Chapter 22: The Kidnapping

The boss actually has a woman!

They exchanged looks in unison, unable to believe their ears. It sounded like she was just a young girl; the boss certainly had a colorful private life.

Gu Jinnian remained impassive, scanning them with a cold, sharp gaze.

"Continue."

Receiving the warning, the group immediately abandoned their curiosity. Once the meeting concluded, Chen Li was swarmed.

"Special Assistant Chen, who was that girl just now?"

"Are we about to have a sister-in-law?"

Mingnuo Technology was an internet company founded by Gu Jinnian himself, and these people were the teammates who had walked alongside him through the lows. Even if they were just gossiping, they were genuinely happy for him.

Chen Li shook his head, shattering their illusions. "Stop gossiping. Miss Qiao is a child adopted by the Gu family; there’s no possibility between her and President Gu."

He had been with the president for over a decade; he knew the man wouldn't be interested in a young girl. Hearing this, the others lost interest and returned to their offices.

Back in his office, Gu Jinnian replayed Qiao Weiwei’s voice message. Hearing the girl's soft, crisp voice, the corners of his lips quirked upward involuntarily. He replied with a brief "Mhm" and set his phone aside.

A second later, the phone rang—it was a video call from Qiao Weiwei. He deliberately waited a moment before answering, his pace unhurried.

"Yes?"

On the other end, Qiao Weiwei’s joy was palpable when she saw him pick up. "Uncle, you aren't angry anymore, are you?"

She flipped the camera to show the room ahead. "Look, I put the violin you made for me in the most prominent spot. I see it as soon as I wake up every day. One day, I’m going to use this violin to win the world championship!"

Her excitement was infectious, and Gu Jinnian felt a smile touch his eyes. "Mhm, I believe in you."

Regarding the plagiarism incident at school earlier, Qiao Weiwei had handled it perfectly. Perhaps he shouldn't treat her like an ordinary child, but rather offer her more trust. If things went wrong, he would be there to clean up the mess.

Feeling his trust, Qiao Weiwei felt as if something had gently struck her heart. She had once told Gu Zhiyuan that she wanted to win a world championship, but he had merely dismissed it as a child’s joke, never looking at her with such confidence.

The distance between them narrowed significantly without them realizing it. Qiao Weiwei shared many amusing stories about school, and Gu Jinnian listened intently, saying little.

"President Gu, the project documents..."

Chen Li walked in with the files for the new project. Pushing the door open, he saw Gu Jinnian staring at his phone with a smile, while the bright, cheerful laughter of a girl drifted from the device.

"!!!!" He quietly backed out. "Could I be hallucinating from too much overtime?" He rubbed his temples. The president was actually smiling like a fool at his phone! He must have seen it wrong.

"Special Assistant Chen, why are you just standing there?" Li Shen, the head of the planning department, saw him lurking outside like a thief and teased, "Has the boss finally grown sick of you and made you the door guardian?"

As he spoke, he reached for the door to go in.

"Don't go in!" Chen Li grabbed him.

"???" Li Shen stared at him warily. "Are you trying to get the boss to dock my pay?"

Chen Li couldn't find the words to describe the scene inside. Although he was confused, he knew that if he disturbed the president’s current mood, he would definitely suffer. "I’m warning you, if you don't want to be destroyed by the boss, don't go in." His serious tone made it clear he wasn't joking.

Li Shen raised an eyebrow and peeked through a crack in the door. He, too, was startled by what he saw. "Is the boss... in love?" His eyes lit up. He couldn't think of anything else that would make the workaholic Gu Jinnian smile at his phone.

"Surely not?" Chen Li muttered to himself. Could the president really like Miss Qiao? But the age gap...

"Since the boss is in love, you can pass him these files." Li Shen, always the gossip, handed the documents to Chen Li and immediately began spreading the news of Gu Jinnian’s romance.

The office group chat exploded instantly, everyone curious about what kind of woman could have captured the boss's heart.

Chen Li looked at the scrolling messages and, after Gu Jinnian hung up, placed the files on the desk. Observing the man’s expression, he seemed to be in a very good mood.

Chen Li carefully chose his words. "President Gu, what do you think of Miss Qiao?"

Gu Jinnian paused. "Why do you ask?"

"I just feel that you seem different toward Miss Qiao." They had been friends for years, working closely together.

Gu Jinnian set down the proposal and reflected for a moment. "Intelligent, courageous, frank, and persistent." He smiled as he spoke of her. "Sometimes she’s like a child, but other times she’s more mature than any student her age."

Unlike Gu Jinnian, Chen Li had been around many women. Having spent years in the dating scene, he could see at a glance that Gu Jinnian had fallen for her. As a friend, Chen Li felt compelled to warn him. "Jinnian, I must remind you that Miss Qiao is Mr. Qiao's daughter. You are currently her guardian; no feelings other than familial ones should exist between you. Otherwise, both you and Miss Qiao will end up hurt."

Gu Jinnian looked up at him, seemingly confused. "You’re overthinking it."

"I hope I am."

Chen Li left it at that. Gu Jinnian wasn't an impulsive man; he would consider things carefully. But after Chen Li left, Gu Jinnian felt inexplicably restless. He couldn't even finish a single page of the proposal in an hour.

The girl’s image kept appearing in his mind—especially the day of the school anniversary, when Qiao Weiwei stood on stage in a red dress. Once his gaze had brushed over her, he hadn't been able to look away.

Could Chen Li be right? Had he really developed those kinds of feelings for Weiwei?

...

Qiao Weiwei, oblivious to the events across the ocean, was preparing for bed after her call with Gu Jinnian when she received a video. In it, Fang Xue was unconscious, tied up in a warehouse.

Immediately after, her phone rang from an unknown number. "If you don't want her to die, bring a million in cash alone within four hours to ransom her. If you call the police, you’ll never see her again."

A text followed with the address of the warehouse. Fang Xue’s parents were away, and she had no one else. Qiao Weiwei called Fang Xue frantically, but it went unanswered. Unsure of the situation, she didn't dare act rashly.

She followed the instructions, packed some of the jewelry Gu Jinnian had bought for her into a bag, took a car from the garage, and drove to the West Mountain warehouse.

West Mountain had once been a development zone, but after a construction accident, it had been abandoned, and the warehouse locks were rusted. When the kidnapper saw her arrive, he ordered her to throw the money out and get out of the car.

Qiao Weiwei, worried for Fang Xue, had no choice but to comply. "This jewelry is worth more than a million. Let Fang Xue go now."

"The little miss is quite wealthy," the masked kidnapper sneered. "Now I definitely can't let you leave."