2.17

Hao Junli was left alone in the room after Feng Mian dragged Li Haoran out to sort him out. With nothing better to do, he took out his sketchbook that he left on the table, flipping through it absentmindedly.

The sketchbook was overturned to a random page. Hao Junli started smudging the outlines of a figure with the pad of his fingers that had been dipped in one of Wan Junli's eyeshadow palettes. Vivid strokes of multiple mixed gradients filled the page like the collage of a butterfly's wings, giving it a sense of liveliness.

His fingers and palms were smeared in eyeshadows, and there was a concentrated look on his face as he was absorbed in his little activity.

His phone rang, and with his fingers still moving, he picked the phone up with his left hand.

"Hello, Mrs Wang, this is me, Yu Yan speaking." His fingers stopped momentarily before they resumed colouring.

"What is it?" His voice was monotonous as he answered her.

Since Ms Yu was now his debtor, he had given her his personal number after the exchange in the office that day. This also means that she wouldn't have a reason to call people she shouldn't as an excuse to stay in contact.

"I need to talk to you. It'll just be a moment… Please." Yu Yan's voice sounded feeble on the phone.

"You can just tell me through the phone." He really didn't want to see her if he could help it.

"Please, it's important Mrs Wang… It's about your husband." The line on the other end was silent and Yu Yan grew nervous.

"Where are you?" Hao Junli finally spoke.

"I'm at the staircase on the 10th floor."

"Wait," he told her briefly before immediately shutting the call off.

***

Hao Junli assessed the female lead who waited at the landing of the staircase with wariness. No one really ever uses the stairs in this company and it was hidden on a side wing behind an emergency door that was hard to see if you weren't looking specifically for it.

And now that she had asked to meet him, it was just the both of them in one, secluded place.

He cut to the chase. "What do you want to say to me?"

Yu Yan bit her lips nervously, her hands clenching and unclenching around her blouse in discomfort. She convinced herself that what she was doing was the right thing.

"I… the other day… Your husband is cheating on you with another woman!" She closed her eyes as she blurted the words out like vomit, afraid of the reaction it would evoke from the other person.

But against her expectation, Hao Junli did not ask her who, what sort of evidence she has, or even rage at her for accusing her husband of infidelity.

Instead, he questioned her, "Why are you telling me this?"

"B-because you're his wife, and I think you deserve to know."

"No, that's not it." Hao Junli moved in closer to her without breaking eye contact. "You're trying to drive a wedge between us."

"Why would I do that?" she retorted angrily.

"Because you want him." Yu Yan's mask was ripped off in one tug with Hao Junli's assured statement.

Deep down inside, Yu Yan knew, there was an ugly truth about herself, something she won't acknowledge.

She wanted CEO Li. Ever since she first met him.

But being told so directly by someone else was like being hit directly in the face. Yu Yan felt as if she was completely seen through. And by Wan Junli out of all people.

Yu Yan wanted to deny fiercely.

'She wasn't someone who would steal someone else's husband! No! It really was because she was concerned about Wan Junli!' she chanted in her heart.

She was undeniably attracted towards the handsome CEO Li who was young, successful and romantic. After she knew that Mr Li had not been opposed to extramarital affair, it was as if she had fallen prey to the devil that whispered in her ears all this while and had haphazardly fallen into temptation.

A sort of wishful thinking sprouted in her heart. 'Why not me then?'

These things could be kept in her heart, but could never be said.

She panicked at the thought of her inner desires being brought to light. 'If CEO Li knew…'

Yu Yan looked at the fairly long flight of stairs, being acutely aware that Hao Junli's back was facing directly behind them. She didn't know what came over her, but without her own mind processing the repercussions of what she was about to do - with one strong push, she had shoved the person in front of her.

Yu Yan immediately regretted it.

Hao Junli tumbled backwards as he descended down the staircase. The push was had come too unexpectedly that he was caught by surprise and was unable to balance himself in time. Barricading his head with his arms, he reflexively grappled to protect that part of him, knowing that a hit to the head would result in serious injury. Yet, as he fell down, he could still feel the rest of his body being bruised with each colliding impact.

He had fallen all the way to the ninth floor. Even with his head protected, he felt a buzz in his skull even as he stopped falling. Down there too, he felt warm wetness trickling down his thighs.

He didn't know what happened afterwards or how long he had stayed in that fetal position, but he heard the sound of someone calling his name.

The stairway was Secretary Hong's smoking spot and he had luckily noticed that there was a body laying down on the concrete landing soon after the fall had happened. He urgently called for the ambulance with haste and informed the CEO soon after.

Feng Mian came rushing as fast as her two legs could run, and caught sight of a pool of blood underneath Hao Junli's pantsuits. Her heart stopped.

Yu Yan stood frozen in place. There were security cameras on the stairway and with conclusive evidence, she couldn't get out of this scot-free. She toppled to the ground, hyperventilating. She saw CEO Li shoving the ninth floor emergency door open with a bang.

"C...CEO L...Li-- I didn't mean to--"

Feng Mian's only concern was the heavily injured Hao Junli. She had no time to care about others now.

Feng Mian: "555, scan what's wrong with Hao Junli's body."

System 555: "The blood is from inside his abdomen, it's a miscarriage. There's mild concussion too."

After making sure with 555 that Hao Junli could be moved, she lifted him into her arms and carried him outside. Several gasps from the staff on the floor were heard after seeing the unconscious and bloodied woman in their CEO's arms. It didn't take long for every department in the office to know that the CEO's wife had experienced an accident.

Outside, the ambulance has already arrived. Feng Mian accompanied Hao Junli in the ambulance with a grave face. The paramedics felt the pressure exuding from the young man as they inserted needles into Hao Junli's arms.

Secretary Hong arrived at the emergency room after Hao Junli was admitted in for half an hour.

Feng Mian stared at the emergency room's door as she talked with her secretary. "I want to press charges."

Secretary Hong nodded solemnly. "I'll have our team of lawyers on standby."

"Sue her for attempted murder. I don't care how much her lawyers offer, we won't settle. And… an additional charge for corporate espionage."

"How soon do you want to prosecute, sir?"

"Soon. She should be a nervous wreck right now and will turn to her conspirator for help. They'll want to push their plans forward. Be prepared. We're counterattacking."

Secretary Hong bowed respectfully. "I'll make sure to have things under control."