Chapter 235: Child
Liang Chaosu’s arm was around Lian Cheng.
Lian Cheng felt his chest seize for a moment, then it calmed and returned to normal, and her previous anger also dissipated.
“Let her in.”
Lian Cheng looked up from his embrace; due to the height difference, her gaze was on his jaw. He must have paid close attention to this fitting for the wedding dress; his stubble was freshly shaved.
The scent of the aftershave was different from the morning; it had chamomile and juniper berry notes, with a hint of nutmeg.
As if sensing her gaze, Liang Chaosu lowered his eyes. His pupils under the shadow of his brow were sharp and bright, a state Lian Cheng hadn’t seen in a long time.
Calm, composed, and steady.
The equanimity that comes from understanding everything.
He took the red rose from his chest and tucked it behind her ear. “How do you want to get revenge on her?”
Lian Cheng’s hair was pulled back tightly; even with his gentle strength, it still tugged at her roots.
The pain made her gasp sharply, and she raised her hand to stop him; he placed it behind her ear.
The rose was passionate, she was indifferent. Annoyed, she pushed him away and stood firm.
“She’s pregnant.”
It was Shen Lichuan’s child; the Shen family had verified the DNA.
With new and old grievances, Lian Cheng absolutely could not let Liang Wenfei off the hook, but her twenty-year friendship with Shen Lichuan was deep.
Regarding the parent-child bloodline, both emotionally and logically, she should inform Shen Lichuan before taking revenge and hear his opinion on the child.
Liang Chaosu’s gaze was gloomy, and he remained silent.
Lian Cheng didn’t know what he was thinking; she vaguely felt he had misunderstood, going in the opposite direction of her intentions, sliding further into error.
Liang Wenfei stepped into the living room. Lian Cheng glimpsed her appearance and her thought of probing Liang Chaosu was abruptly interrupted.
The ten o’clock morning sun was warm, light streaming into the living room. The air conditioning was set to 26 degrees. Liang Wenfei wore a thin down jacket, which hung loosely on her small frame.
Her wool dress had a rounded belly, with only two thin legs beneath, and her wrist bones were sharply protruding, her hair disheveled as she stood by the screen.
Compared to their last meeting, she had lost too much weight too quickly, her plumpness having vanished into a skeletal frame in such a short time.
Liang Wenfei’s voice was dull, “Brother, I want to move back.”
Lian Cheng stared at her blankly, then turned to look at Liang Chaosu at her words.
He was also looking at her, but said nothing, his calmness almost excessive.
Lian Cheng frowned, completely unable to fathom his attitude.
Liang Chaosu’s heart was freezing, growing colder. Beneath the ice, a torrent surged, tearing at his flesh and blood.
She was stingy with her vows, never lightly giving them to others. To protect Shen Lichuan, she had sworn to accumulate millions of lifetimes, willing to be a beast.
She could also abandon her grudges for a bit of Shen Lichuan’s bloodline, which she didn’t care for at all.
Her soft heart, tolerance, compassion, and kindness, over the long four years, had not been spared for him for even a second.
It was all for Shen Lichuan, only Shen Lichuan.
After a long while, he maintained his calm. “There’s a pet in your room; you’ll stay in the guest room on the first floor.”
Liang Wenfei’s pupils contracted; she was clearly astonished that Liang Chaosu was so agreeable. Her gaze swept over Lian Cheng.
There were no less than twenty staff members in the room, yet he remained silent, showing no aggression.
“Brother—” Liang Wenfei had no choice but to brace herself and reveal her purpose. “I’m almost seven months pregnant, and the doctor says my health is concerning. I’m likely to have the baby prematurely. When will Mom and Dad be back?”
Lian Cheng’s eyes widened as if waking from a dream.
Liang Wenfei clearly avoided Liang Chaosu. At a time when the internet was in an uproar, with outsiders present from the Liang family, she actively sought him out, realizing she was testing Liang Chaosu’s stance for Liang Zhengping.
It seemed Liang Chaosu’s sudden change just now was because he had seen through Liang Wenfei’s purpose.
She lowered her eyes, fiddling with the beads on the wedding dress, organizing her thoughts.
Qingxi Valley, from the very beginning, was Liang Zhengping’s stepping stone for his return to the country, and the current situation was advantageous to him.
Liang Chaosu still intended to make waves by holding a press conference for the wedding date. At that time, the situation would lean infinitely towards Liang Zhengping.
Unless Liang Chaosu could truly move mountains and shoulder the heavens to turn the situation around, Liang Wenfei’s appearance would herald the beginning of Liang Zhengping’s return.
Liang Chaosu said, “They will rush back before you go into labor.”
Lian Cheng’s breath caught.
Among the many people in the living room, Liang Chaosu’s expression was the calmest, only his eyes were dark and deep, like a spreading pool of ink.
It spread outward in all directions, invisibly forming a large net.
This net was undoubtedly for Liang Wenfei, and for Liang Zhengping, who had instructed her.
Lian Cheng turned to look at Liang Wenfei, who indeed had a pale face and no hint of joy.
The next moment, Liang Wenfei looked up and met her eyes.
The Liang family had ancestors with mixed blood; high noses and deep-set eyes were inherited traits.
Liang Wenfei’s facial features were also three-dimensional, with sunken, deep eye sockets that now appeared even deeper, so deep they seemed to reveal the bone structure of her eye sockets, making her gaunt and ghastly.
Lian Cheng did not evade, standing perfectly straight.
She remained silent, and Liang Wenfei’s expression became increasingly dejected.
Some people always praised Lian Cheng for being smarter than her. She couldn’t be sure if Lian Cheng had seen through her.
Liang Chaosu was unemotional and ruthless, and had not yet expressed his stance in the board meeting.
His every response to her was gentle, suggesting he was prepared.
As for Liang Zhengping, he was now disregarding everything for his return, and family affection was less than worthless to him.
She was caught between the two, a chess piece, a tool.
When she would be abandoned, when she would be crushed, was entirely beyond her control.
Her only chance was if Lian Cheng hated her, opposed her staying, rushed over to tear into her, and in the struggle, tripped on the wedding dress, falling and bleeding into the hospital, thus escaping being used and ordered around.
Now, that was completely shattered.
It felt as if she had struggled and escaped for tens of thousands of miles, only to look up and see the death knell still tolling, its pervasive chill penetrating to the bone.
Liang Chaosu’s gaze grew colder, and her teeth chattered. “Thank you—Brother.”
…………………………
As soon as the news of Liang Wenfei moving back to the Liang family arrived, Zhou Dazhi immediately made a phone call.
To dial a Hong Kong number from the mainland, you had to add 825. After seven or eight rings, the other party cautiously didn’t answer.
Zhou Dazhi called a second time. After two rings, the other party answered.
It was Lin Lanfeng’s voice. “Who is this?”
After introducing himself, Zhou Dazhi said sincerely and frankly, “Mr. Lin, our Director Liang is currently touring globally and has just learned that Miss Lian Cheng has found her relatives. He wishes to have a discussion with you and your esteemed sister.”
Lin Lanfeng was in a meeting. Given that others were present, he wasn’t too direct. “I know of a Director Liang; he is currently in the Southern Province.”
Zhou Dazhi replied with a chuckle, “That Director Liang just took office. The Director Liang I’m referring to has been leading the Liang Group for nearly forty years and has deep foundations.”
Lin Lanfeng became somewhat interested, saying meaningfully, “The disciple surpasses the master, but if the front wave has already been washed ashore, it’s hard to create another one.”
With the explosion of information on the mainland internet, Zhou Dazhi didn’t believe Lin Lanfeng was unaware of Qingxi Valley.
Since he knew about Qingxi Valley, even if Lin Lanfeng couldn’t see it, Lin Xianzi would definitely understand.
However, father and son killing each other was ultimately something that couldn’t be explicitly stated. This call was both an attempt to persuade and to incite.
“Mr. Lin misunderstands. Director Liang is not trying to create waves, but as a father, he has a heart full of paternal love.”
Lin Lanfeng glanced at his secretary, who raised her hand, and the managers and department heads in the conference room all stood up and quietly exited the room.
“What do you mean?”
Zhou Dazhi drank his tea, moistening his throat. “Director Liang raised Miss Lian Cheng for over twenty years. She was very attached to him since childhood. When she was three or four, Director Liang would always hold her on his lap during board meetings; their father-daughter bond was deep. He was reluctant yet relieved to learn that Miss Lian Cheng had found her biological mother.”
“But Director Liang has retired. He really didn’t expect Young Director Liang to be so rebellious, confining Miss Lian Cheng and forcing her to agree to the marriage for his own selfish reasons. Miss Lian Cheng refused and found someone to desperately seek Director Liang’s help, only then did Director Liang learn of it.”
Lin Lanfeng sounded surprised. “Lian Cheng sought help from Liang Zhengping?”
Zhou Dazhi’s voice was filled with apparent confusion.
“Are you surprised? It’s natural for a daughter to seek help from her father when facing difficulties.”
Lin Lanfeng said, “But I heard that Liang Zhengping doesn’t like Lian Cheng. When Lian Cheng disappeared in Iceland, it was Liang Chaosu who abandoned everything to find her. Meanwhile, your Director Liang was anxiously arranging her funeral.”
Zhou Dazhi asked tentatively, “Do you understand the dangers Miss Lian Cheng went through in Iceland?”
“We are investigating.”
Zhou Dazhi’s face broke into a smile. He coaxed, “Then you must investigate thoroughly. Did Young Director Liang go to find Miss Lian Cheng, or did he hire mercenaries to kidnap Miss Lian Cheng in the snowfield, forcing her into a hasty car accident, and even a miscarriage?”
“Miscarriage? Lian Cheng was pregnant?”
Lin Lanfeng’s expression suddenly turned gloomy, his rapidly rising cold anger suppressed. “We will quickly investigate the Iceland incident. Fire cannot be contained by paper. You don’t need to deliberately fabricate things to achieve Liang Zhengping’s goals.”
“I understand your suspicion,” Zhou Dazhi sighed deeply. “Ms. Lin Xianzi’s premature birth years ago and the loss of Miss Lian Cheng were painful regrets. Mentioning Miss Lian Cheng’s miscarriage and its similarity to her mother’s situation, it’s understandable that you wouldn’t believe it.”
“But as you said, paper cannot contain fire. I really have no reason to deceive you now. Before Miss Lian Cheng went to Iceland, apart from not being easily fertile, she was healthy and full of vitality. But in Iceland, she had a miscarriage and hemorrhaged. Now she is pale, severely anemic, and like Ms. Lin Xianzi, her uterus is damaged, meaning she can never have her own children again.”
