After The Honest Person Was Discovered For Simultaneously Pursuing Three People - Chapter 83

Chapter 83: Pain

The day after Madam Song’s ashes were interred in the cemetery, the piercing sound of police sirens surrounded the Song family’s villa estate, adding a layer of fear to the already somber place. The servants were in an uproar, and the arriving and departing guests were either bewildered, confused, or, if they were insiders, sat back to watch the drama unfold.

In a single night, the once prominent Wu family became the Song family, and now, the family’s world was changing once again.

Countless police officers rushed into the villa. Everyone present witnessed the fear visibly spread across the face of the middle-aged man, Song Rongguo, whose brow was usually furrowed and who hadn’t shown any grief over the death of his wife.

A police officer showed him an arrest warrant. “Song Rongguo, following a witness report, and after evidence collection and investigation by our unit, you are suspected of a series of crimes, including smuggling goods and articles prohibited from import and export, bribery, and forging financial institution business licenses. You are now being lawfully arrested. Please come with us.”

Song Rongguo’s expression changed dramatically. His gaze swept over the crowd until Song Heng gave him a reassuring look, at which point the panic quickly subsided, and he reverted to the arrogant Chairman of the Song Group he usually was.

A young police officer attempted to put handcuffs on him. Song Rongguo glared coldly. “You yourselves said I, Song, am only a suspect. First, I am only ‘suspected,’ and second, I pose no danger. Do you dare to abuse your authority in front of the Provincial Chief Prosecutor? A mere municipal bureau, how overbearing.”

What Song Rongguo said was true. Police weapons and equipment must be legally used only under specific circumstances, and Song Rongguo’s current situation was not suitable. The young officer was new and unaware of Song Heng’s identity. Hearing this, he was so frightened that the hand holding the handcuffs trembled.

The police officer who had just presented the warrant maintained a solemn expression and blocked the young officer. He remained unmoved by Song Rongguo’s aggressiveness. “Director Song, please discuss the legal provisions you are familiar with with your lawyer later. For now, please come with us.”

Two police officers came over, attempting to ‘escort’ Song Rongguo out. Song Heng walked up, smiled faintly, and said, “I happen to have a matter to discuss with your Director Yang. I would be grateful if Captain Zhang would give me a ride.”

Captain Zhang hesitated but did not want to offend a leader of a superior organ and nodded in agreement. Before leaving, Song Heng’s calm gaze turned to the expressionless person in the corner. He smiled faintly: “Yucong, the family and the company will rely on you during this time. Don’t disappoint my father and me… or mother.”

That gaze was ostensibly calm and gentle, but under the watch of numerous eyes, the tone was inexplicably sinister, as if he had seen through Song Yucong’s innermost thoughts.

Song Rongguo, having reached the door, reacted and turned around, his eagle-like eyes sharp as blades. He looked as if he wanted to tear Song Yucong limb from limb, the hatred in his eyes venomous, completely unlike a father’s gaze toward his son.

“You heartless beast! To think that I, Song Rongguo, have been wise all my life, only to be brought down by an ungrateful wretch I raised for over ten years! I shouldn’t have been soft-hearted in the first place! I should have listened to the Master and drained all that low-born blood from you to sacrifice to the Song family ancestors, to ensure the Song family foundation would prosper for another hundred years…”

This torrent of words was overloaded with information, astonishing everyone. Their inner desire to watch the gossip drama burned fiercely. After all, it was not easy to witness the secrets of a family that steered a colossal commercial empire. And the central figure turned out to be the marginalized Second Young Master Song!

This second young master was only known for his terrible temper and was otherwise useless compared to his elder brother, who was a rising star in the political arena at a young age. Could it be that this second young master was responsible for sending his father to jail? And the matter of sacrificing blood to ancestors sounded truly unbelievable.

Everyone’s gaze turned to him, some probing, some gleeful, some mocking, some awestruck… Tao Ning had been standing behind Song Yucong and was also affected by these looks, but he didn’t care, even though the occasional glance from Song Heng made him very uncomfortable.

He was only worried that Song Yucong would be feeling down.

He tugged at the sleeve of the person in front of him, but his hand was immediately caught. Song Yucong’s palm was as cold as ever, but facing everyone’s malicious scrutiny, it held an indescribable strength at this moment, which flowed continuously into Tao Ning’s heart through their touching skin.

He felt relieved.

The next moment, everyone heard Song Yucong’s undisguised sarcastic laugh. Under the harsh white light, his handsome face was stretched into a nearly grotesque smile, his features slightly contorted, and the pure malice and hatred within were vividly displayed to everyone.

It was as if a long-suppressed demon had finally climbed out of the Avīci Hell, sending shivers down their spines.

“Song… Rong… guo.” Song Yucong’s smile was twisted, and he enunciated each word. “Did the money you stole from my grandfather all these years make you forget that a hundred years ago, this place belonged to the Shipping Magnate Wu? And you—you’re just a live-in son-in-law. Hahaha, you actually talk about sacrificing to the Song family ancestors?”

The unrestrained laughter made everyone present hold their breath, and Song Rongguo’s face was the color of a pot’s bottom, because everyone present knew this was the lifelong embarrassment he could not escape.

Yet Song Yucong clearly had no intention of letting him go. He pinpointed his humiliation, determined to tear it out and expose it even if it cost him blood. Song Yucong stopped laughing and said sarcastically, “If you want to sacrifice to your Song family ancestors, I’m afraid you’ll have to take a boat and a tractor to some desolate wilderness to loosen the soil… just to barely see a grave mound. Tsk tsk tsk, such audacity.”

Everyone knew that Song Rongguo was dirt poor before he married into the family and that his ancestral home was in a remote, impoverished area. Unexpectedly, this Second Young Master Song was not only temperamental beyond compare, but his talent for sarcasm was also exceptional. Someone couldn’t hold back a laugh and let out a chuckle.

Tao Ning also found it amusing, curved his eyes, and held it in.

As expected, Song Rongguo was fuming with rage, cursing him as an ungrateful wretch and threatening to skin Song Yucong alive. Ultimately, Captain Zhang, not wanting the drama of their wealthy family to delay the case, took Song Rongguo away. The noisy shouts gradually subsided with the setting sun, eventually giving way to silence.

That night, Song Yucong expressionlessly dismissed almost all the servants in the villa, and several waves of police officers came to escort people away. Just as he had said that day, he would personally send the people inside the villa to the police station.

Tao Ning asked him, “What crimes did these people commit? …How did you do it?”

Song Yucong hugged him, burying his head into Tao Ning’s lean, pale collarbone, completely devoid of the malice and “smugness” he had displayed in the villa during the day. Instead, he mumbled, “Don’t ask.”

Tao Ning patted his back. “I’m worried about you.”

“…The old man got what he deserved. I just added fuel to the fire. As for those people…” Song Yucong snorted, clearly finding it difficult to say. “They used to take my things out and sell them. Now I can’t stand the sight of them, so I settled both old and new scores by sending them in.”

Tao Ning knew “take” actually meant “steal” and gently patted his back again.

In fact, Song Yucong hadn’t expected it. With what he currently possessed, it would have taken him another six or seven years to bring down Song Rongguo. Before that, he could only endure the humiliation and pretend nothing was happening. But perhaps God also wanted to punish the beast, Song Rongguo, and someone offered him a pillow when he was sleepy.

First, a business rival from the time of the Wu family sent evidence of Song Rongguo’s official corruption, and with the help of Zhao Jingqun, things went smoothly. However, it would still take time for Song Rongguo to completely collapse, because those charges were only enough to get him in trouble. He could simply use his connections and some shady dealings to get out after a year or two.

Song Yucong had intended to endure a little longer… But, he released his embrace and looked down. The pair of clear brown eyes on the small, palm-sized face looked up, seemingly confused.

He couldn’t help but pinch the soft flesh on Tao Ning’s cheek. Song Yucong remembered Zhao Jingqun behind Tao Ning. He was just a bumpkin, yet he had a cousin with immense wealth. Even though Zhao Jingqun said he had a wife, Song Yucong found the matter very suspicious and felt a strong sense of crisis.

If he had enough money, this bumpkin wouldn’t be able to leave him, would he?

He tightened the force of his fingers in frustration. The person under his hand let out a soft cry: “…Ouch.”

“Hmph, bear it.”

Tao Ning slapped his hand away, covered the red mark on his cheek, and frowned. “I’ll be honest, you and the Song family are intertwined for better or worse. His imprisonment will definitely affect your family’s company. If it affects you in the future, what will you do?”

Song Yucong couldn’t resist pinching his soft cheek again. “You bumpkin, you’re quite knowledgeable.”

Tao Ning dodged his hand and said helplessly, “…I’m not stupid.”

Song Yucong stopped teasing him and suddenly said out of the blue, “Tao Ning, do you like money?”

Hearing him ask this, Tao Ning froze. A floodgate of memories opened, slowly flowing back to a long time ago when Xu Jun, in the sunlight, told him that he would have many gold bracelets in the future.

His eyelashes drooped, and Tao Ning said softly, “It’s alright. I can’t say if I like it or not.”

Growing up, his adoptive parents would argue over money, his older sister and brother-in-law would argue over money, and his second and third sisters wanted to send him to an orphanage because of money, and he needed money for his illness… Everyone was dominated by a thin piece of paper. From ancient times to the present, money has lorded over the joys and sorrows of all living beings.

Like it or not, everyone needs it. What was there to say?

Song Yucong sneered, however, and once again called him an idiot for studying so much.

Not expecting the young master who had lived a privileged life since childhood to understand the struggles of a mountain student who relied on studying to change their fate, Tao Ning smiled. “Then if you weren’t studying, what would you be doing?”

Silence suddenly spread. Song Yucong turned his face away, his gaze vacant. “I used to only want to play the piano.”

Tao Ning nodded thoughtfully. “Mmm, I support that.”

Song Yucong hugged him, bit his earlobe, ground his teeth, and said fiercely, “You are not allowed to say a single word of what I told you today to anyone outside.”

“Oh.”

The two went to sleep.

The drama of the Song family was well known in Haizhou. After Tao Ning’s health improved, he had to return to school. Although Song Yucong was very reluctant, he simply could not change Tao Ning’s mind when it came to his principles, so he had no choice but to go back to school with him.

However, before setting off, Tao Ning was a little distracted.

Song Yucong was displeased with his spaced-out look and made some noise to attract Tao Ning’s attention, like a childish three-year-old who only wanted all of the adult’s attention on him.

Song Yucong knocked over the snacks in the car, and Tao Ning snapped back to attention.

“What’s wrong?”

“…Nothing.” Song Yucong said stiffly, his face sullen.

“Mmm.”

Then, as expected, Tao Ning once again got lost in his own thoughts.

His mind was actually a bit cluttered because he hadn’t seen Zhao Jingqun since the public memorial service. Even when he secretly borrowed other people’s phones to call, he couldn’t get in touch. It was as if not only had the Song family undergone a drastic change overnight, but Zhao Jingqun had also disappeared overnight.

At the same time, an inexplicable panic grew in his heart. Tao Ning frowned slightly, unable to figure out why, so he simply suppressed this unwarranted emotion. He would try to contact Zhao Jingqun again when he got to school.

The car drove into the school gate, but Song Yucong suddenly threw a tantrum, his words full of dissatisfaction that Tao Ning was leaving his side. In the end, Tao Ning spent a long time coaxing him until he was compliant. Only then did Song Yucong let him return to the dormitory with a huff.

Tao Ning sighed in relief. This conquest target cum young master was truly difficult to deal with, but fortunately, he had found a way to handle him now.

Just as he reached the door of the dormitory, with a soft “creak,” the door quietly opened. A faint smell of disinfectant wafted into his nostrils. Tao Ning looked at the pile of large and small luggage neatly placed on the left side, and his heart felt a sharp prick. He froze.

“Xu Jun… are you leaving?”

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