Chapter 95: Embarking On The Path To Freedom
On this last night, Liancheng slept uneasily.
From time to time, she would vaguely awaken, seeing the neon lights outside a colorful blur, then the empty, cold silence. The city was asleep; it was already past midnight.
She quietly tiptoed to the head of the bed. Her mobile phone showed two in the morning.
There was still one unread WeChat message.
Liancheng opened it. It was from Liang Chaosu.
At one minute past twelve midnight, “I’m giving you a gift.”
Six simple words. Liancheng had spent four years on comprehension exercises; she didn’t want to feel like she was taking the college entrance exam again and rack her brain to analyze it.
Read and no reply. She turned off her phone and went back to sleep.
After five, she firmly refused Bai Ying’s offer to see her off and took a taxi to the bus station.
Old Ghost had bought the tickets and was sitting at a small food stall at the station entrance, eating breakfast.
As Liancheng approached, she realized there was even a portion for her.
“President Shen instructed that you can’t eat greasy or fishy food,” Old Ghost itemized everything. “Siu mai, with mushroom and glutinous rice filling. Buns, with cabbage and vermicelli filling. Soy milk, milk, and corn porridge. Pick what you like.”
Liancheng sat down. “What else did he tell you?”
Old Ghost wasn’t impatient this time. “He said you’re frail, might vomit from motion sickness, and will feel drowsy from long journeys, so avoid excessive bumps. Honestly, my wife isn’t as delicate as you are when she’s pregnant. If President Shen hadn’t been so kind to me, I really wouldn’t want to take on a job like yours.”
Liancheng poked the corn porridge in her bowl, her emotions a mix of feelings.
Shen Lichuan was meticulous and gentle, without any machismo, always prioritizing a woman’s wishes. He would quietly pave the way, showing respect and thoughtfulness.
“Over there—” Old Ghost suddenly motioned behind her to the left. “That woman with long hair and a white overcoat, do you know her?”
Liancheng turned her head.
Liu Lan saw her face clearly, grabbed her suitcase, and excitedly pushed through the crowd, striding quickly towards them.
“Liang Liancheng,” she said, grabbing Liancheng’s arm with a confining grip, as if afraid she would run away. Her gaze assessed Old Ghost. Seeing that he was unremarkable and in his early forties, but with a fierce look, she assumed he was a bodyguard assigned by the Liang family to Liancheng.
“I have something to tell you, just you,” Liu Lan pointed to a less crowded part of the station entrance. “Let’s go over there.”
Liancheng frowned tightly. “I have nothing to say to you.”
Liu Lan gritted her teeth. “You’re using your wealth and power to suppress me, making it impossible for me to stay in Nan Province, forcing me to return to my hometown. But Liang Liancheng, your dirty secrets are hard to hide. If you don’t want people to know, you shouldn’t have done it. I have evidence. Do you dare let the Liang family see it?”
Liancheng had never made a move against Liu Lan, let alone caused someone to be unable to stay in Nan Province. After thinking it over, she realized that the only person who would spread rumors to influence things and potentially take action was Liang Chaosu.
After witnessing the blood and confirming she wasn’t pregnant, it was perfectly in line with Liang Chaosu’s vindictive nature to teach Liu Lan, who spread the rumor and caused him false alarm, a lesson.
“Your rumor—”
“It’s not a rumor,” Liu Lan’s eyes turned red. “I have solid evidence. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be stopping you now.”
Liancheng’s brows furrowed even tighter. Other than rumors, she couldn’t think of what concrete evidence Liu Lan could possess, yet Liu Lan’s reaction was full of confidence…
She looked at Old Ghost. Old Ghost had his back turned, unable to hear or see. Please proceed as you wish.
Liancheng followed Liu Lan to a small alley next to the bus station. Liu Lan took out her phone and displayed several videos.
“You slept with Liang Chaosu, didn’t you? He often drove you to work. I paid to check the surveillance camera at the convenience store opposite the alley entrance, about two to three hundred meters from the company. Once, he got out of the car and kissed you. And his overcoat. The most recent time, a wealthy and distinguished person like him appeared at Heji to buy Chestnut Cake, it was for you, wasn’t it?”
Liancheng watched the videos one by one, not responding.
Liu Lan looked at her hands. “You’re not going to smash my phone, are you? Then I advise you to save your energy. Such important items are naturally backed up many times. What do you think, if this evidence were sent to the Liang family—”
Liancheng grew impatient with her drawn-out tone. “What do you want?”
“Smart,” Liu Lan clapped her hands. “Then I’ll be direct. One hundred million to buy out the videos, I’ll return to my hometown to retire, and you can continue your incest.”
Liancheng nodded. “Yes, but I don’t have enough cash on hand and need time.”
She was leaving Nan Province today, setting sail tonight, entering a neighboring country tomorrow, and landing in Greenland the night after. If she could delay for these three days, even if Liu Lan made it public in the Liang family and caused an earth-shattering uproar, and Mother Liang hated her enough to skin her alive, it wouldn’t reach her.
Liu Lan said, “I checked online. One hundred million in cash flow is indeed rare, but you second-generation heirs who grew up in wealth surely won’t lack jewelry, right? You can give me that too.”
Liancheng seemed to have lost her temper. “Today is Liang Chaosu’s birthday. You probably don’t want to spoil his good mood on his birthday. Let’s postpone it until tomorrow, or the day after.”
Liang Chaosu hadn’t shown his face, yet with a flick of his hand, he had suppressed her from leaving Nan Province. Liu Lan dared to pick on Liancheng, but didn’t dare anger Liang Chaosu, so she reluctantly agreed.
Liancheng watched her pull her suitcase and get into a taxi.
Old Ghost didn’t ask a single extra question.
The bus departed at seven.
Just as they were leaving the provincial capital, Liang Chaosu sent another WeChat message.
“Why aren’t you replying?”
Before setting sail, Liancheng still needed to keep Liang Chaosu and the Liang family stable, and delay being discovered as much as possible.
She replied, “Happy birthday.”
The Liang Residence.
Liang Chaosu leaned against the railing on the third floor, looking down at the living room. Mother Liang was joyfully chatting with several young ladies. Liang Wenfei’s eyes were critical, occasionally interjecting with sharp questions.
His phone vibrated. Liancheng had replied almost instantly. He chuckled, “Saying it now, you’re just being perfunctory.”
Liancheng sent a video. “The office is buzzing. Just got a bonus of two hundred thousand, I was busy and forgot.”
Liang Chaosu opened it. The office, during working hours, everyone was dancing wildly, each action stepping on his landmines.
Last year, the Liang family undertook a national project worth billions. Except for the moment the bank text message notified them of the bonus deposit, there were thunderous applause. Employees went to work and then went home, handling their urgent tasks before chartering a plane for a seven-day trip to the Maldives.
He frowned, looking to the end. “Why aren’t you in it?”
Liancheng replied almost instantly again, “They were too rowdy. I was the photographer.”
Liang Chaosu laughed out loud. Liancheng didn’t like quiet, but she enjoyed others’ liveliness. She quietly watched, occasionally saying a few witty remarks to add fuel to the fire.
Downstairs, Liang Wenfei called him. “Brother, come down quickly.”
Liang Chaosu glanced down, his expression unchanging. He lowered his head and replied to Liancheng, “I’ll pick you up tonight.”
Liancheng took longer to reply this time. ‘Typing…’ appeared and disappeared below his name.
A minute later, “I’ve also prepared a gift for you. I’ll give it to you tomorrow.”
“Why tomorrow?”
“Just tomorrow.”
Liancheng put away her phone and didn’t reply. Liang Chaosu was like a lie detector, constantly vigilant about her. The more she said, the more loopholes there would be. This time, by focusing on a single word, the difficulty of her departure multiplied.
It was better not to reply and let him guess. Just like last time when he asked why she bought iodine, she didn’t say anything and instead handled it tactfully, getting through it.
