Chapter 33 The Truth
The air in the private room felt like frozen ice; even breathing felt stagnant and chilly. The people at the round mahogany table each held a wine glass, condensation dripping from the glass walls through their fingers, but no one bothered to wipe it away.
The originally noisy sounds of laughter and chatter had long since dissipated in the corner, leaving only the halo and Chang Zi's occasional mutterings quietly flowing among the silent crowd.
Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the Ling residence's study was equally suffocatingly solemn. The housekeeper placed a few thin pages of the investigation report on the mahogany desk, the soft rustle of the papers rubbing against each other remarkably clear in the silence.
He stood aside, his hands hanging, his gaze fixed on the polished floor, not daring to look at his master's expression. The garden light from the window shone through the gauze curtains, casting mottled shadows on Ling's father's tall back.
"Jiang Yi's injuries were caused by a careless fall. This is what the doctor who treated Jiang Yi said, and the two waiters who passed by that time can also testify to this." The butler's voice was calm, but it couldn't hide the caution in it. He had been with his master for many years and was well aware of the weight of these words.
Father Ling always had his back to him, his hands behind his back, looking out the window at the courtyard lights that were on in the dark night.
The light highlighted the silver hair at his temples, revealing a sense of loneliness in the silence. The long silence made the air seem frozen. Just when the butler thought the conversation was over, he heard the master's deep voice: "Where is the person who truly saved Ah Shen?"
The butler shook his head slightly, with a hint of helplessness in his tone: "No one has seen him. We only know that he should be a child about the same age as the young master. If there is nothing wrong, it should be Jiang Yi who helped the young master back from that person halfway, and then..." He didn't say the rest of the words, but they both knew it.
"So I thought Jiang Yi was that person." Ling's father turned around, and the light finally illuminated his face. There was fatigue and coldness intertwined in his eyes.
"And the Jiang family, knowing full well that Jiang Yi was merely stealing the credit for someone else's work, still went along with it. They've enjoyed the Ling family's gratitude for years, yet they treat my son like a fool." The last few words were filled with suppressed anger, causing the butler to subconsciously lower his head even more, his breathing becoming lighter.
The study fell silent again, with only the ticking of the wall clock echoing in the empty space. Ling's father walked to the desk, tapping the report lightly with his fingertips, making the papers rustle softly.
After a long while, he sighed as if a heavy burden had been lifted from him: "Forget it, let's just leave it at that."
He picked up the report and handed it to the butler. His eyes had returned to their usual calmness, yet held an unquestionable determination. "As for Ah Shen, show him this report. My son shouldn't be treated like a fool and manipulated by others."
The drunk Ling Shen's steps were unsteady, and his entire weight almost rested on Su Nian. Su Nian put her left arm around Ling Shen's waist, and held his arm tightly with her right hand, carefully helping him walk out the door.
Before leaving, Su Nian politely nodded to Yu Tao, Yuan Wenzhong and others, and said in a gentle voice: "Everyone, I'll say goodbye today and meet again another day." After that, she supported Ling Shen and slowly walked out of the club.
The cool night breeze blew in Ling Shen's face, and he couldn't help but shiver, mumbling something inaudible. Su Nian helped Ling Shen into the car, fastened his seat belt for him, and sat down beside him. The assistant started the car and drove away.
At the entrance of the club, Yu Tao put his hands in his pockets, staring at the car going away, his brows slightly furrowed, with a hint of doubt in his tone: "What do you think of this Su Nian..." Before he finished speaking, he looked at Yuan Wenzhong beside him.
Yuan Wenzhong crossed his arms, his eyes deep as he stared at the direction the car disappeared. After a moment, he nodded, his tone firm: "This Su Nian is not simple." After a pause, he added: "But I can't see what intentions he has towards Ah Shen. His eyes are very clear."
Yu Tao sighed softly, a complicated look flashed in his eyes, and he lowered his voice and asked, "What about that person?"
Yuan Wenzhong's face flashed with disdain when he heard Yu Tao's words, and a mocking smile curved his lips. "Jiang Yi? He's nothing but a clown trying to attract attention. He's relying on saving Ah Shen. For all these years, he's never taken us seriously. But now it seems that this so-called life-saving grace is just a lie."
As he was speaking, the waiter of the club laboriously carried the drunk Chang Zi out. Chang Zi staggered, mumbling nonsense, his face as red as a ripe apple.
Seeing this, Yu Tao curled his lips in disdain, his tone full of dissatisfaction: "This guy is really useless. I asked him to talk to Su Nian, but he actually got himself drunk first."
Yuan Wenzhong shook his head helplessly, looking at the drunken Chang Zi, and exchanged a wry smile with Yu Tao. The two men stepped forward, one holding Chang Zi's arm and dragging him to the back seat of the car. After giving the assistant a few casual instructions, they let the assistant take Chang Zi home.
Although they did not get any useful information from Ling Shen or Su Nian at this gathering, Yuan Wenzhong and others deeply realized the position Su Nian occupied in Ling Shen's heart.
As friends for many years, they understood Ling Shen's tough-mouthed but soft-hearted nature very well. The more he cared about someone, the more he would refuse to admit it.
But none of them knew that Su Nian took their words to heart and even suppressed all the excitement and confusion.
In the car, Ling Shen leaned against the back seat, his consciousness hazy, but his hand tightly grasped Su Nian's wrist and refused to let go. He was drunk and did not see the struggle and entanglement in Su Nian's eyes.
Su Nian pinched her palm tightly in the sleeve of his hand, with her nails almost digging into her flesh. It was with the stinging sensation that she barely suppressed the urge to pull away.
The car was moving slowly, and the atmosphere inside was depressing and quiet, with only Ling Shen's occasional mumbling breaking the silence.
Finally arriving home, Su Nian helped Ling Shen out of the car and walked towards the room with difficulty, step by step. Ling Shen hung on Su Nian, mumbling some unclear words.
Ling Shen held Su Nian's hand tightly until he was put to bed. Su Nian sat beside the bed, looking at Ling Shen sleeping soundly, and all the memories of their time together came flooding back to her mind.
From the first time we met to the time we spent together, every scene comes clearly to my mind.
"Maybe, we are just like you said, unimportant..." Su Nian murmured softly, her voice as soft as a feather, with a hint of imperceptible bitterness, slowly dissipating in the silent room.
Su Nian took a deep breath, a look of determination flashing in his eyes, and ruthlessly pulled his hand out of Ling Shen's grasp. Without pausing any longer, he stood up, opened the door without hesitation, and walked towards his room, his back gradually disappearing into the darkness.
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