The pink diamond crown had once belonged to Czarina Catherine the Great of Russia. It had been a betrothal gift from her mother-in-law, Czarina Elizabeth.
On Gu Nianzhi’s first birthday, Gu Xiangwen had bought it at Christie’s auctions for $70 million as a gift for his daughter’s first birthday.
This pink diamond crown should have been an object that had always been with her, right?
To a little girl, anything that represented her status as a little princess would be her favorite.
How could she have ignored such a beautiful pink diamond crown when she could wear it and pretend to be a Princess?
“Was it that pink diamond crown? Am I right?!”
Gu Nianzhi was extremely excited. She clasped her hands together and placed them in front of her, “Not only because of its value, but also because of its attractiveness to young girls. Also, my father left many clues behind. Do you still remember the Taj Mahal? The reflection in the pool in front of the Taj Mahal is of a young girl wearing a crown! And that note!”
If the Dasi Clinic’s flowery English poem had led to Gu Xiangwen’s safe in the basement of a bank in Cape City, it would have contained Gu Nianzhi’s grandfather, Gu Haize’s will, and five DNA molecular blueprints! Then how could the clues at the Taj Mahal not point to this specific direction?!
Those were all clues left behind by Gu Xiangwen at the same time seven years ago!
Moreover, Gu Nianzhi now knew that the Dasi Clinic’s flowery English poem, ‘A Little Girl Needs Daddy’ led to the suicide note of her grandfather, Gu Haize, as well as to the submarine that Gu Xiangwen had docked at the Cape of Good Hope…
He Zhichu noticed Gu Nianzhi’s rounded eyes and snickered again. “If you say so…”
“Then is it true or not? !” Gu Nianzhi couldn’t help but stomp her feet and pout. She was itching to take a knife and pry open He Zhichu’s mouth.
Her expression was lively and charming, but she had no idea how much damage her expression had on He Zhichu.
He Zhichu’s smile disappeared. He pursed his lips, looked away, and returned to his cold and sonorous voice. He spoke plainly, “In order to discern the truth, why don’t you go and check it out yourself?”
He Zhichu was not going to give her a definite answer.
Gu Nianzhi pursed her lips and picked up her purse. “If that’s the case, then I’ll take my leave. Goodbye, Professor He.”
“Okay.” He Zhichu did not look back. He waved at her to bid her farewell.
After leaving He Zhichu’s villa, Gu Nianzhi sat back in her car and spoke to Xiao Ye, who was sitting in the driver’s seat. “Let’s go to Heping. I have an apartment there.”
It was a second-hand apartment that Gu Nianzhi had bought with the money she had earned. It was a small two-bedroom apartment with a living room that was more than 100 square meters. Huo Shaoheng had deployed people to renovate it, as well as to install strict security measures.
She wasn’t sure if the security measures were still in place.
She recalled that the pink diamond crown was locked in a hidden safe behind the wardrobe.
Huo Shaoheng had told her the password as well as how to open the hidden safe.
Xiao Ye nodded and drove her to the Sihuan district.
After parking the car in the underground parking lot, the two of them took the elevator to the sixth floor.
All the preinstalled security measures had not changed.
Xiao Ye glanced around and found four to five hidden cameras along the corridor.
The camera footage were probably under the surveillance of the special operations forces.
The entire corridor and the periphery of the apartment building was under surveillance.
Xiao Ye composed herself and walked into the small apartment with Gu Nianzhi.
The rooms here were much smaller than the third ring apartment that Gu Nianzhi was living in now, but it was decorated very warmly. It was obvious that this was an apartment where one woman lived at.
Gu Nianzhi asked Xiao Ye to wait outside. She went to the bedroom, opened the closet, pulled open a partition. She found the hidden safe behind it.
She entered the password skillfully and opened the safe according to the method Huo Shaoheng had taught her. She saw a dark gold brocade box inside.
Her pink diamond crown sat within the brocade box.
Gu Nianzhi stared at it for a while before reaching out to take the brocade box out.
She opened the box and saw the pink diamond-inlaid crown.
The diamond was transparent and flawless. The sparkling pink color seeped out of the diamond core like the first ray of sunlight on a snow capped mountain.
No man-made gemstone could create such a texture.
Not to mention the history represented by the diamond crown.
Gu Nianzhi stared at it for a while before closing the lid and putting it into her backpack. She left the apartment with Xiao Ye.
“Let’s go to Huo Shao’s place.” Gu Nianzhi hugged her backpack and sat in the passenger seat. She turned to Xiao Ye and said, “Thank you so much for today. I’m sorry for interrupting your vacation.”
In actuality, it was the last day of Xiao Ye’s vacation.
Tomorrow, Huo Shaoheng would end his vacation and head to work. Hence, Xiao Ye’s vacation would naturally be over.
The Senate would officially start working Gu Nianzhi tomorrow. Hence, everyone would be busy.
Xiao Ye smiled and said, “What are you talking about, Miss Gu? I’m the one who should be thanking you. I’ve been so depressed at home over these past few days.”
“Oh? Really? A blind date?” Gu Nianzhi remembered that Xiao Ye had secretly called her, hoping to cancel her leave and come back to work early.
Xiao Ye’s face immediately fell. “Yes, there’s no end to the blind dates. I don’t even remember what those people look like. I just remember being busy running between the restaurants every day.”
Gu Nianzhi laughed until her shoulders trembled.
Xiao Ye was such a beauty. Even though she had a special job, and even though she fought and killed, there would still be plenty of men who liked her.
She had a good family background, she was beautiful, and had already reached the rank of a colonel at such a young age. She was also capable and had a good character. Only a blind man would reject such a date.
However, a man who could catch her eye would probably be very rare.
Gu Nianzhi could not help but recall the Committee of State Security (KGB)’s second-in-command, Vladimir.
He did have feelings for her, but she could not reciprocate his feelings.
Even if he did, she would have to cut him off.
As a soldier, and also a disciplined force in a strict unit, how could she defend her country if she could not even control her own feelings?
Gu Nianzhi did not think that Xiao Ye held any special feelings for Vladimir. She merely recalled Vladimir’s infatuation, and hoped that Xiao Ye’s identity could be kept secret forever, so that Vladimir would not find out.
At least that way, he would still be able to keep the good things in his heart.
Therefore, Gu Nianzhi did not bring up this topic anymore. She smiled and said, “I’m officially starting tomorrow. Can you return to the team?”
She had become the chief legal advisor of the Senate and would have her own security staff.
Xiao Ye had only been lent to her by Huo Shaoheng to protect her during the transition period.
However, now that the dust had settled and the bodies of Gu Xiangwen and his wife had been buried in the National Martyrs’ Cemetery, Gu Nianzhi could not think of any reason for Xiao Ye to follow her.
More importantly, Gu Nianzhi felt that making Xiao Ye follow her as a bodyguard was a waste of her talent.
Xiao Ye did not care whether it was a waste of her talent or not. To her, Huo Shaoheng’s orders were orders that she had to obey.
“Huo Shao ordered me to follow Miss Gu. This is my post.” Xiao Ye said calmly. “Although it is indeed quite comfortable to follow Miss Gu, orders are orders. I have no right to be picky.”
Gu Nianzhi chuckled. “I’m just saying. Xiao Ye, don’t be so serious.”
The two of them chatted and laughed amongst each other. Soon, they arrived at the headquarter of Special Operation forces’ encampment ground.
Gu Nianzhi went to Huo Shaoheng’s official residence, and Xiao Ye went back to her dormitory.
..
“You’re back?” Huo Shaoheng poked his head out from behind the computer and looked at Gu Nianzhi’s expression. “What’s wrong? Was there a problem with the law enforcer?”
“No.” Gu Nianzhi walked over to him and sat down. She rested her head on his shoulder and stuffed the brocade box with the pink diamond crown into his arms. She said wistfully, “That was my father’s will 18 years ago. Actually, it doesn’t count anymore. I think the main purpose of my father’s will was to point to this…”
She patted the brocade box in Huo Shaoheng’s arms.
Huo Shaoheng pulled her into his arms. He held the brocade box in one hand and rested the other on her shoulder. After a long silence, he kissed her forehead and said, “Looks like your father had been planning ahead for a long time.”
“I feel weird.” Gu Nianzhi tilted her head. “Look at this pink diamond crown. Does it look like it can hide something?”
Huo Shaoheng glanced at her. “Why do you ask?”
Gu Nianzhi took out Gu Xiangwen’s will from 18 years ago. “Look at this…”
The will was very short, and the important contents were all contained in one sentence.
“My entire property list has always been with my daughter, Gu Nianzhi.”
Huo Shaoheng looked at it for a long time before slowly saying, “Father-in-law is really a very cautious person.”
Gu nianzhi heard the words ‘Father-in-law’ from Huo Shaoheng’s mouth, which made her feel doubtful. She tilted her head to look at him for a while, and when she saw his natural expression, she smiled and said, “Indeed, it was just one sentence. If someone else got his will, I wonder how much wealth he would get.”
Even the lawyer did not know his family background.
Huo Shaoheng’s gaze shifted to the brocade box that Gu Nianzhi had stuffed into his arms. He picked it up and placed it on the coffee table in front of him. He said thoughtfully, “Do you think that this diamond crown has always been by your side?”
Gu Nianzhi raised an eyebrow. “Wasn’t it so?”
If she remembered correctly, her father, Gu Xiangwen, had bought this pink diamond crown at Christie’s auctions for a sky-high price the year he made his will. It had been her first birthday present.
It was obvious that it was a precious piece of jewelry that could be passed down in her family and accompany her for the rest of her life.
Huo Shaoheng narrowed his eyes and whispered into her ear, “… wasn’t it me who was always by your side?”
His voice was deep and magnetic, like the first nocturnal tune played by a cello on a summer evening. It carried with it the gentle evening breeze and the fragrance of the grass.
Gu Nianzhi’s ears went numb and she scratched her earlobe uncomfortably, she glared at Huo Shaoheng. “… how did my father know that you would be by my side 18 years ago? Besides, you weren’t always by my side… at least not until you were 12.”
Huo Shaoheng was only joking. He sat back down and placed one hand on the armrest of the sofa. He spoke without batting an eyelid, “If it isn’t me, then it would have to be this diamond crown.”
