Chapter 8: Genuine Devotion Wasted!

A moment later, the call connected.

Jiang Yue asked hurriedly, "Hello, Director Chen? The matter I asked you to look into yesterday—have you found anything?"

"Director Jiang, I was just about to call you."

Because the area outside the conference room was quiet, I could hear the voice coming from the other end of the line.

"The medical records you asked me to check are authentic. Chu Jianghe did indeed seek treatment at Xinhe Hospital, and those examination reports are all genuine."

Jiang Yue could not help but frown. "So, you mean he really has pancreatic cancer?"

"Yes. I just spoke with his attending physician, who said his condition has long been critical. The doctor told him he has, at most, six months left."

Jiang Yue’s entire body staggered; it was unclear whether she had been startled or simply lost her footing. After a brief pause, she replied mechanically, "I see. Thank you, Director Chen."

After hanging up, Jiang Yue remained rooted to the spot, her eyes vacant and dull. I could not fathom what she was thinking. If she did not care about me, why would she react this way?

After standing there for a while, Jiang Yue finally returned to the conference room.

Frank greeted her with a smile and asked, "Miss Jiang, has Mr. Chu arrived?"

Jiang Yue’s face was as pale as paper. She shook her head and said, "I’m sorry, Frank. Chu Jianghe cannot come right now."

"He can't come? Why?" Frank and his team looked puzzled.

"He... he is ill."

Frank furrowed his brows. "What kind of illness? Is he in the hospital? May I go and visit him?"

Jiang Yue quickly added, "I apologize, Frank, but he needs rest right now. As soon as he recovers, I will arrange for him to meet with you immediately. Would that be acceptable?"

Frank and his team hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement.

After they left, Jiang Yue remained seated in the conference room, her head slightly bowed and her brows tightly knitted, as if she were desperately trying to puzzle something out. Her expression flickered between gloom and a look of confusion and struggle, as if her inner world were experiencing a turbulent storm.

Of course, that was merely my interpretation. No one truly knew what she was thinking.

After Fang Ting saw Frank and his party off, she returned to the conference room and said to Jiang Yue, "Director Jiang, Frank just told me to contact him the moment Mr. Chu recovers."

Jiang Yue sighed softly. "Fang Ting, when did Chu Jianghe discuss the proposal with them? Why was I completely unaware of it?"

"It happened a month ago," Fang Ting replied. "At the time, he saw how busy you were with this project, working overtime every day, yet the proposal submitted to the French side still wasn't satisfying them. So, Mr. Chu came to me and asked what was going on. Later, he went to find Frank himself. I don't know what happened after that."

Yes, Fang Ting was right. Even though I had lost all hope for Jiang Yue by then, I couldn't bear to see her overwhelmed by work, given our many years together. Whatever else could be said, Jiang Yue was always incredibly dedicated to her career.

I had approached Fang Ting to learn all the details of the project. I discovered that a French company wanted to build a hot spring-themed hotel in Qingcheng and had hired Jiang Yue’s advertising agency to develop a marketing strategy. I knew nothing about such things, but I spent a great deal of time learning and inquiring about them. Eventually, I combined their original proposal with the client's needs and made major revisions to the entire plan.

When I approached Frank with sincerity, he gave me three minutes. I succeeded in convincing him, which is why they managed to sign the contract with Jiang Yue’s company. The commission alone was five million, but over that month, I never mentioned a word of it to Jiang Yue.

At this moment, Jiang Yue pressed her temples, her lips alternately pursed and trembling slightly, as if she wanted to say something but didn't know where to begin. The next moment, she gestured for Fang Ting to leave, then pulled out her phone and dialed a number.

"Director Chen, I need to trouble you with one more thing."

"Go ahead."

"The police called me two days ago to say that Chu Jianghe had been in a car accident. I went to confirm it, but his face was so badly disfigured that it was impossible to tell if it was him. Please help me verify the truth of this. Also, I need the DNA test report from that body."

"Understood, I will handle it immediately."

After hanging up, Jiang Yue threw her phone aside in a fit of pique and muttered, "Chu Jianghe! If you’re going to die, couldn't you have waited two more days? Are you playing with me?"

"The French side insists on seeing you. If you’re dead, how am I supposed to answer to them?"

Hearing her words, my heart turned cold. I had thought her earlier reaction meant she was grieving for me, but it turned out she was only thinking about whether the project with the French side could proceed smoothly. This woman was truly beyond saving.

Fine. I’ll just consider these years of devotion as if I’d fed them to the dogs.

That evening after Jiang Yue left work, Cheng Jun’s car was already waiting downstairs. Seeing Jiang Yue emerge from the building, he thoughtfully opened the door for her. Once she was inside, he carefully fastened her seatbelt; every gesture was deliberate.

Yet, these were the same things I had once done for Jiang Yue, only for her to remain unappreciative. They say that when you hate someone, even their breathing is a fault—that really is true.

Jiang Yue seemed to be in low spirits. Cheng Jun noticed and asked, "Yueyue, you seem unhappy. What happened?"

Jiang Yue shook her head. "Nothing. I was just wondering if Chu Jianghe is truly dead."

Cheng Jun paused. "Well, do you hope he is dead, or that he isn't?"

Jiang Yue looked conflicted. "I don't know. It’s complicated."

"Yueyue, you haven't developed feelings for him, have you?" Cheng Jun sighed, his voice lowering. "If that’s the case, I don’t want to make things difficult for you. I respect whatever choice you make."

Jiang Yue looked at Cheng Jun with such tenderness. "No, I have never had feelings for him. It’s just... I don’t know how to put it. I just feel like I haven't treated him fairly."

Hearing Jiang Yue say this, I laughed again. So you *do* know you treated me unfairly! All these years, wasn't I just a shadow of Cheng Jun to you? Why bother talking about fairness now?

Cheng Jun sighed again. "Then, when we are together in the future, let's make it up to him. I know he liked you quite a bit; we can introduce him to a new girlfriend."

I found it hilarious. This scumbag was intentionally speaking on my behalf, putting on a show. It was no wonder Jiang Yue was so deeply infatuated with him.

Jiang Yue, however, gave a faint smile. "Forget it. Why bother with him? If he’s dead, he’s dead! It saves me the trouble of worrying about how to shake off that pathetic sycophant."

Hearing Jiang Yue’s cold words, I gritted my teeth in resentment. This was torture—I was already dead, and yet I was still being tormented! But there was nowhere to run; as a soul, there was nothing I could do.