Chapter 277 - The Breeding of Hatred
Vexedly waking up the next day, Su Jianan stuffed her face in the pillow.
What for?
The jovial spirits of the man lying beside her was reflected in the deep, dark eyes of his, which seemed to be commending her “obedience” from yesterday.
She could not bear to “face” it.
Lu Boyan tried to remove Su Jianan’s pillow. She grumbled softly, flipped her body, pressing into the pillow and continued to laze in bed.
Lu Boyan let her be—it’s was the weekend.
In the afternoon, after Lu Boyan was done working in the study room, he did not see Su Jianan in the living room. He looked in the bedroom, where she was indeed sitting on the bed with a laptop rested on her thighs. Her eyes were fixed on the screen, focused on whatever she was looking at.
Only until Lu Boyan approached the bedside, did Su Jianan realize he was there. She frantically closed the document, and forced a smile, “You’re done with your work? Let’s go downstairs then!”
Lu Boyan stared at her laptop with a piercing gaze, “What were you looking at?”
“…Some documents.”
Lu Boyan squinted his eyes. “Hm?”
“…Some documents for a case.” The more Su Jianan spoke, the more she felt guilty.
Lu Boyan closed Su Jianan’s laptop shut. “Jianan, listen to me, stop investigating.”
He had guessed it after all. She was indeed looking at the case files of his father’s car accident from fourteen years ago.
So Su Jianan stopped hiding, and said, “I got my colleagues from the archives department to send me some of the case’s records, thinking that perhaps I could find key suspicions to prove that the police had arrested the wrong person back then.”
Lu Boyan sat down, and held Su Jianan’s hands in his own, gently caressing them. “This is a feud between me and Kang Ruicheng. I didn’t tell you about it previously because I didn’t want to get you involved.”
Su Jianan pursed her lips, pondering— “I promise you, I’ll let you know immediately once I gather any findings! I will not act alone! I will not put myself in danger!” She tugged on and shook Lu Boyan’s sleeve pitiably. “Just let me continue looking, ok?”
She had the habit of reinvestigating cases in her free time. Lu Boyan knew she would definitely not give up easily on his father’s case. “Not acting alone, not putting herself in danger” were probably the best conditions she could concede to.
In the end, he softened under her gaze. After Lu Boyan’s repeated urging, he finally stopped objecting against Su Jianan’s decision to continue investigating the case.
Su Jianan happily gave Lu Boyan a kiss, “I will definitely find something out!”
She paused momentarily, and her expression grew gradually calm and solemn. She added, “Your father is also mine. I want to claim justice for him. I want to contribute, too.”
Lu Boyan smiled and patted Su Jianan’s head. As long as she was happy, she could investigate whatever she wished to.
Su Jianan thus devoted all her free time into that case. But of course, when she was with Lu Boyan, she would fully devote her attention on him.
Otherwise, according to that person’s personality which could not bear to be neglected, he might become unhappy and stop her from investigating once and for all.
One time at work, Su Jianan was free and went to visit the archival room to look for archives from back then. It was the first time she saw photographs from the car accident scene—
A car which had been crashed into deformity, a ground filled with shattered glass shards, and pools of fresh, red blood…
That was a life.
It was as if Su Jianan had returned to the scene of the car accident fourteen years ago. She was watching the moment of the car accident happening; the man, as a father, hugged tightly onto Lu Boyan while he bore all the harm. She saw Lu Boyan shaking as he held onto his father’s hand, tears streaming down from his eyes, filled with anguish and despair.
It was like thousands of needles piercing through her heart. The sharpness of the pain was so real. Su Jianan touched her face. Her hand was wet with tears.
As the pain subsided, something was growing from within her heart, sprouting, and growing vines which wrapped all over her heart…
It was a hatred for Kang Ruicheng.
Su Jianan used to think that her resentment against Su Hongyuan was hatred. But to actually hate a person, was to wish for him to be persecuted by the law, eager for him to receive his retribution, and live the rest of his life in remorse.
No, this kind of murderer—did not deserve to live!
She must find ways to prove that Kang Ruicheng was the one who drove the car!
…
A few days later.
Lu Boyan returned home after work and suddenly informed Su Jianan that they were going to a magazine interview.
Su Jianan only came to realisation after a while, and asked, “What magazine?”
“Business Insiders,” Lu Boyan said. “A friend’s new publication. They would like us to help promote it. If you don’t like it, we can reject it.”
“…” Su Jianan never thought she was influential enough to promote anything.
However, Lu Boyan had very few interviews all throughout these years. Su Jianan knew that he did not like to face the press and the camera. If he had promised that friend a favor, it must mean that they had a specially good relationship.
So, it did not seem to be too good for her to reject it. Right?
Lu Boyan ended agreeing to Shen Yuechuan’s interview. Shen Yuechuan was flabbergasted.
He knew Lu Boyan too well. That person hated being constantly asked questions. Now he actually agreed to be interviewed together with his wife. Evidently, it was the power of love.
The interview was arranged for 2 p.m. on Saturday. The chief editor sent an interview outline for Shen Yuechuan’s perusal. Apart from some questions about business, they had also drafted many personal questions for Lu Boyan and Su Jianan, intending to find out more about their marriage life.
Shen Yuechuan could understand the curiosity outsiders had for Lu Boyan and Su Jianan’s marriage life, but he still reminded the chief editor, “Boss Lu is someone who values his privacy greatly. He doesn’t wish for his personal life to be exposed. I would suggest you to ask more questions about business, or related to the Lu Enterprises. As for the private questions, you must receive consent before asking.”
It was because, Lu Boyan might not be willing to answer them. And if there were any questions he did not wish to answer, the interview would no longer be continued.
The chief editor was grateful for Shen Yuechuan’s suggestion.
On that Saturday, it was rare for Su Jianan to not sleep in. She was already done washing up, but then realized she could be overreacting. The interview was in the afternoon; she still had plenty of time to prepare.
She did not want to go back to sleep, so she ran to the kitchen, and baked some cookies and cupcakes.
Su Jianan could not eat much of the things she baked all by herself. They were usually brought to the police department for Xiaoying and the rest to finish. Occasionally there would be leftovers, which she would coax Lu Boyan into eating. Watching him eating them with his brows knitted, and eventually seeing them gradually relax, was a form of enjoyment!
It was exactly one o’clock when she was finished with lunch. Su Jianan returned to the bedroom, surveyed the coatroom and picked a dress to change into. She had also complemented it with a neutral-colored shawl. It was not particularly magnificent, but looked really comfortable.
Her complexion did not look too bad that day, since she had rested well the day before, but she still put on some light makeup.
Lu Boyan entered the room when Su Jianan was putting on lipstick. He walked behind Su Jianan, helped in tucking her stray hair behind her ears and said, “The journalist will be here in ten minutes.”
Su Jianan took a deep, heavy breath. Lu Boyan asked, “Nervous?”
“A little.” Su Jianan pursed her lips to make the lipstick look more natural. “It is my first time getting interviewed by a journalist.”
Lu Boyan reminded her, “You were interviewed by a legal newspaper once.”
“I was?” Su Jianan had no recollection of it whatsoever; but with her understanding of Lu Boyan, she knew he would never remember anything wrongly.
After thinking for a while, Su Jianan finally recalled that it was during the beginning of last year, and said, “The journalist that time had only sent me the questions; I wrote the answers and sent them back. It was not a face-to-face interview. But… how did you know about this?”
She knew Lu Boyan would read financial news, but he wouldn’t read legal news, would he?
Lu Boyan strolled off, and said nonchalantly, “I just chanced upon your interview.”
Su Jianan stared at Lu Boyan’s back view, and carried on with her makeup smilingly. She did not miss out the brief unnatural expression in Lu Boyan’s eyes just then.
Did he think running away meant that she would not have guessed it! Lu Boyan had taken notice of her intentionally back then! He could have bought the newspaper and have it hidden!
How did she know?
Because she had done the same before. She wanted to collect all the little things related to him. It felt like a proof of their lives having intersected. But it was actually all lying to herself.
Not long after, Aunt Liu came knocking on the door. “Mrs, the magazine’s chief editor and journalist are here.”
Su Jianan walked out, and naturally held onto Lu Boyan’s hand. She tiptoed and whispered into his ear, “Actually, I have also seen all of your interviews. So… we’re even! Let’s go!”
After reaching the living room and exchanging polite greetings, the journalist started asking Lu Boyan the expected questions about business and Lu Enterprises. Even though Su Jianan did not fully understand, she held onto Lu Boyan’s hand, and did not feel nervous at all.
To be doing a magazine interview together with him, as his wife, was something she would never have dreamed of.
Halfway through, someone called Su Jianan on the phone, and she left to answer. The chief editor looked at Lu Boyan, and asked with a smile, “Mr. Lu, do you mind me asking some personal questions?”
Lu Boyan had roughly guessed the questions, and was not against it. “Go ahead.”
“Everyone… is really curious about you and your wife’s marriage life.” The chief editor was a bit nervous, despite being someone who had experienced important occasions, and it did not make sense for her to feel so.
But Lu Boyan was that capable. Facing him represented a great deal of pressure. Every word spoken and everything done needed much consideration, “Everyone would like to know how did you fall in love with Mrs. Lu? Had she done anything special?”
Lu Boyan thought of the little girl from fourteen years ago. Apart from following him around with a silly grin, what did she even do?
He smiled and shook his head. “She did not do anything.”
“Then how were you sure that you had fallen for her? Have you never had the same feeling for someone else?”
“No.” There was an energy of seriousness collected in Lu Boyan’s deep gaze. “I had never liked anyone before liking her, and I can never love another after loving her.”
Not having expected Lu Boyan to reply that way, the journalist and chief editor were stunned for a while before nodding, “Mr. Lu, would you answer another question we have? What were the changes to your life before and after marriage? It seems like being single and having a family are totally different.”
“Before marriage, my life was all about work.” Lu Boyan pondered. “Or rather I should say, I only truly have a life after marriage. This should be how life is.”
Just when he was done speaking, Su Jianan returned from the phone call. She sat down, naturally and intimately held Lu Boyan’s hand. The chief editor asked her, “Mrs. Lu, is it okay if we ask you a few questions?”
Su Jianan subconsciously looked at Lu Boyan. Only after receiving his affirmation, she smiled at the chief editor, “You may.”
The chief editor took out a photocopy of a newspaper. It was the interview from the legal newspaper which Su Jianan had from a year ago. “You mentioned in this interview that you did not have plans to get married. Why was it so?”
Not just the chief editor and journalist, even Lu Boyan was looking at Su Jianan, intensely—