Iceberg's Deep Love - Chapter 1

Neon lights flickered in sync with the music, their alternating brightness illuminating the smiling woman.

Her long, brown hair, curling like seaweed, cascaded over her shoulders. Diamond-studded butterfly earrings dangled at her ears, their sparkle accentuating the slender curve of her neck.

Gu Jihuan wore a striking red dress that contrasted sharply with her fair skin, making her delicate fingers holding the glass seem even more refined.

Tang Menghua sat stiffly in a corner, barely touching her mojito, her gaze fixed on Gu Jihuan.

A colleague noticed her discomfort. “Doctor Tang, is this your first time at our team’s gathering? Feeling a bit out of place?”

“No, no,” Tang Menghua quickly denied, then hesitated before asking, “Is Doctor Gu… always like this in private?”

Tang Menghua had transferred to Gu Jihuan’s team just last week. Though they worked in the same department at Jianghuan Hospital, she knew little about Gu Jihuan personally.

She only knew that Doctor Gu, who had returned from a renowned cardiac center in M Country a year ago, had performed over four hundred surgeries at Jianghuan Hospital, tackling many complex cases. Despite her youth, she was already a sharp blade in cardiothoracic surgery.

Tang Menghua had long known that Doctor Gu, besides her exceptional surgical skills, was also considered one of the most beautiful women at Jianghuan Hospital.

The hospital’s work was demanding and tedious, and doctors typically went without makeup. Gu Jihuan was no exception, but her striking features shone through even in a plain white coat. Her refined, vibrant aura couldn’t be suppressed, making her a splash of vivid color amidst the hospital’s sea of white.

What Tang Menghua didn’t know was that her first group gathering with Gu Jihuan’s team would be at a bar.

Just then, Gu Jihuan’s voice reached Tang Menghua’s ears: “If you’re not comfortable, Xiao Tang, you can head back anytime.”

Gu Jihuan smiled warmly, her eyes sparkling beneath long, dark lashes. Her crimson lips complemented her red dress, reminding Tang Menghua of the legendary beauties from classical literature. Tang Menghua’s fingers paused involuntarily.

Tang Menghua hadn’t originally been on Gu Jihuan’s invitation list, not because Gu Jihuan was exclusive, but because she genuinely worried that most people wouldn’t be comfortable in such an environment.

“You shouldn’t drive after drinking,” Gu Jihuan said. “Where do you live? I’ll call you a cab. Tomorrow’s a day off, so you can sleep in. You’ve been working hard all week.”

Tang Menghua quickly declined, “No, no, thank you, Professor Gu. I can just grab a cab myself.”

Tang Menghua’s refusal made Gu Jihuan a little uncomfortable. “According to our group’s rules, I always pay when we go out, including the cab fare. I can’t make exceptions. Don’t believe me? Ask these freeloaders.”

“Professor Gu, yesterday I was your ‘sweetie,’ and today I’m a ‘freeloader’?” Jiang Min leaned in, her tone shifting smoothly.

Gu Jihuan shuddered in disgust and explained to Tang Menghua, “This one’s the biggest freeloader. She’s not even part of our group, but she always comes to freeload.”

Jiang Min winked at Tang Menghua with a mischievous grin. “Little Tang, she’s loaded. Don’t be shy about milking her dry. It’s fine!”

Tang Menghua couldn’t help but smile, gently pursing her lips.

Everyone at Jianghuan Hospital knew that Jiang Min was Gu Jihuan’s closest colleague. One worked in Cardiothoracic Surgery, the other in Anesthesiology—together, they were a golden partnership.

Gu Jihuan and Jiang Min were close friends; in fact, it was Jiang Min who had recommended Gu Jihuan to Jianghuan Hospital.

The “rich” label wasn’t just a casual remark. Surgeons’ salaries were already high, and Gu Jihuan, as a recruited talent, earned even more. Compared to the junior doctors in the department who couldn’t yet work independently, Gu Jihuan was indeed quite wealthy.

“Then… thank you, Professor Gu,” Tang Menghua said, giving the name of an apartment complex near Jianghuan Hospital.

Gu Jihuan called a car on her phone and saw it would arrive in about ten minutes. After a moment’s thought, she pulled a small bottle of yogurt from her bag.

“You probably aren’t used to drinking. This will help with the alcohol,” Gu Jihuan said, twisting open the cap and handing the bottle to Tang Menghua.

Tang Menghua accepted it, flattered. “Thank you, Professor Gu.”

Gu Jihuan’s eyes crinkled with a smile. “I’ve been so busy this week, I haven’t had a chance to chat with you. What made you decide to transfer from Director Liu’s team to mine?”

Gu Jihuan had established a solid position in Cardiothoracic Surgery over the past year, but her foundation was still relatively new. Liu Zhiping, the department head of Cardiothoracic Surgery, held considerable influence. By any measure, Tang Menghua’s decision seemed unconventional.

Tang Menghua sat demurely, cradling a yogurt box in both hands. “I just wanted to gain more surgical experience,” she murmured. “Nothing else.”

Her palms were clammy with nervousness. “Professor Gu, do you think I’m doing the wrong thing…?”

“What? Do you think I’m testing you?” Gu Jihuan chuckled, wrapping an arm around Tang Menghua’s shoulder. “When others say something can’t be done, I, Gu Jihuan, love to defy them. Just follow your heart.”

Gu Jihuan’s embrace carried a rich fragrance—the scent of rose perfume mingled with a hint of bluebell. Tang Menghua froze, feeling a faint warmth spread through her shoulder where Gu Jihuan’s arm rested.

The pearlescent eyeshadow at the corners of Gu Jihuan’s eyes shimmered faintly. Tang Menghua stared at those long, delicate lashes, mesmerized.

This was indeed… a Gu Jihuan she had never known before.

Tang Menghua suddenly regretted leaving early. She longed to stay a little longer, drawn to an indescribable feeling she experienced near Gu Jihuan—a desire to draw closer, yet a fear of doing so.

Jiang Min nudged Gu Jihuan. “Rich lady, we’re out of wine. Order more.”

Before Gu Jihuan could react, Jiang Min raised her hand to signal the waiter.

“You really do see me as a fat sheep,” Gu Jihuan said, though she didn’t stop Jiang Min.

As Jiang Min ordered, she remarked, “Us poor doctors could never earn as much as your dividend income in a lifetime. Besides, the major shareholder of Ludi Group won’t go broke from a few drinks.”

After Jiang Min finished ordering, Gu Jihuan said calmly, “I have no intention of taking Lu Di’s shares.”

Jiang Min’s eyes widened. “I was counting on you to be my sugar mama! Now what? My dreams are shattered!”

Ludi Group’s subsidiaries span multiple sectors, including jewelry, luxury goods, hotels, and financial investments, with assets in the hundreds of billions.

Three months ago, Gu Jihuan inexplicably became entangled with the Lu Family, the ultra-wealthy clan behind Ludi Group.

It began when Chen Yuefang, the current head of the Lu Family, approached Gu Jihuan.

Chen Yuefang revealed that over thirty years ago, before Gu Jihuan was even born, she and Gu Jihuan’s grandmother had made a pact to become in-laws.

Even though Gu Jihuan’s grandmother had passed away, the agreement remained valid.

If Gu Jihuan agreed to marry a member of the Lu Family, she could choose any of their sons or nephews, and she would receive ten percent of Lu Di’s shares in Ludi Group as her dowry.

Jiang Min still harbored some lingering hope. “Are you really not going to take it?”

“No,” Gu Jihuan replied tersely. “I don’t want to honor the marriage agreement she made, and there’s no need for me to.”

Gu Jihuan didn’t specify, but Jiang Min knew the “she” she referred to was Gu Jihuan’s grandmother, Mei Yu, the former head of obstetrics and gynecology at Jianghuan Hospital and a renowned physician throughout Jiang City.

Now that Mei Yu was gone, no one knew the true nature of her relationship with Gu Jihuan, not even Jiang Min, who always avoided mentioning Doctor Mei in Gu Jihuan’s presence.

Jiang Min only knew that Gu Jihuan had never been a docile child. When Mei Yu forbade her from studying medicine, they had a fierce argument, and Gu Jihuan left the country alone. After joining a prestigious cardiology center in the United States, she essentially settled there.

It wasn’t until a year and a half ago, when Mei Yu suddenly died of a heart attack at home, that Gu Jihuan rushed back to handle the funeral arrangements. Afterward, she secured a position at Jianghuan Hospital through a talent recruitment program.

Initially, there were whispers that Gu Jihuan had gotten into Jianghuan Hospital through her connection to Mei Yu, a case of nepotism.

But within a few months, those voices faded away. Gu Jihuan’s surgical skills were undeniably impressive, earning high praise even from Director Liu Zhiping, the head of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Jianghuan Hospital.

Only Jiang Min knew that Gu Jihuan had given up a remarkable opportunity abroad to return. Jianghuan Hospital couldn’t possibly compensate for what she had sacrificed, yet Gu Jihuan chose to stay.

As for why, that answer likely remained known only to Gu Jihuan herself.

The ten percent stake in Ludi Group, which Gu Jihuan had yet to acquire, had already brought her endless troubles, such as this very moment.

The man before her, dressed in an elegant silver-patterned suit, smiled warmly. “What a coincidence meeting you here, Miss Gu. Would you do me the honor of sharing a drink?”

“We met at a café last month, outside the hospital yesterday, and now at a bar today,” Gu Jihuan said slowly. “Mr. Lu, are we really so destined to cross paths?”

Her tone was devoid of warmth, but the man didn’t seem fazed. Instead, he continued, “Of course we are destined to meet.”

“Mr. Lu, I think you’ve misunderstood. I’ve already told you, I have someone I love.” Gu Jihuan raised her hand to show him the ring on her middle finger. “I don’t think you need to waste your efforts.”

“Miss Yan Yu?” Lu Bei casually sat down beside Gu Jihuan, his tone nonchalant. “She might not be around for much longer.”

“What do you mean by that?” Gu Jihuan’s voice instantly turned cold. “If you dare do anything to Yan Yu, I’ll tell Grandmother.”

“Grandmother wants you to marry into the Lu Family, doesn’t she?” Lu Bei replied calmly. “Miss Gu, we’re both adults. Sometimes we need to be rational. We can cooperate to seize the shares from Grandmother, and I won’t care how you want to play things.”

He pulled a business card from his pocket, placed it on the table, and stood up. “Contact me whenever you’ve made up your mind, Miss Gu.”

As he left, he added, “Miss Gu is so warm and welcoming to everyone around her, yet she’s always so cold to me. That’s not right.”

“What kind of people are these?” Jiang Min frowned, picked up the business card, and tossed it into the trash. “Jihuan, I agree with you. We can’t get involved with the Lu Family.”

Gu Jihuan didn’t hear Jiang Min’s words. Instead, she pulled out her phone and opened the pinned chat window.

Gu Jihuan typed a few words with a dark, serious expression, then deleted them and scrolled rapidly through the chat history.

Apart from transaction records, there were only transaction records. For five months, aside from the occasional “good night” or “good morning,” she and Yan Yu had barely exchanged any meaningful communication.

How could I not have noticed this before? Gu Jihuan felt a surge of panic. She dialed Yan Yu’s number, but after a few rings, the call was disconnected.

Buzz, buzz. Her phone vibrated twice, and a new message appeared on the screen: *In a meeting, can’t answer.*

Gu Jihuan casually replied, No problem, but her eyes slowly darkened. She opened the app and logged into Yan Yu’s email account, finding the secretary’s most recent emails.

Yan Yu’s habit was to have her assistant send the work schedule to her email a week in advance. Any last-minute changes were also communicated via email.

But the schedule clearly showed that today was Yan Yu’s day off, with no meetings scheduled.

Buzz, buzz, buzz.Her phone vibrated repeatedly. It was a text message from an unknown number.

Several photos flashed across the screen, taken from a hidden angle. Yan Yu was carrying several luxury shopping bags in one hand, while her other hand held the hand of a brightly dressed young girl.

The young woman looked to be in her early twenties, her vibrant short skirt and hair framing a face radiant with happiness as she clung to Yan Yu’s arm, like a pampered princess.

“Miss Gu, I haven’t done anything to Yan Yu. She simply realized that someone who could provide her with financial support would be a better match for her. Two months ago, I introduced my younger sister to Yan Yu, and they’ve been living together for a month now.”

Gu Jihuan wasn’t surprised that Lu Bei had obtained her contact information.

She and Yan Yu had known each other for five years and been in love for three. Yan Yu was a deeply conservative person; in all that time, they had never lived together or crossed any boundaries.

She refused to believe Lu Bei’s lies—that Yan Yu could become so intimate with someone else in just two months.

After a moment’s thought, Gu Jihuan decided to call Yan Yu again. After ringing for a long time, the call was finally answered.

By sheer coincidence, the music in the bar had just died down for a moment. A slightly languid voice drifted through the receiver: “Gu Jihuan, let’s break up.”

She sounded as if she had just woken up, her words carrying a drowsy, almost careless murmur.

Then, a coquettish voice chimed in from the background: “Yan Yu, you’re talking too loudly! You’re waking me up.”