Chairman Husband, Too Boorish - 164

Chapter 164 : Even half the world apart, one would still feel jealous.

20 minutes later, at the airport.

Yan Liang arrived at the airport empty-handed, accompanied by Rex. Her passport and paperwork were already completed. Alone, Rex had said he had arranged everything for her there, including clothes—no need to bring anything, it was too much trouble.

Yan Liang thought to herself, she didn't have many clothes anyway, and since everything was prepared, she wouldn't complain.

Following Rex to the airport, she sat in the waiting area. Rex personally helped her with the paperwork and asked, "Are you hungry? You might not like the food on the plane. If you're hungry now, I'll take you to get something to eat." Her stomach felt hard, as if filled with stones. Yan Liang couldn't eat anything, shook her head, and said dejectedly, "... No, I'm not hungry."

Rex nodded, tossed her the ticket, sat down beside her, took out his PSP, and focused on playing a game.

Yan Liang glanced at the game. She wasn't very good at games, but seeing Rex playing so intently, she was somewhat speechless. She recalled the last time she went to receive an award; he was sitting alone in the VIP section, also engrossed in playing his PSP. This man had a cool and aloof demeanor, yet deep down he seemed to possess a lazy and casual air, not so easy to approach, but once you got close, you realized it wasn't so difficult after all.

In short, he was an enigmatic person.

Birds of a feather flock together, right? Liang Xi Cheng, wasn't he the same kind of person?

The name Liang Xi Cheng floated through her mind. Yan Liang subconsciously gripped the plane ticket in her hand. She was leaving, really leaving, to England, to study at SGA for a year and a half. Although she had repeatedly told him—"Let me go, let me catch my breath"—

but now, just like that, leaving, she felt so much reluctance.

And he didn't come to see her off … Yan Liang knew he wasn't heartless; he was simply fulfilling her own wishes.

It felt as if someone had brutally ripped something out of her heart. Something that used to reside there was now empty and firm. That feeling was truly unbearable. It was as if someone had taken a knife and cruelly cut something away. Even though she knew she hadn't actually lost anything, the feeling when she turned away was more painful than any actual loss.

It's because they can't bear to let go. That bond still connects the two, but because they're going in opposite directions, it's pulling them further and further apart, yet they still cling on tightly, simply because they can't bear to let go.

"If you really can't bear to let go, you can call Xi Cheng." Rex's gaze remained fixed on the PSP screen. Despite his high intelligence, he had a particular fondness for these time-killing games. His hands deftly controlled the buttons, his lazy voice interrupting Yan Liang's thoughts, "... Maybe that man is also waiting for your call."

Rex knew very well about the situation between Liang Xi Cheng and Yan Liang. As an outsider, he couldn't offer any opinions, but he felt that these two clearly couldn't let go of each other. Why make it so tragic? Recalling Liang Xi Cheng's plea to him, every word he uttered remained crystal clear—

"... Yan Liang trusts you, and you've mentored her. I can't think of anyone else who would be best to accompany her to England. I'm worried about her going alone. She said she wants some space; I can't push her too hard. So, please go with her. This time, whatever you ask, I'll grant it."

"... I'm also worried about the Ye family; they might harm her. I'm afraid I can't protect her."

"... You must take good care of her for me. Consider this a favor I owe you."

Rex thought, feelings are truly a damn magical thing. Liang Xi Cheng, someone who never cared about anyone or anything, someone who only knew business interests, would go to such lengths for a woman.

He was willing to compromise on anything she said.

"I can't," Yan Liang suddenly spoke, her voice low, uttering only three words, yet it seemed to have used all her strength.

Rex looked at the level in his hand, having passed the final level. He raised an eyebrow, put down the PSP, turned to look at the sorrowful woman beside him, and shook his head.

"Are you torturing yourself, or him? Is it because you're dissatisfied with what the Liang family did to your father over the past 20 years? Yan Liang, although I'm not very involved in the business world, I've heard a bit about Ye Sheng Ming. He's not a good person. What happened over the past 20 years isn't necessarily all Xi Cheng's father's fault. Actually ..."

"I know."

Yan Liang nodded, her lips pressed tightly together, holding her breath. Her thumb and forefinger pressed hard on the plane ticket in her hand. Through a blurry tear-filled gaze, she stared at the string of English words for the destination. Her voice was choked with sobs. "... I'm not torturing him, I know ... I know all of that, and I've never blamed him, but I can't face him now, can't live under the same roof with him. I've always told myself that even if I can let go of my mother's affairs, what about my father's? Yes, maybe it has nothing to do with Liang Qi Cheng, but ... my father died at the Liang family's doorstep. You wouldn't understand how I feel ... I feel like my soul is being torn apart, unwilling to leave, yet forced to go."

There's a feeling that can't be truly understood just by saying it.

A tear fell with a soft thud, and Yan Liang frantically wiped it away.

Rex sighed softly and shook his head. He wasn't a woman, so he didn't really understand women's minds. But seeing her so upset made him feel bad too. "Alright, I know, don't think about it. Actually, England isn't that far. Besides, I'm here with you."

For the first time in his life, he was unusually generous to a woman, patting his shoulder. "Although my shoulder isn't as reassuring as Xi Cheng's, if you want, you can lean on it, okay?"

Rex was usually quite serious around her, so this rare instance of him half-joking seemed to lift the clouds in his otherwise gloomy and depressed mood. He sniffed and nodded. "Thank you, Master."

***

He pushed open the door and found Liang Xi Cheng with one hand on the desk and the other holding a cigarette. The entire office was filled with a strong smell of smoke, and half of his handsome features were hidden in the smoke, his expression somber. The already enigmatic man seemed even more unfathomable now.

Guan Jiu didn't hesitate. He glanced at the phone in his hand and said, "Chairman Liang, Madam has ... boarded the plane."

Liang Xi Cheng was smoking. Hearing this, he paused, his long fingers on the table twitching. After a moment, he nodded. Because he had been smoking so heavily, his voice was a little hoarse when he spoke, "Guan Jiu, tell me, was what I did right?"

Guan Jiu was stunned for a moment.

Actually, Liang Xi Cheng had always been the one guiding him forward. He had always done things according to Liang Xi Cheng's instructions, never questioning himself—am I doing the right thing?

But now, he was suddenly asking himself that question.

For the first time, Guan Jiu realized that a man as hard as he was, in the face of love, was probably just an ordinary man like any other.

He had watched them grow up, witnessing how difficult it was for them to be together, and how they had to let go because of that ...

He sighed inwardly, carefully considering his words, "Chairman Liang, your wife will definitely understand."

Liang Xi Cheng nodded, glanced at the cigarette in his hand, and then at the ashtray overflowing with cigarette butts. He remembered her soft words to him before—"Don't smoke anymore."

He suddenly felt a bitter taste in his throat, and in a fit of frustration, he stubbed out the cigarette, pointed to the window, and instructed Guan Jiu, "Open the window."

Guan Jiu nodded and went to open it.

In the twenty-something-story building, once the window was open, the wind outside seemed particularly strong, dispersing the lingering smell of smoke and also blowing away the dark clouds that had been hanging over Liang Xi Cheng's heart.

Sending Yan Liang away was partly because she wanted to leave, and another part, naturally, was also the reason he had wanted to send her away in the first place. Nothing had changed, so now he didn't have time to think about anything else. If he didn't finish what he was doing, she might really not come back.

Liang Xi Cheng frowned, his gaze sweeping over today's newspaper, landing on that headline that was giving him a headache. He rubbed his temples and asked, "What happened with Dean Wu?"

This newspaper had only come out this morning; it was clearly a deliberate report, accusing Dean Wu of deliberately concealing an infectious disease, and also providing evidence of his embezzlement and bribery. Liang Xi Cheng knew Dean Wu's character very well. He deliberately concealed the infectious disease, which was obviously referring to Yan Liang. However, their timing was very precise. They had just seen Yan Liang off this afternoon, and the headline appeared today. It was quite elaborate, and it even included several very cryptic photos, all taken at the First Hospital. It was clearly about Yan Liang's SARS infection.

But in Liang Xi Cheng's memory, he wasn't the kind of person who would embezzle or accept bribes.

Guan Jiu quickly explained, "As soon as the newspaper came out, I sent people to inquire. It was probably done by someone inside the hospital, but ... I can guess who it is."

"Of course I can guess. He finally couldn't hold back anymore. I originally wanted to keep him around for a while, but since he's already getting restless, you should give him a hand." Liang Xi Cheng stood up, dusted off his cigarette ash, frowned, and said, "Keeping him around is useless. Let that little nurse reveal the truth herself. Make sure this is done cleanly, don't let the Ye family find out."

Guan Jiu understood, "Yes, Chairman Liang."

Seeing him preparing to leave, Guan Jiu added, "... Chairman Liang, Miss Ye Qing called twice before, and I blocked them both times, but it seems she wants to see you about something."

Liang Xi Cheng narrowed one eye, his sexy thin lips curving into a cold smile, "It's time for her."

***

Five months later.

Oxford, England. This small city was exceptionally quiet, renowned for Oxford University, a university town.

Yan Liang had been studying here for five months, benefiting immensely. Most of the students gathered here had a solid foundation in design. Their instructor was a world-renowned architect; Yan Liang had only seen his name and photo in news reports before. Now, this living, breathing man stood before her, giving her a lesson every day. She couldn't help but recall her astonishment when she first entered this classroom. If meeting Rex had filled her with excitement, meeting this designer, who only left "king" on every piece of work yet possessed such a powerful aura, left her beyond words.

SGA had profoundly impacted her; once she immersed herself in learning, even her time for sadness and longing diminished.

As soon as the bell rang, the professor spoke in fluent English, "Remember to hand in your assignment tomorrow."

Yan Liang closed the half-finished design drawing in her hand, and immediately a British man who had entered with her approached. His family is quite famous in England, and he has a deep passion for design. It's said he won his place in SGA by winning a design competition.

He's been pestering Yan Liang lately, wanting to learn Chinese. He occasionally manages a few words, but they're very broken. "... Liang, wanna go to a bar tonight?"

His Chinese is very poor; the word "bar" is pronounced with a lisp, sounding more like "acne scar."

Yan Liang frowned. Having been here for five months, her spoken English has improved considerably. "No, I have to finish my homework tonight; it's due tomorrow."

"Tonight is my birthday."

"…"

"You Chinese seem to like giving gifts on birthdays, and we British have that custom too. But you don't need to give me a gift, just come in person." The first half of the sentence was spoken in fluent English, while the second half was said in broken Chinese, "You ... you won't be rude, will you?"

Since it was someone's birthday, the birthday person was naturally the most important. Yan Liang felt a strange sense of familiarity with this man named Demon, partly because she had once watched an American TV series—*The Vampire Diaries*. She really liked the male lead back then, and he shared the same name. Plus, this guy had deep, blue-grey eyes and a very defined, straight nose. So, as long as his requests weren't too unreasonable, Yan Liang would agree to them.

"Okay, what time?" Demon, seeing her agreement, unabashedly grabbed her hand and headed for the door. "No need to wait for a certain time, I'll take you now. Have dinner with me tonight."

Young people abroad are often quite outgoing and enthusiastic. Yan Liang felt a little uncomfortable with this, but being too obviously resistant would make her seem too aloof and cold. She felt that being in a foreign land, she couldn't be too different, so she tried her best to adjust her personality and blend into the atmosphere.

Because only when she wasn't alone could she forget the pain lurking deep in her heart.

This time in England, it was late at night in City A.

In a hotel suite, a man in a sharp suit stood with his hands behind his back in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, a height that offered a panoramic view of the city.

This city of desire, stripped of its daytime hustle and bustle, seemed to be shrouded in a layer of alluring beauty at night.

Liang Xi Cheng's fingers twitched; he wanted a cigarette, but then remembered that he had quit smoking five months ago.

There was a knock on the door behind him. He didn't move, but just said "Come in."

Soon he heard someone push the door open and come in.

"Chairman Liang."

Liang Xi Cheng hummed in response. "It's here?"

"Yes."

"Bring it here." Liang Xi Cheng turned around. In the past five months, he had been to England, but he hadn't seen her. Photos were still being sent from there every day. He was actually there, and he knew everything she did.

How could he remain completely indifferent?

Even knowing that Rex was still there, and had even bought a property there, saying the air in Oxford was good and he planned to live there for a year or two.

Guan Jiu placed the yellow bag on the table, nodded. He never looked at the photos beforehand, so he didn't know what they contained. These images belongs to Mr. Liang, and he couldn't see them.

The door closed behind him. Liang Xi Cheng then strode over, picked up the yellow bag, and without hesitation, opened it and pulled out a thick stack of photos. With just one glance, his thick eyebrows furrowed, and after pulling out a few more sheets, his delicate features looked as if they had been frosted over.

Chapter 163        |        TOC        |        Chapter 165