Chapter 184: The Iceberg Heroine Calls Daddy! Your Best Friend Eavesdropped! You Don’t Want to Either:
In the CEO’s office, two stunning women sat across from each other, sipping tea as they discussed the current business landscape. Both women possessed breathtaking beauty, graceful figures, and a strikingly refined temperament.
Anyone familiar with them would have been shocked to see them together. After all, they were two of the most admired CEOs in the industry: Lin Chuqing of Sunny Electronics Co., Ltd. and Gu Ningshuang of Gu Pharmaceutical Group.
The business world wasn’t particularly vast, but women-led companies like theirs were rare. Over time, the two had grown close, often meeting to chat and share their experiences. Despite their positions of power, they were of similar age, which made it easy for them to bond.
Inevitably, their conversation turned to a name that couldn’t be ignored in the business world: Xu Hao. Within half a year, his real estate group, initially valued at 10 billion yuan, had diversified and grown more than tenfold in market value.
Gu Ningshuang glanced at her friend with a meaningful look and asked, "Chuqing, what do you think of Xu Hao?"
Caught off guard, Lin Chuqing stammered. But, she quickly corrected herself, embarrassed by her slip of the tongue.
"Boss Xu is an exceptional person," she said, her tone softening as she continued. "He’s talented in business, has an excellent character, and doesn’t act pretentious. He’s always involved in charity, donates to poor regions, and funds the construction of Hope Primary Schools..."
As Lin Chuqing spoke about Xu Hao, the cold, distant CEO the world knew seemed to transform into a lively fan. Her excitement was palpable, and her admiration for Xu Hao was clear.
She recounted their first meeting at a business expo, during which Xu Hao had helped her when she was being suppressed by the Chu family. His willingness to assist, despite his ties with the Chu family, had left a deep impression on her.
Their relationship truly deepened after a harrowing incident.
Lin Chuqing had been tricked by the Chu family’s eldest son into drinking tea spiked with a love potion. Just when she was on the brink of despair, Xu Hao had appeared and saved her. The night that followed had left Xu Hao guilt-ridden, though Lin Chuqing blamed herself.
Xu Hao was married with a happy family, yet due to the effects of the love potion, they had been unable to resist each other.
Feeling ashamed and guilty, Lin Chuqing had wanted to move on and treat the encounter as a fleeting moment. However, Xu Hao had insisted on making amends, even gifting her something precious. Despite her embarrassment, she had accepted.
Over time, their bond grew stronger.
Now, six months later, Lin Chuqing had fully accepted her relationship with Xu Hao. Though she maintained a cold and aloof image in public, she shared sweet and private moments with him behind closed doors. If her admirers, who saw her as a goddess, ever discovered her secret relationship with Xu Hao, they’d be devastated.
As Lin Chuqing fondly spoke of Xu Hao, Gu Ningshuang quietly sipped her tea, her expression complicated.
To be honest, she wanted to warn her friend not to be fooled by Xu Hao’s outward charm.
In her eyes, Xu Hao was far from the perfect man Lin Chuqing described. To her, he was a hypocrite and a complete villain—something she knew firsthand. After all, she was pregnant with Xu Hao’s child.
The incident had occurred months earlier.
On that day, Gu Ningshuang had gone to Lin Chuqing’s house. Arriving early, she heard something through the door that left her stunned. The sounds coming from inside were unmistakably intimate, and they were coming from her friend Lin Chuqing.
Gu Ningshuang couldn’t believe her ears. The cold, aloof CEO, who claimed to have never been involved with men, was clearly with someone. Out of shock and curiosity, she stayed to eavesdrop. For nearly an hour, the sounds continued before finally subsiding.
After composing herself in her car, Gu Ningshuang returned to knock on the door at the agreed time. She entered the house, curious to see who Lin Chuqing’s mysterious partner was.
The sight that greeted her was utterly unexpected.
Xu Hao sat calmly in the room, while Lin Chuqing, her cheeks flushed and her eyes glowing, looked equally stunned by her arrival.
The lingering scent in the air left no doubt about what had happened.
Gu Ningshuang was in turmoil.
How could Xu Hao, a man old enough to be Lin Chuqing’s father, have this kind of relationship with her? She even recalled hearing Lin Chuqing call him "Daddy" during those moments.
Initially, Gu Ningshuang had admired Xu Hao for his business achievements. However, after this incident, her opinion of him changed drastically. To her, he was an immoral man who betrayed his wife while taking advantage of someone young enough to be his daughter. His claims of loving his wife were, in her eyes, nothing but lies.
After leaving Lin Chuqing’s house that day, Gu Ningshuang resolved to keep her distance from Xu Hao. She labeled him a hypocrite and wanted nothing to do with him.
Yet, that same night, Xu Hao unexpectedly came to find her...
"You were listening very intently outside the door this afternoon, weren’t you?"
Xu Hao’s voice pierced through the silence, leaving Gu Ningshuang frozen. He knew she had been eavesdropping.
Whether he was aware at the time or deliberately let her overhear, the thought made her blush with both shame and anger.
"I didn’t expect you to have such a peculiar hobby," Xu Hao teased, his tone light yet laced with mockery. "If Lin Chuqing knew about your sneaky behavior, what would she think of you?"
Gu Ningshuang’s fists clenched in fury.
The audacity! He had the gall to shift the blame onto her when it was his relationship with Lin Chuqing that was questionable.
Fighting back, she retorted, "You’re a father to seven daughters, yet you let Lin Chuqing call you that. Do you have some kind of twisted ideas?"
Xu Hao smirked, raising an eyebrow. "You don’t need to concern yourself with that. What you do need to know is that I’m interested in you..."
The way he looked at her made Gu Ningshuang instinctively take two steps back.
"What do you want to do?" she asked, her voice trembling. "I’m not as naive as Lin Chuqing. I won’t be deceived by your charm or sweet words."
Xu Hao ignored her resistance, instead revealing detailed information about the Gu family and Gu Pharmaceutical Group, which his subordinates had thoroughly investigated. He listed every minor detail, even illegal activities.
The more she listened, the more horrified she became. His knowledge of her family was terrifyingly accurate. How powerful was this man?
But the words that followed left her even more shaken.
"You wouldn’t want anything to happen to your family, would you?"
Her vision blurred as a wave of darkness threatened to engulf her. She felt faint. Xu Hao wasn’t just shameless; he was downright despicable. To use her family as leverage—it was unforgivable.
She thought of the glowing reputation he had in the outside world. How could people call someone like him a good person? Were they blind?
"Lin Chuqing and I are good friends," she tried to counter. "If she finds out what you’ve done to me, won’t she hate you?"
Xu Hao’s eyes gleamed with mischief. "Wouldn’t that make it even more exciting? Good friends should share everything in life..."
His shameless response left Gu Ningshuang utterly defeated.
No matter how much she despised him, she couldn’t risk her family’s safety. In the end, she had no choice but to comply, giving herself to him unwillingly.
That one time turned into countless encounters. Xu Hao frequently visited her, and each time, she was forced to submit. The frustration and helplessness nearly consumed her.
Recently, she began feeling nauseous for no apparent reason and lost her appetite whenever she saw greasy food. Initially, she thought it was a stomach issue. However, during one of Xu Hao’s visits, just as he was about to embrace her, he suddenly held her hand and went silent.
Moments later, he casually announced, "You’re pregnant."
The words struck her like a thunderbolt.
She was stunned, unable to process what he had just said.
After he left, she went to the hospital for a check-up, still unwilling to believe it. The results confirmed it—she was pregnant.
Conflicted and overwhelmed, she didn’t know what to do.
Deep down, she knew she shouldn’t keep the child, but she couldn’t bring herself to go through with an abortion.
Xu Hao’s parting words rang in her ears: "Give birth to the child. Don’t even think about aborting it, or you’ll face the consequences."
It wasn’t just his threat keeping her from terminating the pregnancy. She found herself justifying her decision with the thought of bringing new life into the world.
Surprisingly, her mood had improved in recent days. She even reached out to her good friend, Lin Chuqing, for a casual chat.
But when nausea hit again, she quickly covered her mouth, running to the side to vomit.
"Ningshuang, are you okay?" Lin Chuqing asked, concern evident in her voice.
"I’m fine," Gu Ningshuang replied hurriedly. "It’s just a bit of a stomach issue I’ve had recently."
She was terrified her friend would uncover the truth—that Xu Hao had been with her right after leaving Lin Chuqing’s house, and now she was carrying his child.
Lin Chuqing’s worried expression didn’t fade. "Are you sure it’s nothing serious? You should go to the hospital. Stomach issues shouldn’t be ignored."
"I’ve already seen a doctor and got some medicine," Gu Ningshuang replied quickly, her tone a little too defensive.
"Alright then," Lin Chuqing said, though a trace of suspicion lingered in her eyes.
Something felt off about her friend today, but she chose not to press further.
After chatting for a while longer, Lin Chuqing left for work, leaving Gu Ningshuang alone with her thoughts.
…
Meanwhile, outside the company building, a man named Su Chen had just landed on the ground after effortlessly jumping over the wall. Looking at the security guards behind him, he chuckled triumphantly. "A few guards think they can stop me? How naive."
Earlier, he had claimed to be Gu Ningshuang’s fiancé, which had angered the guards. They’d tried to block him, but a powerful individual like him, at the peak of Huajin, wasn’t about to be stopped by ordinary men.
As he confidently approached the building, his steps full of arrogance, his eyes suddenly widened.
Walking out of the company was a stunningly beautiful woman—Lin Chuqing. Su Chen’s jaw dropped, and he couldn’t help but stare in disbelief.
"My God, there’s someone this beautiful in the world?" He muttered to himself.
Having grown up in the mountains, the only women he’d encountered were the rough ones from the village. His knowledge of beauty was limited to the crude illustrations in books and the movies he’d secretly watched.
This woman was unlike anything he’d ever seen—her flawless beauty, impeccable figure, and unique elegance left him mesmerized.
But by the time he came to his senses, the car carrying Lin Chuqing had already driven off.
Frustrated, Su Chen slapped himself.
How could he let such a chance slip away? If only he hadn’t been so dazed...
Suddenly, a question popped into Su Chen's mind.
Who was that beautiful woman he had just seen?
Could she be his fiancée, Gu Ningshuang?
If she was, there was no way he would let go of this marriage. And if she wasn’t, then how stunning must Gu Ningshuang be, given that even her employees were so beautiful?
Su Chen recalled the rumors about Gu Ningshuang. She was said to be a breathtakingly beautiful CEO with countless admirers. He had once scoffed at such talk, but now, he found himself eagerly anticipating their meeting.
Following the directions he received, Su Chen made his way into the company building and headed for the CEO's office on the top floor. Once there, he knocked firmly on the door.
"Come in..." A pleasant voice called from inside.
Su Chen’s heart sank.
Someone was in the CEO’s office. This confirmed that the beautiful woman who had driven away earlier was not his fiancée.
Taking a deep breath, Su Chen pushed open the door and stepped in. He was determined to meet his fiancée and see her for himself.
As soon as he entered, his eyes landed on Gu Ningshuang sitting at her desk, intently reviewing documents. She was breathtakingly beautiful—almost identical to the woman he had seen earlier. Just the sight of her profile made his heart race.
Her skin was as smooth and fair as snow, and her tied-up hair accentuated her noble and elegant demeanor.
Who said only men looked attractive when they worked seriously?
A woman like her, focused on her tasks, was utterly mesmerizing.
"What’s the matter?" Gu Ningshuang asked, thinking it was her secretary. Her tone was calm and professional.
When she received no response after a while, she looked up. The sight of an unfamiliar young man standing in her office made her frown.
A faint air of authority emanated from her as she asked coldly, "Who are you?"
Su Chen, snapping out of his daze, wiped the corner of his mouth and replied, "I’m the apprentice of Su Shengshou."
Seeing her puzzled expression, he quickly explained. "Twenty years ago, my master and Mr. Gu were good friends, and they arranged a marriage between their families. I am my master’s only disciple, and I’ve come here to fulfill that engagement."
His tone was earnest and sincere. The idea of canceling the engagement no longer crossed his mind. Who in their right mind would break off an engagement with such a stunning fiancée?
Su Chen wanted nothing more than to make this marriage happen as soon as possible.
Gu Ningshuang frowned at the mention of the child marriage. A memory surfaced—her parents and grandfather had indeed told her about it years ago. However, she hadn’t taken it seriously, especially after her grandfather’s passing.
She had no intention of agreeing to such an arrangement. After all, her life had already taken a drastic turn—she belonged to Xu Hao now.
Looking at Su Chen with indifferent eyes, she spoke calmly, "It’s true that there was an arrangement for a child marriage... but I have no intention of going through with it."
Su Chen, however, didn’t take her rejection to heart. He remained determined. She was a strong woman who had led the Gu family to its current success. Why would she need anyone else’s help? But at the same time, he realized there might be more to her reluctance.
"Name your price. How much will it take for you to agree to cancel this engagement?" She asked boldly, assuming he was motivated by financial concerns.
Gu Ningshuang’s gaze turned icy. She wasn’t interested in discussing money. It wasn’t about the engagement or Su Chen himself—it was about her current situation.
With Xu Hao’s ruthlessness, any man who got close to her would undoubtedly face grave consequences.
"The child marriage was arranged by my grandfather," she said evenly. "I don’t want to violate his wishes, but I also don’t want to involve anyone else."
Her calm demeanor only added to Su Chen’s confusion.
He had expected her to either accept or outright reject the engagement, but her vague response left him puzzled.
Su Chen, however, was not ready to give up. "I don’t understand. What do you mean?"
He was satisfied with the idea of this engagement and couldn’t imagine letting such a beautiful woman slip away.
Where else would he find another fiancée like her?
Gu Ningshuang’s rejection wasn’t personal—it was born out of kindness and a desire to protect him. Yet Su Chen couldn’t comprehend her hesitation and remained determined to fulfill the engagement.