0045 50 “You can’t hit her! You bastard!”
In the enormous conference hall, directly opposite the conference table hung a huge landscape painting. In front of the painting were several lush potted plants, and the bright overhead lights felt oppressive, making it hard to breathe.
Wei Qing, dressed in military uniform, stood by the wall with a serious expression, devoid of any superfluous emotion.
"Comrade Ling Xingzhi, is it true that you bought a Picasso painting from Sotheby's auction on November 20th?"
Ling Xingzhi nodded, looking at the man in military uniform across the table who was interrogating him.
"It's true."
"And then you gave this painting to your lover, Kong Lingqi, right?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Ling Xingzhi's eyes sharpened, and he didn't answer their questions. In the camera's view, Ling Xingzhi's face looked very pale, with a smooth and sharp jawline.
The interrogator mechanically repeated the question, "You gave this painting to your lover, Kong Lingqi, didn't you?"
Ling Xingzhi lowered his eyes to look at the desktop, where the textures were interwoven yet very regular.
"Yes."
The interrogators were not concerned about whether Kong Lingqi and Ling Xingzhi had a relationship other than that of lovers. "First, whether the 190 million yuan from the auction of Picasso was illegal or legal income requires further investigation. Second, extramarital affairs are a private matter, which is not allowed under the Party Constitution."
"I know."
Ling Xingzhi had no smile on his lips, but he also felt fear after his secret was exposed.
"Order to stop. During the investigation phase, the higher-ups mean that you are suspended from your duties pending investigation. Please cooperate fully and do not leave City A."
A figure flashed past the doorway, and Ling Xingzhi caught a glimpse of it; it was Ling Qingyun.
Outside the door, Ling Qingyun loosened his tie, suppressing his anger, and took a few deep breaths. His secretary reported the current situation to him.
"You mean, Ling Xingzhi and Kong Lingqi are having an affair?" Ling Qingyun asked, his nasolabial folds deepening. "What's this about being reported?"
The secretary, a little nervous, licked his lips. "The whistleblower letter was sent directly to the Premier's desk, as well as to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the Central Military Commission's Discipline Inspection Commission, and the Party School."
Ling Qingyun took a deep breath, "What content should I report?"
"Secretary Ling abused his position for corruption, auctioning a painting worth 180 million yuan and giving it to his mistress... Kong Lingqi."
The secretary knew, of course, that Kong Lingqi was Ling Xingzhi's cousin and the daughter of Ling Qingyun's widowed brother. The relationship between the Kong and Ling families was strained.
Ling Qingyun snorted and tugged at his tie. What's 180 million? Only clueless commoners would care about that amount of money. However, the Party's style should be simple and frugal; it shouldn't be publicized. Officials all know this, but they keep it to themselves.
Is the whistleblower order stopped for such a small amount of money?
"Make a call to the Prime Minister's secretary, and also make a call to the Discipline Inspection Commission."
Ling Qingyun continued to ask questions, waving her hand to signal her secretary to make a phone call. The State Council acted swiftly in response to this whistleblower letter; the police and the Discipline Inspection Commission dispatched officers directly to stop Ling Xingzhi. Few people knew about this.
Aside from... Ye Lifeng, they encountered an arrest on their way back. Ling Qingyun was a bit annoyed and wanted to smoke, but the doctor had advised against it.
So he stood up and walked around the room.
"Okay, that concludes our questioning for today. Thank you for your cooperation."
The two people opposite him stood up, and Ling Xingzhi also stood up, tapping his finger on the table. "Excuse me, may I take a look at the complaint letter?"
The two interrogators exchanged a glance, then turned off the camera before saying, “Secretary Ling, this letter of complaint is based on solid evidence. The General Office of the State Council, the Party School, and the Central Military Commission’s Discipline Inspection Commission have all received it. I think… you can see this letter from your father.”
The word "father" seemed to have struck a nerve with Ling Xingzhi, and his demeanor instantly turned cold. "Thank you."
The door opened, and the interrogator came out carrying a briefcase. Li Qingshan waited at the door for a long time, but Ling Xingzhi did not come out. He peeked in and saw Ling Xingzhi sitting at the table, seemingly lost in thought.
Li Qingshan hesitated for a moment, then knocked on the door. As Ling Xingzhi looked at him, he said, "Secretary Ling, the minister is waiting for you next door."
Ling Xingzhi remained seated, seemingly oblivious to his words. With only Ling Xingzhi in the large conference room, Li Qingshan felt immense pressure.
And so, one person stood at the door and the other sat behind the mahogany table. Two or three minutes later, Ling Xingzhi stood up and walked outside.
"Is it all done?"
He instructed Qingyun to take off her reading glasses and place them on the documents beside her.
"Um."
Ling Qingyun looked at Ling Xingzhi, and Ling Xingzhi also looked at Ling Qingyun.
Looking at each other is like looking at another version of ourselves.
"Go home."
Ling Qingyun stood up, ignoring everything; his secretary would take care of things for him. Ling Xingzhi followed behind him, carefully examining his father's hair—a thick, black and white mix. But his neck showed signs of age, and his back was somewhat hunched; the long-standing posture of someone in a high position had made people overlook his true appearance.
For some reason, Ling Xingzhi felt this scene was very familiar. It seemed to be from when he was in junior high school, he got into a fight, and the teacher called his parents in. Because the person he fought with came from a prominent family, the teacher and his school couldn't handle it, so they had to call his parents.
At that time... Ling Xingzhi was much shorter than Ling Qingyun, so he could only look up at that hurried figure.
Now, he is taller than Ling Qingyun, looking down at his father. The fight happened a long time ago, but their relationship seems unchanged.
After getting into the car, neither of them spoke. It was already past midnight when they arrived at the Ling family's house. The weather was freezing cold, and there wasn't a single car on the street. The security guards came out of their post and saluted Ling Qingyun and Ling Xingzhi.
Stepping into the courtyard, it was brightly lit.
Ling Xingzhi paused, his Adam's apple bobbing, but Ling Qingyun didn't stop. Hearing the sound of Ling Xingzhi's footsteps disappear, he turned to look. "It's just a small matter, what's so scary about it?"
A group of people were sitting in the living room. White light from the ceiling shone on the crystal, refracting a luxurious color.
Wei Luochen and her mother sat on the sofa in the southwest corner of the living room, one drinking tea and the other scrolling through her phone. Ling Xingxi sat beside them, holding a pure white cat in her arms, looking relaxed.
The Kong family was also present. The matriarch, Kong Jinbin, who was also Ling Xingzhi's maternal grandmother, was sitting in the center of the sofa, with her granddaughter Kong Lingqi on her left and Guo Huaisheng on her right. Guo Huaisheng was talking to the matriarch.
"There must be something wrong with this news. How could Ling Xingzhi be with Xiao Qi? They're all family. Isn't this a case of the flood washing away the Dragon King's temple?"
Sitting next to Kong Lingqi, Kong Xiangrui—Kong Lingqi's father and Ling Xingzhi's maternal uncle—glanced at Guo Huaisheng. "Madam Guo, you're joking. When did it become the business of an outsider to interfere in the affairs of the Kong and Ling families?"
Guo Huaisheng picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said unhurriedly, "I am, after all, Ling Xingzhi's stepmother. I have no children of my own, and I have long treated them as my own..."
Ling Xingxi chuckled upon hearing this, placing her hand in front of the cat's mouth so it could lick it freely. "Ms. Guo, don't try to glorify yourself. If you couldn't have given birth to freaks like me and my brother, then don't swagger around here and laugh at others."
Guo Huaisheng stared at Ling Xingxi for a few seconds, his smile unwavering, then turned to Kong Jinbin, "It's so late, madam..."
Kong Jinbin raised his hand and waved, then leaned back on the sofa with his eyes closed. "Don't talk, it's annoying me."
Just as the room quieted down, footsteps sounded outside, followed by the sound of the door opening, and the footsteps became clearer and clearer.
Hearing the sound, Wei Luochen put down his phone. It was already late at night, and there wasn't much to browse on his phone. He checked Instagram, the latest issue of the American magazine, and news from Fashion Week. Simple news and pictures, Wei Luochen looked at them countless times, but nothing would refresh.
"Sorry we're late."
Ling Xingzhi entered the house, where many people were already there. Most were elders, and he greeted them one by one. His gaze fell on Wei Luochen and Kong Lingqi as if they were the same as he looked at everyone else. Ling Qingyun didn't say anything, but handed the clothes he had taken off to Guo Huaisheng, saying, "You can go out now, there's nothing for you to do here."
Guo Huaisheng nodded, and as he walked out with the clothes in his hand, he glanced at Ling Xingzhi. His eyes were devoid of emotion. Guo Huaisheng went outside and closed the door.
Ling Qingyun sat down in the chair in the northeast corner. It was an old chair made of huanghuali wood, showing signs of age and history. He rolled up his sleeves, glanced at the group of people, and then said to Kong Xiangrui, "I'm thirsty. Go and pour me a cup of tea."
Kong Xiangrui was taken aback, stood up, and muttered, "It would have been better to just have the maids and servants come..."
Another unimportant person walked out.
Ling Xingzhi stood still, looked at Kong Jinbin, pursed his lips, and then spoke, "Grandma."
Hearing this, Kong Jinbin's heart softened. After Ling Xingzhi's mother passed away, the Ling and Kong families had little contact, except that Ling Qingyun would take the two children to visit and stay for a couple of days during the Lunar New Year. After Ling Xingzhi got married, he only sent gifts to the Kong family, and he didn't have many opportunities to visit Kong Jinbin.
Upon seeing Ling Xingzhi, Kong Jinbin's expression relaxed upon hearing his call. "Hmm."
After the response, the room fell silent.
Ling Qingyun broke the silence, looking at Ling Xingzhi and saying, "Explain to me what happened today."
Can you explain? Ling Xingzhi gave a bitter smile; how do you explain that?
Seeing that he didn't speak, Ling Qingyun frowned, somewhat displeased. "Aren't you going to explain your relationship with Kong Lingqi?"
Ling Xingzhi shifted his gaze and met Kong Lingqi's eyes, which held unease.
"My relationship with her is exactly as you think."
Ling Xingzhi looked at Ling Qingyun and said again, "She and I were together."
Ling Qingyun practically sprang from her chair, swinging her hand at him like a ferocious beast, "Smack—"
In an instant, Ling Xingzhi's ears rang, he took a few steps back, his mouth tasted of rust, and blood hung from the corner of his mouth.
"Shameless beast! There are so many women in the world, how could you sleep with your own cousin!"
That ferocious face, those furious eyes, glared fiercely at Ling Xingzhi. Everyone else present almost held their breath, terrified. Ling Qingyun hadn't been this angry or enraged in a long time; his chest heaved, and his white shirt was already disheveled.
Ling Xingzhi wiped the blood with the back of his hand, looked at it, chuckled, and looked up at his father. "What, does incest make you feel ashamed? Or do you think I'm a pervert?"
Ling Qingyun took two steps back and sat back in his chair, resuming his usual unapproachable monarch-like demeanor, a short strand of hair falling across his forehead. "If I hadn't stopped the news for you today, everyone in the central government would know about your affair with your own cousin! And now you still don't know how to repent and talk back? Do you still want to be the municipal party secretary?"
Ling Xingzhi almost blurted out, "You got this position because of you, you might as well not do it!" The next second, he swallowed his words, hesitated, and thought, could he not have gotten this position on his own? Did he have no ability at all to be in this position?
The two faced off, with Ling Qingyun waiting for Ling Xingzhi to back down. Ling Xingzhi didn't know who he was. According to past habits, he would have compromised and given in long ago, becoming a "good child" who listened to his father. But at this moment, he couldn't do that.
“Dad! He didn’t, he’s confused. He never had any relationship with Kong Lingqi. I’m his wife, I know everything…” Wei Luochen stood in front of Ling Xingzhi, her eyes red from crying. She shielded Ling Xingzhi and shook her head, explaining, “It really didn’t happen, he’s lying…”
Ling Xingzhi grasped Wei Luochen's shoulders and moved her behind him, saying, "I'll take responsibility for my own affairs."
"Are you really with Xiaoqi?"
The incredulous old lady Kong finally spoke. She slowly stood up, and Kong Lingqi, who was standing to the side, tried to help her, but the old lady pushed her away with one hand. "I watched you grow up. Even if you were no longer in the Kong family later, Lingqi, you have to make it clear and tell your grandma that you really were with Qiqi?"
This time, Ling Xingzhi didn't hesitate and said directly, "Yes, Grandma, we were together. It was my fault. I seduced Kong Lingqi. She was young at the time, and I seduced her, which is why she was with me."
Upon hearing this, Wei Luochen gripped his collar tightly, trembling. She didn't want to hear it, but reality was cruel. What was she? She was like a joke, her husband with her cousin, and what about her?
It's ridiculous, absurd.
Grandma Kong was also taken aback, then slowly sat down again. "Child, you're confused... Why? There are so many women in the world, what do you like about Qiqi? Do you know that if this gets out, it will have a much greater impact on Qiqi than on you? You can continue to live a carefree life, but what about Qiqi? Have you thought about that?"
Ling Xingzhi's Adam's apple bobbed; he hadn't been unaware of the possibility.
That's why he let Kong Lingqi leave first, away from him, and then he would deal with this matter after the war with Zhou Xiye was over.
Sending her away, keeping her away from the battlefield, would minimize the impact.
Ling Xingzhi underestimated his opponent. Zhou Xiye wouldn't give him time to catch his breath. Although he couldn't kill him in one move, he would strike the nail on the head.
Grandma Kong turned to look at Kong Lingqi, "Is it true? You were with him?"
Kong Lingqi hesitated for a moment before saying, "We were together..."
She looked at Ling Xingzhi, not understanding why he was so quick to take responsibility, but said nothing when telling her to leave. Where had all his promises gone? Was it time to grow up? How could he grow up?
He caused her pain, so she would make him suffer even more.
Kong Lingqi stood up, looked around, and then slowly knelt down in front of Grandma Kong. Grabbing the old woman's hand, her voice trembling, she said, "My cousin and I were together willingly, and I'm still carrying his child..."
These words were like adding fuel to the fire. Wei Luochen's mother shouted, "What?!" She stood up, stepped over, and grabbed Kong Lingqi's clothes, saying, "What did you say?"
"Bang—" A sound came from the other side as Ling Qingyun pulled out a golf club and hit it hard at Ling Xingzhi.
The cat in Ling Xingxi's arms was so frightened that its fur stood on end and it jumped away. Ling Xingxi herself also stood up and pounced on Ling Xingzhi's chest to hug him.
"Dad, stop hitting him!"
Ling Qingyun unbuttoned a few buttons, his face contorted with murderous intent, a mocking smile on his lips. "Get out of my way, I'm going to beat him to death!"
Ling Xingxi held Ling Xingzhi tightly. Ling Xingzhi had no strength left. The blow had hit the gunshot wound right there, and his arm felt numb and he couldn't move.
"Get out of my way, Ling Xingxi! I'll take responsibility for my own problems!"
Ling Xingxi shook her head. "My brother did nothing wrong. Mom passed away early, and my brother raised me single-handedly. If you hit him, you have to hit me too. Dad, where were you when my brother needed love and companionship? Now that you think he's a disgrace, you stand up and lecture him. What right do you have? We're not your pet cats or dogs; we can't be treated like animals..."
Ling Qingyun ignored them and didn't want to listen to their nonsense. He used all his strength to strike with the stick, and Ling Xingxi bit her lip to take the blow.
The sound of flesh tearing open, the sound of bones breaking, struck Ling Xingzhi's heart like a muffled thunderclap.
You can't hit her!
Ling Xingzhi stretched out his other hand, grabbed the golf club, and roared furiously, "You can't hit her! You bastard!"
Suddenly, Kong Lingqi cried out in terror, "Grandma! Grandma!"
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