Chapter 93: Hideous — Bonus Chapter at 3,500 Diamonds

Lin Wanbai’s heart hung heavy as she watched the television with a calm facade.

Only when Fu Juxing put his phone away did she finally exhale slightly.

Fu Juxing sat down beside her, glanced at the program playing on the screen—it was a popular talent show that had recently taken the spotlight.

Liang Zhixia was participating.

Among the new generation contestants, Liang Zhixia stood out. Many of them were only seventeen or eighteen, and though she was a bit older, her face was just as youthful as the rest.

More importantly, she seemed to have found her confidence. There was no hint of stage fright before the cameras; her eyes sparkled brightly, captivating anyone who saw her. Seeing this side of her made Lin Wanbai very happy.

People should never be crushed by setbacks. Those who grow stronger amidst adversity are bound to be rewarded.

Fu Juxing said, “Liang Zhixia has truly tasted sweetness after bitterness.”

His words caught Lin Wanbai off guard. She understood Liang Zhixia’s revival, but what did he mean by “tasted sweetness after bitterness”? She turned to him, puzzled. “What?”

“Nothing. She can come over to visit you in a few days.”

Lin Wanbai raised an eyebrow, suspicion flickering in her eyes, but she didn’t press further.

That night, Lin Wanbai couldn’t sleep.

She strained to catch any sound outside, longing to hear a siren, but there was nothing—not until dawn broke outside the window.

No police came.

She wondered if it was because she used a minor account that didn’t attract attention. But she had sent Liang Zhixia a private message—she should have seen it.

Perhaps Liang Zhixia was just too busy and hadn’t checked yet; she decided to wait a bit longer.

But after several days, no police arrived. Instead, Liang Zhixia herself appeared.

She had withdrawn from the competition and moved out of the dormitory. Hurriedly, she drove over. After passing two gates and multiple checks, she was finally allowed in. The process felt like visiting a prisoner.

Lin Wanbai was outside in the yard, basking in the sunlight, watching Aunt Rong walk the puppy when Aunt Liu brought her over.

“Xiaobai, look who’s here.”

Hearing the voice, Lin Wanbai turned around and saw Liang Zhixia bounding toward her. In a blink, she was by her side, bending down to give her a strong hug. “It’s only been a short while, and you’ve already had the baby! I was thinking you’d wait until I finished the talent show to give birth.”

She laughed as she spoke, then sat down beside her.

The two leaned against each other as Aunt Liu went to make tea.

Lin Wanbai said, “Aunt Rong, could you take Xiao Jin for a walk elsewhere? Zhixia is afraid of dogs and allergic to dog hair.”

“All right.” Aunt Rong picked up the golden retriever and left as requested.

Liang Zhixia wasn’t afraid of dogs, nor was she allergic.

Once Aunt Rong left, Lin Wanbai glanced around to make sure the servants were gone then grabbed her hand and asked, “Didn’t you see the private message I sent you on Weibo?”

“No, I haven’t opened Weibo these days. And during the competition, phones weren’t allowed. Why? Were you trying to reach me?”

“No wonder.” Lin Wanbai frowned, realizing Liang Zhixia had been too cautious. If she had messaged on her main account, even though Fu Juxing would immediately know, her account had many followers, so the news would have spread instantly. This way, there was still a fifty percent chance the police would see it and come.

“I’ve read the news that’s come out. Fu Juxing is really triumphant now; he personally dismantled the Fu family, right? Who would have thought he was related to Mr. Liang, the founder of Chaosheng, as his nephew and the sole heir of Chaosheng. He’s truly well hidden.”

Lin Wanbai was hearing this for the first time. “So that’s how it is.”

“You didn’t know?”

She glanced at her but said nothing.

In truth, Lin Wanbai was puzzled as to why Liang Zhixia was allowed to visit her. After all, Liang Zhixia was one of her allies—they were close friends. Would she not help her? Fu Juxing forbade her from contacting anyone outside, yet he so generously allowed Liang Zhixia in. What was his reason?

Lin Wanbai’s eyes searched Liang Zhixia’s face intently.

Feeling unnerved by the gaze, Liang Zhixia asked, “Why are you looking at me like that? It’s kind of weird.”

Lin Wanbai paused thoughtfully, then asked seriously, “Before coming to see me, did you call Fu Juxing? Or did you just come on a whim?”

Liang Zhixia blinked, surprised. “Why the sudden question?”

“Answer me.”

They locked eyes. Liang Zhixia didn’t reply immediately; her smile slowly faded.

Lin Wanbai suddenly recalled Fu Juxing’s strange words that night about being triumphant. Was it such a coincidence? Fu Juxing’s rise and Liang Zhixia’s own resurgence—both had emerged stronger, bravely pursuing what they wanted.

No matter how much Lin Wanbai had tried to persuade her before, Liang Zhixia had refused to listen, continuing to indulge herself.

So, like Fu Juxing, her previous downfall was merely a façade, a performance to make others underestimate her. When she struck back, it would catch them off guard.

Lin Wanbai pressed her lips tightly and looked away, feeling a bitter pang at the thought.

She inhaled deeply and said, “Zhixia, you know you have always been my closest friend. I trust you like family. I have never doubted you—not once.”

Liang Zhixia stopped her from speaking further by gripping her hand. She glanced around before lowering her voice. “I know I was wrong. I’ll explain everything later. This time, I’ll help you. You have to keep pretending you don’t know. Otherwise, I might never get another chance to see you. I will get you out.”

She squeezed her hand tightly. “Trust me.”

Though uneasy, Lin Wanbai knew this wasn’t the time to argue. She nodded. “I trust you because you’re still honest with me.”

Liang Zhixia had reclaimed control of the company. Liang Zhengge had been completely sidelined and was embroiled in legal troubles, losing all authority within the firm. But Liang Zhixia lacked the experience to manage it fully. The board wouldn’t allow her to take over outright, and she had no intention of pretending to be more capable than she was.

As a result, Chaosheng arranged for a new CEO to come in.

Coincidentally, this CEO had some connection to her and owed her a favor.

Maybe he would help.

If not, she would find another way.

By evening, the two of them erupted into a fierce argument. Lin Wanbai was nearly overwhelmed with anger. Aunt Rong and Aunt Liu came to mediate, but Aunt Liu was stern and sent Liang Zhixia away.

Lin Wanbai clutched her chest, fuming, and swept the items off the coffee table.

“Even my most trusted friend has betrayed me!”

Aunt Rong comforted her and helped her upstairs to rest.

No sooner had Liang Zhixia left than Fu Juxing returned, carrying a box. He entered and saw the mess in the living room.

He casually asked about it, and Aunt Liu briefly recounted the argument.

He went to the bedroom to find Lin Wanbai calm again, sitting on the lazy chair by the window, staring blankly at the dusk outside.

Fu Juxing set the box on the side table, then took off his coat and walked to the dressing table to remove his watch, cufflinks, and loosen his tie.

Lin Wanbai didn’t look at him, as if he weren’t even in the room, ignoring his movements right before her eyes.

Through the mirror, Fu Juxing watched her, then glanced at the neglected gift in his hand. “Won’t you open it?”

Lin Wanbai remained silent, immersed in her own world.

He rolled up his sleeves, came back, and opened the box for her, pulling out two cups.

“We made these last time we went to the craft museum but forgot to pick them up. The curator called me today, so I went to get them. They’re usable, though a bit ugly.”

Lin Wanbai didn’t look, instead turning to a book beside her and beginning to read.

Seeing her indifference, Fu Juxing set the cups down and took out two painted ceramic dolls from the box.

“I arrived early and saw someone sculpting clay figures. I thought you might like this, so I made two myself. Under the teacher’s guidance, I painted them. They’re not very pretty, but I did my best. See if they look like you.”

He held the dolls in front of her eyes.

They were ugly, but clearly girl dolls.

She furrowed her brow, pressed her lips tight, paused, then took the dolls and smashed them hard on the floor. “They’re hideous.”

Fu Juxing was not offended by her coldness. Although she smashed them hard, they landed on a thick rug and remained intact.

Indeed, they were ugly. Even though he had spent two full days making them, if she didn’t like them, they were just rubbish.

He picked them up and tossed both into the trash bin. After sitting quietly beside her for a moment, he stood and said, “You keep reading. I’ll go make dinner.”

Lin Wanbai didn’t respond, never once looking at him.

Fu Juxing stroked her head, bent down to kiss her forehead, and then left.

Once the door closed, Lin Wanbai lifted her eyelids, glanced toward the trash bin, and remained silent for a long while before moving to a different seat to continue reading.

...

Liang Zhixia considered asking Tang Yao for help but realized that, ultimately, he was still loyal to Chaosheng. Even if he owed her a favor, asking him to betray Chaosheng would be difficult.

She was aware of this limitation.

Originally, she wanted to report to the police, but Lin Wanbai was Fu Juxing’s wife, and there was no evidence proving Fu Juxing was imprisoning Lin Wanbai, not even domestic abuse. This made it hard for the police to intervene.

If the police did come, it might alert Fu Juxing. He could eliminate both Lin Wanbai and her, leaving Lin Wanbai truly trapped.

First, Liang Zhixia followed Lin Wanbai’s instructions and handed a handwritten note to Old Zheng, hoping he would inform the company’s other two major shareholders and possibly help find a way to rescue Lin Wanbai.

But after sending the message, Old Zheng didn’t react at all, as if he hadn’t received it.

Liang Zhixia pondered and decided to arrange a face-to-face meeting with Old Zheng.

She chose Chen Fan’s restaurant for the meeting.

She arrived early; Chen Fan was absent, only a junior apprentice was there. The restaurant was empty, and she had reserved the whole place, with a “Closed” sign on the door to prevent interruptions.

Half an hour later, the doorbell tinkled.

Liang Zhixia looked up to see Liang Xi walking toward her, sitting down across from her.

Liang Xi was Fu Juxing’s right hand, wielding considerable authority and overseeing many matters.

Her arrival suggested Fu Juxing had discovered Liang Zhixia’s recent actions.

Liang Xi placed a limited-edition handbag of a luxury brand on the table, clearly displaying her status.

Liang Zhixia glanced at it with a faint smile, remaining silent.

The two exchanged a brief look before Liang Xi spoke first. “Old Zheng isn’t coming.”

“When I saw you, I knew he wouldn’t.” Liang Zhixia retorted. “So? What do you want?”

“I’ve noticed your recent moves, Miss Liang. You seem intent on helping Lin Wanbai escape, is that right?”

Liang Zhixia hesitated, then laughed. “You must be joking. I’m not that capable. Don’t you know? I’ve already fallen out with Lin Wanbai. She no longer trusts me. Why would I help her? Helping her would mean offending Fu Juxing, and that’s not worth it.”

Liang Xi smiled but ignored her words. “I can help you.”