Chapter 50: Betrayed by One's Own Father

What does this mean?!
Does he know where Liu Qing is?
Hearing Cheng Jun say those words, I immediately began to panic.
Liu Qing had already moved back home, so how on earth did he find her?
I followed Cheng Jun all the way and actually ended up in the residential complex where Liu Qing lived.
He parked his car, straightened his hair before stepping out, and then walked toward the apartment building where Liu Qing's home was located.
I was burning with anxiety. How the hell did this bastard find out Liu Qing was here?
Judging by this situation, Liu Qing was unlikely to meet with anything good.
Yet there was nothing I could do; I could only burn with helpless anxiety.
I wondered if Liu Qing's father was at home.
I hoped he was home, so that at least it would prevent Cheng Jun from acting recklessly.
Before long, Cheng Jun arrived at the door of Liu Qing's apartment.
After he knocked, the person who opened the door turned out to be none other than that punk called Li Feng.
With a ingratiating smirk, he said to Cheng Jun, "President Cheng, she is right inside the room. Let me take you in."
Cheng Jun walked inside, immediately furrowing his brow as he swept a look of utter disgust around the room.
Liu Qing was sitting on the sofa. She looked rather calm, dressed neatly, with her hair neatly combed, not looking at all like someone who had been bullied.
Cheng Jun walked slowly up to her, chuckled, and said, "Didn't you tell me you were leaving Qingcheng? Do you really think I had no idea what was going on in your head?"
Liu Qing replied calmly, "I thought about it and decided I still want to stay in Qingcheng. Can I choose the second option you mentioned to me before?"
I still remembered the two choices Cheng Jun had offered back then:
First, give her a sum of money and make her leave Qingcheng;
Second, work for him from then on.
Cheng Jun let out a sudden chuckle and said, "What? Have you thought it through?"
"Yes. I thought about it carefully for two days, and I realized this is the path I should choose, rather than running away."
Turning to look at Cheng Jun, Liu Qing said with a sincere tone, "When there is a good option available, why would I choose one that is disadvantageous to me?"
"But now that you've chosen the second option, how am I supposed to believe you're sincere?" Cheng Jun was quite clever.
He was indeed very clever; if he weren't, he wouldn't have been able to wrap Jiang Yue entirely around his little finger.
"If you feel I'm not being sincere, I can go to the police station right now and withdraw the case."
Of course I knew Liu Qing was trying to save herself; it was the only thing she could do.
Naturally, she could also have chosen to leave Qingcheng.
However, she chose to stay, which could only mean that my situation had not yet been resolved.
Now that she was offering to withdraw the case, it could only mean she was stalling Cheng Jun in an attempt to save herself.
She was smart enough not to come into direct conflict with Cheng Jun, choosing instead to play along with him.
Yet I could still sense that Liu Qing was deeply terrified; her eyes were filled with fear.
And yet the demeanor she projected was so calm, much like her fate throughout all these years—clearly so full of twists and turns, yet still faced with a smile.
This condition naturally satisfied Cheng Jun, and he said on the spot, "Fine. Go and withdraw the case right now, and then I'll believe you."
"All right. If you don't believe me, you can come with me."
Picking up the canvas bag beside her, Liu Qing stood up.
At that moment, Liu ChengCai limped out of the room.
So he was home after all!
Then why was he only coming out now?
Seeing that Liu Qing and Cheng Jun were about to leave, Liu ChengCai anxiously blurted out, "Where... where are you taking my daughter?"
No one answered him, and Liu Qing gave him a cold glare.
Suddenly panicking, Liu ChengCai grabbed Li Feng and said, "Young man, you told me you were my daughter's classmate and asked me to let you come see her."
"What is the meaning of this? Where are you taking her? Who on earth are you people?"
Faced with Liu ChengCai's tugging, Li Feng violently shoved him aside and snapped angrily, "Old man, stop pawing at me. I've already given you the money."
Liu ChengCai already had a disability in his leg, and with Li Feng's shove, he tumbled clumsily to the ground.
Now I finally understood. I had been wondering all along how Cheng Jun found out where Liu Qing was.
It turned out that Liu ChengCai had betrayed Liu Qing!
No wonder the look Liu Qing gave him was full of hatred; even when he fell, she didn't spare him a second glance.
This old bastard would actually harm his own biological daughter!
Yet judging by Liu ChengCai's reaction, it seemed he had been swindled as well.
Crawling up from the floor, he limped back to the doorway, grabbed the doorframe with both hands, and blocked the path of Liu Qing and Cheng Jun.
"If you don't... if you don't explain clearly, none of you are leaving!"
In that moment, Liu ChengCai actually displayed a shred of fatherly dignity.
Yet it was already too late; he had pushed his own daughter into the abyss with his own hands.
Liu Qing had managed to escape with such difficulty that night, only to be betrayed once again by her own biological father.
Cheng Jun merely glanced at him indifferently, then turned to Liu Qing and said, "He's your father, right? Handle it yourself."
Only then did Liu Qing say to Liu ChengCai, "Step aside. I'm fine."
"What do you mean you're fine? These people are clearly up to no good. Liu Qing, don't go with them, come over to my side, I'll protect you."
Liu Qing let out a cold laugh. "Protect me? I should thank the heavens you haven't caused my death."
With a face full of remorse, Liu ChengCai stammered, "It's not like that, I didn't know it was going to be like this!"
He pointed a trembling finger at Li Feng. "It was him! He found me and said he was your college classmate. I saw he was driving a BMW, and he treated me to a meal and gave me money..."
"He also said he had always liked you and hadn't seen you in a long time, so I brought him home..."
"And then..."
"Liu Qing, Dad was wrong. Don't go with them. I'd rather die right here than let them take you away."
I truly didn't know what to say about Liu ChengCai anymore.
He seemed genuinely ignorant of the plot, but his greed was so overwhelming that Li Feng had easily manipulated him in the palm of his hand.
Now that he finally realized he had harmed Liu Qing, it was far too late.
Liu Qing softened her tone slightly. "Enough, it's not that serious. I really do know them, it's not what you think."
"Really? Liu Qing, don't lie to me, okay? If you're in danger, come over to my side, I'll call the police."
"I said everything is fine, so it's fine. Just go back to whatever you were doing."
With that, Liu Qing stepped forward, pushed Liu ChengCai's arm away, and walked out without ever looking back.
Cheng Jun followed closely behind her.
Li Feng brought up the rear, and as he passed Liu ChengCai, he raised a hand in warning. "Old man, I'm warning you, don't call the police, or you'll never see your daughter again."
Panic instantly seized Liu ChengCai. He cried out Liu Qing's name, apologizing repeatedly and claiming he had been wrong.
Liu Qing had already gotten into the car with Cheng Jun, and they drove straight to the police station.
When Liu Qing found Officer Wu and told him she wanted to withdraw the case, Officer Wu looked rather astonished.
"Liu Qing, did you run into some kind of trouble? Tell me, did Cheng Jun come after you?"
I was intensely nervous, hoping Liu Qing would tell Officer Wu the truth. Only the police could protect her now.
Yet, for reasons unknown, Liu Qing shook her head and said, "No, it's just that I decided I want to drop the case myself."
"Can you tell me why? It's so sudden, something feels wrong."
"I just feel like Chu Jianghe's matter has nothing to do with me. Even if a case is to be filed, it should be done by his wife, Jiang Yue. I'd rather not get mixed up in it anymore."
Having handled cases for many years, Officer Wu could naturally tell that something was amiss with Liu Qing.
Furrowing his brow, he said, "Liu Qing, there's no one else here, you can tell me the truth."