Chapter 130: The Desert Traveler In Extreme Thirst
Liang Chaosu propped his arms on either side of Liancheng, his palms resting on the ship’s gunwale, using his back to create a space with loose gaps on both sides, making her feel not crowded.
Liancheng waited excitedly at the bow of the ship for more than ten minutes, only to see a gray tail flash and roll on the sea, without a splash, and then disappear.
People around exclaimed repeatedly, “What fish? Is it a whale?”
“Why isn’t it showing its head? Whales need to breathe.”
Liancheng was also curious, perking up her ears to listen to people’s guesses.
“It’s a harbor seal.”
Liang Chaosu had long since lost patience and had been silent. He suddenly spoke, and Liancheng looked up at him from his arms, “How do you know?”
“There was a photo on the dock advertisement board.”
Liancheng recalled, and her mind was filled with various promotional slogans, such as “It’s not a waste to live this life,” “It’s not in vain to travel this journey,” “When the forest is deep, you see deer; when the sea is blue, you see whales.”
“You remembered it after just one glance?”
Liang Chaosu had an expression of course, “What else? You were looking out the car window the whole way and didn’t remember?”
Liancheng choked back tears, “You have a good memory, your mind is full of wisdom.”
Liang Chaosu lowered his head to gaze at her. Her previously explosive state had relaxed after going out, and after the restaurant, she had become even more lively in her speech.
The world was noisy and foul-smelling. The sea breeze blew her long hair, and after the scent of her shampoo faded, it became a purer scent closer to her true self.
Perhaps his sense of smell was sensitive, making it difficult for him to tolerate the foulness of others. He suddenly buried his face in the side of Liancheng’s neck, like a desperately thirsty desert traveler finding an oasis.
Liancheng endured it, not pushing him away immediately.
She understood that Liang Chaosu was staying in Húsavík to give her an opportunity to leave.
But Liancheng did not want to comply with his wishes immediately this time. Since Liang Chaosu dared to have Old Ghost take her away, it was certain that he had done something with Old Ghost.
Even.
Liancheng felt that with Liang Chaosu’s caution and cunning, it was very likely that Old Ghost was unknowingly under his control, waiting only to deceive Father Liang before imprisoning her again.
Now she didn’t lack opportunities to escape, but what she lacked was how to truly leave, to break free from Liang Chaosu’s grasp and Father Liang’s dangerous situation, to successfully fake her death and achieve a perfect outcome.
……………………
Domestically.
Mother Liang hadn’t tended to the small flower hall in a long time. Although a gardener looked after it, and it was lush and green, she still felt it wasn’t satisfactory.
Early in the morning, she changed into light cotton and linen clothing and busied herself with digging, watering, and pruning until nearly noon, when Father Liang returned.
She was still angry and didn’t go out to greet him. When she heard Father Liang asking for her in the living room, she ignored him.
By the time Father Liang changed his clothes and found the small flower hall, Mother Liang’s temper was on the verge of exploding.
Father Liang saw her displeased expression and took the pruning shears from her hand. “You called me back several times, and now you won’t talk to me. Should I leave then?”
Mother Liang’s eyes blazed with anger. She got straight to the point, “Are you suppressing Chaosu at the Liang Family business?”
Father Liang had expected this. “Chaosu went to Iceland. I’m not pressuring him at the Liang Family business. When the child in Liancheng’s belly is born, whether to acknowledge it or not will be even harder then.”
Mother Liang understood this principle, but seeing her father and son in internal conflict, her heart was in turmoil. “What is he thinking? Incest and immorality are against heaven’s will and unbearable. Even if he has feelings, he—.”
Mother Liang gritted her teeth in frustration, wishing she could bite them off and chew them to pieces. “He’s keeping Liancheng, but what about the child? An illegitimate child born of sin?”
The small flower hall was planned for expansion at the end of the year. Mother Liang had been busy all morning, mostly with base fertilizer. Her body was covered in fertilizer and dirt, and her hands were calloused and stained black and yellow.
Father Liang clasped her fist without hesitation, straightening her fingers one by one, loosening her tense muscles. “It might not necessarily be to raise him as an illegitimate child.”
Mother Liang’s body trembled, and she immediately glared at him. “What do you mean?”
Father Liang sighed and helped her sit down.
Mother Liang had no intention of sitting, her back straight, and she stared at him without blinking.
Father Liang had no choice but to deal with her. “Nianci, when Feifei was pregnant, Chaosu found Bo Yizhang in Jingdu to preserve her pregnancy, investing one hundred million.”
Mother Liang’s expression was blank. “I know. Later, Bo Yizhang had a car accident, and Feifei switched to another doctor.”
Father Liang put his arm around her shoulders, patting her gently. “What if that one hundred million from Chaosu wasn’t for Feifei?”
Mother Liang’s facial muscles twitched. Her heart felt like a muddy swamp, a suppressed and festering poison gas that, ignited by a spark, instantly swept through her being, making her hair stand on end and filling her with a frantic urge to smash things to vent her frustration.
No wonder.
No wonder, on the eve of the medical examination, she wanted Liancheng to go to the hospital for a blood draw, and he forcefully stopped her.
It was because he already knew about the pregnancy then. His repeated displays of disgust and suppression were purely to deceive them.
On the surface, he favored Feifei, but in terms of verbal sparring, Feifei was no match for Liancheng. When it came to insults or physical altercations, he suppressed Feifei.
Father Liang saw her trembling uncontrollably and changed from holding her arm to embracing and comforting her. “Don’t misunderstand. His one hundred million was for Bo Yizhang to treat Liancheng’s infertility. Chaosu didn’t know she was pregnant at the time.”
He was considerate of Mother Liang’s state and didn’t explain that Liang Chaosu later added another hundred million to avoid Liancheng suffering the ordeal of acupuncture.
Mother Liang’s anger surged instead of abating. Every part of her body tensed up, becoming stiff and rigid, like an arrow ready to be shot.
“He didn’t know? Feifei is his biological sister. He used her as a cover—”
Mid-sentence, she suddenly froze, her entire soul seeming to leave her body. Astonishment and horror solidified on her face, looking particularly ferocious.
Father Liang didn’t know what else she had thought of and quickly patted her back and touched her cheek, calling her name repeatedly, “Nianci? Nianci—”
After a long pause, Mother Liang suddenly snapped back to reality and gripped Father Liang’s clothes tightly, her voice hoarse from the intense emotional fluctuation, “Four years ago, when did Chaosu and Liancheng start?”
Father Liang frowned. “The people I sent to the North were stopped by Chaosu. I’ve been busy with the Liang Family business recently and haven’t had the time to investigate. The exact time is uncertain.”
“You’re still trying to hide it from me?” Mother Liang’s eyes were bloodshot.
“Back then, Feifei had just returned and suddenly had a relationship with Shen Lichuan. Afterwards, Chaosu handled it quickly and well. For years, I thought he was worried about the influence and reputation, so he went along with the mistake, sacrificing Liancheng to fulfill Feifei. But—”
She spat out each word as if squeezing them through her teeth, “But now, looking back, wasn’t he using Feifei as a cover again?”
Father Liang’s brows were furrowed into a tight knot. “Nianci, regarding this matter, I truly am not yet certain. I’m telling you this so you understand that Chaosu’s attitude is firm, and he won’t turn back.”
“Won’t turn back.” Mother Liang chewed on these words, each one feeling like a knife cutting into her heart, nailing in a poisonous tack. “He and Liancheng, Liancheng wasn’t the one who initiated it, was she?”
Father Liang remained silent.
“He’s been with Liancheng since four years ago. He invested one hundred million in Bo Yizhang, wanting Liancheng to have a child. Now that his wish has come true, what does he want to do?”
All along, whether Mother Liang hadn’t seen clearly or had been deceiving herself, she had consistently blamed Liancheng for everything.
But now, Liang Chaosu’s actions, one after another, were no longer concealed. The countless thoughts in Mother Liang’s mind collapsed into a pile of ruins.
Amidst the ruins, only one thought remained, clear and shocking.
