CHAPTER 248: CHAPTER 235: BUTTERFLY EFFECT

Like a butterfly effect, the relationship between Li Chengze and He Nuoxin brought out the story of He Nuoxin’s past engagement and broken engagement with Li Yanan.

Immediately following, there was talk about T.N.C Group represented by Li Yanan acquiring Li Family’s stocks.

Various intertwined, updated information allowed imaginative netizens to piece them together, adding embellishments, and merging it all into a story full of love and hate.

Simply put, Li Yanan used He Nuoxin to frame Li Family and Li Chengze, causing the Li and Tu Families’ marriage alliance to fail...

Meanwhile, Li Yanan quietly reaped the benefits of being a bystander.

For a while, the name Li Yanan was once again pushed to the forefront of attention.

Media, with their professional sensitivity, sniffed out the gossip element within, gradually shifting their attention to the past events between Li Yanan and He Nuoxin.

Regarding the ambiguous relationship between the two, curious netizens have already crafted seven or eight different storyline segments.

And the events from the past between Li Yanan and He Nuoxin have surpassed the entanglements between Li Chengze and Tu Haohao, becoming new talking points for the locals in J City during tea breaks and meals.

You can’t blame the public for being fickle; it’s just that information nowadays updates too quickly, with new news quickly replacing the old.

Unless it’s something directly related to oneself, who would pay attention every day?

Originally pushed to the forefront due to Li Chengze’s wedding and Li Yanan’s business, He Nuoxin, contrary to expectations, did not shy away from media pursuits.

Instead, she started frequently attending various banquet events, adopting an attitude of welcoming all comers.

For someone who had disappeared from the socialite scene of J City for years and came back with such a strong presence, opinions about He Nuoxin varied among people.

But on the surface, everyone naturally maintained a facade of harmony.

A line from a movie once said, only children distinguish between right and wrong; adults only look at benefits and disadvantages.

Even if He Nuoxin really did call Li Chengze away with a phone call at someone else’s wedding, so what?

As long as no one’s interests were infringed upon, most people would merely treat the whole affair as a joke because...

Li Chengze was indeed quite foolish.

However, despite He Nuoxin’s frequent appearances at various events, she maintained a boundary by never proactively bringing up the past with Li Yanan.

But she occasionally exhibited an expression that suggested there was a lot left unsaid.

Every time she dropped a hint, everyone’s curiosity about past events grew stronger.

In contrast, no matter how many times the reporters tried to contact Li Yanan’s side, the response they got was utter silence.

"Nuoxin, is this what you want?"

He Nuoxin had just returned to the hotel to find He Bainian already waiting for her.

Since the day of the wedding, when he found out that Lin Zhenxin was actually Aunt Susan He’s biological daughter, he was despondent for several days.

And the matter of He Nuoxin left him even more confused about the past actions.

"Brother, aren’t you annoyed?" He Nuoxin retorted with sarcasm, even though He Bainian hadn’t said anything yet.

He Bainian gave her a long, hard look.

"Do you want to stir up those past events again?"

"What? You don’t want to help me, but you won’t let me make an effort on my own?" He Nuoxin leaned against the wall, unable to resist a mocking retort.

"You’ve seen what happened to Li Family; you should know what kind of person Yanan is!"

Even though they had been apart for a long time, He Bainian still remembered the ruthlessness that emanated from Li Yanan.

Anyone who crossed him, even if there was no immediate reaction, he would retaliate even if he had to wait ten or twenty years!

Li Family was a living example!

But surprisingly, Nuoxin wanted to provoke him, which was simply insane!

"Brother Yanan wouldn’t be so cruel to me, as for Lin Zhenxin..."

He Nuoxin, having had some wine, had flushed cheeks, looking extremely enticing.

"Haha, brother...don’t worry, when Brother Yanan divorces her, I wouldn’t mind at all if you go after her..."

He Bainian could only think she had truly gone mad!

In fact, while this situation was escalating, Lin Zhenxin was instead well-protected by Li Yanan, and wasn’t affected emotionally by this matter.

However, today when Li Yanan came back, he said he wanted to take her somewhere.

Half an hour later, they finally arrived, surprisingly in front of the Li Mansion.

Lin Zhenxin was astonished to find that the hollowed-out floral iron gate of the Li Mansion had a court seal posted on it?

And inside, layers of iron bars fortified the entrance, devoid of any sign of life.

"I’ll purchase this place once it’s auctioned by the court,"

Li Yanan said, looking directly at the gate, his voice cold and emotionless.

"Perhaps Li Yingying never imagined that she would lose everything she owned in such a manner!"

Lin Zhenxin remained silent, but she could sense that Li Yanan’s mood was far from calm.

"Has the cemetery been refurbished?"

The renovation work had started early on; the cenotaph that Li Yingying once had people destroy could finally be restored with dignity and peace.

"Yes, just some final touches remain." Li Yanan’s voice fell as he reached out to intertwine his fingers with Lin Zhenxin’s.

"I don’t want to live here," Lin Zhenxin hurriedly added, as if she had just remembered something.

She couldn’t help but recall the attic where Li Yanan used to live—the damp and moldy smell she still remembered so vividly.

Along with the body in the garden plot.

Thinking of this, Lin Zhenxin felt the now-sealed mansion appearing increasingly eerie and cold.

"I wouldn’t let you stay here," Li Yanan said.

This place held too many bad memories for him, and he certainly wouldn’t let those memories affect Lin Zhenxin, especially since...

She was also carrying a child.

"And what about Li Yingying and Lu Dawei..." Lin Zhenxin hesitated before speaking again.

"Lu Dawei has a gambling debt of twenty-five million; if he’s smart, he should be hiding now. As for Li Yingying..."

With Aunt Zhang around, Li Yingying might never live a normal life again.

"Li Chengze now stays at the ICU ward every day, and as for Li Miya..."

If the Li Family couldn’t continue affording those expensive medical treatments, her only outcome would be getting driven away.

"Yanan, why...aren’t you happy?"

Since earlier, Lin Zhenxin could sense his mood going through numerous changes, yet none was happiness!

Li Yanan did not speak, his gaze stayed firmly on the solitary mansion building.

"I thought I’d be really happy," he said.

The grip on their interlocked fingers tightened, and in front of Lin Zhenxin, Li Yanan did not conceal his feelings at all.

"In fact, I had planned the revenge against the Li Family for many, many years!"

From a very long time ago, Li Yanan had been contemplating how to push the Li Family to a dead end.

"I originally thought that when all plans came to fruition, I’d be ecstatic, excited, I’d..."

"At least not be as calm as I am now!"

Hatred was like a rampant vine, interwoven and climbing, causing Li Yanan’s heart to become extremely twisted at certain points.

"Zhenxin, I don’t think I did anything wrong, but...why am I not that happy?"

Lin Zhenxin was silent for a moment.

She reversed her grip on Li Yanan’s large hand, thinking back on his journey thus far.

"That’s because you haven’t let hatred extinguish your true nature."

Lin Zhenxin had often wondered if her character flaws would be as apparent if she had grown up in a normal environment. Similarly, she felt that if Li Yanan had grown up in a normal family...

Then the current him wouldn’t be the way he is now.

"Just like the Li Family is to you, the Tu Family is to me."

"Yanan, promise me, with the Li Family, let it end here."

Hatred is like a knife that hurts others and oneself; no matter which side you stand on, both will be scarred.

Tu Haohao’s matter was already too transparent to Lin Zhenxin.

"Zhenxin, I’ve always been grateful, thankful that I have you...thankful I met you, thankful I’m with you...thankful you fell in love with me, and I love you as well."

If it weren’t for Lin Zhenxin, Li Yanan didn’t dare to imagine what he would become after the excess of revenge in his life.

"I promise you, with the Li Family, I’ll end it here. But..."

Li Yanan turned to look at Lin Zhenxin’s face.

"The premise is, those people won’t come seeking trouble with us again, otherwise..."

As he spoke, a deep darkness passed through his eyes, seemingly waiting for something.

"I won’t let them go."

This was Li Yanan’s promise to Lin Zhenxin, a promise not to take action actively but also not to sit idly by.

"Okay, no matter what decisions you make, I’ll support you."

Lin Zhenxin didn’t ask anything more, even though she could already smell the scent of impending turmoil, but just like in her trust in Li Yanan, she knew...

No matter what happens, this man...

Will handle everything well!

In fact, Lin Zhenxin’s premonition was quite accurate.

Two days later, an explosive piece of news thoroughly ignited the headlines across major sections of J City’s media.

A netizen with the username ’Insider’ posted a thread online.

The poster claimed to be a psychologist, who, out of guilt, chose to post this to reveal what they witnessed and heard over the years.

From the start, this poster whetted people’s appetites, easily creating suspense that made netizens eager to read what came next.

Soon, the poster slowly released the information.

It stated that years ago, they had ’treated’ the little princess of the He family, He Nuoxin, and that the ’illness’...

The implied meaning within the lines was that He Nuoxin had experienced some unpleasant things back then, which was the reason she canceled the engagement with Li Yanan.

Although names were replaced by initials, meddlesome people instantly linked it to recent news, aligning the initials of names, forming a perfect match.