Chapter 136: Amulet
Translator: _Min_
After the conservation ended, Zhao Xuan felt a sudden clarity wash over him. He noticed that Song Ling had been paying close attention to Gu Dai lately. Could it be that after being hurt by Miss Jiang Yue, he had come to appreciate the virtues of his ex-wife and had fallen for her again?
Unaware of the various speculations people had about him, Song Ling sat in his office, lost in his own thoughts. He was consumed by all that had happened since his divorce from Gu Dai, echoing the words Zhou Ci had just spoken.
The more he thought, the more agitated he became. Closing his eyes, he pressed his throbbing temples. It felt as though a raging fire was burning deep within him, urgently in need of a cooling breeze to quench it.
But what could that cooling breeze be?
His brow furrowed, the headache intensified, and his fingers massaged his temples with greater force.
Suddenly, a scent wafted into his consciousness. With a swift motion, he stood up, grabbed his car keys, and strode quickly out of his office.
His secretary, who was just about to walk into his office to brief him on some work matters, was startled. Lowering her head, she said, “Mr. Song, the information you requested—”
Song Ling didn’t even acknowledge her; he simply walked past.
Confused, the secretary watched Song Ling’s retreating figure. When she saw Zhao Xuan, she quietly asked, “Assistant Zhao, what’s going on with Mr. Song?”
Zhao Xuan shook his head, equally clueless. “I have no idea.”
The secretary couldn’t believe it. “You’re his right-hand man, and even you don’t know? Mr. Song is a workaholic. He never leaves before finishing his work. Could it be that he’s affected by what happened at the wedding?”
Zhao Xuan suspected that Song Ling’s abrupt departure had more to do with Gu Dai than the wedding fiasco.
Catching the sudden change in Zhao Xuan’s expression, the secretary excitedly asked, “Assistant Zhao, did you figure it out?”
Quickly masking his emotions, Zhao Xuan replied sternly, “No. Now go back to work and tell everyone in the company not to discuss Mr. Song’s personal matters. If he hears us talking, we’re all doomed.”
After leaving the company, Song Ling sped down the roads, driving straight to the villa where he and Gu Dai had once lived.
On the road, his phone rang more than a dozen times, but Song Ling ignored every call. Eventually, finding it too annoying, he switched off his phone entirely.
Right now, whether it was work-related or calls from friends and family, Song Ling had no desire to pick up. His mind was intermittently invaded by images of Gu Dai, and he was desperate to find the subtle scent on her that could bring him peace.
There was a fragrance about Gu Dai—a faint aroma that was almost elusive.
Five years ago, after surviving a shooting, Song Ling was left with lingering symptoms, including bouts of headaches and irritability. Yet, each time he caught a whiff of that scent on Gu Dai, his mind would quickly calm down, and he would be free from nightmares for a considerable time.
But Gu Dai’s presence in his life had been so frequent that he never paid attention to this particular scent. Only now, gripped by a troubling headache, did he realize how much that faint aroma had helped him.
Recognizing this, he pressed on the gas pedal even harder.
The dozen or so unanswered calls were all from Jiang Yue.
Seeing that Song Ling wasn’t picking up, Jiang Yue’s face grew increasingly sour. Finally, hearing the busy tone from her phone, she threw it angrily onto the floor.
When Song Ling arrived at the front door of the villa, he habitually entered the old password into the keypad. The door clicked open instantly. Stepping inside, he took a deep breath and sensed a familiar fragrance—that of Gu Dai.
However, as time had passed, this fragrance had become incredibly faint. Inhaling it did nothing to lessen the turmoil within him; if anything, it made him more restless, wanting to catch a stronger scent.
With a steely face and bloodshot eyes, Song Ling clenched his fist and slammed it into the wall. The pain snapped him back to reality for a moment. He suddenly remembered an incident when he had been severely injured while away from home. Upon his recovery, Gu Dai had tenderly handed him an amulet.
Gu Dai had said, “Honey, I got this amulet from the most efficacious temple in the country, hoping it will keep you safe. By the way, you occasionally suffer from headaches, right? I’ve added some herbs inside it that have a calming effect. When you’re feeling uncomfortable, just take a sniff, and it will surely ease your discomfort. You’ll be able to sleep soundly at night..”