Chapter 1 The Body at the Bottom of the Sea_2

On the other end of the phone, a middle-aged woman was sobbing uncontrollably, her voice filled with an urgency and panic she had never felt before.

Gu Xu's expression instantly darkened, and a flicker of panic appeared in his normally calm demeanor; the struggle and doubt in his heart could no longer withstand the impending peril to his brother's life.

Brushing aside the unease in his heart, Gu Xu stared at the woman before him with a grim face, his eyes filled with an unprecedented determination and seriousness.

"I won't pursue whether things are as you say they are. You had the audacity to do this, so if it causes trouble, I'll handle it. My brother's life is hanging by a thread right now, and I'm only giving you two hours to make sure you deliver the item to the hospital safely!"

After saying this, Gu Xu hurriedly turned and left the cabin.

Even though he was well aware that there was something fishy about this situation, he chose not to investigate, clearly distinguishing between what was urgent and what was not.

Gu Xu was in a rush to get back to the hospital, and therefore did not notice the sinister smile that appeared on the woman's face behind him.

The cabin door was soon pushed open from the outside, and a woman walked into the room where Huo Sining was.

A body-hugging chiffon dress accentuated her graceful and sexy figure, her waist-length curly hair tinted with a hint of gold, making her pale, delicate skin and exquisite features even more alluring, exuding charm from every angle.

But Huo Sining was in no mood to admire the beauty. Seeing the woman's face, she felt both surprised and confused.

Although it had been many years since they had seen each other, Huo Sining recognized at a glance that the woman before her was her once best friend, Wu Jingyi.

Hadn't she returned to the Imperial Capital Liang Family to become a pampered Miss? Why was she here? Huo Sining's mind was filled with questions.

Just like the nurse before, Wu Jingyi did not notice "Huo Sining" standing in the center of the cabin.

She slowly walked up to the operating table, her eyes fixed on the Huo Sining lying on the hospital bed, her smiling face not reaching her eyes, as if she was looking at a mere plaything.

Huo Sining's heart sank. Thinking back to the strange conversation she had overheard outside between Wu Jingyi and that unfamiliar man, she felt like she understood something, and an ominous premonition began to loom in her mind.

"Should I say you're unlucky, or just plain stupid?"

Gazing at the tranquil sleeping face before her, Wu Jingyi's eyes shifted elegantly, and she said with a slight smile.

"Why do you think a man like Zhao Mingcheng would be interested in you? Do you really think you're naturally beautiful and stunning? If I hadn't offered Zhao Mingcheng a bigger reward, why would he stoop so low to get close to you?"

Hearing these words, Huo Sining, no matter how naive, realized she had been set up. Reflecting on the events before she lost consciousness, she quickly grasped the essence of the problem.

At the seaside hotel, there was something wrong with the cocktail that Zhao Mingcheng had given her!

"Why? I've done nothing to harm you, so why would you want to hurt me?"

Huo Sining couldn't help but raise her voice in question to the woman before her, wondering why she would do such a thing.

Unfortunately, no one but she could hear her interrogation.

"Oh well, there's not much time left. Considering the generous donation of your heart, I might as well let you die knowing the truth."

Perhaps sensing the rage and resentment brewing in Huo Sining's heart, Wu Jingyi started talking to herself.

"Do you know why I was able to return to the Liang Family and become Miss Liang? It's all because of this."

Wu Jingyi slowly raised her right hand, her thumb and index finger delicately pinching a pendant around her neck.

"Without this Jade Pendant you gave me, how could I have lived the luxurious life of a wealthy heiress? Do you realize what this pendant signifies? It's a Liang Clan heirloom! Tsk tsk tsk, such an important token of identity, and you didn't care at all, just gave it to me so casually?"

The sleeping face on the hospital bed lay still, undisturbed, while the Huo Sining standing in the center of the room turned pale in an instant.

Her eyes widened in incredulity, sweeping over Wu Jingyi's smug face and finally landing on that familiar pendant.

Shocked disbelief filled her gaze before she seemed to come to an understanding, and she slowly closed her sorrowful eyes, a bitter smile appearing at the corners of her mouth.

Huo Sining could never have imagined that the truth of the matter would turn out like this.

Unaware of the anger and jealousy on Huo Sining's face, Wu Jingyi was clearly dissatisfied; she couldn't help but pinch Huo Sining's rough palm full of calluses and continued:

"I stole your position as the Liang Family's Miss, living in luxury every day while you, the rightful heiress, slaved away and were mistreated, enduring such a miserable life. Don't you feel any hatred?"