said. "I just wanted to find out who she is, is that not allowed?"

"Fine, go ahead and investigate. You can investigate whoever you want, but if you find nothing after you've investigated, can you really trust her?"

Zhou Yao likes her. If he can win her over and marry her someday, it won't be good if his sister keeps making things difficult for him.

"Tell her to come over for meals more often," Zhou Yao said.

Zhou Xue looked at him, the curve of her lips deepening slightly, carrying a hint of something that was hard to define—whether it was mockery or helplessness.

"You really like her?"

Zhou Yao didn't deny it. "Sister, do you know why Qin Qihan left you?"

Zhou Xue stubbed out her cigarette.

"It's because you don't trust others," Zhou Yao said. "You don't trust Qin Qihan, you always feel like he's seeing someone else, and now that someone's being nice to you, you think it's for ulterior motives. Anyone who stays by your side will feel exhausted if you act like that."

She didn't speak, but looked at her younger brother with a sad expression.

For some reason, not only her childhood sweetheart Qin Qihan, but even her own younger brother has started to distance himself from her.

"I don't know if Yun Muqian is a good person, but if you think there's something wrong with her, ask her directly. Don't dig up dirt on her behind her back. She's not your enemy."

How do you know she isn't?

"You don't even know if she's even an enemy, and you're already treating her like one. Sis, by doing this, you're pushing everyone away."

After saying this, he left without waiting for Zhou Xue's response, gently closing the door behind him.

The study fell silent again. Zhou Xue sat in her chair, her gaze fixed on the hazy sky outside the window, remaining motionless for a long time.

She didn't know if she was doing the right thing, but Zhou Yao was right about one thing—she was pushing everyone away, one by one, until they finally stopped looking back at her.