Chapter 74 I love her, I love her more than anything in this world. ...
In the pouring rain, the Ling family's car sped away from Liuli Island.
Ling's father's hands, still trembling, gripped the steering wheel: "Wasn't Sheng Yun Shen in a vegetative state? How could he possibly wake up?"
Ling's mother nervously twisted her hands together, shaking her head in bewilderment: "I don't know... Husband, what should we do? Will he hold a grudge against us for coming to cause trouble..."
"He's awake. He probably has a lot on his plate, he should be..."
Ling's father guessed somewhat uncertainly, "They probably won't have time to worry about us, right?"
In the back seat, Ling Xinyao's hair was disheveled, her eyes were vacant, and she stared blankly at the heavy rain outside.
Ling Xinyao was so excited that her voice grew louder and louder, gradually drowning out her parents' conversation: "I always thought Sheng Yunshen was crippled and the Sheng family was finished. But the Sheng family isn't finished now, and Sheng Yunshen has woken up!"
Her voice gradually began to tremble with sobs.
If she hadn't given up back then and insisted on marrying him, she would be Mrs. Sheng now!
The Sheng family's favor, the Shengshi Group's stock, and a perfect man like Sheng Yun Shen—all of these will belong to her, and only to her!
These thoughts were driving Ling Xinyao almost crazy.
She suddenly clutched her head and screamed hysterically.
Startled, Ling's father slammed on the brakes, and the car came to a sudden stop.
Ling's mother turned to look at Ling Xinyao: "Xinyao, don't think about it anymore. Everything has already come to this point, it's too late to think about anything now."
Ling's father snorted irritably, "Wasn't it you who cried and made a scene back then, demanding to be married in place of him, and even threatening us with a hunger strike? Have you forgotten all of that? Isn't all of this your own doing?"
Ling Xinyao raised her head, her face already streaked with tears.
Yes, what Ling's father said is right. It was she who refused to marry him back then.
In an attempt to get her parents to compromise, she even went on a hunger strike.
She brought this upon herself; it was all her own doing.
The devastating blow left Ling Xinyao on the verge of collapse.
"Get a good rest after you get back to the hotel tonight. Tomorrow we'll go back to Beijing and have dinner with President Zhou."
This time, Ling's father's tone was full of unquestionable authority.
At this moment, Ling Xinyao's personal wishes are far less important than the future of the Ling family.
So what if Mr. Zhou is divorced and has children?
He said it before: only older men can be caring.
"I'll call the makeup artist over tomorrow morning. Xinyao, you must dress up nicely. The future of the Ling family depends on you."
After coldly uttering those words, Ling's father stepped on the gas again, and the car started up once more.
Ling Xinyao remained silent, like a broken doll that had lost all reaction, her dull eyes staring blankly out the car window.
Is it possible that being forced by her parents to marry that old man Zhou Mingchao is her fate?
No!
She refused to accept her fate!
But what other options did she have?
She was adopted by the Ling family at a young age, and her parents were her only family. The world was vast; where else could she go but rely on the Ling family?
My phone in my pocket suddenly vibrated slightly a few times; a message had come in.
Ling Xinyao mechanically took out her phone, staring blankly at the screen.
Several seconds passed before she could read what the message said.
"Ling Xinyao, do you want to know who your biological parents are?"
-
After sending the text message to Ling Xinyao, Ling Shu put down her phone and let out a long yawn.
She's been through so much today, she's really tired now.
Sheng Yun Shen sat down beside her and put his arm around her: "Go to sleep."
"good."
Ling Shu stood up, instinctively wanting to pick up the tall man on the sofa. Just as she reached out, she belatedly realized that the man had regained his mobility and no longer needed her to carry him.
With a hint of regret, Ling Shu clenched her fingers, straightened up, and headed towards the stairs.
Sheng Yunshen stood up with a smile on his lips and followed behind her.
As he climbed the stairs, his feet followed the path she had taken, each step coinciding with the one she had left behind.
Silent yet tender.
Ling Shu was completely unaware of this. She went into the bedroom first to wash up.
When she finished washing up and came out, Sheng Yun Shen was lying on the bed with his eyes closed and his face calm, just like the nights before.
Ling Shu found her way to the other side of the bed with practiced ease, climbed onto the bed, and lay there for a few seconds before realizing something was wrong.
The man next to me is no longer in a vegetative state.
Should the two of them still be lying in the same bed?
Ling Shu's body stiffened for a second as she seriously considered the question.
Before she could figure it out, Sheng Yun Shen reached out and gently pinched her wrist, then placed it familiarly on his abs.
He kept his eyes closed, his voice full of laughter: "Everything is the same as before, feel free to touch."
Ling Shu didn't stand on ceremony with him, gently pinching it with her fingers, enjoying the excellent feel.
Tsk.
For the sake of his abs, I'll leave it at that.
A smile appeared on her lips as she gently squeezed the area. Sleepiness washed over her, and in the relaxed and pleasant atmosphere, Ling Shu quickly drifted off to sleep.
The rain outside the window gradually subsided, falling in a light drizzle.
In the distance, a few bright stars can already be faintly seen in the sky.
After a while, once he was sure Ling Shu was asleep, he carefully took her hand and got up without disturbing her.
After gazing longingly at the sleeping woman on the bed for a while, Sheng Yun Shen turned and left the room, carefully closing the door without making a sound.
The moment the door closed again, the smile on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a solemn expression.
Sheng Yun Shen walked slowly down the stairs, returning to the first floor.
Guan Mengxing and Shen Zui had not returned yet, and the living room was pitch black.
He turned on the switch and turned on the living room lights.
Then, Sheng Yun Shen walked to the front door and pulled it open.
The sound of the raindrops grew louder.
Standing at the doorway, Sheng Yun Shen looked at the man standing in the shadows through the drizzling rain.
He shifted slightly to the side and gestured with his hand, inviting, "Mr. Li, it's raining heavily and the wind is strong outside. Why don't you come in and sit down?"
-
Inviting Li Yin into the living room, Sheng Yun Shen went to the kitchen to brew two cups of hot tea, brought them to the living room, and placed one of them on the coffee table in front of Li Yin.
He sat down opposite Li Yin, holding a warm teacup in his hands, enjoying this long-lost warmth.
Throughout, Li Yin silently observed him, as if trying to ascertain the extent of his recovery.
Sheng Yunshen smiled and said, "This is a local specialty tea that you can't find anywhere else. Mr. Li, you can have a taste."
Li Yin continued to stare at him, and after a few seconds, he curled the corners of his mouth: "I've heard before that President Sheng handles things with ease, and can calmly deal with even business negotiations worth hundreds of billions. Now I've finally witnessed it."
Sheng Yun Shen lowered his head, took a sip of tea, and chuckled twice: "President Li, you flatter me. I didn't mean anything by it; this tea is really quite good."
It still tasted as sweet as he remembered. Sheng Yun Shen made a note of it and decided to make Ling Shu a cup for breakfast tomorrow as well.
Hearing him say that, Li Yin picked up his teacup and silently sipped his tea.
After a moment, he put down his teacup: "It's really good."
"If Mr. Li likes them, you can take two packs back with you later." Sheng Yunshen's expression was very relaxed, as if he were catching up with an old friend.
Li Yin remained silent for two seconds, then looked up at him with eyes like lightning, as if trying to see through his eyes and into the depths of Sheng Yunshen's soul.
“President Sheng, I came here prepared for everyone to know my feelings. Yes, Ling Xinyao is right, I like Ling Shu.”
While revealing his feelings, Li Yin kept his eyes fixed on Sheng Yun Shen, not missing a single reaction from him.
"If she chooses me, I am willing to pave the way for her and clear away all obstacles."
Of course, Sheng Yunshen was also among the so-called "obstacles".
Li Yin's implication was that if Ling Shu wanted to leave, he would do everything in his power, and he would not hesitate to stop Sheng Yun Shen from doing so.
Li Yin's tone was serious: "I'm sure President Sheng is well aware that your marriage with Ling Shu was nothing but a farce. Now that you've woken up, you can correct all of this. I hope you can take the initiative to set Ling Shu free and give her a chance to choose again."
Instead of leaving immediately, Li Yin waited in the rain for a long time, hoping to persuade Sheng Yun Shen to let go.
In his view, Ling Shu was a free spirit and should not be bound by a ridiculous substitute marriage.
Based on his understanding of Sheng Yunshen, the latter was a man of great manners and would not do something as degrading as forcing a marriage. The best outcome would be for Sheng Yunshen to take the initiative to divorce Ling Shu, allowing her to regain her freedom.
Sheng Yun Shen raised an eyebrow slightly.
Was it a farce?
Perhaps it was in the very beginning.
He leaned back slightly, looking at Li Yin with a leisurely air, and rejected Li Yin's suggestion word by word: "Sorry, I will not let go."
Li Yin's eyes widened in surprise.
He didn't expect Sheng Yunshen to reject his proposal without hesitation.
Sheng Yun Shen added, "President Li, my feelings for Ling Shu are only greater than yours."
He looked directly into Li Yin's eyes, showing no sign of backing down, and every word he uttered was resounding.
"I love her more than anything in this world."
Sheng Yun Shen smiled calmly: "During my slumber, I was not completely unaware; I could hear everything happening around me."
To convince Li Yin, he needed to present solid evidence. However, concepts like "system" and "inner voice" were too vague, so Sheng Yun Shen could only conceal some details.
That's enough.
Li Yin's pupils dilated slightly, clearly shocked by Sheng Yun Shen's words.
“In the three months since I became a vegetable, I have heard far too much about the coldness and warmth of human nature.” Speaking of his dark past, Sheng Yun Shen felt only relief. “President Li, compared to those sordid things, you should know very well how good Ling Shu is.”
"I love her, isn't that a matter of course?"
He and Li Yin were the same kind of people, growing up in the spotlight, possessing countless accolades, and surrounded by people with all sorts of ulterior motives. Especially women, whose eyes held all kinds of desires and yearnings; uninteresting women like Ling Xinyao were as numerous as the river's flow of women, endless and inexhaustible.
Ling Shu is one of a kind.
Li Yin remained silent, slowly sitting down, a moment of blankness in his eyes.
In the pouring rain just now, he had imagined countless answers in his mind, but he never expected Sheng Yun Shen's answer to be like this.
All negotiating terms have failed, and the opponent is unexpectedly difficult to deal with.
Li Yin closed his eyes, placing his last hope in the other person's demeanor: "But you understand, this marriage was never properly established."
"What President Li means is that I took advantage of her vulnerability, which is unfair to Ling Shu."
Sheng Yunshen smiled. "If I were a gentleman, I should divorce her and let her go, giving Ling Shu a chance to choose again. If she really likes me, she will definitely choose me again, right?"
Li Yin replied, "Yes."
Sheng Yun Shen crossed his arms and said slowly, "Others might make the same choice, but I will never let go."
The once-powerful emperor of the Beijing business world spoke calmly, as if he were talking about something very ordinary.
But his eyes were deep, filled with a darkness even more intense than the night outside. At this moment, Sheng Yun Shen finally revealed the stubbornness deep within his soul.
He said, word by word, "I will never let go, even if it means death."
Call him paranoid or despicable, but the moment the sound of returning to zero faded, Sheng Yun Shen regained his freedom and sat up in bed again, he had already made his decision.
He'd have to die to leave Ling Shu.
Li Yin frowned deeply, his voice filled with anger: "How can you do this to Ling Shu after all she's been through?"
Sheng Yun Shen didn't back down: "Li Yin, I think you should understand that if Ling Shu really wants to leave, I can't stop her!"
From beginning to end, his confidence and obsession stemmed from Ling Shu's favoritism towards him.
He couldn't stop Ling Shu from leaving.
But if others try to force him to let go, sorry, he can't and won't do it.
Li Yin's words came to an abrupt end.
A brief silence fell over the living room.
Finally, Li Yin let out a long sigh and closed his eyes.
He understood everything.
In an instant, the man's sharp temperament vanished, replaced by utter dejection.
His voice was hoarse: "...Since that's the case, then I..."
"Bless you."
Sheng Yun Shen relaxed his body, his smile deepening, like an emperor who had won a difficult battle, inspecting his victory: "Thank you for your blessing, President Li."
-
Watching Li Yin's car leave, Sheng Yunshen turned off the lights and went upstairs, finding his way to the bed with practiced ease.
Despite his carefulness, Ling Shu was still startled awake by his movements and muttered a few words: "Hmm? Where did you go?"
Sheng Yun Shen grabbed her hand and placed it on his abs, a gentle smile on his lips: "You're thirsty, go downstairs and get a glass of water."
"oh……"
Ling Shu was half asleep and didn't think much of it before drifting off to sleep again.
Sheng Yun Shen did not sleep.
He had slept for far too long and was not sleepy at all.
In the darkness, he carefully examined Ling Shu's sleeping face by the faint light from outside.
The more I looked at it, the happier I became, and the corners of my mouth couldn't help but turn up higher and higher.
The next day, Ling Shu was awakened by the sunlight. When she opened her eyes, she saw Sheng Yunshen's smiling face.
Ling Shu: "??!!"
Fortunately, she reacted quickly a second later, otherwise Sheng Yun Shen would probably have been kicked off the bed by her.
She sat up: "You woke up so early?"
"Um."
Sheng Yun Shen sat up, without mentioning that he hadn't slept all night. "I was in a good mood, so I woke up a little early."
He got out of bed first and brought Ling Shu a plate of lavish breakfast, placing it beside her bed: "Eat breakfast first."
This was prepared by the kitchen after he had instructed them to do so in advance that morning.
Having been with Ling Shu for so long, he had figured out her wake-up time. Since they stayed up late last night, Ling Shu would probably wake up an hour later than usual.
Sheng Yunshen's prediction was accurate. When Ling Shu opened her eyes, breakfast had been delivered less than ten minutes earlier, and the milk was still steaming.
Ling Shu rubbed her eyes in disbelief: "Wow, is this the legendary breakfast in bed?"
At the Sheng family home, she never seemed to eat breakfast in bed.
Sheng Yun Shen handed her the milk, then handed her chopsticks with his other hand, and placed the small steamed dumplings that she had been enjoying for the past two days in the closest spot in front of her: "They're filled with fresh shrimp and fish roe."
"Yay!"
Ling Shu immediately felt her appetite return and began to eat without any hesitation.
Seeing that Sheng Yun Shen was sitting still, she handed him another pair of chopsticks, "Eat with me."
Sheng Yun Shen took the chopsticks: "Okay."
His stomach was still slowly recovering, so he didn't actually feel hungry.
However, looking at Ling Shu's appearance, Sheng Yun Shen felt that he could eat anything.
As long as I'm with her.
The two finished their breakfast chatting and laughing, and then went downstairs together.
As soon as she reached the first floor, she saw two people sitting on the sofa, some distance apart. Ling Shu stopped, her smile momentarily frozen.
Guan Mengxing and Shen Zui sat at opposite ends of the sofa, their expressions not looking too good.
Hmm, so early in the morning, are the two generals, Heng and Ha, at odds again?
She slowly walked over and tentatively asked, "Meng Xing? Why are you up so early?"
Guan Mengxing subconsciously stood up: "Ah! Sister Shu, you're up? When did you get up? Brother-in-law is up too? Is he alright?"
Ling Shu frowned slightly.
I always felt that Guan Mengxing's words, spoken in one breath, were somewhat of a cover-up.
Did he have a fight with Shen Zui and was afraid she would worry?
Wow, those two are fighting?!
Feeling increasingly uneasy, Ling Shu even looked around, trying to see if there were any signs of a fight.
Fortunately, the surroundings were calm, and it didn't look like anyone had been fighting.
Ling Shu breathed a sigh of relief and asked cautiously, "What happened? Did you two have a fight?"
Guan Mengxing suddenly raised her voice: "No!"
She paused awkwardly after shouting, feeling that her reaction might have been a bit excessive.
Chen Zui stood up, her tone calm: "Sister Ling, we didn't quarrel, everything is fine."
Ling Shu looked doubtful: "Really?"
Guan Mengxing rarely agreed with him, nodding earnestly: "Yes, really!"
Surprisingly, they were of the same mind, neither arguing nor continuing their banter. Ling Shu glanced at their faces and, for the time being, accepted their words: "Oh, okay."
She casually asked, "Sheng Yun Shen and I are planning to revisit Baishitan, which we visited yesterday. Would you like to come along?"
Guan Mengxing put her hands behind her back and stammered, "Sister Shu, I... I have something to do, so I won't go with you."
Ling Shu said "Oh," and looked at Chen Zui: "And you?"
Chen Zui shook his head: "I have things to do too."
"All right."
Ling Shu glanced at the two of them again, said nothing, quickly tidied herself up, and went out with Sheng Yun Shen.
Before leaving, she looked back one last time.
Guan Mengxing and Shen Zui remained far apart, seemingly distinct yet possessing a strange sense of harmony.
Ling Shu smiled at the two of them and closed the door.
Sheng Yun Shen, carrying the things, casually placed the sun hat on her head and said with certainty, "Those two must have had something going on last night."
Ling Shu raised her hand to straighten her hat and nodded: "I think so too, but young people are easily embarrassed, so I didn't ask any further questions."
Sheng Yun Shen naturally took her hand, the ruby sparkling between his fingers: "Let the young people handle their own affairs."
"Um."
Ling Shu didn't think much of it. When she came to her senses, she realized that Sheng Yun Shen had already led her a short distance away.
The two held hands tightly, their palms pressed together, so intimately close.
Sunlight streamed onto the boardwalk, and although it was still morning, it was already quite warm. Ling Shu wore a hat that Sheng Yun Shen had prepared in advance, which perfectly shielded her from the direct sunlight.
Seemingly sensing that Ling Shu's steps faltered for a moment, Sheng Yun Shen magically produced a glass of chilled fresh coconut juice from his bag and placed it in Ling Shu's hand that wasn't being held.
With food as a bribe, Ling Shu naturally couldn't turn her back and let go of his hand.
She raised an eyebrow, lowered her head to take a sip of coconut juice, and said leisurely, "Sheng Yun Shen, you are really cunning."
Sheng Yun Shen looked down at her, his eyes curving as if filled with starlight: "So, do you like it?"
Ling Shu looked thoughtful: "It's alright."
Although not as obedient as a person in a vegetative state, it is more practical.
It seems pretty good.
Sheng Yun Shen chuckled softly, seemingly guessing what she was thinking, and said enthusiastically, "It will definitely be more practical, so don't worry."
I guarantee I'll arrange everything perfectly for her.
She used to protect him; now, it's his turn to protect and take care of her.
Ling Shu stopped in her tracks, then suddenly remembered something: "By the way, my innermost thoughts... can't you hear them?"
"Um."
Sheng Yun Shen nodded, "I can't hear you."
Ling Shu laughed: "So you can actually guess what I'm thinking? It seems we've gotten along really well these past few months."
Her dog is now completely raised.
Sheng Yun Shen held her hand tighter, his gaze becoming even more tender.
"Hmm, I can guess what you're thinking."
He paused, then his smile deepened. "Do you understand what I'm thinking?"
As he drew closer and closer, his handsome features growing larger in front of her, Ling Shu stepped back a little, pretending to be calm as she continued walking forward: "Hurry up, it'll be sunny soon."
She didn't shake him off, but pulled him forward with her.
Sheng Yun Shen couldn't help but laugh, and quickly followed her, walking side by side: "Okay, okay."
While chatting and laughing with Ling Shu, he casually turned his head, his gaze lightly sweeping across the distance.
That was the entrance to Liuli Island, completely obscured by the cliffs, with only half the road visible through the shade of the trees. It was backlit at that moment, the trees casting deep, lush shadows that were both indistinct and hazy.
Sheng Yun Shen seemed to have seen something, and his gaze narrowed slightly.
Soon, he turned around as if nothing had happened and continued to look at Ling Shu tenderly.
In the shade of the trees.
The assistant stood beside Li Yin, his head bowed low, not daring to look at the man's face.
Even though he couldn't see anything, he could still feel the oppressive atmosphere emanating from Li Yin.
After an unknown amount of time, the assistant secretly glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw only a vast blue seascape. The two people who had been holding hands had already walked out of sight.
In the afternoon in Beijing, Li Yin has an extremely important negotiation that he must attend.
"……Um."
The man in front of them, who had been like a silent statue, finally moved.
Li Yin withdrew his gaze and slowly loosened his clenched fist.
He needed to see her with his own eyes before he could feel at ease.
only……
He turned and walked toward the Cullinan parked in the shade of the trees. The man's face was calm, revealing no emotion whatsoever, only his heavy footsteps betrayed his state of mind.
A soft murmur drifted away on the wind.
"From now on... I probably won't be needed anymore."
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