Over the next few days, Wei Zhi tried the computer's startup password several more times while Ji Qikun was away.
"Favorite Artist." Wei Zhi still couldn't guess the answer.
Considering Ji Qikun’s personality, the hint could very well be a red herring—the password might have nothing to do with it at all. However, even when she tried other possibilities unrelated to the prompt, she remained empty-handed.
There was also no progress on Tan Mengyan’s end regarding the IP tracking.
Joining the group seemed to require specific conditions; Tan Mengyan’s friend had applied several times only to be rejected. Consequently, tracking was out of the question.
“…That’s how it stands,” Tan Mengyan said over the phone.
Wei Zhi stood before the wide floor-to-ceiling window in the living room. The white clouds looked like shredded cotton batting, jostled along by the wind before her eyes. Countless mirrors reflected her silhouette from different angles, as if she, like the clouds, had been split into a multitude of Wei Zhis.
She watched the escaping mist with a face devoid of emotion, yet the voice coming from her throat was thick with unease.
“Wait—”
“Is there something else?”
“When we met at the water station, Sister Tianxin said that if Ji Qikun ever turned violent, I had to leave evidence…”
Tan Mengyan’s voice immediately grew urgent.
“What did he do to you? Are you hurt?”
“Not yet, but… I’m a little afraid,” Wei Zhi whispered.
“Afraid of Ji Qikun, or something else?”
“…Everything. Everything that is about to happen, and everything that might happen.”
The silence in the receiver stretched for a long time. Wei Zhi could hear the low sound of Tan Mengyan’s breathing on the other end.
What was he thinking at this moment?
Was there even a single second where he wavered for her sake?
“Are we friends?” she asked softly.
Tan Mengyan didn't speak. Just as she thought he would remain silent until the end, he finally opened his mouth.
“…Yes.”
“Can I trust you?”
“Don’t trust anyone.” Tan Mengyan’s voice was lower and raspier than ever. “No matter who they are.”
“Is that your advice to me as a friend?”
“…Yes.”
“Thank you,” Wei Zhi said. “I want to see Zheng Tianxin. Don’t ask me why, just please arrange the meeting.”
After a moment of silence, Tan Mengyan agreed.
Just as she hung up, an unknown number called her mobile. She adjusted her mood and tone, answering the phone with her usual composure.
It was Secretary Tang, who worked closely with Ji Qikun.
“Young Mrs. Ji, I’m sorry to bother you. A new employee spilled tea and stained President Ji’s shirt. He was wondering if you could bring a clean shirt to the office? Would that be convenient for you?”
“Of course, I’ll be right there.”
After hanging up, Wei Zhi went to the walk-in closet and selected a shirt from the long row of men’s garments that matched the jacket he had worn when he left.
Thirty minutes later, she appeared at the corporate headquarters carrying a paper bag. Shortly after calling Secretary Tang, a svelte and beautiful figure walked briskly toward the reception desk.
“Follow me, Young Mrs. Ji. President Ji is in a meeting; I’ll take you to his office to wait for him,” Secretary Tang said with a bright smile.
Secretary Tang was only twenty-five, a year younger than Wei Zhi, but she was always perfectly made up. Her eyes were full of vibrant energy, and her curvaceous figure was striking even under a dark business suit.
Since entering the group company, Wei Zhi had heard plenty about Secretary Tang’s exploits from Ji Qikun.
She was clever, adaptable, and considerate; she could read almost every look in Ji Qikun’s eyes.
Though he never explicitly stated his admiration for Secretary Tang, Wei Zhi could sense the subtext. She could even guess that Ji Qikun was intentionally letting her feel it.
Ever since she discovered the 4,000 gigabytes of PUA materials on Wei Lai’s phone, she had gained a completely new understanding of many of Ji Qikun’s behaviors.
In emotional manipulation tutorials, there is a famous theory called "Triangulation."
The manipulator controls two parties by passing positive or negative information about one to the other. Through hints and comparisons, they foster misunderstanding, jealousy, or competition between the two targets, thereby achieving control over both.
In the tutorial case studies, the two targets were often a girlfriend and an ex-girlfriend, a wife and a colleague, or a suitor and a "white moonlight" first love.
If she hadn't discovered those files on Wei Lai’s phone, she might have truly viewed Secretary Tang as a rival and spent her time pondering how to win back Ji Qikun’s attention from her.
“Young Mrs. Ji, I need to return to the conference room. Please wait here for a moment.”
Inside Ji Qikun’s office, Secretary Tang placed a steaming cup of Longjing tea in front of Wei Zhi. She glanced at her wristwatch and smiled.
“The meeting should be over in about ten minutes.”
“I understand,” Wei Zhi smiled back. “Thank you.”
Secretary Tang blinked, startled for a second, but immediately resumed her professional smile. “You’re very welcome.”
Once the office door closed, Wei Zhi surveyed the spacious suite. Unlike the ubiquitous mirrored decorations at home, the outer part of the suite used as the secretary’s office—the area where Wei Zhi currently sat—was quite ordinary. The door leading to the President’s inner office was tightly shut, featuring a keypad on the doorframe.
She glanced at the closed blinds and the silent main door, then stood up and walked toward the President’s inner sanctum.
Her slender fingers brushed over the keypad. After a moment’s hesitation, Wei Zhi entered the password for Ji Qikun’s study at home.
In such an insecure environment, she only intended to try once. Wei Zhi didn't hold much hope, but to her surprise, the door clicked open.
She looked back at the main entrance again. The meeting wouldn't end for a short while.
That "short while" could be ten minutes, or it could be three.
Ultimately, she could not resist the longing in her heart and stepped through the secret door.
It was September, and the outdoor temperature was only sixteen degrees Celsius, yet Ji Qikun’s office was blasting frigid air conditioning. Cool-toned light spilled from hidden strips in the ceiling, shrouding the entire room in an oppressive, pale blue glow. The desk was made of dark solid wood, its surface as smooth as a mirror, with thick stacks of documents neatly arranged upon it.
Wei Zhi walked into the center of the room. Three abstract paintings looked down at her silently from the snow-white wall. The frenzied brushstrokes and intense colors felt out of place in the meticulous office, yet the room's owner had placed them in the most prominent position.
She gave them only a glance before withdrawing her gaze, wanting to find any clue in the office that might help her gain the upper hand.
However, the documents on the desk were all related to company business, the drawers contained only blank paper and pens, and the sparse bookshelves held only a few biographies of famous figures.
Wei Zhi didn't know what she was suspicious of, but she was unwilling to leave like this.
Finally, she turned her gaze back to the three incongruous paintings on the wall. She couldn't help but think of the computer password in Ji Qikun’s study—"Favorite Artist."
To earn Ji Qikun’s favor, she had put in a great deal of effort, which naturally included memorizing his preferences by heart. But these three paintings had no signatures or inscriptions, nor did they resemble the style of any artist Wei Zhi knew.
She took photos of the three paintings with her phone, then walked out of the President’s office. After closing the door, she sat back down on the soft sofa as if nothing had happened.
Less than two minutes later, she felt grateful for her speed.
The sound of Ji Qikun and Secretary Tang talking and laughing echoed outside the door. A few seconds later, Ji Qikun opened the office door, while Secretary Tang tactfully remained outside.
“Where’s the shirt?” He reached out toward Wei Zhi.
She pulled the shirt from the bag and handed it over. Ji Qikun glanced at the pattern before smiling.
“Thanks, honey. I’d be in big trouble without you.”
He took off the tea-stained shirt right in front of her. Mottled sunlight filtered through the gaps in the blinds, forming long, thin beams of light. The sun danced across his fair skin, outlining every contour of his muscles. His shoulders were broad, his chest firm, and his abdominals well-defined—he looked as perfect as a sculpture.
Ji Qikun took the shirt Wei Zhi offered. His long arms slid into the sleeves one after the other, and Wei Zhi stepped forward to fasten the buttons for him. In the silent air, she could feel his gaze, heavy as a physical weight, resting on the top of her head as if scrutinizing her every move.
“There.” Wei Zhi’s hands left his shirt, and she looked up with a smile.
Ji Qikun caught her retreating hands, brought them to his lips, and kissed them gently. His lips were as cold as the air in the office, sending a shiver across Wei Zhi’s skin.
“Let me know when you get home,” he said softly, his tone carrying an unquestionable command.
Wei Zhi left the office. As she closed the door, Secretary Tang brushed past her with a polite smile. Wei Zhi returned the smile. Secretary Tang walked into the office where Ji Qikun was.
As Wei Zhi stepped forward, a faint, indistinct chuckle drifted from behind the door, but it didn't stir even a ripple in her heart.
Back at Ji Qikun’s house, she took out the three photos she had secretly taken and searched for identical images online.
She cycled through countless search engines but found no similar artworks. Just as she began to suspect that these three paintings—like the one by Mei Man in the study—belonged to some unknown ex-girlfriend of Ji Qikun’s, she suddenly squinted at one of the photos, doubting her own eyes.
She saw a "u."
The world suddenly went silent. It was as if an indescribable current of electricity surged through her body. A deafening heartbeat thundered in Wei Zhi’s ears; the entire room seemed to pulse in time with her blood.
She held up her phone, moved the photo further away, and retraced the lines that formed the "u" in the image.
After finding the "u," she followed the seemingly chaotic lines to find "l," "o," and "S."
*Soul.*
She used the same method to look at the second and third paintings.
In the second painting, the gradient colors and the flow of the lines formed "Domina." In the third, the hidden letters were "tor."
*Soul.*
*Domina.*
*tor.*
These three words swirled before her eyes like laughing ghosts, blurring her vision. They felt like cold, heavy iron chains, binding her tightly in an abyss of terror.
Wei Zhi’s mind flashed back to the private chat logs between Wei Lai and SoulDominator.
*“Brother, I’m new to the group. Please look after me! I’ll work hard to post and level up!”*
A cloud drive link.
*“Don’t tell anyone else.”*
*“Is this a tutorial? But my group level isn't high enough yet?”*
*“It doesn’t matter. You caught my eye.”*
*“Haha, thanks Brother S! Thanks! I think you’re a great guy too. I’ll definitely study hard and won’t let you down!”*
…
*“Brother, what if the methods in the tutorial don’t work?”*
*“Who are you using them on?”*
*“My sister.”*
*“Why?”*
*“…I want her to be good to me again.”*
*“Tetrodotoxin is a stimulant for dolphins. But when we want it, we never beg the pufferfish; we sink our teeth into its body.”*
…
*“I got beaten up today because of my sister! My head is split open! Fuck! I really hate her now. I can’t believe I ever felt soft-hearted toward her. Just like you said, Brother, with people like this, you have to make them submit completely!”*
*“Have you considered the method I mentioned?”*
*“But I don’t have the money to buy a camera…”*
*“Give me your address.”*
*“Oh my god, you’re sending me one? Brother, you’re too good to me! I’m actually embarrassed!”*
…
*“Brother, after we had a huge fight, I threw away all her medicine. She’s run out now—will she be okay? We found out her secret, and my dad is furious.”*
*“What secret?”*
*“She went behind our backs and took out every online loan she could. She owes at least eight or nine hundred thousand! If her rich boyfriend finds out, he’ll definitely dump her immediately!”*
…
Wei Zhi’s entire body began to tremble uncontrollably.
An unspeakable chill rose from the soles of her feet, rapidly spreading through her entire frame. Her fingers shook against the photo. Her breathing became shallow and rapid; every lungful of oxygen felt like an ice-encrusted needle stabbing into her chest.
If Ji Qikun had known about her massive debts all along, why would he have agreed to marry her?
In this game of hunting, who was the actual prey?
In the room, silent as a grave, no one could answer her confusion. Only the diamond ring on her left ring finger, like a bride’s white veil, continued to shine with a pure, cold light.
At that moment, familiar footsteps sounded outside the door.
Leather heels clicked against the hard, cold marble floor. *Tap. Tap. Tap.*
Like the countdown of a second hand, the dolphin was elegantly returning home.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 三角测量 | Triangulation | A PUA/manipulation tactic involving a third party to create competition or jealousy. |
| SoulDominator | SoulDominator | The online handle of the antagonist/manipulator. |
| 河豚毒素 | Tetrodotoxin | Pufferfish toxin; used as a metaphor for control and stimulation. |
| 小季夫人 | Young Mrs. Ji | A respectful way the secretary addresses Wei Zhi. |
| 4000G | 4,000 gigabytes | Refers to the massive amount of data found on Wei Lai's phone. |
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When the Dolphin Sinks | Chapter 37 | The Predator's Mark | Novela.app | Novela.app
