Chapter 67 Chapter 67 Indulgence
Chapter 67
Lu Peishi's brows furrowed even deeper.
"I know you must be finding it hard to believe. I felt the same way when I first discovered it: I was completely shocked and incredulous."
Qiao Qianqian observed Lu Peishi's expression and continued, "I was originally hesitant about whether to tell you. A few days ago, I went to talk to her about this matter, hoping that she would take the initiative to explain the truth to everyone, but her attitude was very... very stubborn. She refused to admit it."
Lu Peishi's face was terribly cold. Qiao Qianqian was very satisfied with his reaction. It was not a pleasant feeling to be deceived by people around you. Moreover, he was such a proud and perfect person. He would definitely not allow such a ridiculous thing to happen to him.
From his face, Qiao Qianqian seemed to be able to see a sudden change in the air pressure, as if a storm was about to come.
She continued to fan the flames, "I didn't expect her to be so brazen. She wasn't afraid even when I exposed her face to face, but fake is fake after all. I can't pretend I know nothing. Besides, I'm also worried about where the real Ruan Yan is now and whether she's safe. Given the current situation, she definitely won't tell me. I'm really at my wit's end, so I've come all the way to you."
Lu Peishi listened to her quietly without saying a word, but she could feel the emotions in his eyes, which were gloomy and dark, making her afraid to look directly at him.
Qiao Qianqian was already looking forward to the moment Lu Peishi confronted that person after they returned. She spoke cheerfully, "I also heard that you and her were getting married. If that's the case, you can't be kept in the dark. I can't stand by and watch her continue to deceive me."
After being silent for a while, Lu Peishi opened his lips slightly, and what came out was a sentence: "Are you done?"
Qiao Qianqian was stunned.
"You'd better not tell anyone about this for now, otherwise..." He didn't finish his words, but it was obvious that he was speaking in a warning tone.
Qiao Qianqian was very confused. Why did he react like that?
But then he thought again, now his relationship with the fake Ruan Yan is basically semi-public. The Lu family, a wealthy family, values reputation the most. If the heir's wife were to reveal such a big bomb, it would definitely affect the Lu family's reputation and even cause fluctuations in Wanlai's stock price.
From this perspective, Lu Peishi's reaction at this time was normal.
"I know. I won't tell anyone about it until you've dealt with this matter clearly, so as not to damage your image and that of the Lu family." Qiao Qianqian said understandingly.
Lu Peishi glanced at her and said nothing more. He just snorted and then turned and left.
Qiao Qianqian froze in place, staring blankly at his indifferent back.
Will he be furious and question the fake Ruan Yan when he returns?
Should be possible, right?
Otherwise it would be too unreasonable.
But why did she feel vaguely that Lu Peishi seemed to have known about this matter for a long time and was deliberately trying to cover up for that person?
If that's the case...
She suddenly remembered the nonchalant attitude of the fake Ruan Yan after her identity was exposed. How could she be so fearless if there was no one backing her up?
Suddenly, a gust of night wind blew gently from behind her, and the coolness penetrated into her collar. She bit her lip and shivered.
*
"What? You're not Ruan Yan?!"
In the study of the Lu family's old house, Lu Zhenlin looked at the two people on the sofa in shock, unable to believe what he had just heard.
This weekend, Lu Peishi and Ruan Yan came to his house for dinner. Xiao Li happened to be there too, so the whole family gathered together to talk and laugh. Lu Zhenlin was very happy. The atmosphere at home had not been so lively for a long time.
After dinner, Lu Peishi and Ruan Yan suddenly said in a serious tone that they had something to say. Lu Zhenlin saw that their expressions were not right and was worried that something might have gone wrong between them.
So he deliberately left everyone aside and called them into the study.
As a result, they told him a truth that shocked him.
Ruan Yan basically spoke the entire story, starting from when she accidentally saved a person who had an accident one day, to when she discovered her own life experience, then she came to the Ruan family with a lot of secrets, and then to the various entanglements with Lu Peishi due to accidental circumstances.
Lu Zhenlin was stunned when he heard this. He felt like he was watching an annual drama full of love and hate, with more twists and turns and bizarre plots than the events in "Old Aunt" and "1717 Silver Eyes".
Ruan Yan told her everything, including her inner thoughts. Lu Peishi, who was beside her, held her hand the whole time, as if giving her strength.
After listening to her, Lu Zhenlin couldn't calm down for a long time.
He paced around the study room with his hands behind his back for a long while before stopping to look at her. "So you are the little daughter of the Ruan family who went missing that year?"
Ruan Yan nodded: "Yes."
"This...this..." Lu Zhenlin held his forehead with his hand. The amount of information he received today was too great, and he probably wouldn't be able to digest it in a short period of time.
"How many things are you hiding from me? Just tell me everything at once. My heart can't handle the constant shock."
Ruan Yan also felt guilty about this. Along the way, the development of many things was far beyond her expectations, and she could not control it, otherwise it would not have turned out like this today.
"Sorry, not available for the time being."
Temporarily? Lu Zhenlin was a bit amused and didn't know what to say. He remained silent and continued to pace back and forth in front of them.
For a long time, he stood in front of the window and let out a long sigh.
He had a pretty good relationship with Ruan Xingkun and his wife. He had seen how sad they were after their little daughter went missing.
Especially Jiang Shuyu, who was tortured to insanity because of this incident. He became crazy and died with regret in the end. It is really sad.
Thinking about this lost young lady who should have been living a life of luxury, but was left in such a remote place, she must have suffered a lot since childhood. Lu Zhenlin felt sorry for the Ruan couple.
He really couldn't bear to blame her too much.
Lu Zhenlin shook his head. "You guys... Although I'm still quite angry that you kept this a secret from me, the fact that you took the initiative to confess to me instead of waiting until I discovered it myself shows that you respect an old man like me."
Ruan Yan apologized again: "I'm sorry, Uncle Lu."
"Forget it," Lu Zhenlin waved his hand and sat down opposite them. "If your parents are still alive, they will definitely be pleased to see you finally return to the Ruan family."
Ruan Yan hesitated for a moment, then spoke again, "Do you know anything about what happened when I went missing? I've searched a lot of relevant news before, but I feel the truth isn't what the media reports say. I've tried asking people who knew about this incident, but I haven't gotten any substantial leads."
Lu Zhenlin was in a bit of a dilemma. After the incident happened, the Ruan family used almost all their connections to block all sources of information. Several small media outlets that were not afraid of death and spread rumors were eventually sued and went bankrupt.
Ruan Xingkun was depressed for a while and didn't let anyone mention this matter in front of him. As an outsider, Lu Zhenlin was not in a position to ask for more details, as this would be like touching his sore spot, and the friendship between the two of them for many years might be ruined.
So Lu Zhenlin didn't know much about the inside story. His ex-wife, Lu Peishi's mother, knew more, but she passed away several years ago.
Lu Peishi also remembered the photos he had found in the old house. Ruan Yan's mother and his mother did have a close relationship, and...
Hearing Lu Zhenlin say this, Ruan Yan looked quite disappointed.
Lu Zhenlin felt a little bit reluctant when he saw this. He could understand her desire to get to the truth. After trying hard to recall it for a moment, he slowly said, "I remember that there was someone who knew more inside information back then. It was your Ruan family's nanny at that time. She had been working in your family since before your mother married Xingkun. When your mother fell ill later, she helped take care of her for a while."
Ruan Yan's eyes lit up.
"She's probably retired by now, so it might be difficult to contact her," Lu Zhenlin said. "If we can find her, maybe we can get some information from her about what happened back then."
After being reminded by him, Ruan Yan suddenly remembered that the old nanny of the Ruan family he mentioned was Aunt Wang's mother.
It wasn't difficult to find her.
Lu Zhenlin was right. During the years in the Ruan family, the old nanny was involved in many events. Wen Ying was still relatively young at that time, and many things were concealed from her family. But it was different for the old nanny.
Especially after hearing that she had helped take care of Jiang Shuyu for a while...
Before leaving the study, Ruan Yan saw that Lu Pei was reluctant to get up.
She looked at him with a puzzled look, and he hesitated: "I have something to tell Dad."
Ruan Yan nodded tactfully: "Okay, then I'll go find Xiao Li first."
After Ruan Yan left, Lu Zhenlin looked at his son in confusion: "What? Are you really hiding something from me?"
Lu Peishi didn't answer, but his expression seemed a little unnatural.
Lu Zhenlin did not urge him, but just sat down at the tea table and made tea.
After a while, Lu Peishi on the other side finally spoke.
"Do you know Xu Lanshan?"
When he heard the name, Lu Zhenlin paused in pouring tea.
"How do you know him?" Lu Zhenlin asked after calming down.
Lu Peishi didn't answer, but just said, "I want to know, was your divorce from mom because of Li Rongzhen, or because of him?"
Lu Zhenlin knew that the matter could no longer be concealed.
Since he has already found out so much, why not just let him know the truth of what happened back then?
Lu Zhenlin did not directly answer his question, but instead brought up the past event that had been buried in his heart for decades.
Lu Zhenlin and Shen Qingling's families are old friends. The older generations on both sides are close to each other, and they even got verbally engaged when they were very young.
The two of them have had a good relationship since they were young and can be considered childhood sweethearts. Both sets of parents are very satisfied with each other and think it is natural for the two children to become in-laws when they grow up.
But no one expected that Lu Zhenlin and Shen Qingling, both in adolescence, had someone they liked.
Shen Qingling’s lover is this Xu Lanshan.
He is very handsome, well-mannered, and plays the guitar very well.
At the school's art performance, Shen Qingling was attracted by Xu Lanshan who was playing and singing on the stage at first sight.
She had always been reserved and bashful, but somehow, she boldly confessed her feelings to Xu Lanshan.
The two young and outstanding people soon got together.
But Shen Qingling did not dare to let her family know, because Xu Lanshan's family was poor. He was born in a remote and secluded mountain village in the north, and even relied on student loans to pay for his schooling.
She had confided this worry to her good friend Lu Zhenlin many times.
The person Lu Zhenlin liked at that time was his current wife Li Rongzhen.
Originally, they had always been ignorant about love. Only after they fell in love with each other did they know what true love felt like.
It was also from that moment on that they wanted to have their own lives and felt that they could no longer be bound by the rigid dogmas of their family members.
After discussing it together, they decided to confront their families at the same time.
The results are obvious.
But at that time they were in the rebellious period of youth, full of stubbornness, and they all thought that they would not be easily defeated by reality.
Shen Qingling, who had been well-behaved since childhood, even secretly followed Xu Lanshan back to his hometown, where she spent a simple but happy life.
She reads newspapers and books, sings and drinks tea every day, and lives a casual and happy life.
Occasionally, he would secretly ask Lu Zhenlin about the situation at home.
The two people encouraged each other and refused to give up.
Unfortunately, the good times did not last long, and Shen Qingling's family still found Beiyao Village.
They forcibly took Shen Qingling back and locked her up at home, cutting off her contact with the outside world.
Shen Qingling begged, cried, and went on a hunger strike, using every possible method to resist. In the end, her family couldn't bear it and released her.
She went to find Xu Lanshan first, but saw him hugging another woman.
Tired and disheveled, she left sadly.
On the other side, Lu Zhenlin was also struggling against his family. The Lu family was attracted by the power and status of the Shen family, and marrying into the Shen family was the best choice.
Besides, they had set their sights on Shen Qingling from the very beginning and could not accept Li Rongzhen, who came from a small family out of nowhere.
After several unsuccessful attempts to force the separation, Lu Zhenlin's relationship with his family became very strained.
Until that year, the Lu family was facing a huge financial crisis due to major corporate decision-making errors and over-expansion. Now, only marriage with the Shen family could save the crumbling Wanlai.
Because of this incident, the old man of the Lu family became so angry that he fell ill.
Looking at his grandfather who loved him the most, and his parents who worked hard for the company and whose hair turned white overnight, Lu Zhenlin finally lowered his head.
Lu Zhenlin and Shen Qingling got married, one out of helplessness and the other out of anger. Although they both tried to improve their relationship, they failed several times.
Later, by chance, Shen Qingling discovered that what she had previously thought was Xu Lanshan's infidelity was actually a plot deliberately designed by his family in order to make her completely give up.
At this time she was already thirty weeks pregnant.
She touched her belly with active fetal movements, felt the beating of the little life, and shed tears silently.
She knew it was too late.
Shortly after Lu Pei was born, Xu Lanshan was arranged by his family to go on a blind date and marry a girl from the same village.
That day, Shen Qingling locked herself in the room all night long. When she appeared the next day, it was as if nothing had happened.
Life goes on as usual, but the distance between two people who have no feelings for each other cannot be shortened no matter how hard they try.
At least they failed.
This marriage was not only painful for Shen Qingling, but also a torment for Lu Zhenlin.
A few years later, he and Shen Qingling separated peacefully, the child was awarded to Shen Qingling, and both parties returned to a friendship and fulfilled their parental responsibilities together.
Many years later, Lu Zhenlin married Li Rongzhen, who was still single.
Shen Qingling had been raising her child on her own. She didn't want to disturb Xu Lanshan's peaceful life, so she took Lu Peishi away from this sad place and lived in another city for many years...
After listening to Lu Zhenlin's words, Lu Peishi was silent for a long time.
He has always believed that it was Li Rongzhen's relationship that led to the breakdown of his parents' marriage.
Recalling that after their divorce, he often saw Shen Qingling sitting alone by the window in a daze, looking melancholy and lonely. Every time, he thought she was sad because of Lu Zhenlin.
Because of this, he resented Lu Zhenlin and Li Rongzhen in his heart for a long time, and even now he has not completely let it go.
It turns out that I have wronged them for so many years.
Before asking Lu Zhenlin, he had many guesses in his mind, but he didn't expect that the answer he got in the end would be the one he least expected.
"Your mother and I were both victims of our family, especially your mother. I know she was extremely unhappy during those days, and I feel guilty for not being able to help her more..." Lu Zhenlin said earnestly, "So I hope you don't make the same mistake. Marrying the person you love is a very important and fortunate thing."
Lu Peishi's lips moved slightly, but in the end he said nothing.
Guilt, self-blame, heartache, sadness... and an indescribable feeling dully emerging from the bottom of my heart.
It made him discouraged.
This complex emotion lasted until he returned.
Although he tried his best to appear nonchalant, Ruan Yan still noticed.
She asked, "What did you and your dad talk about in the study this afternoon? Why do you seem so depressed after coming out of the study? Is there something on your mind?"
"It's about my family," Lu Peishi hesitated, "Can I wait until I've calmed down before telling you everything?"
Ruan Yan didn't force it: "You can talk about it when you want to. It's okay if you don't want to talk about it."
Lu Peishi nodded: "Thank you."
Ruan Yan didn't know what there was to thank him for. Sometimes she felt that he was really too polite, which was in stark contrast to her spontaneous personality.
Seeing that he was still frowning, she sat down next to him and said, "Hey, don't be unhappy."
Lu Peishi said insincerely: "I didn't."
"You're still saying no? Don't you know that when you're unhappy, your eyebrows are at different heights?"
"No way..." He said this, but he was very concerned in his heart.
Seeing him silently controlling the curvature of his eyebrows, causing them to twitch slightly, Ruan Yan almost laughed until her face cramped.
Only then did Lu Peishi realize that she was deliberately teasing him.
Ruan Yan reached out and gently stroked his eyebrows.
"Stop being so gloomy with such a pretty face. Look how handsome it is when your eyebrows are stretched out like this."
Lu Peishi finally laughed, grabbed her restless hand and put it to his lips.
"Are you feeling happier now?"
"Um."
"Do you want to be happier?"
Before he could say anything, she had already straddled him.
Her eyes were long and curved, she put her arms around his neck and moved closer with a smile.
"Are you happy like this?" She breathed into his ear.
Still without waiting for his answer, he felt the warmth moving down again, and then his protruding Adam's apple was wrapped in moisture.
Amidst his uncontrollable groans, her low laughter could be heard.
He lowered his eyes to look at her smiling face and said slowly, "You have become bad."
As soon as she finished speaking, she screamed.
That night, they moved from the sofa in the living room to the coffee table, then to the bedroom and the bathtub. They couldn't remember how many rounds they had in total.
Lu Peishi once thought that he could never be a greedy and indulgent man, but now he found out that he was wrong.
Looking at her disheveled hair and dazed eyes, he completely threw away all his manners and politeness, wanting only to be a dissolute playboy. The more she screamed, the harder he would do it. He just wanted to sink deeply into her body, day and night, never satisfied.
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The author has something to say: Happy National Day! I calculated that it’s almost finished. Yes, the next chapter. Although I am very busy during this National Day, I still took some time out to write!
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