novelaction Chapter 290 Making it a fait accompli
Chapter 290 Making it a fait accompli
Tan Xiaoxuan was so angry that her chest heaved violently, but Liu Zhidong acted as if nothing had happened and beckoned the nurse over.
"Give her the IV again. This girl is tough; it takes a couple more tries to get the needle in right. Let her know the pain, and she won't dare to pull out the needle randomly again." Liu Zhidong deliberately raised his voice, looking at Tan Xiaoxuan with a provocative gaze.
Tan Xiaoxuan clenched her fists so tightly that her nails almost dug into her palms. She suppressed her anger and secretly plotted in her mind: "Liu Zhidong, you wait and see. I will definitely let you know how powerful I am. No matter how you resist, you will not be able to escape my grasp in the end."
After the nurse left, Tan Xiaoxuan's eyes darted around, her mind preoccupied with figuring out how to make Liu Zhidong obediently submit and marry her. "It seems that forcing him won't work. Should I apply to the central government to designate me as his wife? No way, with that bastard's personality, he won't listen to orders from his superiors."
A brilliant idea flashed through Tan Xiaoxuan's mind, and a "wicked" thought popped into her head: "That's it! Let's try a softer approach, knock him out first, and then force the issue."
Liu Zhidong had been keeping an eye on Tan Xiaoxuan's movements. Seeing her cunning eyes, he knew what kind of trick she was up to again, and he couldn't help but shake his head helplessly.
Liu Zhidong's thoughts drifted back to the past. As a child, Tan Xiaoxuan was well-behaved and sensible. He would take her fishing in the sea, hunting pheasants in the mountains, and even bring her along when he got into fights. Over time, Tan Xiaoxuan developed a touch of wildness in her. He didn't know when it started, but Liu Zhidong's feelings for Tan Xiaoxuan changed. It was no longer the affection of an uncle for his niece, but rather the attraction a man feels for a woman.
But Liu Zhidong knew a secret, a secret that stood like an insurmountable chasm, destined to keep them apart. From then on, he deliberately distanced himself from Tan Xiaoxuan, ignoring her, hoping she would leave him and find true happiness.
Tan Xiaoxuan decided to give Liu Zhidong a "lesson in thinking" to get him to accept her. "Liu Zhidong, I'm still young, you're not getting any younger. Let's get together soon and have more children, we can't let the Liu family line die out," Tan Xiaoxuan said earnestly.
"My marriage is none of your business. I will marry anyone but you," Liu Zhidong replied coldly, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.
"Liu Zhidong, listen up! If you dare marry another woman, I'll make sure you become a eunuch!" Tan Xiaoxuan's eyebrows shot up, and she warned fiercely, "You're my man, and I'll kill anyone who dares to take you away from me!"
Liu Zhidong frowned, his heart filled with worry. Tan Xiaoxuan was strong-willed; once she made up her mind, she wouldn't easily change it, and he was afraid she might do something to hurt herself.
Tan Xiaoxuan's eyes reddened, tears welling up. She wiped them away fiercely and warned Liu Zhidong again. "What? It's been a long time since I've seen you cry. I'm kind of curious to see you cry." Liu Zhidong deliberately hardened his heart and said these words, but in reality, he was extremely heartbroken.
Tan Xiaoxuan was completely enraged. She grabbed Liu Zhidong's hand and bit down hard. Liu Zhidong merely frowned slightly and teased, "That's it? How come your teeth are so useless?"
"Liu Zhidong, you're not allowed to leave! Otherwise, I'll blow up your hideout!" Tan Xiaoxuan threatened angrily.
"Okay, I won't leave, I'll stay with you." Liu Zhidong sighed helplessly and reached out to pull the blanket up for Tan Xiaoxuan.
Tan Xiaoxuan's temper flared up quickly but subsided just as fast; she was fast asleep in no time, even snoring softly. Liu Zhidong looked at her head, swollen like a pig's, and felt a pang of pain in his heart. He couldn't help but reach out and gently touch her face. "Xiaoxuan, I hope you can face everything bravely from now on and not be defeated by difficulties."
Just then, Liu Zhidong's phone rang. It was Tan Haoyu calling. He glanced at Tan Xiaoxuan instinctively, then tiptoed out of the ward to answer the call. "Haoyu, what's up?"
"There are some things I want to ask you. Let's find some time to meet," Tan Haoyu said.
“Okay, I’m free anytime. You can arrange the time and place.” After saying that, Liu Zhidong hung up the phone and looked through the window at Tan Xiaoxuan, who was fast asleep in the ward.
……
In the reception room of the Pengcheng Military Region, Tan Haoyu, dressed in a bespoke suit, and Liu Zhidong, in military uniform with shoulder insignia, sat on either side of a sandalwood table. Their cold, aloof demeanor created a breathtaking aura. If a female soldier were to pass by at that moment, she might even lose her grip on her rifle.
Liu Zhidong pushed the celadon teacup with his well-defined knuckles, and boiling water poured over the Longjing tea, filling the air with its aroma: "Haoyu, what do you want to talk to me about? Why do you have to choose to talk in the military region?" When he looked up, his gaze under the brim of his military cap seemed to be tempered with ice.
Tan Haoyu's fingertips traced the rim of the glass, his suit sleeve slipping down half an inch to reveal his wristwatch: "I want to know—what secret between Grandpa and you is Zhu Shigou holding in his hands?"
The sound of the porcelain cup hitting the table suddenly rang out. Liu Zhidong's hand holding the cup showed a slight bulge of veins, but he quickly regained his composure: "Who told you that? That's not true."
"Is this secret related to Xiaoxuan?" Tan Haoyu suddenly leaned forward, his gaze behind his gold-rimmed glasses sharp as a hawk's. That brief pause just now, in the eyes of this business hunter, was more glaring than a loophole in a contract.
Liu Zhidong stood up abruptly, his military boots stomping heavily on the ground: "Haoyu, this matter has nothing to do with you, and the fewer people who know about it, the better. You shouldn't ask any more questions."
“My wife is the victim in this matter. Do you think I have anything to do with it?” Tan Haoyu also stood up, the hem of his suit jacket sweeping across the chair. He recalled the way Zhu Ziqing banged her head against the wall when she had a drug withdrawal attack last night, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed his anger. “If it weren’t for this secret, why would the old man have let Ziqing lose her memory? And let Zhu Shigou feed her drugs for three years!”
Liu Zhidong turned his back, and military flags fluttered outside the window. After a long while, his voice was muffled, as if wrapped in lead: "You have people you want to protect, and I have people I want to protect." When he turned around, bloodshot veins appeared in the tough man's eyes. "I won't tell you this secret, and the old man certainly won't."
Tan Haoyu slumped back into his chair, the bitter taste of the now-cold tea rising on his tongue. He finally understood—back then, to protect Tan Xiaoxuan, his grandfather had tacitly allowed Zhu Shigou to take away Zhu Ziqing, who was seven months pregnant. The C-section scar, the three blank years, and the way she scratched her wrist last night felt like countless steel needles piercing his heart.
"I won't let her suffer in vain." Tan Haoyu took off his glasses and pressed his thumb hard against his temple. "Before Ziqing regains her memory, I will find out the whole truth. The day Ziqing's memory awakens will be the beginning of the reckoning."