Chapter 290: Calculated Every Step, Doomed From The Beginning
Feng Shien took a step, blocking Liancheng.
“Sorry, I underestimated his speed. You and Miss Bai go upstairs first.”
He was tall, leaning slightly forward, enveloping Liancheng entirely in his shadow.
Feng Shien was a dazzling man, past thirty, full of passion and spirit, mellowed by time and experience into a rich, gentle, potent wine.
With an easy wave, he possessed both the mature restraint of a top-tier worldly male and an overwhelming presence.
The two fused perfectly; his dominance felt like doting, making one instinctively compliant, unable to feel aversion.
Bai Ying prepared to turn.
The brim of her hat obscured her upward gaze. Liancheng pushed it up and looked up at Feng Shien, “When did he arrive? Does my mother know?”
As a mother, Lin Xianzi would never be welcoming to a beast who forced his will upon her daughter. When the recording was returned, Liancheng could tell Lin Xianzi was unwilling to let it go.
What convinced her was Liancheng’s plea to break free from the past and start a new life. She absolutely would not agree to Liang Chaosu appearing again.
Therefore, there could only be two possibilities for Liang Chaosu’s presence here: either Lin Xianzi didn’t know.
Or he was incorrigible and had trapped Lin Xianzi, making her unable to resist.
“I saw him yesterday.”
Feng Shien glanced sideways, further shielding her, his posture protective and isolating, his distance from her closer than ever before. The breath he exhaled was like a warm, swirling current.
Liancheng couldn’t help but flinch away.
Lily of the valley was in his lapels and cuffs, mint lingered in his breath. Liancheng became more certain that he had rushed back from Budapest.
And he had rushed back like wildfire; the mint tea Lin Xianzi had prepared for guests hadn’t even had time to dissipate in her mouth.
“I’ll talk to him.”
Feng Shien paused in silence, then straightened his back.
The distance between them widened, but he didn’t step aside. “Aunt Lin disapproves of you having contact with him.”
Liancheng knew. “Shi En, my major can’t help my mother, but I can avoid adding to her burden.”
She was sincere.
He watched her.
From not far away, under a tree, the sound of a car door closing arrived. Liancheng turned her head.
Liang Chaosu got out of the car and stood in place. He wore a black windbreaker and black trousers; his silhouette was also tall and upright, but thinner.
So thin that amidst the abundant flowers of early summer and the lively, vibrant atmosphere, he seemed like an object cut from darkness, silent and distant, isolated and alone.
Feng Shien’s face tensed. He took Liancheng’s hand and warned her, “No matter what he says, don’t agree to leave with him.”
Liancheng’s heart sank further.
If it was another attempt at coercion and force, the only thing that could make her agree to leave with him would be if Lin Xianzi was in dire, immediate danger.
She couldn’t help but take a deep breath, feeling an unusual discomfort.
The doctor said gunshot wounds were difficult to heal, and coupled with Liang Chaosu’s unrecovered heart function, the next month was a critical period. Conservatively, recovery would take at least six months.
She had returned the recording to end things, never expecting him to recover so quickly. She had instead lost the weapon to resist him.
“Okay.”
Liancheng pulled her hand away.
Liang Chaosu remained still, fixed in place, gazing at them. It was an extremely long process.
From closeness to holding hands, then to Liancheng stepping down the stairs.
The wind blew her hat brim askew. She raised a hand to hold it down, lowering her head slightly, concealing her unforgettable face.
Her clothes were brightly colored, like in the video, she wore a vibrant and stunning skirt. The skirt’s hem rippled like waves, and the radiance and splendor of four years ago returned to her.
Step by step, she got closer. The butterfly-like red spots on her nose were like venomous nets, quickly capturing Liang Chaosu’s gaze.
He strode forward. Liancheng had estimated the distance and prepared to stop, but he approached abruptly, his chest blocking her view. An ineffable bitterness, like a needle penetrating every pore, filled her breath.
“Liang—”
The man cupped her cheek. His hands were ice-cold, his eyes equally frigid. His brow was furrowed, and his eyes held an uncontrollable sadness.
Liancheng momentarily lost her composure and pulled his hand away. “What did you do this time?”
“Does it hurt?”
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Liancheng had been ready to confront him, every nerve on alert, expecting a fierce, confrontational interrogation, as he never gave reasons – he either stayed silent or got straight to the point with threats.
This time, he paused before fixing his gaze on her expression. “Will you stop bothering my mother if I’m in pain?”
“Mis- Miss Liancheng, you’ve misunderstood Mr. Liang. We haven’t done anything.”
Liang Chaosu cast a sideways glance. Xiao Da remembered his mission, went around the front of the car, and headed straight for the hall.
Feng Shien was on guard against him, blocking the steps.
Xiao Da looked at Bai Ying.
Bai Ying probably guessed his intention, gritting her teeth. Now was the time to make a single choice.
“I won’t help you.” She held up both hands, looking at Feng Shien, her eyes conveying her absolute innocence. “Xiao Da, work is work, and feelings are feelings. Don’t mix them up.”
Liancheng turned back, her expression composed, and asked Liang Chaosu, “What do you want?”
Liang Chaosu’s eyelids drooped. Under the cloudy sky, his eye sockets were filled with deep shadows. Liancheng, close enough to see clearly, still found him profound.
“To get your matching data.”
Liancheng froze, thinking of something. Behind her, chaos erupted. Xiao Da used a trick and forcefully pushed his way in with two people.
Liancheng clenched her fist, not following. Her gaze was level, directed at Liang Chaosu’s left chest and abdomen.
“You said before that if I needed it, you’d be willing to give me your heart.”
Liancheng’s voice was lighter than the summer breeze. “I don’t need it.”
Through his clothes, she could see the veins of his chest muscles, and his waistline was also taut. It seemed his physical foundation was still there, and he would regain his agility once he recovered.
“My left ventricle is damaged, I don’t meet the conditions for a transplant.”
Liancheng’s expression solidified. “Other organs too, and I don’t need your help with kidney matching.”
Liang Chaosu was silent for a while. “Is it because everything of mine is disgusting and makes you feel sick?”
Liancheng was taken aback by his question and also fell silent for a moment.
“Go back to your country,” she suddenly lowered her head and took a deep breath. “You’ve proven these four years weren’t just playing with me or mistreating me. I—”
“I’ve settled the debt. I don’t want to regret returning the recording to you.”
Liang Chaosu paused, pressed his lips together, and looked down at her.
The fisherman’s hat was dazzlingly colored, imprinted on his eyes. He seemed incredibly restrained.
It was as if a thousand unspoken words had been sifted through his heart, leaving only one sentence to exit his lips.
“You completely acknowledge my feelings for you.”
Liancheng’s heart involuntarily spasmed.
She avoided remembering Iceland, and couldn’t recall how many times he had been so burning and direct, but it was never more than a handful.
She could no longer be as suspicious and sarcastic towards him as before.
“I acknowledge it.”
Liancheng looked around. This private hospital catered to the wealthy elite, with the parking lot near the back entrance. Celebrities always valued their privacy and used the VIP channel, so the main hall was deserted.
Liancheng still moved a couple of steps, shifting to behind the climbing roses in the small garden.
Liang Chaosu had no objections and slowly followed her.
“But it’s different when you ask me in Hong Kong, if there’s any possibility between us.” Liancheng tried to speak calmly.
“Don’t mention us being siblings before. That kind of beginning, that kind of process, can’t be erased by confessing guilt or repaying several times over. I can never accept sharing a bed with you, not willingly.”
Liang Chaosu gazed at her, appearing calmer than she was.
“I know, after all the scheming and calculating, I made a foolish mistake that was doomed from the start.”
Liancheng was stunned, looking at him.
