Chapter 20: He Asked If He Was Clean
A raindrop suddenly fell on the windshield. It was as big as a bean, making a dull ‘pat’ sound. In a few breaths, it was followed by a barrage of ‘pitter-patter’ sounds, creating a chaotic, enclosed little world within the car.
Liang Chaosu’s contours drew closer in the dim shadow. Liancheng sensed him about to evade, but he pressed the back of her head and kissed her fiercely.
He unbuckled his seatbelt, then hers. Liancheng felt his arm tighten around her waist, exerting force. For a moment of weightlessness, he pulled her into the driver’s seat, straddling him, her back against the steering wheel.
The sound of rain intensified, and the wind raged. His kisses grew more dangerous, his negative emotions pressing down, igniting his explosive desire for release.
Liancheng knew too well how difficult his catharsis was to control when he was punishing her. He was unrestrained, seemingly without end, a savage beast that was degenerate and violent, devoid of reason or mercy.
She absolutely couldn’t handle him going crazy right now.
During a moment of respite, Liancheng quickly diverted his attention.
“I didn’t lie to you last night. When the knocking started, I thought it was you, so I opened the door. By the time I realized it was Shen Lichuan, he had already come in. What I said last night was also true; I have no romantic feelings for him, nor any ulterior thoughts.”
“You don’t, but he does,” Liang Chaosu said, his forehead against hers as he breathed heavily. “His postponement of the marriage is a restless move. He went upstairs to see you because he wanted to confirm your feelings and turn back.”
“If he wants to turn back, that’s his business, and it has nothing to do with me.”
At this point, Liancheng decided to be utterly ruthless and cut off all ties. “My feelings are very clear. He’s not the only man in this world. The past is the past. Moreover, this past has already resulted in your sister becoming pregnant, and he still brings me trouble from time to time. Just hearing his name makes my scalp tingle, and even breathing the same air feels suffocating.”
Liang Chaosu pulled away, appraising her.
Liancheng was clever, and her verbal skills were exceptionally sharp. She could string together insults like a nursery rhyme.
When pushed, she could even make vows eloquently.
But every time she was too clever, it showed that she wasn’t sincere, that it was all just perfunctory and evasive, meant to conceal her true thoughts.
Liang Chaosu remained silent, and Liancheng felt deeply uneasy.
The sudden heavy rain outside stopped, the dark clouds dispersed, and daylight streamed into the car, illuminating him.
His eyes and skin were flushed with desire, showing no signs of subsiding; instead, they inexplicably surged with greater intensity. Liancheng felt an uncontrollable fear and desperately leaned back, pushing him away.
Liang Chaosu pinned her wrists with one hand, while the other lifted the hem of her skirt, caressing her waist. His calluses were warm, and his fingers still bore scabs from wounds.
The superimposed roughness felt like scalding hot sand, grinding against her lower abdomen. “Are you clean yet?”
Liancheng’s entire body tensed. She carried his bone and blood within her. Across a layer of skin and flesh, Liang Chaosu’s palm heat seeped in finely, like pouring lava.
Coupled with his eyes burning with desire, it was an internal and external conflagration. Liancheng’s liver and gall felt like they were cracking, and her heart felt as though it would shatter from beating too hard.
“No…” she stammered uncontrollably, “I… I’m heavy.”
Liang Chaosu was about to say something when his mobile phone rang on the center console.
A family walked over from the other side of the parking lot. The child’s innocent laughter drifted from outside the car, contrasting with the sharp ringing inside.
Liang Chaosu took a deep breath, his intense gasps muffled in his throat, his chest tensing as he tried to calm himself.
The moment Liancheng felt the restraint loosen, she scrambled back to the co-pilot seat with her hands and feet, quickly buckling her seatbelt.
Her peripheral vision caught the caller ID on the phone: Liang Wenfei.
For an instant, she was utterly astonished. It wasn’t that she was surprised Liang Wenfei was calling, but rather that she was surprised by Liang Chaosu’s contact name for her.
It wasn’t “Feifei,” nor “Sister,” but her full three-character name.
Formal, proper, and distant.
It was completely mismatched with the doting and indulgence he showed Liang Wenfei.
“Brother, Lichuan is coming with his parents to discuss the date again.”
Liang Chaosu glanced at Liancheng, a hint of displeasure that was deeply meaningful. “Aren’t we supposed to meet in two days?”
“Lichuan pities me. He said the sooner it’s settled, the sooner I’ll have peace of mind.”
Liang Chaosu loosened his collar, a half-smile playing on his lips. “He’s quite proactive now.”
“Oh, Brother—Lichuan is serious.” Liang Wenfei said coquettishly, then her tone turned sad again. “But his parents seem to have a lot of opinions about me. Brother, can you come back quickly?”
The call ended. Liang Chaosu had already become completely indifferent. Not only had his desire faded, but the warmth in his eyes had completely vanished.
He started the car. “What you said just now, you’d best stick to it.”
Liancheng savored his threat. “I absolutely will.”
Shen Lichuan didn’t know the truth of that year; the two of them could still get along.
Now that he knew everything, Liancheng thought of the resentment that surged in his eyes when he barged into the room. Regardless of what she did, it would undoubtedly make her current situation even worse.
…………
The car drove out of the hospital grounds, taking several turns through newly planted green belts.
A sudden downpour had just passed, and there were few cars and people on the road, making the busy workers even more apparent.
She couldn’t help but look a few more times. The large, bowl-thick tree roots, now bare branches, were being wrapped in earth balls and lifted into place by cranes, then watered by sprinkler trucks, with workers in yellow vests coming and going.
Liancheng looked up at the sky. It was overcast, the early winter air was sharp, and it was clearly not a good season for planting trees, no matter how you looked at it.
“Curious?”
Liang Chaosu suddenly spoke.
Liancheng turned her head.
He was also gazing at the green belt, at the newly planted bare trees. His eyes churned with unrestrained intensity, an intensity that came for no reason, with no beginning or end.
Liancheng couldn’t understand and mumbled back, “Winter isn’t suitable for planting trees.”
Liang Chaosu retracted his gaze, looking straight ahead. “Not suitable doesn’t mean impossible.”
Modern landscaping had developed over many years. As long as enough money was spent, trees could be planted even in heavy snow and survive. But the cost would be too high, and the government would never approve such a large-scale undertaking by the municipality.
“Is it for an international summit?”
“No.”
Liancheng frowned. “Then for something ordinary, where would the municipality get the money?”
“The municipality doesn’t have it,” Liang Chaosu glanced at her. “I do.”
Liancheng was startled. Over the past four years, Liang Chaosu had fully displayed his business acumen and methods, his sharp insight, his seasoned execution, and his pursuit of profit. To arbitrarily spend money on the municipality, replanting entire streets with old trees as thick as a bowl, was astonishing.
The cost for just these few streets would be tens of millions, if not more.
It was completely inconsistent with his usual behavior.
“Then what kind of trees are being planted?” Liancheng was genuinely curious but didn’t dare to ask directly, so she tried to probe indirectly.
Liang Corporation had a greening project in the suburbs. In the early years, when the project just started, the investment was not large, and only ordinary tree species were planted.
In recent years, the project had expanded, and Liancheng had heard Liang Wenfei occasionally mention that the nursery had upgraded to many rare varieties. If old trees were phased out and donated to the municipality, it wasn’t impossible to build good relations with the government.
“Spring cherry blossoms.”
Liancheng froze abruptly.
The nursery didn’t have spring cherry blossoms. However, because Liang Wenfei liked them, she had pestered Father Liang to add many varieties of spring cherry blossoms to the nursery’s upgrade list, including Kanzan, Kiri, Shiro Fukubana, Aka Fukubana, and her favorite, Matsukaze.
It was just that the Matsukaze she liked was not as significant as the Matsukaze that Liang Wenfei had merely mentioned in passing.
First, there was Father Liang’s increased investment, and then there was Liang Chaosu’s city-wide spring cherry blossoms.
