Chapter 179: Self-indulgence
Shen Lichuan was about the same height as Liang Chaosu, his long legs advancing rapidly, and he reached her in the blink of an eye.
Lian Cheng wore a hood, her hair completely covered, her contour also hidden. In the howling gale, only her serene, tired eyes and pale lips remained. In the winter sunlight, even her clothes couldn’t hide her thin and weak appearance.
Shen Lichuan felt a piercing, bone-chilling dizziness and asked with a mournful voice, “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“You know?”
Their voices overlapped, and Lian Cheng silently clenched her fists.
The New Year’s sun was good, but it brought no warmth when it fell on her. A gust of wind made it even colder, so cold she couldn’t open her mouth.
Shen Lichuan tried his best to control his emotions, but he couldn’t. His gaze kept dropping to her lower abdomen, flat and thin. His gaze froze, and he felt a chilling pain, numb like being submerged in ice water.
The cold wind blew, messing up his hair and ruining his demeanor. A few strands of bangs brushed his eyes, making them watery. His voice was mournful and desolate, “You don’t believe me anymore.”
Aunt Wang fumbled in her pocket and took out tissues. Lian Cheng took them and handed them to him.
“I believe you.”
Lian Cheng said no more.
It could be said that after a series of changes, Shen Lichuan had become much more mature. His kindness remained unchanged, and he was more persistent. He wanted to help her, and she wanted him to be well. Her joining Liang’s company was to cooperate with Liang Chaosu in his self-proving game, to let him find out the details of the past four years himself and seize the opportunity to collect evidence of his crimes.
Such a life-threatening matter, under no circumstances, could he be involved.
Shen Lichuan’s chest heaved under his shirt, becoming more rapid, as if it were expanding to its limit. What filled it was his anger and frustration, which broke through his eyes with every breath.
“You believe me, come with me now, this time no matter what—”
“President Shen.” Su Chenghuai appeared behind him at some point. “Regarding the Shen’s dumping case, although Old Director Shen has flown to Africa, the international court’s trial is imminent. As the project manager, it is not appropriate for President Shen to be absent.”
Lian Cheng’s gaze crossed Shen Lichuan and met Su Chenghuai’s, cold and sharp.
Su Chenghuai’s expression was stiff, and he lowered his stance, “Miss Lian Cheng, I am here to report to you that Mr. Xin Youdao, the teacher of Liang’s former legal department head, Wen Yisheng, has accepted Director Liang’s appointment and will fully assist Shen’s in handling the international dispute.”
“As for the domestic matter involving the Disciplinary Committee, Director Liang cannot interfere, but he will do his best to assist and provide supporting evidence from the sidelines, actively cooperating with Shen’s self-proof.”
He extended his hand to signal Shen Lichuan, “Liang’s has also provided Shen’s with much assistance, funds and connections, all of which Shen’s accepted yesterday. If you still have doubts, you can ask President Shen in person.”
Shen Lichuan’s chest felt compressed and then collapsed, as if an invisible syringe was draining his blood, his pride, his dignity, and his strength.
It was true that he had accepted Liang’s help.
Father Shen had flown to Africa before the New Year. The almost certain defeat in the lawsuit had crushed him, and he had been rushing between government offices and embassies, clinging to his medicine bottle. He had encountered several crises, and his bodyguards had even opened fire. Father Shen had not mentioned his fear or anxiety in his phone calls, but that fear and anxiety were silently imprinted in Shen Lichuan’s heart.
And there was something even more ridiculous.
He had blocked all of Liang Wenfei’s contact information. As a result, after Liang Wenfei arrived in Iceland, she sent a message mentioning Lian Cheng’s miscarriage, which he missed. He was so unaware that only when his secretary checked the messages did he become the last person to know.
Everything he had done was a mess; he was powerless to change it and just went with the flow.
“Shen Lichuan, no one is made of steel from the beginning.” Lian Cheng felt his decadent despair, restraining herself, and stood in place. “What you are facing is a targeted, long-planned assassination. To have fought this far without any preparation proves you are capable.”
Shen Lichuan felt a choking pain in his throat. From half a meter away, the cold wind distorted everything, leaving only her as intact and unchanged.
Su Chenghuai interjected expressionlessly, “Miss Lian Cheng is physically weak and should not be exposed to the wind. President Shen’s endless questions are less important than waiting until Miss Lian Cheng is settled.”
Lian Cheng clutched her jacket tighter. Before she could speak, Shen Lichuan, who had been gazing at her, spoke first, “He arranged for Aunt Wang to live at Jade Mansion; does he want to force you to live there too?”
“No.” Lian Cheng shook her head.
When they met again, she seemed stingy with her explanations, while Shen Lichuan seemed to have a thousand words to say. In the end, he didn’t ask much more.
“Settle down, and tell me.”
Lian Cheng had no intention of hiding this from him and agreed.
Shen Lichuan stood in place, waited for a moment, and then left with big steps.
Su Chenghuai checked the rear of the car. The collision was not severe, and it was not a direct hit to the rear, only damaging the right taillight.
After taking photos for preservation, he opened the rear car door and invited Lian Cheng to get in. “Director Liang knows you won’t be staying at Jade Mansion and has no intention of forcing you. He merely feared you would be tired from your journey and asked me to give you a ride.”
Give her a ride? Did Liang Chaosu know her destination?
Before Lian Cheng could think deeply, Aunt Wang exclaimed and grabbed her hand, “You’re not staying at Jade Mansion? Where are you going?”
The butler came closer, “The court opens on the seventh day. Your identification documents cannot be used these few days, so you cannot stay at a hotel, and there are many places you cannot go. Besides, your body needs proper recuperation.”
Su Chenghuai suddenly smiled, “Miss Lian Cheng rented a place on Xinghuo Road in Youfangqiao.”
Aunt Wang was even more astonished.
Lian Cheng stared at Su Chenghuai. Su Chenghuai’s smile disappeared from his face, but he did not avoid her gaze and met it directly. “Miss Lian Cheng has strong initiative. She made an agreement with Director Liang and searched for rental properties in Nan Province online as soon as she got her phone.”
“Coincidentally, an old Overseas Chinese gentleman needed someone to look after his house in the country. After an initial understanding of Miss Lian Cheng, combined with a certificate from the embassy and a bit of compassion, he was willing to rent the house to Miss Lian Cheng.”
A sound came from behind. The crew members were tidying up the cabin after disembarking. Lian Cheng realized they had been lingering on the tarmac for too long.
Su Chenghuai glanced at his watch, “It’s been ten minutes.” He held the car door, “Miss Lian Cheng probably has many questions now. Why don’t you stop declining? Get in the car, and I’ll answer them all on the way.”
Lian Cheng’s face was stern as she bent down and got into the car.
Driving out of the airport, the Spring Cherry blossoms by the roadside had no green leaves, but they were adorned with red and festive decorations, with small lanterns and tassels swaying in the wind, and some were strings of lights of various shapes.
More festive and atmospheric than the airport.
The joy Lian Cheng felt upon returning to her homeland gradually sank to the bottom of her heart. She looked at the rearview mirror, where Su Chenghuai, as if on his own, began to explain.
“You don’t need to guess wildly. The house in Youfangkou was indeed your good luck to meet such a reasonable and kind landlord. Director Liang did not interfere or participate throughout the entire process. At most, he helped you get back the two million that was lost to the gang.”
Aunt Wang and the butler had only a vague understanding of the situation in Iceland, and they couldn’t help but feel confused.
Su Chenghuai was not as good as Xiao Da in this regard; he didn’t have that much kindness to waste words on others.
Half of his attention was on the car and half on Lian Cheng in the rearview mirror. “Liang’s also starts work on the eighth day. Considering that Lian Cheng needs to go to revoke the declaration, when do you plan to report to Liang’s?”
Lian Cheng’s expression was unreadable. “The ninth day.”
Aunt Wang understood this part and tugged at Lian Cheng’s sleeve, whispering, “Lian Cheng, starting work isn’t urgent. You need to rest for a full month to recover your health.”
Su Chenghuai’s sharp ears caught Aunt Wang’s words in the sealed car. “Director Liang also means this.”
This time, he looked at Aunt Wang, “Fortunately, you are here. Otherwise, I really wouldn’t know how to persuade her. After all, Miss Lian Cheng has always been meticulous in her thinking and particularly insistent. I am a careless person and afraid of causing further misunderstandings for Miss Lian Cheng.”
Lian Cheng had long noticed his sarcasm. “Secretary Su, do you have a problem with me?”
“Not at all.” Su Chenghuai turned the steering wheel and entered the western section of the Fourth Ring Road in Youfangkou.
“It’s just that no one is made of steel. A knife wound to the heart, a narrow escape, but half a life is gone. In this world, murder and arson carry life imprisonment, but half a life with a discount is still worth the agony of self-indulgence.”
Lian Cheng asked, “Do you love him?”
Su Chenghuai was stunned.
Lian Cheng continued to ask, “Are you so deeply in love that you can’t extricate yourself? Are you indulging yourself and feeling heartache for him?”
