Chapter 231: The Right And Wrong Of That Year
Lian Cheng’s back pressed against the seat. She reached into the side of the seat and felt for the adjustment lever. With a push from her calves, the seat suddenly retreated.
Liang Chaosu appeared completely unprepared, his hands hovering in mid-air, his expression not exactly gloomy.
Lian Cheng had an inkling.
She admittedly disliked seeing Shen Lichuan, but since he hadn’t overstepped and knew about the marriage without objecting or interfering, it naturally didn’t ignite her temper.
The sudden mention was to probe her, to remind her, in case she saw Shen Lichuan and changed her mind.
“Send me the location for trying on wedding dresses. I’ll arrange for Bai Ying to finalize the design tomorrow morning.”
Liang Chaosu flicked the adjustment lever. Lian Cheng was flung back unexpectedly, her teeth firmly knocking against the corner of his lips, leaving a clear, glistening water mark.
“Call Bai Ying, and have Bai Ying call Shen Lichuan. Let him give you his opinion.” He was in a bad mood, and touching her teeth felt like breaking them, his eyes showing a hint of sharpness.
Lian Cheng inwardly thought, “As expected, I didn’t misjudge him this time.”
Moreover, hearing him mention Madam and marriage news to everyone at the hospital, and seeing him enter crowded elevators despite clearly disliking such places, had already made her furious.
She endured for a moment, her hands gripping his arm, “You’ve been holding onto this for five years, including this year. Do you care about Shen Lichuan that much?”
Liang Chaosu remained silent, staring at her with a muffled intensity. “Shouldn’t I care?”
Lian Cheng scoffed coldly, “Of course you should care, you like him.”
Liang Chaosu’s face suddenly turned grim. Lian Cheng felt his chest heave rapidly, as if he took a deep breath.
After calming his emotions, he forced a laugh from his throat, unusually dangerous.
“You claimed Su Chenghuai loved me, and now I like Shen Lichuan.” He gritted his teeth, “Do you have any personal experience with whether my sexual orientation is male or female?”
These words were brazen and sharp, accompanied by his piercing, aggressive gaze.
Lian Cheng’s alarm bells were ringing, and she wanted to end it. However, she was also concerned about the three groups of people who had been revealed by the hospital blood tests. She had a vague understanding of the situation and couldn’t predict the outcome.
Also, the security captain’s subconscious protective action, and the Mo Family’s current sharp focus, made Lian Cheng dare not be careless.
She forced herself to hold his hands and gripped them tightly, preventing him from moving. “I don’t mean you like men. In Hong Kong, Lian Yingying likes you too. The way she looks at you is like she wants to fall into your arms.”
Liang Chaosu lowered his gaze. Her hands were too small; even together, they couldn’t hold him if he struggled. She understood this and exerted extra force, her fingernails turning white from the strain.
The space in the car wasn’t small. She also actively leaned forward, close enough for skin to touch skin, their breaths intertwined. She was so close she was practically in his arms, able to push him down with a raise of her hand or kiss him with a lowering of her head.
Especially at this moment, his reflection in her eyes, shimmering with moisture, her jet black long hair, her graceful and charming femininity, like the graceful water plants of Qingxi Valley’s clear stream, swayed towards him, back and forth, captivating his soul.
His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down, his voice hoarse. “You dislike her?”
It was impossible for Lian Cheng not to dislike her.
Lian Yingying was Mo Shicheng’s weapon against Lin Xianzi. Lin Xianzi had no choice but to acknowledge her, and she could be framed by her at any moment.
No one likes a thorn embedded in their flesh.
“Do you dislike her?” Lian Cheng paid attention to every subtle change in his expression. “You used to say you didn’t like overly smart women; their eyes held too much desire, and their calculations were too heavy.”
Liang Chaosu laughed again, his voice deep and hoarse, spreading through the car.
“Do you want to know the answer?”
Lian Cheng’s eyes widened, listening intently, clearly valuing his words.
She genuinely did value them.
She valued his sharp insight. She had gone to great lengths to circumvent and ascertain Lian Yingying’s depth. If he admitted dislike, it would mean Lian Yingying was calculating, and Liang Chaosu’s guess of her next move would naturally lead to the three groups of people.
Her intelligence and cleverness were only used for those she cared about, not for those she didn’t.
He remained silent for a long time, and Lian Cheng, unable to wait, prompted, “What answer? Do you like her?”
She had actually learned to provoke him in reverse.
Liang Chaosu couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly, but outwardly, he gravely admitted, “She’s gentle, obedient, and most importantly, I find her appealing.”
Lian Cheng involuntarily widened her eyes.
Liang Chaosu saw her eyeballs tremble and almost burst out laughing. He turned his wrist, using a clever move to break free from her grasp, and smoothly exited the co-pilot’s seat.
The door closed.
Lian Cheng stared blankly as he deliberately turned his head, avoiding her gaze, walked around the front of the car, got into the driver’s seat, and drove away from the hospital.
In all her twenty-plus years, Lian Cheng had never heard him express satisfaction with a woman.
But Liang Chaosu had a tough temper, was dominant, never shied away from others’ gazes, and was always imposing.
He truly liked Lian Yingying.
In Hong Kong, Lian Yingying’s feigned casualness towards her had truly confused Lian Cheng. With such simple tactics, how could Mo Shicheng value her so much, thinking she could deal with Lin Xianzi?
Now that she had tested it, it was indeed not simple.
Being able to gain Liang Chaosu’s acknowledgment of her gentleness and obedience meant Lian Yingying had something about her.
Perhaps she hadn’t taken her seriously before; why use a butcher’s knife to kill a chicken? Her methods might have been crude simply to toy with her.
…………………………
The next day, Lian Cheng woke up early and found a note from Liang Chaosu on the dining table.
“There’s breakfast in the insulated container. I’ll try to make time to accompany you to finalize the wedding dress this morning. If I can’t make it, you can arrange it with Bai Ying.”
Liang Chaosu had considerable research into calligraphy, practicing cursive and semi-cursive scripts extensively. His style was bold and free-flowing, yet controlled. Depending on his mood and leisure, it could be elegant and graceful or more structured.
The note, however, was structurally simplified, the strokes like dragons and snakes, with the final few strokes appearing hasty, the force penetrating the paper, exuding a sense of sharp finality.
Lian Cheng’s heart jolted. It seemed the events at Qingxi Valley last night had severely negatively impacted the Liang Family.
Zhou Dazhi had only been there for a day and had already clashed with the villagers of Liu Li Village. Both sides had initiated physical altercations, resulting in bloodshed and various degrees of fractures.
Zhou Dazhi was leading Liang Family professional bodyguards and used stun batons. The villagers of Liu Li Village were no match, and the village chief led the charge with bricks, escalating beyond fistfights to become a malicious melee.
At the police station, the Liu Li Village chief wailed, fearing that with the Liang Family’s influence, their lives were in danger, and they dared not return to the mountain.
They mobilized all sixty-three households in the village, from the centenarians to infants not yet a month old, packing their belongings and moving into the police station.
Bystanders took videos, which were uploaded to the internet, alerting the provincial level.
After Lian Cheng finished breakfast, she received a call from Professor Wang.
“Lian Cheng, the incident in Liu Li Village is not simple. Your Secretary Zhou was provoked and fell into a trap. I heard the provincial authorities are enraged and intend to severely punish the dark forces. This is how the incident has been characterized.”
“Your senior martial brother is now considered one of the provincial officials. If your brother needs it, I can make an introduction. It won’t involve money and won’t be considered a bribe, so don’t worry about delaying your senior martial brother.”
Professor Wang’s intentions were good, and Lian Cheng understood.
“He’s seen this kind of situation many times before and knows what he’s doing.”
Professor Wang sighed. “You don’t understand the seriousness of the matter.”
Lian Cheng certainly understood.
No matter how large the Liang Family was, it was still a private enterprise, and it had “three untouchables” – involvement with drugs, organized crime, and politics.
These “three involvements” were not bottom lines but red lines. Once crossed, the state would act with thunderous force.
However, since the main protagonist was Zhou Dazhi, Lian Cheng felt that Liang Chaosu must have some other plan up his sleeve.
After hanging up the phone, Bai Ying arrived, also bringing breakfast.
Lian Cheng casually took it. “Beef potstickers and duck blood soup?”
Bai Ying changed her shoes. “We didn’t have dinner yesterday, so Shen Lichuan and I went out to eat. This is from Bai Ji’s on School Back Street, consider it a replacement for you.”
Lian Cheng was grateful but couldn’t eat. “Didn’t you dislike Shen Lichuan? When did you get back together?”
“It’s that I’ve partnered with him on some things again.” Bai Ying hesitated. “There were two things I wanted to tell you earlier. The Mo Family’s progesterone injections were one, and there’s another matter.”
Lian Cheng had a premonition of trouble. “What matter?”
Bai Ying’s gaze drifted elsewhere, finding it difficult to speak. “You’ve always hated Liang Chaosu; he forced you four years ago. If there were hidden circumstances, he would also be considered a victim—”
“Impossible,” Lian Cheng stated firmly. “He admitted it himself.”
