BXBX NOVEL Chapter 448: I Don’t Want To
Chapter 448: Chapter 448: I Don’t Want To
Damn, this first-time meeting with one of his "father-in-laws" was actually with an outsider underworld bigwig?! And if Liu Qingshan was "doing business" in Yandu before, could it be that he was part of the underworld power right under the emperor's nose?
Given that Rose was now the undisputed leader of the Zhonghai underworld, her collaborator had to be equally formidable. So it wasn't surprising that Liu Qingshan was a big underworld figure from Yandu. But if that were the case, why was Liu Mingyu working in a legitimate company and showing no signs of any underworld involvement?
What was even stranger was that Liu Mingyu seemed to have just learned about her father's background, while her brother Liu Minghao had a full-on rogue demeanor.
However, one thing Yang Chen realized made him ask, "So, the extermination of the Qi family, where Qi Kai was from, was also your doing, Uncle?"
"That's right. I ordered them to be wiped out," Liu Qingshan said proudly without any attempt to conceal it.
Liu Mingyu's eyes suddenly widened in shock. "Dad, how could you...?"
"Hmph," Liu Qingshan scoffed. "That Qi guy wronged my daughter and did so many outrageous things. Killing his entire family was letting him off easy. Yu'er, if I hadn't been busy unifying all the forces in Yandu and the Qi family hadn't been under the Tang family's protection, I would've killed him long ago."
"But... but his family didn't wrong me," Liu Mingyu said with some sorrow in her eyes. She wasn't attached to Qi Kai, but she couldn't bear the thought of his entire family being killed.
Liu Qingshan's face turned stern. "I had you live with your mother and lied that I was doing business in Yandu to protect you from being implicated and to keep you away from the filth of my life. Now that the big picture is settled, as my daughter, you can't be wronged by any man."
He then turned to Yang Chen, his gaze carrying a clear threat. "Even if you're not officially married to her, I can't let you mistreat her."
Yang Chen was confused by Liu Qingshan's words. There were many loose ends, so he could only smile bitterly and ask, "I wouldn't mistreat Mingyu, but Uncle, you can't keep saying things I don't understand."
Liu Mingyu's mother giggled. "Let me explain. Qingshan, why are you scaring our son-in-law? Yang Chen, here's the story..."
As Liu Mingyu's mother narrated, Yang Chen finally understood the strange series of events.
When Liu Qingshan married Liu Mingyu's mother years ago, he was the second-in-command of a small gang in Yandu. After falling in love with Liu Mingyu's mother and getting married, he worried that his dangerous life would harm his wife and future children.
So, when Liu Mingyu was still young, Liu Qingshan sent her and her mother to live in Zhonghai. To ensure Liu Mingyu grew up like a normal girl, untainted by his underworld background, he rarely saw them.
In the underworld, there are always things that can't see the light and pressures one must endure. In Liu Qingshan's mind, if Liu Mingyu had been a boy, he could've kept her by his side to inherit everything. But since she was a girl, he didn't want her to live in fear.
This was the opposite of Rose's father, Situ Mingze, who had guided Rose into the underworld from the start. Though Rose couldn't tolerate many of Situ Mingze's misdeeds, it was undeniable that her blood was filled with his underworld fervor.
Over the years, Liu Qingshan gradually rose to become one of the major gang leaders in Yandu, through scheming and brutal fights. However, because his wife and daughter were in Zhonghai, he couldn't see them often. During this period, he had an affair with another woman.
The other woman was the mother of Liu Mingyu's brother, Liu Minghao. She was a woman who ran a bar in Yandu. Liu Mingyu's mother knew that her husband was not a fickle or heartless man and that he had endured much more than she could imagine. When she chose Liu Qingshan all those years ago, she had mentally prepared herself for many things. So when Liu Qingshan told her about the other woman, she accepted it with grace.
Later, with the birth of Liu Minghao, the woman in Yandu and Liu Mingyu's mother became close friends. One stayed in Zhonghai, and the other in Yandu. Although Liu Mingyu and Liu Minghao didn't see each other often, they were close because of their mothers and were like siblings from the same mother.
"If Yu'er didn't have a father like me, she wouldn't have agreed to be with you so easily, even if you have a wife," Liu Qingshan sighed helplessly.
Yang Chen felt a bit embarrassed, realizing that this father-in-law had indeed made things easier for him. What an old trickster! But having two women on either side seemed like a good strategy. However, considering the number of women he had, if he had to keep them all in different places, he'd be exhausted from running back and forth.
Liu Mingyu's expression was a bit bitter as she glanced at Yang Chen. "I only found out about my father's true identity recently. I was worried you'd think I was hiding it from you on purpose, so I didn't know how to tell you. Please don't blame me, okay?"
"Hmph, how dare he blame you? He should be happy," Liu Qingshan snorted unhappily. "Isn't that right, Yang Chen?"
Yang Chen coughed. His father-in-law sure liked to speak plainly. "Of course, I don't blame you. I know I'm not exactly a saint myself."
"Alright, alright, what kind of talk is this? It's rare that Qingshan has finally done what he wanted to do and can spend more time with Yu'er. Plus, we have a nice son-in-law now. Let's say something cheerful, shall we?" Liu Mingyu's mother complained.
Liu Qingshan seemed to respect his wife a lot and immediately stopped talking.
The waiter began to serve the dishes. At the table, Liu Minghao kept scrutinizing Yang Chen, as if evaluating whether this guy was reliable for his sister. Yang Chen felt a bit helpless about this little brother-in-law. He was obviously still in high school, probably in a new school after coming back to Zhonghai with Liu Qingshan.
Suddenly, Yang Chen thought of something and asked Liu Qingshan, "Uncle, where is my other mother-in-law?"
Yang Chen was referring to Liu Qingshan's other woman. After all, she was technically his mother-in-law as well.
Liu Qingshan looked a bit wistful. "She's still in Yandu, handling some daily affairs for me. Over the years, I've spent most of my time in Yandu. Now that I've unified the forces there, I can finally come back to Zhonghai to be with Yu'er and her mother. She insisted on staying in Yandu to keep an eye on things for me. I really have no right to look down on you. I'm no better than you."
Yang Chen gave a wry smile, thinking it's good that you realize that.
"Dad, Mom told me to watch you and make sure you don't add another 'Mom'," Liu Minghao said, munching on vegetarian chicken and spitting crumbs as he spoke.
Liu Qingshan nearly spat out his apple cider, while Liu Mingyu's mother threw him a cold look.
Liu Qingshan patted his chest righteously, "Do you think your father is that kind of person? I've known the sins I've committed in my life. I've been eating vegetarian food all these years to show my remorse."
"My mom knew you'd say that and told me to remind you that's how you tricked her back then too!"
Seeing Liu Qingshan's half-blackened face, Yang Chen couldn't help but admire Liu Minghao. This little brother-in-law was quite endearing after all.
The family dinner, intended to introduce Yang Chen to Liu Mingyu's family, turned out to be quite complicated. Fortunately, Yang Chen had seen his fair share of unusual situations. Although he wasn't sure how much Liu Qingshan knew about him, it was clear that Liu Qingshan recognized his value; otherwise, he wouldn't have so easily agreed to Yang Chen being with Liu Mingyu.
Gaining a vegetarian underworld boss as one of his fathers-in-law, Yang Chen ended up drinking a lot of apple cider and eating a lot of vegetarian food, which left him feeling a bit dizzy.
As they left the restaurant, Yang Chen held Liu Mingyu's hand and whispered in her ear, "It looks like our relationship is settled. You'll have to be my little mistress for the rest of your life. Do you feel wronged?"
"At least I won't see you only once or twice a year like my dad and mom, so I can accept it," Liu Mingyu said honestly.
"Can't you be a bit more ladylike and say things like 'you're so bad' or 'naughty'?" Yang Chen teased.
Liu Mingyu rolled her eyes at him. "I am who I am. I don't do that."
Yang Chen smacked his lips. "Maybe you should meet Rose. She's friends with Qianqian and lives with her now. After all, you're the daughter of an underworld boss. You could learn a thing or two from Rose and maybe even take over your father's business someday."
"No way. I'll stick to being a white-collar worker. My dad's affairs can be left to my brother," Liu Mingyu replied.
"You really are a good sister, letting your brother go into the underworld," Yang Chen said, wide-eyed.
"Isn't that what brothers-in-law are for?" Liu Mingyu said with a smile.
Yang Chen's face twisted in confusion. Having many women meant dealing with many related issues. It seemed he really needed to be more restrained.
After saying goodbye to Liu Qingshan, his wife, and Liu Minghao, it was nearly eleven o'clock at night. As they drove home through a quiet area, there were very few cars on the road.
While driving across a cable-stayed bridge over the river, Yang Chen suddenly noticed a solitary figure standing near the edge of the bridge's guardrail. If it weren't for his sharp eyes and excellent vision, he wouldn't have seen this dangerous scene!
At that moment, the figure was standing against the cold wind coming from the river, precariously balancing on the narrow cylindrical railing of the bridge, looking as if they could fall into the turbulent waters below at any moment. Even a rock weighing hundreds of kilograms would disappear without a trace if it fell into the churning river, and the impact of hitting the water could shatter a human's internal organs!
Someone was about to jump into the river to commit suicide!
Yang Chen blinked to ensure he wasn't hallucinating. He immediately floored the gas pedal and sped towards the figure. After slamming on the brakes, he jumped out of the car. He might not be a saint who saves everyone in distress, but ignoring someone in such a dire situation felt wrong.
However, as Yang Chen got out of the car and got a clear view of the figure on the bridge, he suddenly felt a strong sense of familiarity.