Chapter 21: New Star Company

New Star Company used to have a headquarters in downtown Shanghai. But because the company kept losing money year after year, that building had long been mortgaged to the bank and auctioned off. After that, New Star Company headquarters moved to the city outskirts, leasing a piece of land to build an office block and a warehouse.

Li Zian got out of the car at the gate. His eyes immediately caught the office building. It was only three stories tall. For such a low building, obviously, no elevator would be installed.

“Who are you looking for?” A security guard stopped Li Zian.

Li Zian replied, “I’m looking for Yu Meilin, your Chief.”

“Do you have an appointment?” the guard pressed.

Just then, Kun Li emerged from the office building. Spotting them from afar, she waved. “Come on over!”

Li Zian started walking inside.

The guard, however, caught up to him and grabbed his arm. “You can’t enter.”

Li Zian frowned slightly. “That’s Kun Li, your Chief’s Assistant. Look, she’s waving me in.”

The guard glanced over, then stated firmly, “I don’t know her.”

Li Zian said, exasperated, “I’m Yu Meilin’s Husband. I came to see my wife. I can’t enter to see her?”

Hearing this, the guard immediately let go. He even offered an apologetic smile. “Sorry, I just started recently. I didn’t recognize you. But you still need to sign the guest register.”

Li Zian felt speechless inside. This guy was such a stickler for rules! It was hard to find someone this rigid, even back in Crescent Moon Village. But he didn’t say anything. The guard was just doing his job.

When the guard brought the register, Li Zian signed his name and then walked towards Kun Li.

“It took you long enough. Your sense of timing is terrible,” Kun Li didn’t look pleased.

Li Zian said calmly, “I’m not an airplane. I can’t fly over the moment you call. My driver doesn’t drive as fast as you do.”

Kun Li let out a mocking laugh. “Who would have thought… you actually have a driver?”

“A ride-hailing car driver isn’t a driver? He drives wherever I tell him.” Li Zian looked at her and grinned. “But you’re different. You drive just like you live, by your own rules. True?”

Kun Li shot him a fierce look, turned on her heel, and marched into the stairwell. “Follow me,” she said angrily.

Li Zian couldn’t be bothered to trade more barbs. He followed her upstairs.

Reaching the turning point between the second and third floor, Li Zian paused. He spotted a small patch of blood on the stairs.

“Did Meilin fall right here?”

“This is the spot. She bumped her head hard. I worried she might have a concussion or internal bleeding. I told her to go to the hospital, but she absolutely refused. You try persuading her,” Kun Li urged.

A wry smile touched Li Zian’s lips. Yu Meilin could barely stand speaking to him. What chance did his persuasion have?

Still, he had come. Because he was Yu Meilin’s Husband. It was what he felt he should do.

Reaching the third floor, Li Zian noticed a Surveillance Camera mounted on the wall. He paused again. “That camera points right at the stairwell. Shouldn’t we just check the footage to see how Meilin fell?”

Kun Li retorted, “What, you think I didn’t think of that? I went to the Security Section. The camera wasn’t working.”

“When did it break?”

“How should I know? Who should I ask? You turning into a detective now?” Kun Li snapped impatiently.

“Lead the way,” Li Zian stated, simply asserting his authority with those two words.

Kun Li gave a soft, frustrated snort, but had no choice but to lead on.

Kun Li brought Li Zian into a Large Office Area filled with dozens of desks. Some people were chatting, others browsing online; some were looking at their Mobile Phones, a few were even knitting sweaters.

The moment Kun Li walked in with Li Zian, the staff switched into an eerily synchronized “work mode”. The knitter snatched up a phone receiver, pretending to talk to a client. The web browsers instantly switched screens to Excel spreadsheets, fingers suddenly tapping frantically on keyboards. The conversationalists pivoted their topic in a split second to something work-related.

Li Zian felt like he’d wandered onto a film set. They were all pros.

He also noticed some women employees glancing at him, seemingly without meaning to.

This was something he was used to.

Looking this good… what could you do?

Kun Li led him straight through the large open space to an office door at the very end. She didn’t knock, just pushed it open and walked in.

Li Zian followed into the office. His eyes fell instantly on Yu Meilin, seated behind the desk. A bandage covered her head. She was intently reading a document.

“Meilin, I’ve brought him,” Kun Li announced.

Yu Meilin looked up. Seeing Li Zian, surprise crossed her face. “What are you doing here?”

“She called me,” Li Zian said. “Kun Li said you had an accident. I came to see you. Are you alright?”

Yu Meilin replied, “I’m fine. You should go back. Xiaomei and Grandma are at home. I’m not comfortable leaving them all alone.”

“I asked Xiao Tang to keep an eye on things. Don’t worry about home. Let me see your wound,” Li Zian moved towards Yu Meilin.

“I said I’m fine. Besides, you’re not a Doctor. What good is you just looking at it?” Yu Meilin shifted slightly away.

Li Zian reached her side regardless. He noted how messily the bandage was wrapped on her head – uneven, jagged. Clearly not done by a Doctor. He also saw scrapes on her knees, the wounds smudged brown with antiseptic residue.

“Who put on this bandage?” Li Zian asked.

“I did. What about it?” Kun Li shot back.

“It’s not meant to stop heavy bleeding! Why wrap it so tight? It needs redoing.” Li Zian reached to loosen the gauze on Yu Meilin’s head.

Yu Meilin pulled her head away. “I said it’s not necessary. Go home.”

Kun Li subtly winked at Li Zian.

Li Zian persisted, “Alright, if you won’t let me see it, at least let me take you to the hospital for a check-up. Falling from that height… there might be internal bleeding or a concussion. That can have serious aftereffects.”

Yu Meilin frowned again. “I said I’m fine. I know my own condition.”

Kun Li winked at him again, more insistently.

Li Zian sighed. “Miss Kun Li, did you get something in your eye?”

Kun Li rolled her eyes at him, clearly annoyed.

Yu Meilin’s voice softened a fraction. “I know you both mean well. But I really don’t want to go to the hospital. I’ve just taken over New Star Company. There’s so much to handle. I have no time to deal with Doctors. Zian, Kun Li will drive you home.”

“But…” Kun Li started to protest, then swallowed her words, clearly reluctant.

Li Zian said, “I’ll hail a ride home myself. But I’ve got something else on my mind. Not sure if I should say it.”

Yu Meilin looked at him. “Speak your mind. Why shouldn’t it be said? It’s just us here.”

“I think you didn’t just slip and fall. I think someone pushed you.” Li Zian stated.

Yu Meilin gasped. “That’s impossible!”

Kun Li interjected sharply, “Don’t scare her with wild ideas! Meilin only just arrived today. Who would she have ticked off already? Why would anyone do something so reckless?”

Li Zian countered, “If you’re stepping on someone’s toes, threatening their interests… even if they didn’t push you themselves, ordering someone else to do it is entirely possible.”

Yu Meilin’s expression darkened into seriousness. She seemed to be trying to remember the moments just before the fall.

Kun Li snapped coldly, “I refuse to believe that! Whoever dares… I’ll break their legs!”

“You said you weren’t present?” Li Zian probed, fixing Kun Li with a look. “Where did you go?”

Kun Li explained, “Yu Jiayong, head of the Security Section, called me away. What? You suspect him?”

“What did he want you to do?” Li Zian pressed.

“He said my car was blocking the delivery truck’s path. Asked me to move it. So I went to move it,” Kun Li replied.

Li Zian’s focus shifted back to Yu Meilin. “Meilin, this Yu Jiayong… is he family?”

Yu Meilin nodded. “A cousin. Seems very earnest. Worked here for years. You really suspect him?”

“You got proof?” Kun Li demanded incredulously. “Since when did you solve crimes?”

Li Zian paused thoughtfully before responding. “I’m not pinpointing anyone. Anyone could be a suspect here. Tell you what, Meilin. Let me divine your fortune. The picture should become clear then.”

Yu Meilin chuckled dryly. “I am genuinely swamped. No time for games. Just go home.”

Kun Li gave him a look that was almost mocking. “Did all that talking really just lead to this one point? You truly are a fortune teller.”

Both women’s words stung. They didn’t seem to realize.

Li Zian shrugged. “Fine. I’ll head home. But there’s one last thing I have to say. If someone here has already set a trap for you, pushing you down the stairs might just be the beginning. Whether you even consider me a husband or not, you are my wife in name. If someone hurts you, I will be involved. But since you don’t trust me, there’s nothing I can do. Be careful from now on. Handle whatever comes… alone.”

Your problems? Can’t be bothered anymore.

He was completely fed up with her cold shoulder.

He turned and walked towards the office door.

“Wait.” The word froze him. It was Yu Meilin.

Li Zian turned back to look at her. “Yes?”

Yu Meilin’s voice was much gentler now, tinged with awkwardness. “You… came all this way to see me. Wanted to help. And I just told you to go home. That was… rude of me. I apologize.”

Kun Li stared at Yu Meilin, utterly astonished. She never thought Yu Meilin, so proud, would apologize to Li Zian, the “nanny”.

Li Zian had been simmering inwardly. But seeing her apologize so directly… the anger cooled somewhat. “Leave early. Go get checked out at the hospital,” he advised quietly.

He turned towards the door again.

“Aren’t you supposed to divine for me?” came Yu Meilin’s voice from behind him.

Li Zian stopped. He hesitated. Then, he turned and walked back.

Although they were as genuine as a plastic couple, she was, after all, Li Xiaomei’s mother. They lived under the same roof. Completely washing his hands of her… his conscience wouldn’t allow it.

But Yu Meilin was infuriating. Just moments ago, he truly had the urge to pin her down onto that desk and give her bottom a good, stern spanking. Put some humility back into her.

Of course, such thoughts remained strictly confined to his imagination.

“How will you divine for me?” Yu Meilin asked, her curiosity evident despite herself.

Li Zian stretched out his right hand to her. “Close your eyes. Draw anything you want on my palm with your finger. I’ll tell you when to stop.”

Yu Meilin raised an eyebrow. “That’s… how you do it?”

“Just do as I say,” Li Zian affirmed calmly.

“Alright, alright.” Yu Meilin hesitated for a fleeting second, then brought her forefinger down onto his palm. She shut her eyes. Lines began to trace across his skin.