Chapter 228: The Fireworks Have Cooled, The Roses Are Useless
The next day was Monday. Bai Ying finished her weekend night shift and called Lian Cheng while waiting for the traffic light.
“You came back yesterday afternoon?”
Lian Cheng had a nasal voice and hummed in response.
Bai Ying asked, “Did you see the cherry blossoms all over the city?”
Lian Cheng paused for a moment before humming again.
“What are your thoughts?”
Lian Cheng fell silent.
Bai Ying actually understood the unspoken words.
She couldn’t help but look out the car window. In the oblique wind and fine rain, large clusters of cherry blossoms were being blown off the branches. Pink and white petals, dotted with raindrops, filled the sky and covered the ground.
Most romance in the celebrity circle also involves giving roses; extravagant gestures include airlifting ninety thousand roses globally.
The most extravagant proposal in the circle was by the heirs of the Wu and Sun families. Twenty million AAA-grade Ecuadorian red roses were spread across the beach of Wuzhizhou Island, with fireworks lasting all night.
The next day, the fireworks had cooled, the roses were useless; some were commercially recovered, others donated. The lavish beauty was fleeting.
Liang Feng’s city of cherry blossoms is enduring, vast, and magnificent. If any woman had a delicate emotional thread, upon seeing the pink mist covering the city at the moment of bloom, the surging crowds, and the tens of thousands of souls captivated, she would undoubtedly be deeply moved, as if bathed in its glory.
But for Lian Cheng, it was different. She could harbor fantasies about billions of men, but not even a hint of feeling towards Liang Feng.
After all, those eighteen years of genuine feelings meant that even if they weren’t brother and sister, they could never be lovers.
“Are you at Liang’s?” Bai Ying checked the time. “I have two things I’d like to discuss with you. How about we meet at the yakitori bar by Beimen Bridge for lunch?”
Lian Cheng’s throat was swollen and painful. “What is it?”
Although Bai Ying was an orthopedic doctor, she had basic sensitivity. “You have a cold? Stuffy nose, hoarse voice, are you running a fever?”
“You’re like a deity,” Lian Cheng praised. “A low fever.”
Bai Ying’s expression suddenly turned gloomy. “Take leave. I’m coming to find you now.”
Lian Cheng could tell her seriousness and couldn’t help but laugh out loud. The air rushed into her throat, causing a tickle and pain, and she coughed.
“I have anemia, not a death wish. It’s just a low fever.”
“I know it’s a low fever, but take leave. The reason can’t be explained clearly over the phone in a moment.”
Lian Cheng was confused and drank some water to soothe her throat. “I’m at Happy Home. Liang Chaosu found out I had a fever this morning and approved a day off for me.”
Bai Ying was preoccupied and didn’t notice the hidden meaning in Lian Cheng’s words. “Okay, have you had breakfast yet?”
Lian Cheng anticipated her. “You’re not going to take me to the hospital for a check-up, are you? There’s no need. I’ve already taken fever reducers.”
Bai Ying’s attitude was forceful, and she hung up the phone.
Her place was quite far from where Lian Cheng rented. The road was even more congested, with police officers everywhere.
Traffic police maintained order, SWAT teams patrolled for security, uniformed police officers were stationed in the green belts, and even a Level 3 Chief Superintendent in white clothes was present, posing for photos with those who understood police ranks and titles.
Bai Ying reluctantly took the intercity elevated road, only to get caught in the traffic of vehicles entering Nan Province from other regions. Traffic police temporarily commandeered a reversible lane, and it took an hour of being stuck to finally reach Lian Cheng’s doorstep.
Lian Cheng’s fever had still not subsided; her forehead was even hotter, but her hands and feet were cold. After Bai Ying checked the medication she had taken and measured her temperature, her expression became completely dark and filled with extreme unease.
“What were the side effects when you were given the progesterone injections? Tell me in detail.”
Lian Cheng was startled by her. “Is my low fever related to the progesterone injection?”
Bai Ying’s expression was too strange. She recalled, “At that time, other than a lack of appetite and taste, everything else was normal.”
“When you were in Hong Kong, we spoke on the phone once,” Bai Ying took a breath. “I mentioned seeing a post on a forum then. I wasn’t lying to you.”
“Recently, there’s been insider information that the progesterone injections you received came from a pharmaceutical company secretly controlled by the Mo Clan. This company concealed a lot of data on adverse reactions during its clinical trial phase, and the origins of its medication ingredients are also unknown.”
“Some doctors speculate that the reason the injections were so effective in preserving the pregnancy was by sacrificing the mother’s safety, intentionally lowering her immunity to create favorable conditions for fetal development.”
Lian Cheng was stunned. The results of the identification flashed in her mind, and then Lin Xianzi received that call. The pharmaceutical company… the medication… widespread adverse reactions…
After hanging up the phone, Lin Xianzi changed her attitude and directly admitted to Lian Yingying.
“But I was fine before.”
Bai Ying pulled her out of the house. “It’s good that you were fine. If the side effects manifested so quickly, the Mo family would have been embroiled in scandal long ago.”
“However, it’s also possible that it was well-concealed, and the public remained unaware. Among doctors, there have been vague rumors about the adverse reactions of the medication. When you received the injections, many chief directors of gynecology strongly advised against these injections.”
As they passed the doorway, Lian Cheng changed her shoes. The shoe cabinet was fully pulled open, and two pairs of black leather shoes on the bottom shelf caught Bai Ying’s eye.
“Men’s shoes? In your place?” Bai Ying stared blankly. “A wild man?”
Lian Cheng’s back stiffened, and she averted her gaze. “I was going to tell you. I’ve decided to have the wedding with Liang Chaosu at the end of the month.”
It was like a nuclear bomb dropping from the sky, devastating Bai Ying, leaving her spirit barely hanging on.
“What wedding? What ceremony? With whom?”
Lian Cheng pressed her lips together. “A wedding ceremony, with Liang Chaosu.”
Bai Ying opened and closed her mouth, then opened and closed it again several times, completely losing her composure.
She murmured, “These cherry blossoms in the city have such strong power. Was I foolish, or are you drunk—”
On the way to the hospital, both of them were dazed, each in their own state of confusion.
Lian Cheng, using Bai Ying’s doctor account, logged into various medical forums. Discussions about the injections were either superficial or based on speculation. Any slightly deeper inquiry led to a broken link with a “404” error.
Bai Ying braked. Traffic was jammed again. Two couples, one in phoenix crowns and robes, the other in wedding dresses, passed through the traffic flow.
She stared at them for a long while and asked dully, “Did you fall in love? Or—”
“It’s the latter ‘or’,” the traffic moved, and Lian Cheng urged her to drive. “I have ulterior motives. Things in Hong Kong were too chaotic to explain in a few words. First, explain the medication to me. This is very important to me.”
Bai Ying agreed. “My hospital is on the Second Ring Road. At this rate of traffic, we’ll get the results this afternoon. Let’s change course to a nearby public hospital. While waiting for the results, I’ll call my advisor abroad for you. As for you and him—marriage, what’s the plan?”
Lian Cheng looked expressionlessly at the screen. “I’ll choose a wedding dress tomorrow, announce the marriage news in three days, and hold the wedding this month.”
………………
On the other side, at Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital.
Lian Yingying received a call from Gu Zhoushan and moved out of the hospital room.
She had just left when a man slipped into the room.
He was of medium height, thin, with messy, greying hair, wearing a Hong Kong taxi driver uniform.
Mo Shifu was awake, watching the local news from Singapore on the wall-mounted television facing the bed.
“Master,” the greying-haired man’s voice was very young.
Mo Shifu glanced at him and signaled him to lock the door. “Is there any movement from the mainland?”
“Not from Liang Chaosu, but Old Wai sent word that Liang Liancheng was suddenly taken to the hospital by a friend for a blood draw, and someone from the Lin family is with her.”
“She’s eager to confirm, isn’t she,” Mo Shifu sighed.
The greying-haired man’s phone vibrated once. He looked at it, his expression immediately anxious.
“The cherry blossoms in Nan Province on the mainland have bloomed beautifully these past two days. The city traffic is jammed. Liang Liancheng changed her destination and is now in the hospital. Master, should we intercept? Please make a decision.”
“What about Shicheng? When can he be extradited back to Singapore?”
The greying-haired man shook his head. “The Lin family is keeping a close watch. It’s difficult.”
Mo Shifu said nothing.
The greying-haired man had come to Hong Kong long ago and could only pose as a taxi driver even now. The Lin family outside must have imposed extremely strict blockades, determined to nail Mo Shicheng down.
“I’ve failed Jianhong,” Mo Shifu felt distressed.
“Convey my message: the Mo clan’s bloodline can be recognized at any time, but Shicheng’s matter cannot wait. Jianhong’s wife’s skeletal remains were identified as a hook. For the DNA blood test, keep her hanging on no matter what, distract her. If worst comes to worst and something happens, send Lin Lanfeng to the mainland, and let the Lin family contend with that young man from Liang.”
The greying-haired man had been trained by Mo Shifu and possessed considerable ability.
Mo Shicheng would not have exposed his skeletal remains for no reason. This last-minute turmoil was certainly to promote Lian Yingying and handle affairs for him, but more importantly, it was likely targeted at Liang Chaosu, whom he considered beneficial.
He hesitated. “But after Second Master was exposed, Liang Chaosu remained inactive. It’s clear he’s noticed. In that case, even if we lure Lin Lanfeng to the mainland, Liang Chaosu might not necessarily engage in a dispute with the Lin family.”
Mo Shifu had spoken too much, his breathing faltering. He roughly gasped and put on his oxygen mask.
He pondered that what the greying-haired man said made sense. After the year, international capital poured continuously into Liang’s, and there was much discussion in Singapore’s business circles.
Analyzing the expansion strategy of the Liang family in recent years, it was reckless and wild, completely unconventional, yet like hidden clues in ashes, laying subtle groundwork.
Often, others would scheme to trap him, only for him to strike back with unexpected moves.
“Leave Shicheng’s matter to Doctor Liu. Go to the mainland yourself. First, ascertain that young man from the Liang family’s stance. Even blood brothers can fight. If he’s not fighting now, it’s because the critical point hasn’t been reached yet.”
The greying-haired man acknowledged the order and left.
