The richest man's parents were kidnapped, and his adorable son captivated the entire family.

Xie Yumin bit her lower lip tightly, her eyes darting away but she remained silent.

The ward was so quiet you could almost hear your own heartbeat.

Gu Yinshen stood by the hospital bed, his gaze like a knife pressing down on a cold winter night. He leaned closer, his breath icy, his voice filled with barely suppressed anger, and spoke each word clearly.

"You're not going to talk, huh? Fine, very well. Xie Yumin, what do you think silence can protect? Let me tell you, from this moment on, you'll never see Mengmeng again in your life! I mean what I say."

At that moment, his tone was devoid of any warmth, as if he were delivering a verdict.

The word "Mengmeng" seemed to shatter Xie Yumin's world like a thunderbolt.

She looked up abruptly, her pupils dilating in extreme fear, her face turning deathly pale. Her fingertips gripped the sheets tightly, her body trembling slightly beneath the thin blanket, as if she were about to collapse at any moment.

She knew he could do it.

Because Xie Yumin was very clear about Gu Yinshen's methods, power, and decisive style.

With just one order from him, Mengmeng would truly sever all ties with her and never see her again.

A sharp pain shot through her lips. She then realized she had bitten her lip, and the taste of blood filled her mouth.

She desperately suppressed her threatening scream, her voice trembling so much it was almost inaudible:

"No...no! I'll talk, I'll talk!"

She felt as if she were being held atop a raging fire, her eyes darting nervously away from his, her voice hoarse and broken:

"I... I was just so worried about Mengmeng, so I secretly took some photos. I really didn't do anything."

She explained frantically, her fingers gripping the sheets tightly, the veins on the back of her hands bulging, filled with struggle and despair.

"Besides, those photos were taken a while ago. I... I just looked at them on my phone, I really didn't mean anything by it..."

She spoke extremely fast, almost as if she were using all her strength to defend herself. But every sentence she uttered was full of holes.

She "just looked"? But the photos on her phone were updated strangely frequently; "taken before"? How did she get the opportunity to take so many?

Gu Yinshen was not convinced by her disheveled appearance.

He stood ramrod straight, his eyes cold as iron, his gaze sharp as a hawk's, dissecting every flaw in her words. He saw through her fear, saw through her evasiveness, but heard not a sliver of the truth.

But this is a hospital ward; nurses could come and go at any time, and there are surveillance cameras outside. He can't have an attack now.

Gu Yinshen suppressed his anger, gave her a deep look, and said in a low, piercing tone, "Xie Yumin, I don't care what you're thinking. Remember who you are, and remember who Mengmeng is really."

The question, "Whose child is this?" carries a warning, even... a test.

Upon hearing this, Xie Yumin's expression changed, but she forced herself to sit up. Despite her weakness, she stubbornly looked directly at him.

“President Gu, I have never neglected my duties!” Her voice was a little hoarse, but full of strength. “You have always known my work ability and level. I just… I just wanted to confirm her safety with my own eyes.”

"I didn't have any ulterior motives, I just...really, I'm so worried about her..."

There was still fear in her eyes, but even more so, there was a determination to seize the opportunity at all costs.

She could only use her sense of duty to justify her approaching Mengmeng.

However, Gu Yinshen stared at her coldly, unmoved. His eyes were unfathomable, like a dark well, swallowing all her explanations and grievances.

He slowly took a step back and said, "Just do your job. Mengmeng's affairs are none of your business."

After saying that, he turned and walked away, his steps steady, his back as cold and aloof as a mountain.

Just as the ward door closed gently, he pulled his phone out of his suit pocket, quickly unlocked it, and typed a series of commands with lightning speed.

"Initiate surveillance program. Target: Xie Yumin. Timeframe: 24 hours. Scope: Movements, communications, and interpersonal contact. Objective: To ascertain her true intentions."

His face was ashen, and his eyes held a barely concealed surge of anger and wariness.

Although Xie Yumin's words just now were indeed without any flaws, he still instinctively distrusted him.

He never lets up when it comes to Mengmeng.

Late the next night, Xie Yumin sat leaning against the headboard, her eyes slightly dark and her face pale. She struggled to fall asleep for a long time.

She has strongly requested to be discharged early from the hospital and has even signed a waiver of liability.

All of this was simply to better fulfill my duties and protect Mengmeng.

Although he was still feeling a bit unwell, the thought of Mengmeng filled him with renewed energy.

Of course, work is always unpleasant.

After returning to the company, she faced even more harassment from Ruolan and the ambiguous looks from her colleagues.

Walking through the break room, she could hear hushed whispers, and in the elevator, some people even turned around and covered their mouths to chuckle.

She ignored it, her gaze becoming calmer and her pace quickening.

Because he knew that arguing with them about these things would be pointless; it wouldn't help him achieve his main goal, nor would it stop the rumors.

So let them be.

Moreover, at this moment, he had something 100 times more important in his mind than this.

That's Mengmeng.

The image of Mengmeng's terror and vulnerability that night kept replaying in her mind, keeping her awake at night.

He felt he had to find some time to visit him as soon as possible, otherwise he would continue to worry.

So after get off work, Xie Yumin didn't go straight home.

She changed out of her sharp business attire and put on a plain gray-blue hooded sweatshirt, pulling the brim down.

Wearing a mask and wide-rimmed glasses, only her slightly tired eyes were visible. She then deliberately chose a subway passage with a lot of people to walk through, her steps quick and rhythmic.

However, not long after she exited the subway station, her heart tightened.

A strange chill crept up my spine.

She quickened her pace instinctively, turned into a corner convenience store, and looked back through the reflection in the glass window.

Then he noticed a black sedan following behind him.

The distance was neither too close nor too far, like a silent hunting dog, quietly biting at her shadow.

Xie Yumin's heart was pounding.

Her gaze sharpened, her face remaining impassive, yet her entire body tensed, for she knew she was being watched.

Her heart sank, her face suddenly turned cold, and she immediately withdrew her foot from the subway entrance. She turned her toes and looked solemnly at the surrounding streets.

She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.

Despite my heart pounding, my steps were steady.