Chapter 4

Once everyone had left, I took out my phone and scrolled to the contacts under "Family." I clicked on Gu Jin's number. "Hey, bro, I need to ask you about someone..." The phone barely rang before it was picked up. A low, slightly aggrieved male voice came through. "Gu Ling, so you finally remembered to call me? Do you know I’ve practically turned the entire country upside down looking for you? "How’s your stomach? Don’t tell me you’ve been skipping meals again because of your experiments. I’m warning you, stop staying up all night! You might still be young now, but you’ll regret it when you’re older..." Quietly, I moved the phone a bit farther from my ear. Who would have guessed that this nagging, motherly man on the other end of the line was the same cold-faced CEO often featured in financial magazines, dressed in tailored suits and wearing gold-rimmed glasses? Years ago, my obsession with research left me with chronic stomach issues. My brother had gone as far as to get a nutritionist certification for my sake. When he worked from home, he’d juggle million-dollar business calls while cooking. With a pink, frilly apron tied around his waist and a serious expression, he’d meticulously measure the salt with a digital scale. This time, I had secluded myself for years to extract the anti-cancer elements from cherry tomatoes. Other than occasionally checking in with him to let him know I was safe, I barely had time to chat. I thought I was finally ready for clinical trials, but now everything had to be delayed. The patients who had pinned their hopes on my research would have to wait even longer. Gu Jin and I had relied on each other for decades, so he immediately caught the exhaustion and disappointment in my voice. When I mentioned Xiao Xiao, he noticed something was off. I heard him quietly asking his secretary who Xiao Xiao was. A moment later, he casually asked, "You don’t like her?" I glanced at the fruit scattered on the ground and sighed. "I don’t have a good impression of people who waste food."