80. Illegitimate Child

"I'll be at the hotel in about five minutes," Jiang Nan asked as he restarted the car. "What happened?"

"There are cockroaches in the room," Chen Yunsheng said calmly. "It's not very convenient to stay here."

Jiang Nan didn't understand what was going on, but she guessed that someone unpleasant might have appeared. She calmly replied, "Don't worry, I'll be there soon. I won't hang up either."

"Okay." Chen Yunsheng stared at Liang Yue and slowly took a step back.

Liang Yue watched Chen Yunsheng calmly make a phone call, looking like he was about to leave. She immediately made an angry expression, but soon she regained her smile. She walked over gracefully and said in a sweet voice, "Brother Yunsheng, I've been waiting for you for a long time."

Chen Yunsheng immediately took a step back and distanced himself from her: "Ms. Liang, please respect yourself. Please also leave my room immediately."

Liang Yue put on a pitiful look, but her eyes moved boldly over him: "Brother Yunsheng, I just... just wanted to come and see you. I know you came to Jichuan, and it must be lonely staying in a hotel alone-"

"I'm not alone, and I don't need you to visit me," Chen Yunsheng interrupted her. "Please leave immediately."

Chen Yunsheng retreated to the door and made way.

Although Jiang Nan on the phone couldn't see, he could hear what was going on: "Chen Yunsheng, I'll be at the hotel right away."

"Okay, thank you for your help."

"Chen Yunsheng!" Liang Yue saw that he was unmoved. Things were going completely different from what she expected, so she became anxious. "Why are you always so cold to me? How can I be inferior to that Jiang Nan? She can't do anything except occupy a position! Only if our two families marry—"

"Miss Liang!" Chen Yunsheng shouted at her, his breathing coming in short, rapid gasps. He was irritated by the situation, but he maintained his composure. "Don't worry about my affairs. Nannan is a good person, and I like her very much. As for an arranged marriage," he offered a slightly sarcastic smile, "even if it's an arranged marriage, it won't be with the Liang family."

"What do you mean?" Liang Yue was hurt by his ridicule. "Over the years, I have grown up in your Chen family."

"Miss Liang, strictly speaking, you grew up in my uncle Chen Minghui's home. As for my family, you always come uninvited with my uncle and aunt," Chen Yunsheng continued as Jiang Nan announced her location. "Grandpa is old, and my parents don't want to make things too awkward. I only stopped you from crossing the line again and again to save face for my uncle and aunt."

Chen Yunsheng heard Jiang Nan say that she and the staff had entered the elevator. Then, when the call became intermittent, he slowly said, "Your tactics are truly despicable."

"Despicable?!" Liang Yue's face turned pale, and she said with all her might, "As long as I can achieve my goal, what does being despicable matter? Isn't that how you all do business?" She softened her voice and said tentatively, "Brother Yunsheng, I know that your marriage with Jiang Nan is just an arranged marriage. You have no feelings for each other at all! You're using her to appease Grandpa Chen, right?"

She said as she took a few steps forward.

Chen Yunsheng immediately retreated to the corridor.

"It doesn't matter," Liang Yue said softly, "As long as we have a child, Grandpa Chen will definitely recognize me! Then-"

"Children?" He stared at Liang Yue and asked a few questions in a bad tone, "Your aunt has two children, and I haven't seen her enter the Chen family. I'm sorry to ask, was it Chen Minghui who taught you how to have children, or your aunt? Or should I ask, was it your mother who taught you?"

These words exploded in Liang Yue's ears like thunder—he knew! He knew about his aunt's affairs! He also knew that she was not the innocent eldest daughter of the Liang family at all!

The color drained from Liang Yue's face instantly. She felt as if she had been stripped of all her glamorous disguise, exposed naked to the scrutinizing gaze of the other person. The surging shame and fear made her scream uncontrollably, "Nonsense! Chen Yunsheng! How could you!"

Her screams echoed through the room and the corridor, like a frantic scream.

"Chen Yunsheng, I'm here," Jiang Nan's voice reappeared in the receiver. "I sent a message to Assistant Wei before going upstairs. He should be here too."

"I understand." Chen Yunsheng agreed.

Then he heard two more urgent calls: "Chen Yunsheng!"

A call came from the receiver of the mobile phone, and another call came from the corridor on the other side. He saw Jiang Nan, who looked anxious, trotting over with several hotel staff.

Chen Yunsheng hung up the phone and ignored the emotionally distraught Liang Yue. He quickly walked towards Jiang Nan, then reached out and supported the breathless Jiang Nan, comforting her, "It's okay."

Jiang Nan checked Chen Yunsheng from head to toe, and only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that he was alright. Then, she peered into the room to take a look.

The hotel staff had already gone into his room to take care of things. One of them stayed behind and kept apologizing to Chen Yunsheng.

He was in no mood to care about this matter. When he saw Wei Yan coming over, he said, "My assistant will take care of the rest." Then he looked down at Jiang Nan and said, "Let's go."

Jiang Nan saw Liang Yue, disheveled and looking a little crazy, and nodded blankly: "Okay. Come home with me first."

——

Jiang Nan took Chen Yunsheng downstairs and got into her car parked at the door.

She wanted to say something to comfort him, but she felt that those words were pale and empty. Therefore, she finally said nothing, but started the car silently and left the hotel.

Chen Yunsheng leaned on the passenger seat with his eyes closed, his brows filled with fatigue and impatience.

Liang Yue's hysterical screams and those unbearable words were like a rolling wave of dirty water, constantly disturbing his peace and making him feel a heavy fatigue.

He doesn't like to push people into desperate situations, and is willing to leave them some leeway, but that group of people always seem to regard his combination of leniency and strictness as a flaw.

Jiang Nan, standing by, sensed Chen Yunsheng's irritability. She glanced at him quickly, then after a moment's deliberation, asked softly, "Do you want to buy some more food? You didn't eat much at dinner."

Chen Yunsheng shook his head: "No appetite."

Jiang Nan pursed her lips and didn't insist. But she was worried when she saw him like that. So when the car passed a night market, Jiang Nan parked in a temporary parking space on the side of the road without a second thought.

"Wait for me." After saying that, she unbuckled her seat belt and got out of the car quickly without waiting for Chen Yunsheng's reaction, then ran towards a porridge shop that was still open next to the night market.

Chen Yunsheng watched her hurriedly run away, feeling that his irritation seemed to be diluted by her sudden concern. Then he looked at her talking to the boss in the porridge shop and couldn't help but smile.

She is gentle and tolerant, like a quiet river flowing slowly eastward.

Just at this moment, his cell phone suddenly vibrated.

Chen Yunsheng glanced down and saw Wei Yan's name before answering: "Is it handled?"

"Yes, Mr. Chen," Wei Yan's voice was as calm as ever. "Ms. Liang is emotionally unstable, but her relatives and friends have been contacted. The relevant surveillance and records have been preserved, and the legal department will follow up on any subsequent matters. In addition, the connection between Fan Zijian and the Liang family, as well as the circulation path of the photo, have been basically clarified."

Afterwards, Wei Yan reported the findings to Chen Yunsheng in a clear and coherent manner:

The Fan family has had close business dealings with the Liang family in the past two years, and Fan Zijian did get the birthday party photo through Liang Yue.

Guan Qianqian accidentally saw on Fan Zijian's phone that Jiang Nan was her cousin, so Fan Zijian told this to Liang Yue as an interesting story.

Liang Yue thought there was an opportunity, so she instigated Fan Zijian to use Guan Qianqian's relationship to go to the Jiang family to find out the truth, trying to confirm the authenticity of Jiang Nan and Chen Yunsheng's relationship.

"Ms. Guan said she only learned of Fan Zijian's plan afterward. She wanted to tell you when she met you and Miss Jiang's family at Wuguzhai, but she hesitated, so she didn't. She promised that she didn't hide or fabricate the above information. After I verified it, I arranged a job for her according to your instructions." Wei Yan hesitated for a moment, then continued, "As for Miss Liang, she seems to firmly believe that you and Miss Jiang had a marriage agreement. I am currently tracing the source of her information, and I will be able to give you a definite answer in a couple of days."

Chen Yunsheng raised his eyebrows slightly, and after a few seconds of silence, he narrowed the scope: "The lawyer, the housekeeper, and the driver. Focus on these three."

"yes."

"What's going on with Chen Minghui?" Chen Yunsheng asked him.

"Mr. Er seems unaware of Ms. Liang's actions tonight," Wei Yan replied, "but his recent interactions with the Liang family and that new energy company have indeed increased. We've discovered that the Liang family's funds are behind several key shell companies of that company. Mr. Er may be hoping to use this project to further integrate the Liang family's influence into the group, or... to transfer assets."

"Where is that aunt Liang Yue?"

"Everything is normal, but I've been having tea with a few ladies more frequently lately."

Chen Yunsheng looked at Jiang Nan's figure in the porridge shop, and his mind was in a state of confusion.

He had long experienced his second uncle's ambition and tactics. He hadn't expected that while publicly displaying the image of a loving elder, he would secretly condone Liang Yue's despicable and filthy tactics. Furthermore, it seemed that the warning from the previous birthday banquet hadn't truly restrained him; instead, it had made him even more impatient.

"Check the family backgrounds of those ladies," Chen Yunsheng said. "Also... give Second Aunt some information about Liang Yue and her mother."

"clear."

After hanging up the phone, Chen Yunsheng leaned back in his chair and let out a long breath. Outside, the night of Jichuan was tranquil, but his world was still filled with noisy calculations, and he could not find a moment of peace.

He closed his eyes tiredly, feeling like a lone boat sailing on the deep ocean, surrounded only by lurking sharks and undercurrents.

Chen Yunsheng had found out about Liang Yue's aunt, Liang Yan's true background, her relationship with Chen Minghui that lasted for more than 20 years, and even the fact that they had a son and a daughter overseas very early on.

Liang Yan, originally named Huang Yan, became Liang's father's lover at the age of sixteen. At twenty, she was given as a "gift" by Liang's father to Chen Minghui, who was eager to seek allies and expand his influence. Liang Yue, in fact, was Liang Yan's child when she was nineteen, and her biological father was indeed Liang's father.

Although she grew up with her father, Liang Yue, who grew up in such a distorted environment, learned the values ​​​​from her father and mother that marriage is unimportant. As long as she can give birth to a child, especially a boy, she can tie the man tightly and gain wealth and status.

At this moment, the car door was suddenly opened.

The night wind suddenly rushed in, bringing a hint of chill, but the coolness of the evening wind was also filled with the warm fragrance of food.

Chen Yunsheng opened his eyes slightly and looked at the car door on the other side.

It’s Jiang Nan who’s back.

She was holding a packaged bag, which contained not only packaged hot porridge, but also a few light side dishes and even a hot tea egg.

"I saw that porridge shop was still open, so I bought some." She got into the driver's seat and handed the bag to him. "It's still hot. Eat a little, you'll feel much better."

Chen Yunsheng looked at her hair that was a little messy due to the night wind, and her eyes full of concern, and suddenly felt that in that dark sea of ​​conspiracy and betrayal, she was the only warm light that accompanied him.

Then, he looked at Jiang Nan with a gentle smile and said, "Thank you."

After saying that, he reached out to take the bag and slowly took out the porridge and side dishes inside.

Jiang Nan looked at his movements and said, "It's vegetable porridge. You should like it."

Chen Yunsheng nodded without saying a word.

Reason told him that he shouldn't tell Jiang Nan about the family scandal and the secret that hurt his grandmother the most. Although his relationship with her had changed, after all, they were just beginning a relationship.

However, perhaps it was the years of loneliness that made him desperately hope that there could be someone to share his heavy secret with, to become his true accomplice, so that he would no longer be lonely; or perhaps it was because Jichuan was calm, gentle, and tolerant that night, very much like an ordinary and peaceful autumn night many years ago when he and his grandmother went to the market and walked home in the twilight.

In other words, his rationality gradually weakened.

After a long while, he called out in a tone of hesitation and trepidation, "Jiang Nan."

"Hmm?" Jiang Nan blinked, waiting for his next words.

Then Chen Yunsheng raised his eyes slightly, and said with a complicated expression: "There are some things I think I should tell you."

Jiang Nan's eyebrows raised slightly, sensing that what he was about to say was no small matter. She pursed her lips and said, "You talk, I'm listening."

Chen Yunsheng looked down at the greasy porridge in front of him and spoke slowly, "You've met my second uncle, Chen Minghui. He and my father... are actually half-siblings. It was an accident when Grandpa was young... Grandpa took him in out of a sense of responsibility, and Grandma was kind enough to take him in as her own. But he and his mother have always been dissatisfied."

After hearing this, Jiang Nan's expression became dazed. She leaned back in her seat blankly, feeling a little at a loss.

She had always respected Mr. Chen and thought he was a respected elder, but now, suddenly learning about his somewhat ugly past, she couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed.