After Teasing the Crazy Mermaid, He Actually Deceived Me into Marriage - Chapter 34

“Father, I meant what I said. If I ever see that little white lotus in the Si family again, both mother and child will have to get out too!”

Si Tang remained unmoved by Si Chenfeng’s anger. With a mocking glance at the contorted face of Chen Yue, she merely curved her lips slightly, stood up, picked up the chic little jacket held by a servant nearby, and strode away with an air of indifference.

“How dare she! Utterly lawless!” Si Chenfeng clutched his chest in fury behind her.

Where did this rebellious daughter place him, her father? If it weren’t for the fact that he still needed the Yun family’s support in business, he would have long ago married her off as a tool for alliance!

It might be for the best if she got engaged or married, she should leave this house as soon as possible. Everywhere she went, she stirred up trouble!

Chen Yue was taken aback that Si Tang had confronted Si Chenfeng so directly this time, unwilling to let her have her way. But it was just as well; she was pleased to see the relationship between father and daughter freeze over.

Feigning distress, she hugged her son and sobbed to Si Chenfeng, “It’s understandable that Xiao Tang is so upset. She’s never liked Xiao Xi since childhood, thinking we destroyed your family. But her mother passed away from illness, what does that have to do with me? It’s just pitiful for our Xiao Xi, who hasn’t been able to live with me since he was little and has always stayed with my brother. Because he couldn’t openly be recognized as part of the family, he’s been called a fatherless wild child and couldn’t even reveal who his real father is.”

Back then, Si Chenfeng hadn’t dared to publicly acknowledge Si Xi’s identity, nor did he want to bear the stigma of having an “illegitimate child.” Coupled with pressure from the powerful Yun family at the time, although he married Chen Yue, he had always kept Si Xi fostered elsewhere.

It wasn’t until many years later, after Chen Yue gave him a son and Si Tang was presumed dead in a shipwreck three years ago, that Si Chenfeng felt it was about time to bring Si Xi back into the Si family. But unexpectedly, Si Tang returned alive.

“At least our son won’t have to suffer like that.” Chen Yue wept softly by his side.

Si Chenfeng’s tone softened, and he patted her shoulder tenderly with concern. “Don’t worry, I will make it up to Xiao Xi, and our son will never suffer the slightest grievance. Once Xiao Tang is married off soon, I will personally bring Xiao Xi back home.”

Only then did Chen Yue feel satisfied. She nestled in his embrace for a while, a smug and determined smile curling at the corners of her lips.

What do you have to compete with me, Si Tang?

But, Chen Yue recalled the earlier scene. She had personally watched Si Tang drink the milk every morning. Why did that little wretch show no signs of illness or weakness?

After breakfast, once Si Chenfeng had left the estate, Chen Yue summoned the servant in charge of meals to her room alone.

“Tell me, have you really been putting the medicine in her cup every day?” Chen Yue’s eyes, once gentle as water in front of Si Chenfeng, now gleamed with the cold venom of a serpent.

The servant trembled in fear, her legs giving way as she knelt on the floor, stammering nervously.

“Madam, I swear, I haven’t missed a single day. I’ve been putting the medicine in the young lady’s cup every day!”

“Then why hasn’t that little bitch shown any signs of wasting away or aging? Instead, she’s becoming more ” At this point, Chen Yue nearly choked with rage. Ever since that wretched girl returned three years ago, she had only grown more radiant and beautiful with each passing day. Every time she attended an event, she effortlessly became the center of attention.

The more she thought about it, the more furious she became. In a fit of anger, she grabbed the servant by the shoulders.

“Wasn’t it said that the drug would slow down her metabolism, make her age rapidly, and accumulate toxins so that she’d die in agony within ten years?! She’s been drinking it for three years does she look poisoned to you?!”

“I don’t know what happened either! I really did put it in her cup, Madam!”

“You must have been swindled by that drug dealer you found!” Chen Yue kicked the servant aside in disgust. “Useless trash! Pack your things and get out tomorrow! If even a whisper of this gets out, don’t expect your son to live!”

The servant wept and begged, “It won’t, I swear! Please don’t hurt him!”

After the servant left, the room fell silent. A venomous glint flashed in Chen Yue’s eyes. Did that wretch really think she could play her for a fool and walk away unscathed?

She dialed a number. “Hello, Brother? I need you to take care of someone. Yes, don’t ask too many questions. Also, lend me a few men, and find me a slow-acting poison.”

Meanwhile, Si Tang was driving when her phone rang.

“Hello? Mo Heng?” Her voice was soft.

“Tang Tang, are you free today?” The voice on the other end was deep and magnetic.

“Yes, I am.”

“Let’s meet up then. I’ll be waiting for you at Cloud Manor.”

“Alright, see you soon.”

After hanging up, a faint smile touched Si Tang’s lips as she turned the car toward Cloud Manor.

Cloud Manor was an upscale club under the He family in the capital, designed in a neo-classical Chinese style with extravagant luxury.

When Si Tang entered the private room, her eyes immediately fell on He Mo Heng playing pool with his friends.

He was strikingly handsome, with fair, cool-toned skin and an air of refined elegance when he smiled, yet it couldn’t conceal his innate nobility. His brows and facial contours carried a hint of sharpness, and his deep, mesmerizing peach-blossom eyes seemed to hold a teasing smile.

It was those very eyes she had fallen for at first sight years ago. Back then, it felt as if the world had gone silent, the crowd behind him dissolving into scattered points of light, leaving only him vividly clear in her gaze.

The young masters in the room were visibly surprised to see Si Tang walk in. She was a well-known figure in the capital, famous not only for her beauty but also for the mysterious story of her disappearance three months prior and her miraculous return.

“Tang Tang.” He spotted her the moment she entered, setting down his cue and striding over to take her coat, hanging it on the nearby rack.

He reached out naturally to ruffle her hair, and for a fleeting moment, Si Tang felt a sense of deja vu, as if someone had done the same long ago.

Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he enveloped her in the crisp scent of cedar. For some reason, Si Tang felt slightly uneasy and lowered her gaze, listening as he introduced her to his friends.

“This is my girlfriend.”

“You’re a lucky man, Second Young Master He!”

“So the famous Miss Si is your girlfriend? You’ve kept this hidden for so long!”

“Don’t mind the teasing. We didn’t go public earlier because Tang Tang found it troublesome.”

“Come on, out with it, how long have you two been together?”

“About two years.”

“You two really know how to keep a secret.”

“Didn’t I hear from my father that the Yun family is hosting a birthday banquet for Miss Si? They call it a birthday banquet, but it’s actually a husband-selection banquet. Looks like others probably don’t stand a chance!”

He Moheng merely smiled calmly. After responding to his friends’ teasing, he walked aside with Si Tang to chat.

“Tangtang, I hope you’re not upset about what I just revealed? After all, we’re announcing our engagement in three days, so telling my friends in advance shouldn’t be a big deal.”

Si Tang wasn’t angry and tacitly accepted his explanation. However, remembering something, she gently tugged at He Moheng’s sleeve, wanting to explain. “About my grandmother.”

He Moheng’s eyes flickered slightly as he interrupted her.

“I know your grandmother doesn’t like me.”

The Yun family was well aware that Si Tang already had someone in mind, yet they deliberately arranged this so-called “husband-selection banquet.” It was nothing more than a warning to him that Si Tang’s options weren’t limited to him alone. As an illegitimate son of the He family with little real power, if he treated Si Tang poorly, the Yun family would be the first to make him pay.

Si Tang sighed softly. The next moment, her hand was enveloped in someone’s grasp. Looking up, she met He Moheng’s exquisitely handsome face, his peach-blossom eyes curved gently and filled with tenderness.

For a moment, Si Tang’s expression grew distant.

He Moheng, having been adept at reading people since childhood, naturally caught that fleeting look in her eyes. A shadow of darkness flickered imperceptibly in his gaze.

He Moheng gently held Si Tang’s shoulders and leaned in slowly toward her.

The woman before him was breathtakingly beautiful, her clear, innocent eyes gazing at him with a hint of naivety, almost reflecting the darkness in his heart.

His eyes grew increasingly intense, but just as he was about to kiss her, he was abruptly pushed away.

Si Tang didn’t know what came over her.

She was certain she adored that face a fondness that seemed to stem from her very bones yet her body rebelled with revulsion.

She couldn’t bring herself to get any closer.

“I’m sorry.” Si Tang took a deep breath.

With her head bowed in apology, she didn’t see the icy coldness in the man’s eyes.

“It’s alright. The psychologist said you experienced trauma three years ago and might struggle with getting too close to others. We can take it slow.”

He Moheng leisurely adjusted his cufflinks. He wasn’t in a hurry. In three days, this woman would be his along with half of the Si family’s assets.

Si Tang was too naive, having even confessed to him the sudden reason she wanted to get engaged.

Initially, this young lady of the Si family had fallen for him at first sight. Considering her maternal family, the Yuns, he had only intended to toy with her and use her.

Unexpectedly, Si Tang ended up giving him such a tremendous surprise.