Chapter 56 Leaving

Chapter 56: Departure

The police brought him news of Li Ping; she was doing okay, and the local hospital was taking good care of her.

But medical standards were limited, and the drugs Ting Huayi had given her had no real treatment for it in the country. She'd need to be transferred to Central Europe later for further testing and treatment.

Li Wangyue asked to contact his mother, but the police turned him down without saying why. He figured it was probably to stop them from colluding.

The investigation into the Ting family was still going on. Things looked calm on the surface with no news, but things were brewing beneath the surface, and investigations into the Huacheng Group and the whole Ting family were quietly underway.

No one said a word until the dust settled. They wanted Huacheng to fall, but they were also scared that if it did, the dirt hiding behind it would have no place left to hide.

Li Wangyue got in touch with Ji Zhijia, who had no idea Li Wangyue had been missing this whole time.

Because he'd been in constant contact with "Li Wangyue."

Ji Zhijia was furious, cursing Ting Zhenxi out over the phone, even dragging his ancestors into it.

As Li Wangyue listened, he couldn't help remembering how Ji Zhijia had debated a crowd in college, making everyone cry with his sharp tongue.

Now he knew what that felt like.

By the end of his rant, Ji Zhijia's voice cracked: "How did I not notice? He's such a damn actor! He said you went on vacation to clear your head. I thought Aunt Ping had gone abroad too, so you deserved a break. I didn't wanna bother you. If only I'd asked a few more questions..."

Li Wangyue had to comfort him.

Ji Zhijia wanted to meet, but the situation was too sensitive. They just did a video call instead.

Seeing how much worse Li Wangyue looked in just two weeks, Ji Zhijia was both worried and upset.

Li Wangyue needed to ask a favor: could Ji Zhijia find out where Li Ping's test report was submitted and through what channels?

Ji Zhijia said yes without a second thought.

"Are you safe now? Is that guy still gonna bother you?" He was still worried about Li Wangyue.

Li Wangyue shook his head, then, after thinking for a second, told him about the Ting family's mess.

Ji Zhijia was shocked. "I hadn't heard anything..." He paused, like he was remembering something. "No wonder that last project got suspended. They said files were lost and needed to be double-checked. It must have been a Huacheng investment..."

Ji Zhijia was more worried about whether Li Wangyue would get caught up in it.

Li Wangyue said honestly, "I don't know."

Logically, if the group Ting Huayi ran was in trouble, Li Wangyue, as the heir, would get investigated too. But so far, they'd only asked him about Li Ping's poisoning.

He suddenly remembered the stack of documents Ting Zhenxi had made him sign.

Power transfer documents and stuff like that...

Li Wangyue frowned, walked over to the window, and took a deep breath.

The signatures he'd made gave away power, but also responsibility and risk.

Ji Zhijia urged him to be extremely careful. If Ting Huayi was twisted enough to poison his wives, he might come after Li Wangyue too.

Li Wangyue knew that was one reason the police told him to stay in a safe house.

The news was reporting a fatal fall at a nearby construction site, with safety warnings blaring. Only at the end did it briefly mention a financial investigation into some investment company under the Huacheng Group. It was probably a stopgap after intense PR efforts and power plays.

The news slowly faded into the background.

The house was dark. Li Wangyue held his phone, the dim light casting shadows on his face as he stared at the empty message box.

Since he'd escaped from the cabin, there'd been no word from Ting Zhenxi.

Like he'd known Li Wangyue would leave all along.

Li Wangyue slumped onto the couch in a daze. His hand accidentally brushed the scar on his inner thigh, now scabbed over.

He knew there was a tracker there.

He hated it, despised it. In the days and nights he was imprisoned in the cabin, he felt like a dog on a leash.

He even wanted to dig the tracker out of his skin.

But Ting Zhenxi had taken away all sharp objects from the room. Even Li Wangyue's nails, Ting Zhenxi would cut himself, leaving no chance for him.

He'd thought about using the metal strip from a pen to cut his skin open and get the tracker out.

But that would tip off Ting Zhenxi, and he only had one shot—he couldn't waste it here.

Li Wangyue stared at the small scar, then suddenly turned and pulled a utility knife from the drawer. He aimed the blade at the scar and pressed it in.

He only made a small cut. The second blood seeped out, he snapped back to reality.

He wiped at the blood, smearing it all over his leg. The slight sting made him frown.

He gazed at the bloodstain, then raised his hand and licked the red off his fingertip.

A metallic taste.

Slightly warm.

This was the taste of his own blood.

His mind flashed back to the vial of venous blood Ting Zhenxi had given him—dirty, discarded, a deep reddish-brown that had flowed through every part of his body.

Li Wangyue's chest tightened. He grabbed the trash can and vomited.

·

Li Ping was transferred to a top-tier hospital in Central Europe for treatment.

The doctor looked at her blood sample, was really surprised, and immediately pulled up another patient's report.

It was Jiang Suwan's organ biopsy.

Jiang Suwan had suffered the same fate—ailing with no identifiable cause, deteriorating to the point of no return, with only palliative care.

After comparison, the lesions detectable in the biopsy matched the toxin residues in Li Ping's system.

The situation was clear, but there was still no evidence proving Ting Huayi had administered the poison. The police had to ensure a clear chain of evidence.

That evening, Huacheng was rocked by a massive scandal. Investigations revealed severe violations, including stock price manipulation and insider trading, with executives cashing out at high levels. There were also multiple allegations of bribery and cross-border asset transfers during Ting Huayi's tenure. Everything exploded overnight.

Li Wangyue watched the news coverage of the Huacheng investigation—chaotic scenes, the CFO being taken away, reporters swarming in, police maintaining order.

There was no sign of that figure.

True, given his high position, even in such a chaotic situation, he wouldn't show up personally.

But with a scandal like this blowing up, the CEO would surely be held accountable by the board. Resigning with dignity would be a decent way out; if the board deems this a major liability, they might just toss the CEO as a scapegoat to restore investor trust and protect the group's reputation—that's not out of the question.

Now, Huacheng can barely keep itself afloat, and none of its usual allies dare to step into the muddy waters.

Except for Zhao Bing.

Zhao Bing ain't afraid of nothing, charging in like a moth to a flame to protect Ting Zhenxi. Even after Zhao Xiujian warned him over and over, he still shamelessly pushed forward, only settling down after being grounded at home.

Rumors brewed for a whole day, and news of the Huacheng CEO's resignation spread quickly. The press conference was set for two hours later.

Li Wangyue turned off the TV and got up to hang clothes.

When he got out, he was still wearing the clothes Ting Zhenxi bought him.

He said he wanted his own stuff, but Ting Zhenxi told him he didn't need anything of his own—he would buy everything for him.

Li Wangyue didn't get his need for control; it just made him feel like a dressed-up pet.

Later, he bought a lot of clothes—his own clothes—but this set he wanted to throw away, but couldn't.

It was like it had latched onto his skin. He found it totally disgusting, wanting to tear it off, but the second he ripped it off, it left his skin bloody and raw, making him even more uncomfortable.

He could only fall asleep in that shirt.

Just like before, when he could only sleep holding onto Ting Zhenxi's coat.

·

By the time Li Ping was brought back, Li Wangyue hadn't heard anything about Huacheng in a long time.

He deliberately avoided it, cutting himself off from all news. Otherwise, with such a big stir, he definitely would've caught wind of it.

But he didn't want to know.

The day Li Ping came back to the country was rainy—a real downpour.

Her marriage to Ting Huayi was still legally intact, and since Ting Huayi's whereabouts were still unknown, she had to cooperate with the police and give them information.

After so long apart, and after going through something like that, Li Ping held onto Li Wangyue tight, sobbing her heart out.

Li Wangyue was drowning in guilt.

"It's not your fault, it never was..." Li Ping said through tear-filled eyes. "If I hadn't married him back then, none of this would've..."

Li Wangyue shook his head gently and wiped her tears away. "Once the divorce goes through, we'll leave here, go to another city. Sell the house in the county and buy a new one."

He figured Li Ping wouldn't want to stay here either, so selling the old house was the best option.

Li Ping nodded.

Filing for divorce was a bit of a hassle, but luckily, the police had already tracked Ting Huayi's movements and were keeping a close watch.

Li Ping's health gradually recovered. Ji Zhijia came by often, and when he found out they were moving to Heda Island, he was sad to see them go.

Li Ping said, "Once you get promoted to office director, it'll be closer then."

The Forensic Department's headquarters was near Heda Island, just a thirty-minute drive.

Hearing that, Ji Zhijia got all fired up.

Li Ping's job got transferred to Heda Island. The pay wasn't as high as at the private hospital, but it was stable. Having been a doctor her whole life, she still felt the trauma from this marriage would take more time to heal.

Li Wangyue took an offer from a design company, figuring he needed a job first.

He hadn't been caught up in Huacheng's mess, so naturally, he had no right to any profit shares.

After selling the house in the county, Li Ping bought a new one near the hospital. It wasn't big, and the neighbors were mostly families with kids, so it was pretty safe.

Li Wangyue thought back to that apartment he'd once looked at—three bedrooms and two living rooms, very cozy, with a mountain view from the window.

But now, that was nothing but a pipe dream.

He looked at other places, but none of them satisfied him.

Coming out of the subway, it started to rain. He didn't have an umbrella, so he hurried into a nearby convenience store to take shelter.

The rain came down hard and fast. Many people crowded under the store's awning, each absorbed in their phones.

The store owner was dozing off, snoring loudly, while his phone played a radio news broadcast—the announcement of Huacheng's new CEO.

After the upheaval, Huacheng's stock price had dropped significantly. The old CEO had resigned, leaving no one at the helm, and a new leader was urgently needed to stabilize confidence.

"In response to the recent series of events, we will conduct a rigorous internal investigation..."

As soon as the voice came through, Li Wangyue's fingers paused mid-text.

Ting Wanxi. One of Ting Huayi's illegitimate sons. That man's half-brother.

He was momentarily distracted, then continued messaging his colleague about the details.

The storm passed as quickly as it came, and soon the skies cleared. Li Wangyue prepared to head to another appointment with a real estate agent.

He hadn't taken more than a few steps when the agent called.

Li Wangyue held the phone between his ear and shoulder while searching for his documents. "Hello, I'll be right there..."

"Mr. Li, I've checked and found that you already own a property under your name in Yunling. For another purchase, you'll need additional documents. Could you please stop by the Real Estate Registration Center to get them when it's convenient?"

Li Wangyue stopped in his tracks and steadied the phone. "What?"

The agent flipped through the records. "You already have a purchase record in Yunling from a while back. Buying another one so soon is a bit tricky..."

Li Wangyue was silent for a moment, then asked, "When was that?"

"On the first day of the Lunar New Year."