The instant Song Liang watched the ring roll into the crowd, he began discussing substitutes with 3085.
Could they use something else? A soda-can tab, perhaps?
He had seen that in romantic dramas.
Unfortunately, 3085 informed him that they couldn’t. The original owner was vain. He wouldn’t accept a can tab.
He wanted a ring.
An expensive ring.
Unable to alter the original owner’s characterization, Song Liang could only draw a deep breath and look up at the culprit who had fired the shot.
A group of masked men had stormed in beyond the chaotic crowd.
Their leader held a gun pointed at the ceiling, evidently having just fired upward. Now he aimed it toward the Xiaos and the other guests.
“Stay where you are! Or I’ll shoot you dead!”
【…Such familiar words. Such a familiar voice.】
Song Liang: “…”
He recognized it too.
The overhead lights flickered. The shot had probably damaged the wiring.
The crowd remained in chaos. Screaming guests rushed toward the exit, only to discover that the doors had been locked from outside.
They had no choice but to turn back.
The masked leader seemed pleased.
Then he looked around and noticed someone still standing apart from the crowd as though he hadn’t heard.
He immediately snapped, “You over there! Didn’t you hear me tell you to get over here? Think I won’t shoot you?”
The Xiaos had remained seated, their expressions unchanged even when the men burst in.
Liang Ziyu was lounging comfortably, enjoying the show.
Now, as the masked man approached Song Liang with his gun, several expressions shifted.
Zheng Xin tensed, ready to rush forward and seize the weapon if he showed any sign of firing.
But before anyone could act, Song Liang turned toward the approaching man.
“What a coincidence. Fresh out of prison, and we meet again.”
The masked man: “…”
He froze.
Slowly, he raised a finger toward Song Liang.
After a long moment, he forced out a trembling, “…You?!”
That single word contained shock, fury, grievance, and fear, all tangled together so richly that everyone else paused.
What was going on?
A flicker of confusion crossed Liang Ziyu’s eyes too.
The masked man seemed deeply agitated.
“What the fuck is your name?”
“Song Liang.”
Song Liang’s face was cold.
“You came to wreck my wedding without even knowing who I am?”
“How the fuck was I supposed to know you were Song Liang?!”
Then something occurred to him. He touched his mask.
“How did you recognize me?”
“Your entrance line.”
“…”
Even angrier, the masked man searched the crowd.
His gaze finally landed on Zheng Xin and Yang Zhengwen.
“Do you see now?!” he shouted excitedly.
They stared, not understanding.
Growing desperate, he gestured at Song Liang with his gun hand.
“Him! Song Liang! His name is Song Liang!”
Yang Zhengwen was even more confused.
“So what if his name is Song Liang?”
The man kept jabbing his finger toward him.
Finally, he tore off his mask, revealing a head of half-faded red hair.
“He’s the one who stole the Emperor’s Tear!”
At the sight of that conspicuous, familiar hair—and the words he shouted—the two officers slowly widened their eyes and turned toward Song Liang in astonishment.
The redhead, Liang Long, was still pouring out his grievances.
There seemed to be too many, held in for too long. His accusations were almost anguished.
“He stole the Emperor’s Tear at Yalong Bay that night! He stripped that Xiao guy and kissed him! It wasn’t me! I never took the Emperor’s Tear! I told you, and you wouldn’t believe me!”
The ballroom was large and quiet enough for excellent acoustics.
Liang Long’s impassioned accusations bounced off the walls, echoing in everyone’s ears.
Stole the Emperor’s Tear.
Stripped that Xiao guy.
Kissed that Xiao guy.
I never took—
Well, that last part didn’t matter.
No one cared.
They only cared whether “that Xiao guy” meant Xiao Yi.
Xiao Yi, chairman of Xiao Group.
Xiao Yi, Young Master Xiao’s uncle.
The guests, who had just been terrified of being held hostage, fell silent again.
There was simply too much gossip tonight.
An endless supply.
And now they understood: those two had been involved since then.
Well, well.
Zheng Xin’s focus was different.
The person who took the Emperor’s Tear that night had been Song Liang.
According to her investigation, he had jumped off the yacht. Even if he had survived, he should never have been able to participate in the robbery.
Yet…
He really had jumped into the sea in freezing weather, swum ashore, defeated the armed Liang Long and his men barehanded, taken the Emperor’s Tear, stripped Xiao Yi, and disappeared without leaving a trace.
That skill and courage clearly belonged to no ordinary person.
And the missing Emperor’s Tear had implications for many other matters.
What role had Song Liang played?
What was his purpose?
If she could think of those questions, naturally the Xiaos could too.
Xiao Musheng stared at Song Liang in shocked fury.
The Yalong Bay operation had appeared to be Xiao Wenyu’s impulsive scheme.
In reality, it had been Xiao Musheng’s own move from the shadows, meant to destroy Xiao Yi completely.
Even crippling him would have been worthwhile.
As for the consequences, Xiao Wenyu could shoulder them.
The Xiao family had cleaned up enough of that child’s messes. It was time he contributed something in return.
But Xiao Musheng had never imagined that such a meticulous plan would be ruined by the Song family’s illegitimate son.
The other Xiaos were equally astonished.
They looked from Song Liang to Xiao Yi, unable to believe that the man who had robbed their chairman and taken liberties with him that night was Song Liang.
And their chairman had pretended not to know all along?!
Under those peculiar stares, Song Liang calmly clarified, “Yes, I took his clothes. Yes, I took his things. But I definitely didn’t kiss him. Don’t make things up.”
Naturally, nobody believed him.
They all looked toward Xiao Yi.
Xiao Yi replied with perfect composure, “Not that time.”
Song Liang: “…”
Everyone: Oh.
Not that time.
Then which time?
How many times had there been?
Song Liang stared at Xiao Yi for a while, then turned to Liang Long.
“What do you want?”
Liang Long paused.
Then, apparently remembering his actual business at last, he abruptly raised his gun toward him.
Terror returned to the guests’ faces.
Xiao Yi’s expression chilled. Xiao Ji shot to his feet.
But someone moved faster than either of them.
A figure rushed behind Liang Long, catching his gun hand with one hand and locking an arm around his neck while kicking hard into the back of his knee.
Liang Long grunted and dropped onto one knee with a thud.
Before he could react, the man behind him had taken his gun. With a hook of two fingers, he chambered a round one-handed and pressed the muzzle to the top of Liang Long’s head.
The other masked men startled and prepared to shoot.
Then they saw his face.
They froze.
“Why aren’t you shooting?”
Chin raised, Liang Ziyu regarded them casually.
“Afraid my old man will come after you? Or afraid I won’t let you off?”
The masked men remained silent.
Liang Ziyu looked down and patted the man kneeling at his feet.
“Little Long. Getting bold, aren’t you? Just got you out, and you’re already trying to take your boss’s place?”
Liang Long was white-faced and trembling. He didn’t even dare turn his head.
“B-Boss.”
Liang Ziyu smiled kindly.
“Still calling me Boss? Shouldn’t it be Big Brother? We do have the same father, after all.”
“…”
All remaining color drained from Liang Long’s face.
“You know?”
“I didn’t. The old man hid it so well I never suspected a thing. Nearly played me for a fool. Fortunately, someone kind gave me a warning.”
Liang Ziyu cast Song Liang a flirtatious glance.
“Isn’t that right, darling?”
Every head turned toward Song Liang, then toward Liang Ziyu.
Shock and admiration appeared in equal measure.
There was another one?!
Song Liang: “…”
Xiao Ji’s face was already livid.
He knew Song Liang wasn’t exactly well-behaved.
But besides his uncle, there was Liang Ziyu too?!
Song Liang immediately defended himself.
“Stop spreading filthy rumors. There’s nothing between us.”
“Then who is there something with?”
Liang Ziyu raised an eyebrow at Xiao Yi.
Then he glanced toward Xiao Yuanchun in the crowd.
Everyone: ???
Xiao Ji looked at his cousin in disbelief.
Xiao Yuanchun: “…”
Unbelievable.
She had merely brought her son to a wedding, and now she was being dragged into this too.
She managed a strained but proper smile.
“It’s all a misunderstanding.”
The moment she finished, the child in her arms pointed at Song Liang.
“Daddy!”
Xiao Yuanchun clapped a hand over his mouth.
Everyone: “…”
Song Liang: “…”
Duan Yan thought: My Brother Song is incredible. Possibly a collector.
Xiao Ji clenched his fists, his chest aching with anger.
He glared at Song Liang and finally exploded.
“Do you have an addiction?! Why is it always someone named Xiao?!”
Song Liang: “…”
【I can’t even imagine how impressive your final score for this instance is going to look.】
“…”
Song Liang drew a quiet breath and smiled again at Liang Ziyu.
“Did you fucking come here just to gossip?”
Liang Ziyu had apparently had his fun.
His smile faded as he looked at the masked men.
“The old man’s obsessed with having heirs, like some rabbit breeding away. Both of his heirs are right here. Unless he has a third, you’d better put your guns down and get out. Understand?”
The masked men exchanged looks.
After a long hesitation, they slowly lowered their weapons.
Only then did Liang Ziyu smile.
He bent down and crouched in front of Liang Long.
“Little brother. Your knee must hurt.”
Liang Long suspected the impact had shattered his kneecap, but he hardly dared complain.
He managed a rigid smile.
“…I only just found out who I was too. I really didn’t know before…Chairman Liang ordered us to keep today’s operation from you. Boss, let me off this once. I won’t fight you for anything…”
“What did he send you here to do?”
“…”
Liang Long faltered.
Liang Ziyu didn’t get angry. He merely leaned closer and whispered something into his ear.
Liang Long’s expression changed instantly.
His lips trembled.
Then he slowly looked toward Xiao Musheng in the crowd.
“He told me to obey him.”
This time, it wasn’t only the outsiders who were shocked.
The Xiaos were too.
Everyone knew that, however prominent the Liangs had become, their criminal origins remained disreputable.
Even after legitimizing their business, they still relied on the Xinglong Society while feeling ashamed of it.
That was why Liang Sizhong had secretly fathered another son, intending to cast aside both the society and Liang Ziyu when the time was right.
Linhai’s truly established wealthy families had never thought much of the Liangs.
The Xiaos even less so.
They prided themselves on being a century-old family whose fortune dated back to an era of upheaval, with an heirloom like the Emperor’s Tear to prove their standing.
They considered themselves far above bandits and thugs like the Liangs.
Xiao Group and Xinhe were longstanding business rivals as well.
How could Old Master Xiao be connected to Liang Sizhong?
“Oh? Why is everyone so surprised?”
Liang Ziyu looked around in feigned confusion.
“Didn’t you know Old Master Xiao and Chairman Xiao both used to be gangsters?”
“Both father and son belonged to Baihe Hall. Chairman Xiao’s mother was the wife of its boss.”
“Of course, Baihe Hall’s boss was someone else.”
“Chairman Xiao’s mother was forced.”
“Because Old Master Xiao was ruthless enough to betray his own sworn brother, force himself on the man’s wife, and steal the token of love between the couple.”
“Worth quite a bit, too. What was it called again? Something like—”
“The Emperor’s Tear.”
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