Chapter 64

Chapter 64

Seeing Li Yang go out alone to meet Jiang Chengyan, Shen Tingzhou couldn't help but worry.

Li Yang was still sick. What if Jiang Chengyan, in a fit of emotion, accidentally pushed him over?

Just as he was about to go out, Kang Qiqiao called to him.

Shen Tingzhou turned around and heard Kang Qiqiao say, "Mr. Shen, don't worry. Jiang Chengyan likes Li Yang; he won't do anything to him."

What?

Shen Tingzhou's eyes widened in shock. What kind of complicated love quadrangle was this!

If that were the case, then Jiang Chengyan was simply a born troublemaker, saying he liked Li Yang with his words but acting otherwise toward Kang Qiqiao.

Indeed, the two outside did not argue. Li Yang said something to Jiang Chengyan.

Jiang Chengyan looked at Kang Qiqiao with a complex expression, who turned away, not wanting to see him at all.

Jiang Chengyan opened his mouth, but ultimately left under Li Yang's persuasion.

After Li Yang returned, he walked up to Kang Qiqiao.

Looking at the exhausted Kang Qiqiao, he gently said, "Brother, why don't you go back to your room and rest? I'll talk to them properly and make sure they don't bother you again."

Kang Qiqiao remained silent. His feelings for Li Yang were complicated, and he never knew how to face him.

Avoiding Li Yang's gaze, Kang Qiqiao stood up and said to Shen Tingzhou, "Mr. Shen, I'm going back to my room."

Shen Tingzhou nodded, "Rest well."

Li Yang nodded to Shen Tingzhou and then followed Kang Qiqiao upstairs.

Watching their backs, Shen Tingzhou sighed.

-

Later that evening, the Steward called, asking Shen Tingzhou to pick up a potted plant from a friend's house.

The Steward was busy in another city, and the friend he mentioned was Su Yu's father.

While picking up the potted plant, Shen Tingzhou stopped by the Boyue Hotel to visit Qin Shiyao.

Yes, it was the Boyue Hotel where many dramatic events had occurred, also part of Han Ziyan's family business.

The video of Han Ziyan being arrested on his wedding day spread rapidly online, leading to the exposure of other scandals involving the Han family's businesses, causing the company's market value to plummet overnight.

To recover, the Han family began selling some of their assets.

The Boyue Hotel was sold at a low price to the Qin family, and Old Master Qin assigned Qin Shiyao to manage it.

Qin Shiyao inherited the gossip hotspot, and Shen Tingzhou felt she was quite the "fairy princess."

Qin Shiyao changed into loose-fitting casual suits, wearing only a watch, looking both professional and capable.

Shen Tingzhou couldn't help but call out to her, "President Qin, could you help me with something?"

Qin Shiyao put on her CEO demeanor, "Sure, Xiao Shen. What is it?"

Shen Tingzhou handed her his phone, "Could you ask Miss Ling which plastic surgery hospital would be best for treating scars like these?"

Qin Shiyao glanced at the picture on the phone, "Send me the photo."

Shen Tingzhou sent her the image he found through search engines.

Qin Shiyao quickly typed on her phone, sending a message to Ling Yun: "I have a question for you. You definitely don't know the answer."

Shen Tingzhou: ...

If someone else had asked him like that, he would have said, "Why ask if you already know the answer?"

But Ling Yun, always competitive, immediately replied, "Nonsense! There's nothing this aunt doesn't know!"

Qin Shiyao sent the photo: "Which plastic surgery hospital would be best for removing this kind of scar?"

Ling Yun: "Go to Jiating Plastic Surgery Hospital in Shengbo."

Qin Shiyao told Shen Tingzhou, "Go to Jiating Plastic Surgery Hospital in Shengbo."

Shen Tingzhou: "... Thank you."

Ling Yun soon realized what had happened: "Qin Shiyao, I didn't expect you to be so underhanded, using provocation to get information from me!"

Qin Shiyao replied, "I asked my friend. He said the doctors at Jiating aren't as good as those at Shengyimei. Haven't you been keeping up with the medical aesthetics industry lately? How can you be so behind?"

Ling Yun: "There's nothing in the medical aesthetics world that this aunt doesn't know. This Shengyimei must be some third-rate outfit, daring to compare itself to Jiating's doctors!"

To prove her dominance in the medical aesthetics field, Ling Yun sent over a lot of relevant information, each piece useful.

Qin Shiyao forwarded everything to Shen Tingzhou.

Looking at these professional and detailed responses, Shen Tingzhou felt that Ling Yun was truly wasted in any other profession.

Qin Shiyao sent Ling Yun a red envelope.

Ling Yun: "?"

Qin Shiyao: "Consultation fee. Don't be shy, Little Ling. It's what you deserve."

Ling Yun was so angry that she immediately blocked Qin Shiyao.

Shen Tingzhou couldn't help but feel some sympathy for Ling Yun and said helplessly, "You shouldn't keep bullying her like this..."

Seeing Shen Tingzhou pause, Qin Shiyao followed his gaze.

Three tall, handsome men with distinct auras walked into the Boyue Hotel together.

From Shen Tingzhou's expression, Qin Shiyao sensed something interesting and quickly called the front desk.

After confirming that they had booked an executive suite, Qin Shiyao's expression turned increasingly deranged as she asked Shen Tingzhou, "Do you know them? Who are they, and why did they book one room? What are they doing in my hotel?"

Shen Tingzhou struggled to control his expression and managed to say, "We're not really close."

Indeed, he had only met two of them today.

One was Li Yang, another was Jiang Chengyan, and the other, Yan Xun, he had met just a couple of days ago.

Why were these three entering the hotel together and booking a single room?

Could it be that Li Yang wanted a quiet place to have a serious talk with Yan Xun and Jiang Chengyan?

Qin Shiyao's eyes sparkled: Oh, this sounds like a juicy situation!

-

Once inside the room, Li Yang said, "Take a seat first."

Yan Xun and Jiang Chengyan sat down on opposite sides of the sofa without saying a word, avoiding each other's gaze.

Li Yang took ice cubes and soda water from the mini-fridge at the bar, poured Yan Xun a glass of soda without ice, gave Jiang Chengyan a glass with ice, and took a cup of hot tea for himself.

Taking a sip of his tea, Li Yang said, "I know you both have some issues with my brother, but you can't take advantage of him while I'm abroad."

Yan Xun and Jiang Chengyan remained silent.

Li Yang's gaze swept over them. "I called you here today to discuss this matter on behalf of my brother. His wish is that you never appear before him again."

Jiang Chengyan suddenly looked up. "There might be some misunderstanding between us. I still hope..."

Li Yang interrupted him, holding his teacup. "No misunderstandings. My brother made it very clear; he doesn't want to see you."

Jiang Chengyan froze, his breath caught in his throat, his Adam's apple bobbing.

Yan Xun, who had been silent, spoke up, "I won't divorce him."

Before knowing Kang Qiqiao, he indeed disliked him.

But as they got to know each other better, Yan Xun realized that Kang Qiqiao was a very contradictory person—selfish yet selfless, cruel and petty but also simple and innocent in certain ways.

Although he refused to donate a kidney to Li Yang, he was willing to sell one to raise money for his grandfather's surgery.

Pausing for a few seconds, Yan Xun continued, "He is still my legal partner, and I will take him back."

He had done many wrong things, but he hoped to make amends.

Jiang Chengyan's expression turned cold, about to speak, but Li Yang spoke first, his voice still calm, "My brother doesn't want to see you, and the person he hates the most is actually you."

Hearing this, Jiang Chengyan felt a bit relieved.

He took a gulp of his soda, unable to resist taunting, "You're even more shameless than me, thinking you can take him away with just a few words?"

Yan Xun clenched his hand, tensely asking Li Yang, "How is he doing?"

Jiang Chengyan immediately added, "I noticed his complexion isn't good. I know an excellent old Chinese medicine doctor who could help Qiao Qiao."

Li Yang gently placed his teacup down.

Both of them seemed to sense something, and for a moment, no one spoke.

The atmosphere fell silent, and after a few seconds, Li Yang broke the silence.

"Besides conveying my brother's wishes, I also want to hear your compensation plans for him."

Jiang Chengyan spoke first. "I know I've been an asshole. I hurt Qiao Qiao. I'm willing to give him my entire life, including all my assets, hoping he'll give me another chance."

Li Yang didn't respond, lowering his eyes to stroke the rim of his cup, his expression unreadable.

Yan Xun asked, "What does he think?"

Li Yang's movements stopped. "My brother..."

Yan Xun subconsciously touched his sleeve, cutting his finger on the edge, but he didn't care even as it bled.

Jiang Chengyan nervously gulped some water. "What did Qiao Qiao say?"

Li Yang shook his head. "He has no thoughts. His only wish is never to see you again, probably unwilling to have any connection with you."

Their eyes dimmed.

"But I think you should compensate him somehow," Li Yang said softly, turning the cup in his hands. "What do you think?"

He lifted his head, looking at Yan Xun and Jiang Chengyan with a calm, indifferent gaze they had never seen before.

They were slightly taken aback.

Due to his illness, Li Yang couldn't have too much emotional fluctuation. In Yan Xun and Jiang Chengyan's memories, he was always calm and gentle, like a cup of clear tea or a beam of moonlight.

Being around Li Yang was always comfortable, which is why they liked him and held him in a special place in their hearts.

Because of Li Yang, they both had a bad impression of Kang Qiqiao from the start, always unconsciously comparing the brothers.

Li Yang's high moral character made Kang Qiqiao seem vulgar and vain in comparison.

This was the first time Jiang Chengyan had seen such an expression on the gentle Li Yang's face. He felt a sudden tightness in his chest and his breathing quickened.

Jiang Chengyan asked hoarsely, "What do you plan to do?"

Li Yang looked at him coldly and said, "At the very least, I will treat you as you treated me."

Yan Xun noticed a small needle at his cuff. When he was thinking or feeling pressured, he would unconsciously touch his cuff—a little gesture known by few.

Yan Xun pulled out the needle, stood up unsteadily, and asked Li Yang in a deep voice, "Did you drug us?"

Jiang Chengyan's immediate reaction was disbelief, "How could that be possible?"

But his breathing grew more rapid, and his limbs became weak and numb. Jiang Chengyan looked at Li Yang in disbelief, his vision blurring.

Yan Xun leaned against the sofa backrest, his voice rough, "What do you want to do?"

Li Yang took a step back, "I said, at the very least, I will repay you in kind. Whatever you did to my brother, you should suffer the same punishment."

Jiang Chengyan tried to stand up, but his body wouldn't obey him.

Seeing Li Yang's expression, he had a bad feeling and pleaded, "Little Li, don't mess around. We grew up together."

Yan Xun took out his phone, and Li Yang walked over and threw it aside.

Looking at the two men before him, Li Yang's tone was icy, "I thought we grew up together too. You wouldn't really do anything to him."

-

Jiang Chengyan lay limp on the bed, fully conscious but unable to move.

Seeing Yan Xun's eyes dilated and his breath heavy, inching closer, Jiang Chengyan struggled to speak, "Yan..."

Yan Xun's hand was cuffed to the bedpost. He tried to break the handcuffs, causing a clanging noise, but it was futile even though his wrist was bleeding.

The pain made him somewhat clearer, and he shook off the sweat from his forehead. A burning sensation kept his mind fluctuating between clarity and confusion.

Yan Xun looked at the bed.

Kang Qiqiao lay there, flushed, writhing on the white sheets.

Yan Xun's breath hitched, and he couldn't help leaning in closer.

Jiang Chengyan's neck tingled as Yan Xun left wet marks with his kisses. His pupils trembled with shock and anger, "Yan Xun, you bastard, get yourself together."

Yan Xun's eyes were bloodshot, his whole body burning with discomfort. He bit down hard on the person before him, trying to alleviate the unbearable torment.

"Yan Xun, you bastard, I'll kill your whole family!"

Jiang Chengyan yelled and cursed, struggling with all his might.

Perhaps finding the handcuffs bothersome, Yan Xun pinned Jiang Chengyan to the headboard.

Without any precautions, he forced entry like prying open a shell.

Jiang Chengyan gripped the sheets, unable to make a sound for several seconds, his vision filled with chaotic shadows.

Yan Xun held Jiang Chengyan's waist tightly, the handcuffs clanking against the headboard.

Jiang Chengyan crumpled the sheets, his head thrown back, breathing silently.

Completely unconscious, Yan Xun pressed Jiang Chengyan down, his teeth sinking into his neck until blood flowed.

Jiang Chengyan, drenched in sweat, endured everything.

Afterward, Jiang Chengyan felt as if he had died.

The person behind still held him tightly. Jiang Chengyan rasped, "Get lost."

The effects of the drug on Yan Xun had not worn off. He held Jiang Chengyan's waist and turned him over.

Realizing what he intended, Jiang Chengyan's face filled with terror, "Yan Xun, you..."

Yan Xun remained silent, his eyes bloodshot, and bit Jiang Chengyan's mouth, thrusting forward.

Jiang Chengyan shouted, "I'll kill you!"

-

After leaving Qin Shiyao, Shen Tingzhou drove to the Su family's old residence to pick up a potted plant.

Su Qiang personally brought out the potted plant and grumbled upon seeing Shen Tingzhou, "Why didn't you bring your beloved Xiao Zhou?"

Shen Tingzhou smiled wryly, "He is not my beloved; he is just a friend."

Su Qiang retorted angrily, "Even so, you shouldn't let him hang out with the Yu family, especially Yu Er! Do you know how bad he is?"

Seeing his strong reaction, Shen Tingzhou wondered, "Do you have a grudge against Yu Er, no, Mr. Yu?"

"I have a grudge against the entire Yu family, especially this Yu Er. He's just as bad as his brother. I wish I could..." Su Qiang made a tearing and stomping motion.

Seeing his anger, Shen Tingzhou quickly reassured him, "Don't worry, my relationship with him is average."

Su Qiang relaxed, "That's good. He's extremely twisted. Last time, he..."

Shen Tingzhou was startled, thinking of Zhou Zitan, "What happened last time?"

Su Qiang hesitated, "Nothing."

Shen Tingzhou: "He didn't..."

Su Qiang couldn't hide his feelings, "Yes, last time I suggested he take his brother's position, and he tied me up and gagged me!"

Shen Tingzhou: ...

"Big Qiang really doesn't miss any opportunity to cause trouble. When he can't get what he wants from Yu Mingyan, he goes to incite Yu Jurong."

Su Qiang continued his complaint, "This bastard not only does that, but he also calls me Big Qiang. I truly hate these Yu family members..."

Before Su Qiang could finish, a tall and handsome man approached, "Qiang Qiang."

Shen Tingzhou recognized the man as the one who held Su Qiang's ankle that night, saying he was willing to be his most obedient dog.

With an outsider present, the man behaved normally, "Didn't we agree to go out together today?"

Su Qiang was impatient, "Who agreed with you? If you have something important, say it; if not, don't bother me while I'm talking to Dr. Shen."

As soon as he finished speaking, the man cast an unfriendly glance at Shen Tingzhou.

Shen Tingzhou cleared the air without showing any emotion, "I'll head back now. My partner is waiting for me at home."

The man's gaze softened upon hearing this, shifting from hostile to calm.

Su Qiang reacted strongly, taking two steps back and swaying slightly, "You actually have a partner?"

His tone and expression suggested some hidden feelings for Shen Tingzhou.

The man's gaze turned into a Gatling gun, shooting hostile glances at Shen Tingzhou.

Shen Tingzhou: "For a long time now."

Seeing his firm response, which didn't seem to be stringing Su Qiang along, the man stopped his hostile gaze.

Su Qiang asked, "Does that rotten fish know?"

Shen Tingzhou paused before realizing he meant Su Yu, "Yes."

Su Qiang's tone sank, "I knew I wasn't important to you."

The man's gaze intensified again, like a flamethrower trying to tear Shen Tingzhou apart, even grinding his teeth.

Master of neutrality Shen Tingzhou: "...He found out by accident. I told you personally."

Hearing this, Su Qiang immediately changed his demeanor, "Then I wish you both a long and happy life!"

Shen Tingzhou smiled, "Thank you."

Su Qiang's indifferent attitude made the man feel relieved once more.

He smiled and greeted Shen Tingzhou, "Dr. Shen, right? I've heard Qiang Qiang mention you. Let's have dinner together sometime."

In his heart, Shen Tingzhou thought, "You really have mastered the art of changing faces."

Out loud, he said, "Sure."

Su Qiang shrugged off the man's hand on his shoulder, "Go away."

The man wasn't angry, smiling as he looked at Shen Tingzhou, "Dr. Shen, do you have anything else to do?"

Realizing the man was trying to get him to leave, Shen Tingzhou, used to such behavior, replied, "No, I'll be going now."

Under the watchful eyes of Su Qiang and the face-changing man, Shen Tingzhou sped off.

Halfway through, Qin Shiyao called.

Shen Tingzhou pulled over and answered the call.

Qin Shiyao's regretful voice came through, "One person left."

Shen Tingzhou responded, "Who left?"

Qin Shiyao: "The artistic one left."

Artistic? Did some art world giant pass away?

Shen Tingzhou: "When did they leave?"

Qin Shiyao: "Five minutes ago, but the other two haven't checked out yet."

Hearing this, Shen Tingzhou finally understood who she was referring to, and after a moment of silence, he said, "Okay, I understand."

Qin Shiyao pondered, "Why do you think the other one left? Was it because of the position or the price?"

Already adept at understanding the situation, Xiao Shen sighed, "If it was about the price, you should call the police."

Qin Shiyao was disappointed, "I thought there would be some juicy gossip, but no."

Shen Tingzhou silently hung up the call and drove back to Xiao Xu's place.

-

When Shen Tingzhou returned, the artistic Li Yang was in the living room getting water, which gave him a sense of comfort.

Indeed, Li Yang had gone to negotiate with the other two people at the hotel. This time, Shen Tingzhou felt he had finally found a reliable younger brother.

Satisfied, Shen Tingzhou went back to his room and made a video call to Xiao Xu.

That afternoon, Xu Xun's grandmother had called him back, along with Fu Huaifei.

Through the video call, Shen Tingzhou saw Fu Huaifei and Xiao Sang, the steward, who was studying new braiding techniques.

Fu's grandmother sipped her tea and said to Shen Tingzhou, "Dr. Shen is truly blessed."

Shen Tingzhou: ?

Grandma Fu: "Xiao Dhai's hair isn't as long as Fu Ya's, so you don't need to tie it up for him."

Hearing Grandma's teasing, Fu Huaifei didn't react as strongly as before; he just pursed his lips. Steward Xiao Sang leaned over and whispered a few comforting words.

Since Grandma had included Xu Xun in her teasing, the vengeful Xiao Xu took his phone upstairs, refusing to let her appear on camera again.

Shen Tingzhou couldn't help but laugh. Seeing Xu Xun looking at him with dissatisfaction, he straightened his lips, "When are you coming back?"

Xu Xun replied, "Soon."

Just as Shen Tingzhou was about to say, "Do you want me to pick you up? I have nothing else going on," Qin Shiyao called again.

Seeing that Shen Tingzhou was on the line, Qin Shiyao sent an explosive text message—

"The Empress killed the Empress!"

Shen Tingzhou saw the message and was full of question marks. Qin Shiyao then sent a second one—

"The attacker stabbed the attacker!"

Shen Tingzhou scratched his head, wondering what this could mean.

Noticing Shen Tingzhou's distraction, Xu Xun asked, "What's wrong?"

Shen Tingzhou replied instinctively, "The attacker stabbed the attacker."

Xu Xun responded with a hum, "What?"

Shen Tingzhou laughed and shook his head, "I don't know. Someone sent it to me. It might be a prank."

Qin Shiyao quickly sent a third message, and Shen Tingzhou stopped laughing.

"Two of the three men who came to the hotel today got into a knife fight. One is in the police station, and the other was taken away by an ambulance."

Shen Tingzhou read the message twice in disbelief, then said to Xu Xun, "I have something to deal with here. I'll call you back later."

Ending the video call with Xu Xun, Shen Tingzhou immediately dialed Qin Shiyao.

Qin Shiyao didn't know much more. She was only cooperating with the relevant departments as the hotel manager during their investigation.

Through her description, Shen Tingzhou learned that Jiang Chengyan had been sleeping and then stabbed Yan Xun.

When the hotel staff entered the room, they found blood all over the bed, with Yan Xun lying in a pool of blood. In panic, they called the police.

Qin Shiyao said, "If this incident gets out of hand, it would be terrible for our hotel's reputation. But we can pin this on the Han family. The public already thinks the hotel belongs to the Han Group, and their stock value is already low. They won't mind it getting even lower, right?"

Shen Tingzhou: ...You understand the art of cunning well.

Due to the wedding, Shen Tingzhou didn't have a good impression of the Han family, so he wasn't too concerned about their stock value dropping further.

What truly shocked him was that Jiang Chengyan had stabbed Yan Xun. How could these two end up together?

A name suddenly popped into Shen Tingzhou's mind.