Chapter 49: Would This Be Considered Breaking the Ice?

Chapter 49: Would This Be Considered Breaking the Ice?

Shen Xian shot Zhou Mu a glance and took the phone without acknowledging his words.

She swiped through her contacts, found Gu Chen's number, but hesitated before dialing. After some thought, she opened their WeChat chat instead.

"Mr. Gu, I'm feeling a bit unwell. I'd like to take tomorrow off, hoping you can approve my request."

After editing the message, Shen Xian deliberated over it several times before finally sending it.

Watching her cautious demeanor, Zhou Mu felt a mix of emotions he couldn't quite describe.

After sending the message, Shen Xian appeared visibly restless, constantly unlocking her phone to check for any replies.

"Shen Xian, it's clear now that someone is keeping tabs on you. What are your plans from here? Your situation is very precarious!"

Zhou Mu sat down beside her, having held back these words all night.

Shen Xian put down her phone, gazing intently as she contemplated, "For now, it seems he only knows that I've met with Peng Fei. He has always been against anyone from Shenfei Group encountering this person. Thus, his precautions against me seem limited to that knowledge."

Zhou Mu's gaze was sharp and solemn, his all-black attire lending him an air of solemnity. At this moment, his demeanor exuded a strong sense of intimidation.

Shu Yan had no idea what the two were discussing, but she could tell that Shen Xian seemed to be in a difficult situation.

Glancing at Zhou Mu, she sensed a palpable anger radiating from Team Leader Zhou tonight. Unconsciously, she leaned closer to Shen Xian.

Seeing Zhou Mu's concern, Shen Xian tried to reassure him, "Now that Peng Fei has vanished, what else is there to worry about?"

"That's not the point, Shen Xian. The issue is that you've caught their attention. They won't treat you as an ordinary employee anymore from now on. Tonight's incident is just the beginning..."

Shen Xian fell silent, acknowledging the validity of Zhou Mu's concerns.

The phone on the bed lit up, indicating a reply from Gu Chen.

Shen Xian quickly unlocked the device to read the single word message: "Okay."

With a swift tap, he locked the phone again. His fingers tapped rhythmlessly against the phone case, his cool brows knitted slightly.

"I need to think this through carefully," she muttered to herself.

Zhou Mu clenched his fists and ran his tongue around his cheek, seemingly struggling to suppress his emotions.

He couldn't ignore Shen Xian's situation, but given his status, there were certain actions he couldn't take.

Nor could he stop her from doing what she wanted. Thus, he found himself in an awkward position, unable to either advise or hinder her, trapped in a dilemma.

Noticing the quiet tension in the hospital room, with all three of them seated uncomfortably, Shu Yan got up to pour Shen Xian a glass of water.

"Zhou Mu!" Shen Xian, having regained her focus, suddenly called out to the lost-in-thought Zhou Mu.

"Hmm." Zhou Mu reluctantly acknowledged her, leaning back into the sofa without meeting her gaze.

"Can you help me investigate Liu He's social connections? Or perhaps you could ask your classmates or old comrades if they have any information on Liu He's communications from three years ago?"

Shen Xian's eyes widened with anticipation as she looked at Zhou Mu.

Now that they had started, why give up?

Moreover, the opponent was already showing signs of guilt. The more guilty they felt, the more likely they would reveal their weakness.

Zhou Mu gazed at Shen Xian in silence for a while before reluctantly agreeing, "Okay."

Shu Yan looked back and forth between them, clueless about their conversation or who Liu He was. All she knew was that Shen Xian was in a difficult situation.

She reached out to hold Shen Xian's hand, saying, "Senior, if there's anything I can help with, please tell me anytime."

Shen Xian expressed her gratitude with a glance at Shu Yan. Her clear eyes were filled with sincerity.

"Alright."

Zhou Mu and Shu Yan sat for a while longer before Shen Xian, with a mix of urging and persuasion, convinced them to leave the hospital.

They were no longer children; a minor injury like this didn't warrant Zhou Mu's worry. Agreeing to stay in the hospital was partly to reassure him and partly because she felt her home wasn't entirely secure at the moment.

Both of them had their own tasks to attend to the following day, so there was no need for them to waste time by her side.

Before going to sleep, Shen Xian sent a message to Chen Nuo, informing her that the burn from earlier had become slightly infected. She had already taken a day off from work with Gu Chen and briefly delegated some of her tasks for the next day.

Not long after sending the message, Chen Nuo's call came through.

"Shen Xian, how are you? Have you put on the medicine? Do you need to go to the hospital? Should I come over to see you?"

The voice on the other end of the line was unusually sharp, filled with worry and tension. Shen Xian held the phone slightly away from her ear, waiting for Chen Nuo to finish her outburst before calmly addressing each question.

"It's not as serious as you think. It just hurts a bit, and it's itchy due to the inflammation. I've already applied the medication. The hospital..."

Shen Xian glanced at the IV bag hanging above her head and hesitated before saying, "It's not severe enough to require hospitalization."

"Thank goodness, you really scared me there. Ma Qi is way out of line. I'll find an opportunity tomorrow to teach her a lesson."

When Chen Nuo relaxed, she seemed like a completely different person from her diligent work persona, displaying a coquettish, slightly spoiled, and petulant demeanor that was rather endearing.

Shen Xian chuckled softly. "Don't, I'm afraid that after you vent your anger, she might take it out on me."

"Ahh..."

Chen Nuo let out a low exclamation, acknowledging the validity of Shen Xian's point. She decided right then and there not to seek trouble with Ma Qi for the time being.

After a brief exchange, they hung up their respective phones.

Shen Xian didn't fall asleep right away. She kept pondering the reason behind Gu Heng's warning. Could it be that he suspected Peng Fei had disclosed something he shouldn't have to her?

In reality, Peng Fei was merely a fool blinded by Gu Heng. He took the blame for embezzlement and fell for Gu Heng's manipulation regarding Liu He's departure. Peng Fei knew nothing at all.

There was very little information Shen Xian had on Liu He. She had only seen his resume through various connections within the Shenfei Group. Yet, his seven or eight years with the company was enough for an ordinary person to climb from the bottom rungs to management.

Moreover, Liu He had already achieved impressive professional accomplishments before joining Shenfei.

Searching Liu He's name online, Shen Xian was startled to find that some of the previous information and news about him had vanished.

Those pieces of news were insignificant, and given how long ago they were published, no one would bother deleting them. Who would go out of their way to remove those posts?

Shen Xian abruptly sat up in her hospital bed, gripping her phone tightly as she swiftly typed in other search keywords.

Peng Fei, embezzlement at Shenfei, Shenfei Group's finances...

Scrolling down the pages that appeared, Shen Xian noticed that the more she scrolled, the more absurd the related information became.

...It was all gone.

Given Gu Heng's profound concern over the Peng Fei incident, his fury toward Shen Xian for rashly approaching Peng Fei became understandable.

With her slender fingers gliding across the phone screen, Shen Xian pondered deeply.

The more importance Gu Heng attached to the matter, the clearer it was that the people and events involved carried great significance.

Could Gu Heng's actions be considered a formal severance of ties with Shen Xian?