Chapter 131: Wanting to Go Home (1) |
The sky had already dimmed into twilight.
Liu Changqing drove for about three hours before reaching Chen Dafu's location.
When Liu Changqing called to ask where Chen Dafu was, it turned out that Chen Dafu had something to handle and wasn’t at home. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been able to meet even with three hours of driving.
Chen Dafu had specifically reserved a private room and ordered the dishes in advance.
Under the guidance of a server, Liu Changqing pushed open the door and entered.
Chen Dafu, who was fiddling with his phone, looked up at Liu Changqing. A faint smile appeared on his otherwise unremarkable face as he beckoned.
“Come, come!”
Hearing his greeting, Liu Changqing said nothing and walked over, pulling out the chair next to Chen Dafu before sitting down. He leaned back against the chair.
Without speaking, Chen Dafu picked up the cup in front of him, poured it full, and placed it in front of Liu Changqing, a slight smile still on his face.
He was referring to the Pokémon matter.
Liu Changqing stared at Chen Dafu expressionlessly for a good four or five seconds before shaking his head lightly.
“It’s not about that.”
“Then what did you call me for?”
Hearing Liu Changqing’s reply, Chen Dafu didn’t react dramatically. Instead, he poured a cup for himself, set the bottle down, and looked at Liu Changqing.
“You didn’t come here just for small talk, right?”
“I need a favor.”
“What kind of favor?”
“My daughter was taken away by Ye Rong.”
“……”
Hearing this, Chen Dafu froze for a moment before taking a sip from his cup.
“Phew, this wine is strong!”
He muttered while setting the cup back on the table gently. Folding his hands and leaning forward slightly, he asked in a low voice with a faint smile.
“And then?”
“I need you to check the surveillance for me, or… find out where they took her.”
“Finally burned the bridges this time?”
Instead of answering Liu Changqing directly, Chen Dafu asked this instead.
Liu Changqing stared at him for a while before finally nodding.
“Well done!” Chen Dafu exclaimed. But noticing Liu Changqing’s calm gaze, he awkwardly scratched his face.
“To be honest, I’ve met her a few times before, and I really can’t stand her. When she talks to you, she tries to be all chummy but still looks down on you—it’s annoying.”
“Understandable. You’re taller than her.”
“She wore high heels and was still about my height. It’s not just that… her gaze felt condescending, like she was looking down on everyone.”
“Self-righteous, but really just brain-dead.”
“Hm…”
Chen Dafu pondered for a moment after Liu Changqing’s remark before slapping his thigh hard.
“‘Brain-dead’ is the perfect word!” he said with an excited expression, looking at Liu Changqing.
“Did you come up with that?”
“Yeah.”
“Very fitting.”
“Stop getting sidetracked.” Liu Changqing’s interruption cut off Chen Dafu’s impending ramble. His eyes locked onto Chen Dafu.
“Will you help me?”
“Brother… it’s not about whether I want to help…”
Chen Dafu’s smile faded as he stared at the wine in his glass.
“If I help you, my dad definitely won’t agree.”
He looked up at Liu Changqing.
“As the saying goes, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse. Your former father-in-law’s assets may have declined after falling into Ye Rong’s hands, but their influence remains. Helping you means going against her.”
“So you’re saying… no?”
“Sorry, I can’t.”
“Fine.”
Liu Changqing stood abruptly, leaning slightly over the table as he stared down at Chen Dafu. Their eyes locked as if searching for something in each other’s expressions.
Growing up in privileged environments, how many were truly foolish? Liu Changqing understood that the Chen Dafu before him was far sharper than he let on.
Liu Changqing narrowed his eyes slightly and suddenly felt like laughing.
“Do you know why Ye Rong wants my daughter?”
“That, I really don’t. What’s the story?”
“Before my former father-in-law died, he didn’t give everything to Ye Rong. He split part of it between my son and daughter. Things aren’t great on her side now, and she’s desperate for my daughter’s share. Get it?”
“……”
Chen Dafu looked at Liu Changqing, scrutinizing his gaze. There was no hint of guilt or insincerity in Liu Changqing’s expression.
After a moment of silence, Chen Dafu laughed.
“Why are you telling me this? Whether it’s true or not, it’s your family’s issue, not mine…”
“Help me, and I’ll give you my daughter’s share,” Liu Changqing interrupted firmly, emphasizing every word.
“Chen Boss, are you interested?”
Night had fallen.
Liu Xiazhi was locked inside a room.
The interior was decorated like a dream, and the bed was several times larger than the one she was used to.
But Liu Xiazhi didn’t lie on it. She sat curled up in a corner, hugging her legs.
The room’s lights were off, casting a dimness over the space. The curtains were tightly drawn, blocking out the outside.
Liu Xiazhi’s eyes were swollen and red, evidence of her prolonged crying. Her knees bore scraped wounds, though they had been treated.
Ordinarily, pain like this would make her cry and yell. But now, at just ten years old, Liu Xiazhi felt a much deeper ache—one that pierced her heart.
She had cried the entire afternoon.
Ever since Li Wanran told her to call Li Chongming "Dad."
From that moment, Li Wanran’s image had completely shattered in her heart. The perfect image of her mother no longer existed.
It was then she understood why her father always fell silent when she asked about her mother’s absence.
From the start, it had been her mother who was wrong…
Liu Xiazhi had begun to sense the cracks in her mother’s character during the last confrontation between Ye Rong and Liu Changqing.
She couldn’t forget what Liu Changqing had said to her grandmother:
“Xiazhi is my daughter. Her surname is Liu, not Li, and certainly not Ye. What… do you want to take Xiazhi back and raise her to be like you and your daughter?”
So that’s what he meant.
At the time, Liu Xiazhi didn’t fully understand why her father would say such things to her grandmother.
Now, it all made sense.
Raising her face slowly, Liu Xiazhi’s dim eyes stared at the tightly drawn curtains.
It was her mother who abandoned their family.
Who abandoned her brother.
Who abandoned her father.
Who abandoned… her.
Liu Xiazhi shakily stood up, her steps unsteady as she approached the window.
She pulled open the curtains and looked at the scenery outside. It was far more beautiful than the view from her old home.
But she didn’t like it.
What she longed for wasn’t scenery, but the sight of her family reunited.
Gripping the railings, she stood on tiptoe and opened her mouth wide.
With a hoarse voice, she shouted:
“Dad! I want to go home!”