Chapter 181: Regarding The Past Cultural Performance
Outside the door was Zhang An.
The coldest part of winter in Nan Province is around the Spring Festival, a damp cold that clings to the skin and seeps into the pores.
He wore a thin black suit, his nose red from the cold, “Miss Lian Cheng, happy new year.”
Lian Cheng leaned the broom against the wall, “Happy new year, is something wrong?”
Her eyes were swollen like eggs, Aunt Wang’s method was always effective, and the redness and swelling quickly subsided. Zhang An stared for a few seconds, noting the bloodshot veins in her eyes and her gaunt appearance.
He then asked with concern about the reason, “Miss Lian Cheng, did you not sleep well? Is it the noise in the house, or something you’re not used to? I worked in decoration when I was a teenager, and I can fix furniture too. If there’s anything you need, don’t be polite with me.”
Lian Cheng only replied with a “thank you” and her gaze fell on his hands. The beautifully wrapped gift boxes weighed down both his hands, the handles leaving his fingers white and slightly blue, and they were quite heavy.
Zhang An took the gifts as an opportunity, “My annual leave ends tomorrow, and since I returned early, I’ve come to wish you and Aunt Wang a happy new year.”
Lian Cheng didn’t take them. He tiptoed past Lian Cheng’s shoulder to look inside, “Aunt Wang, happy new year.”
Suddenly, as Lian Cheng turned her head, he quickly sidestepped and squeezed into the room.
“Aunt Wang, is Xiao Tao confident in his studies this year? Why not come to our county town to take a look? I specifically inquired when I went back this year, and our local tax bureau plans to recruit ten people this year, so the chance of passing is high. Xiao Tao can get the establishment first, and then apply for a transfer back home. With some connections then, it will be easier than taking the exam directly now.”
Lian Cheng’s words completely died in her mouth. She knew about Aunt Wang’s son. He was three years older than her, a graduate student from a second-tier university, who didn’t date or look for a job, focusing instead on securing a stable government position.
He failed last year and is taking the exam again this year, so the pressure is a bit high. He’s been neglecting food and sleep, and Aunt Wang would cry when she talked about it, purely out of heartache.
Aunt Wang rubbed her hands back and forth on her apron, her eyes looking towards Lian Cheng, seeking her opinion.
Lian Cheng closed the door with her back and invited Zhang An to sit. Aunt Wang saw her eyes curve and also felt joy. She sat opposite Zhang An and asked him to elaborate.
Lian Cheng turned to go to the kitchen to get water. She had just moved in and didn’t have any tea. A cup of plain water was placed in Zhang An’s hand. He was startled and concealed it.
He had always known about Lian Cheng’s relationship with Liang Chaosu, but their state was not right, and Liang Chaosu was particularly averse to others prying into his affairs. Zhang An maintained his distance, not asking, not investigating, and never connecting his strong ambition with Lian Cheng.
But now Liang Chaosu was no longer hiding it. Tracing it back, the clues from the past had all been part of a tidal wave.
Zhang An explained the situation to Aunt Wang verbally, his peripheral vision following Lian Cheng. When he was almost done explaining, he called out to her.
“Miss Lian Cheng, Old Ghost’s injuries are all superficial. He will be discharged from the hospital in the next few days. You are weak now, and visiting him in the hospital might expose you to illness. It would be better to go after some time.”
Lian Cheng stared at him, a sense of resistance growing, “Was he monitoring my phone?”
Yesterday, after settling down a bit, Lian Cheng had called Old Ghost. His wife answered, and in the background, Old Ghost was furiously tutoring their daughter.
Old Ghost’s wife responded gently, not letting Old Ghost take the phone. She only said that the injury was not serious but very painful, and that the grown man had cried out in pain in the middle of the night. The doctor had increased the painkillers, but the medication was harmful, especially to the kidneys.
Lian Cheng felt overwhelmed with guilt and apologized incoherently, offering compensation and wanting to visit. Old Ghost’s wife initially refused, but called back in the evening and agreed to her visiting the hospital at ten o’clock this morning.
“You’ve misunderstood.”
Zhang An took out his phone, “Old Ghost’s injuries were inflicted by a gang abroad. Mr. Liang handled the people who acted and, using Old Ghost’s name, arranged for a lawyer to file a lawsuit. The verdict in Iceland has now come down.”
“Those with serious offenses are in jail. Wells reached a settlement with Old Ghost yesterday afternoon, paying fifty million. Old Ghost’s international hotel will have the gang responsible for its security in Iceland from now on.”
“After the agreement was finalized, it was Old Ghost’s wife who mentioned that you had contacted them, not that Mr. Liang was eavesdropping.”
Lian Cheng clenched her ten fingers together, squeezing until her knuckles felt numb.
Liang Chaosu had done what she wanted to do, and had done it hundreds of times better than she could have.
“Understood.”
With just three words, Zhang An observed Lian Cheng. He saw that she lowered her eyes, her face expressionless, and she was cold all over, her resistance unwavering.
After a few seconds of hesitation, he still asked, “Do you… have any words for Mr. Liang?”
Lian Cheng suddenly raised her eyes, “What should I say? Old Ghost’s injury was primarily my fault. He was the mastermind behind it, and now he’s making amends for his mistake.”
Zhang An’s mouth fell open in shock.
Seeing his reaction, Lian Cheng gave a cold smile, “Isn’t it that he knows he was wrong, and is taking it upon himself to help Old Ghost on my behalf? Is he expecting me to be grateful and thank him?”
When she encountered Liang Chaosu, she became like a different person. If she didn’t speak, she was like cold frost; if she spoke, she was like ice-made thorns, her attitude stinging people’s faces.
Aunt Wang walked around the coffee table, put her arm around her shoulders, and silently eased her tense stiffness.
Zhang An closed his mouth. It was both unexpected and not, this had been the case for four years, and now the conflict had only intensified. He picked up the water cup and drank, moistening his throat.
“Hear me out, Mr. Liang’s request to the gang from beginning to end was only one thing: to ensure your safety. Later, the Slav who was hired as a mercenary to protect you had already discovered him when Old Ghost appeared near the small building.”
“Mr. Liang’s instructions were to ignore him, and if he made any move, to spare his life. So the mercenary didn’t act. After the instructions were conveyed, Wells originally didn’t intend to act against him; it was his subordinate who was too aggressive. Including the car accident, it was the gang’s carelessness. Mr. Liang would never let you be exposed to even a shred of risk.”
Risk? A shred?
Lian Cheng raised her hand and touched her lower abdomen, an ineffable emptiness growing within her, piercing her heart.
All the risk originated from him, was amplified by her own foolishness, and the final consequences were borne by the child.
Zhang An glimpsed her emotions surging, and between staying silent and speaking, he chose to go all out.
“Secretary Su was disrespectful to you, and Mr. Liang has already punished him. Back then, during your school’s freshman performance, Li Delun was among the guests. He is the nephew of Hai Ying, Madam Liang’s best friend, and his father is the Director of the Planning Department of Northern Province.”
“When Mr. Liang first entered the Northern Market, Director Li’s support would have made things much easier. Madam Liang had the idea of a marriage alliance with you, and Old Director Liang particularly agreed. He personally made contact, and that cultural performance was a disguised blind date.”
“Knowing you were unhappy, after Mr. Liang withdrew you from the performance, he invited Zhao Xiang from the Central National Orchestra to teach you the pipa.”
“Later, you left and ran to another province, missing the audition time for Teacher Zhao Xiang. Teacher Zhao Xiang disliked students who missed appointments. Mr. Liang was also helpless. He probably hasn’t told you this over the years, likely fearing you would be disappointed if you knew.”
Lian Cheng’s breathing became uncontrollably disordered, her muscles tensed all over, and she experienced a moment of tinnitus.
It was the thunderous applause from the audience, the affectionate encouragement from Mother Liang for her to perform well on stage.
It was the wind cheering wildly outside the taxi window as she fled in the middle of the night.
Finally, all that remained in her mind was being brought back by Xiao Da, sent to Liang Chaosu’s study, and his sinister and murderous face.
Lian Cheng’s voice was hoarse, “Are you finished?”
She raised a finger to the door, “I won’t see you out.”
Zhang An paused for two seconds, the atmosphere becoming even more stagnant. He awkwardly got up.
Lian Cheng looked at his expression, “If this is a task he’s forcing you to do, and it’s the answer he wants me to find.”
She took a deep breath and exhaled, “Then tell him that unjustified forceful occupation and justified forceful occupation are no different to me. However, him sending others to come and explain on his behalf is utterly ugly and cowardly.”
Lian Cheng turned and went into the bedroom, and Aunt Wang followed to comfort her.
Ten minutes later, when she came to the door again, Zhang An had indeed not left and was squatting outside the door.
“Auntie, did I overstep?”
Zhang An was familiar with Aunt Wang and the butler privately.
“Mr. Liang didn’t actually ask me to say all this, nor did he require a response. Regarding the matter in Iceland, it was only when Xiao Da was explaining that I asked, and he told me. Xiao Da didn’t tell Lian Cheng; would my telling her cause trouble?”
Aunt Wang also knew Xiao Da from his visits to the Liang family, “Xiao Da is just that kind of person. If he wasn’t tight-lipped, the Eldest Young Master wouldn’t use him.”
To a familiar person, Aunt Wang spoke a little more, “You weren’t exactly overstepping; it’s just that some people can’t keep things to themselves. The Eldest Young Master understands your personalities.”
Zhang An somewhat understood. Since Xiao Da could keep secrets, Liang Chaosu didn’t hide the inside story of the past four years from him. He, however, couldn’t keep secrets, and after being a driver for so long, he hadn’t even gotten close to the truth.
