Chapter 227: No Marriage Certificate, Just A Wedding
Qingxi Valley is in an emergency, but Liang Chaosu booked a flight to Nan Province, making it hard not to suspect he had planned this all along.
After exiting the VIP passage, Zhang An met them, first opening the car door for Liancheng, then taking the luggage from Xiao Da.
Xiao Da accompanied him on a business trip. Liang Chaosu was strict with his subordinates, not harsh, giving him half a day off to recuperate.
Xiao Da hesitated. He knew Liang Chaosu wanted to get a marriage certificate with Liancheng, but they hadn’t reached an agreement on the plane. Liancheng resisted any relationship that would deepen their bond, even if it was just a formality.
“Mr. Liang—”
Liang Chaosu glanced at him. Xiao Da dared not delay, his gaze sweeping past him into the car.
Liancheng sat in the back seat with an expressionless face.
The co-pilot seat was piled with various items: Zhang An’s jacket, cigarette case, gloves, and other miscellaneous things. He couldn’t help but glance at Zhang An.
Liang Chaosu had already gotten into the car. Zhang An closed the car door for him, a smug look on his face, and lowered his voice to reveal something to Xiao Da.
“Last time we went to Qingxi Valley, Miss Liancheng sat in the co-pilot seat. This time, I’ve learned from the experience. Knowing Director Liang’s cleanliness, all my preparations are new.”
Xiao Da looked at him again, speechless for a moment, and said nothing.
If Liancheng refused to sit in the back seat and couldn’t use the co-pilot seat, she would immediately hail a taxi. Zhang An would be clever, but in vain, causing Liancheng to misunderstand and anger Liang Chaosu.
Liancheng sat in the back; it wasn’t due to his cleverness.
Perhaps, being discovered tampering with the sample would send Liancheng and ordinary people like them back to square one.
For someone as extremely intelligent as Liang Chaosu, it might even allow him to advance further.
Liancheng returned to her small two-bedroom rental apartment. The old neighborhood had changed drastically.
The wrought iron gate had been replaced, and facial recognition had been installed at the entrance. Through the gap in the gate, large white characters on a black background glowed on a marble screen: “Happy Home.”
Liancheng was stopped at the entrance by a security guard. After calling the property management and contacting her landlord, and a series of verifications, she was taken to record her facial information, and then Liang Chaosu was brought in.
The man was very tall, with a straight posture and a stern, handsome face. Dressed in a suit and leather shoes, pulling a suitcase, he looked expensive and not to be trifled with.
“Is this your boyfriend? If you are living together, you must first obtain the landlord’s consent and register with property management before we can enter his information. Otherwise, he can only be registered as a visitor.”
Liang Chaosu smiled and cooperated fully, “He is a visitor now. Where do I register?”
There was another person in the security booth, who waved for him to come over.
After Liancheng finished recording her facial information, the security guard relaxed and instructed her, “The neighborhood is undergoing an overall upgrade and renovation. Building 2 is getting an elevator installed, and the exterior is being painted. There are many obstacles on the road, and many unfamiliar faces. If you notice anything unusual, or if there are any inconveniences, please call the security booth. We have people on duty at night as well.”
Liancheng thanked him, “Why is the upgrade happening so suddenly? When I left before, I heard that most owners hadn’t reached a consensus.”
Aunt Wang would overhear snippets every time she bought groceries, complaints about the project being troublesome and a scam. Upon her return, she worried that the landlord would increase the rent after paying for the renovation, fearing Liancheng wouldn’t have enough money.
The security guard laughed, “Then you must have been gone for a long time. Those who have to pay would naturally object. Without paying, who wouldn’t agree? Besides, cherry blossoms are blooming all over the city now. The old city area is too backward and doesn’t look good.”
Liancheng remained silent.
The road from the airport to her rental apartment was lined with vast expanses of pink cherry blossoms.
High-rise buildings, pedestrians, and traffic were submerged in the grand and magnificent sea of pink.
The entire city, along with the nation, seemed to have fallen for it. Hot topics on the internet were exploding, with people rushing to get married, propose, and fall in love.
Nan Province had become the most sincere, beautiful, romantic, and devoted pilgrimage site.
New faces appeared at the entrance again – a delivery driver in a yellow windbreaker. Seeing the gate open from a distance, he twisted the handle and rushed in.
The security guard acted as if goblins had invaded. The guard from the booth also rushed out, one grabbing the front of the vehicle, the other pulling the delivery box.
Liancheng didn’t usually interfere in other people’s business. There were always conflicts in every profession. Without resorting to violence or insults, she glanced inside and entered.
“The neighborhood is suddenly being renovated, and the owners don’t need to contribute.”
Liang Chaosu walked on her right. The lingering rays of the six o’clock sunset, orange-red, filtered through the old plane trees and fell on her. Her delicate and pretty appearance was magnified infinitely, her cheeks and eyelashes seemingly glowing.
“It’s me,” he said, putting his arm around her shoulder. “The cherry blossoms are just beginning to bloom. The provincial culture and tourism bureau has initiated a special campaign to consolidate and improve the urban appearance of the old city area. There is great resistance from old residential communities, so I am funding some of it.”
Liancheng brushed off his hand, walked around the sandbags, and went upstairs.
To find another excuse for Liang Chaosu’s spending at this point would be to blatantly lie, either foolish or malicious.
And the spring cherry blossoms all over the city.
If she hadn’t been pregnant, according to Liang Chaosu’s original plan, she should have been undergoing infertility treatment, and he would have begun proposing.
The public outcry might even have been called the “Cherry Blossom Tide,” and ultimately guided by the internet company he had invested in long in advance, into a wave of blessings.
Now, it seemed like things were back on track with his plan, but Liancheng had regained control.
She found her key and opened the door. It was the first time Liang Chaosu had stepped into her rental apartment.
The overall area was small, and the decoration was old-fashioned Chinese style. Uncovering the dust cloths covering everything, the living room furnishings had a somewhat official air, making it feel cold and rigid.
Liancheng came out of the kitchen. She hadn’t lifted a finger the entire time, but had boiled a pot of tea, for the time being, to entertain her guest.
“Sit,” she gestured to Liang Chaosu.
The man neatly folded the dust cloths he was holding and sat in the main seat without politeness. Liancheng was even less polite, bringing a rosewood chair from the dining table.
The chair was an old Cantonese style, with high legs and a high back, placed directly opposite the sofa, separated by a coffee table. She looked like she was ascending the throne, and Liang Chaosu was there to pay homage.
Liang Chaosu knew full well it was to guard against his improper conduct, yet this “heroic and valiant” posture, like a child throwing a tantrum, made him smile at the corners of his eyes.
“What’s for dinner tonight?”
“You can stay overnight, but no meals are provided.”
If possible, Liancheng wouldn’t have brought Liang Chaosu here. But they had been at odds on the plane, and one point was clear.
Liang Chaosu had brought her back inland. It wasn’t that he couldn’t interfere remotely. Su Chenghuai was in Singapore; with one phone call, one command, there would be people running errands for him.
Thinking of Su Chenghuai, a possibility suddenly exploded in Liancheng’s mind, “I just returned to the country. Why did you send Su Chenghuai to Singapore?”
Liang Chaosu’s Adam’s apple bobbed.
Liancheng noticed, “You be honest, and I’ll be honest.”
Liang Chaosu said, “At that time, I had some suspicions but no evidence. Su Chenghuai’s trip to Singapore was just a precaution. It was only when Feng Shien appeared that I moved against him.”
Liancheng knew his scheming too well. Even so, she felt a chill down her spine. By the same logic, his words on the plane were even less believable.
Mo Shicheng’s sudden revelation; his unpreparedness and those hellish premonitory words were the truth.
If he could gather strength for four years, he could for ten. Nothing, not even heaven and earth collapsing, could stop him. How could he destroy his own foundation?
The lights were on indoors, and the curtains were pulled open. Dusk and lamplight intertwined. In the soft light and shadow, Liang Chaosu spoke with an unusual honesty, “I have never lied to you. Everything I say is true.”
Liancheng did not make a sound.
Recalling the past, she had always thought he was lying to her, even that his lies were completely insincere. On Iceland, she had found him utterly disgusting.
Love, marriage, all for her – as soon as he said it, even the wind would have scoffed.
Now, Liancheng didn’t believe it either.
This disbelief was not about his possessiveness that defied all human nature, but rather about not believing someone would punish the one they loved out of love.
“I don’t accept registering for a marriage certificate,” Liancheng probed.
She couldn’t possibly be by his side 24/7 to prevent him from interfering with the Mo family’s situation.
Moreover, even if she could be with him constantly, if he truly intended to act, Liancheng couldn’t use recordings to stop him.
Liang Chaosu’s gaze fixed on her face, his eyes deep and profound, like a dark, dry well, waiting for her to fall in.
“You can announce our marriage news to the public.”
Liang Chaosu narrowed his eyes; he was not satisfied with just this level.
Liancheng clenched her fist. She had actually noticed some details; the timing of Liang Chaosu releasing the recording was very clever.
She knew about Liang Zhengping’s aggressive approach at Qingxi Valley, and she also knew that the building restoration, which she had long misunderstood, had been silently progressing.
A recording of a self-confessed crime directly struck her heart, yet it couldn’t directly lead to his prosecution.
It was like a check had been issued; he had already enjoyed the benefits, and she had begun to doubt her deep-rooted impression of Iceland, wondering why he was doing this, and for what purpose.
She also gained some confidence, her taut nerves eased, and she could tolerate his occasional physical intimacy, given the recording.
And the recording would come to fruition in a few months.
So, she would do the same now: announce the marriage news, let competitors cause trouble for him, and only reap the benefits, not the disadvantage of registering for a marriage certificate.
Liang Chaosu leaned forward, slightly closing the distance between them, but it was like a fierce beast with sharp fangs and claws taking a big step, his aura, along with his dark eyes, firmly locking onto her.
“Let’s both take a step back. No marriage certificate, but a wedding.”
After he spoke, he softened his tone, with a gentle smile, full of expectation and anticipation.
“You will look very beautiful in a wedding dress.”
