Learning from Chen Changxu at the Linhai police headquarters that the deaths of Xiao Ying and his wife were connected to the original Song Liang had certainly surprised him. On reflection, however, it made sense. Throughout the original novel, Xiao Ji was the only person Xiao Yi had truly cared for, because Xiao Ying and his wife had once shown him kindness.
Faced with Song Liang—a potentially valuable piece of bait who was also suspected of involvement in their deaths—Xiao Yi would find abandoning him easier than breathing.
Unfortunately, he didn’t know that someone else now occupied the body of his chosen bait.
As soon as Song Liang learned that the robbers at the abandoned dock belonged to the Liang family’s Xinglong Society, he had wiped the fingerprints off the gun. He told no one. Instead, in Liang Ziyu’s presence, he deliberately hinted to Xiao Yi that he had carefully preserved the fingerprints and could use them at any time as evidence to bring down Liang Ziyu, Xiao Guangjin, and Xiao Wenyu.
Xiao Yi had taken the bait.
On his way back to Feixi No. 1 from police headquarters that day, Song Liang had even marveled at him. He really was the main villain. Despite Song Liang’s interference, he had managed to devise a plan that could achieve three objectives at once in such a short time. If Song Liang hadn’t been the victim, he might have praised him.
Song Liang remarked, “Brains and courage. Only slightly inferior to me.”
【…】
The system was begging now. Could a few completely unprovoked bolts of lightning please strike this man?!
The missing fingerprints had clearly dealt a serious blow to Xiao Yi’s plans. That very evening, Yang Xun came to demand why Song Liang had done it.
Song Liang was eating dinner and had no interest in going over the same tired arguments. He ignored him and continued enjoying his meal with perfect elegance.
Then Yang Xun knocked the spoon from his hand.
The porcelain spoon shattered on the floor, fragments scattering. The servants froze in fright, and Aunt Jiang immediately dismissed them all.
Song Liang remained completely unruffled. Leaning back in his chair, he looked at Yang Xun provocatively and answered: Because I felt like it.
Yang Xun clearly couldn’t accept such a flippant explanation. Veins rose on the back of his clenched fist as he coldly asked whether this was revenge for Xiao Yi using him.
Song Liang wanted to explain that he had misunderstood. He had been planning trouble long before Xiao Yi used him. Before he could speak, however, Yang Xun suddenly said, “He likes you.”
Song Liang wasn’t surprised. He sat there calmly and replied, “I know.”
Yang Xun’s expression turned peculiar. “You know?”
“Of course.” Song Liang looked as though it were obvious. “Liking me is only natural. If he couldn’t, there would be something wrong with his taste.”
“…”
For the first time in his life, Yang Xun felt utterly drained by a confrontation. He couldn’t imagine how an upstart family like the Songs had raised someone so arrogant. The man was even an illegitimate son!
“He never intended to actually sacrifice you. And he wasn’t late that day.” Yang Xun stared at him darkly. “Your watch was damaged in the crash. It was running half a minute fast.”
Song Liang widened his eyes slightly to demonstrate surprise, then asked why rich people insisted on wearing mechanical watches instead of digital ones.
Yang Xun stared at him in disbelief for a long time. Then he turned away and called Xiao Yi, demanding to know what on earth he saw in this creature.
Xiao Yi didn’t answer. He simply kept telling him to stop bothering Song Liang.
Yang Xun had no choice. At this point, confronting Song Liang further would accomplish nothing. All he could do was work with Xiao Yi to salvage the situation.
Exactly what the two men did remained unknown, but the ensuing Lunar New Year was certainly eventful in Linhai.
First, Xiao Guangjin was suspended pending an investigation into the group’s finances. Then Xiao Wenyu was taken in by the Linhai police to assist with an investigation. Finally, the Xiao family publicly announced Xiao Ji and Song Liang’s engagement.
The successive revelations left netizens reeling. Even the New Year’s Eve gala couldn’t hold their attention. They stayed up late devouring the gossip online, marveling at the extravagant dramas of the wealthy.
Song Liang also wanted to know how Xiao Yi would deal with the Xiao and Liang families without the gun as crucial evidence. He followed the developments for several days and finally got an update on the eve of his engagement.
Xiao Wenyu was formally arrested on suspicion of a string of offenses, including hiring a killer, misappropriation of company funds, intentional assault, desecration of a corpse, and sexual molestation.
Xiao Guangjin remained suspended under investigation. Although some board members wanted to support him, the group’s interests were at stake. Afraid of getting caught in the fallout, they all chose to wait for the findings.
There were no major changes on the Liang family’s side. Liang Ziyu had been discharged. Since Song Liang, the victim, insisted the kidnapping had been a misunderstanding, the police could only let the matter drop.
As for Liang Long, who remained in custody, Xiao Wenyu’s arrest made a prison sentence of more than a decade look virtually inevitable.
Liang Ziyu even called Song Liang specifically to tell him about it. He also shared what his investigation had uncovered about how his father had secretly raised an illegitimate child.
Song Liang wasn’t interested. Instead, he asked about the car accident that had killed Xiao Ying and his wife. But Liang Ziyu had only been a few years older than Xiao Ji at the time and knew even less than Song Liang did. He merely promised to investigate.
Just before hanging up, Liang Ziyu seemed to remember something. He said an unfamiliar person had been frequently visiting the Xiao family’s old residence lately and asked whether Song Liang knew them.
Hearing the familiar name, Song Liang raised an eyebrow in surprise, then told Liang Ziyu not to concern himself with it.
Liang Ziyu immediately understood that Song Liang had things in hand. He didn’t press, but took the opportunity to flirt again, urging Song Liang to dump Xiao Ji and choose him instead.
Song Liang treated it as hot air and hung up.
Out of consideration for the Qiao family’s dignity, the engagement banquet wasn’t held on a yacht. Instead, they chose Linhai’s most luxurious seven-star hotel. The guests were prominent figures from every field, wealthy businessmen, and rising members of the elite. Several younger members of the Xiao family also came with Xiao Yuanchun.
Xiao Musheng’s attitude toward Song Liang at his birthday celebration was common knowledge by now. These relatives had obviously come to curry favor with Xiao Yi.
Song Liang didn’t mind. He even enthusiastically added them on WeChat, immediately winning their approval. They all remarked that he was nothing like the rumors.
Xiao Yuanchun simply smiled and said nothing.
Song Zhicheng and Song Xinglang were there as well. Song Zhicheng hadn’t stopped grinning since entering the venue. He circulated, shaking hands and ingratiating himself with everyone, occasionally boasting about Song Xinglang’s accomplishments and how devoted Xiao Ji was to Song Liang. He seemed ready to invent an entire biography about a wealthy young heir’s passionate pursuit of love.
Xiao Ji’s face darkened as he listened. Only when Xu Bowen found an excuse to drag him to the other side of the hall did Song Zhicheng finally stop.
Soon, Duan Yan arrived with Chen Jiahe.
Duan Yan stared in awe at the magnificent hall and the important people he normally saw only on television or in magazines. Looking at Song Liang in his bespoke formalwear and luxury jewelry, exquisite and splendid from head to toe like an aristocrat, he could only marvel.
It was also Chen Jiahe’s first time seeing Song Liang so carefully dressed up. He thought Song Liang was better-looking than any of his colleagues in the entertainment industry. His bearing, in particular, inspired trust and admiration from the heart.
Chen Jiahe’s face grew warm as he looked at him.
“Mr. Song,” he said with a blush.
Then he added, “Thank you for helping me get out of my contract.”
“You’re welcome. It wasn’t a big deal.”
Song Liang wasn’t being modest. While investigating Planet Culture, he had discovered that the agency belonged to Song Xinglang. He had simply traded an engagement invitation for Chen Jiahe’s release.
“Work hard, become a huge star, and make money for me. That’ll do.”
“I will!”
The three didn’t talk for long. The guests were influential people one rarely had the opportunity to meet, including quite a few from the entertainment industry. Duan Yan, the newly appointed owner of an entertainment company, immediately took Chen Jiahe off to network.
After they left, Chu Xiyuan approached and asked, “Is Uncle Xiao coming tonight?”
“No idea,” Song Liang replied.
Chu Xiyuan looked as though his suspicions had been confirmed. He patted Song Liang’s shoulder.
“Elders are like that. Uncle Xiao has his difficulties too, so don’t blame him. As long as Xiao Ji treats you well from now on, that’s what matters.”
Song Liang thought Xiao Ji treating him well was the least likely outcome. Once tonight was over and he handed over the Emperor’s Tear, Xiao Ji would probably stop at nothing to make him break off the engagement.
Naturally, he didn’t say that. He merely smiled.
“Let’s hope you’re right.”
He had barely finished when the conversations around them began to quiet.
The scene was all too familiar. With a guess already forming, Song Liang looked up and saw a man slowly entering the hall, followed by Yang Xun and Yang Xuan.
Broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and long legs—his superb proportions were wrapped in a dark suit. He wore no other accessories apart from a watch with a jade-green dial and matching jade cufflinks, which made his dark green eyes look even deeper and more composed.
He was as handsome as a god. Even among so many elaborately dressed men and women, he was the only person the eye went to first.
Song Liang, however, noticed that he had lost a little weight. There was also a rare trace of fatigue beneath his eyes, though only a trace. He looked far better than the two men behind him.
As Song Liang looked over, Xiao Yi’s gaze cut through the crowd and immediately locked onto him.
【Aaaah! Why is he here?! Didn’t you say he wasn’t coming?! We agreed to take advantage of the villain’s absence tonight to trap the male lead! What do we do now that he’s here?!】
Song Liang smiled and raised his glass in a distant greeting, looking exceedingly suave.
What came out of his mouth, however, was—
“I have no idea either.”
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