Chapter Seven: This Marriage is Just a Way of Repaying a Favor
Qiao Yuan sat at the head of the long table, looking down at a newspaper, his profile tense. Cheng Qing sat to his right, wearing a peach-colored soft satin cheongsam that accentuated her snow-white skin. She was sipping milk, her eyes sparkling with a morning languor and smugness.
Aunt Zhang was placing a breakfast on Qiao Yuan's left, which was Lin Tang's usual seat.
Hearing footsteps, Zhang Ma looked up and immediately said respectfully, "Good morning, Madam."
Lin Tang nodded slightly, walked straight to her seat without looking to the side, and sat down with an elegant posture.
The only sound on the table was the soft clinking of cups and plates; the air was so still it seemed to have frozen.
Cheng Qing put down her milk glass, picked up a napkin and elegantly dabbed her lips, her gaze falling on Lin Tang with undisguised curiosity and inquiry.
"Good morning, Madam," Cheng Qing's voice was so sweet it could drip honey. "Did you sleep well last night?" Before Lin Tang could answer, she chuckled to herself, "Mr. Qiao specifically told me to keep my voice down last night, saying he was afraid of disturbing you, Madam. How considerate." As she spoke, she glanced shyly at Qiao Yuan.
Qiao Yuan paused in his flipping through the newspaper, but did not look up or reply.
Seeing that Lin Tang silently picked up her knife and fork and began cutting the fried eggs on her plate, showing no reaction to her provocation, Cheng Qing's eyes darted around before she changed direction again: "Madam, I've heard that you're a university graduate, a high-achieving student, and you even studied architecture? That's truly remarkable! How could a learned and talented woman like you..." She drew out her words, her gaze shifting back and forth between Qiao Yuan and Lin Tang, as if searching for the right word, "...how could you marry someone like Mr. Qiao... um, a man of the martial arts world?"
These words struck precisely at the deepest rift between the two.
Qiao Yuan's fingers tightened suddenly on the edge of the newspaper, causing it to rustle under the weight.
Lin Tang paused for a moment as she cut the egg, the tip of the knife making a soft, sharp sound as it sliced across the porcelain plate.
Cheng Qing seemed quite satisfied with the effect she had created, covering her mouth and chuckling softly: "Oh, I remember now! It seems that... Mr. Qiao rescued you from prison back then, and you offered yourself to him to repay his kindness? Oh dear, that's truly... a beautiful story!"
This "gratitude" was like a boulder that crashed heavily onto the dining table.
"Eat your food," Qiao Yuan said coldly.
Cheng Qing shut his mouth reluctantly and lowered his head to stir the milk in the glass.
Uncle Chen arrived in a hurry, his forehead still damp with a thin layer of sweat from his hasty journey, and his expression was solemn.
"Sir," Uncle Chen said in a low voice, "something has happened to Huang Jinhu."
Qiao Yuan suddenly looked up, his sharp gaze like that of a hawk seizing onto Uncle Chen. "Explain yourself!"
Uncle Chen took two steps closer, lowering his voice even further, "Golden Tiger wasn't behaving himself inside either. He even got a few old brothers from the Black Tiger Gang involved. He's the one who started the trouble with Ah Biao..."
Qiao Yuan cursed under his breath, then abruptly stood up, his sinister expression replaced by a surge of rage. "Prepare the car! Let's go find that old bastard!"
"Yes!" Uncle Chen immediately bowed and replied, then turned and hurried out to make the arrangements.
Qiao Yuan grabbed his suit jacket draped over the back of the chair and strode out. As he passed Lin Tang, he paused, his gaze sweeping over her profile, but he said nothing and quickly led Uncle Chen out.
Only Lin Tang and Cheng Qing remained in the restaurant.
Lin Tang picked up her coffee cup, took a small sip, and casually instructed, "Ah Xiu, have Ah Chen prepare the car; we're going to the Chamber of Commerce."
"Yes, Madam." Ah Xiu responded and withdrew.
Lin Tang then stood up, picked up the ebony cane leaning against the table, and prepared to leave.
"Madam!" Cheng Qing's sweet voice suddenly rang out, carrying a hint of deliberate intimacy and anticipation. She stood up, walked around the table, and stood in front of Lin Tang, her face beaming with a sweet smile. "Are you going to the Chamber of Commerce? What a coincidence! I was just thinking of going to check out the new trading company on Avenue Joffre. I heard they've got a lot of new cheongsam fabrics. Mr. Qiao always says I look good in peach pink..."
She paused deliberately, observing Lin Tang's reaction. Seeing that the other party remained expressionless, she continued, "Madam, you see... it's so early in the morning, calling another car would be troublesome. How about... I ride with you? It's on the way!"
Her watery eyes blinked, filled with innocence and a hint of uncertainty, as if she were just a naive young girl who wanted to avoid trouble.
Lin Tang's sharp gaze swept over Cheng Qing's young face, causing Cheng Qing's smile to freeze involuntarily.
In the end, Lin Tang merely gave a very light, almost imperceptible, slight smile.
"Whatever." The two words were uttered clearly and coldly.
After saying that, Lin Tang didn't look at Cheng Qing again, turned around and walked towards the door with her cane.
As Cheng Qing watched Lin Tangting's retreating figure, the smile on her face finally vanished completely. She bit her lower lip, her eyes flickered a few times, and finally hurried after him.
A black sedan was parked in front of the mansion. Ah Chen had already opened the back door and was standing by his side with his hands at his sides.
Lin Tang went straight in and sat down, and Cheng Qing followed closely behind, sitting down next to Lin Tang.
Ah Chen closed the car door and jogged to get into the driver's seat.
The car started smoothly.
The carriage was deathly silent.
Lin Tang maintained her posture of looking out the window, as if there was only a wisp of air beside her.
Cheng Qing took out her small handbag, looked at herself in the tortoiseshell mirror inside, tidied her non-existent stray hairs at her temples, then slowly closed the tortoiseshell mirror, put it in her handbag, turned to the side, and put on that just-right, slightly innocent and curious smile again.
“Madam,” she began, her voice soft and gentle, like a feather moistened with honey, “the fabric of your cheongsam today is truly special, a dark gold color, so elegant and noble, making you look exceptionally composed and dignified!”
She paused, and seeing that Lin Tang still didn't respond, not even her eyelashes trembled, she continued speaking as if nothing had happened, her tone becoming more and more casual, as if she were just chatting about everyday things: "Speaking of which, Mr. Qiao mentioned Mr. Bai unintentionally when he was talking to me last night!"
The name "Bai Mu" was like two poisoned pills, which Cheng Qing threw out precisely in the gentlest tone.
Lin Tang's fingertips, which were resting on the cane, suddenly curled up, her nails almost digging into the hard wood grain.
The light and shadows outside the window blurred into a dizzying patch of light in her suddenly contracting pupils.
She maintained her gaze out the window, but her entire body tensed instantly, like a fully drawn bowstring, every muscle silently resisting this sudden, malicious attack.
Cheng Qing clearly caught that moment of stiffness, a glint of triumph flashing in her eyes. She deliberately leaned closer, lowering her voice even further, with an intimacy that seemed like sharing a secret, yet every word was like a needle: "Mr. Qiao said... before Mr. Bai's accident, it seems he was colluding with some anti-government people?"
She tilted her head, her long, delicate nails lightly tapping her chin, as if trying hard to recall. "Mr. Qiao sighed at the time and said, 'What a pity, how could Mr. Bai, such a virtuous and upright person, have... gotten involved in those deadly things?'"
She paused, admiring the cold cracks on Lin Tang's profile that she tried so hard to maintain but still managed to reveal, and then, in an almost cruel, inquisitive tone, she asked softly, "Madam, you and Mr. Bai... back then, did you really... have a very deep past relationship?"
Lin Tang's face was ashen, and the tips of her fingers, which were resting on her cane, had lost their color from excessive force.
When Cheng Qing caught the moment Lin Tang's body stiffened, he finally dropped all pretense. The fake smile on his face gradually disappeared, leaving only an undisguised, venomous probing.
"Madam, what's wrong?" She even leaned forward again, almost touching Lin Tang's cheek. Her voice, which was as sweet as honey and as soft as feathers, now sounded like an ice pick scraping against Lin Tang's eardrums. "Madam? Why aren't you saying anything? Is it true? Oh dear... could it be... that I hit the nail on the head?"
Lin Tang's expression grew increasingly grim.
"Madam, what's wrong? Say something!"
"Stop the car!" Lin Tang finally lost her temper. She raised her eyebrows and raised her voice.
Ah Chen tightened his grip on the steering wheel and almost reflexively slammed on the brakes.
The black sedan suddenly stopped at the bustling edge of Avenue Joffre, its tires screeching briefly against the pavement.
Cheng Qing was jolted slightly forward by the sudden braking, but she steadied herself and blinked innocently, saying, "Why did you stop? Madam, I haven't arrived yet..."
"Get out of the car." Lin Tang remained gazing out the window, not even sparing a glance, only her cold voice rang out again, "Now."
Cheng Qing's smile finally froze, a hint of anger flashing across her eyes, but she quickly composed herself and instead chuckled softly, her tone tinged with grievance: "Why is Madam so angry? It was just a casual chat. Since Madam doesn't want to hear it, I won't say anything!"
Lin Tang looked at her coldly.
Cheng Qing slowly picked up his small handbag and looked at her leisurely. "Madam, you see, I just wanted to have a nice chat with you, but you insist on turning me away?"
Lin Tang said, "Will you get out of the car yourself, or should I have Ah Chen push you out?"
Cheng Qing pouted, "Okay, okay, I'll download it myself."
Despite saying that, she showed no intention of opening the car door. Her gaze passed over Lin Tang's cold profile and landed on Ah Chen, whose back was tense in the driver's seat. A meaningful smile curved her lips, and her voice was deliberately raised a few decibels, carrying a feigned familiarity and casualness, "Ah Chen, you've been with Mr. Qiao the longest. Tell me, didn't Mr. Qiao pay special attention to Miss Lin back when she was still studying at Mingde Girls' High School? I heard from Mr. Qiao that he often 'passed by' the school gate back then!"
Ah Chen was startled, and then his neck tensed up instantly, and cold sweat almost broke out. He subconsciously looked at the back seat through the rearview mirror, but Lin Tang just lowered her eyes.
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