Chapter 39: A Message from Uncle
Su Nian was hiding outside the door, eavesdropping on the conversation. When he heard that the Old Master was letting Liang Sheng attend the gala—and as “Mrs. Shen,” Shen Xingyu’s wife—he was struck with disbelief. His fingers clenched at his side in a fit of jealousy. Anyone else could go, but why did it have to be Liang Sheng?!
If that was the case, how could he stand openly by Shen Xingyu’s side? How could he become the center of attention?
As long as Liang Sheng appeared beside Shen Xingyu, the man would prioritize the Shen family’s face and cast him, the secret lover, to the back of his mind.
It seemed the Old Master had muddled his brain after that fall. Liang Sheng was a useless waste who spoke timidly; how could he have the nerve to let him introduce new products? Clearly, he was the only one who could truly bring profit and a good image to the company!
The more Su Nian thought, the more unwilling he became. His malicious gaze stared fixedly at Liang Sheng inside. Suddenly, a plan occurred to him.
His mouth curled into a strange arc. He vowed to completely uproot this thorn in his side!
As Liang Sheng passed Shen Xingyu, he clearly felt the man’s sharp, cold gaze. It was a final warning for him to refuse the gala of his own accord.
But Liang Sheng ignored him. He didn’t even look up as he walked straight out of the fragrance room.
Over the years, he had endured in silence, only able to watch on TV as Shen Xingyu took Su Nian to various banquets. Naturally, people whispered that those two were the perfect match. Although it hurt, he told himself not to take it to heart—at least Shen Xingyu still loved him, he had just forgotten.
Unfortunately, his tolerance and broad-mindedness were only met with increased humiliation and harm.
Now, he didn’t want to endure anymore.
His little wife’s disregard made Shen Xingyu feel very uncomfortable—an itching, scratching kind of discomfort. He had risked his life to save the boy in the ocean, and this was the attitude he got?!
The Old Master narrowed his eyes as he watched Liang Sheng’s back. His fingers on the wheelchair armrest trembled uncontrollably before he reached into his pocket and pulled out that bottle of fragrance liquid.
He couldn’t believe it. He held it under his nose and smelled it repeatedly until his sense of smell was almost numb.
The scent was the same.
Unforgettable for a lifetime.
In his entire life, he had only smelled this scent twice: once from his old friend, and once today.
How could it be such a coincidence?
Where on earth did Liang Sheng get this formula?
A liquid he hadn’t been able to formulate even after years of trying had been easily achieved by Liang Sheng!
The Old Master preferred to believe it was a coincidence.
After all, his friend had been dead for years; the formula and everything else had long been lost. No one could possess it.
Not even him.
He gripped the jade bottle tighter and tighter. The Old Master lowered his gaze to stare at it as if he were looking at something belonging to his old friend. It felt dear and familiar—a feeling he hadn’t had in many years. It was as if by smelling this scent, that kindred soul were standing right before him.
I’m sorry, Kaisong…
I have let you down all my life…
He cataloged his sins over and over in his heart, his eyes turning red. The image of his friend before death seemed like it was only yesterday. He remembered his friend grabbing his hand and telling him his final wish—hoping he could find the child who had been missing from the Tang family for years, the youngest young master of the grandchildren’s generation.
He had seen that Tang family child; the boy used to come to the research institute often to find the two “grandpas.” Later, for some reason, he had suddenly disappeared. They had reported it to the police and searched for a long time, but there was never any news.
That little grandson became the old friend’s heart-ailment. The child was the one his friend had doted on most in life. He had once vowed that he would find the child—it would be a tiny, insignificant way to make amends to his friend.
Unfortunately, despite constantly putting out missing person notices and sending out undercover searchers, there were no results.
He was already over fifty; was he really going to take this regret to his grave?
Shen Xingyu turned and saw the Old Master staring blankly at the jade bottle with tears in his eyes. He couldn’t help but ask with concern, “Grandpa, what’s… what’s wrong?”
Was the Old Master showing signs of Alzheimer’s?
Ever since they arrived at the old house, he often saw the elder lost in thought, occasionally wiping away tears.
The Old Master shook his head and let out a heavy sigh.
How could he have the nerve to speak of that shameful event from twenty years ago?
He would take that secret to the earth with him when he died.
Outside, Su Nian saw Liang Sheng coming out and hurriedly hid to the side. Thankfully, Liang Sheng didn’t see him.
The boy left with a gloomy expression.
Su Nian couldn’t figure out why the Old Master wanted this “bitter melon” of a clown to attend the gala!
He couldn’t get over it. He raised his foot to kick fiercely at Liang Sheng’s distant back, but his foot slipped and he fell to the ground. The pain made him gnash his teeth. He rubbed his stinging buttocks, his delicate face twisting in agony.
Shen Xingyu heard the sound and walked out to look. He saw Su Nian sprawled on the grass, twisting his waist and rubbing his butt like a dog while wailing.
The sight… was truly an eyesore.
He frowned, walked over, and asked, “How did you fall?”
Su Nian looked up and saw him. He immediately put on a piteous expression and moaned softly, “I… I wanted to come report the guest list for the gala to President Shen, then I saw the Young Mistress coming out looking very angry. I called out to him, and as a result, he… he pushed me down… woo~”
“With Grandpa as his backer, he’s truly becoming more and more out of line.”
Shen Xingyu let out a cold snort. He had already been annoyed by Liang Sheng, and hearing that the boy had laid hands on his “pet” only made his mood worse. Did Liang Sheng not respect him at all anymore?!
Su Nian quietly stole a glance at the man’s dark face and knew his attempt to sow discord had succeeded.
“It’s fine, President Shen. The Young Mistress probably just finds me an eyesore. Please don’t be angry with him!”
He spoke up for Liang Sheng like he was being the bigger person, while weakly supporting himself against the ground to stand up. He deliberately slumped back down and pulled at his pant leg, revealing a scraped ankle. He looked utterly aggrieved.
“Come. I’ll take you to apply some medicine.”
Seeing those tearful eyes, Shen Xingyu’s heart softened slightly. He leaned down to help the boy up and even carefully brushed the dust from his clothes.
“Thank you, President Shen~”
Su Nian beamed like a little sun, his eyes curving.
Shen Xingyu also twitched the corner of his mouth in a half-smile. With Su Nian, his mood was much better; he didn’t have to look at Liang Sheng’s “funeral face,” and there was someone to flatter him and provide emotional value.
At dusk, the setting sun cast its residual light.
Liang Sheng sat by the bed picking out clothes for the gala.
The orange-red glow shone through the window, spilling over him. A few strands of hair fell across his cheek, and his entire being radiated the gentleness and quietude unique to a devoted wife.
Worry was etched between his brows; no matter how he picked, he wasn’t satisfied.
His clothes were all plain—mostly hoodies and casual wear—and they were very old. He searched for a long time without finding a single formal outfit he could wear out.
What should he do…
He had no money to buy one, and Shen Xingyu wouldn’t buy one for him.
Right, ask Grandpa!
Grandpa was so good; he would surely buy him an outfit! He would pay Grandpa back once he had the money!
Liang Sheng stood up with joy, but after taking a step, he felt it wasn’t right. What if Grandpa blamed Shen Xingyu for not buying him clothes for all these years?
Even though he shouldn’t be considering that bad man right now, the thought of Shen Xingyu’s frost-cold gaze made him retreat. He was instinctively afraid of his husband’s anger.
While he was wavering, the phone on the table chimed twice.
Liang Sheng picked it up to see who had sent a message.
As the message came into view, his calm pupils widened slightly in surprise and a hint of joy.
[Sheng-sheng, do you remember me? I’m your mother’s younger brother—your Uncle. I’m working at Old Master Shen’s residence; seeing you was truly incredible! I’ll be waiting for you in the back garden. Let’s meet! I want to ask about some things regarding my sister, and she also left some relics for you.]
His mother’s brother…
He did remember that his mother had a brother, but because of family conflicts, they hadn’t met in years.
Why was he suddenly appearing now?
And he was at Grandpa’s house!
The hand holding the phone trembled uncontrollably.
“Uncle…”
Liang Sheng murmured, his tearful eyes unable to hide his excitement. Besides his brother, did he actually have other relatives?
He put the phone in his pocket, wiped his face, and tidied his hair and clothes. Then he walked out of the room and ran toward the back garden. He really wanted to know what his mother had left him. He hadn’t been able to find the relics in the sea; this time, he would definitely not give up!
When he arrived at the back garden, the sky was already dim.
The streetlights hadn’t turned on yet.
Liang Sheng stood breathlessly in front of the boxwood shrubs mentioned in the message, his eyes searching urgently.
“Uncle? Uncle!”
“Was it you who sent me the message?”
“Where are you? I’m here!”
He called out in a low voice, his heart pounding.
But there was no response.
At this time, the gardeners and flower-growers had gone to dinner. There was no one around—only the cool breeze brushing his cheek and the rustling of leaves.
Liang Sheng was a bit confused. Hadn’t the message said he would see his uncle here? Why was no one there? Where was he?
Just then, a sound came from behind the shrubs.
He was both shocked and delighted. Pushing aside the grass, he hurried toward the back, calling out, “Un—”
Before he could finish, a hand reached out and used a rag to forcefully cover his mouth from behind.
“Mmph… mmph!”
Liang Sheng was terrified and struggled desperately.
But the person behind him seemed very experienced; their strength was enormous, giving him no chance to resist.
Liang Sheng felt his head grow heavier. There was a strong medicinal scent on the cloth. His struggles became weaker and weaker until his vision went black and he lost consciousness.
“Is he out?”
Su Nian’s tentative voice sounded from behind the shrubs.
“He’s out.”
A coarse male voice answered. A strong body shielded Liang Sheng, and the hand covering his mouth slowly dropped away.
“Good.”
Su Nian sneered, walking out slowly from behind. His gaze fell on the brute before him.
This was a thug he had hired from the outside.
“What do we do next?”
The brute licked his lips, his eyes roaming over Liang Sheng. He had never seen such a beautiful “little white face” before!
“Put him on the ground. Strip off his top. You strip too, then lie down next to him and hug him.”
“Got it!”
The brute did as he was told.
Truth be told, this little thing not only had a soft body, he smelled pretty good too. The thug liked him quite a bit.
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