Du Chengrong was awake.

Apart from seeing Du Zhaohui right after waking up, he refused to see anyone. No matter how pitifully the Second Concubine cried, Du Chengrong’s heart remained hard. He kept only Xia Ziyu by his side, never letting her leave.

Indeed, she was never allowed to leave his side.

Even when using the bathroom, Xia Ziyu had to accompany him.

After just a few days, Du Chengrong left the hospital to recover at home.

He hadn’t gone to the company and refused to see any of the old guards who came to visit.

Those elders had come to complain.

Those who previously thought well of Du Zhaohui discovered he was hardly more gentle than Du Chengrong, and now wanted to remove him from power.

Unfortunately, Du Chengrong had suddenly taken to retirement life, refusing visitors and company matters, leaving the elders with no recourse.

Though Du Chengrong wasn’t managing affairs, he hadn’t given up his shares either.

At first, Xia Ziyu was quite happy – with the shares still in hand, the Du family fortune remained Du Chengrong’s. If she served Du Chengrong well, she’d get a larger share! Moreover, Du Chengrong valued her so much that he even extended his favor to call in Xia Junbao for a talk.

He also asked Xia Ziyu if she wanted to bring her parents to Hong Kong.

Xia Ziyu was very surprised, “Mr. Du, they’re still in prison…”

Only then did Du Chengrong drop the idea.

“We’ll discuss it after they’re released. I truly want to thank them in person – without their guidance, how could you have been sent to my side?”

Xia Ziyu was genuinely excited.

A brush with death really could change someone’s personality.

Now Du Chengrong ignored the Second and Third Concubines, wanting to spend all 24 hours with her. After a lifetime of philandering, she would be Du Chengrong’s final destination!

Taking care of an old man was certainly trying, but if that old man was among the wealthiest in Hong Kong, that was another matter entirely.

Xia Ziyu suppressed her excitement.

She recalled a post she’d read on her phone in her previous life.

There was a Hong Kong tycoon, even more notorious for womanizing than Du Chengrong, known as a starlet sniper. This tycoon had countless women throughout his life and several children, but after falling seriously ill, he left most of his fortune to the ‘girlfriend’ who had stayed by his side for years.

Originally the ‘girlfriend’ hadn’t gained official status even after bearing children, but after the tycoon’s serious illness, she finally succeeded – not only marrying the tycoon officially but receiving most of his fortune, becoming Hong Kong’s richest woman—

With this as her goal, Xia Ziyu found the days quite bearable.

But she soon noticed something strange about Du Chengrong.

Once, waking up in the middle of the night, she found Du Chengrong staring at her belly in a daze.

Xia Ziyu felt guilty.

“Mr. Du, what’s wrong?”

Du Chengrong smiled, “I suddenly thought of Keying. She was also close to giving birth then but unfortunately met with an accident. Though her child wasn’t born, it’s good that you’ll bear me a child in my old age.”

Xia Ziyu’s smile was forced.

The police had investigated, saying Liu Keying and Liu Tianquan had died at Du Chengrong’s hands.

But without evidence, the police could do nothing to Du Chengrong.

Why had Liu Keying died?

Nearly ready to give birth, yet involved with Du Zhaoji – Xia Ziyu couldn’t understand it.

Had Du Chengrong killed them…

Being compared to Liu Keying made Xia Ziyu very uneasy.

This incident left Xia Ziyu feeling unsettled.

What followed made her even more anxious. Du Chengrong not only required her 24-hour companionship but forbade her from going out.

Yes, while Du Chengrong isolated himself for recovery, Xia Ziyu likewise couldn’t leave the villa.

She gathered her courage to act coquettish once, mentioning wanting to go out. Du Chengrong stroked her face:

“No, without my watching, you’re not well-behaved at all, you’ll make mistakes.”

Xia Ziyu’s face went white, rushing to explain:

“Mr. Du, I didn’t mean to lose money in stocks, it was the market crash! I was wrong, I’ll never invest again without consulting you…”

Du Chengrong smiled cryptically, “Then next time you want to eliminate a mainland official’s wife, will you consult me first?”

Xia Ziyu was too frightened to speak.

Du Chengrong knew everything!

He knew about her using Tian Xiaoyan to deal with Liu Fen.

Even though Du Chengrong had been in a coma then, he still knew about this.

And Du Chengrong had kept silent about it for so long!

If Du Chengrong knew about this, what else did he know?

Like her reunion and sleeping with Wang Jianhua…

Du Chengrong didn’t scold or hit her and had people serve her good food and drink, but Xia Ziyu could neither eat nor sleep well. She spent her days suspicious and paranoid, yet didn’t dare explain to Du Chengrong. Having done something to feel guilty about, she feared retribution.

That day in the hospital, had Du Chengrong known nothing about what she’d done?

Xia Ziyu hugged her arms, curling up on the sofa.

In just a few days, Xia Ziyu had become skin and bones.

Unknown fear was the true torture.

Worst of all, such torture had no end in sight.

This luxury villa was a large prison cell for confining her.

She was scared, she wanted to escape… but with no money and no connections, where could she run?

A pair of cold hands touched her neck, making Xia Ziyu tremble violently.

“Mr. Du, I was wrong, please spare me this once.”

Xia Ziyu’s psychological defenses completely collapsed as she knelt and kowtowed.

Du Chengrong watched her with a smile, “Get up, the floor is cold, and you’re pregnant.”

Xia Ziyu trembled in a heap, continuously kowtowing, “Mr. Du, I was wrong, truly wrong, I was bewitched… Mr. Du, forgive me this once… let me go…”

Her voice had lost all coquetry; under extreme fear, only brokenness remained.

Du Chengrong sat on the sofa, coldly watching Xia Ziyu kowtow.

Only after Xia Ziyu had split her forehead open, blood covering her face did Du Chengrong laugh:

“You ask me to spare you once, forgive you, but you’ve done more than one wrong thing. Which one should I forgive?”

His voice carried disgust:

“A little thing like you, I could crush with one hand. When Zhaohui sent you to my side, I accepted his filial gesture, keeping you for amusement. What you looked like before, what you did before, none of that mattered – becoming Du Chengrong’s woman meant leaving the past behind. I gave you fine clothes and jewelry, let you live in mansions, drive luxury cars, made you look good as an investment company director, and let you show off at the club in my place – which provided you a fine place to be promiscuous. You even lost me tens of millions. Xia Ziyu, did you think I truly believed you had any investment ability? And in the hospital… heh, your ability may be small, but your guts are quite big!”

If he didn’t trust her, why establish an investment company for her?

Such confusion enveloped Xia Ziyu, making her momentarily forget her fear.

Before Xia Ziyu could figure it out, Du Chengrong mentioned the hospital, making her even more terrified.

“You… you know everything…”

Then why didn’t he expose her at the hospital?

Why give her hope these past few days?

Xia Ziyu had countless questions, but Du Chengrong wouldn’t answer them. He beckoned, and two men appeared.

Xia Ziyu threw herself at his feet, but Du Chengrong remained unmoved.

This was a man his son called an old pervert – facing a woman who betrayed him, he wouldn’t show a shred of mercy.

Even if the child in Xia Ziyu’s belly was truly his flesh and blood, did he lack for children?

“…Take Fifth Concubine to where she belongs. Don’t let her die – at least, she can’t die before me.”