In the end, Xiao Yi agreed to let Song Liang and Xiao Ji marry.
According to Xiao Yuanchun, Xiao Musheng had traded half his remaining shares for that agreement. With those shares, Xiao Yi could free Xiao Group entirely from the control of the Xiao family and Xiao Musheng, winning the quiet power struggle that had lasted nearly a decade.
Xiao Yuanchun lamented backing the wrong person. Had she known Xiao Yi would give up Song Liang for shares, she would have made her own move.
After all, she didn’t consider herself inferior to Xiao Ji. Her son was also quite fond of calling Song Liang his future dad.
Song Liang ignored her teasing and called Song Zhicheng to ask what Xiao Musheng wanted him to do.
Song Zhicheng sounded foolishly delighted. Old Master Xiao had said there was no hurry; they could discuss it after the wedding. Once they were all family, everything would be easier to arrange.
He evidently believed marriage would make Song Liang wholeheartedly devoted to serving the Xiao family.
Even 3085 marveled at how convincingly Song Liang had maintained his persona. He had fooled an old fox like Xiao Musheng.
Song Liang offered no comment.
The wedding arrangements were rushed. The date was set for the seventeenth of the following month.
For some reason, Song Liang found the date familiar. Before he could consider why, he learned that the ceremony would take place aboard the same yacht where Xiao Ji had intended to announce his engagement to the Qiao heiress.
Only then did he discover that the luxury yacht, the Aurelia, belonged neither to Xiao Ji nor to the Xiao family.
It belonged solely to Xiao Yi.
Once that news broke, rumors about the uncle and nephew’s falling-out—and Xiao Yi’s improper relationship with his future nephew-in-law—seemed to collapse on their own.
Coupled with Xiao Group’s effective handling of the Jiang Wenjun affair, public opinion swung around once again.
People online pointed out that the uncle and nephew clearly got along perfectly well. Chairman Xiao was even lending his multibillion-yuan luxury yacht for his nephew’s wedding.
All those people who had claimed their relationship had broken down, or that Chairman Xiao had taken a fancy to his nephew’s partner and forced him into an affair, should open their eyes and take a good look!
Of course, others mocked it as nothing more than emergency public relations.
Perhaps Young Master Xiao had accepted some benefit from his uncle and agreed to grit his teeth and play the cuckold.
Yet whenever those theories threatened to gain traction, an unseen force quietly blocked or removed the related terms.
In their place came news of the first testing round for CIVL, Xiao Group’s newly developed AI system.
Promising to usher in a new era of intelligent living, the system attracted widespread interest with its distinctive promotional video, naturally drawing attention away from the negative stories.
Duan Yan and Chen Jiahe immediately demanded invitations when they heard the news. Song Liang had some sent over.
Two days later, Liang Ziyu confronted him for failing to announce his marriage personally.
Uninterested in arguing, Song Liang had several invitations sent to him too.
Then he received what Liang Ziyu called a return gift.
[Liang Ziyu: What you wanted. No need to thank me~]
Song Liang opened the thin document envelope.
Inside were two sheets of information and a photograph.
The young woman in the picture was beautiful, her features striking and spirited. Her smiling dark green eyes shone more brilliantly than the jade gemstone at her chest.
Song Liang studied her for a while, then read the accompanying information.
It didn’t contain what he wanted.
He called Zheng Xin and asked a few questions. Though puzzled, she told him everything she knew.
Song Liang thanked her and sent her two wedding invitations, asking her to attend if she had time.
Zheng Xin realized that the invitations were for her personally, not for the Zheng family’s heiress.
She smiled and accepted, saying she would come if she could.
The month passed quickly.
Song Liang familiarized himself with the wedding proceedings, had his formalwear made, and went with Xiao Ji to choose wedding rings.
The rings were custom-made, but with time so short, they hadn’t commissioned a designer. The style was relatively simple, which left Xiao Ji feeling guilty.
Song Liang didn’t mind.
He examined the silver-white diamond-set band engraved with their initials and said it was fine.
To him, this wedding was merely the final step toward completing his mission.
Strictly speaking, the ring belonged to the original owner, not him.
He didn’t care what it looked like.
When they returned, however, Xiao Yi stared at the ring on his hand for a long time.
In the end, he said nothing and went to the study.
Xiao Yi had become busy again, presumably carrying out the final purge of Xiao Musheng’s faction.
He frequently left early and returned late. Even when he came home, Yang Xuan was with him, and lawyers came and went from time to time.
Without Song Liang noticing when it happened, they were speaking even less often than he and Xiao Ji had during the earlier period.
He even wondered whether Xiao Yi would have time to attend the wedding.
But Xiao Yi did appear that day.
Under everyone’s eyes, just as he had at Xiao Group’s annual gala, he arrived in a bespoke formal suit.
With his handsome face and dark green eyes, he looked like an exquisitely dressed, aloof young aristocrat.
His arrival drew every gaze.
Almost everyone who looked at him was visibly struck, unable to resist wanting to approach, to receive even a little of his attention.
Yet his imposing presence kept them from getting too close.
Watching this familiar scene, Song Liang smiled faintly.
The man always seemed to be alone.
He seemed accustomed to it, too, as though no one could ever come to stand beside him.
Just as that thought crossed his mind, Xiao Yi’s gaze found him through the crowd.
Song Liang paused.
Before he could make out what lay in those dark green eyes, Xiao Yi looked away, turning as though to answer someone’s question.
Liang Ziyu’s teasing drawl sounded beside him.
“Is he your second husband-to-be?”
Song Liang ignored him and sipped his sparkling wine.
It really wasn’t as good as still wine. Who had chosen the drinks for this wedding?
Liang Ziyu refused to let the subject go. Glass in hand, he stepped in front of him.
“If it were him, I could accept it. But you went and chose that brat Xiao Ji.”
Song Liang smiled.
“What’s wrong with Xiao Ji?”
“Too stupid. Naive, too.”
Liang Ziyu curled his lips, apparently reluctant to discuss it further, then glanced at Song Liang.
“Do you really like him?”
“Why?”
“You look at Xiao Yi several times more often than you look at Xiao Ji.”
“Can’t help it. He’s beautiful. If you had a face like that, I’d stare at you too.”
Song Liang smiled carelessly, then asked as though in passing, “I hear that subordinate of yours was released?”
“Mm.”
Cold mockery flashed through Liang Ziyu’s eyes.
“The old man personally pulled strings to get him out. Took quite some effort. Even I don’t know where he’s been sent.”
Most of the guests had arrived, and the Aurelia was preparing to depart.
Song Liang was called backstage to get ready for the ceremony.
Passing through an outer corridor, he noticed several unfamiliar bodyguards patrolling with earpieces. They were probably from Xiao Ji’s side.
His gaze darkened slightly.
Taking out his phone, he opened WeChat and sent a message.
He had just put it away when Duan Yan and Chen Jiahe approached.
Both were very different from before.
Duan Yan wore an expensive suit, his hair slicked back, looking every inch the successful businessman.
Chen Jiahe was spirited and radiant, with none of his former insecurity or dejection.
Their eyes lit up at the sight of Song Liang. They congratulated him on his marriage, then couldn’t resist updating their boss on the company.
After listening for a few moments, Song Liang stopped them.
“I just remembered I left something very important behind. I need it for the ceremony. Could you two fetch it for me?”
They paused, then readily agreed. After asking where it was, they hurried away.
But as soon as they reached the deck, someone stopped them.
“The yacht is about to depart. No one may disembark for now.”
“Huh?” Chen Jiahe looked troubled. “What do we do?”
Duan Yan noticed something was wrong.
Checking the time, he said, “There’s still half an hour, isn’t there?”
The bodyguards didn’t budge. They simply kept their arms extended, blocking the way.
With no other choice, the two returned.
Duan Yan was still trying to find a solution.
“I’ll ask my friends. Maybe someone nearby can bring it over—”
“No need. It isn’t that important.”
Song Liang interrupted him, then asked casually, “Which floor are your rooms on?”
“The second.”
“You know how to get back to them?”
Duan Yan paused and nodded hesitantly, asking why.
Song Liang didn’t answer.
“If anything feels wrong tonight, go straight back to your room. Stay together in one room. Understand?”
Neither could make sense of this, but both nodded and said they understood.
Only then did Song Liang turn away.
His gaze instantly went cold.
【…Someone’s planning to make a move tonight?】
“Yes.”
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