181— It's Definitely Her

Fortunately, Gao Tinghua did not make things difficult for him. After glaring at him for a beat, he said, "I was referring to the fact that I tend to be too focused on whatever issue I set my mind on, till I solve it. Like a typical perfectionist."

"You mean like an OCD patient? Mental illness style?" Tong Zhian muttered, but he didn't dare say it loudly.

"What did you say?" Gao Tinghua eyed him suspiciously.

"I said that's very true Boss. You're exactly like that." Tong Zhian replied with flattery. He had no choice, his life could very well be on the line.

Gao Tinghua didn't comment and instead focused on the report. As he went through it, Tong Zhian filled him in on the details.

"Her father's name is Pei Yuze. He worked as a real estate agent and later opened his own small company. He passed away when Ms. Pei was fifteen.

"Her mother is Zhou Qiaohui . She runs an orphanage in City A. It was originally in a rented apartment in a middle class neighborhood, but they were able to buy land and so moved to their current location some years later."

"An orphanage." Gao Tinghua mulled on the word. "Where was it located originally?"

When Tong Zhian gave an address, Gao Tinghua's heart began to pound. He had studied the map of City A severally since it all started, so he knew that this place was within a ten kilometer radius to the place the agency found.

The more he heard, the more Pei Yueran fit the image of the person he was looking for perfectly. He didn't want her to be his sister at all, but what if she was?

"Did you find out if Madam Zhou is her biological mother?" This was the main point.

Tong Zhian looked at him in appreciation, "Sir, that's the thing. Apparently, they legally adopted her. It's not even a secret, though it took a lot of effort to— Sir, where are you going?"

Gao Tinghua could no longer sit still. No matter what, he had to see her and lay his doubts to rest once and for all. If she was the one, then he had to know today.

Tong Zhian exclaimed in surprise when Gao Tinghua suddenly got up and picked up his jacket. He wasn't even expecting a reply to his question, but he actually got one.

"To confirm something and solve this mystery," were the words Gao Tinghua left behind.

*****

It was another long day at the office. Signing off documents, speaking to clients and having meetings with the directors and mangers had drained Pei Yueran so much that at the end of the workday, she just wanted to go home and get some well-deserved sleep.

Nothing felt more appealing than her warm, wide bed at the moment.

As she locked her car at the underground parking lot of her apartment, her phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, she smiled and picked the call.

"I'm sure you must have had a tiring day, more so because I wasn't there to keep you company."

She smiled as she replied, "I can smell your pride from here, but you're right. It was boring and very tiring without you."

Li Chuanmo was on another one of his short business trips, and he wasn't going to be back until the next week.

His rich voice carried over the cold wind into her ears, "I'm sorry, I just wanted to get this trip over with before our wedding."

"I know. It's fine. I've also been busy trying to tie all loose ends before the wedding, so I get it. It's why I'm so exhausted." The sound of her footsteps echoed as she got into the elevator.

"Knowing you, I'm sure your plan is to go straight to bed, but make sure you eat something first, okay?"

"You caught me. Okay Boss," she said.

"I've been gone only one day and I'm now just "Boss"? We'll settle this when I return."

Pei Yueran wasn't even threatened, but she still said a sentence that was guaranteed to appease him. "I love you Chuan."

How could he resist that soft voice and gentle admission? "I love you too Honey."

The elevator dinged open and Pei Yueran got out, simultaneously ending the call. After hearing his voice, she felt like she had regained some energy and wasn't as tired as before.

Her improved mood took a nose dive however, when she looked up to see the uninvited, not to mention unwelcome guest standing by her door.

"Mr Gao, what a surprise!" An unpleasant one, but she didn't add that. "What are you doing here?"

Gao Tinghua was uncharacteristically quiet. He was still in his work suit as he came straight to City M after leaving his office.

Driving all the way gave him time to clear his head and come up with a plan, but coming face to face with her made his earlier plans fly out the window.

He had thought of speaking to her, asking her questions about her family and upbringing, and even requesting material for a DNA, but at the moment, he felt all those options were too long-winded and may not go according to plan.

There was really only one sure way to confirm his conjecture immediately.

While Pei Yueran was still wondering about his weird silence and the look on his face, he spoke, "I came to check something. Excuse me."

Without further warning, he suddenly stepped forward, parted the left lapel of the white suit she was wearing to one side and dragged down the ash blue camisole underneath.

Shocked, Pei Yueran let out a scream before slapping him with all her might. "How dare you!!!"

Her golden eyes looked like they were about to shoot out flames even as her palm burned hotly from the intensity.

The stars Gao Tinghua saw from that slap overlapped for a moment with the small, cherry red star he could see surrounded for miles by the creamy white swell of her full bosom.

His face blanched, making her five fingerprints show starkly against his pale skin.

It was true.

It was definitely her.

After the first wave of shock passed, Pei Yueran felt white hot anger. She felt like the slap was not enough and was about to continue berating him when she noticed his strange expression.

While still clutching her suit tightly, she eyed him warily, moving some steps backwards. But he didn't do anything she was expecting. He just turned and walked away.

Gao Tinghua didn't know how he stumbled away, but he eventually found his way into his car and got in.

The driver he rented for the night took one look at the rapidly swelling palm print on his face and drove him to the hotel he lodged in without a word.

When he got to his room, he sat on the bed and continued staring blankly.