A Bad-Hearted Doctor is Unbearably Beautiful - Chapter 73

Cheng Meirong’s home was a one-bedroom apartment—not particularly spacious, but decorated with an air of exquisite extravagance.

An unopened box of cigars sat atop a black obsidian tabletop. Several shopping bags were piled on the sofa, featuring top-tier luxury labels like Hermes and Boucheron. A few of the latest designer handbags were tossed carelessly on the floor; through their openings, one could catch glimpses of crumpled tissues and stray lipsticks.

Cheng Meirong took two glasses from the rack, her eyelids flickering slightly. “What are you two handsome guys drinking?”

“Nothing,” Lu Xiao replied. His gaze did a quick sweep of the room before landing back on her.

“I’m not sure yet if I’ll answer your questions, but since you’re already here, I’ll play the hostess. Coffee? Liquor? I don’t have hot water, but there’s sparkling water in the fridge.”

Cheng Meirong seemed listless, her voice thick with a nasal quality. She wore a purple satin robe and plush Dior slippers. She sauntered over to the refrigerator.

“Sparkling water is fine,” Shen Zhao said.

Cheng Meirong pulled three bottles of Perrier from the fridge, placing two in front of them. She twisted open her own, poured half a glass with a series of heavy clinks, then unscrewed a bottle of gin and filled the rest of the glass to the brim.

Lu Xiao caught the scent of juniper wafting from her drink and let out a soft laugh. “You’ve got quite the lifestyle going. Hard liquor first thing in the morning?”

Cheng Meirong looked indifferent. She lit a slim cigarette and exhaled slowly. “Hard liquor goes to your head faster. Life needs a little excitement, anyway. I’m going back to sleep once you leave.”

Lu Xiao’s voice turned somber. He pulled up information on his phone and looked at her. “You’re not a local from Shanghai, are you?”

Cheng Meirong paused briefly before nodding. “So what?”

“Your records show you’re unmarried and have no history of employment at any company. When exactly was your household registration transferred to Shanghai?” Lu Xiao narrowed his eyes, watching her reaction.

“As far as I know, to get Shanghai residency, you either have to get married, invest in a company, be a top-tier graduate working here, or go through the years-long residency-to-citizenship track. You don’t seem to fit any of those criteria.”

Cheng Meirong licked her lips and set her glass down, speaking with mounting impatience. “Does this have anything to do with Xiao Cheng’s kidnapping?”

Lu Xiao’s displeasure was equally evident. He curled his lip into a smirk. “I just want to know: what kind of terms did Zhai Hongtian promise you to get you to agree to bear his child?”

Shen Zhao looked at the data on Lu Xiao’s phone. Cheng Meirong was only 29 years old, yet her child was already ten…

Cheng Meirong’s eyes flickered. “You… you know about him?”

Lu Xiao let out a cold laugh. “Indeed. Mr. Zhai looks exceptionally ‘young,’ doesn’t he?”

Lu Xiao intentionally emphasized the word “young,” watching her face for any shift in expression. As expected, a flash of panic crossed Cheng Meirong’s features.

“I… I gave him a child. It’s only natural that he provides me with living expenses and basic security. What’s the problem with that!” Her lip twitched, but she forced a smile, feigning nonchalance.

Lu Xiao didn’t intend to expose the blood exchange theory just yet; after all, he had no concrete evidence against Zhai Hongtian. He exchanged a glance with Shen Zhao, then said coldly, “Ms. Cheng, I’m not here to judge you. I just want to know why your household filed a missing child report, but when the police tried to verify it with you, you claimed it wasn’t your son.”

His gaze grew razor-sharp. “Why?”

Cheng Meirong’s lips trembled before she regained her indifferent mask. “At the time… I didn’t recognize him.”

The bizarre behavior of Cheng Meirong and Zhai Hongtian left Shen Zhao speechless. At that moment, he felt nothing but a crushing heartache for the boy, Xiao Cheng.

Lu Xiao rubbed his forehead, unable to stay still. He let out a dry, mocking laugh. “Ms. Cheng, parents who truly grieve over a lost child will cling to even a one-percent chance when the police have news. They would insist on seeing the child just in case. They wouldn’t act like you!”

A trace of unease surfaced in her expression, followed by an angry retort. “Don’t you all know Zhai Hongtian is the one pulling the strings?! Go ask him! What kind of skill is it to bully a woman like me!”

Lu Xiao’s temper flared. “Cheng Meirong! If you say nothing, we can reasonably suspect you of conspiring with the kidnappers to snatch your own son for some nefarious purpose!”

Cheng Meirong crushed her slim cigarette violently against the corner of the table. “You fucking…”

Sensing her agitation, Shen Zhao softened his tone. “We aren’t here to blame you; we just want the truth. Whether it’s you or Zhai Hongtian, we will investigate everything.”

Cheng Meirong fell silent for a long time, seemingly locked in a bitter internal struggle. She closed her eyes and let out a long sigh. “He told me not to admit it…”

“Is ‘he’ Zhai Hongtian?” Shen Zhao asked.

She didn’t confirm or deny it, merely clutching the sash of her robe. She bit her lower lip before finally speaking. “Cheng Nianchuan vanished from school. Sister Fang called the police. Later, I called him and told him Xiao Cheng was gone… Who knew that instead of helping me find him, he’d just tear into me…”

“What did he say?”

“He screamed at me… asked why the hell I called the police…”

Shen Zhao’s heart constricted. “Do you know why he said that?”

Cheng Meirong shook her head and lit another cigarette. Her diamond bracelet sparkled brilliantly as her wrist moved. “He only said he would handle the rest and told me to stay out of it. And… if the police contacted me, I was to deny everything.”

“I don’t get it,” Lu Xiao’s anger surged again. “You’re the kid’s mother. Why do you do everything he says!”

Cheng Meirong’s body shivered slightly, but she didn’t argue. She slowly finished her cigarette and poured herself another half-glass of gin. She took a large gulp before finally looking up.

The moment her eyes met theirs, tears spilled over. “Spineless. A parasite. A leech. That is the way people like me survive.”

The three of them sat on the sofa, lapsing into a long, heavy silence.

After an indeterminate amount of time, Lu Xiao poured a little liquor for himself and clinked his glass against hers. “But do you have any idea what Xiao Cheng is going through because of your cowardice?”

Cheng Meirong’s fingers tightened. “I know what you want to ask, but I cannot provide any testimony that would harm Zhai Hongtian… I’m truly… sorry.”

A trace of mockery appeared on her face. “I can’t even control Xiao Cheng’s fate. Just like I can’t control my own.”