Chapter 826: Love Beginning After a Breakup 15

That person stared blankly, almost dazed.

What, what?

After the play, Mo Lin laughed, wiped her mouth, and said, "Don't you understand? It means your family's company will be acquired by the Qiao family."

Hey, it's really tragic, we got together for a nice meal, and yet even the company got lost.

The Mo and Qiao families have always had business dealings, and are considered equal in strength, but using such a face‑slapping way to insult someone, Mo Lin has never tried before.

Qiao Xu, you really shouldn't say that—this method works, but only Uncle Qiao indulges you; if it were my family, who knows how the old man would scold me.

The few friends at the same table also chimed in, sharing their own "tragic experiences."

No one cared about that young man anymore.

Although he was still sitting in his seat, ever since Qiao Xu said those words just now, everyone has assumed he's gone bankrupt.

Watching that person's lost expression, wanting to beg for mercy but not getting a word out, he was already taken away by the servants, powerless.

Qi Zhan's heart, already fearful from Jin Chen's beating, shook even more.

He suddenly realized, although this plan brings great profit, what if it fails?

The Gu family still has underground enterprises; even if they fail, they can make a comeback.

But I can't.

If everything were discovered by Qiao Xu, would he too end up like that person today, vanished from the capital?

As if feeling the gaze falling on him, Qiao Xu impatiently looked over and met Qi Zhan's eyes, which held a hint of fear.

After half a second of eye contact, he quickly looked away, still feeling a bit guilty.

Qiao Xu stared at him a few times, then glanced at the suddenly alert Gu He, feeling sure they were hiding something from him.

However, Gu He's alertness wasn't due to anything else; being closest, he noticed the broken, red skin on Qiao Xu's hands.

So the afternoon incident wasn't injury‑free after all.

He suddenly felt a surge of inner joy, barely able to keep the smile from his lips, and slowly lifted his gaze to the piano.

If all peers in the circle saw Qiao Xu stumble in his strongest field, they'd surely mock him mercilessly.

"Little Xu, there's a piano here; you rarely play in front of everyone, why not show off a bit today?"

Gu He's words pulled him back; Qiao Xu glanced at the piano, then instinctively curled his fingers, his brows twitching.

"I don't want to; I don't feel like playing today."

He refused outright: "When you're in piano lessons, He Ge often sits in, you can go too."

Gu He's face stiffened, instantly looking worse; his dislike for Qiao Xu grew even more.

Yeah, we all take piano lessons together; why is it always you the teacher praises?

It's precisely because of your comparison that everything about me seems ordinary and unremarkable.

Anyone can hear the resistance in Qiao Xu's words, and no one bothers to pick a fight with him anymore.

Only Jin Chen noticed something off; his gaze lingered, faintly, on Qiao Xu's hands, which were unusually slow as he cut the steak.

Huo Chen followed his gaze and snorted, "I'm telling you, some people's looks shouldn't be so obvious."

Jin Chen gave him a sideways glance and said softly, "Have someone get the healing ointment for him."

No sooner had the words fallen than a strange bell signal rang out.

Jin Chen picked up his phone, glanced at it twice, and a chill instantly spread through him.

Then he locked eyes with Huo Chen.

Huo Chen obviously understood as well, his tone turning grave.

"Can you handle it yourself?"

"I can."

Jin Chen rose from his seat and quickly left the manor; a car was already waiting outside.

Their brief exchange drew little attention.

But Qiao Xu felt uneasy.

This phone bell signal is special; he knows it—back when they were together, Jin Chen compromised on many things for him.

But anything related to this bell signal is not allowed for him to inquire about.

Every time it rings, Jin Chen gets swamped, busy for days without being able to return home.

Now, recalling it, he feels extremely dangerous.

The banquet ended; the noble ladies and gentlemen who came to attend left one by one, having arranged different times to meet Huo Chen for fun.

Huo Chen readily agreed to each.

Qiao Xu received the healing ointment that Huo Chen personally handed over.

"Take it back and apply it—this is what Jin Chen specifically told me to do."

When Huo Chen faced Qiao Xu alone, his carefree, playboy attitude diminished considerably.

Qiao Xu clenched the healing ointment and did not leave together with Gu He and the others.

"You go back first; I still have a few things to ask Huo Chen."

"But Little Xu, it's so late—it's dangerous..."

"I said, go back first—don't you understand?"

Qiao Xu cut off Gu He's words.

He turned and followed Huo Chen's figure, eager to get an answer.

Gu He stared, surprised; although Qiao Xu often had a temper, he had never acted this way toward him before.

Qiao Xu……he couldn't have discovered something, could he?

"Jin Chen has left, and you're still alone in the manor—what are you up to?"

In the beautifully decorated reception hall, Huo Chen asked, gesturing for the servant to pour tea for Qiao Xu.

But Qiao Xu had no mood to taste it.

"I want to ask you something."

Huo Chen raised an eyebrow, sat opposite the coffee table, with both hands resting on the back of the sofa.

"Is it related to Jin Chen?"

"Yes."

"Then go ahead, what do you want to ask?"

"That bell signal,... will he go on a very dangerous mission?"

Qiao Xu's thoughts were tangled, he stared at the broken skin on his hand, "In the past six months, the frequency of this bell signal has been increasing."

So this half year has also been the time when they argued the most.

He always wondered what Jin Chen was doing, never seeing him at the company, and each time his inquiry ended with him getting angry, the two arguing, and Jin Chen coaxing him.

But the conflict remained unresolved, even escalating into a breakup.

"So you still care about his life."

Huo Chen snorted, his gaze fixed on Qiao Xu, "Yes, you guessed right—when the bell signal sounds, it means Jin Chen's life hangs by a thread, a matter of life and death."

As soon as he said that, Qiao Xu's expression froze.

It felt as if a huge iron stone were pressing on his heart, leaving him unable to think at all.

Huo Chen continued, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes, deliberately speaking more severely.

"Over the past year, he has often found himself in danger, precisely because he didn't want to drag you into it, and because you were afraid, he chose to conceal it."

"But every time he escaped danger, when he needed your company the most, you always seemed to have no time."

"No time..."

Qiao Xu pinched his wound, forcing himself to stay calm as he recalled.

"What have I been doing in the few days after each bell signal appears?"

A few seconds later, Qiao Xu's breath slightly stalled, and he suddenly felt a chill all over his body.

Gu He.

Whenever Jin Chen left for a few days, it was Gu He who, using various pretexts, clung to him and went out.

At least, for nearly half a year, it has been like that.

Uncontrollably, his mind began to retrace all the events that had happened before.