Chairman Husband, Too Boorish - 169

Chapter 169 : Interested in cooperating with me?

"How isn't this surveillance? You had someone follow me the whole time and take pictures of me, didn't you?" Yan Liang asked calmly, though she was clearly unhappy. No one wants to be followed and photographed every day. Where was her privacy?

Liang Xi Cheng frowned, not wanting to deny it. He nodded, "I want to know everything about you. Since I can't come here, I have to have someone do this. Yan Liang, you think this is surveillance? No, I don't think so. I just want to know what you do, but have you seen me interfere with anything? I know what you want to do and what you're going to do, but if I don't want you to do it, I can do it even if I'm not by your side. Do you understand?"

"…"

Yan Liang was speechless!

What kind of talk was this? Wasn't he being a little too nosy? What did he mean by saying that if he wanted to, she couldn't do what she wanted? Yes, she was his wife, but did being a wife mean letting him control everything about her?

Yan Liang felt uneasy. Her already low spirits completely deflated.

This man was domineering and forceful; it wasn't the first time she'd heard of it. But in the current situation, she truly couldn't put herself in his shoes. When she left, she had clearly said they should give each other some space. Over the past five months, she had come to understand each other's longing for one another, and she was certain he would remain loyal to her. But none of that could be used to persuade her to accept his excuse of having people follow her 24/7 and take photos of her every move!

Could it be that she truly couldn't be trusted at all in his heart?

She really didn't want to lose her temper. She hoped to use the most ordinary, simple, and delicate way of interacting to mend the rift between them.

But before she could even take a step, she had already pulled back.

"... I don't want to go anymore. Tell the driver to stop the car." The words had already left her mouth by the time she realized it.

She bit her lip, lowered her eyes to look at her intertwined fingers resting on her knees, a vague anxiety rising within her.

"Yan Liang, are you throwing a tantrum at me?" Liang Xi Cheng frowned, a stern look creeping into his eyes. "Is it because of those photos? Do you think this is inappropriate?"

After five months apart, they had done what they should and shouldn't have done upon meeting again. They were still husband and wife. He still had her in his heart, and she still had him. They each held the most important place in each other's hearts. With that in mind, what was there for her to be awkward about?

She planned to overcome her psychological barriers slowly.

But … he said nothing, only sternly questioning himself—was it inappropriate?

Why did he think it was appropriate?

Yan Liang couldn't understand his thoughts. The resentment she had so painstakingly suppressed suddenly surged up again, her delicate brows furrowing.

"Do you think I'm throwing a tantrum? Why don't you realize that you've gone too far? I'm not throwing a tantrum. I'm not in the mood right now. Tell the driver to stop the car!"

She reached out and patted the back of the driver's seat. Because he was a local Englishman, she said in fluent English, "Stop the car! Stop the car right now! I want to get off!"

The driver understood, but also knew that this wasn't an order from his boss, so naturally he wouldn't obey.

Yan Liang was even more furious and turned to Liang Xi Cheng, saying, "Let me out of the car!"

"Stop the car." Liang Xi Cheng frowned, stretched out his leg and lifted the driver's seat. The car quickly stopped. He instructed the driver in front, "You get out."

Two minutes later, the two were still sitting stiffly in the back seat. Liang Xi Cheng leaned back slightly, while Yan Liang pushed the car door, trying to get out, but the car was clearly locked.

Turning her head to look at the man beside her, he pressed his hand to his temples, a hint of weariness in his expression. Yan Liang pursed her lips and finally spoke, "What exactly do you want? I said I want to get off.

"That's what I should be asking you!" Liang Xi Cheng paused in his hand-pressing of his temples, opened his eyes, and looked at her with a deep, displeased gaze. "Yan Liang, put yourself in my shoes, do you understand? You saw photos of me and Ye Qing online, and you got jealous. Have you ever thought about me? If I hadn't had someone watching you and taking photos of you every day, I wouldn't have known you had suitors here in England! That Demon, does he know you're married? Did you tell him? Yan Liang, do you think I don't trust you? Or is it that what you’ve done just doesn’t make me feel at ease?""

Yan Liang's anger surged. What did he mean by that?

What did he mean by—what you do, nothing that can make me feel at ease?

He was using his relationship with Ye Qing to judge her relationship with Demon? But what had happened between her and Demon? They were just classmates. What did it mean to pursue someone? Did a man and a woman really have to have that kind of relationship? Couldn't they just be friends? Or perhaps, in her heart, Demon wasn't even a friend—just a classmate from her time studying at SGA in England. Would they keep in touch? Maybe not.

But in his eyes, why did it become that kind of relationship?!

For Yan Liang, Liang Xi Cheng's thinking was a sign of distrust. She felt uncomfortable, extremely uncomfortable.

"So, that's how you see me?"

"…"

Liang Xi Cheng looked up at her and saw that the woman sitting opposite him had red eyes and a face full of suppressed grievances. His initial displeasure was dispelled by her tearful appearance, leaving only heartache and pity.

He reached out to grab her small hand, but Yan Liang resisted and struggled, shouting—"Let go of me, don't touch me."

As soon as she spoke, tears fell.

Liang Xi Cheng felt sorry for her and reached out to pull her into his arms. Just as he was about to say something, his phone rang in his pocket. They both froze, and Liang Xi Cheng released her. Since the car doors were locked, she couldn't escape. He took out his phone and glanced at the caller ID: "Ye Qing."

Yan Liang's eyes swept over the screen, and she saw it.

Her expression darkened further. A cold smile curled at the corner of her lips. "Only officials are allowed to set fires, while commoners are forbidden even to light lamps!"

Liang Xi Cheng, "…"

He frowned, hung up the phone, sighed softly, and explained, "I told you, don't believe what you see, Yan Liang. Ye Qing and I will have nothing going on. Remember my words, I won't do anything to betray you ..." He reached out and pressed her shoulder, but Yan Liang angrily shook off his hand, her voice sharp, "You told me to trust you, so why don't you trust me? What do you think I would do to betray you? You had people follow me every day, secretly taking pictures of me, and I could take that as concern. You had Rex accompany me to England, and I could understand that too. You just didn't want me to be too lonely. When I left City A, all alone, without anything, you took care of everything for me. I told myself it was because of you ... You've thought of everything for me. When we get to England, your accommodation, food, necessities, clothes, even my credit card—you've prepared everything for me. I still tell myself that you care about me, and these things aren't the most important thing to me. You've arranged everything, so I'll follow your plan …"

"But now, don't you think you've gone too far?! You can't do things yourself, yet you force me to do them. Do you think that's fair? You expect me to put myself in your shoes, but have you ever put yourself in my shoes?"

"Fine, I don't want to say anymore. I don't want to argue with you. I feel exhausted. Can you let me off the car?"

Liang Xi Cheng's brows were tightly furrowed. He never knew his actions had caused her such distress. He didn't know that everything he had arranged for her was, in fact, a form of "manipulation" to her.

How unhappy was she?

Liang Xi Cheng frowned, looking at Yan Liang's tense body, his expression a mixture of forbearance and stubbornness.

His thin lips were pressed tightly together, forming a sharp line. He didn't utter a sound, and the car was silent for a moment, broken only by the sound of their breathing.

The phone rang again. This time, Liang Xi Cheng didn't take it out to look, but Yan Liang was certain it was Ye Qing calling.

She felt like an idiot. His simple words, "You have to trust me," meant she had to trust him? Yet, during the five months she had been in England, he had people monitoring her 24/7, his reason being—she couldn't earn his trust.

The more she thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt. In the quiet car, besides their breathing, the incessant ringing of his phone was incredibly annoying. Yan Liang felt a chill run down her spine; her hands clenched into fists at her sides, almost ready to jump up, grab his phone, and throw it out the window. But then, Liang Xi Cheng suddenly reached out, pressed the central control, opened the car door, and before getting out, said in a low voice, "I'll have the driver take you home."

"…"

Yan Liang watched as Liang Xi Cheng decisively opened the car door, got out, and within a minute, the driver got back in, quickly started the engine, and the car turned and headed back the way it came.

Her heart sank to the bottom in an instant.

What did he mean by this?

He just let the driver take her home like that? And then, without saying a word? Was he in a hurry to get back and see Ye Qing?

This was probably the first time they'd had such a tense argument.

However, he didn't give himself a good explanation, only viewing the whole situation from his own perspective. In the end, he simply had the driver take her home. What about him?

Did he answer Ye Qing's call and then rush back to City A?

Reaching out, Yan Liang fiercely wiped away the tears on her cheeks. Now, only one thought occupied her mind—Liang Xi Cheng, you're something else, but you'll never see me again!

***

Liang Xi Cheng got out of the car. Watching the car drive far away, his refined features remained unwavering. A hint of fierceness gradually crept into his eyes and brows. He didn't want Yan Liang to see his darker side, which was why he chose to get out.

She was somewhat agitated. His phone kept ringing, and he was genuinely worried it was Ye Qing calling repeatedly. He couldn't keep ignoring it; this was a crucial moment. He had meticulously planned for five months, and he couldn't afford to let it all go to waste.

But how could he explain all this to her?

He knew she wasn't a woman who couldn't distinguish right from wrong, but he also knew she was very stubborn, and in situations like this, trying to smooth things over would only make things worse.

His long fingers, hanging by his side, twitched. Liang Xi Cheng pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He had actually quit smoking a long time ago, but when he was truly agitated, he still couldn't resist having a smoke.

He took one out, lit it, and puffed out smoke, his eyes narrowed. Less than two minutes later, his phone rang again.

He licked his thin lips, then took out his phone, glanced at the caller ID, his gaze turning colder, but he still answered.

"Xi Cheng, why didn't you answer my call?" Ye Qing said somewhat coquettishly on the other end of the line.

Liang Xi Cheng raised his hand, took a deep breath, and spoke in a deep, emotionless voice, "Something came up."

Perhaps his attitude was very distant and cold, even through the phone, Ye Qing sensed it. She never dared to be too presumptuous in his presence, so she quickly changed the subject, "When are you coming back? I'll pick you up from the airport."

"I had Guan Jiu arrange it. He'll probably arrive around midnight, so you don't need to make a special trip. I'll have dinner with you tomorrow."

"Oh ..." Ye Qing was a little disappointed, but quickly added, "... Then tomorrow, my dad wants to see you too."

Speaking of the project, she spoke with pride, her voice brimming with excitement, "I've already talked to you about that project. My dad has given his approval. Let's talk about it again at dinner tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay." Liang Xi Cheng took another deep drag on his cigarette, flicking off the ash. "Let's talk about it when I get back. I have some things to take care of here. I'll hang up now."

After hanging up the phone, Liang Xi Cheng stubbed out his cigarette and tossed it aside. He immediately found Chu Yi Sheng's private number, frowned, and dialed it.

The phone rang for a long time before being answered. Hearing Chu Yi Sheng's sleepy, languid voice on the other end, Liang Xi Cheng realized it must be the early hours of the morning in City A.

He coughed lightly. "I heard you contacted me before?"

"Chairman Liang, I did contact you, but it wasn't with any intention of doing this. It's a sin to disturb my sleep by calling so late at night, don't you know that?"

A soft, muffled sound came from the other end of the line; Chu Yi Sheng must have gotten up.

Liang Xi Cheng didn't mince words. Having already made up his mind after calling, he cut to the chase, "I don't know what you're looking for me for, but I need to speak with you now."

"Hmm?"

"Chu Yi Sheng, I want to collaborate with you. If you're interested, I'm willing to offer 5% of Liang's shares as leverage. If our collaboration succeeds, as I said, that 5% of Liang's shares will be yours, making you a shareholder."

5% of Liang's shares—it sounded incredibly tempting.

Putting everything else aside, Chu Yi Sheng was a pure businessman. He was immediately smitten by Liang Xi Cheng's offer.

Liang Xi Cheng lit another cigarette, took a puff, and continued, "I know things haven't been peaceful at Far East lately, and your position as president isn't very secure. But I can help you. In the entire City A, only Far East and the Ye Group can rival the Liang family. If I offer 5% of the Liang family's shares, I can guarantee you'll be able to hold onto your position as president of Far East for life."

"How about it, interested?"

Chapter 168.2        |        TOC        |        Chapter 170