Chapter 52: The Conspiracy Exposed

Chapter 52: The Conspiracy Exposed

"Let me go! A scumbag like Chen Shengfei doesn't deserve to live. I want to kill him!"

When Zhang Hongyan was pushed in and saw Chen Shengfei, her previously calm emotions suddenly became agitated. It was like she had met a mortal enemy, and she struggled so hard that even two grown men could barely hold her.

Xu Qingran paused his fiddling with the bomb.

He thought, "The real culprit is quite unexpected, huh?"

Shen Tingyu glanced over upon hearing the commotion and recognized Zhang Hongyan as a key figure in the Soulmate Department.

However, his gaze still held a hint of curiosity, indicating that he hadn't had much contact with her and didn't know her well.

Chen Shengfei, who had been eating with his mouth full of grease, was initially terrified, staring at the bomb in Xu Qingran's hand, afraid that he might blow everyone up in a fit of anger. Suddenly hearing someone cursing at him, he turned his head in confusion, and his temper flared up too.

He stared at Zhang Hongyan's unfamiliar face for a while, confirming that he didn't know her, and said inexplicably, "Who are you, ma'am? I have no grudge against you, do I? I'm just a law-abiding businessman. Why do you want to kill me?"

So today's crisis was aimed at him??

The more Chen Shengfei thought about it, the madder he got. He pointed at the restrained woman and said to the surrounding guards, "I want to report her! Someone like her with mental issues must be locked up in the Tower of Evil!"

If it weren't for the timely notification, his life might have been lost here today!

Chen Shengfei's words only made Zhang Hongyan even more furious. She spat at him and said, "You ugly social trash, disgusting scum, how dare you say such things?"

"It's you! You ruined my daughter's life. I'll fight you to the death!"

Perhaps the anger in her heart ignited Zhang Hongyan's potential, as she actually managed to break free from the two guards holding her. She pulled out a psychic blade hidden in her clothes, her eyes red, and charged at Chen Shengfei.

Psychic blades are generally only legally carried by military and police personnel. If an ordinary person has one, it is mostly obtained through illegal channels.

Seeing this, Shen Tingyu did not immediately stop Zhang Hongyan or take away her weapon.

Instead, he released his grip on Chen Shengfei and quietly stepped back.

Without anyone stopping her, Zhang Hongyan's assassination attempt was unimpeded.

Chen Shengfei, frightened, jumped up from his chair like a ball and began dodging around the room, using tables and chairs to shield himself, completely disregarding his dignity and composure, which made for a particularly comical sight.

Meanwhile, the elderly Zhang Hongyan now fought bravely like a warrior, her blade filled with killing intent.

She slashed at the table, the chairs, and even the wall.

It was unclear if the others were stunned or had some unspoken agreement, but no one stepped forward to stop her immediately.

Only Chen Shengfei was jumping around, shouting for help.

By the time most of the chairs in the room had been used up by Chen Shengfei, and another chair blocking his path was pierced by Zhang Hongyan's blade, he stared at the blade inches from his face and screamed hoarsely, "Help—me—!!"

Xu Qingran had quietly moved to a corner with his chair to watch the chaos. He held the still-counting dangerous device in one hand and placed the other on his abdomen, lowering his head to stifle his laughter.

Tonight's banquet was definitely worth attending. He hadn't expected such a free spectacle.

While he was laughing, the guards at the door were far from calm.

Unable to rush over to him, they could only stare wide-eyed, nervously fearing that he might accidentally drop the device.

Shen Tingyu felt that Chen Shengfei had suffered enough, and with others watching, it wasn't convenient to let the most desired outcome occur. So, as Zhang Hongyan prepared for her next strike, he stepped forward and grabbed her hand.

With a forceful grip, he pinched her tendon, causing her hand to go limp from the pain, and the knife in her palm instantly fell to the ground.

Following that, he kicked the spiritual energy knife towards the guards, restraining Zhang Hongyan before handing her over to the responsible guards.

"Chen Shengfei, you deserve a miserable death!"

Zhang Hongyan's bulging eyes made Chen Shengfei's fat jiggle in fear.

He initially thought he hadn’t provoked Zhang Hongyan, but when she mentioned the word "daughter," he began to feel a bit guilty.

He had indeed harmed many men and women, and it was possible that one of them was her child.

Zhang Hongyan's hair was disheveled, like a madwoman, and tears of resentment and unwillingness streamed down her face: "My precious daughter, the one I nurtured with all my heart, hoping she would rise like a phoenix! She was so pure and beautiful, I raised her with such care, hoping she’d marry a handsome, wealthy man, not to be defiled by a disgusting old man like you!"

Xu Qingran finally understood upon hearing this.

Zhang Hongyan had an innocent daughter who was defiled by Chen Shengfei, right?

He felt no pity for Zhang Hongyan, who had once wanted to send him to Chen Shengfei as a plaything.

He thought, aren’t other people’s children pitiful too?

"You... so many girls want to hang out with me every day, how should I know which one is your daughter?" Chen Shengfei gritted his teeth and replied, refusing to admit any wrongdoing, "Besides, in those nightclubs, whatever happens is consensual, don’t even think about blackmailing me!"

Zhang Hongyan became even angrier upon hearing this: "Impossible! Have you ever looked at yourself in the mirror? You’re disgusting! My daughter is so beautiful, surrounded by handsome friends, how could she possibly play with you?"

She shook with rage, feeling faint.

Zhang Hongyan's youngest daughter was her pride and joy, spoiled rotten since she was a kid. To help her mingle with the upper class, everything she bought, used, and wore were top-tier luxury brands, the best things in the house were given to her.

But a few months ago, her youngest daughter went out with friends and was out of contact for several days.

When she returned, she had changed, acting strangely, no longer as cheerful and lively as before, often lost in thought, as if her spark had been snuffed out, and when asked, she always said nothing was wrong.

Until last month, she came back with red eyes, and after receiving her mother's concern, she finally broke down in tears and revealed the truth.

She said that when she went to a nightclub with friends, she might have had too much to drink and was not clear-headed, and when she regained consciousness, she found herself already sleeping with Boss Chen. The disgusting Boss Chen even recorded the whole thing with photos and videos, threatening her to keep playing along.

She was threatened like this for several months, and finally, her youngest daughter refused to cooperate, so Boss Chen sent those images to her wealthy suitor who was in an ambiguous relationship with her daughter. The other party was the young master of the Mo family from the Silver Dragon Battalion, how could he accept a girlfriend with a tainted love life, so the whole thing went up in flames.

Not only was it ruined, but it also became a scandal among the elite!

At this thought, Zhang Hongyan’s heart ached, and she was even more furious that her daughter's innocence was defiled by someone like Chen Shengfei!

Chen Shengfei, from her description, knew the identity of her daughter, first feeling a bit guilty, then remembering something, he puffed up with confidence again.

"Oh, I know who you're talking about."

He showed a mocking smile: "Hey, let me say this first, I have surveillance records, it was clearly her who got drunk and clung to me first. You say, who wouldn’t eat a free meal that’s handed to you?"

Then, with a sarcastic tone, he said to Zhang Hongyan: "Your daughter, is that Luo Xiaoni, right?"

"She's almost a regular at my nightclub, still playing the innocent little flower? She's even more skilled than me, she often got her girlfriends drunk and set them up, right?"

"Oh, I heard that when she was in school, she loved to bully others. Like disfiguring girls prettier than her, having people beat up girls who might develop relationships with her male friends, picking on girls from humble backgrounds and taking humiliating photos of them... Oh, I thought she liked playing these games, so I took a page from her book and made some recordings myself."

Seeing Zhang Hongyan's stunned expression, as if she knew nothing about these things, Chen Shengfei's smile became even more arrogant: "Lady, it’s not so easy to be my plaything, I always check their backgrounds first."

"Do you really think the rich kids don’t know what your daughter’s been up to behind their backs?"

"What real wealthy family doesn’t have some influence? Digging up the dirt on your family is a piece of cake. The fact that she fooled around with me is just one excuse they used to turn her down."

"What kind of wealthy family would ever let a girl like her through their doors?"

Zhang Hongyan looked like she’d been struck by lightning—utterly shocked and stunned.

A cold smirk flickered in Xu Qingran’s eyes.

So, it’s payback.

The middle-aged woman, under everyone’s gaze, thrashed around again: "Impossible! Our Nini is not that kind of child! This has to be some story you cooked up to dodge the blame!"

Chen Shengfei stabbed a shrimp with his fork, chuckling at Zhang Hongyan: "Don’t believe it? Then go back and ask your daughter."

"Ah, but who knows if you’ll even make it home?"

Zhang Hongyan’s legs buckled, and she collapsed to her knees, clutching her head and letting out a bloodcurdling scream, unwilling to face these facts.

What’s worse, she couldn’t accept that all her years of scheming had gone up in smoke!

"You hurt my daughter—that’s a fact. I’ll sue you, I swear I will! Even if what you’re saying is true, she was a good, innocent girl who could’ve married well. You ruined everything!"

Chen Shengfei shrugged. "Go ahead, sue me."

He was a seasoned player, a real pro. To cover his tracks, he always made sure to leave ‘proof’ that the other party was willing. Families like Zhang Hongyan’s, with no real clout, didn’t stand a chance against him in court.

"What a show."

Just as the scene was about to calm down, a bland voice came from the corner of the room.

Everyone turned to look and saw Xu Qingran, still holding a 'prop', and then remembered in horror that there was still a big issue unresolved.

The guards approached, trembling, and reached out to take the dangerous object from him: "Um, Mr. Xu, please hand that over to us for disposal, to avoid any accidents."

"Here, take it." Xu Qingran tossed it over like it was trash. "I’ve taken care of it. Do whatever you want with the rest—it’s not my problem."

The guard took it, dumbfounded, and when he saw the numbers on the bomb had stopped, his jaw dropped.

What the—when did this happen? How? Weren’t we all just watching the show?!

After disposing of the item, Xu Qingran walked over to Chen Shengfei and Zhang Hongyan.

Zhang Hongyan looked up at him, stunned all over again.

When their eyes met, her heart skipped a beat, and she felt a pang of guilt.

Xu Qingran glanced between the two of them and said, "Your little problem is actually pretty easy to fix."

He looked down at Zhang Hongyan, who was kneeling on the ground, and gave a slight smile: "Didn’t you want your daughter to marry into money and live the high life?"

As he spoke, he pointed at Chen Shengfei with his palm up: "Boss Chen, one of the Golden Wing Battalion’s big shots, is still on the market. Since they’ve already consummated their relationship, marrying your daughter to him could fulfill your wish of catching a rich son-in-law."

"Why not?"

After hearing this, Chen Shengfei thought the idea wasn’t bad.

Although the empire generally promotes the union of two compatible souls, it’s not impossible for those who insist on marrying without considering soul compatibility.

Zhang Hongyan was first stunned, doubting her ears.

Realizing that Xu Qingran was pushing her child into a dangerous situation, her expression twisted in disgust: "What's so funny about that?!"

"How could a guy like him ever be good enough for my daughter? Look at all that fat on him, short, unattractive, and uncouth—his face is as disgusting as it gets! My daughter is so outstanding; sending her over would be like sticking a beautiful flower into a pile of manure!"

Xu Qingran chuckled again.

His eyes were cold: "Your daughter can't marry him, but it's okay to ruin other people's children?"

Zhang Hongyan's heart raced under his gaze, instinctively frightened.

She wondered how Xu Qingran could ask such a question. Did he know something? But that shouldn't be possible; she had been so secretive, how could he know about that incident?!

After taking a deep breath, Xu Qingran smiled and said, "I guess that's what you're thinking, right?"

"After all, people are selfish by nature. Such trash isn't good enough for their own children, but other people's kids can be sacrificed."

Chen Shengfei, who was standing nearby: "..."

Even though he wasn't being addressed, he still felt a bit offended.

Anyway, because Zhang Hongyan was so against it, the proposal was put on hold.

After making sure he was safe, Chen Shengfei felt more and more humiliated and was about to sneak off when Zhang Hongyan grabbed him at the door, refusing to let him leave. She kept yelling at him, crying and demanding that the guards investigate, determined to take him to court.

In the end, both of them were taken to the police station for questioning.

Chen Shengfei was shocked when he heard he was going to be detained, while Zhang Hongyan kept pointing at him, accusing him of ruining her daughter. Irritated, he suddenly remembered that Luo Xiaoni had been introduced to him by Xu Qingan.

Before leaving, he deliberately leaned in close and whispered to her with a smirk, "Why don't you think about why, of all the people in the nightclub, it was your daughter?"

"Instead of blaming an innocent guy like me, maybe think about who you've pissed off."

Zhang Hongyan was stunned again.

Chen Shengfei, having said his piece, hummed a tune and strutted off with the guards.

She kept staring at Chen Shengfei's retreating figure until the guards escorting her to the police station told her to move. She suddenly remembered Xu Qingran in the room, his cold gaze, and his cryptic words.

It seemed... like he already knew about her plot with Xu Qingan to frame him.

Thinking of her daughter, Zhang Hongyan lost it again.

Instead of obeying the guards, she shook off their hands and turned to shout into the room, "It's you... it's you! Xu Qingran, you deliberately ruined my daughter!"

Xu Qingran tilted his head in confusion.

Zhang Hongyan screamed in despair, "You knew I swapped your matching data, knew I wanted to arrange you for Boss Chen... You took revenge by targeting my daughter!"

At this, the room fell silent again.

Shen Tingyu remained expressionless, though his thoughts paused momentarily.

Swapped, soul matching data?

The other guards were mainly shocked because—

This was a serious crime! Not to mention Zhang Hongyan's bomb today, but tampering with soul matching data would definitely send her straight to the Tower of Evil for severe punishment.

Xu Qingran... he fell silent.

To everyone's surprise, Zhang Hongyan acted so recklessly. Suspecting him was bad enough, but she went ahead and boldly exposed such illegal activities in public, as if she had burned all her bridges.

"What do you mean by swapping soul matching data?"

The one who asked was Shen Tingyu, who had hardly spoken since he entered.

Xu Qingran's gaze faltered for a moment.

If Zhang Hongyan revealed the truth about his match with Lu Cheng, given Shen Tingyu's sharp mind, he would quickly deduce that there was something abnormal about his compatibility with Shen Tianyi. However, since it was Shen Tianyi, whether it was true or not, Shen Tingyu likely wouldn't care, right?

After her outburst, Zhang Hongyan realized the shocking truth she had just revealed in her agitation.

With so many witnesses and the Golden Wing Battalion's general present, this meant she could lose her job and face legal consequences.

But she couldn't contain herself any longer. Ever since Xu Qingran's match didn't turn out as she had expected, she had been uneasy. She prided herself on her meticulous work; she was certain she had replaced Lu Cheng with Chen Shengfei, so how did the Shen family get involved?

She had been anxious that someone might have discovered this and tampered with it again without her knowledge.

But only a handful of people had access to alter the chip data... It was possible that their initial test had been flawed, and Xu Qingran's 99% match had always been with someone from the Shen family.

"Ms. Zhang Hongyan, are you aware that you could face legal consequences for your statements tonight?" Shen Tingyu reminded again without getting a response.

His tone was neutral, neither cold nor warm.

Zhang Hongyan clenched her fists.

She wasn't sure if there was a problem with Xu Qingran's match to the Shen family, but if Xu Qingran was truly responsible for harming her daughter, she was determined to seek justice, no matter the cost!

"Number..."

"Hongyan!"

Just as Zhang Hongyan was about to explain, a familiar voice called out from not far away.

It was Xu Qingan.

He had changed into casual attire and was jogging towards Zhang Hongyan, his face filled with concern: "Hongyan, why are you here?"

He then looked around at the solemn-faced soldiers: "What happened? Why are there so many people? Has the bomb issue been resolved?"

Xu Qingan had practically been raised under Zhang Hongyan's care, and seeing him was like seeing a relative, which calmed her down a bit.

She clutched Xu Qingan's arm and sobbed: "An'an, you have no idea, so many things have happened at home recently."

"That trash surnamed Chen, he actually insulted Nini!"

Lu Cheng followed behind Xu Qingan, guessing from the surroundings and atmosphere that this must be the crisis site.

But it seems like it's already been resolved?

On the other side, Xu Qingan quickly learned about the tragic incident involving Zhang Hongyan's youngest daughter from her rapid speech.

His eyes widened, filled with shock, disbelief, and anger, his surprised expression so genuine as if he had never known about this: "How could this be?! Don't be nervous, we can contact a lawyer to collect evidence and sue that Boss Chen!"

Zhang Hongyan was sobbing, her eyes swollen.

She grabbed Xu Qingan's hand, glaring hatefully at Xu Qingran still in the room: "I now suspect it was your despicable brother who did it! He must be holding a grudge against us, hating..."

Xu Qingan grabbed her before she could finish, patting her arm soothingly, his tone gentle: "Hongyan, there must be some misunderstanding in this matter."

"My brother, although he has a bit of a temper, would never do something so underhanded as to harm others."

Zhang Hongyan was cut off by him and only then remembered that this matter indeed involved Xu Qingan and the Xu family.

...Indeed, she couldn’t say anything. Today’s commotion was bound to cause her trouble, and she would need the help of Xu Qingan, his aunt, and the Xu family to get her out of this predicament. She had given up so much for Xu Qingan, and Qingan was a good kid, surely he would help her!

Seeing the atmosphere gradually calming down, Shen Tingyu asked again in a deep voice, "Ms. Zhang, you haven't finished what you were saying earlier."

"What do you mean by swapping Xu Qingran's compatibility data with Chen Shengfei?"

General Shen was particularly persistent about the answer to this matter today.

There was even a faint hint of impatience in his tone.

Once something was said, it had to be explained.

Zhang Hongyan could only steel herself and say, "Yes, I once thought about changing his high compatibility match to Boss Chen because I couldn't stand him always bullying Qingan!"

"But, but, it wasn't changed in the end, was it?"

Zhang Hongyan swallowed hard and glared at Xu Qingran, "I just suspect that he might have known about our discussion and deliberately taken revenge!"

Shen Tingyu snapped out of it and realized his hand had unconsciously clenched into a fist at his side.

He didn't know what he was worried about at that moment, nor did he understand the inexplicable relief he felt now.

Xu Qingan also eased up a bit and calmly reassured Zhang Hongyan, "Don't worry, we will definitely help you find the best lawyer to sort this out between Nini and Boss Chen."

How annoying, he thought.

He didn't expect a prank to make Zhang Hongyan lose control like this, almost getting him into trouble. This woman was too much to deal with; he needed to get her out of there and calm her down first.

Zhang Hongyan knew she couldn't do much at the moment. At least the real troublemaker, Chen Shengfei, had been taken away, so she nodded and prepared to leave with the guards accompanied by Xu Qingan.

However, just as she took a step forward, a slightly damaged chair was thrown heavily in front of them.

The chair shattered upon hitting the ground, demonstrating the thrower’s strength, as if threatening to block their way.

Everyone was stunned again, turning to see Xu Qingran's angry expression.

His lips were pressed into a cold, straight line, his chin slightly raised, and his tone was cold, "You come at me out of nowhere, curse me, slander me, and now you think you can just walk away with a false accusation?"

Xu Qingran sneered, "Alright, since everyone’s here, no one’s leaving until we get to the bottom of who put Boss Chen up to this."

Watching the drama, the melon rind suddenly flew onto him, which was really annoying.

Xu Qingan almost clenched his jaw.

What he hated most now was Xu Qingran's attitude of always getting to the bottom of things and being so nitpicky.

He raised his voice and questioned Xu Qingran, "Didn’t we already say Sister Hongyan didn’t set you up? The Xu family will get a lawyer to clear this up, you—"

Before he could finish, Xu Qingran walked up to him and punched him hard in the face.

Then he said, "Xu Qingan, you're pretty gross too."

"With such good acting skills, why bother studying medicine? Why not enter showbiz?"

Before Chen Shengfei left, he whispered something to Zhang Hongyan, and she just snapped and started lashing out.

Then, it can be inferred that Chen Shengfei must have provided information about why her daughter was targeted. Since it was a frame-up and the matter of matching data was mentioned, the scope can be narrowed down to just a few of them.

And Xu Qingran knows for sure he didn’t do it.

Since it wasn’t him, it must be Xu Qingan, who failed to achieve his goal of marrying Lu Cheng and harbored resentment.

Although Xu Qingran dislikes Zhang Hongyan, believing that she and her daughter's current plight are self-inflicted, he still can't stand how Xu Qingan vents his resentment.

Xu Qingan, a frail medical student, not as strong as Xu Qingran, was nearly knocked off his feet by the punch.

Just as he managed to steady himself, he was hit again by Xu Qingran on the other side of his face.

Lu Cheng pulled Xu Qingan behind him, shielding his fiancé, and looked at Xu Qingran with the same fierce eyes as when he decisively broke up with him: "That's enough, Xu Qingran! Haven’t you stirred up enough trouble for one day?!"

Lu Cheng had never felt so mentally exhausted: "Why can’t you just talk things out instead of always throwing punches?"

Xu Qingran, not the original person in this body, didn’t care about Lu Cheng’s attitude towards him, and just retorted: "Isn’t it because talking didn’t work that I switched to a more effective method?"

Lu Cheng, recalling his past experiences in the Xu family, was momentarily speechless.

Xu Qingran ignored the confused major general and turned to Zhang Hongyan: "I thought someone as educated and high-ranking as you would have some basic reasoning skills."

"If you wanted to harm me but didn’t succeed, and now I’m living a smooth life, why would I hold any grudge against you?"

"Moreover, I don’t even know what your daughter looks like, how could I harm her?"

Xu Qingran smirked dismissively, glanced at Xu Qingan, and added: "Of course, let’s look at another possibility."

"For example—you actually carried out a plan to harm me, but something went wrong during the scheme, causing the outcome to not develop as you, or other conspirators, intended."

"If such a situation occurred, do you think I, who gained benefits, would resent you, or would the person who didn’t achieve their goal resent you more?"

Xu Qingran’s words hit Zhang Hongyan like a ton of bricks.

Zhang Hongyan was stunned for a few seconds, she stiffly turned her head towards Xu Qingan beside her, slowly releasing the hand she held intimately with him, her expression incredulous.

"It’s you... so, right, I should’ve figured it out sooner!"

From the beginning, Xu Qingan always interrupted her just as she was about to reveal the relevant truth, which was very abnormal.

Zhang Hongyan, struck by betrayal, became dazed, and after realizing, she suddenly burst into laughter: "Ha, haha... I should have thought of it earlier! You weren’t arranged for Boss Chen, the angriest would naturally be the one who wanted to see you humiliated."

"Xu Qingan, I trusted you so much, even drained my mental energy and sacrificed my time to help you, and this is how you repay me?!"

Xu Qingan was visibly anxious: "Yan-jie, don’t listen to Xu Qingran’s lies!"

"How could I possibly do such a thing to Nini? Besides, I don’t even know Boss Chen..."

"But you know Nini!" Zhang Hongyan shouted out of control, "Nini would sometimes talk about running into you when she came back from outings, among the Xu family, she is more familiar with you!"

Xu Qingan was still shaking his head, trying to explain: "I swear I didn’t do it, you have to believe me!"

Zhang Hongyan, when he reached out to touch her, excitedly pushed him away, she seemed to be on the verge of a breakdown: "Get away! I have no one to trust anymore! I can’t trust any of you!"

Saying this, her tear-filled eyes glared fiercely at the person who was very close to her not long ago: "Xu Qingan, since you’re so ruthless, even if I go down, I’m taking you with me!"

"I will let everyone know that it was you who had the nerve to come to me, asking me to change Xu Qingran’s matching object to Chen Shengfei!"

"You said because you were going to marry Lu Cheng, you didn’t want him to stay with you anymore, said you didn’t like him! I helped you out of respect for your aunt’s position in the Xu family, and you turned out to be so cruel..."

Zhang Hongyan, visibly upset, crouched down, holding her head and screaming, "How could you do this to me! How could you do this to my poor daughter!"

"Ruined... my life... everything is ruined..."

Xu Qingan still tried to explain to Zhang Hongyan, but suddenly, a cold voice from behind asked him—

"Is what she said true?"

Lu Cheng's voice was cold and heavy, trembling slightly.

He was shocked and surprised.

Not just because of Xu Qingan's horrifying actions, but also because it involved Xu Qingran!

Lu Cheng still remembered his decade-long relationship with Xu Qingran.

As Xu Qingan turned around, panicked, Lu Cheng grabbed his arm tightly and shouted, "Did you really scheme behind my back, behind everyone's back, to arrange Xu Qingran as Chen Shengfei's partner?!"

Xu Qingan was truly panicking this time.

He tried to calm himself, telling himself that Zhang Hongyan only had one-sided claims and no concrete evidence against him.

Xu Qingan tried to take Lu Cheng's hand: "It's not true, Lu Cheng, they're crazy, I don't know why they're all trying to slander me..."

But Lu Cheng, as if suddenly realizing something, pulled his hand away in shock and anger, stepping back.

He let out a disbelieving laugh and murmured, "No wonder, when I came back from the Shen family and talked to you about Xu Qingran, your attitude and words... were so intense."

"Turns out, the 'kind of person' you meant was different from what I thought."

When Xu Qingan mentioned Xu Qingran's suspected arranged partner, he always showed a pained disgust and disdain. It wasn't just dislike, but more like knowing the other person was a terrible person with a bad character.

Back then, why didn't he question how Xu Qingan knew who Xu Qingran's partner was?

Also, Xu Qingan, who had previously shown signs of knowing about Xu Qingran's connection with the Shen family, was so surprised when the Shen family announced that Shen Tianyi's high compatibility partner was Xu Qingran.

Lu Cheng's heart grew cold.

Even if Xu Qingan tried to argue, Lu Cheng could tell from past clues that what Zhang Hongyan said was true. And Zhang Hongyan had such a good relationship with Xu Qingan; even if she was mentally unstable, she wouldn't falsely accuse him for no reason.

Lu Cheng raised his hands, blocking Xu Qingan from coming closer.

His mind was in chaos, completely unprepared for the fact that Xu Qingan, whom he always thought was well-behaved and sensible, could be so vicious behind the scenes. And if he really did ask Zhang Hongyan to do these things, then it also meant that Zhang Hongyan's suspicions... might also be true.

—Xu Qingan, failing to achieve his goal, pushed Zhang Hongyan's daughter into the fire pit of Boss Chen.

Lu Cheng thought back to the things Xu Qingran revealed at the promotion banquet, and suddenly found it hard to breathe: "Xu Qingan... what exactly, what is your true face?"

On Xu Qingan's fair face, his eyes turned slightly red, tears welling up.

As soon as he opened his mouth, his voice was choked, with an unknown amount of sincerity: "Lu Cheng, listen to me, it's all a misunderstanding, I can explain..."

"What else do you want to explain?"

For the first time, Lu Cheng felt that the person he had been sharing a bed with all this time looked so terrifying.

His face was a mix of pain and disappointment: "I forgave you for taking those photos, for deliberately provoking Qingran at the engagement banquet... but this matter today, I can't accept it."

"Do you know what kind of person Chen is? If you wanted Xu Qingran to leave the Xu family, you didn't have to push him to Chen Shengfei, did you?!"

He couldn't imagine the consequences if Zhang Hongyan's swap hadn't been mishandled, and Xu Qingran had been officially announced by the empire as having a 99% compatibility with Chen Shengfei, forcing him to become his partner.

Chen Shengfei's malevolence was widely recognized.

But he was rich, and since legal judgments always hinge on evidence, being well-prepared, he always managed to wriggle out of lawsuits like a slippery eel. If Xu Qingran fell into his hands, he would surely be toyed with to death!

At this thought, Lu Cheng looked up again at the boy gazing at him pitifully.

But today, that face seemed more chilling and frightening than even the hypocritical Shen Tingyu. What kind of thoughts lurked beneath his usual gentle and kind facade?

The more he thought about it, the colder his heart grew, and his expression became increasingly indifferent.

Slowly, he said, "Xu Qingan, you really disgust me."

Each word of that icy sentence seemed to turn into a block of ice, crashing down on Xu Qingan.

It sent a chill through his entire body.

...Why?

Today was supposed to be his birthday, a joyous occasion, so why did it suddenly turn so bad?!

Xu Qingran, it's always about Xu Qingran!

Just the suspicion that he did this made Lu Cheng furious. If he were to discover that Xu Qingran's true high compatibility match was supposed to be him, wouldn't that be...

No, he must never find out!

This farce ended with Xu Qingan also being taken away with Zhang Hongyan for investigation.

Xu Qingan wept, tears streaming down his face, constantly seeking a chance to explain himself to Lu Cheng, hoping for forgiveness. But Lu Cheng's attitude was uncharacteristically cold and harsh this time. No matter how pitifully he cried, Lu Cheng wouldn't even give him a glance.

Meanwhile, Zhang Hongyan, crouched on the ground, was utterly broken. No matter who tried to speak to her, it was futile.

She was completely out of her mind, making it impossible to question her.

Before the guards took her away, Shen Tingyu instructed, "Remember to administer a urine test. Her reaction suggests she used illegal stimulants."

This would explain her immense strength and mental energy during her attempt to assassinate Chen Shengfei earlier.

The escorting guards respectfully acknowledged the order and took her away.

The rest continued to search the room, ensuring no other dangerous items remained.

Xu Qingran checked the time and asked Shen Tingyu, "Should we go too?"

Shen Tingyu nodded, "Yes, let's head out."

They passed by Lu Cheng, who was trying to calm his mind alone, without greeting him, as if he didn't exist, and left directly.

Lu Cheng's dazed gaze fell on the two figures walking side by side ahead.

He saw Xu Qingran frowning, as if complaining about something.

Shen Tingyu, however, listened with a soft smile on his face, patiently hearing him out, occasionally responding briefly.

At this moment, he had to admit that the two of them standing together indeed looked harmonious and well-matched.

They were both stars shining brightly, each with their own brilliance, neither overshadowing the other. Even if they weren't lovers, they looked like extremely good friends, so good that it was enviable.

Lu Cheng felt the emptiness around him, momentarily dazed.

Had his decision back then... really been wrong?

·

Xu Qingran stepped into the elevator with Shen Tingyu.

As the elevator descended, he glanced at the man standing across from him, recalling the stories Shen Tianheng had told him.

Out of the blue, he asked, "Shen Tingyu, why haven’t you lost your mind yet?"

Shen Tingyu caught on immediately, understanding what he meant.

It was rare for him to respond in a way that didn’t match his gentle and modest nature. Instead, he chuckled and shot back, "How do you know I’m not already mad?"

Xu Qingran arched an eyebrow at that.

The elevator soon arrived at the ground floor.

Even though the bomb had been found, there might still be other hidden threats, so the Yun Tian Building had shut down for the day. The guests who’d been moved to the open area outside were free to go. When they stepped out, only Shen Tianheng and Shen Tianyi from the Shen family were left, waiting.

The dinner was over, and after all the chaos, Shen Tianyi was already nodding off.

After saying a quick goodbye to Shen Tianheng, they made their way back to the hotel.

Late into the night, Shen Tingyu was still wide awake, scrolling through his light tablet and reviewing documents and plans.

Xu Qingran wasn’t sure if Shen Tingyu had slept later that night, but he’d dozed off and had a string of dreams. He dreamt of a young Shen Tingyu, lonely and enduring all kinds of bullying in the Shen family mansion—stories Shen Tianheng had shared with him.

When he woke up, he was still groggy.

He couldn’t tell if it was just a dream or if he’d somehow caught a glimpse of Shen Tingyu’s soul memories.

In the end, they couldn’t stick around with Shen Tianyi any longer.

Before they parted ways that day, Shen Tianheng told Xu Qingran that the empire had ordered him to head to Queen’s Star right away for a soul match. So, Shen Tingyu seized the chance to drop him off there first.

After dropping Xu Qingran off, Shen Tingyu didn’t stick around to wait. He just said, "I’ll take Tianyi out for a while. Give me a call when you’re finished."

Xu Qingran gave him a warm smile, "Thanks."

Then he headed into the Soulmate Matching System headquarters alone.

Shen Tingyu watched until he was out of sight before taking off in the aircraft.

But instead of taking Shen Tianyi around as promised, he tracked down Shen Tianheng, who was still in the Celestial System, and handed the kid over to him for a few hours.

Shen Tianheng, caught off guard, asked, "Why me??"

Shen Tingyu told him, "I have something I need to take care of. I’ll be back soon."

Shen Tianheng: "..."

Well, there was no helping it. Juniors were meant to be used as tools. Besides, he had planned to go out for a stroll anyway, and having Shen Tianyi along for company wasn’t a bad idea.

Meanwhile, Shen Tingyu flew the aircraft back to the district where the Yun Tian Building was located.

His destination was the police station where Zhang Hongyan had been taken the day before.

There was something he wanted to confirm with Zhang Hongyan once more.