Chapter Two: His Secret

In the early morning, gentle sunlight filtered through the gap in the curtains and landed precisely on Shen Huaiqing’s eyelids. She frowned in displeasure and rolled over to continue sleeping, but when she reached out, she found the space beside her icy cold.

Slowly opening her eyes, she saw nothing in the room had changed; it looked just as it had the night before. Evidently, Fu Chen hadn’t returned to the bedroom last night.

She was instantly awake, her lips pursed in dissatisfaction. No matter what, she was youthful and beautiful, and on their wedding night, this man had left her alone in the bedroom. She could not swallow such a grievance!

Barefoot, she stepped out of the bedroom and glanced downstairs—no one was there. Her eyes darted about, finally settling on the study at the end of the corridor. She tiptoed over and carefully opened the door.

Sure enough, the man was slumped over the desk, still asleep, dressed in yesterday’s white shirt with two buttons undone. His arm pressed down on a pile of documents, making it clear he’d worked through the night.

Shen Huaiqing circled the study, noting that the bookshelves were mostly filled with volumes on finance and management, along with various trophies and photos taken with different people. Amid the many frames on the upper shelves, however, there was one turned face-down, so inconspicuous it was easy to miss.

Driven by curiosity, she rose on her tiptoes and laboriously extracted the hidden frame from the depths of the shelf.

The photograph was bathed in sunlight. A boy and a girl, both in school uniforms, stood on a sports field. The boy was turned sideways, gazing at the girl beside him, both appearing to be about twelve or thirteen years old. The boy was clearly Fu Chen—his features had barely changed. The girl wore a white shirt and a black skirt, her smile revealing shallow dimples, her almond-shaped eyes pure and clear.

Shen Huaiqing had never seen such absolute innocence in a girl; she was like a blank sheet of paper, comfortable to behold, inviting closeness.

She knew this girl was entirely different from herself. Any photograph Fu Chen kept so carefully must be significant.

Looking closely, she saw a line of elegant handwriting in the lower right corner of the photo: “It’s all in the past, isn’t it?”

It was unmistakably Fu Chen’s handwriting.

Suddenly, the man at the desk stirred. Shen Huaiqing steadied herself and returned the photo exactly as she’d found it.

She glanced quickly over the documents on the desk, then crouched down to gaze at Fu Chen.

He was handsome, the sunlight casting shadows over his brows and lashes. She couldn’t resist reaching out to poke his high-bridged nose.

Almost instantly, Fu Chen’s eyes opened. Shen Huaiqing’s slender finger paused mid-air, and for a moment, time seemed to stop.

Fu Chen looked at the barefoot woman crouched before him, dressed in a champagne silk camisole, her long phoenix eyes fixed on him, her brown pupils beguiling.

He sighed, helped her to her feet, took the suit jacket from the back of the chair and draped it over her shoulders, taking her hand as he prepared to lead her out. She, however, remained motionless.

“Why aren’t you coming?” Fu Chen was slightly taken aback; her hand was strangely cold for a summer morning.

“I won’t go. I’m unhappy!” Shen Huaiqing shook off his hand, turned her head away, her lips pouty and her face full of dissatisfaction.

“The air conditioner’s too cold in here. If you go barefoot, you’ll get sick. Go back to the bedroom and put on some shoes.” Fu Chen sighed, rubbing his temples in exasperation.

“Then you should comfort me.”

Shen Huaiqing stepped onto Fu Chen’s feet, arms wrapped around his neck. The suit jacket slipped to the floor, and Fu Chen only had to lower his head slightly to take in the view before him.

After a moment’s silence, Fu Chen lifted her in his arms and carried her toward the bedroom, setting her down on the bed and personally slipping slippers onto her feet. His warm fingers brushed her ankles, making Shen Huaiqing feel ticklish.

When he finished, Fu Chen prepared to wash up, but Shen Huaiqing quickly called him back.

“Why did you leave me alone on our wedding night? Are you…”

She deliberately drew out her words and paused before continuing.

“Is there someone else in your heart?”

Her eyes narrowed, her tone teasing. She wanted to probe Fu Chen this way. Deep down, she suspected the unusual earring from yesterday was somehow connected to the girl in the photo in the study.

She would not allow any chess pieces on this board that she was unaware of.

Fu Chen was visibly startled by her question. He walked over and looked down at her, his hand gently stroking her smooth cheek.

“How could I face your parents if I didn’t work hard? They entrusted someone as beautiful as you to me.”

At that moment, Shen Huaiqing saw something different in his gaze.

There was no warmth; instead, it was the look of a predator before the hunt—cold, ruthless, ready to devour at the slightest misstep.

“Don’t let your imagination run wild. There’s only you, both by my side and in my heart. Isn’t that right, Mrs. Fu?”

Fu Chen leaned in, his low voice murmuring in her ear.

When she looked up again, his eyes were gentle as before, sparkling like a river of stars.

Shen Huaiqing watched him enter the bathroom, her lips curved in a smile.

How interesting—just how many secrets was he hiding? He truly possessed two faces: angel and demon.

Fu Chen stepped into the bathroom and leaned against the door, lost in thought.

This Shen Huaiqing was very different from what his investigation had led him to expect. He’d originally intended to marry a docile, obedient heiress—a decorative flower to be used as he pleased.

Yet this woman was like a wild cat, bewitching, her eyes shrouded in mist, impossible to fathom. His patience had its limits; as long as she didn’t touch his bottom line, it didn’t matter how she acted. But if she crossed it, he would not hesitate to eliminate her.

Fu Chen’s thoughts swirled. Then he caught sight of a butterfly earring on the sink. His eyes widened instantly. Picking it up, he examined it closely, confirming it was indeed the pair.

He had given them to that girl—so how could it be here? Shen Huaiqing! It must be her.

After washing up, Fu Chen exited, carrying the earring.

“If you don’t keep your earrings properly, you’ll lose them easily.” He placed it on the dressing table as he spoke.

Shen Huaiqing scrutinized Fu Chen’s expression, afraid she might miss a clue.

Unfortunately, she saw nothing. Was her guess mistaken?

If so, she would have to press harder. She tossed the earring into the trash bin.

“This isn’t mine. I saw it by chance at the venue yesterday. Thought it looked nice, so I brought it back. But on second thought, wearing someone else’s earring is quite tasteless. Let it go.” Her tone was full of disdain.

Fu Chen, tying his tie, glanced at her.

“Mm.”

Seeing she couldn’t uncover anything, Shen Huaiqing could only let it go for now.

“I’m going to have breakfast.”

As her footsteps faded, Fu Chen hurried to the trash bin, knelt down, and retrieved the earring, wiping it clean as if it were a precious gem and tucking it into his suit pocket.

Pressed against the wall, Shen Huaiqing witnessed every movement. Her gaze instantly cooled.

So, her feigned departure was a ruse. She had returned barefoot, trusting her intuition was not wrong. Sure enough, the earring was deeply entwined with Fu Chen.

It seemed the owner of the earring was nearby, silently watching them. Shen Huaiqing knew she needed to be on high alert, ensuring her plan was flawless.

Hearing movement in the room, she hurried downstairs.