Chapter 137: Misjudged?

Looking at the message he had just sent, Gu Qingming rubbed his forehead in resignation.

Ping Lang looked at him, puzzled. "Why the long face? What's wrong? Didn't you want someone to pity you? I've told Shen Qingli now, and she'll surely be concerned. Isn't that a good thing?"

Gu Qingming sighed. Thinking of the busy figure he had seen at the company these past few days, he subconsciously didn't want to add to her burdens. "It's fine. What's sent is sent."

He tossed his phone aside, went straight to his room, and collapsed onto the bed. He rested his arm across his forehead, his face etched with weariness. With his eyes closed, he recalled the flashes of imagery that had raced through his mind during the heart pains earlier, and his head began to throb.

"Whose... whose memories are these?" he gritted out, each word pained. "Whose..."

Before he could delve deeper, his chest jolted violently, his head tilted to the side, and he lost consciousness entirely. He found himself once again in that mist, but this time, he witnessed a woman shielding him with her own body. The scene within the light screen felt as fantastical as the dramas he had seen.

"Go! Run!"

A heart-wrenching scream tore through the air. Gu Qingming jolted awake, squinting as the sunlight outside the window dazzled him. He raised a hand to shield his eyes, and as he regained his senses, he checked the clock: 7:00 AM.

He checked his phone; it was already the next day. He took a deep breath and sat up. The familiar lethargy and weakness were gone, and the air around him felt remarkably fresh. Even he felt a sense of lightness.

Gu Qingming wasn't unaware of these physical changes, but he was too wary to investigate them closely. Sometimes, he felt as if he were no longer human—like a monster. For instance, he had accidentally snapped the dumbbells in his own gym in half.

"Qingming, I'm here to take you to the hospital. Are you ready? President Shen called earlier and said to meet there."

Seeing that Gu Qingming was still wearing yesterday's clothes, Ping Lang frowned. "You didn't sleep, did you?" He had left after sending that message yesterday and hadn't checked on the boy.

"I slept. I'm just going to take a shower," Gu Qingming said calmly. He turned and headed to the bathroom. After freshening up, he followed Ping Lang toward the hospital.

Shen Qingli was already at the hospital, with Green Coriander perched on her shoulder. Xie Jinchuan had made himself invisible, visible only to those like them who possessed spiritual energy.

[Host, why do I feel like someone is watching us from the shadows?]

[Host, you have to be careful. There are so many paparazzi lately. I went online last night and only then realized how difficult your life actually is.]

Hearing his tearful voice, Shen Qingli raised an eyebrow. "My life is indeed difficult. When are you going to take human form and help me earn money?"

[Let's skip that. I feel like lying here is better.] Green Coriander chuckled, fully embracing the lazy life.

"I wonder if Xie Jinchuan can handle the baby at home?" When she left, Guanyin was still asleep. She worried that the little girl was too dependent on her and wouldn't listen to Xie Jinchuan.

[Host, you don't want me now that you have a new baby? I'm so pitiful, wuwuwu... But Host, I haven't sensed Rong Qiaoyi's presence at all lately.]

Hearing him mention Rong Qiaoyi, Shen Qingli thought of what Xie Jinchuan had told her before she left this morning.

"Coriander, do you think someone like Rong Qiaoyi would die so easily?"

[Uh... that depends on who did it. If it was you two, she might die.]

Hearing this, Shen Qingli still felt uneasy. It was a feeling like something was blocking her, neither able to see inside nor get outside.

"Xie Jinchuan said he killed Rong Qiaoyi last night, but we both have a feeling she wouldn't die that easily. Keep your guard up. Don't let anyone slip through the cracks."

[Understood!]

Checking the time, she looked toward the entrance and spotted Gu Qingming wearing a mask.

"Go straight to the Cardiology Department," she sent a voice message. The two split up, taking separate elevators to avoid any unnecessary trouble. They met up again once they reached the Cardiology Department.

"If your heart was hurting, why didn't you say anything?" Shen Qingli asked, her brow furrowed with concern, already considering how to reduce his activities so he could rest properly.

"It's nothing. Ping Lang is just making a big deal out of it," Gu Qingming shrugged, his tone weary. Ping Lang glared at him, looking like a parent dealing with a child.

"It's safer to get it checked. Go on in," Shen Qingli said. She took the forms and stood outside with Ping Lang, while Gu Qingming was led inside by a nurse to undergo a series of tests.

While reviewing the forms in her hand, Shen Qingli’s peripheral vision caught a figure darting past the door. Her eyes widened.

"Rong Qiaoyi?"

She whispered to herself and turned to Ping Lang, "I'm going out for a moment. You guys wait for me." With that, she chased after the figure with the forms still in her hand.

Before she knew it, she had wandered into the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department. It was very quiet there, and looking around, there was no sign of Rong Qiaoyi.

"Did I see wrong?" Shen Qingli frowned. "Coriander, scan the entire hospital and see if you can find Rong Qiaoyi's aura."

[Ding! Negative.]

Strange. Had she really just imagined it?

Lost in thought, Shen Qingli checked the time and turned back, heading straight for the Cardiology Department, missing the camera lens hidden in the shadows.

When she returned, Gu Qingming had finished his examinations.

"How is it? Are you okay?" she asked. Seeing them both nod, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"That's good. It would be worrying if something were wrong. The hospital is getting crowded, let's leave while we can." Even with his disguise, Gu Qingming had an inherent star quality that was impossible to ignore.

"Alright."

The three left the hospital together. Only after they had departed did the hidden figure emerge. It was the same paparazzo who had entered the lounge during the concert. Zhao Yang watched the car drive away and pulled out his phone.

"I’ve taken everything you asked for. When are you transferring the money? It was agreed that these photos belong to me." He laughed, thinking the person on the other end of the line was a total sucker. Asking him to take photos and not even paying him—what else would you call a sucker?

"The money will be transferred shortly. Remember, when I tell you to post them, you post them. Otherwise, don't expect to keep a single cent of that money." A woman's voice came from the phone, and she hung up immediately.

Zhao Yang scoffed, "Who does she think she is?"