瓜葛 (guā gé) is a noun meaning 'connection, involvement' — but unlike 联系 (liánxì, neutral 'connection'), 瓜葛 almost always implies a complicated, undesirable, or shady association. The literal characters are 'melon vine' and 'arrowroot vine', suggesting tangled vines. You'll see it in phrases like 有瓜葛 ('have a connection') and 没有瓜葛 ('have no connection'), usually in contexts of disputes, scandals, or unwelcome ties.