Chapter 105: Late Wife's Memoir (4)

Ying Huai silently opened his mouth, but for a moment didn't know how to explain.

He was clear that he was dreaming now, that the Liang Shining in the dream was a phantom projected by his subconscious, or rather.......a dream formed from his obsession with his past life.

——Explaining it........ wouldn't really mean anything.

Ying Huai had never confused this dream-Liang Shining with the other one, nor did he intend to actually say anything real to him.

His eyes rolled, and looking at Liang Shining he suddenly laughed.

"You in the future........ won't be this earnest, stiff-faced sort at all."

Liang Shining looked at his somewhat teasing expression and froze for a moment.

"What.......?"

He hadn't finished speaking when, the next second, he saw Ying Huai suddenly lean forward, looking at him as he said earnestly: "You in the future........ always bully me."

——Bullying in bed, how could that not count as bullying?

Liang Shining froze.

He blurted out instantly: "Impossible."

Ying Huai was also briefly stunned by his reaction, without the slightest hesitation.

The next second, he came back to himself and couldn't help laughing: "How is it impossible?"

He looked at Liang Shining, speaking with great interest: "You're not the least bit well-behaved in the future, you don't respect your teacher or honor the Dao at all, every time you bully me until I cry.......you still don't stop."

As he spoke, he let out a leisurely sigh: "I begged you until.......my voice was hoarse, and it was no use at all."

Liang Shining: ???

He vaguely felt something was off, but looking at Ying Huai's rarely earnest expression, for the moment had no way to argue back.

He could only try to argue weakly: "Impossible, how could I do something like that, how could I bear to........"

"Bear to what?"

Ying Huai lifted his eyes at the words, smiling brightly as he leaned closer.

"Bear to bully me?"

The distance between them was now as close as it could be, the car interior narrow, Ying Huai's shallow breaths spraying against Liang Shining's neck, bringing a faint warm dampness.

Liang Shining's neck suspiciously flushed red, bit by bit.

He turned his head sharply before Ying Huai could notice anything off, leaning back somewhat unnaturally to avoid him.

"........Nothing."

Liang Shining gritted his teeth, took a deep breath, and spoke abruptly.

"I didn't say that, you.......don't read too much into it."

Ying Huai couldn't help laughing out loud directly.

Liang Shining waited a few seconds, couldn't help turning his head again: "Stop laughing........what's so funny."

"Nothing........cough cough cough."

Ying Huai covered his lips and waved a hand, his peach-blossom eyes still uncontrollably curving up.

"It's just that I kind of miss........this kind of moment with you."

Ying Huai raised his head with a half-smile: "Teasing you.........cough, is more fun."

Liang Shining: ........??

He suddenly turned his head, ears flushed red, gritted his teeth, and started the car directly.

——He really shouldn't have asked that question just now.

Liang Shining gritted his teeth, deciding that for the rest of today he would not pay attention to this "phantom" beside him, absolutely not giving him any chance to tease himself.

But not long after he drove off, he was forced to stop again.

"What's wrong with you?"

Liang Shining pulled the car to the side and stopped, turning his head with some tension.

Ying Huai had been coughing lightly on and off since earlier.

Liang Shining had originally assumed he had just choked, but after so long Ying Huai's condition had not only failed to improve, but he had bent over bit by bit as if unable to bear it.

From Liang Shining's angle, he couldn't see Ying Huai's expression, only the half-exposed pale bluish-white fingers gripping the clothing at his chest tightly.

Liang Shining couldn't help wanting to reach out to support him: "Are you okay, where does it hurt........"

Ying Huai was coughing too hard to speak, only freeing one hand to wave slightly at him.

"........It's nothing, my throat is just a bit dry, give me a moment and I'll be fine."

He said this, but his voice was almost already a breath, carrying waves of uncontrollable panting.

Liang Shining's hand supporting him unconsciously tightened, bit by bit.

His voice unconsciously rose: "How are you fine, you've been coughing this long already, in a bit you won't be able to catch your breath......."

He hadn't finished speaking when he saw the person beside him raise his head in some surprise, glancing at him.

Liang Shining's voice paused slightly.

He also realized his reaction had been a bit excessive, took a deep breath, and slightly turned his head away.

"Sorry.......I was just a bit nervous."

He somewhat unnaturally turned his eyes, wanting to find water for Ying Huai, but these past few days he had been busy with those things until he was going mad, and in the car there wasn't so much as water, not even an empty bottle.

Liang Shining frowned, the irritation and panic in his heart unconsciously rising again, bit by bit.

Fortunately, after not too long, the person beside him seemed to finally catch his breath, pressing a hand to his chest and sitting up straight again.

"It's fine, I really just choked, don't worry."

Ying Huai leaned back against the seat behind him, turned his head, and curved his lips slightly at Liang Shining.

"Speaking of which, I didn't notice, you used to care about me this much, little disciple."

Liang Shining unusually did not respond to his deliberate teasing.

He was still tightly frowning, looking at Ying Huai as he spoke in a low voice: "What exactly is wrong with your body? Why were you suddenly so uncomfortable just now?"

The smile at Ying Huai's lips paused.

He actually wasn't clear what had just happened to him either.

It had started with just a tickle in his throat and a few coughs, but unexpectedly he had then inexplicably begun to be unable to catch his breath, his vision dimming, his consciousness wavering, as if about to lose consciousness at any moment.

In his daze, he seemed to hear a voice calling to him.

That voice wasn't Liang Shining's, but it was strangely familiar, seeming to be trying hard to make him........calm down.

This giddiness came quickly and went quickly.

Before Ying Huai could figure out what had happened, that wave of discomfort, just as it had come, inexplicably disappeared.

Ying Huai now, apart from still feeling a little short of breath, didn't feel particularly uncomfortable.

He also didn't know how to tell Liang Shining, hesitated for a moment, and looking at Liang Shining spoke earnestly: "I don't know what's going on either."

What he rarely said was the truth, but Liang Shining thought he was brushing him off again, his brow instantly knitting even tighter.

Ying Huai, seeing his reaction, instantly realized something, and somewhat helplessly opened his mouth to explain.

But the next second, Liang Shining directly turned his head back.

"If you don't want to say then forget it, no need to make up excuses to brush me off."

He reached out to grip the steering wheel again, speaking somewhat stiffly: "Anyway, whether now or.......back then, you have nothing to do with me, there's no need to tell me the truth about anything."

Ying Huai froze.

He belatedly realized that Liang Shining seemed to really........be a bit angry.

A rare trace of helplessness surfaced in Ying Huai's expression.

He slightly propped himself up, curved his lips, and somewhat clumsily tried to coax him: "What's wrong? Really angry? But what I said is really the truth, I really don't know what happened........."

He hadn't finished speaking when, the next second, he suddenly felt the car stop.

Immediately after, he watched Liang Shining frown and turn his head.

"You........"

Ying Huai sat in the passenger seat, somewhat blankly raising his head: "What's wrong?"

Liang Shining stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly took a deep breath as if unable to bear it and leaned over.

Ying Huai froze, instantly raised his eyes, and curved a smile: "You're not angry anymore, right........"

He had only spoken halfway when, the next second, he saw Liang Shining with a cold face reach behind him for the seatbelt, yank it over, buckle it into the slot, and then swiftly sit back.

Ying Huai's body stiffened for a moment.

The next second, he heard Liang Shining speak somewhat coldly and stiffly: "Don't move, sit properly."

Ying Huai froze.

The smile at his lips disappeared bit by bit, he lowly said "oh," slowly leaned back against the seat, and somewhat dejectedly shrank his body down a little.

"Understood."

Liang Shining's fingers on the steering wheel tightened for a moment.

"You........"

He watched Ying Huai somewhat sadly lower his eyes, instinctively opened his mouth wanting to say something, gritted his teeth, but still turned his head back again.

He drove somewhat fast, but still very steadily, instinctively slowing down at every corner or turn.

Ying Huai didn't say anything more either.

The car interior, for a time, returned to the familiar quiet of before, but Liang Shining inexplicably felt a little unaccustomed to it.

He kept a tight face, listening to the occasional rustling sounds from beside him.

On the surface he still maintained his cold expression, but in reality he kept a bit of his attention on every move of the person beside him.

From the corner of his eye, Liang Shining caught that the person beside him seemed to be looking at him the whole time, several times turning his head as if wanting to say something, but in the end turning his head back again.

Liang Shining waited through two red lights without Ying Huai speaking, and finally couldn't hold back any longer.

At the third red light he impatiently stopped the car, took a deep breath, and seemingly casually turned his head back.

"What did you want to say........"

He hadn't finished speaking when his voice suddenly cut off.

Ying Huai was curled up in the passenger seat, his head slightly tilted, and at some point had already fallen asleep.

He seemed to be sleeping somewhat uneasily, frowning slightly at the sound of Liang Shining's voice, his lashes trembling faintly, as if about to wake.

Liang Shining instantly stopped his voice, looking somewhat tensely at the person beside him.

But Ying Huai, whether from being too tired or for some other reason, his lashes kept trembling, his breathing somewhat rapid, but no matter what he just couldn't wake.

Liang Shining stared at him for a few seconds, and finally couldn't help hesitatingly raising his hand.

His hand paused in mid-air, but in the end slowly came down, carefully patting him in a soothing manner.

He hadn't originally held much hope, but after patting for a while, he heard Ying Huai softly "hm," his tense body gradually relaxing, his breathing also gradually evening out.

After not too long, Ying Huai's head tilted slightly to the side, and he finally fell soundly asleep again.

Liang Shining silently let out a breath of relief.

He hesitantly withdrew his hand, looked at Ying Huai's pale complexion, and after a long moment only let out a soft sigh.

·

Ying Huai wasn't aware he had fallen asleep.

He only felt his consciousness heavy and dazed, as if his body was sinking endlessly through a darkness of the subconscious.

He tried to struggle free, but felt as if he was nearly drowning in it.

When he finally hazily regained a shred of clarity, he met Liang Shining's somewhat panicked expression.

"........What's wrong?"

Ying Huai somewhat blankly propped himself up, but felt his throat itch, and couldn't help turning his head to cough a few times.

The next second, he felt his arm suddenly supported, and then Liang Shining's somewhat tense voice came.

"What just happened to you?"

Ying Huai covered his lips and turned his head, somewhat uncomprehendingly frowning.

"You fell asleep on the road just now, I called you for ages but you just wouldn't wake up, your body kept trembling the whole time.........."

Ying Huai froze, and instinctively said: "I don't know, I didn't feel anything........"

Liang Shining's voice carried an inexplicable panic, but he was still trying to maintain his composure.

"I called you for ages before I woke you, what just happened to you, is there anywhere uncomfortable........"

Ying Huai shook his head instinctively.

His expression also showed some surprise, but he seemed to realize something, and gently exhaled.

"Maybe....... I'm about to wake up from the dream."

Liang Shining froze for a moment, but saw Ying Huai raise his head and slightly curve his lips at him.

"Don't worry, I'm fine."

Liang Shining didn't buy it, his expression still tense: "What do you mean? What do you mean you're waking up? Are you about to........."

——About to leave me again?

Liang Shining's voice inexplicably caught, and he didn't finish the second half of his sentence.

Ying Huai, however, seemed to realize something.

He was quiet for a few seconds, then suddenly gently broke free from Liang Shining's hand, raised his hand and stretched.

"No."

This dream was somewhat different from what he had expected, something seemed subtly off, but Ying Huai right now....... didn't want to think about it carefully.

He raised his head to look at Liang Shining, slightly curving his lips at him.

"Don't worry, I'll still be with you for a very, very long time."

——Even if not right now.

·

After Ying Huai said that, Liang Shining didn't know whether he believed it or not, but in the end didn't say anything more.

He just returned to his usual taciturn manner.

Ying Huai tried several times to tease him without success, and could only give up helplessly.

But the moment Liang Shining walked through the door, this somewhat subtle emotion was instantly washed away.

Father Liang was standing in the living room with his hands behind his back, Li Xiang standing beside him with a strange expression, and upon seeing Liang Shining come in, frantically gestured at him.

Liang Shining was startled.

Li Xiang's expression didn't look worried, but rather carried a comical sense of helplessness and panic.

Liang Shining, not understanding, could only step forward first and look at Father Liang: "Father."

Liang Shining watched Father Liang turn his head at the sound, and said softly: "Why did you suddenly come over today, Father, is there something you need from me........"

Before he could finish speaking, he was suddenly interrupted by Father Liang's ecstatic voice.

"You did a great job before, Xiao Ning."

Father Liang strode forward and heavily patted Liang Shining's shoulder.

"Have you finally given up your entertainment industry dream and are formally learning to enter Liangshi Group?"

Liang Shining: ???

Li Xiang beside him made an "I can't help" gesture at him, silently mouthing "I tried to explain, it didn't work."

Liang Shining: .........

He quickly realized Father Liang had misunderstood something, raised his head somewhat helplessly, but saw that Father Liang completely ignored him, threw an arm around Liang Shining's shoulder, and continued speaking with great enthusiasm.

"If you'd had this idea earlier, how great that would be, you insisted on taking such a big detour, but luckily, you've finally gotten back on track."

Father Liang, with his arm around him, forcibly sat him down on the sofa and continued chattering.

"I told you long ago you had the makings of a businessman but you wouldn't believe me, look how cleanly and decisively you handled those projects against Lu Group this time."

Father Liang thought of something else as he spoke, and excitedly patted Liang Shining's shoulder heavily.

"Lu Group has been eating through its capital these past few years, that Old Lu does nothing productive every day, and this new Lu Jing, who just came in, doesn't even know if he can hold things together. Your move this time just gave them a warning."

"Father, no, I didn't......." Liang Shining tried to explain, but was interrupted again by Father Liang without hesitation.

"It's fine, I know, you still have some shortcomings, your methods are a bit immature, these aren't problems, what business needs is exactly this kind of decisive boldness."

Father Liang waved his hand grandly: "When you return to Liangshi Group, I'll personally mentor you, just take your time learning, change little by little."

Liang Shining tried several times to interrupt his father's words, but Father Liang was only immersed in his own excited emotions.

"I've already arranged your internship for you, starting next week—no, tomorrow—you'll start following along at the company to learn."

Father Liang grew more and more excited as he spoke, his face turning red as he turned his head.

"Once you can stand on your own later, I'll take you out to see more of the world, and if you happen to meet some girl who catches your eye, and you take to each other right away, Father can even introduce you, hahaha——"

Ying Huai, who had been propping his chin up listening to the conversation between the two with great interest, raised an eyebrow upon hearing this and, not minding making things worse, repeated it as well.

"Introduce you, oh—a girl who catches your eye."

Liang Shining: .......???

Liang Shining's head was practically splitting in two.

He really couldn't hold back any longer, and interrupted Father Liang before he could say anything more outrageous.

"Father."

He took a deep breath and said softly: "I have no intention of returning to Liangshi Group, or taking over Liangshi Group."

Father Liang's voice stopped abruptly.

He lowered his head in disbelief: "What did you say?"

"Then why did you make a move against Lu Group before?"

Father Liang slammed the table, gritting his teeth as he spoke: "Don't tell me it was just for fun—even if it was for fun, you have to keep doing it for me."

Ying Huai, taking advantage of the fact that no one could see him, burst into laughter without hesitation, and Li Xiang beside him also lightly coughed, trying to hide the upward curl of his lips.

A trace of helplessness crossed Liang Shining's expression.

"There's no particular reason, Father."

Father Liang's expression was full of disbelief, as if Liang Shining didn't give him a reasonable explanation today, he would just tie him up and drag him to the company.

Liang Shining's eyes flickered, and he slowly said in a low voice: "If I have to say something—Lu Group got what it deserved."

"As you just said, Lu Group was already riddled with problems to begin with, and Lu Jing taking over Lu Group........also has deep internal issues. If those projects were handed over to Lu Jing, they would only become a drop in the bucket filling Lu Group's bottomless deficit."

Liang Shining raised his head and said seriously: "Rather than letting them hand those good projects to others, it's better we take them back first."

Father Liang frowned as if he still wanted to say something, but Liang Shining interrupted him again.

"All these years in the entertainment industry, Father, you've always been very supportive."

He looked at Father Liang and said softly: "Just take it as....... a small gesture of gratitude toward Liangshi Group from me."

Father Liang didn't say anything for a moment.

He looked at his son with a somewhat strange expression, and after a while couldn't help gritting his teeth as he spoke.

"What nonsense are you spouting?"

Liang Shining: ?

Ying Huai beside him was about to die laughing.

"Don't talk to me so high and mighty, back then, to refuse me sending you into the company, you could climb over the wall and run away in the middle of the night, and even when I threatened to expose your escape surveillance footage at the meeting, you still didn't come back."

A trace of unnaturalness flashed across Liang Shining's expression, and Ying Huai beside him turned his head in uncontrollable delight.

Father Liang gritted his teeth: "Now you tell me all this high and mighty talk—for the company, who are you fooling?"

"Father........"

Liang Shining looked at the person who was laughing so hard they were about to fall off the chair, and somewhat helplessly tried to stop them.

"You always have your own methods and logic in doing things, you couldn't have acted recklessly just because you disapproved of Lu Group's behavior." Father Liang gritted his teeth.

"Tell me the truth, why exactly?"

Liang Shining silently opened his mouth.

After a while, he still only stubbornly said: "It's just because........ Lu Jing got what he deserved."

Father Liang was so angry he laughed.

"Fine, fine, you won't say it, will you? I'll investigate myself."

He directly pulled out his phone, dialed a number with his head lowered, frowned and said a few words.

Liang Shining raised his hand to try to stop him, but the next second saw Father Liang give him a warning glare, and directly stand up and walk outside.

After not long, Father Liang finally strode back in.

"Why did you investigate the correspondence records between Ying Huai and Lu Group?"

Father Liang clutched his phone and stood in front of Liang Shining.

"I just looked through it, Ying Huai was a signed artist at the entertainment company under Lu Group, he died in an accident a few days ago."

"Not only did you pull out all his records at Lu Group over the years, you also rushed to the scene of Ying Huai's incident........"

Father Liang realized something, and lowered his head in disbelief: "You did all this because of that....... Ying Huai?"

He saw Liang Shining lower his head without confirming or denying, and instantly realized something, gritting his teeth as he spoke.

"Are you crazy, Liang Shining?"

Although Father Liang verbally disagreed with Liang Shining entering the entertainment industry, he actually paid attention to it secretly in private.

He dug out the familiar name Ying Huai from his memory, gritting his teeth as he spoke: "I remember he and you were always at odds, weren't you?"

"You offended the entire Lu Group for a deceased person, for your rival?"

Father Liang was so angry his body was trembling: "Are you crazy......."

"I'm not crazy."

Before Father Liang could finish speaking, he heard Liang Shining interrupt him in a deep voice.

He took a deep breath and gave a slight nod to Li Xiang, who was not far away.

Li Xiang stepped forward quickly and swiftly handed over a document.

"What is this......." Father Liang frowned.

"After Ying Huai passed away, these are some records Brother Liang had me look into about him—these are the parts related to Brother Liang."

Li Xiang said softly: "After Brother Liang entered the entertainment industry, Teacher Ying Huai had been helping him, intentionally or otherwise."

Father Liang quickly flipped through the documents in his hand, his brow not only not relaxing but furrowing even more.

He quickly browsed through it, then raised his head to look at Liang Shining again.

"What exactly do you mean?"

"After Ying Huai passed away, I reinvestigated what happened between me and Ying Huai back then, and found some suspicious points."

"Probably I....... misunderstood him."

Liang Shining said softly, "I misunderstood him, but........even so, he later kept helping me, both openly and behind the scenes, and never told me."

His fingers at his side slowly tightened: "I didn't know, I kept misunderstanding him, if it weren't for me, he might not have in the end........"

He took a deep breath, his voice calming again: "So I must make up for this."

He raised his head to look at Father Liang: "You've always taught me to take responsibility for my own actions, that if I did something wrong, I should bear the consequences I deserve, didn't you?"

Father Liang didn't speak.

After a few seconds, he finally let out a silent sigh, reached out and patted Liang Shining's shoulder again.

"Alright, I understand."

He looked at Liang Shining for a few seconds, and finally couldn't help asking: "So you really....... won't consider returning to Liangshi Group, Xiao Ning?"

Liang Shining lowered his eyes and shook his head slightly.

Father Liang couldn't help sighing again.

"Never mind, I won't interfere with your affairs. Since they've helped you so much, and you can't repay them, it's only right that you try to make up for it."

Father Liang stood up again, the excitement from earlier gone from his expression.

"If you need anything....... you can come to me for help."

Liang Shining didn't respond this time. Father Liang, knowing this son of his was stubborn, couldn't help but laugh and scold: "Alright, I wasn't planning to stop you, if you don't want my help just say so, what's with the stubbornness."

He turned around with his hands behind his back, slowly walking out: "I'm leaving, I still need to go back and explain to your mother. When she heard yesterday that you were returning to Liangshi Group, she got so excited the whole night and immediately started looking at all those nice girls from good families for you........"

Father Liang gave him a sidelong glance as he spoke.

"I don't care if you don't return to the company, but you're not young anymore, the blind dates your mother arranged for you, you still have to go."

Ying Huai across from him turned his head with a smile, and Liang Shining's body inexplicably stiffened, and he quickly spoke again.

"There's one more thing, Father."

Liang Shining hesitated for a moment, then raised his head to look at Father Liang: "I don't like girls, Father doesn't need to....... introduce anyone to me."

Father Liang: ???