BSS CH 16

Report

Cheng Jing forcefully pulled out the shard, causing the blood to flow even more rapidly. For a moment, everything around him seemed to freeze, but Dot’s screams soon broke through the silence.

Children are indeed adorable when quiet, but not so much when they’re noisy. Cheng Jing’s nerves frayed with every shriek, his heart pounding erratically in sync with Dot’s voice. The last thing he wanted was to attract attention.

He covered Dot’s mouth, turning to warn him in a low, stern voice, “Stop shouting!”

Some nearby guests had already begun to glance their way. In his panic, Cheng Jing used his injured hand, smearing bright red blood across Dot’s pale cheeks.

The gentle uncle from moments ago had transformed into someone cold and severe, his eyes flashing with a harsh intensity. Blood stained his mouth and nose, making even the calmest child afraid. Dot began crying louder and harder.

Fearful of his own actions, Cheng Jing released his hand and grabbed a hot towel from the table to wipe Dot’s face. He didn’t even notice the blood from his palm spilling more and more. The scene quickly descended into chaos.

Security guards in black soon escorted Cheng Jing away to a separate dressing room to treat his wound. Dot sat nearby, crying until he was exhausted, then moved closer to check on Cheng Jing’s injury.

The medic carefully removed each piece of glass from Cheng Jing’s palm. He furrowed his brow, biting back the pain, and gently covered Dot’s eyes with his free hand.

“Don’t look,” he said softly. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have covered your mouth earlier.”

“It’s okay.” Dot turned his head to escape Cheng Jing’s hand, then hugged his waist, sniffling. “Does it hurt, Uncle?”

“No, it doesn’t. Will you blow on it for me?” Cheng Jing smoothed Dot’s hair.

For some reason, Cheng Jing thought that Liang Jingmin’s bride must be a kind, gentle woman to have raised such a sweet child.

Dot blew air toward the wound from a distance. Cheng Jing watched him with eyes filled with unexpected tenderness.

A staff member stood nearby. Once Cheng Jing’s wound was nearly treated, the staffer approached and asked, “Mr. Pei, according to our records, you were invited personally by Mr. Liang but didn’t confirm your attendance. Could you please show your invitation?”

Before he could finish, a woman burst through the door. She wore a casual black suit, her high heels clicking urgently on the floor. Her semi-long hair was tied back, and her sharp features exuded elegance.

She rushed to Dot and scooped him into her arms, calling his name. “Dot!”

She looked hurried, clearly summoned by a staff member. After inspecting Dot’s face and seeing the traces of blood, she turned to Cheng Jing. Her eyes held a hint of accusation, but her voice was low and weary. “What happened?”

Cheng Jing knew he was at fault and didn’t argue. Instead, he offered a polite apology. “I’m truly sorry. If I can make it up, I’d like to compensate for any distress caused to the child.”

Dot tugged on the woman’s sleeve. “Aunt Su, don’t be mad. He already said sorry. I’m fine.”

Su Xiao knelt to hug Dot, kissed his cheek, and stood up. “Alright. It was my fault for arriving late.”

She glanced at Cheng Jing’s still-bleeding hand, hesitating to press the matter further. Her voice softened. “Forget it. Just be more careful next time.”

“Dot, let’s go home.”

“Aren’t we waiting for Mom? She said she wanted to leave with us,” Dot asked, looking up.

Before Su Xiao could reply, the door opened again. Her face showed a flash of surprise, as though she didn’t want to see the person entering. Meanwhile, Cheng Jing tensed up—he recognized the impeccably dressed man: Liang Yulin.

Liang Yulin extended a hand. “President Su, what brings you here?”

Holding the child, Su Xiao didn’t respond, simply saying, “I came to pick him up.”

Not wanting to engage further, she nodded briefly and left the room without another word.

Unbothered by her coldness, Liang Yulin lowered his hand and glanced at Cheng Jing, his interest piqued.

The staff member was still waiting for Cheng Jing’s invitation and seized the chance to explain. “Mr. Liang, the situation is this. This guest…”

Liang Yulin raised his hand, cutting him off. “It’s fine. Mr. Cheng is my personal guest.”

With just a few words, he resolved the crisis. The staff member, now unsure whether Cheng’s real name was Cheng or Pei, quickly withdrew.

Liang Yulin smirked. “Look who’s here.”

Cheng Jing, who had been examining his bandaged hand, looked up coldly. Their eyes met, and he said nothing.

“That new hair color suits you. I almost didn’t recognize you,” Liang Yulin continued. “You really went all out to attend my brother’s wedding.”

“Isn’t this what you wanted?” Cheng Jing retorted. “You were so eager to inform me. Without your urgency, I wouldn’t have realized that Zhai Zhenlei was one of your people.”

Back then, Cheng Jing had been strictly confined to the lakeside villa. It was only during a brief power outage that Liang Yulin had strolled in so brazenly—while only the butler, Zhai, had been present.

Earlier, when he had glimpsed the truth, Cheng Jing couldn’t control his temper and slapped the butler, Zhai, across the cheek—a release of long-held anger.

There was a flicker of pain in Cheng Jing’s eyes, but Liang Yulin caught a glimpse of satisfaction.

“Liang Jingmin is still on stage dancing with his bride. Your plan is in vain; you won’t get to see him.”

“I’m not here to see him,” Cheng Jing replied calmly.

“Fine,” Liang Yulin spread his hands, “but I’m here to see you.”

He continued, “Actually, I came to share some good news. Time is short, so I’ll update you quickly.” Liang Yulin handed him his phone, the screen displaying what appeared to be a draft article.

Cheng Jing took the phone, scanning Liang Yulin’s face briefly.

Liang Yulin’s tone still carried the same inflection as before, reminding Cheng Jing of their early encounters when he was still working. Liang Yulin was the first person he had met back then.

He bore a striking resemblance to Liang Jingmin, and Cheng Jing had suspected they were brothers, though he never asked directly.

A few days after they met, Liang Yulin had pursued him intensely. Cheng Jing admitted he had been drawn to that faint resemblance between the brothers and agreed to a first date. But he soon realized how absurd his decision had been; he wasn’t in the right frame of mind for a relationship. Moreover, Liang Yulin was nothing like his older brother.

Once Cheng Jing understood his feelings, he had politely declined Liang Yulin’s advances without revealing the real reason. It had all seemed settled, and Liang Yulin had appeared accepting at the time.

He had thought it was just a fleeting, inconsequential encounter. But everything became complicated when he discovered they were brothers.

Years passed, and Cheng Jing felt he had come to understand Liang Yulin a little better. Yet, just as with Liang Jingmin, he could never fully grasp the younger brother’s motives.

The phone screen showed a draft news article titled “CEO of Liang Corporation, Liang Jingmin, Exposed for Sexual Abuse Crimes.”

As Cheng Jing frowned and skimmed the article, Liang Yulin casually walked to the door and locked it.

When Cheng Jing finished reading, it felt like molten heat seared through his chest, while icy drops seemed to trickle down his spine.

The photos included were the injury records he had submitted to the police back then—evidence of his accusations. The article detailed Liang Jingmin’s alleged domestic violence, abuse, and bigamy in vivid, semi-truthful detail. Anyone uninformed of the full story would surely despise Liang Jingmin.

“So, what do you think, Mr. Cheng? Satisfied with the write-up?” Liang Yulin smirked. “Thanks for the material you provided at your own expense. Frankly, the part featuring you is the highlight.”

Indeed, the entire article hinged on Cheng Jing’s original police report. Without that solid evidence, it would have been dismissed as another sensational hoax. Now, it felt all too credible.

Cheng Jing’s voice tightened. “Has this been published?”

“Not yet. I’m waiting for your go-ahead, Mr. Cheng,” Liang Yulin taunted, his arrogance swelling. “I’ve been curious about how you’d feel after reading it.”

“Are you happy? Excited? Does it feel satisfying to see your revenge coming to fruition?”

Cheng Jing didn’t answer directly. Instead, he muttered, “You won’t publish this. Such a scandal won’t just harm Liang Jingmin; it’ll ruin Liang Corporation’s reputation. Would you sacrifice the family business?”

“Most of the Liang family assets are in Liang Jingmin’s hands,” Liang Yulin explained. “If something like this breaks, the board will cut ties with him immediately. In the end, I might benefit the most. Simple logic, Cheng Jing—can’t you see it?”

Cheng Jing looked up, confusion in his eyes but his expression inscrutable. “He’s your brother. Do you really hate him that much?”

At those words, disappointment flashed across Liang Yulin’s face.

Silence hung between them until he spoke again, his voice filled with anger. “This is exactly what I didn’t want to see—you losing your resolve.”

His tone rose sharply. “Remember how much you hated him, Cheng Jing? You wanted him dead!”

“But he never did those things, did he?” Cheng Jing stated calmly. “He deserves consequences, but not for crimes he didn’t commit.”

Liang Yulin sneered. “You’re pathetic.”

Something about the scene felt familiar to Cheng Jing, like those melodramatic TV dramas where the naive heroine is scolded for her weakness. Strangely, he thought Liang Yulin’s words rang true.

“That’s all in the past,” Cheng Jing murmured. “Back then… I was reckless. It wasn’t his fault. My parents are fine now…”

His voice trailed off, as if trying to convince himself rather than Liang Yulin.

Arms crossed, Liang Yulin smirked. “Your parents? I expected this. You chose to slander him back then, so if you want me to hold off, you’ll have to pay the price yourself.”

Cheng Jing raised an eyebrow. “What do you want from me?”

A subtle smile played on Liang Yulin’s lips. “You already know, don’t you?”