Chapter 43

Chapter 43

"Chief Luo, Bai Yusheng has come up and says he wants to see you." The secretary entered the office and informed Luo Gongyou.

Luo Gongyou had been irritable lately, but upon hearing Bai Yusheng's name after so long, she hesitated for a moment before nodding her consent for him to enter.

Bai Yusheng wasn't in good shape either.

Ever since that night at the hotel more than two months ago, on the day of Luo Shanting and Li Zhijin's engagement, Bai Yusheng hadn't seen any member of the Luo family again. However, he did accept the two million yuan check that Luo Hefeng delivered as promised afterward. He was still an artist under Star Entertainment, albeit with few public appearances.

In the earthquake that shook the entertainment industry caused by Star Entertainment's official Weibo account half a month ago, Bai Yusheng was also involved. Although he was hardly noticeable among the chaos, the fact that he was rumored to be Luo Gongyou's ex-lover garnered some attention.

But it wasn't positive publicity, and as a result, Bai Yusheng found himself with even fewer opportunities.

Today, Bai Yusheng came to see Luo Gongyou out of sheer desperation. With his head hanging low in embarrassment, he asked Luo Gongyou to help him once again, requesting any resource she could offer. His family desperately needed money.

Luo Gongyou frowned. "If I'm not mistaken, Luo Hefeng gave you two million, and it hasn't even been three months."

Bai Yusheng's face turned pale. "Yes... But... As you know, my father is a gambler. When I took that money home, I first paid off one of his gambling debts, hoping he would mend his ways..."

Luo Gongyou let out a derisive laugh.

Mend his ways? How many chances had he been given to 'mend his ways'? Whenever Bai Yusheng's gambling-addicted father couldn't pay his debts and wanted money, he could say anything about turning over a new leaf while sobbing. Then, once his debts were cleared and he got the money, he would continue gambling, only more recklessly.

When Luo Gongyou was still forcefully pursuing Bai Yusheng, she had considered ignoring such a gambler. But Bai Yusheng cried, saying that was his father, and if he didn't gamble outside, he would drink and beat his mother at home; it was better for him to gamble outside. As for divorce, Bai Yusheng said his mother was too afraid and unwilling to do so.

At the time, Luo Gongyou didn't lack the money to fill the hole, and she was happy to have a chain binding Bai Yusheng to her, preventing him from leaving. So, she decided not to intervene.

Bai Yusheng's gambling father repeatedly accumulated debt, which was repeatedly paid off, fattening his courage. Even knowing that his son no longer had a wealthy sugar daddy, he continued to gamble recklessly, thinking nothing of having his son find another sugar daddy to sell his body to!

So, of the two million, Bai Yusheng initially took out five hundred thousand to pay off his father's gambling debt. He planned to use several hundred thousand to open a small shop for his mother to make a living, and save the rest.

But within less than two months, all the money went to filling the ever-growing gambling debt his father had incurred, and it wasn't even enough. All of it was gone, and they still owed hundreds of thousands.

Bai Yusheng's mother couldn't bear it anymore and had a huge argument with his father. As usual, his father became violent, and in the end, his mother accidentally killed him. Although the police ruled it as self-defense and she didn't go to jail, she was left in a daze.

Now, the family still owed hundreds of thousands, his mentally unstable mother couldn't afford treatment, and his school-going siblings were hungry for sustenance. Bai Yusheng, who was about to start his senior year, had no choice but to seek help from Luo Gongyou.

Unfortunately, Luo Gongyou was now in a precarious position herself. What used to be a negligible amount of money was now something she coveted dearly. Moreover, she no longer harbored any 'true love' for Bai Yusheng. Meeting him was already an exception, and she had no intention of helping him. After dismissing him with a few perfunctory words, she let him leave.

Bai Yusheng returned empty-handed, wiping away his tears. He tried contacting Luo Qianjian, his former childhood friend, again but failed to reach him. Luo Qianjian had blocked his contact information.

Bai Yusheng thought bitterly that there was no other way. He could only drop out of school and find other work to support his family and pay off their debts.

...

On the third day of the new academic year, the verdict for Luo Hefeng's case came down.

Due to the significant amount involved and the ample evidence, making it a typical case, the judgment was swift – life imprisonment for Luo Hefeng. Other related parties were also sentenced to various terms of imprisonment.

When this case hit the internet, Shen Dongyi was terrified, experiencing a wave of fear.

Previously, he had secretly regretted leaving Luo Hefeng's side so easily. Now, he no longer regretted it and was grateful to have left early. Otherwise, what if he had been implicated in this case? Although finding a new internship later was quite troublesome, fortunately, fortunately...

Although it was his senior year and his schedule was sparse, there were still required courses.

Taking advantage of encountering each other during a required class, Shen Dongyi hastened to assure Luo Qianjian that he would absolutely not provoke the Luo family anymore, that he would pretend not to know Luo Qianjian whenever he saw him, and he hoped Luo Qianjian wouldn't remember him either.

Luo Qianjian was composed. "Just as well, I've already blocked all your contact information."

Shen Dongyi sighed in relief.

Blocking him meant that Luo Qianjian no longer intended to specifically target him.

For the first time, he felt that the words "blocked" sounded like music to his ears.

However, there was something Shen Dongyi didn't quite understand, suspecting it might be related to Luo Qianjian, but he dared not ask him again. He could only ponder it to himself – when he met the class representative and the counselor this semester, their gazes toward him were strange.

Stranger than when Luo Qianjian created a group chat last semester to introduce him and Luo Hefeng to each other, and the class representative and the counselor were also added to the group and learned about the situation. When they encountered each other on campus afterward, their looks were even more indescribable.

But logically, it shouldn't be so. Several months had passed, and they hadn't reacted so strongly back then. This semester, it should have faded instead.

– If Shen Dongyi had been bold enough to ask Luo Qianjian, Luo Qianjian would have answered him generously.

The reaction of the class representative and the counselor was probably due to the video he had posted on his Moments before!

Shen Dongyi had been blocked previously, so he hadn't seen the video Luo Qianjian posted. But Luo Qianjian had no conflict with the class representative or the counselor, so naturally, he didn't block them. When posting on Moments, he treated everyone equally without blocking anyone.

Although the video was banned and its spread prohibited by both Luo Hefeng and Li Jifeng's sides working together within less than an hour, for modern people who never leave their phones, it was enough time not to miss such information.

However, neither the class representative nor the counselor specifically sought out Luo Qianjian to ask about the details. Judging by Shen Dongyi's reaction, he hadn't been approached either.

Luo Qianjian was actually quite looking forward to meeting Shen Dongyi, Bai Yusheng, Jiang Chengchen, and the others again in a few years. He wanted to see how they would turn out if things continued to develop 'naturally.'

...

A week later, Luo Shanting and Li Zhijin's wedding.

On the Li family side, Grandfather and Grandmother, the two elderly members, felt they couldn't bear the shame, so they excused themselves from attending the wedding banquet, citing their inability to withstand emotional excitement. Thus, as usual, Li Jifeng, Li Yuan, and Li Zhijin, the main character, would attend, along with Sang Cha, who was currently a guest at the Li residence.

On the Luo family side, Luo Chen lay in the convalescent hospital, and Luo Hefeng had already been transferred to prison. Naturally, they wouldn't be attending.

The rest of the family, including the wedding's main character Luo Shanting, He Ruyan, Luo Gongyou, Luo Suiyun, Luo Wenhuan, and Luo Qianjian, all attended in full force. The main table didn't appear deserted.

But there was no joy at all. Even the two main characters, Luo Shanting and Li Zhijin, didn't smile. If they forced a smile, it would seem eerie, almost like a ghost wedding.

– Luo Shanting didn't just fail to smile; he wanted to cry.

Back in the waiting room, Luo Shanting complained in a grievance, "Today is our wedding, yet Brother Zhijin invited that Sang Cha to come! Did you see her? She actually wore a red dress today. Someone who doesn't know better would think she's the bride, standing next to Brother Zhijin as if they're the ones getting married! It's too much! Too much!"

"But Brother Zhijin and the others see no problem with it, they say I'm overreacting. Sang Cha said in her condescending manner that she only thinks marriage is a joyous occasion, guests wearing red is a form of celebration, and that she didn't wear her usual white because it would resemble a wedding dress. She made it seem like she was the wronged party. She said she'd go back to her room to change, but even Li Yuan sided with her, saying there was no need! How can they treat me like this!"

Upon hearing this, the Luo family members were somewhat impatient. They had heard enough of Luo Shanting's complaints these past few days, always blaming Sang Cha for bewitching the Li family.

"You can't really blame her," Luo Gongyou remarked, "If she usually likes to wear white, and today you're having a Western-style wedding with Li Zhijin, isn't it considerate of her to deliberately avoid it? And isn't it a nice way to express blessings by specifically wearing red for the festivities? Shanting, can't you be less sensitive?"

Luo Shanting looked at her in disbelief. "Second Sister, how can you side with that Sang Cha! You're my sister! You've never even met her!"

Luo Gongyou: "Didn't we just see her earlier? Besides, from what you've told us, we feel like we know her already."

He Ruyan didn't want to listen to Luo Shanting's tearful complaints anymore, and she also had something she wanted to discuss with Luo Qianjian. It had been ten days since she last visited the Luo family's old residence to find him, and they hadn't seen each other since then.

"Qianjian, why don't you accompany Mom for a walk?" He Ruyan suggested.

Luo Qianjian, maintaining his image as a good child, obediently agreed, "Sure."

Luo Shanting called out to her, "Mom..."

He Ruyan didn't look back—she had made up her mind. Sooner or later, their relationship would deteriorate, and now, by cooperating to let Luo Shanting marry Li Zhijin, she had done all she could. Further efforts to comfort her would be unnecessary.

Watching He Ruyan and Luo Qianjian leave the waiting room, Luo Gongyou muttered to herself, lost in thought, "When did Mom and Qianjian suddenly become so close..."

One wall of the banquet hall for the wedding reception had several floor-to-ceiling windows about two meters high, leading out to small balconies. He Ruyan and Luo Qianjian stepped out onto one of these balconies.

"Qianjian, Mom has thought about it, and I agree to proceed as you suggested before. Today, Shanting and Li Zhijin are getting married, and tomorrow morning, they'll register their marriage. After they complete the registration, our two families will have lunch together. At the end of that lunch tomorrow, I'll tell You You, Suiyun, Wenhuan, and Shanting about it. As for A'Feng, I'll have the lawyer notify him and handle the process; it shouldn't be too complicated." He Ruyan had indeed given it considerable thought and wasn't hesitating.

Luo Qianjian nodded. "Alright. Once the adoption termination procedures are completed, you should move back to the old residence, Mom."

Hearing this, He Ruyan relaxed a bit but couldn't help asking hesitantly, "But... Qianjian, regarding the assets that You You and the others currently hold, in principle, they are inseparable from the Luo family. What do you think should be done with them?"

Luo Qianjian chuckled lightly. "Since you ask, it means you must have considered it yourself. What are your thoughts?"

He Ruyan: "Well... This is what I was thinking."

"Although You You's company was established using money from the family and relying on the Luo Corporation, she put in a lot of effort and dedication. It's not something that could succeed solely based on family support. There are plenty of other young masters and mistresses who failed in their entrepreneurial endeavors."

"Moreover... Her company is in chaos right now, and there's not much left. Since we've been a family for so many years, I don't think it's necessary to be too ruthless and start a dispute over this matter."

"As for Suiyun, Wenhuan, and Shanting, they haven't had the chance to get involved in more of the family business. They only have the trust funds that they've managed since they turned sixteen. Although it looks like they've accumulated several million after two years, they aren't frugal people. Spending it as pocket money, I suspect there isn't much left. After the adoption is terminated, they won't receive any more trust fund payments. With four years of university ahead of them, their living expenses will have to rely solely on their current savings. If the Li family is willing to spend money on Shanting, that's their choice. Suiyun and Wenhuan have no support whatsoever."

"So, Qianjian, Mom thinks it's best not to argue over money matters with You You and the others. Let's just terminate the relationship normally. What do you think?"

Regardless, after raising them for so many years—even if she hadn't been hands-on—it was still under the name of family that they had interacted for all these years. Now, she was about to sever this adoption relationship, essentially kicking several children out of the house to secure her future peace and financial security. The more He Ruyan thought about it, the more she felt a twinge of "guilt."

She hoped that Luo Qianjian wouldn't "leave no survivors," demanding not only the termination of the adoption but also forcing his siblings to hand over their money and leave empty-handed. Giving Luo Gongyou and the other three some form of security was the only compensation He Ruyan could think of.

Luo Qianjian smiled gently. "Mom truly has a kind heart."

He Ruyan forced a smile, somewhat suspicious that Luo Qianjian was being sarcastic.

"I originally thought that as compensation for initiating the termination of the adoption, Mom would choose to give Second Sister and the others some money or something. I didn't expect Mom to be even more frugal than I anticipated, which is also fine." Luo Qianjian looked at He Ruyan and smiled. "Let's proceed as you suggested earlier. After all, Second Sister and the others don't have much left. I won't be stingy."

He Ruyan paled slightly but felt relieved. At least, the matter was settled.

She hesitated for a few seconds before speaking again, "Then, Qianjian, the shares you mentioned you would give Mom..."

"Don't worry, Mom. I keep my word and have no reason to lie," Luo Qianjian said solemnly.

While Luo Qianjian and He Ruyan were talking on the balcony, another incident occurred during the wedding reception—Li Zhijin wanted to leave and refused to continue participating in the wedding. When confronted by the arriving Luo Shanting, he revealed that he wouldn't follow the original plan to register their marriage the next day.

The reason Li Zhijin wanted to leave...was because Sang Cha had left.

Sang Cha bid him farewell, explaining that she had heard some "stories" and rumors at the wedding reception. The "stories" referred to Li Zhijin's debauched past, engaging in relationships with men and claiming he didn't like men despite everything. The rumors were about others mistaking her for Li Zhijin's lover.

Sang Cha told Li Zhijin that she never expected him to turn into such an unsavory person after growing up. She couldn't accept such a friend and didn't want to be misunderstood as an unscrupulous lover attending the wedding. She initially assumed Li Zhijin liked men, which is why she stayed at the Li family without much thought. Now, she understood why Luo Shanting was unhappy with her presence.

In short, she was leaving, for everyone's happiness.

Despite Li Zhijin's numerous attempts to explain and persuade her to stay, Sang Cha slipped away while he was busy entertaining guests. Li Zhijin was utterly devastated and couldn't bear the wedding any longer. He decided to leave and find Sang Cha.

For this reason, Li Zhijin publicly berated Luo Shanting, "It's all your fault! If it weren't for you, how could Tea have left so aggrievedly! She has nowhere else to go. Are you trying to make her die by driving her away!"

Luo Shanting was also in tears. "Brother Zhijin! What are you talking about! I haven't spoken a single word to her since she arrived here! How could I know why she suddenly wants to leave... Besides, how could she have nowhere to go? She's not helpless; can't she find a job herself! I know, she must be doing this on purpose. She knows you care about her and is intentionally trying to ruin our wedding! Brother Zhijin, don't fall for her tricks... Ah!"

Li Zhijin was extremely annoyed, focused solely on finding Sang Cha as soon as possible. Without hesitation, he pushed aside Luo Shanting, who was blocking his way. Unfortunately, Luo Shanting, standing at the top of the stairs, lost her balance and tumbled down the steps.

Now, the wedding truly saw red. The guests watched in shock as events unfolded.

Luo Shanting was rushed to the hospital by the Luo family, Li Jifeng, and Li Yuan. Meanwhile, the instigator, Li Zhijin, continued his search for Sang Cha, rendering the wedding unable to proceed.

After sending Luo Shanting into surgery and hearing the doctor come out to regretfully inform them that the baby couldn't be saved, Li Jifeng politely apologized to the Luo family and said, "At this point, it's clear that Shanting and Zhijin's marriage can only be canceled. We, the Li family, will take responsibility for the aftermath of the wedding reception. Please rest assured."

"Aunt He, our Li family doesn't wish to be enemies with the Luo family. But if the Luo family blames us after this incident, we have nothing to say. I apologize once again on behalf of Zhijin to Shanting."

Then, Li Jifeng left the hospital with Li Yuan, just like that...

He Ruyan lacked the energy to express anger and sighed, "The baby is gone... for the better. Shanting is still a child herself and hasn't thought things through. Perhaps it's best for her to return to school now."

Luo Wenhuan also sighed. "It's been over a week since school started. Previously, when the school contacted Shanting, she firmly stated that she wouldn't enroll. I wonder if she can still reapply for admission now..."

Not long after coming out of surgery, Luo Shanting woke up. Upon learning that the baby was gone, she burst into tears, wiping her eyes repeatedly, and asked, "Where's Brother Zhijin..."

Luo Wenhuan was speechless. "Luo Shanting, what goes on in your head? At a time like this, you're still thinking about Brother Zhijin! Your Brother Zhijin doesn't want you anymore. Your Brother Jifeng declared the marriage canceled and left you behind! Do you understand that!"

Luo Shanting continued sobbing uncontrollably, "W-Wah..."

"Alright, stop crying, there's no need to be sad over such a trivial matter." Luo Qianjian spoke heartlessly, "Mother, tell us something truly sorrowful, something that will help Shanting forget the pain of being forsaken by the Li family."

He Ruyan was taken aback, and so were Luo Shanting and the others.

"You mean..." He Ruyan realized what Luo Qianjian wanted her to say, "Should we talk about it now? But... shouldn't we wait until Shanting is fully recovered?"

Luo Qianjian smiled, "We were going to tell you sooner or later anyway. Didn't we plan to reveal it after Shanting and Li Zhijin's marriage was settled? Now that the wedding is off, with everyone here, why delay it any further?"

Luo Gongyou frowned, "Mother, what exactly is it?"

He Ruyan looked at Luo Gongyou, then at the pale and weak Luo Shanting in the hospital bed, at Luo Wenhuan standing by the bedside, and at Luo Suiyun in the ward, before finally turning to the unperturbed Luo Qianjian.

With a sigh, He Ruyan said, "I... You You, Suiyun, Wenhuan, Shanting, your mother has something very important to tell you."

"You've been adopted into our family for many years now, and even the youngest among you has come of age. I intend... to dissolve the adoption agreements. From now on, the family will no longer provide for you, and when I grow old, I won't require your support..."

The four of them—Luo Gongyou and the rest—were incredulous, their shock evident as they all paled simultaneously.