Can a System Have Bad Intentions? - Chapter 128

Xie Yu stared blankly at Xie Chengnian, who looked briefly shocked before his face showed immense sorrow. “If he wasn’t my birth son, it wouldn’t be this painful.”

He was his birth son?

Even if he was his birth son, he could still be this ruthless?

Xie Yu was only two years old at the time!

If Xie Yu’s father was naturally heartless, why did he treat Xie Jin so differently?

Lu Tang was thoroughly confused.

Xie Yu sat silently, his face expressionless due to the overwhelming shock. The sadness was so deep that it couldn’t be expressed.

Qin Mo, still calm, repeated his earlier question, “Why did you hide?”

Xie Chengnian’s lips trembled, his tightly clenched fists slowly loosening after a long while.

“I was afraid they would kill Yu’er.”

Xie Yu stared at the floor, not moving at all, his whole body still like a statue.

Qin Mo continued, “They? Xie Yu’s parents?”

Xie Chengnian nodded.

“Why?”

Xie Chengnian silently looked at Qin Mo for a long time before saying, “This has nothing to do with your investigation of Huang Yunsheng.”

Qin Mo raised an eyebrow slightly. “So you don’t intend to tell?”

Xie Chengnian closed his mouth and didn’t answer, clearly not intending to say more.

Lu Tang glanced at Qin Mo. He lowered his eyes with a cold expression, holding a teacup and lightly skimming the nonexistent foam off the tea. After two cups’ worth of time, he set the cup aside.

“Fine. If you don’t intend to speak, I won’t force you. Old Song, see the guests out.”

After speaking, Qin Mo turned to Lu Tang. “After all this, are you hungry? Let’s get something to eat.”

Lu Tang was still dazed.

What did that mean?

Even though she didn’t understand, her instincts told her that the boss was scaring Xie Chengnian.

Quickly glancing at Xie Yu, Lu Tang stood up and said, “Yes, I’m hungry.”

Qin Mo took her hand and started to leave. Behind them, Song Qingzhan looked at Xie Chengnian with a cold expression and gestured, “Shall I escort you out, or will you leave on your own?”

Song Qingzhan spoke politely, but Xie Chengnian hesitated, looking at both Song Qingzhan and Qin Mo. “Can I leave, but let Yu’er stay?”

Qin Mo didn’t respond, his hand already on the door handle, opening the door and leading Lu Tang out.

Song Qingzhan said, “No need. Friends should be sincere. Young Master Lu risked his life for Xie Yu. If we hadn’t found out that Xie Jin’s father wanted to collude with Du Zhongming in advance, Young Master Lu would still be in the county jail now. Why should he be dragged into your family’s misfortunes? You don’t want to talk, and no one is forcing you, but there’s no need to make an unrelated person suffer for your family’s troubles. Don’t you agree? Young Master Lu considers Xie Yu a friend, but he shouldn’t have to stick his neck out and end up in jail for it.”

After a slight pause, Song Qingzhan added casually, “After all, not everyone is as lucky to get out of jail. Many people lose everything. What did they do to deserve that?”

Xie Chengnian stood frozen.

Xie Yu ran to the door, shouting, “Little Tang.”

Song Qingzhan grabbed Xie Yu, “Do you want to get him killed?”

Xie Yu’s eyes were bloodshot, filled with pain. He wanted to go to Lu Tang. He had lived fifteen years, and he knew how hard his life had been.

His younger brother tortured him in various ways, and his own parents ignored him.

Now, he found out that his father had poisoned him.

For fifteen years, apart from his grandfather, Lu Tang was the only one who treated him well. He clung to Lu Tang like a drowning man to a lifeline, unwilling to let go.

But…

Xie Yu, confronting Song Qingzhan for a moment, weakened and turned to kneel before Xie Chengnian, “Grandfather!”

Seeing Xie Chengnian nearly broken, Song Qingzhan said coldly, “Let’s go. Once you step out of this door, you’ll have to protect Xie Yu on your own. We won’t interfere. You can trust that we’ll ensure justice in the case against Huang Yunsheng. Since you were wronged back then, you’ll get the justice you deserve.”

There was nothing wrong with this.

Song Qingzhan held the upper hand.

But the ones wanting Xie Yu dead weren’t Huang Yunsheng or Huang Bangyuan. Without Qin Mo and Song Qingzhan’s protection, Xie Yu would die once they left this door.

“You’re… forcing me!” Xie Chengnian screamed, blood spraying from his mouth.

Xie Yu rushed to him in panic, “Grandfather.”

Song Qingzhan remained expressionless, coldly saying, “We aren’t forcing you. When Huang Yunsheng is brought to justice, Xie Jin and his father will also be arrested sooner or later. We can ask Xie Jin’s father then. You don’t need to trouble yourself.”

Song Qingzhan walked to the door and fully opened it. “Leave now!”

The final expulsion order.

But he didn’t really drive them away.

In the next room,

Lu Tang pressed a small wine cup against the wall, eavesdropping. Qin Mo sat at the table, coldly staring at a clay pot.

“When is this from?”

Lu Tang, hearing the silence next door, glanced at the pot. “When I went to find you earlier, Liang brought it.”

At the mention of Liang Cheng, Qin Mo felt a pang of jealousy. “He’s really good to you, even with his lame leg, queuing up to buy you a clay pot. If you were a girl, you’d be moved enough to marry him on the spot.”

Lu Tang looked at Qin Mo.

Initially, Lu Tang had a budding affection for Qin Mo.

He had the looks, the height, the wealth, and the power.

But he was a gay man!

So, what’s the point of all that?

Feeling frustrated, Lu Tang rolled his eyes, put down the small wine cup, and slumped into a chair, “If I could marry someone out of gratitude, I’d be too busy.”

Qin Mo, still jealous, missed the oddity in her words. “Why?”

Lu Tang grinned, “Last time I wanted peaches, but it wasn’t the season, and there were none in Qinghe County. Xu Shen rode for days to get a basket from the capital. Wasn’t I moved?”

Qin Mo’s heart sank.

Lu Tang continued, “Once, a jerk challenged me to a cricket fight. My crickets weren’t good, so Zhou Shu spent three days catching crickets in the grass for me just so I could win.”

Qin Mo’s heart trembled.

Lu Tang added, “Two years ago, a jerk from the neighboring town picked a fight with Da Wei. His family did business there, and the jerk messed with their shop. We staked out in the dead of winter, waiting for him to go out alone, then dunked him in an ice hole.”

Qin Mo’s heart tightened.

It seemed that Little Fool’s friends were all very good to him. To surpass them…

Lu Tang clicked her tongue lightly, raising an eyebrow at Qin Mo, “Let’s put it this way. We’re like brothers in those stories who’d go to any lengths for each other. A bowl of porridge? Of course, I’m moved, but Liang is good to me because I’m good to him.”

Qin Mo thought: Why do I feel otherwise?

Am I overthinking?

Qin Mo quickly recalled, “Don’t you think Liang Cheng treats you differently from the others?”