Chapter 24: If Anything Happens to Gu Luosheng, No One Can Save You

The sky is unpredictable. What was once a clear, bright expanse suddenly darkened, layers upon layers of storm clouds stacking atop the mountain peak. In an instant, rain came pouring down in torrents.

Gu Luosheng and her companions rummaged through their backpacks, searching for umbrellas, but the weather had seemed so fine that Gu Yunqi hadn’t bothered to bring any. The three of them were soon drenched, like chickens caught in a downpour.

The cable cars on Mount Zijin were of an older model; in heavy rain, they did not operate. So Gu Luosheng and the others had no choice but to descend the mountain on foot. There was no shelter at the summit, but fortunately, a few small shops stood nearby. Gu Yunzhou left a word and darted toward one.

"Wait here for me. I’ll buy umbrellas and be right back."

Gu Luosheng and Gu Qingwan lifted their backpacks above their heads, hoping to stay a little drier. The rain fell heavier and heavier, water streaming visibly down the mountainside. Many hikers slipped in their haste, landing hard on the ground.

Luosheng didn’t want to stand beneath the crescent-shaped stone, where loose rocks could tumble with the rain—there was a real risk of being struck. She started to move away.

"Luosheng, where are you going?" Gu Qingwan saw her leaving and grabbed her arm.

"Let go!" Luosheng tried to shake her off, but Qingwan clung tighter, pressing herself against Luosheng, her tone suddenly turning from cold to intimate. "Luosheng, do you know what wish I just made?"

"What does your wish have to do with me? Let me go!" Luosheng struggled, but the rushing water had soaked her shoes entirely. Any sudden movement might make her lose her balance and fall.

Qingwan ignored her protests and continued, "I wished for Luosheng to die. I don’t believe he’d stay faithful to a dead woman for the rest of his life!"

"So, Luosheng, just die!"

Luosheng tried to push Qingwan away, but unexpectedly, Qingwan released her and shoved her instead. Luosheng fell, rolling down the slope, crashing into a wooden railing that snapped beneath her, and plummeted off the cliff.

The rain was so heavy that it obscured vision; everyone’s sight was limited. Aside from Qingwan, no one noticed Luosheng’s fall.

Qingwan began to cry, stumbling toward the shops. On the way, she ran into Gu Yunzhou as he was returning.

"Second Brother, something’s wrong!" Qingwan grabbed his hands, tears or rain streaming down her face.

"Luosheng slipped and fell off the mountain!"

Thunder boomed.

Gu Yunzhou felt as if his mind had been struck by lightning. He asked in disbelief, "What did you say?"

"Luosheng slipped and fell off the mountain!"

The umbrella slid from his grasp. Hands trembling, he fumbled for his phone, but dropped it in his panic. The rain washed the phone downhill, and Yunzhou chased after it desperately. As soon as he retrieved it, he dialed Gu Yunqi’s number without hesitation.

When the call connected, Yunzhou seemed to summon his last ounce of strength. "Big Brother, Luosheng slipped and fell off the mountain."

Gu Yunqi was still in the conference room, momentarily stunned, thinking Yunzhou was joking. "Yunzhou, stop messing around. I’m in a meeting."

Yunzhou’s voice quivered with tears. "Big Brother, I’m not joking. Luosheng really fell. I saw the railing at the edge of the mountain was broken…"

Gu Yunqi shot to his feet, startling everyone in the room.

"Have you called the police?" Gu Yunqi gripped his phone, the veins in his hand standing out.

"Not yet…"

"What are you waiting for? Call them now! Damn it!"

Gu Yunqi cursed and hung up, kicking aside his chair as he strode out the door. "Alex, postpone all my meetings and work. We’ll discuss everything when I’m back."

"Mr. Gu, what happened?" His assistant Alex chased after him, but Gu Yunqi had already vanished.

…

On Mount Zijin.

Gu Yunzhou sought help from the staff. Hearing someone had fallen, they grew anxious. The police arrived before Gu Yunqi, and after Qingwan described what happened, they immediately launched a rescue operation at the foot of the mountain.

Mount Zijin covered a vast area. The spot where Luosheng fell was in an undeveloped region—a wild forest with no paths, requiring an improvised search.

The police quickly sealed off the mountain, dispersing all unrelated persons. When Gu Yunqi arrived, he seized Yunzhou’s shoulder. "Yunzhou! What happened? How did Luosheng fall after I left?"

Yunzhou had always disliked Luosheng, but never wished her dead. Now, he was dazed by what had happened.

"Brother, after you left, it began to rain. I went to buy umbrellas, and when I returned, Qingwan told me Luosheng had fallen…"

"Qingwan, how did Luosheng fall?" Gu Yunqi turned to Qingwan.

Qingwan sobbed, covering her face. "The rain was so heavy, I just wanted to hold onto Luosheng for safety. But she slipped and rolled down the slope. I couldn’t react in time."

…

Six thirty in the afternoon.

Shen Group Tower.

Zhou Qiang rushed into Shen Mo’s office, where Shen Mo was answering emails. Seeing Zhou Qiang’s reckless entrance, Shen Mo frowned.

"Zhou Qiang, knock next time before you—"

"Mr. Shen, something terrible has happened! Miss Gu fell off a cliff!" Zhou Qiang blurted out.

Shen Mo’s pupils contracted, and the pen in his hand dropped to the floor.

In three minutes, Zhou Qiang explained everything. Shen Mo grabbed his keys and dashed downstairs. Zhou Qiang tried to keep up but couldn’t catch Shen Mo’s car. Throughout the drive, Shen Mo ran countless red lights, racing toward Mount Zijin.

Zhou Qiang had been investigating Gu Luosheng, but hadn’t stationed anyone to monitor her every move. All he knew was that today Gu Luosheng was hiking with her siblings on Mount Zijin. When news broke of someone falling off the mountain, Zhou Qiang sent someone to check—and discovered it was her.

Now, three hours had passed since Luosheng’s fall.

Arriving at the scene, Shen Mo found Gu Qingwan under a police tent set up for shelter. Rain-soaked, he strode toward her, murder in his eyes almost palpable. "Gu Qingwan, if anything happens to Gu Luosheng, no one will be able to protect you. That’s my word."

Qingwan was bewildered; she didn’t know Shen Mo at all. Shen Mo left, searching for Luosheng in his own way.