Chapter 66
He Shurong felt as if her throat was blocked by a ball of water-soaked cotton, and she couldn't utter a single syllable.
Her carefully applied eyeliner was blurred by tears, leaving two black marks on her cheeks. Her eyes, always filled with arrogance, were now filled with disbelief. How could Cheng Huaian not help her? This time, it was clearly that bitch Rong Susu who had plotted against her!
"Brother, I..." Her voice seemed to be squeezed out from between her teeth, choked with sobs, "I was deceived by her! She is just jealous of me and has hated me since she was a child! She never treats me well when you are not around!"
Cheng Huaian casually lifted his eyelids, his gaze lingering on her tear-stained face for a moment, then looked away in disgust. Her face was now like a palette overturned in a garbage dump, a colorful mess.
"Why is she jealous of you? Why does she hate you?" His voice was steady and without a trace of emotion. "Have you never considered that the problem might lie with you?"
He Shurong felt like she was hit in the face by these words. She stumbled back half a step. Her problem? Cheng Huaian actually said that?
From childhood to adulthood, no matter how much trouble she caused, he, her non-blood-related brother, would always silently clean up the mess for her. She had to go back to her parents. Yes, they could definitely make Cheng Huaian change his mind!
"It's useless no matter who comes." Cheng Huaian seemed to see through her thoughts, and a cold arc appeared at the corner of his lips. "Do you think Aunt He has never been here?"
From the moment he stepped through the door, He Shengyun tearfully complained about everything, from the admissions quota the He family had given him, to He Shurong being deceived, and finally revealing that Rong Susu was the mastermind behind the scheme. With tears and snot, he begged him to "seek justice" for He Shurong.
He put down the teacup in his hand, and the porcelain cup hit the glass table, making a crisp sound. He came to the hospital to recuperate, but ended up becoming a mediation center specializing in dealing with these troubles.
"Do you know how much PR money Dawn Group spent to suppress the matter between you and Fang Xianze?" His voice suddenly became gloomy, as if it had been tempered by ice.
He invested in Fang Xianze's racing team, but Fang Xianze was deeply involved in an emotional dispute with He Shurong and his performance declined. Recently, a talented driver emerged with outstanding results. He was about to spend a lot of money to make him a superstar, but was signed by a rival company first. If Fang Xianze's negative news became more serious, all sponsors would run away overnight.
"Your signing fee is not even enough for a fraction of the original." Cheng Huaian raised his eyes, his gaze as sharp as a knife, a severity that He Shurong had never seen before.
"So you... don't care about me anymore?" He Shurong murmured to herself, her eyes dull, as if her soul had suddenly been taken away.
After all, she was He Shengyun's daughter. If she made such an ugly scene, Cheng's father would not be able to rest. Cheng Huaian was silent for a moment, his slender fingers tapping lightly on the armrest, and finally gave an ultimatum: "The foreign school has been contacted. You go abroad and don't come back for ten years. You don't have to worry about tuition, and you can earn your own living expenses."
This is tantamount to exile! She is a powerful lady in Licheng. Who will recognize her if she goes abroad? He doesn't even give her living expenses. Cheng Huaian is forcing her!
Anger erupted in her chest like a volcano, burning away the last bit of her rationality. She blurted out: "Sister Cui Ying's parents were so good to you and entrusted her to you, but you dumped her! Now that she's in trouble, you don't care! It's all the fault of that mistress Rong Susu!" She screamed uncontrollably, her voice so harsh that it seemed to cut through the air.
"Bang--"
The glass exploded at her feet, and the fragments flew like ice crystals. The bodyguards guarding outside rushed in instantly, but saw Cheng Huaian still sitting in front of the hospital bed, his chest heaving violently, and a terrifying storm in his eyes.
"I have already repaid her parents double for their care for me. I have been morally kidnapped by this favor for almost twenty years. Do I have to be at her beck and call every time something happens to her family?" He spoke each word with a voice chilling to the bone.
"And you said Rong Susu was a mistress?" He suddenly sneered, his laughter filled with endless sarcasm, "Then I tell you, I seduced her. Before that, I broke up with Cui Ying a long time ago."
He Shurong's eyes widened, her nails digging deep into her palms. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. How could a man as proud as Cheng Huaian seduce a superficial and frivolous woman like Rong Susu? He must have been bewitched by that enchanting face!
"You were with Sister Cui Ying some time ago..." Sister Cui Ying said that they got back together.
A sneer appeared on his stern face again. Money can make people happy. He had known for a long time that Cui Ying came back this time to steal his business secrets. It was just a show. Now Cui Ying was trapped in her own cocoon, and the people behind her treated her as an abandoned pawn. She deserved it.
"You gave her hope, so she took the risk." He Shurong knew everything. Cui Ying tried to harm Rong Susu because she wanted to be with Cheng Huaian for a long time and had to get rid of Rong Susu, the stumbling block.
But she underestimated the importance of Rong Susu in Cheng Huaian's heart. This man risked his own safety to save her. He soaked in the water for so long and was reluctant to let her get wet even a little bit.
That’s right, Rong Susu is his Achilles’ heel. From now on, anyone who touches her will be in trouble with the entire Dawn Group!
"You and Rong Susu will not be happy!" He Shurong almost roared this sentence, her voice distorted with excitement.
Cheng Huaian slowly closed his eyes, as if the rage just now had never existed. He leaned back leisurely on the pillow, with an almost imperceptible curve at the corner of his lips.
"You have no say in this."
He Shurong stared at him intently, trying to find even a trace of hesitation on that calm face, but she found nothing, only an unfathomable calm. It was not until this moment that she truly realized that the brother who always stood behind her had completely disappeared.
"Pack your things." Cheng Huaian's voice returned to its usual indifference. "Ticket for next Monday."
He Shurong's lips moved, and she wanted to say something, but she was completely speechless the moment she met his gaze. There was no anger or impatience in his eyes, only cold alienation. She finally understood that everything was a foregone conclusion.
She turned around and walked out step by step. Her high heels made a harsh sound as they stepped on the broken glass. Every step seemed to be stepping on her heart. When she reached the door, she couldn't help but look back.
Cheng Huaian had picked up the documents on the table again, and was reading with his eyes lowered, looking focused and calm, as if she had never existed.
The door closed softly behind her.
Qi Shuo watched He Shurong's back disappear at the elevator entrance and breathed a sigh of relief. The young lady was finally sent away. He was in a good mood and almost wanted to buy a few firecrackers immediately to celebrate.
He turned around, knocked on the door, and without waiting for a response, pushed it open and walked in.
"Mr. Cheng, both things are good news." His tone was filled with uncontrollable excitement, and his eyes were shining.
Cheng Huaian leaned against the headboard, a lingering weariness on his face. Dealing with uninvited guests one after another made him a little tired. He raised his eyes and said in a flat voice, "Let's talk about the best one first."
"Sister Susu was downstairs. She exchanged a few words with Yan Jiayu, and then they separated." Qi Shuo couldn't help but improvise as he spoke. He imitated Yan Jiayu's expression, staring blankly into space, his tone exaggerated. "Yan Jiayu stood downstairs for a long time, her eyes full of reluctance to leave, almost staring through my eyes..."
Cheng Huaian's brows furrowed more and more as he performed, and he finally raised his hand and pinched his eyebrows helplessly: "Since you love acting so much, why don't you go back to film school."
Qi Shuo was stunned, his enthusiasm for performing dampened. What was wrong with his performance? He was a key member of the drama club in college!
"What did they say?" Cheng Huaian interrupted his self-doubt.
"Oh, that... I didn't hear it clearly." Qi Shuo said awkwardly, "I can't lie down in front of them in public to listen. I just think I heard Yan Jiayu shouting 'I won't forget you!' to Sister Su Su's back."
Thinking about his woman, Cheng Huaian's eyes turned cold for a moment, and he snorted coldly. Sooner or later, he would have to deal with this kid. He then raised his eyes and looked towards the door, with a barely perceptible urgency in his tone, "Then why hasn't she come up yet?"
How much time has passed? If Rong Susu didn't come to him, where else did she go to delay him?
"He's at the doctor's," Qi Shuo reported quickly, "and he's busy with the nutritionist, customizing your future diet." He signaled the boss to be patient.
Cheng Huaian's expression lightened up a bit, and he tapped the snow-white sheets with his fingertips. "What's the other good news?" He already had a rough idea in his mind. It should be the result of the business war with Dia Group and the consortium behind it.
Previously, the other party set up a scheme and tried to use the tens of billions of cash flow of the Liming Group for new product research and development. They came with great momentum. Fortunately, Cheng Huaian discovered clues in time and decisively cut off the source of funds.
Now that Dia's stock price has plummeted, the key overseas projects of the consortium behind it have been successfully intercepted by them, and the consortium itself is in trouble. This battle was won beautifully.
"If I had known that my opponent was so vulnerable," Qi Shuo couldn't help but sigh, "Why did you divorce Sister Susu in the first place?" He thought it would be a tough battle, but in the end he felt as surprised as if he had punched cotton.
Cheng Huaian's eyes sharpened, not daring to be careless. "Diya and I have a deep grudge. They came with such force this time. Our victory was partly due to luck."
If the person in power in Dia had not suddenly fallen ill, and the internal strife among the heirs had not become increasingly intense, allowing him to defeat them one by one, it would probably not have been so smooth. He would never let Rong Susu take any risks. No matter what, he would ensure that she would live a stable life with wealth and no worries.
"What are you talking about?" The door of the ward was gently pushed open, and Rong Susu walked in carrying a huge thermos bucket.
She had no makeup on, and the pearls adorning her ears made her face look even whiter and more radiant, with a long-lost, defenseless innocence.
"We're talking about company matters." Qi Shuo immediately shut up and quickly retreated. He didn't want to be an annoying third wheel.
Rong Susu placed the thermos on the mobile dining table beside the bed and reached out to tighten the lid, but Aunt Wang tightened it very tightly. She used so much force that her face turned slightly red, but the lid didn't budge at all.
"Wait a minute, I'll ask Xiao Zhao to twist it." As she said this, she was about to turn around and call the bodyguard guarding the door, otherwise it would be a waste.
"Give it to me." Cheng Huaian stretched out his hand and took it naturally. His slender fingers were firmly on the lid, seemingly without any effort. With a slight twist, the lid opened.
Rong Susu looked at his relaxed movements and chuckled, "Looks like you've recovered well. You even have strength again."
Cheng Huaian paused slightly, glanced at her with a bit of helplessness.
The thermos contained morel chicken soup, black bean sauce pork ribs and stir-fried seasonal vegetables. The dishes were light and just right for his current physical condition.
"Did you make this?" Cheng Huaian raised his eyebrows and looked at her. Rong Susu didn't cook often, and she never liked the smell of cooking fumes.
As expected, the other party glared at him with a coquettish look: "You will know if you taste it."
He scooped up a spoonful of chicken soup and put it into his mouth. It tasted bland, as if he had forgotten to add salt. Now he felt relieved. Aunt Wang's cooking skills were not so bad. This was indeed the work of Rong Susu.
Cheng Huaian didn't say anything, just lowered his head and slowly drank the bowl of chicken soup that didn't taste very good.
The ward fell silent for a moment, leaving only the subtle sound of cutlery colliding, and neither of them spoke.
"Uncle and aunt, I'm Cancan!" A soft and clear child's voice suddenly sounded outside the door. Rong Susu immediately got up and went to open the door. She saw two burly bodyguards outside the door looking at each other. They obviously didn't know how to treat this delicate little girl, and they were stunned for a moment.
Rong Susu looked into the corridor and quickly pulled Rong Cancan into the ward. "Cancan, why are you here alone? Where's Dad?"
As soon as she asked the question, she knew in her heart that it must be Rong Haoyu who brought her here, and he hid again when he reached the door.
"Dad went to the bathroom again!" Rong Cancan covered her mouth and laughed secretly. Like a happy little bird, she ran into the ward and shouted at Cheng Huaian: "Uncle! Are you feeling better?"
Seeing Rong Cancan, the indifference and fatigue on Cheng Huaian's face instantly melted away. He bent down, carefully picked up the little guy, and placed him on the edge of the bed.
"Uncle, look!" Rong Cancan pulled out a small candy bottle as if presenting a treasure and solemnly stuffed it into Cheng Huaian's hand. "This is the strawberry candy I've been saving for a long time! Put one in your mouth when you take your medicine, and it won't be bitter immediately!"
She tilted her chubby little face upwards and said seriously, "You are an adult now, so you have to take your medicine and listen to your aunt. Only then can you get better quickly."
The smile in Cheng Huaian's eyes almost overflowed. He stretched out his little finger and responded softly: "Okay, uncle will definitely listen to aunt, Cancan supervise uncle, okay?"
"We'll make a pinky promise, and we won't change it for a hundred years!" Rong Cancan stretched out her little fingers and hooked them tightly around his.
The old and the young were chatting enthusiastically, and the scene was extremely harmonious and warm. Rong Susu stood aside, looking at Cheng Huaian's completely relaxed and gentle profile when facing the child, and her heart moved inexplicably. If they also had a daughter like Cancan, he would definitely be an absolute daughter slave.
"Cancan," Rong Susu collected her thoughts and said to the little girl, "Call your father and ask him if he fell into the toilet and if we need to rescue him."
Rong Cancan giggled and immediately called Rong Haoyu on her watch phone, saying in a baby voice, "Dad! Auntie wants to know if you fell into the toilet? Haha!"
After hesitating for a long time, Rong Haoyu reluctantly pushed the door open. When he saw his daughter and Cheng Huaian getting along so well, he suddenly felt a little uncomfortable. "Cancan, come here, come to daddy." He stretched out his hand.
Rong Cancan, however, sat there without moving. Instead, he pinched his nose and grinned at him, saying, "Dad, you just came out of the bathroom. You stink!"
"Dad washed his hands and they were very clean. They don't smell at all!" Rong Haoyu quickly explained, trying to save his image.
"Brother, please sit down." Cheng Huaian suddenly spoke in a calm voice.
The call of "Big Brother" startled everyone present. Rong Susu and Rong Haoyu subconsciously looked at each other and saw surprise in each other's eyes. If they remembered correctly, this seemed to be the first time Cheng Huaian called Rong Haoyu "Big Brother". After all, Cheng Huaian was a few years older than Rong Haoyu.
"Did I hear it wrong, or is he confused because of the fever?" Rong Haoyu looked at Rong Susu in disbelief, feeling like the sun had risen from the west.
"Dad, uncle doesn't have a fever!" Rong Cancan rushed to answer, pointing her little hand at Cheng Huaian's forehead, "I just touched it, it's not hot at all!"
"Ahem, well...Huai'an," Rong Haoyu cleared his throat and, acting like a member of his mother's family, sat down on the sofa. "It's a good thing you respect me as your elder brother. I'm here today on behalf of the Rong family. Thank you for risking your life to save Susu."
He straightened his back, trying to make himself look more dignified. "I'm a person who always judges things based on facts, not people. Let's put the past behind us. From now on, as long as you treat Su Su well, I will still recognize you as my brother-in-law."
"Okay, big brother, I've remembered it all." Cheng Huaian responded readily, his attitude so submissive that Rong Susu got goosebumps.
"That's enough, both of you!" She couldn't help but interrupt the strange scene. "Could you please stop using such cheesy names? It makes me uncomfortable."
When she said this, the two of them seemed to breathe a sigh of relief at the same time.
"Got it, Rong Haoyu."
"It's good that you know, Cheng Huaian."
In an instant, the two of them returned to their original way of getting along. The atmosphere that was deliberately created just now dissipated instantly, and they both felt at ease.
"Let's get down to business," Rong Haoyu got to the point. "When are you planning to remarry?"
The main reason he came today was for this matter. They couldn't continue to be together in this ambiguous relationship after their divorce. The neighbors in Xiaotai Lane were watching them.
Rong Susu didn't expect Rong Haoyu to suddenly bring up remarriage. She has been busy with the show recently and is still preparing for the second season, so she has no time to think about this.
"I'm available anytime." Cheng Huaian answered so quickly that there was almost no pause. He looked at Rong Susu calmly and added solemnly, "Even if we remarry, I will never interfere with what you want to do."
Rong Susu's heart moved slightly. If she didn't interfere with her work and kept her existing freedom, that was not something that could be considered.
"Okay, Rong Haoyu," she turned to her brother and said in a softer tone, "Go back and tell Mom and Dad that we'll take care of this ourselves. Don't let them worry."
Rong Haoyu saw that his goal had been initially achieved and was unwilling to stay any longer. "Cancan, say goodbye to your aunt and uncle. It's time for us to leave."
"Goodbye, auntie! Goodbye, uncle!" Rong Cancan slid off the bed, waving his little hands, then remembered something and made a cute heart shape to Rong Susu.
Rong Susu's heart softened as she bent down and gently kissed the little fingers that were making a heart shape. Then she hugged the little girl in her arms and kissed her soft cheek, "Our Cancan is so well-behaved and adorable."
Rong Haoyu picked up his daughter and walked to the door. Then he remembered something and turned back to remind her, "Don't put off getting the marriage certificate too long. Xiaotai Lane is going to be demolished, right? Before that, the old neighbors can still have some fun together."
"Is it really going to be demolished?" Rong Susu was stunned and turned to look at Cheng Huaian.
Cheng Huaian met her gaze and nodded gently, with a hint of comfort in his eyes.
An indescribable complex emotion suddenly surged into Rong Susu's heart. Those familiar street scenes, alleys full of fireworks, and places that carried countless memories were really about to disappear. Her eyes became uncontrollably hot and moist.
Cheng Huaian looked at her quietly, not missing the melancholy that flashed across her eyes. He did not say anything to comfort her, but silently reached out his hand, crossed the edge of the bed, and gently held her slightly cold fingers, his palm warm and dry.
"It doesn't matter. We can move our home to the new Xiaotai Lane."
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