Chapter 232: Breaking Off The Engagement
Bai Ying pushed her to sit on the sofa, took the takeout box, and placed it on the coffee table.
“I know this is hard for you to believe, but Liang Chaosu knows best whether he was a victim. All these years, hasn’t he said anything to defend himself to you?”
Liancheng didn’t understand what Bai Ying meant by victim.
That night, during the typhoon, the whole city lost power. The Liang family had a generator, so the lights were on. There was no mistaking who it was, nor any misunderstanding.
Everything happened suddenly, but it was clear.
Liang Chaosu knew very well that he had no defense, so naturally, he wouldn’t offer one.
“So this is why you’re partnering with Shen Lichuan?”
Bai Ying sized up her expression, “You don’t believe me? Shen Lichuan doesn’t believe me either?”
Liancheng shook her head, “Of course, I believe you. It’s just that this matter suddenly surfaced, and the timing is sensitive.”
It would make her doubt if Liang Chaosu regretted it, or if he was openly confessing his guilt, having already planned today.
Waiting for her to compromise and agree to marriage, then guiding Bai Ying and Shen Lichuan to defend him.
Layer by layer, step by step.
If it were someone else, Liancheng wouldn’t be so jumpy. But it was Liang Chaosu, with his deep schemes and resourcefulness. He knew Shen Lichuan and Bai Ying’s temperaments perfectly.
It was too easy to exploit them.
Bai Ying asked her, “Do you still want to know the inside story? I originally didn’t agree to tell you, but Shen Lichuan said you’d rather admit to wrongly hating him than to miss-hate him.”
Liancheng felt a hand reach into her chest, playfully stirring, her blood racing to her head, making her agitated.
“What’s the inside story?”
“Do you remember Hu Tiande? After you returned to the country, Liang Wenfei used your background to make you ignore her. Liang Chaosu arranged for you to stay in the suburbs, and Hu Tiande, who had secretly returned, was also hiding there. Later, she suddenly found the Shen family, willing to give birth to the child for Shen Lichuan, only asking for shelter and to live with the Shen family.”
“Shen Lichuan sensed something was amiss. She seemed to be hiding from Hu Tiande, so he investigated. Years ago, Hu Tiande already had a good impression of Liang Wenfei. Their group of friends had illicit drugs that could stimulate men’s excitement and euphoria, as well as aphrodisiacs for women.”
“The drug Liang Wenfei gave Shen Lichuan was what she lied to Hu Tiande about using to deal with you; Hu Tiande gave her the aphrodisiac for women.”
“Later, when the hotel caught them in the act, Hu Tiande found out. Liang Wenfei then lied to him, saying that you discovered it and then set a trap, switching the cups to frame her. She drank half, and the other half was accidentally drunk by Shen Lichuan, and the two slept together in a daze.”
Liancheng shook her head, “Whether it was in a daze, I spent so long investigating with Shen Lichuan back then. How could Hu Tiande not know? Liang Wenfei couldn’t fool him.”
“She couldn’t fool him, but as long as she fooled him into thinking you discovered it and turned to harm her, Hu Tiande would naturally hold you responsible.”
Liancheng frowned.
Bai Ying thought she didn’t believe her, “Like attracts like. For Hu Tiande to like Liang Wenfei, he’s naturally unreasonable. He just hates why you didn’t obediently follow their plan.”
“I believe it, and I know they’re capable of it.” Liancheng guessed the next development, “So Hu Tiande hates me for causing his heartbreak, and he conspired with Liang Wenfei for revenge. What was their plan that night during the typhoon?”
“Liang Wenfei knew about your elopement and, in her indignation, wanted to feed you hallucinogenic drugs. Taking advantage of the typhoon, she planned to spirit you away from the Liang family without anyone noticing, hand you over to Hu Tiande, and have someone defile you, then leave you naked in the city center plaza the next day.”
Liancheng’s face was grim, and she remained silent.
Bai Ying observed her expression, “Shen Lichuan deeply regrets it. He was determined to take you abroad back then, at least to hide for five years. His preparations were thorough. He didn’t touch his funds, but he sold his watch for cheap, and your jewelry was already a signal. You also postponed it by a day; it couldn’t be hidden anymore.”
Liancheng closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The trembling in her limbs that night seemed to travel through time and descend upon her once more, as if her bone marrow was being consumed bit by bit, her veins emptied. She went limp.
“Then what about him? Where was he a victim?”
Bai Ying hugged her, patting her back, “The drug was put in the milk you drank before bed every night. Hu Tiande didn’t know how he drank it. The effects of hallucinogenic drugs vary from person to person; those who can’t bear it fall unconscious, while those with stronger resistance experience cognitive confusion.”
Many shadows flashed before Liancheng’s eyes – crying, shouting, begging for mercy. The man was enveloped in a chilling aura, his expression ferocious, his eyeballs filled with bloodshot veins.
If Liang Chaosu was under the influence of drugs back then, why, after he sobered up, did he not change, continuing to make mistakes.
Clearly being schemed against, yet when did he become so magnanimous, indulging Liang Wenfei and forgiving Hu Tiande?
“Perhaps he didn’t have the ability then. To move against either Liang Wenfei or Hu Tiande would have been discovered by Liang Zhengping,” Bai Ying attempted to interpret.
“And he wasn’t entirely inactive. At least Liang Wenfei hasn’t attempted such a vicious act against you in these four years. No matter how close Hu Tiande and Liang Wenfei are, the Liang family has never cooperated with the Hu family. In these four years, Liang Chaosu has soared, and all the wealthy families allied with the Nan Province Liang family have benefited, except for them.”
Liancheng felt a chill all over her body. Her hand clutched Bai Ying’s, cold and without warmth, “He always seems to have his difficulties. Was I wrong?”
Bai Ying immediately shook her head.
“Even now, even if I’m siding with reason over kinship, I still think you’re not wrong.”
It is said that a forced melon is not sweet.
Love comes from the heart. If there is coercion, it is like tearing, like a glowing hot iron.
Branded onto the body.
Painful to the bone marrow.
……………………
Liancheng canceled the wedding dress appointment. Bai Ying stayed with her until four in the afternoon. There was a knock at the door in the foyer. Bai Ying walked out of the bedroom and opened the door.
Liang Chaosu was wearing a charcoal gray suit, his pants creased at the hem. His aura was sharp, yet he looked tired and weathered.
“Liancheng is in the bedroom.” Bai Ying didn’t linger, taking off her jacket from the hanger. “She knows you were drugged back then, and she’s emotionally upset and has a fever again. An hour ago, her temperature was 37.8 degrees. If it exceeds 38 degrees, remember to remind her to take fever-reducing medication.”
Liang Chaosu frowned, stepped inside, and changed his shoes. “Besides that day, what else did you talk about?”
His gaze was sharp and cold. Bai Ying felt both fear and anger, “We didn’t say much. I shouldn’t have told her.”
Outside, the daylight was bright, and the foyer was unlit, filled with faint gray shadows. The man was tall and imposing, looking down at her.
“You shouldn’t have.”
Bai Ying was stunned. “What?”
Liang Chaosu’s expression returned to its usual placidity. He grasped the doorknob. “I won’t see you out.”
Bai Ying, caught off guard, was shown the door.
Liancheng stood at the bedroom doorway, warning him, “Bai Ying doesn’t owe you anything. Her tolerance towards you is out of consideration for me. You have no right to treat her like that.”
Liang Chaosu took off his jacket. A few pink and white petals were caught in the fabric, falling onto the doormat. He strode past and walked to Liancheng, placing the back of his hand on her forehead. “Don’t worry too much about what happened back then.”
“Why?” Liancheng tilted her head back, avoiding his touch. “Did you guide Shen Lichuan to investigate Hu Tiande?”
Liang Chaosu’s palm remained suspended. The back of his hand was not hot. His expression relaxed.
“Are you asking me for an answer, or have you already convicted me?”
Liancheng’s chest felt overwhelmingly heavy, stretching every second, making her feel tense and suffocated.
“Is there a difference?”
“Yes,” Liang Chaosu pulled her arm, holding her tightly. He had dark circles under his eyes, and stubble was growing on his jaw, a dense grayish-blue.
“If you ask me for an answer, the wedding dress appointment is just postponed. If you’ve already convicted me, then it’s canceled.”
He leaned down, his stubble brushing her cheek. “Does Madam want to cancel the engagement?”
