It Started With a Kiss: Leng Shao's Beloved Wife

Storm of Trust

As her fingertips gently brushed against the cold paper, Wu Xinyan felt as if an invisible hand were gripping her heart, making it nearly impossible for her to breathe. The hotel bill, Uncle Luo, his solemn expression... these fragments kept flashing through her mind, like silent questions, hammering at her once calm heart.

She had never doubted Luo Yichen's love for her. But the existence of these things was like a fog, obscuring her view of the truth. Could it be that Luo Yichen was really hiding something from her? Was the honesty between them all along just an illusion?

Wu Xinyan tried hard to suppress the emotions surging in her heart and put the photos and list back where they belonged. She told herself to stay calm. Maybe it was just a misunderstanding. Maybe Luo Yichen had his reasons.

During dinner, Wu Xinyan pretended to be relaxed and chatted with Luo Yichen, but only she knew what kind of anxiety and uneasiness was hidden under her smile.

"What's wrong? Xinyan, you look a little absent-minded today." Luo Yichen put down the knife and fork in his hand and asked with concern.

"Nothing, maybe I've been too tired from painting lately." Wu Xinyan forced a smile and avoided Luo Yichen's inquiring gaze. "By the way, you said you were busy with company affairs before. What were you dealing with?"

This question, like a tentative tentacle, gently touched the subtle barrier between the two people.

Luo Yichen paused for a moment, a barely perceptible flash of panic in his eyes, but he quickly returned to normal. "Some business cooperation negotiations were quite tricky, so they delayed us for a while."

"Oh..." Wu Xinyan nodded in a pretentious manner, but she felt even more uneasy. Luo Yichen's answer seemed reasonable, but she keenly noticed that there was a hint of deliberate avoidance and coldness in his tone.

After dinner, Wu Xinyan returned to her study, her mind replaying every look and every word from Luo Yichen. She knew she couldn't just sit there and wait for death. She had to find out the truth, even if it might break her heart.

At this time, there was a gentle knock on the study door, and Luo Yichen's cousin, the woman who had always been hostile to Wu Xinyan, walked in with a meaningful smile.

"Xinyan, there's something I think I should tell you..." Cousin Luo sat elegantly across from Wu Xinyan, a triumphant glint in her eyes. "Xinyan, I know you've always been a smart woman, so there are some things I think you should know," she said, pulling a file bag from her purse and gently placing it on the table. "Inside is evidence of Yichen's dealings with the Luo Group's opponents, including a detailed record of the hotel bill."

Wu Xinyan's fingers trembled slightly, but she didn't touch the file bag. She knew that as long as she opened it, there would be no turning back between her and Luo Yichen.

"Why are you telling me this?" Wu Xinyan's voice was a little hoarse, and her eyes were fixed on Cousin Luo, trying to find a flaw on her face.

"Because I don't want you to be kept in the dark and become a victim of family struggles." Cousin Luo sighed and said with feigned regret, "Yi Chen may love you, but this love is far less important than his ambition and family interests."

Wu Xinyan closed her eyes, her mind a mess. Cousin Luo's words were like sharp knives, ruthlessly tearing at her trust and love for Luo Yichen. The doubts she had once deliberately ignored now became incredibly clear, as if mocking her self-deception.

"That's enough." Wu Xinyan stood up suddenly, her tone cold, "I know what to do."

She didn't open the file bag, but turned and left the study. Cousin Luo looked at her leaving back, a triumphant smile on her lips.

Wu Xinyan wandered aimlessly in the garden, letting the night wind ruffle her hair, but it couldn't dispel the gloom in her heart. She thought back to every detail of her time with Luo Yichen, his ardent gaze, his gentle touch, his domineering possession... Was all this just a false promise, a tool to make her his tool for consolidating his power?

No, she didn't believe it! She could feel Luo Yichen's love for her, a true heart that couldn't be faked. But if he really loved her, why would he treat her like this? Why would he hide all this?

Wu Xinyan's heart seemed to be torn in two, one half was love, the other half was pain. She covered her chest in pain, tears silently sliding down her cheeks.

At this moment, a familiar figure appeared in front of her. Luo Yichen looked at her pale face, his eyes full of heartache and worry. "Xinyan, what's wrong with you?" He reached out to hug her, but she gently pushed him away.

"Don't touch me!" Wu Xinyan's voice was cold, with undisguised alienation and resistance.

Luo Yichen's hands froze in mid-air, the coldness in Xinyan's eyes stinging his eyes. He knew that his cousin Luo's provocation had succeeded.

"Xinyan, listen to me..." He tried to explain, but when he saw the disappointment in Xinyan's eyes, the words faltered. The family's instructions, the threats from the opposition, the fate of the Luo family—everything weighed heavily on his shoulders, making it impossible for him to be honest with the woman he loved.

"What do you want to say? That you and her were just flirting, that you only met her for the benefit of your family?" Wu Xinyan smiled bitterly, her tone filled with bitterness. "Luo Yichen, do you really think I'm a fool?"

Luo Yichen's heart ached. He wanted to explain, but found that any words seemed pale and powerless at this moment. His silence, in Wu Xinyan's view, was undoubtedly a tacit acceptance of everything.

"Okay, very good." Wu Xinyan took a deep breath, suppressed the anger in her heart, turned and walked towards the villa, leaving Luo Yichen standing alone in the night wind, his back looking desolate.

Over the next few days, the two of them fell into a cold war. Wu Xinyan ignored Luo Yichen's advances, while Luo Yichen was overwhelmed by family affairs. He wanted to explain to Xinyan, but he couldn't find the right moment, and he was even more afraid of facing the disappointment and doubt in her eyes.

The depressing atmosphere completely erupted at the family meeting.

"Yichen, do you have anything to explain about the rumors about your contact with the opposition?" The speaker was Luo Yichen's uncle, who was also a leader of the opposition. He swept his sharp eyes over Luo Yichen with undisguised hostility.

"It doesn't seem like it's your turn to ask who I meet or what I do, right?" Luo Yichen responded coldly, his tone full of disdain.

"Of course, you are the head of the family, and we have no right to interfere." The uncle said with a forced smile, but his eyes turned to Wu Xinyan, who had been silent the whole time. "However, there are some things that the parties involved might want to hear your explanation."

Everyone's eyes were focused on Wu Xinyan, filled with scrutiny, curiosity, and even gloating. Wu Xinyan took a deep breath, slowly stood up, and looked directly at Luo Yichen, saying word by word, "Luo Yichen, I just want to ask you one thing: have you ever done anything to offend me?"

The air seemed to freeze, and everyone breathed cautiously. Luo Yichen looked at Wu Xinyan's determined eyes, his heart filled with a struggle. He wanted to deny it, wanted to say "I love you", but he was suppressed by his family's responsibility and his own pride.

"I..." He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

"Enough!" Wu Xinyan closed her eyes, hiding the disappointment and sadness in them. "I already know."

With that, she ignored the stunned glances and left the meeting room. The door slammed shut behind her, leaving Luo Yichen standing there, as if all his strength had been drained away… After Wu Xinyan left, the air in the meeting room seemed to freeze. Luo Yichen slumped in his chair, his mind resonating with Wu Xinyan's words, "I already know." He knew his silence had shattered the trust they had so hard to build.

"Yichen, you disappoint me so much!" Luo Yichen's uncle broke the silence, with a hint of triumph in his tone, "It seems that you are just like this. You can't even control your own woman."

A few snickers were heard around him, and Luo Yichen stood up suddenly, his eyes gleaming coldly as he glanced at everyone present, finally fixing his gaze on his uncle, "It's not your turn to dictate my affairs."

After he finished speaking, he left the meeting room without looking back, leaving everyone looking at each other in bewilderment.

Wu Xinyan hurried back to her room, tears finally bursting out. She didn't understand why Luo Yichen refused to explain. Could it be that in his heart, the family's interests were really more important than their feelings?

She slumped weakly onto the sofa, her mind a mess. Suddenly, her phone rang. It was Luo Yichen calling. She hesitated for a moment, then finally answered the call.

"Xinyan, where are you? I..." Luo Yichen's voice sounded exhausted, with a hint of pleading in his tone.

"I already know." Wu Xinyan interrupted him coldly, her voice calm. "What do you want to say? Are you saying that you and her were just having a casual affair, or are you saying that everything you did was for the family?"

"No, Xinyan, please listen to my explanation..." Luo Yichen wanted to explain eagerly, but was interrupted again by Wu Xinyan.

"That's enough, I don't want to hear it!" Wu Xinyan took a deep breath and tried to suppress the anger in her heart, "Luo Yichen, I don't want to see you now, please leave."

After saying that, she hung up the phone, threw it aside, and let her tears flow freely.

Luo Yichen listened to the busy tone on the phone, feeling powerless and desperate. He knew he had to do something to win back Wu Xinyan's heart and make up for the mistakes he had made.

However, he didn't know that a greater crisis was quietly approaching. Wu Xinyan wiped away her tears, her eyes gradually becoming firm. She decided to find out the truth herself, even if the truth would make her heartbroken...

She turned on her computer and began to research Luo Yichen's recent itinerary and the people he had contacted, trying to find any clues. Suddenly, an email caught her attention. The email was titled "Cooperation Agreement," sent from an unfamiliar email address, and attached was an encrypted file.

Wu Xinyan's heartbeat began to accelerate, and a sense of foreboding washed over her. She took a deep breath and clicked on the attachment...