Chapter 27: Where Love Begins, None Can Tell

The person on his lap stirred, her eyelids fluttering as she slowly opened her eyes. His refined, handsome face was only inches away. As she propped herself up to sit, he seemed to sense her intention and leaned in to assist her. In the process, they nearly collided, but he dodged quickly; even so, her lips brushed against his cheek. For a moment, the very air seemed to freeze.

"Are we going up?" She sat upright, attempting to change the subject. Her gaze drifted to the window; the car was parked in an underground garage, likely beneath his company.

"Hmm." He brushed a long finger against his cheek, where a burning heat lingered. His usually frigid aura seemed to show signs of melting. "Come up with me to handle a few things; we'll head home afterward."

"Alright." She did not know why she had to leave the Chu family, nor did she understand why her memories were so chaotic. The entire situation was shrouded in fog, leaving her with no sense of direction, but perhaps he could help.

"Miss, I will wait for you downstairs." Uncle Hai felt it was necessary to use his connections to investigate her situation; being led around blindly like this felt deeply unsettling.

"Uncle Hai, won't you come up with us?" She still hoped to have someone familiar by her side, given how little she knew of her surroundings.

"Miss, I have some business to attend to nearby. I will be back shortly." It was time for her to learn to grow up. Although her memories were frozen fifteen years in the past, she was no longer a three-year-old child, and he trusted that Xie Chenjing would protect her.

"I will stay with Yi'tong." Xie Chenjing had been investigated by Uncle Hai in the past—a man alone, with a clean background and a life so simple and straightforward that it actually invited suspicion. However, Grandpa Chu trusted him implicitly, and after long periods of observation, he had proven dedicated and beyond reproach, so Uncle Hai had ceased his inquiries.

"I leave her in your care, Mr. Xie." Watching them exit the car, Uncle Hai cast a deep, searching look at Xie Chenjing before driving away.

Xie Chenjing’s dark eyes dimmed. The phrasing was clever. Glancing at the departing car, he decided the investigation must continue; he would not tolerate any uncertain variables. Naturally, he took her hand. "It won't be long."

"Huh?" The sudden, contextless remark caught her off guard. She paused, stunned, before replying, "It's fine."

Stepping into the private elevator, she watched the numbers climb. Fragments of memory flashed through her mind, and she turned to ask him, "Which floor?"

"The building has eighteen floors; my office is on the seventeenth," he explained in detail, adding, "That card with my number on it—you can use it."

"Oh." She replied softly. The card was truly versatile; she had joked to herself that it could probably open the doors to his home or act as a bank card. She thought it was ridiculous, but what she heard next left her completely stunned.

"There is only one," he said, his voice slow and measured. "It opens the doors to all my properties, and it is a supplementary card to my bank account, with no spending limit."

She had only been idly guessing, yet it was true. Such a precious gift was too much to accept. Just as she moved to take out the card to return it, her hands were caught in his palms. She heard him say, as if it were a trivial matter, "Three years ago, this was the engagement gift I gave to Grandpa Chu." He did not mention that, beyond this unlimited card, there were billions in deposits held in the name: Chu Yitong.

Chu Yitong lowered her head slowly, her gaze resting on their joined hands. Three years ago, wasn't she still considered a fool in the eyes of everyone? Why would he choose that moment to make such a decision? Even with countless questions swirling in her heart, she did not ask them aloud.