staff at the Secretary's Office are shrewd individuals. Although they appear to be buried in work, their ears are attuned to everything happening around them. Fu Yan didn't want any rumors to spread,...Li Qin's originally quickened pace seemed to be pressed pause.

She stared at Huo Mingzheng's icy face. Her ears had already picked up the content of his words, but her brain seemed to lag behind. After a few seconds, she covered her mouth with reddened eyes, "How could this be..."

"Qi Ce was doing fine, how come... something suddenly happened to him"

Ho Mingzheng looked at her with a deep gaze, "Don't you know"

Li Qin shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes, “I haven’t been in contact with Qi Ce for several days.”

When she finished speaking, the room fell into an eerie silence.

Ho Mingzheng shifted his gaze from her face. "Your complexion is poor, go downstairs and have some water. I'll tell you slowly later."

Li Qin took a step, but her legs felt like they were filled with lead, unable to muster any strength. She struggled to watch Huo Mingzheng's retreating figure.

A salty and bitter taste flooded her mouth for a moment, leaving her speechless.

She raised her hand to touch her face, her fingers coming away wet. A lost look clouded her eyes. How had she started crying

Silently, without any pretense, she cried

When Lu Youguang died, she didn't cry. When she knew that Fu Yan and Huo Mingzheng were together, she didn't cry either. Knowing that Huo Mingzheng had never loved her, she just blushed.

Why is she crying now

She suddenly knelt on the ground. The maid saw this and hurriedly went forward to help her up.

Ho Mingzheng didn't look back, his straight back like an unshakable mountain, he said in a faint voice, "Help Miss Fu down the stairs."

Li Qin was helped to sit on the sofa by a servant, facing Huo Mingzheng.

Huo Mingzheng ordered the servant to pour a cup of hot water for Li Qin.

The maid handed a cup of hot water to Li Qin. Her hands clasped the steaming cup as if she couldn't feel the heat at all.

Ho Mingzheng's gaze was calm, and his tone was very tranquil: "Qi Ce's body is in the morgue. His family hasn't come to claim it yet. Since you two had a relationship, I'll have someone take you to see him."

The water glass in Li Qin's hand crashed to the ground with a clatter, shattering into pieces. The hot water splashed onto her slippers, wetting her feet, but she didn't feel the heat at all. Instead, she stared at Huo Mingzheng, wide-eyed with shock.

"Azheng, what are you saying Qi Ce and I aren't what you think..."

Ho Mingzheng's voice grew increasingly cold, "Qi Ce has done so much for you. Have you ever thought about the fact that he truly loves you."

"A-zheng, I really don't know what you're talking about. What has Qi Ce ever done for me" The light in her eyes was covered by darkness. She gripped the edge of the sofa tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force.

Huo Mingzheng looked at her face coldly, without explaining anything, but opening his mouth and saying, “Cao Yuan.”

Cao Yuan beside her took something out of his suit pocket. He walked over and put it on the tea table in front of Li Qin.

Li Qin's gaze subconsciously looked over. It was a photo.

The background of the photo is very dark, with a flash used while taking the picture. The surroundings are pitch black, which makes the main content of the photo stand out even more.

The location was by the docks, rain pouring down around him. Qi Ce, dressed in a black windbreaker, lay straight on the ground beside a box he carried with him.

He must have been fished out, his whole body was soaked.

Her face was ashen.

At a glance, it was clear that there was no sign of life.

He died.d the lid. Inside the ebony box lay a jade hairpin.Her hand holding the box trembled involuntarily.......In the hospital ward.Ho Mingzheng slowly sipped plain porridge, when Cao Yuan knocked on the do...