Chapter Forty-Nine: I Don't Work with People Who Remain Hidden

“What’s all this commotion? Why haven’t you taken her away yet? Are you all useless?” Ke Jing turned her head and shouted, her face twisted in disgust. “How unlucky!” With that, she strode off without so much as a backward glance.

It was Ke Jing’s scolding that snapped Shen Huaiqing out of her daze. She stopped in her tracks and, looking up, met Fu Chen’s obsidian gaze.

The woman lay on the ground, hair disheveled and clothes askew, yet she continued to shriek hysterically, “Huihui! I’m your mother!” Nurses and security guards dragged her away, but the middle-aged woman stubbornly crawled forward.

Fu Chen’s eyes were deep and unreadable as he fixed his gaze on Shen Huaiqing and then walked slowly to the woman’s side.

He raised his foot; the polished black shoe hovered, about to come down on her aged hand.

Shen Huaiqing clenched her fists, her face frosty. “Are you still not leaving? If you don’t, Mom’s going to lose her temper.” A trace of disgust flickered in her eyes as she looked at Fu Chen.

Fu Chen studied Shen Huaiqing with a meaningful look, but in the end, his foot stayed aloft; he turned instead to the nurse. “Why haven’t you taken care of this yet? How could a lunatic like her be admitted to Jinghua Hospital?”

The woman was finally hoisted up by several security guards, her bloodshot eyes darting as she muttered, “Huihui, Huihui.”

The nurse almost bowed to the ground in her nervousness. “We don’t know whose relative she is. She was settled in the VIP ward a year ago, and someone deposits money in her account every month, but no one ever visits.”

“Oh? That’s rather interesting,” Fu Chen remarked coldly, fixing his gaze on Shen Huaiqing. “It seems my wife is a lot like her daughter.”

The nurse hurried to explain, “No, Mr. Fu, she often mistakes people for her daughter.”

“Then why haven’t you watched her properly? How could you let her run wild like this?” Fu Chen’s eyes darkened, his tone icy.

Shen Huaiqing had no desire to stay a moment longer. The image of that woman lingered in her mind—her face ground into the floor, bruises visible on her body. Whether the wounds were from abuse or from her own carelessness, Shen Huaiqing could not tell.

Yet even in that wretched state, she still searched for her daughter, crawling forward just to be a little closer.

“Are you coming or not? If you won’t, I’m leaving.” Shen Huaiqing shot Fu Chen a cold glance and headed straight for the door.

Stepping from indoors to out, the sudden chill bit at her. Ke Jing was already gone; having failed to get the answers she wanted, she had surely hurried off to another hospital to verify.

Ke Jing had left in the old family car, so Shen Huaiqing had no choice but to call Uncle Liu.

Though the sun was blazing outside, Shen Huaiqing felt no warmth. The wind seemed to pierce her coat and sink into her very bones.

She pulled her coat tighter around her and stamped her feet against the ground.

Suddenly, a warm embrace enveloped Shen Huaiqing.

She found herself wrapped in Fu Chen’s woolen coat, his chin resting on her head, his arms firmly encircling her.

Shen Huaiqing twisted and struggled to break free, but Fu Chen’s hold only tightened. His deep voice rumbled above her. “Stop moving.”

“I don’t need this!”

“Don’t be difficult. Can’t you just behave?”

Knowing she couldn’t break free by force, Shen Huaiqing lowered her head and eyed Fu Chen’s foot, a plan forming in her mind.

She brought her heel down hard on his foot, but things didn’t go as she’d hoped.

Fu Chen didn’t budge; he remained exactly as he was, even mocking her, “Don’t waste your energy.”

Was this man made of steel? She was wearing heels; any ordinary person would have cried out in pain, but even with all her strength, Fu Chen didn’t so much as flinch.

“Pervert!” Shen Huaiqing, unable to win physically, resorted to cursing him under her breath.

Uncle Liu’s car arrived quickly. Shen Huaiqing rushed to the front passenger seat—she had no desire to sit with Fu Chen.

Uncle Liu was alarmed. “Young Madam, it isn’t proper for you to sit in the front.”

“What propriety? What era do you think this is? Why all these rules?” Shen Huaiqing snapped, glaring, her anger spilling onto the innocent Uncle Liu.

Normally, Shen Huaiqing was gentle with the household staff; it was the first time Uncle Liu had seen her this angry, and he was so startled he dared not even start the car.

Fu Chen’s calm voice came from the back seat. “Uncle Liu, let her do as she wishes. Drive.”

“So now you want to play the good guy?” Shen Huaiqing fastened her seatbelt in frustration and raised the partition to shut him out.

Just looking at Fu Chen’s face irritated her. This man always managed to turn her emotions upside down.

Yet what gnawed at her most was the question: why was that woman at Jinghua Hospital?

“How did she end up at Jinghua Hospital?” Shen Huaiqing opened a chat and rapidly typed out her question.

“What about Jinghua Hospital? Isn’t it well equipped?” came the swift reply.

“I saw her today. Why didn’t you warn me? And replace the caregivers immediately!” Every word Shen Huaiqing typed was edged with anger.

“You haven’t brought us any real benefit yet, so why so many demands?” The response was equally blunt.

After a moment’s thought, Shen Huaiqing typed slowly: “I’m pregnant.”

The reply was nearly instantaneous: “Really?”

She had snapped a picture of her test report in the consultation room earlier and sent it over.

“Alright, I’ll make arrangements at the hospital right away.”

Shen Huaiqing exhaled deeply. Clearly, Fu Chen had guessed the truth today, but since he still needed her, he hadn’t yet revealed what he knew.

She leaned back, closed her eyes, and tried to rest.

“Ding dong”—another message alert.

Irritated, Shen Huaiqing unlocked her phone. As with last night, it was a message from an unfamiliar number.

“You are not pregnant.” Attached was a photo—her test report.

A chill swept over Shen Huaiqing, and she began to tremble. Someone was watching her and Fu Chen’s lives. The number was different from yesterday’s, but she was certain there was a single hand behind it all. Clearly, even if He An investigated, nothing useful would come of it.

“Who are you?”

“That’s not important. What matters is—are you sure you want to work with Fu Chen?”

Shen Huaiqing didn’t hesitate: “Yes. I can’t possibly work with someone who won’t even show their face.”

“No rush. You’ll see me soon.”