Chapter 186: Shen Lichuan Meets Liang Chaosu
Bai Ying spent a Spring Festival holiday surrounded by isolation.
The older generation’s pressure to marry and have children felt like hammers to her. But hammers are hard to dodge, and taking them head-on resulted in a bruised head.
Back in Nan Province, seeing Bai Yixian’s indifferent old face in the short term made her angry.
Bai Ying didn’t even change her luggage, she just picked it up and went to find Liancheng.
The Lantern Festival had just passed, followed closely by the start of spring. Liancheng held a bowl, eating leftover yuanxiao from yesterday.
The afternoon sunlight was warm, filling the bright living room. In the sunlight, she was like a yuanxiao herself, fair and tender, having gained a bit of weight.
Bai Ying put down her luggage and, like a hungry tiger pouncing on a rabbit, snatched the last yuanxiao, “Peanut filling.”
She felt like throwing up.
The shadow of marriage pressure seemed to loom over her from the north, its claws and teeth bared.
Aunt Wang sat to the side, pushing a fruit platter over, “Eat some red dates, I washed them. Girls need to replenish their blood.”
Dates bring precious children.
Bai Ying suffocated and looked at Aunt Wang in fear.
Aunt Wang was startled and looked at herself, “What’s wrong? Is there something on me?”
Liancheng gloated, “Auntie, you said ‘early birth of a precious child’.”
Aunt Wang cooperated perfectly, “Early birth of a precious child.”
Bai Ying gasped and glared at Liancheng.
Liancheng looked back innocently.
Bai Ying thought she was going to apologize, offer a few more words of comfort, and then, as naturally as breathing, the two of them would curse men together, forming an “Avengers” alliance.
Aunt Wang realized and really liked this topic, “Yingying, may you have a hundred years of happiness and joy. How old is that young man, is he tall, is he handsome? What does his family do? Oh my, you’ve grown up so much after not seeing you for a Spring Festival.”
Liancheng chuckled, holding back her laughter with great difficulty.
Bai Ying took a deep breath, “Aunt Wang, please don’t misunderstand. I recently developed an illness where I get defensive upon hearing men; if a man appears before me, I give him two punches.”
The doorbell rang.
Liancheng quietly slipped away to open the door.
A man in a suit, holding a neatly stacked pile of files that were piled too high.
Behind the files came Xiao Da’s voice, “Miss Lian Cheng, give me a hand.”
Liancheng reached out and took half of the files. Xiao Da’s face, red with exertion, appeared, “Thank you, I’m here to report on the progress regarding Shen’s.”
Liancheng moved aside to let him in.
The small house was compact; the living room served as both a reception room and a study.
Aunt Wang quickly cleared away the fruit platter and water cups from the table. Xiao Da put down the files and greeted Bai Ying, “Miss Bai Ying, happy Lantern Festival.”
“Happy.”
Bai Ying was very polite to normal people. Although the normal person served the Liang family, her “two punches” were resounding. In her awkwardness, her politeness didn’t show much.
Xiao Da didn’t notice anything amiss, took the water Liancheng offered, and began his work.
“Regarding the Shen’s dumping case, we won the lawsuit yesterday. The smuggling was an internal issue within Shen’s, which is irrefutable. Currently, evidence of the person in charge’s corruption and concealment has been found. Shen Lichuan was not significantly affected.”
“As for the bribery, the Liang family withdrew the report and is actively cooperating with the review team’s investigation. The final result is yet to be determined, but that Mr. Shen has already resumed his work.”
Liancheng flipped through the files, gradually feeling relieved.
Bai Ying also breathed a sigh of relief for Shen Lichuan, but she was thinking about something else. She asked Xiao Da, “Is Liancheng’s background really related to Ao Jia Wa?”
Xiao Da misunderstood and immediately looked at Liancheng, “Mr. Liang had been investigating for years without progress. After he was promoted to Chairman, he intensified his efforts and found clues pointing to Ao Jia Wa. It wasn’t Mr. Liang who tampered with anything, and after you forbade it on the seventh day, Mr. Liang truly stopped.”
Bai Ying said, “If you hadn’t reminded me, I wouldn’t have thought he tampered with it. I suspect that back then, Liancheng appeared out of nowhere at the hospital, and the child Liang Wenfei swapped for also disappeared without a trace.”
“The Liang family investigated years ago, and now Crazy Liang is investigating, but the result is just Ao Jia Wa. Does that make sense?”
“Ao Jia Wa, surrounded by mountains on all four sides, is ninety percent a poor, remote village. Where would someone get the connections to know when, which hospital, and in which delivery room the Liang family had a child?”
“And where would they get the ability to swap a child under the careful care of medical staff, without anyone noticing? And to withstand the Liang family’s father and son investigating repeatedly for these four years?”
Xiao Da didn’t seem surprised by the string of questions.
“Regarding your questions, Mr. Liang already had suspicions. But now that the investigation has stopped, I cannot answer you.”
Bai Ying’s gaze fell on Liancheng.
Liancheng was neither surprised nor alarmed. She closed the files and saw Xiao Da off.
After leaving the door, Xiao Da paused, hesitating, “Miss Lian Cheng… Mr. Liang actually—”
“Assistant Xiao,” Liancheng interrupted, “Do you also think I deserve this?”
All of Xiao Da’s words froze.
“I never thought that way.”
A hint of a smile appeared on Liancheng’s face, “I know.”
Xiao Da lowered his head and walked downstairs. He stopped again after two steps, his tone complex and unreadable, “How could you forgive Mr. Liang.”
Liancheng gripped the door handle, the veins on her hand bulging under her skin.
Silence, but not for lack of an answer.
Xiao Da understood and was actually being guarded, “Do you want to send Mr. Liang to prison?”
Liancheng’s face became stern, “What do you want to say, Assistant Xiao?”
Xiao Da looked into her eyes, “If Mr. Liang goes to prison, will you forgive him?”
Liancheng remained motionless. Xiao Da’s attitude had changed, as if he was determined to get an answer.
She sneered contemptuously, as if it were a joke, “If he dares, I dare.”
The door opened and closed. The walls of the old residential community were aged, but they could not block the sudden laughter that erupted indoors.
Xiao Da remembered the cold hospital room, the bright, sterile lights, the doctors who came and went in a hurry.
The person on the bed, increasingly thin.
Those who wanted to approach him, he treated with indifference and rejection. Those who didn’t want to approach him, he desperately sought, unable to keep them.
Like someone high above, powerful and influential. Like someone who planned meticulously and was always right.
In the end, most like a scavenger.
………………………………
For the first time in four years, Shen Lichuan took the initiative to visit Liang Chaosu.
Xiao Da was not there. A bodyguard guided him, “Mr. Liang prefers not to be disturbed while recovering, please be mindful of the time.”
Shen Lichuan glanced at the bodyguard; ordinary bodyguards wouldn’t say such a thing.
The bodyguard was a tall, well-built man under thirty, his face unfamiliar, leaving no impression on him.
Shen Lichuan said, “I haven’t seen you at the Liang family’s before.”
The bodyguard nodded, “I am only employed by Mr. Liang and don’t frequent the Liang family’s residence.”
Shen Lichuan said no more.
The hospital room was desolate. Liang Chaosu, wearing a hospital gown, was half-lying in bed. A laptop was open on the small table in front of him, with mountains of documents piled up.
His expression was serious as he turned page after page. He heard footsteps and looked up, seeing Shen Lichuan, his expression worsening.
Shen Lichuan walked to the bedside, “Shen’s predicament has been resolved.”
Liang Chaosu closed the documents, “You wouldn’t be here to thank me. If you have something to say, state it directly.”
Shen Lichuan pulled over a chair, “Let’s talk.”
Liang Chaosu refused.
Shen Lichuan sat down and unbuttoned his suit jacket, “About the topic from last time in your study at the Liang family’s.”
Liang Chaosu interlaced his fingers over his lower abdomen, staring at him with an expressionless face.
Shen Lichuan’s gaze fixed on his chest. The blue and white striped clothing obscured it, revealing only the slight rise and fall, “Liancheng doesn’t compare men’s strength. Her future, you don’t need to hand over to anyone.”
“She might prefer to be alone now, quiet, and at ease.”
Liang Chaosu’s eyebrows twitched slightly, mockingly, “She wants to be alone, what about you?”
