Here are the translations for the provided text:
Thinking of this, Gu Tangxue lowered her head, her hands clasped together. She looked at her own hands.
"I'm thinking of quitting this job..."
Su Qi finally pulled her attention back, frowning at Gu Tangxue. She didn't say anything, but reached out and held Gu Tangxue's hand. They walked all the way back home before Su Qi finally said, "Rest well,
Tomorrow will be better."
The next day, Su Qi went to the hospital.
In the morgue, she saw Li Cuiping's body.
Li Cuiping had fallen face down, her entire face smashed into a bloody mess. Even after being stitched together, it was still gruesome. Her pale, bloodless body was covered in stitch marks. Su Qi stumbled, almost losing her balance.
"Xiao Su, are you alright? You should leave. You're pregnant now and can't handle this kind of shock."
Xu Linchuan stepped forward, supporting Su Qi. His hand rested on her shoulder, and his other hand held her waist.
Besides her swollen belly, Su Qi's body was still so thin, with no flesh at all. Holding her felt like holding nothing but bones.
Xu Linchuan frowned. Su Qi's face was pale, her brow furrowed, and her lips tightly pressed together. She shook her head, and after regaining her balance and taking a moment to compose herself, she stood still for a long time before turning and leaving the morgue.
Her face was dry, without tears. Xu Linchuan handed her a clean handkerchief. "If you want to cry, just let it out."
Su Qi clutched the handkerchief in her palm. The silk felt cool, like the temperature in the morgue. Her mind was hazy. She just shook her head, not speaking, her head bowed, lost in thought.
"You must be tired. I'll take you back," Xu Linchuan said, taking a step.
"Linchuan," Su Qi called out to him. Xu Linchuan stopped, his gaze fixed on the small woman before him. Su Qi's current appearance made him feel an urge to protect her. His Adam's apple bobbed as he reached out, wanting to pull Su Qi into his arms, but he still lacked the courage to take that step.
"If one day... you discover that the person who killed Li Cuiping is someone you are closest to, what would you do?"
Su Qi's voice was pleasant but weak and ethereal. If they weren't so close, Xu Linchuan would have barely heard her.
"Of course, I would catch the killer and punish the wrongdoer. Whether it's my family or a stranger, anyone who harms someone should be punished."
Xu Linchuan didn't think much of it and blurted out his answer.
He couldn't believe that his family would do such a thing. His father was hospitalized after a car accident, his mother had been unwell these past few days, and his sister Lin Yun was pregnant. How could they have killed Li Cuiping?
Hearing this, Su Qi looked up and stared intently at Xu Linchuan. "Really?"
"Of course, absolutely!"
"That's good."
Su Qi didn't say anything further. Xu Linchuan took her to her apartment complex. As she got out of the car, she heard the man's gentle voice behind her, "Xiao Su, leave Li Cuiping's matter to me. I've found a very auspicious spot for Li Cuiping's burial."
Su Qi nodded and slowly walked upstairs.
She returned home leisurely. Standing outside her door, she noticed it was ajar. She paused, then pushed the door open to find the living room quiet. Two people sat on the sofa. The man was facing away from the door. Even without seeing his face, Su Qi knew who it was just by his short hair and his back.
Seeing Su Qi return, Gu Tangxue immediately stood up, as if she had found a lifeline. "Xiao Su, you're back. Mr. Huo is looking for you. I'm going down to the supermarket to buy groceries. You two chat. It's almost time for dinner!" The oppressive atmosphere was too much for Gu Tangxue. As soon as she saw Su Qi return, she quickly put on her shoes and slipped out, making her escape.
The door behind her closed. Su Qi stood at the entryway. The living room wasn't large, but the man sitting there exuded an aura that filled the entire space. Even the air she breathed seemed to carry the cold air emanating from him. "Mr. Huo."
Su Qi walked forward. Before she could sit down, the man let out a cold laugh. "Mr. Huo? Su Qi, are you ignoring what I said?"
Huo Tingyun curled his lips coldly. It was the first time Su Qi had seen this man smile, even if it was a cold, insincere smile. His mouth was usually devoid of any curve, giving him a perpetually stoic and expressionless look. Despite the cold smile, he was still very handsome. Su Qi paused and sat down on the sofa opposite Huo Tingyun.
The living room wasn't very large, so Su Qi could clearly hear the man's breathing.
"Mr. Huo, I told you I have conditions. If you want me to move back to Shallow Water Bay, I want Gu Tangxue to be the female lead!"
Su Qi's voice was faint. Huo Tingyun clearly heard her. He raised his gaze, staring directly at Su Qi, his eyes like knives. He hated being threatened, especially by Su Qi. He stood up, his long legs carrying him forward. The next moment, he stood before Su Qi. Su Qi looked up, her neck tightening as the man's hand easily grasped her throat.
"In this world, no one can negotiate terms with me!"
"If you have the guts, then choke me to death. I believe Mr. Huo is capable of it. It would just be a double death!"
Su Qi chuckled lightly.
Even without makeup, her skin was snow-white and flawless, as fair and delicate as if powdered. There were no blemishes, no pores, just incredible smoothness. Her lips were a vibrant red, like a layer of lipstick, the striking color jumping directly into Huo Tingyun's eyes.
She knew he wouldn't dare to kill her.
The man's hand suddenly tightened for a moment, then quickly released its grip within a second.
Su Qi regained a breath of fresh air. She clutched her neck, gasping for air.
Huo Tingyun's eyes darkened. "Move back to Shallow Water Bay immediately tomorrow!"
With a bang, the door seemed to shake precariously, as if it were about to fall.
Only when the surroundings returned to peace did Su Qi pick up the water glass on the coffee table and take a sip.
The cool water slid down her throat, bringing some comfort.
Half an hour later, Gu Tangxue returned from the supermarket. She cautiously opened the door. Seeing that Huo Tingyun was gone, she patted her chest and walked in with the groceries.
"Xiao Su, are you alright? Why was Mr. Huo here?"
"I'm fine. Let's make dinner."
That night, after dinner, Gu Tangxue was washing dishes. Su Qi turned on the television and picked up an apple, about to take a bite.
Suddenly, the voice of a female anchor on an entertainment news program reached her ears: "According to reports, the female lead for the historical film has been replaced due to pregnancy..."
Su Qi's apple-eating motion stopped. She looked at the television, finding it hard to believe her ears. Only when she clearly heard the voice on the television did she first freeze, and then couldn't help but let out a self-mocking laugh in her heart.