Cheng Hanlin gazed towards the room ahead at a distance with a sad expression. He continued, "People were quite simple in that era. Everyone was poor, so no one felt like they were poor. Moreover, Tang Zhengping was Brother Yi's enemy. Why would I betray my brother to help an enemy?"
Pain flashed through Cheng Hanlin's eyes, "It was the Jiang family, their people forced me. I was helpless as well. Even your life was in their hands. They made me help them destroy Brother Yi's career."
Cheng Hanlin's hands grabbed the wooden railing tightly. His eyes were blood-shot while his body trembled, "I saw it with my own eyes. A car sped towards you and Susu at the kindergarten doorway. If it had deviated even a little, you both would have…"
Sun Xiaohong seemed to have remembered something, her eyes growing wide open in surprise, "You mean that time!" Cars were rarities back then. Only leaders or those living in the big cities had cars.
"They warned me that if I don't do what they say, they will create a crash next time. I had no other choice!"
Sun Xiaohong said, "Then why didn't you reveal it to Brother Yi or Jiang Xiu? Are you planning to carry this burden for your entire life?"
Cheng Hanlin said bitterly, "No matter what, I did betray Brother Yi in the end and caused him to go to prison. Moreover, the Jiang family is even more powerful than back then. It's Old Jiang, Jiang Yishan's family."
Sun Xiaohong covered her mouth in shock, "Old Jiang!"
"If I reveal what happened back then, we won't even have anything to scrape by and become beggars."
Sun Xiaohong was truly afraid this time.
She hadn't expected that such a giant hand was controlling everything from behind.
Cheng Hanlin stood there for a long time, waiting for Jiang Yi to appear, but he never did.
The sky had cleared up on the next day. The bird's chirping was clearly audible across the gardens. The sun shone brightly up in the sky. Wang Xintong had arranged the earliest flight for them.
Sun Xiaohong sighed once again after sitting on the private plane.
Even if they hadn't gone bankrupt, compared to the current Jiang Xiu, they were trash. She hated Jiang Xiu a lot before but liked him very much now. She didn't even express anything regarding his indifference towards her.
The Imperial Capital was quite chaotic right now. Many martial artists had all gathered here.
The news of the plane taking off from Jiangnan was like dropping a bomb amidst this chaos. It resulted in lots of waves across the martial arts world.
"Jiang Luoxia has entered the Capital!"
The decisive battle was set on the full moon night of the Mid-autumn festival at the Imperial Capital.
Entire China's martial arts world was abuzz!
The National University was established long ago and brimmed with a cultural resplendence, giving rise to several famous elders of the past generations. Cheng Lingsu was donned in a fresh and cool aesthetic shirt paired with jeans and wore a coffee colored windbreaker on the outside. Her long hair trailed over her shoulders and waved along with the breeze, making several men raise their brows. Her features drew people to her, especially boys, they just couldn't take away their gazes off her.
It was just that Cheng Lingsu was a bit depressed right now. With a life-or-death duel ahead, she couldn't feel happy at all.
"Quickly look, it's Cheng Lingsu!"
"Tsk tsk tsk. Indeed, a pretty gal. There's no fault no matter which direction you look from."
Cheng Lingsu became more beautiful and alluring ever since she got married. According to what her dorm sisters said, it's due to soaking in romance. However, our Second Young Lady Cheng wished to say - What bullshit 'soaking in romance'? All I did was do the laundry, so much that I even became a woman with a grudge. If my bitterness could be turned into a poem or a portrait, it would even have a bit of sentimental artistic sense to it.
"I heard Cheng Lingsu is being kept by a man."
"Is it true?"
Some of the boys whispered. Many boys revealed a bitter and hateful look. High ranking officials often snat- no, received a woman as a concubine. Come, come, come. Let this brother be your hero and grant you freedom. Such were the thoughts going through their minds.
"Her figure's pretty good."
"Stop saying nonsense. Isn't Song Ronghao pursuing her?"
"I heard she got married."
It had only been a month since Cheng Lingsu started her term in the university, but she had already become the woman of the moment here. It wasn't like she actively took part in activities. Just her brilliant appearance was enough to make the boys excited.
She had already become one of the top four campus queens of National University. They say that she had taken the place of the 3rd-year senior. She even had more votes than the 2nd and 3rd ranked girls for the beauty voting on the university forum.
In the eyes of the masses, Cheng Lingsu appeared prettier, but to Jiang Xiu, Cheng Lingran attracted him more. Although the two sisters looked similar, it just resembled each other in appearance, there was a considerable difference between them. Cheng Lingran didn't have so much of a following at the Imperial University. According to Jiang Xiu's inference, younger men liked Cheng Lingsu more while mature, older men liked Cheng Lingsu.
"Susu, what's up? Do you miss your husband?" Miao Xiaolin teased her.
"As if! Who misses him."
Cheng Lingsu explained to her, "Didn't I tell you before too? We were engaged in our childhood and had to get married because there was no other choice. In fact, there are no feelings between us. It's impossible for me to like him too."
"You're just reluctant to admit it!" A northern girl who was a head taller than Cheng Lingsu said to her, "You just had to not get married if you weren't willing. If it were me, I would've never gotten married, even if someone held a knife at my neck."
Cheng Lingsu sighed, "If only things were so simple."
"Only, your husband is indeed something. He hasn't come to see you even once over these 10 days. Even more, he didn't even call or message you a single time." Miao Xiaolin stated.
As Cheng Lingsu lived together with them, they naturally knew he hadn't contacted her.
Cheng Lingsu explained powerlessly, "He's quite busy."
"Didn't you say he's studying at the Imperial Capital? The term has just begun, so the classes are quite busy…" The northern girl added, "I say, we should go over to his place and catch him."
Cheng Lingsu was startled and waved her hands in a rush, "Absolutely don't do that. You'll create huge trouble." If you do that and anger that guy, god knows how he'll lesson me.
She didn't know what her feelings towards Jiang Xiu were. Perhaps it was hatred, jealousy or even defiance. Either way, it absolutely wasn't happiness or love.
"Susu…"
A man came over with a bouquet of roses. This man had an elegant appearance and an extraordinary bearing. It was none other than Song Ronghao.
"These flowers are for you."
Cheng Lingsu looked at her surroundings awkwardly. There were many people here. She waved her hands, "I don't want it, Ronghao. Don't give me things again. It's impossible for us to get together."
Song Ronghao said, "Why? Weren't we pretty good together? Why did…"
"Forgive me."
It was quite difficult for a boy to accept losing love. Especially so for a prideful boy. It was difficult for someone like that to admit defeat. Song Ronghao said, "Susu, give me one last chance. I'll take you to see a duel during the Mid-autumn festival. Your perception of the world will change once you witness it and you'll definitely change your mind."
Before Cheng Lingsu could reply to him, Miao Xiaolin asked him, "What duel?"
"A battle between Demigods!" Song Ronghao said.
The Song family wasn't just the wealthiest family in Shanghai, its history in martial arts was quite deep too. After all, a family is bound to require the protection of military force once it amasses enough wealth.
Cheng Lingsu's eyes glowed with excitation, "You know the location of the duel?"
Song Ronghao said, "I heard it's at Donglu Mountain. The specifics are still unclear, but I have contacts on the inside. I'll take you along at that time." The news outside was that Ji Wudao was at the Donglu Mountain right now.
"Donglu Mountain?"
Cheng Lingsu was quite worried about this matter these past few days. She knew Jiang Xiu wouldn't take her along to the place. Finally, she had found a way.
"Ronghao, thank you!"
This was the first time Song Ronghao heard Cheng Lingsu thank him, so he was a little overjoyed. "This is nothing. I just wasn't expecting you to know about this Demigod battle as well."
The northern girl, Xiao Fangfang, standing to the side asked, "What the heck is this Demigod battle?"
Song Ronghao said, "It's a duel between ultimate martial artists."
"Freestyle fighting? Ring boxing?" The girl asked.
Miao Xiaolin stated, "Those things are pretty meh."
Song Ronghao shook his head helplessly. These people obviously didn't know what a Demigod battle represented or how much it would influence the nation. Martial artists from all corners of the country had flocked to the Imperial Capital for this reason.
Right now, Jiang Xiu's party had just reached his house at the Imperial Capital. The house wasn't small and just enough to accommodate all of them.
A little later after they reached here, an Audi appeared at the villa area. There was only a single person inside the car. He arranged the collars of his suit and looked at the villas here gloomily. "To think an insignificant Annan City Mayor bought a villa here after taking office for a short time."
This person was none other than Jiang Yishan's second son, the person Jiang Yi called Second Brother.