BSS CH 19

Trap

The night was pitch black. Cheng Jing stared out the window, lost in thought. His emotions earlier had drained him completely, leaving him like a lifeless doll in standby mode, deliberately unresponsive to anything around him.

He’d been to the Expo Park before. It wasn’t far from the lakeside villas but was quite a distance from the city center. After driving for several minutes, he quickly lost his sense of direction.

Sleepiness crept in. The car was eerily quiet until Liang Yulin turned on a loud rock playlist, the heavy metal pounding painfully against Cheng Jing’s eardrums. Annoyed, he rolled down the window for some fresh air.

The hotel he was staying at was three subway stops away from Longtai Slope. To avoid revealing his exact location to Liang Yulin, Cheng Jing had deliberately named a spot he wasn’t familiar with. Because of this, he couldn’t tell if Liang Yulin was taking him to the right place.

After another ten minutes of driving, Liang Yulin pulled over.

The surroundings were hidden by dense, dark green woods. In the distance, there was a building that resembled a chapel—maybe a luxurious estate-style hotel or restaurant. But with the heavy night shrouding the area, it was hard to discern its purpose.

Cheng Jing didn’t move, his voice muffled and sleepy. “Where are we?”

Liang Yulin, halfway out of the car, turned back casually at the question. “This is the Huilin Bay Club. There’s a golf course and restaurant nearby. It’s late—stay here for the night. We’ll leave in the morning.”

Cheng Jing had been worried this might be Liang Yulin’s home. Years ago, he’d visited a villa in the western hills called Xiaozhongshan Residence. At night, it bore a striking resemblance to this place. But upon closer inspection, there were enough differences to put his mind slightly at ease.

Still, some instinctual unease lingered. Masking it with a calm expression, Cheng Jing said, “You go ahead. I’ll call for a ride and head out on my own. I’m not staying the night.” He pulled out his phone and opened a ride-hailing app.

But before he could act, Liang Yulin shut the car door and walked over quickly, standing in front of him with a smile. “Aren’t you worried Liang Jingmin might show up at your hotel? Just stay here for the night. I’ve already booked a room for you.”

Earlier, Liang Yulin had agreed to take him to his hotel but had unilaterally brought him here instead. Cheng Jing’s lips curled in a cold, inward smile. He had half-expected this, so he wasn’t entirely surprised. Still, he decided to maintain decorum. “I really can’t stay. Thanks for the ride.”

Liang Yulin shrugged, seemingly disappointed but not pressing further. “Alright then. It’s late—be safe.”

Cheng Jing nodded, keeping his eyes on his phone as he walked toward the other end of the road.

The club was secluded, likely because it also hosted outdoor weddings. The tall trees planted for ambiance made the dimly lit paths feel rather eerie at night.

From behind him, Liang Yulin called out, “It’s too late. It’ll be hard to get a ride here. Why not wait inside while you book one?”

Cheng Jing paused and glanced at his app, which still showed no available drivers. He adjusted the search to include more vehicle options and replied from a distance, “Thanks, but I’ll manage.”

Liang Yulin strolled over slowly, leaning uncomfortably close to peer at Cheng Jing’s phone. “Come on, no one’s picking up your request. Waiting out here alone is no good. Just come in and have a cup of tea while you wait. Don’t worry, it’s not just me—there are a few friends upstairs playing cards. This place is members-only.”

He gestured toward a charming standalone villa partially hidden among the trees. From a distance, faint lights could indeed be seen on the second floor, though not immediately noticeable.

For a moment, Cheng Jing hesitated, but before he could think further, Liang Yulin tugged him a couple of steps in the villa’s direction.

Standing in front of the secluded club, surrounded by dark, ominous woods, Cheng Jing felt a faint sense of security from the warm yellow light glowing in the distance. After all, he was a grown man. Under normal circumstances, there was no reason to fear spending a few extra minutes with Liang Yulin.

So, he quietly followed Liang Yulin for a while, ultimately not voicing a third refusal.

It turned out to be a small, well-hidden lodge. The interior was beautifully decorated, and as Cheng Jing lowered his gaze, he could faintly hear voices, suggesting that Liang Yulin’s earlier claim might have been true.

As he turned to look at Liang Yulin, who had just stepped inside, he was about to speak when he suddenly noticed something off about Liang Yulin’s expression.

On that face—so strikingly similar to Liang Jingmin’s—appeared a look that Liang Jingmin would never wear: a mix of cruelty and slyness. An intense sense of foreboding washed over Cheng Jing.

The next second, hands emerged from somewhere behind him, pressing a cloth—he couldn’t tell if it was a towel or fabric—against his nose and mouth.

A sickly sweet scent filled his senses. Before he could utter a word, his body weakened and crumpled to the ground.

His last memory before losing consciousness was the sight of Liang Yulin’s eyes gleaming with amusement.

As Cheng Jing lay unconscious, Liang Yulin crouched down, grabbed his jaw, and smirked. In a hushed, almost whisper-like voice, he said, “You finally fell into my hands.”

……

He Peiting, drunk from too much wedding toasting as a groomsman, staggered toward the restroom. On his way back to the banquet hall, someone suddenly grabbed him and yanked him into an unfamiliar room.

The Expo Park was full of rooms, countless in number. This one had red wallpaper and eerie medieval paintings, instantly sobering him up halfway. When he looked up, he was greeted by Liang Jingmin’s face.

Liang Jingmin was soaking wet, his shirt clinging to his body, the jacket he’d been wearing now discarded. His expression was composed, but his face was ghostly pale. He Peiting, having known him for years, had never seen him look so disheveled.

“What happened to you? Are you feeling that bad? Did you have to go out in the rain?” He Peiting exclaimed in shock.

Liang Jingmin’s face remained impassive. “Are you drunk? When have you ever seen me feeling bad?”

Before He Peiting could argue, Liang Jingmin cut him off with a stern voice. “Let’s focus. Cheng Jing followed Liang Yulin earlier. I suspect they might be heading to Xiaozhongshan. Your family lives close—do you have anyone you can send over?”

He Peiting, already aware that the grand wedding banquet had been a ploy to lure Cheng Jing to the event, still felt caught off guard by how things had unfolded. Shocked, he blurted out, “What? He came? And you let him slip away with your brother?”

“Stop wasting time. Do you have people or not?”

“Yes, yes! I’ll make a call and have them check Xiaozhongshan immediately,” He Peiting replied, pulling out his phone. After giving brief instructions, he turned back to Liang Jingmin. “They’re on it. We should hear back soon.”

He asked, “How did this happen? Didn’t you say he wasn’t coming?”

“He dyed his hair black. My people only watched for someone with white hair,” Liang Jingmin replied curtly.

“Do you know where he’s staying? We could check the hotel, or the train station, or the airport. Those are the obvious spots—have you looked into them?”

Liang Jingmin’s expression darkened. “He doesn’t want to see me. Tracking him is pointless. If he leaves on his own, so be it. What I fear is him falling into Liang Yulin’s hands.”

“What could he possibly do?” He Peiting asked, puzzled.

“He’s been eyeing the Liangsheng project greedily. Before, he even used Cheng Jing’s injury to threaten me…” Liang Jingmin paused before continuing, “I’m not afraid of that. But if he uses Cheng Jing as leverage, things could get messy.”

“He has a bunch of reckless men under him. I’ve turned a blind eye before to keep him out of prison, but now, I can’t afford not to be cautious.”

He Peiting’s expression turned serious. “Hasn’t he learned his lesson yet?”

Liang Jingmin didn’t answer. Instead, he said, “Give me your coat. I have to go and explain to Zhao Duning.”

Taking He Peiting’s suit jacket, Liang Jingmin slipped it on and walked out the door. His posture remained stiffly upright, even in his disheveled state. His steps were steady, giving no sign of the slight tremble in his hands.

On the night of the wedding, the groom made a dramatic exit, driving off into the night. Surprisingly, the banquet didn’t descend into chaos, thanks to Miss Zhao’s composure. After calming the situation, she quietly left the hall to process the complicated evening on her own.

A while later, what was supposed to be the opening dance between the bride and groom never happened—clearly, Liang Jingmin had no intention of returning.

His wet hair, a stark departure from his usually polished appearance, gave him a different kind of allure. Zhao Duning couldn’t help but glance at him a little longer than usual.

Sitting in an empty dressing room, holding a sleeping Diandian in her arms, her massive gown spread out around her, Zhao Duning looked uncharacteristically disheartened.

“Where’s Mr. Su?” Liang Jingmin asked.

“He’s left,” she replied. “Is there something you need?”

“No, I’m leaving too. Just thought I’d let you know. Do you and Diandian need a ride?”

Zhao Duning didn’t answer. Instead, she laughed bitterly. “How ironic. A wedding without a bride or groom doesn’t seem to be missing much at all.”

“It was all for show anyway. No need to take it to heart,” Liang Jingmin said absently.

“I shouldn’t have agreed to this. And neither should you,” she murmured. “This was a mistake.”

Liang Jingmin had no time for a philosophical debate, nor did he know how to console her. When he received a message on his phone and saw that she didn’t intend to accept his offer of a ride, he simply nodded slightly and left.

It was a long night.

That same night, the people He Peiting sent to Xiaozhongshan failed to locate Cheng Jing. After much effort, they tracked down the hotel where he had been staying temporarily, only to find out that he had checked out in the early hours and disappeared without a trace.

By morning, headlines about Liang Jingmin storming out of his own wedding and speeding through the rain were everywhere, clearly orchestrated by someone pulling the strings.

Caught between managing the PR fallout, fielding countless inquiries, and handling the group’s affairs, Liang Jingmin also had to grapple with the devastating news of Cheng Jing’s disappearance.

At one point, even He Peiting thought he might break down.

If Liang Jingmin were an ordinary person, he might have cried, smashed things, or thrown a fit and quit everything. But he couldn’t. The weight on his shoulders was too great, and too many eyes were watching for him to slip up. Any sign of weakness would come at an unimaginable cost.

He remained terrifyingly calm throughout. The soaked, defeated figure from the rain-soaked night seemed like a ghost that never existed.

He went sleepless for nights, either in his office or driving around endlessly. Somehow, he made no mistakes at work, resolved the PR crisis with precision, and handled every pressing issue as if they were trivial. Yet, his efforts to find Cheng Jing were futile.

Cheng Jing had vanished completely.

He wasn’t at any transportation hubs or familiar public spots. Even the few old friends he still kept in touch with, like Pei Xi and Lin Shuheng, had no idea where he was. It was as if Cheng Jing had evaporated from the world.

Liang Jingmin combed through security footage and saw that Liang Yulin had driven Cheng Jing to the Huilin Bay Club that night. However, that area deliberately lacked surveillance, and there was no footage of Cheng Jing leaving.

Liang Yulin insisted that Cheng Jing had left on foot after getting out of the car, but Huilin Bay was too vast, making it nearly impossible to conduct a thorough search.

Despite encountering countless obstacles, Liang Jingmin still managed to overturn every corner of Huilin Bay and Xiaozhongshan with his people, but in the end, they found nothing. He had exhausted every resource at his disposal.

The only small relief was that Liang Yulin’s actions left no visible cracks. He genuinely seemed clueless about Cheng Jing’s whereabouts. The worst-case scenario Liang Jingmin feared—his brother capturing Cheng Jing as leverage—appeared unlikely. If that were the case, Liang Yulin would’ve already used it to his advantage.

When the chaos finally subsided, Liang Jingmin had to face the bitter reality: there was nothing more he could do but endure the pain of Cheng Jing’s disappearance.

He thought, maybe Cheng Jing had indeed found a way to slip through his meticulously laid trap, quietly leaving the city to embrace the freedom he had long desired. If that were true, even if they never crossed paths again, at least one of them had gotten what they wanted.

But life rarely grants such neat resolutions.

Half a month after Cheng Jing’s disappearance, a divorce agreement—one Liang Jingmin had promised on that rainy night—was quietly delivered to his office door.