Chapter Sixty-Six Lost Contact

During the period when Fu Chen was away, Ke Jing did visit a few times. However, she never again brought anything for Shen Huaiqing to eat; each time, she merely offered a few polite greetings, nothing out of the ordinary. Yet this was precisely what made it so strange.

Logically, Fu Chen’s absence should have been the perfect opportunity for Ke Jing to make her move, but instead, she simply dropped by every few days and did nothing.

Shen Huaiqing lay on her side in bed, speaking calmly to Fu Chen on the phone, methodically describing Ke Jing’s unusual behavior.

“The soup you asked me to check that day—I had someone test it. There was nothing in it,” Fu Chen’s deep voice came from the other end, accompanied by the rustling of papers.

Shen Huaiqing tapped her lips with her index finger, her brows knitting in puzzlement. “That’s odd. She seemed so eager for me to drink it that day.”

Fu Chen hesitated slightly, replying softly, “She was probably testing you. In any case, be careful.”

Shen Huaiqing rolled over twice in bed, a glint flashing in her eyes. “By the way, I forgot to ask before—why did Lin Yu go with you on your business trip? Isn’t he supposed to be running his family’s company?”

“His family has business here too, so he just came along,” Fu Chen answered calmly.

Shen Huaiqing was about to ask after his well-being when she heard Lin Yu’s voice in the background.

“Fu Chen, we’ve locked onto the location. We should be able to…” The rest of his sentence was abruptly cut off, as though someone had interrupted him.

“I have something to take care of here. You should get some rest,” Fu Chen said, and hung up before Shen Huaiqing could respond.

Staring in a daze at the beeping phone, Shen Huaiqing realized Fu Chen had already been away on business for over two weeks; at this rate, it might be a month before he returned. They called every few days, but it was always Fu Chen who ended the conversation first.

During this half month, Shen Huaiqing sometimes found herself thinking of Fu Chen. Perhaps, without even realizing it, she had already accepted their marriage and given him her heart.

She looked at her text message history with Fu Yixing.

“What have you decided?”

“I still choose to trust Fu Chen.”

“So you didn’t believe a word of what I said that day. When he returns, you’ll regret the choice you made today.”

Shen Huaiqing knew Fu Chen’s trip to France wasn’t for business. She had asked around a few days earlier and learned the Fu family had no dealings there, so most likely, his trip was related to Fu Yixing—or to her.

She had no idea what she would face upon Fu Chen’s return, but until then, she chose to trust him.

Time passed swiftly; as December approached, the weather in the southern city grew bitterly cold. The sky was a foggy gray, a biting wind swept the streets, and pedestrians hurried along, their breaths visible in the chilly air.

Perhaps it was the cold, but she felt lethargic. She rarely visited the magazine office these days, spending most of her time curled up by the floor-to-ceiling windows in the back garden, a warm cup of coffee in hand, watching the gardener busy himself outside.

A phone call shattered this peaceful, leisurely atmosphere. As soon as Shen Huaiqing answered, she heard Yu Yunxi’s mysterious tone.

“Huaiqing, is your husband, President Fu, close to the Italian artist Lin Yiqing?”

“They grew up together. Why?” Her eyelid twitched, as if warning of something ominous.

Yu Yunxi kept her voice low as she spoke into the phone. “Didn’t the magazine have business with Lin Yiqing? This morning, her assistant said they’d suspend cooperation because Lin Yiqing’s health has taken a turn.”

She paused, swallowing nervously. “Rumor in the media is that Lin Yiqing is pregnant—with President Fu’s child!”

A loud crash echoed. Shen Huaiqing’s mind went blank as her hand froze; the phone slipped from her palm, clattering loudly onto the cold marble floor.

Yu Yunxi, startled, cried out from the other end, “Huaiqing! Can you hear me? Are you alright?”

Hearing her friend’s anxious voice, Shen Huaiqing quickly regained her composure. The media thrived on rumors; she mustn’t lose her head. She picked up the phone, steadying her breath.

“I’m fine. I just dropped the phone by accident.” She managed a strained smile. “Are many people talking about it now?”

“A lot. It won’t be long before every entertainment weekly runs with it—the rumor is already spreading online,” Yu Yunxi replied methodically, then added, “The strangest thing is that Lin Yiqing’s PR team isn’t trying to quash the rumors. They’re neither confirming nor denying—so now, most people believe it.”

Shen Huaiqing immediately opened her laptop. Sure enough, every platform was awash with gossip. Still, the situation wasn’t out of control, and many still supported her.

“It’s fine. As long as it doesn’t affect the magazine, I’m not worried.” Her mouse scrolled through the comments—most condemned Lin Yiqing as a homewrecker and pitied Shen Huaiqing.

Yu Yunxi was genuinely impressed by her composure. “Huaiqing, aren’t you worried the rumor might be true?”

Shen Huaiqing massaged her brow, her voice tinged with melancholy. “There’s always a solution. Worrying won’t help.”

Yu Yunxi didn’t know how to comfort her; nothing was certain yet.

“Huaiqing, if you need anything, just tell me. I’ll do whatever I can to help.”

“Alright.”

After hanging up, Shen Huaiqing felt the world spinning. She suddenly remembered that before Fu Chen got drunk that night, he had been with Lin Yiqing. Could something have happened between them then? Or had it started when he was living at Lin Yiqing’s house?

Was the time he spent with her all an act—just to win her over and keep her from joining forces with Fu Yixing?

Every memory she had with Fu Chen began to fracture and fall apart. The further she delved, the colder she felt, as if her heart were gripped tightly in someone else’s hands, the pain nearly unbearable.

Without hesitation, she dialed Fu Chen’s number.

“I’m sorry, the number you have dialed is busy…” came the cold, mechanical female voice.

She called again and again, but each time, the line was engaged.

She turned to Lin Yu’s number and dialed.

The call connected—her grip on the phone so tight her knuckles whitened.

Someone answered. Before the person could speak, Shen Huaiqing blurted out, “Lin Yu! Where’s Fu Chen? Why isn’t he answering?”

There was a three-second pause before a stranger’s voice replied, “Is this Mrs. Fu? I’m sorry, Mr. Lin and Mr. Fu are busy at the moment and can’t take your call.”