Chapter 225: What Will Liancheng Do?
The sky outside suddenly brightened, the dark clouds moved away, and sunlight streamed through the window, engulfing Lian Cheng’s thin frame in the light.
The room was divided into two halves: bright and brighter. The bright half represented reunion, while the even brighter section was blurred.
Liang Chaosu was also in the blurred state. Surrounded by brilliance from all directions, she was utterly dim, her only color a pair of reddened eye sockets, holding back tears.
The situation was developing to his advantage. His eyes reflected her downfall, and he remained silent for a long time.
“I’ll take you away.”
Lin Xianzi happened to raise her voice, “Director Liang, since the results are in, I won’t waste your time. Thank you for coming all this way despite your busy schedule.”
Lian Cheng suddenly took a few steps forward. Her face emerged from the blinding light, and Lin Xianzi paused, a subtle solidification in her expression.
“Thank you for coming, Lian Cheng.”
Her tone was the same. Ignoring the surname Liang, Lian Cheng wondered if she should take it as a personal sign.
She resisted Liang Chaosu, hearing him say, “Don’t be self-indulgent” and “Don’t have obsessive delusions.” She always felt her personality was intact, but she had been subjected to conditioning.
She feared that her inexplicable emotional impulses towards Lin Xianzi might lead her to deliberately interpret things in her own favor.
Even though Lin Xianzi’s demeanor had clearly changed, her rational mind calculated a nine-tenths probability of a trick. Her emotions, however, remained timid, leaving only this one percent.
“You’re welcome.”
After speaking, Lian Cheng regretted it. Her sharp wit felt rusty, unable to find any brilliance.
Mo Shifu’s gasps fell to a low point, the intervals between breaths becoming longer and more labored.
The private doctor urged Lin Xianzi to quickly take Mo Shifu back to the hospital.
Lin Xianzi readily agreed, her gaze falling on Lian Cheng’s eye sockets.
“Sorry.”
She held Lian Yingying, her cold expression completely gone, and faced Lian Cheng with gentle affection, “My father is unwell and cannot see you off. Please excuse me.”
Lian Cheng clenched her fists. Their eyes met, and she desperately wanted to understand, but couldn’t ask. She probed a few times.
But she wasn’t stupid. Having grown up in a wealthy family, she had witnessed too many unspoken situations with the Liang father and son.
Including herself, Mother Liang had inquired multiple times, and although she desperately wanted to confess, she ultimately remained silent.
Lian Cheng walked around Liang Chaosu, step by step past Lin Xianzi.
As they brushed past, Lian Yingying peeked out from Lin Xianzi’s embrace, her eyes cold and dark.
Lian Cheng didn’t see hostility, but her spine chilled.
Their gazes met again, and Lian Yingying buried herself in Lin Xianzi’s arms, muttering in a childish voice, “Mom, can I go home with you now?”
Lin Xianzi said nothing, raising her hand to stroke her hair.
Liang Chaosu followed closely behind Lian Cheng. Lin Xianzi seemed immersed in the reunion of her flesh and blood, not having any extra time for pleasantries or maintaining politeness with him.
Lian Cheng exited the laboratory. Hong Kong land was valuable, and the buildings had high floor area ratios, with skyscrapers inserted like gaps outside the laboratory’s courtyard wall.
Brilliant sunlight streamed in a thread or two from the tiny cracks.
Xiao Da drove over. Lian Cheng felt a bit too weak to open the door and got into the co-pilot seat.
Xiao Da had just rounded the front of the car and hadn’t had time to open the rear car door, so he stopped, observing Liang Chaosu’s expression.
The man gazed at the co-pilot’s car window. The glass had an anti-peep film, showing a small blurred shadow. His voice carried no discernible emotion, “Reschedule the flight to the earliest one. Don’t go back to the hotel, go directly to the airport.”
Xiao Da was stunned. He opened the rear car door and, through the gap in the co-pilot’s seat, could only see Lian Cheng’s hands resting on her lap, silently clenched.
There was no opposition, no resistance, just a firm stance that created an unbridgeable chasm, a high wall erected.
In fact, when the sample swap was discovered, Xiao Da had a premonition that the two would likely regress to their starting point in Iceland.
Lian Cheng wanted to leave the most, and after leaving, she would never see Liang Chaosu again. Liang Chaosu knew this better than anyone. Hong Kong, for him, was a vast expanse hanging before him, a countdown to their non-reunion.
It was his Achilles’ heel.
………………….
Lian Yingying’s family recognition was successful, and she accompanied Lin Xianzi to take Mo Shifu back to Sanatorium & Hospital.
The doctor examined Mo Shifu’s condition and instructed, “Mr. Mo’s illness has just been brought under control. He primarily needs bed rest. It’s best not to move him or subject him to any stimulation.”
Lin Xianzi thanked the doctor and saw him out.
Lian Yingying waited by the bedside, tucking in Mo Shifu’s blanket, and looked towards the doorway, “Mom, where’s Uncle?”
Lin Xianzi replied to a text message on her phone, “He’s in the restroom. Do you need him for something?”
Lin Lanfeng discussed with Lin Xianzi during the elevator ride about when to bring Lian Yingying back to the Lin family to meet her maternal grandfather and grandmother.
Lian Yingying knew that blood genes couldn’t be changed or disguised. She wasn’t real and would be exposed at any time, such as when visiting the Lin family.
However, the paternity test results indicating she was related meant that Mo Shicheng hadn’t completely failed. He certainly had a backup plan. Since she had embarked on the path of usurpation, if she wanted to maintain her wealthy and honored status, she had to continue to comply with Mo Shicheng’s arrangements.
“I was adopted by Uncle Gu when I was little. I’ve found my family, and he wants to visit you and Grandpa.”
Lin Xianzi looked up, a smile deepening, “Of course, what time works?”
Lian Yingying carefully analyzed Lin Xianzi’s expression, “Is now okay? Uncle Gu arrived in Hong Kong this morning, and he’s very concerned about me.”
“—Come.” Mo Shifu raised his hand.
Lian Yingying held his hand, awaiting Lin Xianzi’s reply.
Mo Shifu shook his head, seemingly to comfort Lian Yingying, “There’s a problem with a medical company at home that requires your mother to attend a meeting.”
Lin Xianzi put away her phone, her tone meaningful, “Your grandfather is right. I must leave now.”
Lian Yingying, accustomed to sensing emotions, noticed a subtle nuance in the conversation between Lin Xianzi and Mo Shifu.
Her heart trembled. When Mo Shicheng was taken away, he had hinted that she should contact Gu Zhoushan. After the paternity test results came out, Gu Zhoushan sent a text message: “Arrange for me to visit the hospital.”
She had thought it was to meet Lin Xianzi, estimating Lin Xianzi’s level of trust in the results. Now, it seemed to be a meeting with Mo Shifu, and Mo Shifu knew this clearly.
Lin Xianzi promptly left the hospital room. Lin Lanfeng was waiting at the elevator entrance, “Liang Chaosu changed his flight to half an hour ago, so there’s no time to contact him.”
Lin Xianzi was silent for a moment, “Mo Shicheng suddenly claimed the remains were fake and designed for me to recognize Lian Yingying. At this time, the sooner she leaves, the safer she is.”
Lin Lanfeng suddenly paused, as if realizing something, “When the test results were announced, Liang Chaosu showed obvious surprise. He’s not a simple man. He likely guessed that Mo Shifu was following Mo Shicheng’s plan, protecting his son over his granddaughter.”
Lin Xianzi entered the elevator, her gaze chillingly cold.
“Just like twenty years ago, knowing the truth about the kidnapping, he still chose to protect Mo Shicheng.”
Lin Lanfeng didn’t understand, “Brother Hong is dead, and Mo Shicheng is the murderer, as well as his only son. No matter how much he hates him, he chose to protect him for the sake of the family’s continuation. This isn’t uncommon in wealthy families. But if Brother Hong had offspring and the Mo family had a rightful heir, why would he insist on protecting Mo Shicheng?”
Lin Xianzi gazed at her blurred reflection on the elevator wall. Her features, her face shape – that girl resembled her by seventy percent.
“Those remains, dig them up and test them again. No matter what they’re plotting, I want a one-hundred-percent, unchangeable answer.”
Lin Lanfeng agreed, inevitably thinking of Liang Chaosu again.
They agreed to Feng Shien finding Lian Cheng, firstly to act. At that time, they were certain the remains were real. Lian Yingying’s sudden appearance, their years of struggle with Mo Shicheng, and their direct deception led them to believe it without question, making it all the more false.
With Lian Cheng added, it was as if they had coincidentally found a potential relative, making the family recognition ceremony naturally set in Hong Kong.
Secondly, it was a double insurance for the plan. There was a three percent chance they couldn’t arrest Mo Shicheng.
The paternity test would continue, and they couldn’t let Lian Yingying become real through falsehood.
They hadn’t anticipated that the Liang family, searching for Lian Cheng’s relatives from all over, would be obstructed by Liang Chaosu, until he brought up the Huang family and pointed out the remains.
At that time, with the remains present, they were absolutely using Lian Cheng. Liang Chaosu saw through it and didn’t want to risk it, so they couldn’t force him.
As for Liang Chaosu not allowing even a slight possibility of Lian Cheng leaving, and the truth of his relationship with Lian Cheng, they had no opportunity and couldn’t pay attention to it.
“If it’s one hundred percent confirmed,” Lin Lanfeng said gravely, “Liang Chaosu’s relationship with Lian Cheng is abnormal. He’s clearly confining Lian Cheng. What do we do?”
