Chapter 207: In The End, Who Was It That Year?
The next morning.
A heavy fog in Nan Province caused Shen Lichuan’s flight to the North for project negotiations to be delayed by three hours.
While waiting in the VIP lounge, a man suddenly sat beside him and asked provocatively, “Shen Lichuan, where are you going?”
Shen Lichuan looked at him for a few seconds, having no impression of the person, and asked, “Who are you?”
The man was not tall, and even sitting up straight, he was shorter than Shen Lichuan. He couldn’t hide the sarcasm as he said, “Stop playing dumb. Are you going to Qi Province to see your old mistress?”
Shen Lichuan was displeased, offended by the cold and sharp words, and replied, “No matter who you are, watch your mouth.”
The man scoffed, “I only show kindness to decent people. To irresponsible and immoral beasts, not taking action is my greatest tolerance.”
In the back row, Shen Lichuan’s secretary, Feng Chengshu, sensed something was wrong and leaned forward to stop the man.
Shen Lichuan stopped him and, facing the man, said, “Hu Tiande?”
Hu Tiande’s bright red hair had been dyed back to black. His face was bare, a stark contrast to his past heavy makeup and smoky eyes.
His entire presentation was no longer in the style of a Japanese flower boy, but leaned towards a low-key business look.
“You’re not pretending anymore?”
Hu Tiande chuckled, “Shen Lichuan, since you’re letting Feifei stay at your place, you need to be responsible for her. If my friend hadn’t seen you in the waiting room, and you weren’t going to meet your mistress behind your pregnant wife’s back…”
He leaned closer, spitting out curses through clenched teeth, “How can you be so cheap?”
Feng Chengshu immediately tried to issue a warning, but Shen Lichuan waved him away and said confidently, “You came specifically to find me.”
Hu Tiande didn’t deny it. “What, you’re guilty because I caught you cheating?”
“I’m not guilty.” Shen Lichuan’s expression was indifferent, his eyes dark and unfathomable. “Knowing you came to find me, the one who’s guilty is someone else.”
A flash of confusion crossed Hu Tiande’s eyes, and then he became angry again. “Stop beating around the bush and speaking in riddles. Feifei is five months pregnant. For the remaining five months, you can’t go anywhere but stay home and accompany her.”
Shen Lichuan caught the confusion in his eyes, paused for two seconds, and leaned back into the brown leather sofa.
Liang Wenfei’s fear and timidity that day were not fake. Her desperate attempts to stay away from Hu Tiande must have been because of a secret related to Hu Tiande that, if exposed, would leave her in a precarious position.
He had previously speculated that Hu Tiande was blackmailing her with a secret, and Liang Wenfei, unwilling to be controlled, sought his protection.
But Hu Tiande’s reaction at this moment did not suggest any rift between them, and he seemed completely unaware of Liang Wenfei’s fear.
“It seems you have a misunderstanding. Liang Wenfei came to the Shen family not to find me, but—” He crossed his legs and scrutinized Hu Tiande, “to escape you.”
Hu Tiande found this utterly ridiculous. “Did you hit your head? You can really make things up. Feifei avoiding me?”
He pointed at himself absurdly, “When I knew Feifei, you were still a lapdog for Liang Liancheng. If it wasn’t for that day—”
He suddenly tensed his lips. Shen Lichuan immediately frowned. “Which day? What happened that day?”
Hu Tiande remained silent.
Shen Lichuan narrowed his eyes slightly.
Two months after returning to the Liang family, Liang Wenfei had orchestrated his drunken assault. Two and a half months later, the Liang family broke off the engagement and arranged a new marriage alliance.
Based on this, “that day” could only be within those two and a half months.
As for Hu Tiande, due to his poor academic performance since childhood, his older sisters doted on him. By junior high, he was already smoking, drinking, and throwing parties with Liu Qingsong’s group.
He didn’t mix with Shen Lichuan or Liancheng, let alone with Liang Chaosu back then.
He prevented any frivolous and sly young ladies in their social circle from getting close, so as not to corrupt Liancheng. Hu Tiande, a profligate and restless second-generation heir, was even more so. Liang Chaosu would deal with him severely if he crossed any boundaries.
Therefore, Hu Tiande and the Liang family were clearly separated for the first eighteen years of his life; he couldn’t even enter the Liang family’s door except on major holidays.
Furthermore, during those two and a half months, Liang Wenfei was in an unfamiliar environment. Mother Liang seized the opportunity to teach her etiquette and social rules, and she had very little time to go out. How could she have become familiar with Hu Tiande?
“When did you get to know Liang Wenfei?”
“What the hell do you mean?” Hu Tiande saw the doubt in his eyes and immediately exploded, pointing at Shen Lichuan’s nose. “Are you trying to smear Feifei’s name again?”
“Feifei said your mother doesn’t believe her and demanded a paternity test at four months. I think you don’t want to be responsible and are instigating your mother to act. The results are still on your mother’s phone. And now you’re here, insisting on being cuckolded yourself to shirk responsibility, right—”
He looked around the waiting room. A flight had just departed. Besides the waitstaff and Shen Lichuan’s secretary, there was no one else.
Wanting to humiliate Shen Lichuan without an audience, Hu Tiande choked.
Shen Lichuan watched him coldly and provocatively said, “I have no intention of insulting her, and I’ve always acknowledged the child. But I don’t believe you knew her before I did. Otherwise, why would she have fallen to the ground begging me to protect her, and wanted to stay away from you?”
If Hu Tiande had been Liang Chaosu today, Shen Lichuan would not have retorted so crudely and nakedly.
It was just that Hu Tiande was provoked. Shen Lichuan didn’t like Liang Wenfei; he did.
What Shen Lichuan was unwilling to bear the responsibility for, he was willing to.
Before leaving the villa in the suburbs, Liang Wenfei told him that Shen Lichuan had a change of heart, but she didn’t expect it to be a defense against him.
Shen Lichuan suddenly asked again, his tone dangerous and piercing, “Four years ago, the Liang family did not welcome you. Two and a half months before the Liang family’s marriage exchange, the time you could meet Liang Wenfei was limited to a few banquets.”
“A few brief meetings would not lead to familiarity. Normal interaction would clearly not be appropriate. Given your personality, it sounds more like you were doing something illicit. Then I will boldly speculate that the ‘day’ you mentioned, to be more precise, should be that night.”
Hu Tiande’s hands, hanging at his sides, trembled slightly, and his expression was not good. “Feifei was smitten with you at first sight, couldn’t she become familiar with me at first sight? You value yourself too highly and underestimate me.”
Shen Lichuan rested his arm on the sofa’s armrest, his posture casual, but his inner aura was somber and pressing.
“You dare not admit it? That I was drugged four years ago was a setup. Liancheng and I have almost finished our investigation. Evidence suggests Liang Chaosu was involved in the cleanup. For years, we all assumed he was behind it.”
“But thinking back now, with his capabilities and style, he would only have acted more covertly, and he would have let Liancheng witness my infidelity firsthand. He wouldn’t have left such obvious loopholes afterward that Liancheng would resent him all these years.”
“I was the one who gave the drug,” Hu Tiande admitted readily.
Shen Lichuan’s brows relaxed slightly, then furrowed again.
Hu Tiande’s expression completely relaxed. “Brother Su knew afterwards and could help us clean up the mess, which means he doesn’t blame me. You can’t threaten me.”
Shen Lichuan’s heart tightened, his expression grave.
He discerned that Liang Wenfei feared Liang Chaosu would retaliate against her to please Liancheng, but there was a hint of luck in her terror and trepidation.
Liang Chaosu had already discovered the drugging, so there was no room for luck; it could only be something Liang Chaosu didn’t know.
This matter was also related to Liancheng, and was more insidious than the drugging back then.
It was as if Liang Wenfei believed that if it were exposed, Liancheng would ignore her agreement and incur Liang Chaosu’s severe wrath.
Or perhaps, Liang Chaosu was also greatly affected, which could explain Liang Wenfei’s soul-shattered fear.
