Holding the photo in his hand, Shangguan Zifei felt a sense of jealousy and anger rush into his chest. He glared at the man in the photo as if he wanted to cut him into pieces.
The word betrayal immediately appeared in his mind.
"Are you sure this photo was taken from Hua Menglan's house?”
"First Young Master, I'm 100% sure that I'm not mistaken. The man in the photo is Second Young Master.”The man replied respectfully.
"How is his body?"
"Second Young Master looks very healthy. He doesn't look like a patient at all.”
"What is he doing in Hua Menglan's house?”
"According to the information I gathered, the second young master has been staying at Miss Hua's house for a month, but he only stepped out of Miss Hua's house this morning.”
Shangguan Zituo's eyes widened." She's staying at her house! What is their relationship?"
They had only met for the first time when he brought Hua Menglan home…
Could it be that the two of them already knew each other?
Thinking about it carefully, when Hua Menglan saw Zi Tuo, she was indeed distracted for a moment. If he had sensed that something was wrong, he wouldn't have been deceived for so long like a fool.
Zi Tuo treated him as a fool, Shangguan Zifei thought to himself in a bad mood.
His cute little brother was simply pretending to be a pig to eat a tiger. Even his physical discomfort was faked. Perhaps he already knew that he was secretly plotting against him!
If Zi Tuo was so scheming that he knew of his ambitions, but he still backed down, then he would not have to show mercy to him.
He would eliminate anyone who stood in his way at all costs.
"I, I'm still investigating." He stammered, afraid that he would add fuel to the fire and suffer.
Shangguan Zifei looked at him gloomily," Could it be that he was with Hua Menglan when he was missing?”
He had to find out when they hooked up.
"Yes."
"Could it be that the two of them are living together?”
"Second Young Master seems to have left there. As far as I know, after Second Young Master left Miss Hua's house in the morning, he returned to his villa and did not go out. I have already sent people to monitor Second Young Master's actions.”
"Where's that woman Lu Xiangyi?"
"Still…no news."
Pa!
A shocking five-fingered print appeared on the man's left cheek, and blood seeped out of the corner of his mouth. One could imagine Shangguan Zifei's completely merciless strength.
"This is not the answer I want." he said angrily.
" I, I've tried my best to find her, but that woman disappeared so suddenly. It's really difficult for me to find her…" The man touched his stinging cheek, but he did not dare to cry out the word 'pain'.
"This is not a reason. Go and find her again immediately. Even if you have to search the entire Taiwan, you have to find her.”His entire body was emitting an evil aura.
"Yes." The man accepted his fate and replied. He could only blame himself for following the wrong master, which was why he ended up like this.
"I definitely won't allow this woman to ruin my plans.”
The raging anger burned Shangguan Zifei's rationality. A person who had lost his rationality could do anything. Moreover, he was a shrewd man. Things would not end so easily.
Candlelight dinners and romantic nights were what every woman dreamed of. Very few women would not be intoxicated by such a romantic atmosphere.
However, Hua Menglan was the only one who was in a daze. Her mind was not in this romantic restaurant at all. She had long drifted off to somewhere else…
Shangguan Zifei was staring at Hua Menglan, who seemed to have lost her soul. His eyes were watching Hua Menglan's reaction, but he had an unusual guess in his heart.
The Hua Menglan he knew was not a pessimistic woman. If she had something on her mind, she would not easily show it. However, she was unexpectedly showing a depressed look, which made people suspicious. Therefore, he wanted to ask her clearly.
"I can be your audience."
"An audience?"
"That's right. You seem to have something on your mind?"
"I…didn't." She forced a smile.
"The you I know wouldn't be as abnormal as you are today.”
"I'm fine. I'm really fine." If she had known earlier, she wouldn't have come to this date. She was completely absent-minded.
"I don't believe you're fine. You look very tired and troubled.”
"I'm just a little tired." She rubbed her forehead, trying to make herself look even more tired to hide from Shangguan Zifei's questioning gaze.
Shangguan Zifei grinned." I thought you were so helpless because you didn't want to see me."”He teased her to make her happy.
"How could that be?" His words were too embarrassing.
"So, you don't hate me.”he said, beaming.
"I won't."
"Then the two-month deadline is almost up. What do you think?”
Hua Menglan remained silent.
"I hope we can settle down…"
Hua Menglan remained silent.
" If you don't say anything, I'll take it that you're shy and agreed..." Shangguan Zifei said to himself.
"I, I hope we can be friends. As for marriage, I'm sorry. I'm afraid I'll have to let you down.”
She didn't expect that there would be a day when she would stutter. The situation forced her to become a weak and timid woman, but she really hated her ambiguous attitude.
If she could, she really wanted to take out her courage and reject Shangguan Zifei loudly.
Two months together was neither long nor short, but her thoughts were not on him, but on Shangguan Zituo.
Since that night, she had never seen Shangguan Zituo again. Her heart ached when he left without saying goodbye. She tried her best to take a step forward, but she did not expect him to retreat. When she thought of his ruthless departure, she hated herself even more.
Although she had told herself that she could not let him take advantage of her, his kiss and his hands had bewitched her heart and made her throw her feelings into him. She had given everything and thought that she could get his care, but he had actually started avoiding her the next day!
During this period of time, she had been living a life worse than death. She hated herself for discovering it so late. She had unknowingly given her heart to him, but she had always refused to admit it.
If she had found out earlier, perhaps she would not have been in so much pain. Perhaps she could have taken back her heart before she fell into it. But now, it was too late. His departure had caused her heart to fall into the abyss.
He must be laughing at her somewhere, laughing at her shamelessness, laughing at her pretending to be noble!
"Don't you have any feelings for me?”
"If it wasn't for my father…"
"So, you agreed to date me for two months as a stopgap measure?”
"I don't want to lie to you."
"It's okay. I can wait for you. We can slowly develop our feelings after we get married.”
"I don't want to talk about feelings at the moment. I hope you can understand me." Hua Menglan said with a bitter smile.”
"Aren't you afraid that your father's career will be doomed if you reject me?”
"I'm afraid." She spoke frankly.
"Since you're scared, why don't you promise me?”
"I don't want my marriage to be built on benefits. I don't like you. I only treat you as a friend.”She hoped that her honesty could be exchanged for his understanding. Otherwise, she had no way out.
"Since you've already made it so clear, I won't continue to make things difficult for you," said Shangguan Zifei with a smile. Don't worry, I'll help your father solve his financial problems. As for the two of us, let's be friends. I want to see you happy.”
"You, you're really willing to accept this arrangement?”Hua Menglan revealed a hint of joy.
"As long as you're happy."
"Zifei, thank you. Your help has solved my biggest problem and distress.”
"Since we're friends, there's no need to thank me.”Shangguan Zifei had an expression of not asking for anything in return.
"But to help my father's career, I need a huge sum of money. I…"
"You don't have to worry about that. Come, the steak is already cold. Let's hurry up and eat.”He smiled and advised Hua Menglan not to worry too much.
Since Shangguan Zifei had said so, Hua Menglan decided to temporarily put aside those annoying thoughts and eat happily. However, she did not expect that there was a bigger conspiracy waiting for her.
Shangguan Zifei's gentle and kind expression changed. He glared at Hua Menglan, who was forcing a smile and eating her steak with her head lowered. His sinister eyes made people shudder.
There was a piece of news that had spread throughout Taiwan this morning. Anyone who had a newspaper or read the news should know what the headline was.
The people from Zhiqin Beauty Studio had already heard the news. A few beautiful female bosses were rubbing their fists and waiting for someone to appear.
The clock on the wall pointed to 10 o'clock, and Hua Menglan appeared under everyone's eager anticipation. As soon as she stepped into the beauty studio, she was shocked by the scene in front of her.
"Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something wrong with me?”Hua Menglan pointed at her nose and asked.
"Yo, yo, yo! I say, Menglan, aren't you too good at 'backstabbing' people? As your good friends, we actually learned of this kind of good news from the newspapers. You're too ungrateful.”Liu Xichen and Yi Lianqian glared at Hua Menglan with a reproachful look, as if they were denouncing her.
"Menglan, why didn't I hear you mention it?”Yan Zhiqin's tone was friendly, but there was a hint of disapproval in her eyes.
"Godmother Menglan, I'm the flower girl. Don't even think about denying it.”Can Jie said with a smile.
"What are you guys talking about? I don't understand anything."
Hua Menglan had just stepped into the beauty studio when she saw her three friends and godson lined up to welcome her.
She frowned as she watched them welcome her.
"You're too unkind. You actually let us know such great news from the newspapers instead of telling us yourself. You're really unkind.”Liu Xichen criticized.
"Don't let me get lost, okay? What happened?”Hua Menglan rubbed her forehead and glared at the three of them in frustration.
"You…I won't say anymore!" Yi Lianqian was angry at her for being dishonest and still trying to hide the truth.
" Menglan, you're really…" Liu Xichen was so angry that he didn't know what to say.
"Enough, I don't want you to continue blaming me. Zhiqin, tell me, what is going on?”Hua Menglan turned her head to look at Yan Zhiqin angrily. She was the only one who wouldn't give an answer she didn't want to hear.
"Godmother Menglan, you're getting married.”Can Jie answered on behalf of his mother.
"I'm getting married?" Hua Menglan was surprised and confused.
"You're so mean. You're getting married and you're still hiding it from us. If we didn't know about this from the newspapers, who knows how long we would have been kept in the dark by you?”Yi Lian Qian said in a rattling voice.
"I'm not getting married." Hua Menglan closed her eyes. One wave had yet to calm down, and another wave had come. This rumor that had come out of nowhere was really going to kill her.
"How dare you deny it? Did we mishear you? The person in the newspaper is clearly you. You are about to marry the eldest young master of the Shangguan Group, and the wedding is set for the end of the year.”
"You mean me and Shangguan Zifei?" Hua Menglan was shocked.
"That's right, you'd better confess honestly. When did you get involved with Shangguan Zifei? Why didn't we know?”Liu Xichen looked like he was accusing him.
"What do you want me to confess? I don't understand the situation at all. How do you want me to admit it?”Hua Menglan really couldn't make sense of it. She also wanted to know what was going on.
"Then, what's with that report?”
" I want to know too…" She smiled bitterly.
"You really don't know?" Yi Lianqian blinked her large eyes.
"When have I ever lied to you?"
"This is bad. You can't clear your name even if you jump into the Yellow River. Now the whole of Taiwan knows that you're going to marry Shangguan Zifei. I didn't expect the bride to be kept in the dark.”Liu Xichen propped up his cheeks and looked confused.
"How do you know Shangguan Zifei? When did you two meet?"
" This…" This was a nightmare. Hua Menglan was so embarrassed that she didn't know how to answer their questions.
From the beginning to the end, she had been hiding it from them. She had not even mentioned anything about the Shangguan brothers. Now that things had turned out like this, she really did not know where to start.
"It seems that you have many things that you are hiding from us.”Yan Zhiqin stared at the troubled Hua Menglan.
"I feel the same way." Liu Xichen echoed.
"You've been really strange recently. Previously, a man appeared out of nowhere and claimed to have a close relationship with you. Today, another Shangguan Zifei popped out. What exactly are you doing?”Yi Lianqian questioned her in a bad tone.
The few of them looked at her sharply, and Hua Menglan suddenly felt exhausted." I…Give me a little more time. After I've sorted out my thoughts, I'll tell you all about it."”
"Can't you tell me now?" Liu Xichen asked unhappily. She hated this feeling. She hated the fact that the woman she had always treated as a good friend was actually hiding something from them.
"That's right. What can't you tell us now?”
" Give me a little more time…" Before she could finish speaking, Hua Menglan had already turned around and left in a panic.
Hua Menglan ran away without a care in the world, throwing her friend's condemnation to the back of her mind. At this moment, she could not calm down and think about all of this. Only by leaving this suffocating space could she think about it properly.
"What the hell? He actually ran away.”Yi Lianqian said in exasperation.
In the blink of an eye, Hua Menglan's figure had already disappeared before her eyes.
" She's changed..." Liu Xichen felt lost.
"You think so too." Yi Lianqian felt the same.
"Yes, I feel that she seems to be a little uneasy recently, as if something is bothering her.”
"Is it about Shangguan Zifei?"
"Who knew? Her mouth was as tight as a clam's shell and she refused to say anything, leaving us with no choice but to make wild guesses!”Liu Xichen was furious.
"We will know the answer after she has thought it through.”Yan Zhiqin said.
"I'm afraid she won't say anything." Yi Lianqian didn't think so.
She wasn't like Zhiqin, who always thought positively about everything.
"No, we're the most intimate and caring friends. She definitely won't ignore our feelings and concerns.”Yan Zhiqin said calmly.
"I hope so. Otherwise, I'll never talk to her again. She doesn't even treat us as friends.”Yi Lianqian's anger eased up a little, but anger was still visible on her face.
It seemed that Meng Lan had to put in a lot of effort to appease their anger.
There was not a single cloud in the blue sky. The dazzling rays of the sun shone on the earth. The hot air was almost unbearable, but the upper departments of the Shangguan Group were covered in dark clouds.
The reason was that the media had revealed that the female lead of the scandal…Hua Menglan had appeared in the Shangguan Group. Her expression was so furious that no one dared to stop her.
Hua Menglan was not afraid of the curious gazes of the crowd. She straightened her back and quickly walked into the general manager's office. Shangguan Zifei had already been informed by the secretary and was waiting for Hua Menglan.”
"What is this?" When Hua Menglan saw Shangguan Zifei, she immediately threw the crumpled newspaper on his table, waiting for his explanation.
"You already know?"
"If I didn't know, would I have rushed here to find you?”
"I knew you would come to find me, but I didn't know it would be so soon.”Shangguan Zifei looked at Hua Menglan with a relaxed expression, as if Hua Menglan's appearance was within his expectations.
"If you say so, could it be that you were the one who told the media about this false news?”If that was the case, then she had really misjudged him. She had thought that he was a gentleman, but who knew that he would treat her like this.
"Am I such a person?"
He stood up and walked to the sofa on the right to sit down. He gestured for Hua Menglan to sit down as well.
Hua Menglan's eyes were filled with doubt. He seemed to be explaining himself. Could it be that she had wrongly accused him? He didn't do this." I treat you as a friend. I hope you won't tease me and let others point fingers at me.”
"It wasn't me." Shangguan Zifei replied helplessly," It's the media who got the news from somewhere and made groundless accusations. I'm already dealing with it."”
"Really?"
"It seems like you are here to denounce me. Don't tell me you don't believe what I said that day?”
" It's not that I don't believe you. It's just that everything happened so suddenly that I was completely confused. That's why I thought that you told the media…" Hua Menglan said a little embarrassedly.
"Alright, I know what you want to say, but please believe me. I definitely didn't do this.”Shangguan Zifei raised his right hand to make an oath.
" I'm sorry, I shouldn't have doubted you…"
"Since the misunderstanding has been resolved, do I have the honor of inviting you to a banquet tonight?”
"I, I don't want to cause any more trouble at this sensitive moment.”
"Rumors stop with the wise. As long as we are honest, I believe that this matter will be forgotten by everyone soon. Moreover, this is a private banquet. I guarantee that there will be no media.”Shangguan Zifei tried his best to encourage her.
Hua Menglan looked troubled. She really wanted to reject his invitation, but she had no reason to reject him.
"Please don't reject me. We're already friends, aren't we?”he pleaded.
"What time is the banquet?" It was difficult to refuse his kindness, so she could only agree.
" I'll pick you up at 7 pm."#
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]