Chapter 364 If you can't pay, I'll ruin your reputation.
"You brat, I've been looking for you for years."
Upon seeing that beautiful and familiar face, Lin Zhengman slapped him hard across the face.
Lin Xiaoli's cheeks instantly burned, and her mind went blank.
Before she could react, Lin Zhengman had already swaggered into the house.
He surveyed the spacious living room, his eyes gleaming with greed, and nodded in satisfaction.
"What, now that you've made something of yourself and climbed the social ladder, you've forgotten about your old man?"
After saying that, he grabbed the bag from the sofa and began rummaging through it roughly.
Lin Xiaoli rushed over and snatched her bag back.
"What are you doing! Get out of here, or I'll call the police!"
"Smack!"
Lin Zhengman slapped her again with his backhand, causing blood to seep from the corner of her mouth.
"Call the police? You've been hiding from me for so many years, and now that I'm here to collect some alimony, you dare to call the police?"
He grabbed her chin and forced her to lift her head.
"If it weren't for that little online drama that caused such a big stir, I really wouldn't have found such a great place as yours."
He looked her up and down with disdain.
"Didn't you snag that CEO of the Sheng Group? To be able to live in such a big house, it seems he's spent a lot of money on you."
"It's time to show some respect to your father. Give me 2 million, and I'll leave as soon as I get the money."
"No!" Lin Xiaoli squeezed out the two words through gritted teeth.
"You can't even get 2 million, so what are you doing sleeping with people? You're such a useless thing." Lin Zheng pushed her away with disgust.
Lin Xiaoli staggered and fell onto the sofa. She propped herself up and pointed at the door, shouting, "Get out! I have no money!"
"You think you can get rid of me just because you don't have money? Aren't you being a little too naive?" Lin Zheng stared at her coldly, his gaze sending chills down her spine.
Lin Xiaoli trembled all over, pulled a bank card out of her bag, and threw it directly onto the sofa.
"There's 12,400 in this card. Take it if you want. That's all I have."
"More than ten thousand? Are you trying to fob me off like a beggar?" Lin Zhengman sneered. "Let me tell you, you have my blood in your veins. If you don't support me, I'll expose all the ways you've abandoned your own father all these years online."
"When the time comes, I'll let everyone see your unfilial and hypocritical face, and then we'll see how you manage to marry into a wealthy family."
He used this as his biggest bargaining chip.
Lin Xiaoli's eyes were bloodshot. She stared at him and suddenly laughed.
She now fully understood what Chairman Sheng had said.
Her background is indeed a ticking time bomb for the Sheng family.
"Then go ahead and post it! I never wanted to marry into any wealthy family!" Lin Xiaoli shouted with all her might. "Anyway, you've already ruined half of my and my mother's lives, so one more time won't make a difference!"
When she was seven years old, she and her mother fled to various places to escape her gambling-addicted and abusive father.
Seeing her reckless attitude, Lin Zhengman's temper flared up again.
He raised his hand, his palm hovering in mid-air, but he hesitated to bring it down.
His eyes darted around, and he suddenly changed his strategy.
"You brat, your chance to turn things around is right in front of you. It's rare that this guy surnamed Sheng likes you so much."
“Here’s what we’ll do: you go and coax him into giving you 2 million, and once I get the money, I’ll leave as far away as possible.”
"I promise I will never bother your lives again, and you won't lose out at all."
Lin Xiaoli glared at him, her eyes showing no sign of submission.
"Not a single cent. If you dare come again, I will really call the police."
"You should know how powerful the lawyers rich people hire are. If you go to jail this time, it will be very difficult for you to get out."
"You brat, you just wait!" Lin Zhengman gritted his teeth. "I'm only giving you three days. If you can't come up with the money in three days, I'll ruin your reputation!"
He uttered those words harshly, bent down to pick up the card from the sofa, and turned to leave.
As he reached the door, he suddenly turned back and snatched the box of delicate pastries from the dining table.
She was muttering and cursing, saying things like "good-for-nothing brat, letting someone sleep with her for nothing" and other offensive things.
Lin Xiaoli rushed over, slammed the door shut, and locked it from the inside.
All her strength was instantly drained, and she slid down the door panel to sit on the cold floor.
Tears could no longer be held back and rolled down her cheeks in large drops.
Just then, the phone rang abruptly.
The caller ID showed Sheng Tingxiao.
Lin Xiaoli hurriedly wiped away her tears, took several deep breaths, and tried to calm herself down before answering the phone.
"Are you awake?"
"Yes, I just got up." Her voice was a little hoarse, so she quickly cleared it.
"Hurry up and eat breakfast, don't let my son go hungry." Sheng Tingxiao's tone was full of doting.
His intimate moments last night put him in a great mood, and he wished he could be with her 24/7.
"Okay, sure." Lin Xiaoli replied obediently.
She paused for a moment, then suddenly said, "I...I want to move back to the Imperial View area for a few days."
Afraid he might overthink it, she quickly added, "You can see the river view from there, and it's more convenient for evening walks."
“Okay, you can stay wherever you like.” Sheng Tingxiao’s voice was so gentle it could melt your heart. “At noon, I’ll have Shen Sheng help you move and bring lunch over with you.”
"I...I'm going to see my mother later. I'll bring my own things this afternoon, so there's no need to trouble Sheng-ge."
"Then you stay home and wait for me. I'll come back tonight and take you out for dinner."
"Okay." Lin Xiaoli only uttered one word.
"Xiao Li, I miss you," Sheng Tingxiao said softly on the other end of the phone. All morning, his mind was filled with thoughts of her.
"Go to work first," Lin Xiaoli said, and then hung up the phone in a hurry.
She didn't dare to think any further, quickly packed her things, and rushed to the hospital.
She had to tell her mother that the man had come looking for her.
...
In the evening, it was the Sheng family's banquet. The brightly lit dining room was filled with exquisite dishes on the long table, but almost no one touched them.
Everyone was back, except for Sheng Tingxiao. That seat stood out conspicuously empty.
The housekeeper called again to urge him, but he still didn't show up.
"Never mind him, let's eat," Madam Sheng said, and everyone picked up their chopsticks.
"Bei Chen, how are the wedding preparations going?"
Sheng Chengjun looked at Fu Beichen opposite him and took the initiative to break the deadlock.
Fu Beichen answered respectfully and earnestly.
"Everything is ready, Dad. You can leave next Wednesday."
"Niannian and I went there two days early."
Madam Sheng smiled and said, "That's good. Ah, our family is finally going to have a big celebration."
Sheng Weiwei spoke up at the right moment, "Actually, you can have double happiness. Now that Xiao Li has a child, we can't let her follow her brother without a name or status."
Upon hearing this, Sheng Chengjun's face darkened. "Let's talk about it after he's dealt with the Si family's matter."
“Dad, our Sheng family isn’t short of money. Your son-in-law already has Fu Shoufu and Bai Yu. Why do you still want to be tied to the Si family? You just need to say one word, and everything will be resolved. If you want compensation, we will…” Sheng Weiwei hadn’t finished speaking.
"You don't need to worry about this."
Sheng Chengjun interrupted her directly, his tone more stern than ever before.
“Our Sheng family and the Si family have a connection, so we must form a marriage alliance. You wouldn’t understand anything else, so just eat your food.”
Sheng Chengjun rarely loses his temper like that.
His face was grim and unpleasant.
Ten years ago, he went to F country and had a meal with the old master of the Si family. At that time, a wise man was present and said that the Sheng family and the Si family were related by marriage.
At the time, he didn't pay attention. Since the Si family had no son, the only option was for his son to marry Miss Si.
But at that time he was focused on making Niannian a daughter-in-law of the Sheng family, so he ignored the Si family. As a result, his son went missing for six years and almost lost his life.
Recently, he met that wise man again, who said that the predestined marriage contract was still valid.
That's why he made the decision to arrange a marriage between his son and the Si family.
To everyone's surprise, Lin Xiaoli became pregnant at this crucial moment.
He was also worried. He had only told his wife about this, and hadn't told anyone else.
"Lin Xiaoli is pregnant with the Sheng family's child, but she hasn't said anything because she never intended to use the child to blackmail my eldest brother or our Sheng family." Sheng Weiwei protested, raising her voice, "Don't you think that's what makes her so admirable?"
"If it were any other woman, she would have come to our door demanding a formal title, and would have asked us for at least tens of millions."
Sheng Chengjun paused for a moment; he did not deny this point.
Lin Xiaoli was indeed not the person he had imagined; she wasn't after money and had decent character.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have kept quiet about being pregnant with Xiao'er's child.
“I also think Sister Xiaoli is great,” Qingning chimed in. “But right now, the most important thing is Sister Nian’s wedding.”
"I'm Nian's bridesmaid, brother-in-law, and who's the best man?" Qingning suddenly asked, changing the subject.
Fu Beichen paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "A handsome guy. I'll introduce you to him later."
"Will Young Master Huo be there too?" Qingning asked again.
This time it was Gu Xingnian's turn to respond, "Of course, there will be a lot of people then, so you should be able to run into each other."
Suddenly, Aunt Sheng said, "That's right, Qingning is back. Young Master Huo, why haven't you shown up lately? Do you have a new target?"
"Mom, we've gone off-topic. We're talking about Niannian's wedding now. We're leaving in five days. I'm so excited." Sheng Weiwei changed the subject again.
Each one of them has a lot of hidden agendas.
Bai Yu chimed in, "Well, let's observe first. If you like, our wedding will also be held on Happiness Island."
Sheng Weiwei blurted out, "I want to hold it in Maduri."
"no!"
"no!"
Sheng Chengjun and Gu Xingnian said the same thing in unison.
That godforsaken place is no place for a human to live.
Bai Yu quickly defended his wife, "Weiwei was just joking, that place is not under consideration."
"Here, eat some vegetables." He personally fed her the vegetables.
Sheng Weiwei didn't argue and obediently opened her mouth to eat the food.
After dinner, Fu Beichen and Bai Yu smoked in the garden, seemingly in perfect sync.
"You want Grandpa Fu to take Lin Xiaoli as his granddaughter?" Bai Yu saw through Fu Beichen's thoughts at a glance, and then smiled, "I didn't expect you to be willing to help him."
Fu Beichen let out a breath and said magnanimously,
"It won't hurt me if he gets married sooner, then I won't have to worry about my wife every day."
"Lin Xiaoli has become my sister, so he has to call me big brother from now on."
Fu Beichen smiled brightly.
Bai Yujun raised his chin and said, "He calls you Big Brother, and your wife calls him Big Brother. You two have become siblings."
Fu Beichen's handsome face darkened. "Then you should make a move. Grandpa should like Xiaoli."
"At that time, arrange for them to meet on Happiness Island. Maybe the old men will like her. Let them choose for themselves." Bai Yu exhaled a puff of smoke.
"I think the eldest daughter of the Si family is not simple, but she has a formidable enemy, the Li family of Ancheng. She has been chasing after the Li family for years. The head of the Li family, Li Zhengyang, is Mu Jin's uncle."
"You want to use the Li family to restrain the Si family so that Sheng Tingxiao can retaliate in the future?" Fu Beichen saw through his intentions at a glance.
"It's always good to be prepared." Bai Yu will use the power and connections of Shengchuang Financial in F Country to hunt down the Si family.
"Count me in," Fu Beichen said with a smile.
Just then, Sheng Weiwei ran over, and Bai Yu reached out to put his arm around her waist.
"Honey, are you done talking? Let's go home!" she said domineeringly.
"What's wrong? Is something the matter?" Bai Yu kissed her on the cheek.
"Honey, can you help Xiaoli? Quickly figure out a way to deal with the old man."
Sheng Weiwei snuggled in his arms and acted coquettishly.
"You're asking me to go against my own father-in-law? I wouldn't dare," Bai Yu said seriously, then suddenly relented, "Unless there are special perks, then I might consider it."
Sheng Weiwei jumped onto him and whispered in his ear, "Then... tonight, you're in charge."
Bai Yu's heart skipped a beat. "You said it, you can't go back on your word?"
"I won't go back on my word." Sheng Weiwei was determined, and shouted again, "The gate is over there, which way do I go?"
"Use the side door, hurry up." Bai Yu smiled mischievously and kissed her lips.
It's rare for my wife to give me such a treat; every second is precious.
Fu Beichen's eyes were deep; this man was truly cunning.
He turned and walked towards the mansion, wondering if Niannian would ask him for help that night as well.
As a result, when Gu Xingnian returned home, she didn't mention her older brother's matter to him.
He was a little annoyed.
Gu Xingnian had been punished by Sheng Tingxiao so many times before because of him.
She dared not mention anything related to Sheng Tingxiao again; she was unhappy, so she kept it to herself.
Fu Beichen took the initiative to bring it up, "If you're worried about Sheng Tingxiao, I..."
“Fu Beichen, I’m not worried at all. I have nothing to do with him.” Gu Xingnian reacted strongly, glaring at him. “I’m sleepy. Tonight, you sleep in the second bedroom and don’t bother me.”
Fu Beichen: ...
Frustrating, the script is developing differently than expected.
He shouldn't have mentioned Sheng Tingxiao's name; now he doesn't even have a spot in the master bedroom.
He had no choice but to obediently go to the second bedroom, wait until she fell asleep, and then sneak back in the middle of the night.
...
The next day, Sheng Chengjun returned to the company.
The luxury van came to a stop in front of the Shengshi Building, and the driver opened the door.
He took a long stride, and his leather shoes landed on the ground.
Today he wore a silver-gray bespoke suit, which made him look tall and elegant.
Looking up, I saw a man with a cigarette in his mouth, pacing back and forth in front of the building.
The man was wearing an old, yellowed shirt with a wrinkled trench coat over it. He had a full beard and looked somewhat sleazy.
He held a faded photograph in his hand and would approach any passing man to compare it with his own.
They looked like they were there for revenge.
Several newly hired female interns were frightened by his appearance and screamed as they ran away.
The security guard in the guard booth had already noticed and was calling out on his walkie-talkie, preparing to go forward and drive them away.
Sheng Chengjun raised his hand, indicating that the security guards did not need to come over.
He strode over there.
"Who are you, and what are you doing here?"
Sheng Chengjun's voice was cold, carrying a sense of oppressive superiority.
Lin Zhengman was studying a random passerby in a photo when he heard the question. He turned around and looked Sheng Chengjun up and down.
The man in front of me was dressed in an incredibly expensive outfit, and his aura was far more powerful than that of an ordinary employee.
He stubbed out his cigarette, put the photo back in his pocket, and quickly walked forward.
"Hey bro, do you know the CEO of Sheng's Group?"
Sheng Chengjun's expression was unclear.
"Who are you, and what do you want with him?"
His voice was deep, and every word conveyed displeasure.
Lin Zhengman didn't understand at all. He proudly raised his chest and even reached out to straighten his trench coat, which was wrinkled like dried pickled vegetables.
He announced with a proud expression.
"I am his father-in-law!"
“I’ve come to see him to discuss my daughter’s marriage.”
Father-in-law?
Sheng Chengjun's heart skipped a beat. The man in front of him did indeed resemble Lin Xiaoli in some ways.
He is Lin Xiaoli's gambling father?
Sheng Chengjun's eyes turned cold.
"As far as I know, the CEO of Sheng's Group is unmarried, so naturally he doesn't have a father-in-law."
Lin Zhengman became anxious upon hearing this.
Thinking the other party was trying to renege on their debt, he immediately turned hostile, practically spitting out words.
"He slept with my daughter and got her pregnant, and now he wants to deny it?" the man said fiercely.
"If he dares to shirk responsibility, I'll break his legs today!"
Sheng Chengjun's face immediately darkened...
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