Liu Tanghuan completely fell for him. She believed Qian Xiaohu was an upright person and built an extremely thick filter over him in her mind.
Later, she repeatedly begged Qian Xiaohu to get back together with her. She became so infatuated that she even began to feel that being the daughter of a wealthy family was not necessarily a good thing.
Liu Tanghuan had originally still considered Shen Linchuan and wanted to explain everything to him and call off their engagement. But when Qian Xiaohu repeatedly expressed that the Liu family would never accept him, and that even if Liu Tanghuan loved him, the Liu family would never approve of him, she directly and openly told her parents that she wanted to marry Qian Xiaohu.
Just as Qian Xiaohu had said, Liu Tanghuan’s parents strongly opposed the idea.
It wasn’t entirely because their social statuses and family backgrounds didn’t match. Rather, it was because they could see that Qian Xiaohu was not a reliable person.
Liu Tanghuan’s parents were not like her. Having weathered countless storms, they could see Qian Xiaohu’s intentions at a glance.
But Qian Xiaohu had already told Liu Tanghuan beforehand that her parents’ opposition would definitely be because he was poor and that they thought he was after their wealth.
Under these circumstances, everything Liu Tanghuan’s parents said about Qian Xiaohu’s shortcomings played directly into his hands.
Liu Tanghuan threw an enormous tantrum. No matter how her parents explained themselves, she firmly believed they were exactly as Qian Xiaohu had described—people who despised the poor and favored the rich.
Liu Tanghuan had completely lost her head. She told Qian Xiaohu that she was willing to give up her inheritance rights, just to let her parents see that Qian Xiaohu was not that kind of person.
…………………………….
Naturally, Qian Xiaohu did not agree. He persuaded Liu Tanghuan not to act impulsively and said many things about how parents loved their children.
This only made Liu Tanghuan feel even guiltier. She felt that her parents looked down on Qian Xiaohu, yet Qian Xiaohu was still speaking up for her parents.
When Liu Tanghuan’s guilt reached its peak, Qian Xiaohu finally offered a solution.
They would pretend to break up, allowing Liu Tanghuan’s parents to relax first. Then he would work hard step by step on his own and let the Liu family see his sincerity.
Moved, Liu Tanghuan agreed.
After all, she had never truly wanted to fall out with her parents.
Later, Liu Tanghuan behaved herself for a while. Afraid that pushing things too far would backfire, her parents did not fire Qian Xiaohu.
The two continued their secret relationship. After Liu Tanghuan gained experience and took over most of the company’s affairs, she secretly gave Qian Xiaohu several major contracts.
But he ruined every single one of them.
Later, while her parents were away traveling, she even promoted him to the position of director.
By the time Liu Tanghuan’s parents found out, Qian Xiaohu had already embezzled an enormous amount of company funds. Shen Linchuan injected capital to stabilize the situation.
Only after this incident did Liu Tanghuan’s parents discover that the two of them were still secretly dating.
Liu Tanghuan’s father was furious. For the first time, he lost his temper with his daughter, locked her up at home, and kicked Qian Xiaohu out of the company while recovering most of the embezzled funds.
Liu Tanghuan threatened to kill herself before finally preventing her father from pursuing criminal charges against Qian Xiaohu.
Later, Liu Tanghuan seemed to have finally given up and seen Qian Xiaohu for who he truly was. She settled down and waited peacefully for her engagement to Shen Linchuan.
But on the day of the engagement, Liu Tanghuan ran away.
Her father became so enraged that he suffered a heart attack and was hospitalized, nearly failing to survive resuscitation.
Some reporters came after hearing rumors, but Shen Linchuan stopped them outside. Even so, such a major incident still attracted some media coverage.
That very evening, while Liu Tanghuan’s father was undergoing emergency treatment, Liu Tanghuan returned.
Xi Yu tapped the file. “Didn’t you say last time that she had been missing for half a year?”
Lu Zhixing shook his head. “That was only the official explanation. I hadn’t looked into the matter before. After investigating it, I found something suspicious.”
“After Liu Tanghuan returned that day, her father pulled through. Later, he recuperated at a private mountain resort. During those six months, the Liu family never made this public. That’s why people thought Liu Tanghuan had been missing the entire time.
“Everyone assumed Chairman Liu was disappointed in his daughter and had never gone looking for her. But in reality, during those six months, Liu Tanghuan had admitted her mistakes and returned to her parents’ side. They simply never made it public.”
“During those six months, Shen Linchuan also frequently visited Chairman Liu. After Chairman Liu was discharged from the hospital, Shen Linchuan proposed continuing with the engagement.”
It sounded like a love-struck person had completely changed her ways, suddenly realizing the error of her ways after her father’s serious illness, and ultimately gaining both familial affection and romantic love.
Xi Yu grew tired of reading the documents, so he simply put them down and listened to Lu Zhixing speak.
Lu Zhixing glanced at the files and began recounting the matter aloud.
“Up until this point, nothing seems wrong. But while investigating this matter, I also looked into Qian Xiaohu.”
Xi Yu half-reclined on the sofa as Lu Zhixing continued to stare at him.
“During the six months that Liu Tanghuan stayed by her father’s side, there was also a Liu Tanghuan beside Qian Xiaohu. The two lived together, appearing everywhere as a couple, just like husband and wife.”
“I found two surveillance recordings that clearly prove the two Liu Tanghuans appeared in different places at the same time. But two years ago, Liu Tanghuan’s whereabouts completely disappeared.”
Xi Yu pondered for a moment. “Did the Liu Tanghuan at Qian Xiaohu’s side ever visit the Liu family?”
Lu Zhixing shook his head. “I couldn’t find anything.”
“However, I discovered that after Shen Linchuan and Liu Tanghuan got married, Qian Xiaohu’s attitude toward the Liu Tanghuan beside him suddenly changed. He would either hit her or verbally abuse her. It was domestic abuse. Later, Qian Xiaohu went to prison because of gambling, and that Liu Tanghuan disappeared as well. I’m looking for her now.”
“No need to look,” Xi Yu said. “I know where she is.”
Xi Yu told him about what had happened in Qingliang Village.
Lu Zhixing said, “What a coincidence. So, is that Liu Tanghuan the real one?”
The two Liu Tanghuans were definitely one real and one fake.
“The real one.”
“Then the one beside Shen Linchuan is fake?” Lu Zhixing looked somewhat worried. “Could she hurt Shen Linchuan? After all, they’re on the same variety show.”
Xi Yu actually didn’t really want to get involved in these matters. When demons occupied another person’s destiny and identity, Heaven’s Law would punish them.
Xi Yu tapped Lu Zhixing lightly on the head. “Don’t worry about it. If you interfere, Shen Linchuan might even scold you for meddling. The one beside him is a demon, and he knows it.”
However, although Xi Yu didn’t want to get involved, he suspected Shen Linchuan would eventually come looking for him anyway.
Xi Yu rubbed the ring on his finger. Because Liuyun had entered the ring, the spiritual fruit growing inside had flourished beautifully.
Xi Yu conjured a spiritual fruit out of thin air, placed it in his mouth, and bit into it while watching the faintly shocked expression in Lu Zhixing’s eyes.
Lu Zhixing was shocked that there was a demon beside Shen Linchuan—and that Shen Linchuan actually knew about it.
“This is absurd,” Lu Zhixing sighed.
But Xi Yu’s thoughts were no longer on that matter.
He narrowed his eyes at Lu Zhixing and suddenly raised his bare foot, sliding it upward from Lu Zhixing’s ankle, which was wrapped in black socks.
Lu Zhixing was wearing black suit trousers. He had come directly from outside and waited here for Xi Yu, only taking off his shoes out of politeness.
Xi Yu, on the other hand, always removed his shoes and socks the moment he got home.
At that moment, his bare foot hooked around Lu Zhixing’s trouser leg and pushed it upward. He continued until a section of beautifully defined, exceptionally toned calf was revealed, then finally stopped with satisfaction and pressed his toes against the exposed skin.
Lu Zhixing felt a tingling sensation.
Warm.
His mind went blank.
He stared at Xi Yu, his throat bobbing as he swallowed, almost unable to think.
Compared with the look Xi Yu had given him earlier that day, this action was even more blatant.
No.
It should be said that the action itself was extremely suggestive.
The sense of teasing and ambiguity was overwhelming.
Lu Zhixing’s skin temperature tended to be cool, while even Xi Yu’s toes were warm. The contrast in temperature made it impossible for Lu Zhixing to ignore the contact.
“Xi Yu……” Lu Zhixing called out, his voice hoarse and slightly trembling.
Who was it?
Who had corrupted his Shizun?
This wasn’t something Xi Yu would do.
This was flirting.
This was seduction.
Even though Lu Zhixing had intentionally or unintentionally moved closer to his Shizun, and had tried to guide his Shizun into approaching and protecting him, they had never had such physical contact before.
Lu Zhixing bit his lip and hurriedly grabbed a throw pillow to cover himself…
Yet the leg Xi Yu was touching hadn’t moved even once from beginning to end.
His body’s lack of control made Lu Zhixing anxious and uneasy. He turned to look at Xi Yu and saw that Xi Yu’s gaze remained fixed on his calf. Only then did he let out a sigh of relief—though that relief quickly turned into tension again.
Xi Yu frowned and scraped his toes against Lu Zhixing’s calf, once after another, unusually slowly.
Lu Zhixing finally couldn’t sit still anymore. He abruptly pulled his leg back.
“Xi Yu!”
This was a test.
His Shizun must be testing him again.
But why this time?
Could it be that his Shizun had realized… that this body liked him?
No.
Once his feelings were discovered, he would be kept at a distance.
That couldn’t happen.
His Shizun was testing him. He should be stern and angry.
Yes…
He should be fierce.
Lu Zhixing struggled to force his expression into one of anger.
But Xi Yu took another bite of his spiritual fruit and stared at Lu Zhixing in confusion.
“Why has the worship directed toward you decreased?”
……………………………..
Before Lu Zhixing could even manage to put on an angry expression, Xi Yu’s brows were already tightly furrowed.
Yet he still didn’t forget to chew his spiritual fruit.
Lu Zhixing looked at Xi Yu’s upright, practically saintly expression, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath before sitting back down on the sofa.
Seeing this, Xi Yu hooked his foot onto Lu Zhixing’s leg again.
Tap.
He released it.
Tap.
He tested it again.
Confirmed.
The worship directed toward him really had decreased.
He had already sensed something was wrong when he tapped Lu Zhixing on the head earlier, but he had thought he might have been mistaken.
How strange.
Normally, after Lu Zhixing appeared on a variety show, he should have gained even more fans.
Not to mention anything else—even just that face alone should have attracted countless fans.
The variety show had hidden cameras. Aside from Lu Zhixing, even Luo Cheng’an, that silly, sweet innocent type, had gained countless fans, and his golden light had increased dramatically.
Lu Zhixing’s spiritual aura was concealed beneath demonic energy, so Xi Yu couldn’t see it clearly at a glance. He needed to make skin contact, allowing the demonic energy surrounding Lu Zhixing to recede before he could see it.
Since his hands were occupied eating the spiritual fruit, he had simply used his foot instead.
Lu Zhixing lowered his eyes.
Xi Yu’s foot had already moved away, though it still rested along the edge of the sofa. His ankle bone protruded, and beneath the pale surface of his instep, faint bluish veins could be seen.
Lu Zhixing looked away, his heart as calm as still water.
There was no need to hide behind a throw pillow anymore.
His thoughts had simply been too filthy.
He had always known that his Shizun was pure and untainted. How could he possibly use such tactics?
The problem was his own dirty eyes and filthy heart.
Seeing that Lu Zhixing remained silent, Xi Yu lightly kicked him again.
“Have you recently lost some fans?”
Lu Zhixing shook his head. “I don’t know.”