Feng Cheng looked a little bewildered. "Me?"
He hated Feng Ze's Father, but he had never thought of killing anyone.
Madam Yuan sneered. "Did you forget? You were the one who told me which road that old bastard was taking home."
Only then did Feng Cheng remember what had happened that day.
The driver had taken leave, so Feng Ze's Father had to drive himself home. To find out when he would arrive, Feng Cheng had called specifically to ask which route he was taking.
Afterward, Feng Cheng had told Madam Yuan the route.
"If it weren't for you, I wouldn't even have known I could make my move that day!" Madam Yuan stared at Feng Cheng. "You're the one who got your father killed!"
Feng Cheng froze at those words.
His fingers trembled uncontrollably, his gaze blank.
He got his father killed?
Feng Cheng drew a deep breath and stared at Madam Yuan in disbelief.
Madam Yuan deliberately goaded him. "How do you think your father died? I killed him, but you were the one who handed me the knife!"
"I-I didn't!"
"How didn't you? Can you honestly say you never wished your father dead?"
Feng Cheng's breathing grew rapid. He was clearly still breathing, yet it felt as though a boulder were pressing down on his chest, suffocating him.
Just as his heartbeat raced and his vision began to blur, someone suddenly caught his wrist.
That person's hand was warm.
The skin beneath that grip tingled faintly.
Then another hand firmly turned Feng Cheng's head, and Tao Zhiyan's beautiful eyes suddenly filled his vision.
"She's trying to provoke you. You can tell, right?" Tao Zhiyan looked at Feng Cheng. "Don't do anything stupid."
Whether he was stupid didn't matter. The important thing was that he didn't do anything stupid and ruin the launch.
Feng Cheng trembled all over.
The other onlookers nearby also began quietly criticizing Madam Yuan for her shamelessness.
She was the one who had used him first, so how could she turn around and pin all the blame on him? Was she completely innocent now?
Noise rose all around them, but Feng Cheng could only see those clear, bright eyes. He stared in a daze.
Onstage, Feng Ze watched Tao Zhiyan's actions and unconsciously raised an eyebrow.
The police arrived soon afterward, and Feng Ze handed over the repaired dashcam.
Several officers took Madam Yuan and the buzz-cut man away.
The farce was over.
The launch officially began.
This time, Feng Ze not only unveiled the Smart Brain but also revealed some plans for a Super Brain. He had even brought in an American research institute as a partner.
Once the launch began, the camera flashes below never stopped.
The Feng Family's eldest young master stood on the stage, the focus of everyone's attention.
The Feng Family's Fourth Young Master, meanwhile, huddled in a corner, a target of criticism.
The contrast was truly sobering.
Feng Cheng was crouching in a corner now, tears hovering in his eyes. His nose and eyes were bright red from holding them back, making him look especially pitiful.
A wealthy woman in her thirties or forties hesitated nearby for a long while before finally approaching to comfort him. "Cheng, you don't have to be so upset."
Feng Cheng looked up, his round, downturned eyes wet with tears.
That look instantly melted the wealthy woman's heart. She crouched down. "Breakups are perfectly normal. As they say, out with the old, in with the new."
There was nothing obviously wrong with those words. She sounded like an understanding older sister comforting a wounded puppy.
That was, of course, assuming Tao Zhiyan hadn't seen the words above her head: [Attempting to keep Feng Cheng as a boy toy.]
Tao Zhiyan was almost impressed.
Seriously, Feng Cheng, do you have some trait that gives you a one-hundred-percent attraction rate for older women?
Why do all these older ladies dote on you so much?
The wealthy woman tentatively took Feng Cheng's hand. "I heard the Feng Family kicked you out?"
Feng Cheng glanced at their hands, looking a little confused.
"You're still young. You have plenty of opportunities ahead of you." The wealthy woman slipped a card into his hand. "Call me if you run into trouble. I'll help you."
Still confused, Feng Cheng lowered his eyes to the card.
Once he realized she was after his body, his eyes grew even redder, and he almost began sobbing aloud.
Tao Zhiyan couldn't hold back a laugh. He walked over and patted Feng Cheng's head. "Want some comforting?"
Feng Cheng looked at Tao Zhiyan and asked warily, "Do you want to keep me too?"
Tao Zhiyan: ...
No, thank you.
Tao Zhiyan didn't answer his question. He simply picked up two glasses of champagne and started talking nonsense. "Anyway, I'm pretty good at comforting people. Come outside if you need it."
With that, Tao Zhiyan left the banquet hall.
The banquet hall overlooked the river, and the Imperial Capital's riverside scenery was lovely at night.
A red arched bridge stood before him, while orange-red lights in the distance illuminated the streams of traffic. The evening breeze brushed Tao Zhiyan's cheeks as he leaned against the railing by the bridge and quietly admired the river.
A few minutes later, Feng Cheng came out with his head lowered, trailing behind Tao Zhiyan.
"Tell me." Tao Zhiyan turned around and handed Feng Cheng the champagne, casually resting one hand on the railing with an easy, carefree air. "What can't you let go of?"
Feng Cheng pressed his lips together, then drained his champagne in one go, his voice tinged with resentment. "She said she loved me, that she'd love me forever!"
Tao Zhiyan nodded. "Right. She lied to you."
Those words made Feng Cheng's chest feel even tighter. "She also tricked me into talking and got my father killed!"
Tao Zhiyan kept nodding. "Yes. And just now, she tried to pin the blame on you."
Feng Cheng gritted his teeth, furious. "She cheated on me too!"
Tao Zhiyan nodded again. "Exactly. She even hooked up with someone right in front of you. She couldn't wait another second."
Feng Cheng choked. His anger finally fizzled out, and he looked at Tao Zhiyan. "Are you comforting me or fanning the flames?"
Tao Zhiyan felt terribly wronged. Heaven knew he really wasn't fanning the flames.
"Of course I'm comforting you. Besides, you were partly at fault here too, weren't you?" Tao Zhiyan leisurely sipped his champagne and gathered his words. "Anyway, getting rid of a lousy person is never a bad thing."
Feng Cheng paused and looked at Tao Zhiyan.
That statement struck a delicate balance, neither too harsh nor too mild.
A single sentence summed up that whole twisted relationship, reducing it to a passing cloud.
"You wouldn't want to be deceived your whole life, would you?" The breeze lifted the ends of Tao Zhiyan's hair. "You may have lost your love, but you got rid of someone who was using you."
"It's bound to hurt right now, but it's a good thing for your future self."
Tao Zhiyan thought he sounded pretty cool saying all that, rather like an elder teaching a youngster a life lesson.
If he had a cigarette between his lips and could exhale a cloud of smoke, it would look even better!
So Tao Zhiyan raised his chin slightly, feigning a profound air as he gazed out over the river.
Feng Cheng stared at Tao Zhiyan for a long time, his gaze fixed on him.
He had clearly been charmed senseless.
Tao Zhiyan drained the champagne in his glass. "Anyway, today you exposed Madam Yuan's lies, the matter of your father's car accident was dealt with, and Mr. Feng's launch was a great success."
"So it was a pretty good day, right?" After speaking, Tao Zhiyan turned back and raised an eyebrow at Feng Cheng, the corners of his lips lifting slightly.
Feng Cheng stood frozen, utterly immobilized.
Tao Zhiyan didn't particularly mind. He finished the last sip of his drink and prepared to leave.
Behind him, Feng Cheng suddenly tugged at him.
It was a very gentle movement, just a tug at the hem of Tao Zhiyan's clothes before he quickly let go.
Tao Zhiyan looked back at him. "What is it?"
"It's just..." Feng Cheng pressed his lips together without looking at Tao Zhiyan, unsure what to say.
Feng Cheng was young, after all, and still had something of a teenage boy's temperament.
He usually looked fierce, all scowls and glares, but once he accepted someone, he tucked away his fangs and showed them his softer side.
His joy and anger were written plainly on his face.
He wasn't afraid to show dislike, and he expressed affection just as openly.
Seeing Feng Cheng's awkward expression, Tao Zhiyan couldn't resist ruffling his hair. "You're welcome."
Feng Cheng turned his head away, dodging Tao Zhiyan's hand, then pulled something from his pocket and shoved it into Tao Zhiyan's hand with a flushed face.
Tao Zhiyan looked down. It was a USB drive.
"Butler Tao..." Feng Cheng's face reddened further as he muttered, "You really are pretty good at comforting people."
Then he turned and ran.
Tao Zhiyan was left staring at the USB drive in mild confusion.
The drive probably contained the Smart Brain's core technology that Feng Ze's Father had left Feng Cheng, the kind of thing that could guarantee a lifetime of wealth and comfort.
Tao Zhiyan put the USB drive in his pocket and even gave it a fond little pat.
He hadn't expected the kid to hand over his marriage fund after just a few words of comfort.
Well... this staggering fortune really was pouring in!
Not far away, Feng Ze stood at the entrance to the banquet hall, watching Tao Zhiyan.
He raised an eyebrow slightly.
So Tao Zhiyan had gone to all this trouble to stage this little performance because he wanted that USB drive?
Feng Ze gave a faint chuckle, but his expression remained unreadable.
He had to admit that Tao Zhiyan's plan this time was far cleverer than his previous ones.
Before you continue