Chapter 54 Turning Point: "Do you think he didn't lie to you?"
54
After leaving the restaurant and getting into the car, Meng Yao finally breathed a long sigh of relief, but she was still not satisfied with this solution and asked, "Just like that... you let them go? They did so many terrible things to you."
Fang Huaixu shook his head and smiled gently: "It's not about letting them go, it's about not really pushing them to the brink."
Meng Yao was puzzled, so he patiently explained, "Because you haven't truly witnessed their methods. In some ways, they are the same kind of people. They are emotionally detached, have no bottom line, and are complete desperados who are capable of anything."
Meng Yao's heart tightened: "Are you afraid of them?"
"yes."
Fang Huaixu did not deny it: "I could not mind before,"
But now I have people I care about. I don't want you to be in any uncontrollable danger.
But Meng Yao still felt uneasy, not sweet, but still aggrieved: "I can protect myself too. Wouldn't it be safer to just push them all down?"
The problem is that it's not possible now.
Fang Huaixu's tone carried a complex mockery: "The evidence I have can't bring them down. Because even if my dad knows the truth, he won't hold them accountable at all."
Meng Yao was taken aback: "What do you mean?"
Fang Huaixu's gaze was filled with complex emotions. He took a deep breath and said, "From childhood to adulthood, I know everything Fang Yanxiu and Fang Huaijin have done behind the scenes, how they tried to please and scheme, and the effort they made at any cost to integrate into the Fang family. Fang Yanxiu wasn't originally like this. He started getting plastic surgery from the age of eighteen to better suit my father's taste. Fang Huaijin did the same, breaking several bones just to make her figure more like her original sister."
Fang Huaixu slowly raised his eyes: "Over the years, they have gone to great lengths to figure out Father's thoughts, cater to all his preferences, and win over every possible connection. I know all of these things."
Fang Huaixu paused here, his tone helpless: "But, similarly... my dad already knew."
"……What?"
Meng Yao's voice was filled with disbelief: "What does he know? Does he know that Fang Huaijin isn't his biological daughter, or that he's scheming to seize the family fortune..."
"He knows everything."
Fang Huaixu's lips curled into a cold smile: "He was never a deceived victim from the very beginning. He only ever enjoyed their fawning over him and their pandering to him, reveling in the pleasure of manipulating them like puppets..."
His voice lowered: "Just like when he kept my mother, he may have liked them all, but it was only the kind of liking one has for a clever and intelligent pet that can satisfy his vanity and desire for control. In his eyes, Fang Yanxiu and Fang Huaijin are just two mischievous pets, and he will not let them have the chance to escape his grasp."
Meng Yao was completely stunned, feeling a chill run through her body. She never expected the truth to be so dark and twisted.
"Your dad... he's always been like this?" Her voice was a little dry.
"He's always had this wicked sense of humor."
Fang Huaixu confirmed her statement: "His love is abnormal, based on absolute control. Anything or anyone that gets out of his control will make him angry, which is why he is so dissatisfied with my insistence on being independent."
He suddenly raised his injured arm: "The injury to this arm was not an accident. It was part of a kidnapping attempt he planned. His original purpose was to completely destroy my chances of going back to the operating table and make me obediently return to the track he set."
Meng Yao felt like her brain was about to explode. She couldn't imagine that a father could be so cruel to his own son. She finally understood why Fang Huaixu was so resistant to that family and why his eyes were always so complicated and cold when he mentioned his father.
Speaking of the past, Fang Huaixu's eyes were also very tired: "It is precisely because I know these things that I feel that Fang Yanxiu and Fang Huaijin are just two pitiful people who have been played. There is really no need to push them to their deaths. I can't be sure what they will do next."
His gaze was fixed intently on Meng Yao: "So leaving them some leeway is also leaving ourselves more room to maneuver."
Meng Yao was filled with mixed emotions upon hearing this, and was even more grateful that she had supported Fang Huaixu's decision not to go back.
But now, I feel nothing but endless heartache for Fang Huaixu.
She could hardly imagine how Fang Huaixu had grown up in such an environment all these years.
Fang Huaixu seemed to see through her thoughts, lowered his eyes, and his voice carried a rare hint of sadness: "Actually, this is one of the reasons why I've always wanted to give you enough space. After all, he and I are father and son connected by blood. Sometimes I can clearly feel that I also have some excessive obsession and desire for control. I'm afraid that without realizing it, I will become like him, so I keep telling myself that I must give you enough freedom and not influence your judgment."
“Of course not,” she stepped forward and hugged him tightly. “You are different from him. You know how to reflect on yourself, how to cherish, and what true love is. I will always be with you.”
Fang Huaixu's body stiffened slightly at first, then completely relaxed.
He hugged her tightly, burying his face in the warm crook of her neck, absorbing her unconditional trust and warmth. His deep voice carried a sense of relief, longing, and satisfaction: "...Okay."
Soon, the Lin family's fortunes plummeted after losing the support of Fang Yanxiu and Fang Huaijin, while Meng Yao's life entered a relatively stable phase, allowing her to devote herself wholeheartedly to preparing for the exam with a clear goal.
The study became the place where the two met most often. Fang Huaixu would handle his affairs as usual, occasionally glancing up to exchange a few words. The atmosphere was peaceful and warm, with a hint of sweet romance.
Grandma's surgery plan has been finalized, and all preoperative preparations are proceeding smoothly, awaiting the optimal time.
One day, Meng Yao needed to go back to University A to get her student status certificate. She contacted a friend for help and, seeing that her friend was nearby, decided to relax and have some time to herself.
Fang Huaixu personally escorted her to the school gate and watched her figure disappear before slowly driving away.
I'll only be away for a day or two.
That was his initial thought.
But upon returning to the empty apartment, Fang Huaixu was surprised to find it so quiet for the first time.
He was working in his study as usual, but he just couldn't concentrate on anything.
I don't think it would be like this when Meng Yao is around.
Even when the two of them were just quietly doing their own thing, he could still hear her movements to some extent.
Sometimes he would murmur the contents of the book to himself, sometimes he would toss and turn impatiently in his chair, and sometimes he would simply bury his face in the table and take a nap.
He had never realized he had paid attention to so many tiny details before, but now that Meng Yao was no longer by his side, he suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of loneliness.
He recalled what Meng Yao would do when she was bored, and his gaze fell on the kitchen downstairs. Meng Yao had never given up on studying his diet. Although she had repeatedly failed, it had now become a habit for her. Whenever she couldn't concentrate on studying or felt bored, she would always go to the kitchen and make some snacks for both of them.
Although he had no cooking experience, he suddenly wanted to try. He searched for some tutorials online and followed them exactly, but the results were always unsatisfactory. When he came to his senses and checked the time again, three or four hours had already passed.
Cooking is really a troublesome thing.
He wasn't sure if this was Meng Yao's hobby, but he secretly planned to put learning to cook on his agenda.
At least I should be able to help her.
As he was thinking, he realized that his mind was already filled with thoughts of Meng Yao.
After dinner, he was dealing with emails with some frustration when he caught sight of an invitation from the medical school of University A among a bunch of invitation emails.
It was sent a long time ago, inviting him to give a lecture.
He had originally planned to cancel due to his schedule and arm injury, but now a thought struck him.
He wanted to go see her.
Even just a glimpse from afar, to know how she's doing in that environment, would be enough.
But the thought was quickly suppressed: Meng Yao was with him almost all the time, and she rarely had any time to herself.
He didn't want her to feel like she was being watched. Would his sudden appearance make her uncomfortable?
I was torn between reason and a strange impulse.
But in the end, reason once again raised the white flag.
He attended the lecture as promised, and had even thought of an excuse to explain that it was just a coincidence.
Meng Yao was completely unaware of this. She had just finished processing her documents and happened to attend a lecture amidst the encouragement of her friends. As soon as she sat down, she spotted a familiar face on the stage.
Fang Huaixu made a composed entrance, his posture upright and confident on the podium, exuding the charm of a mature scholar in every gesture.
Meng Yao wasn't listening to a word, and was almost bursting into laughter: How could Fang Huaixu be here by such a coincidence?
As soon as the lecture ended, she rushed backstage, only to run into Chen Xuefei, whom she had never liked, on the way. Chen Xuefei was dressed like a volunteer maintaining order.
"The chairman of Tianmu Group is so handsome, did you guys see that?" a girl exclaimed softly.
Chen Xuefei scoffed, deliberately raising her voice slightly: "Yeah, unlike some people... I don't know what they're trying to do by sneaking in here? Do they actually dream of climbing up to such a high branch? They don't even know their own worth."
These words were sarcastic, but Meng Yao didn't take them to heart. Her gaze remained fixed on Fang Huaixu. However, the lecture had just ended, and many people rushed forward to ask questions or request autographs.
Meng Yao looked at Fang Huaixu, who was surrounded by the crowd, and hesitated whether to leave now or wait for him.
Just then, Fang Huaixu's gaze fell on her intentionally or unintentionally. The two exchanged a glance, but Fang Huaixu guiltily looked away first.
Now Meng Yao had no more hesitation. The two hadn't seen each other for a whole day, yet Fang Huaixu still dared to pretend he didn't know her.
Without a word, she asked the other volunteers for directions to the backstage area and prepared to wait there. Chen Xuefei was startled by her actions and stopped her at the backstage entrance: "Are you really going to stick your nose up to them? Do you think they'll pay attention to you just because you go up to them?"
Meng Yao was extremely impatient: "Why are you so possessive of me every day?"
Chen Xuefei, without blushing or skipping a beat, said, "I'm curious how thick-skinned you are?"
Meng Yao was speechless for a moment. Just as she was about to say something, a warm feeling suddenly appeared behind her, and a familiar voice rang out: "Miss Meng, what are you doing here?"
The sound stunned everyone. Chen Xuefei's face turned deathly pale instantly, staring incredulously at the scene before her: "You...know each other?"
Meng Yao hadn't expected him to walk over in public. Her heart pounded, and she didn't know how to respond for a moment.
"Yes, Miss Meng is a benefactor to our Tianmu Group."
Fang Huaixu remained expressionless, but his gaze swept meaningfully over Chen Xuefei, whose face was pale: "I admire people who dare to face challenges and strive to improve themselves, and I am also aware of Miss Meng's deeds."
His words were tantamount to a resounding slap in the face to Chen Xuefei in public, and also completely rescued Meng Yao from her embarrassing situation.
The surroundings fell silent instantly, and the gazes directed at Meng Yao shifted to one of surprise and inquiry, but the previous disdain was gone.
Meng Yao snapped out of her reverie and couldn't help but chuckle. She coughed lightly twice and said, "I have a few questions I'd like to ask you, Mr. Fang. If you have time, I'd like to show you around."
Fang Huaixu quickly responded, and the two then left the scene.
Once they were out of the crowd, Meng Yao couldn't hold back any longer and whispered, "President Fang's rescue was very timely."
Fang Huaixu felt his ears burning from her words, and a smile, barely suppressed, welled up in his eyes: "It's just a small favor, maintaining harmony."
Meng Yao laughed heartily, and Fang Huaixu walked beside her with a sweet feeling in his heart, enjoying the unspoken intimacy flowing between them.
Suddenly, an enthusiastic boy approached, turned directly to Meng Yao, and said that he was her fan.
Meng Yao glanced at Fang Huaixu in surprise, then at him again, never expecting that she would actually meet her fan offline.
The man excitedly took out paper and pen and asked Meng Yao for an autograph. Meng Yao had never done anything like this before. She was both happy and a little flustered. She listened to the man talk about how he had been following her since before she became famous, praising everything about her.
Meng Yao was so dazed that she couldn't stop smiling and thanked him repeatedly.
Fang Huaixu, left standing to the side, maintained his composure until the man was about to leave. Then, Meng Yao heard a very soft French voice behind her: "Quel flatteur" (sycophant).
Meng Yao turned around in surprise: "What?"
Fang Huaixu remained expressionless: "Praise him... for his good taste."
Meng Yao's hearing had improved considerably, and she understood exactly what he was saying. She was about to burst out laughing when she saw him off, "President Fang, you're way too jealous..."
Seeing that he had been exposed, Fang Huaixu felt guilty and his ears turned red, but he couldn't help feeling smug that Meng Yao cared more about his words.
The two walked out of the school chatting and laughing, only to find that Grandma had appeared at the school gate at some point.
As she froze, Meng Xiangque's gaze had already turned towards her, clearly having spotted Fang Huaixu beside her. Startled, she quickly grabbed his hand and whispered, "No, no... my grandma's here. I lied to her before, saying I already had a boyfriend. You need to act more convincingly..."
"Varied……"
Fang Huaixu was given this critical mission and had no time to react before Meng Xiangque stood in front of them: "Yaoyao, what's this?"
"What brings you here, sir? You didn't even tell me," Meng Yao said quickly, stepping forward to preemptively declare, "This is my boyfriend."
Meeting the parents so suddenly, Fang Huaixu lowered his head, so nervous that he almost reached out the wrong hand: "Grandma, I'm Meng Yao's...boyfriend."
However, Meng Xiangque's expression turned serious after seeing Fang Huaixu's face clearly. He scrutinized Fang Huaixu with a critical look, then turned to Meng Yao and forced a smile: "I just came to see Yao Yao. You guys are busy."
Meng Yao could clearly sense that his grandmother didn't seem to like him very much. Although he didn't understand what the problem was, he still tried his best to ease the atmosphere.
Meng Xiangque had come specifically to accompany Meng Yao after learning that she was going back to school. He had regretted not being able to accompany her after graduation. The two took a walk around the school, with Fang Huaixu following closely behind, not daring to slack off.
But Grandma was not in a good mood and soon made an excuse that she was tired and had to go back to the hospital.
Fang Huaixu also looked preoccupied. It wasn't until they returned to the hospital and were alone with her grandmother that she suddenly grabbed Meng Yao's hand and said, "Yao Yao, this person won't do."
Meng Yao was stunned, puzzled: "Why?"
Meng Xiangque seemed to have something difficult to say, and sighed deeply: "Yaoyao, listen to your grandma, be careful of this person. He's so much older than you, what he shows and says may not be the truth. Think of your mother's experience..."
Meng Yao didn't understand why she would suddenly have such negative comments about Fang Huaixu, but considering that her grandmother was still ill, she didn't speak absolutely: "Don't worry, Grandma, I have my own judgment."
Meng Xiangque's gaze was complicated as he watched Meng Yao leave.
Meng Yao was pondering her grandmother's attitude when she opened the door to find Fang Huaixu standing there looking dejected, as if he had overheard their conversation.
The atmosphere was a little awkward. Meng Yao closed the door and quickly grabbed his hand: "Don't worry about it. She just doesn't know you yet."
Fang Huaixu forced a somewhat strained smile: "It's alright."
Even so, the disappointment and unease in his eyes were hard to conceal.
Meng Yao decided to give him some confidence and firmly stated, "Don't worry, it's my choice in the end, and it's the two of us who will live our lives together."
Seeing her unwavering trust, Fang Huaixu felt a little less gloomy and gently embraced her.
To ease the tension and to prevent her grandmother from overthinking things if she went to the hospital alone, Meng Yao decided to take Fang Huaixu home first, and then go to the hospital to accompany her grandmother herself.
The two walked side by side toward the parking lot, but a haggard-looking figure blocked their way: it was Lin Tianhai.
He looked much older than before, with deep dark circles under his eyes. He had long lost the spirited demeanor of his former CEO Lin. When he saw Meng Yao, a sickly light ignited in his cloudy eyes, and he rushed over to grab Meng Yao's arm: "Yao Yao! I knew I'd run into you here! Help Daddy, we..."
His words came to an abrupt halt as he saw Fang Huaixu, whose expression was cold and stern, standing behind Meng Yao.
His last shred of hope was suddenly extinguished, and he felt as if his spirit had been drained. He staggered, his face showing utter despair.
Meng Yao disgustedly shook off his hand, not wanting to have any more entanglement with him and wanting to leave.
"You think he's really clean?"
Lin Tianhai, like a dying beast, made a final struggle against Meng Yao's retreating figure: "Do you think he didn't lie to you?"
Meng Yao paused in her steps.
Lin Tianhai laughed as if he had finally been driven mad: "Your grandmother signed the informed consent form a long time ago and secretly participated in the third phase of clinical trials for the Tianmu special drug. I saw it on the list of experimental groups. Fang Huaixu has been keeping it from you, hasn't he? He probably already discussed it with your grandmother! He just kept it from you..."
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