Chapter 023 Chapter 23
Chapter 23 (Exclusively published by Jinjiang)
Duan Xing has two major goals to accomplish this month.
The first was to complete the adoption of Duan Sheng, turning him from an illegitimate child into his and Xie Liuzheng's child.
The second is to transfer the property through the auction at the end of the month.
According to Duan Xing's cautious character, these two things would not be done at the same time.
However, the plan could not keep up with the changes, the date of the auction could not be changed according to his will, and Xie Liuzheng's agreement to adopt the child came at an unexpected time.
After some thought, Duan Xing decided to implement his plan more carefully.
Fortunately, the god of luck always descends on him, and everything goes in an orderly manner.
As for Xie Liuzheng's abnormal behavior these days, Duan Xing monitored her schedule and call records and found nothing unusual. He interpreted her abnormality as her anxiety about adopting a child.
After all, with the addition of a child in the family, the things they need to bear will change accordingly. Duan Xing can understand and look forward to this change.
He believed that once Xiaosheng actually came to their home, everything would be solved.
Duan Xing is looking forward to a happy life for his family of three. After having a child, Xie Liuzheng's life focus will be more on the family, and their family positioning will gradually change.
He loves Xie Liuzheng, but he loves money and power more, and loves himself more.
As for Qiao Yun, he completely ignored him.
After comparing the important details one by one, Duan Xing prepared to go to the auction this afternoon.
Before leaving, he did not forget to report his whereabouts to Xie Liuzheng.
Xie Liuzheng was not interested in calligraphy and painting, so Duan Xing attended the auction alone.
At the auction, he successfully bought the collection. Although he raised the price several times, it was all within the normal range.
The auction has officially ended, and the large amount of money in his hands will flow smoothly into his own pocket.
During the auction, my phone kept vibrating.
After the trip, Duan checked his phone and found several missed calls from the welfare home employees whom he had secretly contacted.
Duan Xing called him back, and the other party said that Duan Sheng suddenly had a high fever tonight and had been sent to the hospital. He gave him the address of the hospital.
Duan Xing felt nervous because he had feelings for Duan Sheng. After all, he was his first child.
He walked out, but stopped after just a few steps.
The auction transaction was over, but his transaction was not.
On one side is an eight-figure transaction, and on the other side is his biological son Duan Sheng. Duan Xing is faced with a major choice in his life.
The balance tilted back and forth.
Duan Xing did not hesitate for too long. He quickly thought of a solution and sent a message to Qiao Yun, asking her to go to the hospital.
After all, she is the biological mother of the child. As long as she is careful, it will not be noticed.
There are not so many important decisions in the world that Duan Xing can have the best of both worlds.
After Qiao Yun replied "OK", Duan Xing put away his phone with peace of mind and went to the transaction location.
…
Xie Zhiyu had already arranged everything, waiting for Duan Xing to be arrested.
The moment Duan Xing appeared, when he saw the man whom he had called uncle for more than ten years being arrested, Xie Zhiyu's calm heart finally began to ripple.
Xie Zhiyu still remembers the day when he first met Duan Xing. His aunt Xie Liuzheng was holding the man's hand with a bright smile, while Duan Xing was smiling shyly, his eyes sparkling when he looked at his aunt.
If it weren't for Xie Liuzheng's determination and Duan Xing's unreserved love for his aunt, his grandfather would not have agreed to this marriage.
At least his father Xie Chengyue was not optimistic about it, but when Xie Liuzheng himself and the head of the family both agreed, his objection was rejected.
Many years have passed, love has been worn away by time and eroded by the desire for power.
Xie Zhiyu was glad that his aunt did not see the scene.
Duan Xing always felt that the Xie family had not given him anything, but without the tacit approval of Xie Chengyue and Xie Zhiyu, how could he have started his own business so smoothly and naturally?
Duan Xing's career success is inseparable from his hard work and Xie's protection.
…
Until he was arrested by the police, Duan Xing thought he was unlucky and had gotten caught in a police crackdown on illegal money laundering.
***
In the spacious and luxurious room, Qiao Yun was playing mahjong with the "rich ladies", most of whom were mistresses, concubines, etc. kept by wealthy men.
They often play together, but they don't know the details. Everyone tries to pry into other people's privacy and hide their own secrets.
Qiao Yun learned a lot of gossip about wealthy families from them.
"If you ask me, the one with the best luck is the ordinary woman who married into the Xie family. She was extremely lucky and made the leap from a commoner to a top-class wealthy family... It is said that she was married for the second time."
"It must be a case of a larva. The larvae I raised are useless and cost me so much money!"
Qiao Yun was very interested: "Is it her second marriage? How did she get to know the boss? Has she always been a mistress?"
"It's very likely that Mrs. Xie brought a teenage child with her when she married into the family. Maybe this child is the boss's illegitimate daughter..."
"Don't talk nonsense. If she is really an illegitimate daughter, can the two eldest sons of the Xie family tolerate it? They are not the type to swallow their anger. The elder one already controls half of the Xie Group."
"…So the boss really met his true love in his later years???"
"Maybe Mrs. Xie is gifted."
"I'm so jealous. I may not be able to become a regular employee even after I die, right?"
"The one I raised is really useful. My wife has cancer... The doctor said she only has a few months to live. I, your sister, will soon be able to become a permanent resident~"
When this was said, many people were moved.
"Which one do you raise? I'll give you an introduction fee."
"I want one too."
…
Qiao Yun was not interested in raising such things. She had once visited a person who raised such a thing by chance. It was so creepy that it scared her so much that she couldn't sleep well for a week.
It was at this time that Duan Xing called.
After Qiao Yun finished the call, she wanted to leave, but was persuaded by her plastic sisters.
"That won't do. You want to leave in the middle of the fight."
"Yeah, yeah, if you suddenly left, where would we find you? You wouldn't just win the money and leave, would you?"
"If the child is sick, just ask the nanny to take care of him. Your good luck only lasts for this one day. Look, you've already won nearly half a million from us..."
Qiao Yun was persuaded. If she continued to fight for a while, she might be able to win a million.
"Then I'll send a message to the babysitter."
She sat back at the card table, and the fake sisters around her were satisfied.
"You've given birth to a boy for your sponsor, why can't you become his permanent employee?"
Qiao Yun forced a smile: "It's almost there."
"Tell the sisters who your sponsor is. The sponsor you follow is the most stingy among us."
"Yes, yes, tell us and we will give you some advice."
Qiao Yun was not smart, but she knew what was important and was not easily deceived by their words: "No more talking, let's play mahjong."
"I'm waiting for the winning hand. You guys just wait and see what money you can give me."
The room was once again filled with the sounds of mahjong and women's laughter.
***
Duan Xing stayed in the police station for a whole night and was not released on bail until the next day by Xie Liuzheng.
He was lucky because the previous transaction records were damaged and the calligraphy and paintings he sold "actually" all complied with the procedures.
When the police said this, Duan Xing himself couldn't believe it.
After clearing the suspect, the police contacted Xie Liuzheng and got him released on bail.
Duan Xing thought the person who bailed him out was his assistant. He walked out of the police station with a stern face. His neatly-groomed suit was now wrinkled and his hair was messy like sea urchin.
There is no trace of the elite image of yesterday.
Duan Xing was only thinking about his money. Although he was released, but... his funds for nearly a month were missing. A middleman swallowed up all his money.
But now this money laundering chain has been completely uncovered by the police, and he has no idea where to start the investigation.
Duan Xing was in a gloomy mood and he opened the car door.
"Wife, why are you here?"
His expression was unnatural, but he adjusted it reflexively.
"I'm sorry to have worried you."
"I didn't expect this to happen at an auction."
"Honey, did you come specially to pick me up? I am the happiest man in the world."
"Are you tired? Your husband will give you a massage."
As soon as he approached Xie Liuzheng, she dodged him.
Duan Xing suddenly realized: "I forgot that I didn't take a shower all night. My clothes and hair are smelly."
He found an excuse for both parties and automatically explained away Xie Liuzheng's behavior.
Xie Liuzheng watched him acting with cold eyes. He was very good at sensing people's emotions and handled every unexpected scene with ease.
Now the expression on his face as he tried to comfort her not to be angry, was it his true face or a false mask?
Xie Liuzheng just looked at him quietly, feeling bitter in his heart.
"Fasten your seat belt first, and let's talk."
Duan Xing sensed that the atmosphere was not right. He fastened his seat belt and asked carefully, "Wife, are you angry?"
"Is it because I went to the auction?" Duan Xing explained in panic.
"The auction employee said that if I contacted him, I would get an employee discount. I wanted to buy at a lower price... I didn't expect that he was a money laundering gang..."
"I didn't expect to be deceived. I brought shame to you and the Xie family."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it."
Duan Xing admitted his mistake with a sincere attitude, as if he cared more about Xie Liuzheng's feelings than his face.
Xie Liuzheng glanced at him coldly.
No words, but better than a thousand words.
Duan Xing was shocked by her eyes.
Over the past decade, no matter how angry Xie Liuzheng was, he would never look at him like that, never.
Such disappointed, indifferent, hateful, cold... eyes.
He realized that things were not simple, and frantically searched his mind to find out what had been exposed.
Money laundering? Transfer of property? Infidelity? Illegitimate child? Contact with the top management of Xie family...
He filtered through the information one by one, but couldn't find a definite answer.
…
Xie Liuzheng drove the car to a nearby coffee shop. Shortly after they entered the coffee shop, the SUV that had been following them stopped.
A few people got off the SUV and entered the cafe.
謝流筝想和段行單獨聊聊，拒絕了謝知聿陪同的建議，他沒辦法只能采取planb，讓保镖暗中保護。
謝流筝相信段行不會傷害她，但謝知聿比她更加了解人性。
你無法預測到一個喪心病狂的人，走投無路下，會做出什麽樣的反應。
即便此時段行還沒有走投無路。
“老婆，我們不回家嗎？為什麽……”段行觀察着周圍的環境，疑惑道。
“我們到裏面聊。”說完，謝流筝徑直走向咖啡館內。
這場孽緣由她開始，她想親手結束。
段行意識到某些事情，已經脫離了掌控。
謝流筝知道了什麽？謝家知道了什麽？
穩住、冷靜，段行這麽告訴自己，他強迫自己鎮定，踏入了人生最關鍵的考驗中。
他預感到即将發生什麽，命運再次向他發出挑戰。
謝流筝找了個安靜的包廂：“段行，坐吧。”
聽到這個稱呼，段行的心不斷往下沉：“老婆，你到底怎麽了？”
直到現在，段行都在僞裝。
謝流筝壓抑住內心翻湧的情緒，她看着熟悉的枕邊人，就仿佛看到了陌生人。
物是人非，面目全非。
“小盛本名叫什麽？段盛嗎？”謝流筝冷靜地可怕。
“哐當”一下，撕開了段行的僞裝，當謝流筝說出這個名字之後，段行就知道含糊不過去。
他徑直跪了下來，膝蓋重重地砸在地板上，發出清脆的撞擊聲。
段行控制不住地臉上痛苦的表情，語氣真摯到似乎要将自己的心髒剖出來給對方看的既視感。
“老婆，對不起！”
“是我該死，是我鬼迷心竅！我不該喝醉把別的女人當作了你……我害怕你不要我，所以不敢和你說……”
段行眼尾泛紅，眼淚奪眶而出，飽含深情和歉意。
謝流筝很喜歡段行的眼睛，他的眼皮很薄，眼尾微微上揚，笑起來時像她珍藏的寶石，偶爾情緒激動的時候眼皮泛着紅，濕漉漉的模樣，像極了小鹿。
他哭得很好看，漂亮極了，整個人像是陶瓷娃娃，下一秒就會破碎。
謝流筝喜歡故意把人惹哭，然後又耐心地哄，兩人樂此不疲。
段行跪在地上，哭着解釋，謝流筝就這樣麻木地看着，想看看從他嘴裏還會編出什麽樣的話，讓她心軟。
段行狠狠地扇了自己幾巴掌，白皙的臉蛋瞬間起了鮮紅的巴掌印，可見他的力道之重。
謝流筝沒有開口，就這麽看着他在忏悔。
“……她拿着錢離開了，幾個月後大着肚子、拿着驗孕單說懷了我的孩子……是我鬼迷心竅，你知道我們家幾代單傳，我爸媽做夢都想要個孫子……那段時間因為這件事還生病了……”
“她肚子裏的孩子已經成型，沒辦法打掉了，我爸媽不知道從哪裏知道的消息，以斷絕母子關系讓我留下那個孩子……”
段行幾乎泣不成聲：“我不要那個孩子了，老婆，你別不要我。”
謝流筝的心髒被一刀一刀割爛，被泡在酸水裏，酸澀帶着苦味。
段行每一句話，宛若致命的黴菌無孔不入，酸腐味幾乎讓她窒息。
謝流筝看着眼前哭得像個孩子般的段行，她心疼他，更心疼曾經那個對愛情憧憬向往的謝流筝。
“撒謊。”她說。
“我沒有撒謊，我真的想和你一起撫養小盛長大，你不是很喜歡他嗎？”
“只要你願意，他就是我們的孩子。”
“他會把你當做他的親生母親。”
謝流筝的淚水終于控制不住往下流：“到現在，你還在試探我的底線。”
她太失望了。
“我沒有，你為什麽不相信我呢？”
段行啪啪打自己的耳光，幾乎自虐一般：“要我把我的心剖開嗎？”
“夠了。”
謝流筝的聲音疲憊而平靜。
一大疊文件和照片砸在了段行臉上，某個瞬間似乎砸碎了他虛僞的假面。
“你不是離不開我，只是離不開我身後的權勢。”
她聽夠了他的試探和假話，不想繼續讓曾經的相愛變得更加可笑。
“我們離婚吧，我的律師會聯系你。”
“我不想再見你。”
謝流筝累了。
段行心猛地一沉，他跪過去，抱住了謝流筝的大腿，不讓她離開。
“老婆，你原諒我一次，就這一次。”
“你給我一次機會吧，離開你我活不下去的。”
“老婆，你別不要我，別抛棄我。”
謝流筝站在原地，從上往下俯視着那張面目可憎的臉：“你真的愛我嗎？”
段行堅定地看着她，眼中的千言萬語彙聚成一句話：“謝流筝，我愛你。”
“比愛我自己還要愛你。”
謝流筝搖頭：“不，你不愛我。”
她知道答案。
愛一個人，不是這樣的。
她見到過段行愛她時純粹發光的模樣，所以……當他不再愛她的時候，他的眼睛訴說了一切。
他嘴上說愛她，眼睛裏不再有她。
段行的心落在了谷底，緊緊抱住謝流筝的腰不放，仿佛溺水的人抱住了最後的救命稻草。
“我愛你啊，我只是……只是想把你留在我的身邊。”他一邊示弱，一邊放出殺手锏。
“堂堂謝氏集團大小姐愛上了我這個窮小子，窮小子什麽也沒有，得到了大小姐的錘煉。”
“對我來說，你是可望不可即的月亮，它照拂在我的身上，可随時又能離開……”
“如果我不守在你的身邊，你周圍總是會有碩大的星星，和你同級別的世家子弟、事業有成的企業家、和你瑟瑟和鳴的大提琴手……你周圍優秀的男人數不勝數，你的男顏知己、你的朋友們都看不起我，只要你抽身，你随時可以離開……”
段行惡狠狠道：“我偏不要你離開，只要我不松手，你就休想離開……我想讓孩子綁住你，可是你不能生小孩……”
“不能生小孩也沒關系，我反而慶幸你不再完美，那麽你就會待在我的身邊……可是……可是你的白月光回來了……我沒辦法，我真的沒辦法……”
“哪怕你讓我去死，我都不會猶豫，我只求你。”段行哽咽道：“謝流筝，我只求你，別不要我。”
他啜泣着，像是挽留主人的小狗，露出了柔軟的肚皮，露出了最致命的弱點。
謝流筝沉默着，有這麽一刻，她猶豫了。
但一想到段行和謝氏高層密謀，想要拉謝知聿下臺的事情，她掐住自己的手心，痛感讓她冷靜。
她沒有說話，沒有掙紮，就讓段行這麽抱着，默默和過去道別。
“抱夠了嗎？”謝流筝的嗓子很疼，像是吞了幾百根針。
明明被辜負真心的人是她，為什麽她會這麽痛苦、難過？
該吞一萬根針的人，不應該是段行嗎？
謝流筝猛然清醒過來，她看着哭得梨花帶雨的段行，只覺得後怕。
他剛剛故意引導她內疚嗎？故意說出孩子這個話題？
段行知道她所有的弱點和痛點，明白用什麽樣的話術打動她，讓她猶豫，讓她心軟，讓她原諒。
她不能再待下去了。
“段行，放開我吧。”她說：“我有點疼。”
段行遲疑了，他沒有放開她，只是松了點力道。
“還疼嗎？”
謝流筝皺眉：“疼，你松開。”
段行堅定地搖頭：“我松開了，你就再也不會見我了。”
謝流筝閉上眼睛，只覺得疲憊：“如果是以前，我說疼你就會放開我。”
“你不愛我了。”
這次是肯定句。
段行眸光微閃：“那你保證不會不見我……”
謝流筝：“我保證。”
段行松開了她，謝流筝獲得了自由。
“我們都冷靜一下吧。”
在段行瘋狂暴起之前那，謝流筝坐了下來：“就在這裏。”
趁着段行不注意，謝流筝按下了手表隐藏的求助按鈕。
不出五秒，房門被破開。
“大小姐。”幾個壯碩的保镖，如最忠誠的守護神，跑到了謝流筝的身邊，隔開了段行和謝流筝。
段行看到變故，笑了起來：“老婆，你也會撒謊了。”
謝流筝微笑着看他：“我不是你，我們再次見面會在民政局。”
“你太髒了，很惡心。”
說完，她不帶一絲留念的轉過身，離開了咖啡館。
從頭到尾，都沒有回頭。
謝流筝，即便被欺騙、被辜負、被背叛，她永遠都是那個驕傲的大小姐。
“叮叮！”
坐在教室裏的沈白梨獲得了阿燈的能量加成提醒。
“能量補充+1% +1% +1%”
“總能量16%”
沈白梨做題的手猛地頓住，在本子上留下一個重重的黑點。
“發生了什麽？系統能量條又動了。”
這時候，鄧琴從教室門口走了進來，眉梢帶着喜意。
“同學們，期中考試成績彙總出來了。”