Chapter 36: The Heart-Rending Pain of Love

Qin Mu was diligently working on his drawings. She had spent three years watching him work with such focus and had spent four years longing for him; seeing it again now, her eyes blurred with tears.

Jiang Li could hold it in no longer and retreated to the washroom. Tears fell like beads from a broken string, impossible to stem. She had never dared to contemplate that loving someone could hurt this much—a pain as if a piece of her heart had been carved out. She was so weak she could barely stand; leaning against the bathroom door, she shook with the intensity of her sobbing.

Qin Mu—the man she had once held in the very center of her heart. It was the night before their engagement that had irrevocably changed everything. His father died in a car accident, and she was imprisoned for a month, nearly losing her life. When he finally saved her, it was only to make her his mistress for two months. It wasn't until she discovered she was pregnant that she managed to escape with Jiang Xue's help.

She told herself she hated him. She hated him for framing her, and she hated the malice that had turned that month into a living nightmare. Yet, here they were, alone together, and she couldn't help but feel a lingering softness—she couldn't bear to make things difficult for him, couldn't bear to torment him.

After an unknown amount of time, a knock sounded on the bathroom door. Jiang Li acknowledged it, splashing her face with cold water again and again. No matter how much she rinsed, her eyes remained red and swollen, as if congested with blood.

Forget it.

She opened the door. The man standing there wore a perfectly tailored high-end suit, his long, straight legs encased in dark trousers. His aura was refined and noble. Just standing there, his brilliance was so blinding it only fueled her anger.

"Why are you knocking? Has President Qin finished the proposal so quickly?"

Qin Mu didn't want to tell her that he was simply too worried about her and had come to check on her. He was terrified she would drive him away.

"I needed to use the restroom. Designer Jiang doesn't have an objection, does she?"

Jiang Li stepped aside.

Sitting at the dining table, she felt her stomach growl and forced herself to eat. She had to admit, Qin Mu’s cooking was excellent; the sweet and sour pork was delicious, the porridge was light and suited her palate, and the stir-fried celtuce was also quite good.

When had he learned to cook? Four years had passed, and Qin Mu had changed a great deal. But a man who was blind in heart and mind—since he didn't believe her, it was destined that they could never be together.

Perhaps this month should be treated as their final moment of warmth, especially since Youyou had not yet been found.

Her heart aching as if it were bleeding, Jiang Li set down her chopsticks. She didn't know if she was depressed or simply moody; she only knew her mind was in chaos.

Qin Mu emerged and, seeing her red, swollen eyes, handed her a glass of warm water. "Drink this. It’s warm—neither hot nor cold."

Jiang Li took the water without even looking at him. Her mind was a mess. She told herself that within this month, she had to straighten out the company’s major projects. Only then could she gain a foothold and command basic respect from everyone.

She glanced at the time. "I’m going to take a nap. President Qin, there are four hours left until five o'clock."

Qin Mu watched Jiang Li lie down on the sofa, covered her with a blanket, and nodded. "Alright, I'll do my best."

Jiang Li fell into a deep sleep. Beside her, Qin Mu looked at her with reddened eyes as his phone chimed.

"Little Qin, your little one is safe. Do not worry!"

It was from Elder Jiang. Qin Mu was incredibly grateful. "Thank you, Elder Jiang. I understand."

Qin Mu didn't ask further questions. He didn't ask why the child was with Elder Jiang, nor how the elder knew the child was safe. Regardless, he simply trusted that Jiang Li would never harm the child.

He spent the afternoon working on the plan and finally finished. Seeing that Jiang Li was still asleep, he watched her with a trance-like intensity, his eyes rimmed with red. When his phone pinged again, he took it to the small courtyard to talk.

"President Qin, regarding the Chairman's car accident, it was indeed instigated by Ms. Jiang Xue. We have also found the mechanic who tampered with the car."

Qin Mu had suspected as much, and the guilt he felt toward Jiang Li grew heavier.

"Understood. Has the man from the hotel that night still not been found?"

Hearing his question, the person on the other end replied with a heavy tone, "The hotel reports that there are three separate parties investigating that incident, and there is no definitive news yet. However, one thing is certain: after Ms. Jiang Li was placed in that guest room, no one else entered."

Qin Mu was stunned. That meant Jiang Li had not lost her virginity in that room; she had been taken by someone else and then sent there. Who could it be? Thinking of how he had possessed Jiang Li with such rage during those two months, and how Jiang Xue had claimed to be the one that night...

Qin Mu felt his scalp tingle. Due to the drugs in his system, he had been completely unaware. If Youyou was not his biological daughter, then his previous assumptions must be wrong. The woman that night and Jiang Li could not have been the same person; otherwise, how could Youyou’s existence be explained?

Qin Mu clenched his fists and closed his eyes as the sun began to set. He finally understood the meaning of being a heartbroken wanderer at the ends of the earth.

While Qin Mu stood lost in thought in the courtyard, Jiang Li had finished reviewing all the proposals. She had to admit that Qin Mu was talented. His immaturity in his youth didn't necessarily mean he was a bad person. She hadn't been wrong to love him; he was truly a decent man. It was just a case of poor timing; a love without blessings was destined to be a mistake. Even their daughter had suffered because of it.

Thinking of her daughter, Jiang Li dialed a number.

"As long as we haven't found Youyou, the pressure on the Qin Group cannot stop. I want the Qin Group to go under. I want Qin Mu to pay the price."

"Miss, please calm down. The Qin Group just signed a contract with us and lost nearly one hundred million; if we keep adding fuel to the fire, it might be counterproductive. Their capital chain is truly at risk."

"The capital chain is not for us to worry about. Just keep the pressure on. I want the Qin Group to go bankrupt to serve as a funeral offering for my daughter, Youyou."

Assistant Lin was hesitant. "This... very well. Regarding the Jiang Jintao family—they have been acting quite arrogant in the company recently. He is also secretly bribing board members, trying to pull strings for the inheritance transfer ceremony a month from now. What are your thoughts?"

Jiang Li narrowed her eyes. "Since they want to do it in the open, let them wait until a month from now to be slapped in the face. Let them continue to be arrogant; it would be best if we can trick them into revealing the truth behind my father's death. Use every resource to support Jiang Jintao, but track Jiang Xue at the same time. I want to know her every move."

"Yes, President Jiang! By the way, Chen Shaojie has been released on bail by Ms. Jiang Xue."

"Good. Since they are all so capable and want to bully me, is that it? Then I will endure for another month. I want to see how long they can keep up this arrogance."

After hanging up, Jiang Li took the proposal and walked to the courtyard. With a cold, angry gaze, she looked at Qin Mu. "President Qin, I’m taking these plans. Whether they are good or not, I’ll know after I’ve studied them. Since you are willing to listen to everything I say, here is another important company document. I need you to have the proposal ready for me by tomorrow morning."

Having said that, Jiang Li threw the file at Qin Mu and turned to walk out of the villa.