Chapter 11
As the saying goes, unsuccessful in love, successful in gambling. Zhang Xingyan saw that Tang Chengting was in this state. He had been winning all afternoon, but in the evening, the situation changed drastically. Tang Chengting seemed to have been winning continuously. Seeing the chips on the table dwindling, Zhang Xingyan secretly tried to find a suitable excuse to slip away without appearing to be unable to afford to lose. The moment Tang Chengting's phone rang, Zhang Xingyan glanced at the caller ID and swore that he had never been more grateful to Chen Huanong than now. This kid was so timely!
"Well, what's wrong?"
"Yes, I'm playing cards with Zhang Xingyan and the others. Did you guys leave?"
"Chen Huanong, have you been drinking?"
Zhang Xingyan watched Tang Chengting's expression change from nonchalant to impatient the entire time, and he himself seemed unaware of this. Tang Chengting immediately stood up after hanging up the phone, and walked out while instructing Zhang Xingyan, "Chen Huanong is drunk, and I have to go pick her up. Please pay the bill for me first, and I'll transfer it to you through WeChat. I didn't have a good time today, so I'll treat you to dinner another day."
"Well, be careful on the road, and we'll meet again next time."
When Tang Chengting arrived at Jiangnan Cottage, only the intern was with Chen Huanong. It was the first time for the intern to see the legendary Director Tang at such a close distance. The gossipy heart in his blood was already stirring, but he had to maintain the reserved and introverted expression of "first meeting". It is really difficult to be a human being.
"Chen Huanong, wake up! We're going home." Tang Chengting politely greeted the intern and then walked over to Chen Huanong. By this time, Chen Huanong's consciousness had been completely obliterated by alcohol. She lay quietly on the sofa, looking drowsy. Tang Chengting lifted her sleeves and the long hair that was nestled at her neck, revealing the dense red spots. He tilted his head and asked the intern, "How much did she drink tonight? Where's Qin Huai?"
The intern wasn't blind; she saw the red dot. She also saw the suppressed anger in Director Tang's eyes. She felt incredibly uneasy, unsure what he meant by asking Qin Huai. She could only answer honestly, "There's probably a bottle of red wine, and Qin Lu drank quite a bit. He's probably on his second round now. He asked me to stay and take care of Chen Lu."
Although Chen Huanong was drunk, he still vaguely heard Tang Chengting's voice. He opened his eyes with difficulty and saw a familiar figure standing in front of him. "Huh? Tang Chengting, why are you here?"
"Chen Lu, wake up! It was you who called for help. Your husband is so scary! Please wake up quickly and save my little heart, okay?" The intern looked at Chen Huanong helplessly. She clearly saw that after Chen Huanong asked this question, the legendary Director Tang's face darkened even more. If possible, she wanted to knock Chen Huanong unconscious. But before that, she had to borrow ten bear gallbladders.
"Look at your call logs and see if you can still ask that question." Tang Chengting felt that he was just too angry to argue with a drunkard. "Can you please stand up and walk? We're going home."
Chen Huanong's ears were buzzing. She knew Tang Chengting was talking, but she couldn't hear what he was saying. Even if she couldn't hear clearly, she knew that Tang Chengting would only ask her for a divorce now. She subconsciously shook her head and said, "No, I don't want it."
"Don't want to go home? What are you going to do if you don't want to go home? Are you planning to sleep on the streets? Don't blame me for not stopping you if it's on the headlines tomorrow morning."
"Just don't, Tang Chengting, you are a liar."
"Oh, you're still excited, aren't you! Chen Huanong, I'm telling you, don't take advantage of your drunken state to act recklessly. If you don't go home, the girl still has to go home. I've done my best to accompany you until now in the middle of the night, so don't make trouble for me!"
Seeing Chen Huanong being scolded like a child in her lifetime, the intern was relieved that her life was perfect, but she was also worried that she would be silenced because she had seen too much. Although she wanted to keep watching, considering her life was more important, she said goodbye to Director Tang, "Mr. Tang, I will leave Chen Lu to you. My mission is completed. You should go back and rest early. I will also withdraw first."
Tang Chengting wasn't the type to cause trouble for himself, but he still maintained basic gentlemanly etiquette. Since Chen Huanong was coming home late, there was no reason for her to go home alone. "Where do you live? Let's take you home. It's not safe for a girl to be alone at night."
The intern was about to refuse, but Chen Huanong spoke first, "Tang Chengting, I feel so uncomfortable." Her eyes were moist, and she seemed to have suffered great injustice but endured it without saying anything. One hand gently tugged at the corner of Tang Chengting's clothes, and she kept repeating "I feel uncomfortable" over and over again.
Tang Chengting knew what she was upset about, but he had already come this far and said all the hurtful words. He would not give up his progress because of this temporary heartache. He stroked Chen Huanong's back with one hand and fed her the honey water brought by the waiter with the other hand. His tone unconsciously became very gentle, "Are you feeling better? Don't drink so much next time."
Chen Huanong leaned against him, her eyes still vacant, but she no longer complained about being in pain. Tang Chengting glanced at his phone, then at Chen Huanong's condition. He thought it would probably be tomorrow before she regained consciousness, so he asked the intern to help carry Chen Huanong's bag. He then squatted down and placed Chen Huanong's hand on his shoulder. "Qingqing, hold your hands together and hold me tight. We're getting ready to go home. We're going to send your colleague home first, and then you can do whatever you want when you get home, okay?"
Kiss? Oh my god, so that's how Director Tang calls Chen Lu in private. So corny! The intern wanted to cover her face, wanted to scream, wanted to start a livestream with the assistant, but then something clicked and she felt like something was amiss. Damn, you're getting a divorce, and your court hearing is in four days. Is it really appropriate to show off your affection like this? The intern felt frustrated. Did she still have to eat the dog food of a couple about to get divorced these days?
The series of adverse reactions that followed her hangover left Chen Huanong with a cascade of regrets. Even though Tang Chengting had given her allergy medication the night before, the remaining rash was still alarming, and her already fragile stomach was burning with a dull reflux that made her feel anxious. Chen Huanong swore on her lifelong luck in love that if she drank so much again, she would end up alone and unloved. Tang Chengting was called in to work overtime, and his medicine and porridge were placed on the dining table, with a pink heart-shaped sticky note attached to it. Needless to say, this was Chen Huanong's favorite. In the early days of their marriage, they were both incredibly busy, rarely having the chance to sit down and talk. Either Tang Chengting was frequently away on business, or Chen Huanong was working late, and most of the time they communicated with each other through cold WeChat messages. One day, Chen Huanong suddenly went crazy and bought a bunch of heart-shaped sticky notes. From then on, their family's long-term conversations shifted from WeChat to notes. Mo Yiyan often teased Chen Huanong about this, believing she hadn't accurately found her place.
"Tell me, what should my position be?"
"Female lawyers and businesswomen chasing fame and fortune, who only see the glitter of RMB, should cut off all feelings and love. Stop engaging in petty literary and artistic sentiments all day long; those are not for you."
"Don't talk nonsense, what did you find out?"
"How could it be so fast? They met over a month ago. It must have taken some effort."
"Then why are you harassing me?"
Mo Yiyan was filled with rage. How could he have established a revolutionary friendship with such a profit-seeking villain, and maintained it for so many years? She must be out of her mind. "I haven't investigated the matter between him and Director Tang, but I have found out about you and him."
"What's the meaning?"
"During the time you were back home, a remittance of 500,000 yuan flowed out of his personal funds, and the Justice Bureau withdrew its complaint shortly thereafter. I've inquired, and the old man's secretary did have contact with the troublemaker, but I don't know exactly what they discussed." Mo Yiyan couldn't help but click his tongue. "This old man really still has feelings for you, and his spending is as lavish as ever."
"You still have the energy to criticize me now? His style of doing things has always been to leave no evidence. You found out in just one afternoon. He must have left it for you on purpose. If you don't investigate his relationship with Tang Chengting, I'm afraid there won't be anything left. Also, remember to check where he went and who he met in the month before he met Tang Chengting. Did any of those people receive any unknown transfers during that time?"
After Chen Huanong hung up, she paced back and forth in the living room, pondering the entire situation. Given that family's style, how could they easily withdraw their complaint? It had caused such a stir, with newspapers and television appearances, how could they possibly settle down without even getting a sliver of benefit? She didn't know whether to call herself naive or foolish.
She had been to Zhao Liangqi's office more than once, each time with a different emotion, but this time she seemed remarkably calm. Ever since she finished her call with Mo Yiyan, she had begun to reflect on herself. It was precisely because she hadn't managed her emotions well over the past month that so many things had gotten out of control. Zhao Liangqi's intentions were obvious; if she hadn't come this time, wouldn't it have been all in vain?
"Mr. Zhao really spends money like water. He gave away half a million without blinking an eye. It seems the group has been doing very well in recent years." Chen Huanong leaned back on the sofa. Compared to his last fierce expression, he looked much gentler this time. "But I'm here today to ask Mr. Zhao to return the money."
"It's over now. This is the result everyone wants. Why are you so stubborn?"
"I won't pay for a mistake I didn't make. For you, this is something that can be solved with money, but for me, it's not. I can suspend my duties and undergo investigation, for a week, a month, or even a year, because I know clearly that the truth is the truth. Maybe the public opinion will slander me now, but when the results come out, I will fight back one by one in my own way. I'm not taking any action now not because I'm incompetent. I'm just waiting. After they review all the materials and issue the closing report, it will be clear who is making up stories and who is truly wronged. You suddenly came across and intervened. It seems that you are helping me, but in fact, you left me with a time bomb. Zhao Liangqi, you are a businessman. You should know better than anyone that people's greed will not only appear once."
Zhao Liangqi was momentarily distracted. Chen Huanong's appearance hadn't changed much in the past five years. She was thinner, but the baby fat on her face remained the same. When she wasn't talking, she still gave the illusion of a simple, harmless high school student. She lazily reclined on the sofa, reminding him of their first meeting seven years ago, when Chen Huanong was still a young girl who needed his support. Today, she appeared fragile, but in reality, her heart had been tempered into a crystal-clear and refined spirit, no longer needing his protection.
"I'll handle this matter, Huahua. My original intention in intervening in this matter was to prevent you from being maliciously framed and getting into unnecessary trouble. This is the fastest way to calm the situation."
"Reputation is just a name for me. I never care what others think of me. As long as I have my license, even if they call me a vampire or say I'm greedy for fame and fortune, they will still come to me for help the moment a dispute arises. In our industry, we rely not on reputation but on strength."
This was the first time Chen Huanong had explained so much since they had separated. She hoped Zhao Liangqi would understand. The moment Mo Yiyan told her the truth, she was grateful to Zhao Liangqi. Five hundred thousand was no small sum, even though it was nothing to Zhao Liangqi. She even considered quietly transferring the money to him and pretending she had never heard of it. After thinking it over again and again, Chen Huanong realized that the point of this matter was not about money. Zhao Liangqi's repeated intervention in her life was nothing more than a disguised reminder that their relationship could not be ended by Chen Huanong's unilateral decision. As long as Zhao Liangqi did not give up, he would follow her every step like a shadow. He was weaving a huge web, trying to bind her without making a sound. The name of this web was habitual dependence.
When Chen Huanong stood up to leave, Zhao Liangqi grabbed her wrist with his backhand and said, "Huahua, you don't have to work so hard. Come to me. I can give you fame and fortune. I can give you everything that Tang Chengting can give you, and I can also give you what he can't give you. You don't have to be trapped by a man like this."
"Mr. Zhao, I don't need anyone to give me anything, and I don't find my current life hard. I think the hardest times are when I clearly don't love you, but I still cling to you and please you for fame and fortune. How naive are you to think that a girl in her prime is with you out of love?" Perhaps it's because she's been influenced by so much, or perhaps she's just mean and cold-blooded, but Chen Huanong discovered that her ability to hurt others is no less than Tang Chengting's. "No matter what you've heard, I have only one answer: I won't divorce."
Zhao Liangqi slowly let go of her, watching her walk out without a trace of nostalgia. Even though he knew Chen Huanong's words were meant to be hurtful, he still felt a little uncomfortable. The less Chen Huanong was under his control, the stronger his possessiveness of her became. Mingming used to be the one who let loose in his arms, but now she had become a guarded little hedgehog. Zhao Liangqi felt a little distressed, but more of it was because he was not used to it.
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