I was forced to start the second round because I was raised in poverty

Chapter 398 Confessing to Ye Li

Ye Li's eyebrows involuntarily rose, pulling at the skin on her forehead and creating several fine, discontinuous horizontal lines.

Those beautiful eyes suddenly widened, the pupils contracted slightly, and the entire facial contours appeared somewhat tense and stiff due to this sudden surprise.

"What do you mean, you found out on his second day at the company?"

Ye Li couldn't understand.

She didn't want to ask Su Cheng how she knew; she just wanted to confirm whether Su Cheng was really aware of it.

damn it.

So is what Zhang Yangwen said true?

Was Su Cheng using him for a purpose?

Faced with Ye Li's questioning, Su Cheng had to defend himself: "Let me say this first, I'm just guessing, I don't have any substantial evidence."

Ye Li's face fell: "What's the difference?"

Uh.

Are they different in nature?
Adding a "guess" to my own statement seems to lessen the offense?
Su Cheng's statement that he was "guessing" and "not sure" was his last act of stubbornness.

But in Ye Li's view, Su Cheng is no different in nature.

Whether it's confirmed or speculated, Su Cheng has intentionally or unintentionally "invested" in Zhang Yangwen.

"You're entirely responsible for this. It's perfectly reasonable for them to keep questioning you, isn't it?"

Zhang Yangwen speculated that Su Cheng already knew about it when she was in Australia, but in fact it was even earlier.

If Zhang Yangwen finds out, he will definitely be even more dissatisfied with Su Cheng's feelings.

They would completely deny everything that happened after they joined the Emperor Group, including all the personal relationships involved.

Zhang Yangwen is basically doing just that now, but she hasn't completely denied it, nor has she denied her relationship with Qin Fen.

Actually, from Su Cheng's perspective, it's right that he didn't say anything.

What does "having the final say" mean?
What if I said something wrong?

Various things are difficult to handle.

Su Cheng's mistake lies in his subjective "investment" behavior.

In this regard, Ye Li made no attempt to defend Su Cheng.

What should I do now?

"What do you mean, 'what to do'? Didn't you already admit it at the dinner table?"

Su Cheng was dazed: "Did I admit it?"

"You acquiesced."

"Ok."

Well... I guess I'll just admit it.

Su Cheng actually has a million reasons and ways to cover up her lies.

But he didn't do that.

Su Cheng's actions toward Zhang Yangwen were essentially the same as Lao Deng's actions toward him.

What kind of well-intentioned deception, teaching him to grow, "investing" and "giving" in him.

They all want to reap huge rewards at some point in the future.

Although the methods and degrees of deception differ, they are still the same.

Although not entirely the same in nature, they are equally vile.

Zhang Yangwen was dissatisfied with him, so he just put up with it.

He couldn't deny it.

Unable to speak.

If we deny it, then to some extent Su Cheng is actually following the same path as Lao Deng.

and.

Su Cheng disliked the excuse that "taught Zhang Yangwen real skills" was used to absolve herself.

This argument is nothing more than finding a somewhat plausible excuse within the context of such evil practices.

However, Ye Li didn't know she was in the know when she was eating, so it didn't matter what she said.

"Tell me first, is there anything else you're hiding from me?"

"Hmm...maybe."

Ye Li: ???
Really?
"whats the matter?"

Su Cheng remained silent for a few seconds.

he was thinking.

Should we involve Ye Li?
Seeing Su Cheng hesitate and remain silent, Ye Li immediately lost her patience.

Su Cheng kept Zhang Yangwen's matter a secret from her.

There are still things they're hiding from me.

What else could they possibly be hiding from each other?
Judging from Su Cheng's expression, it seems she's hiding something quite significant.

"If you don't tell me, then we shouldn't be together anymore, and don't contact me again."

Ye Li looked directly into Su Cheng's eyes with great seriousness.

She wasn't joking with Su Cheng.

If Su Cheng didn't tell, Ye Li would immediately tell him to get out of there and never have any contact with him again.

We can't even be friends anymore.

Su Cheng was indeed hesitating.

At the same time, he was also considering the pros and cons.

If I tell Ye Li, will she be implicated because of me?

But Su Cheng has always been fighting alone, confronting Old Deng all by herself.

Old Deng not only had his loyal henchmen, but also the entire massive Emperor Group.

His strength alone is still too insignificant.

Actually, when Su Cheng said "yes," he already wanted to tell Ye Li, but Su Cheng's rationality made him think for a few more minutes.

Su Cheng let out a soft breath, and he did some mental preparation.

"Okay, Sister Chestnut."

"No matter what you hear next, don't interrupt me."

Ye Li looked solemn.

She was starting to get scared.

Ye Li felt that the fact that Su Cheng was able to give her this kind of preventative advice meant that the matter was not trivial.

"Okay, go ahead and say it. I'm ready."

Su Cheng took a few deep breaths.

He told Ye Li everything about how he had also been raised in poverty.

Ye Li's expression froze instantly. Her lips first pursed unconsciously, forming a pale straight line, but then she couldn't help but open them slightly.

A wisp of air escaped from her throat, but it failed to form any meaningful words. She tried several times to interrupt Su Cheng, but her brain couldn't send the correct instructions to her vocal cords; they just opened and closed in vain, letting in wisps of cold air.

Time seemed to have stood still around her; she couldn't recover until Su Cheng finished speaking.

At this moment, Ye Li was like a wooden doll. Her bewilderment and astonishment were so pure that she even looked somewhat fragile, as if a gust of wind could blow her over.

Ye Li's brain had shut down.

The impact of this information was so strong that it completely exceeded her understanding of the real world.

Her brain even refused to receive the information because it contradicted everything she knew about common sense.

Ye Li stared intently at Su Cheng, trying to find a trace of a joke in Su Cheng's expression.

It seems plausible that this happened to Zhang Yangwen, and there are even clues to follow.

No matter what, Ye Li could never apply the concept of "raising a child in poverty" to Su Cheng.

Ye Li's expression was exactly as Su Cheng had expected.

He patiently waited for Ye Li to come to her senses.

A few minutes later.

Ye Li slowly asked her first question: "So everything you told me before was a lie?"

Ye Li was referring to their time in college, when they had just met.

"real."

"Then why were you raised in poverty? Did you only find out later?"

Su Cheng nodded seriously: "Mm."

Ye Li breathed a sigh of relief.

If Su Cheng's experiences were all made up, then Ye Li would be unable to face her relationship with Su Cheng.

She felt she was probably like Zhang Yangwen from a few days ago, constantly searching her memory for anything about Su Cheng, even going back several years. "So when did you find out?"

Precisely.

Su Cheng only found out several years later.

He told Ye Li everything except about his rebirth.

Su Cheng gave Ye Li an answer that reassured her: "I only found out recently. I didn't know before. I thought my family was really poor."

Ye Li also thought that Su Cheng's family was truly poor.

Su Cheng added, "Moreover, my case is the same as Zhang Yangwen's case; there is no solid evidence."

Since there was no problem with Ye Li's relationship with Su Cheng, she stopped searching for Su Cheng's name in her mind and instead searched for memories related to Su Tianyan.

Was the middle-aged man she met really a big CEO?
"Is he your biological father, or just an actor?"

"Which company is your father the CEO of?"

"Which conglomerate's heir are you?"

"Wait a minute, wait a minute, I'll answer them one by one."

Su Cheng confirmed that Su Tianyan is his biological father, not an actor.

"Which company does your dad work for?"

"You might not believe it."

"Ok?"

"It belongs to our group."

What do you mean?
Is Su Cheng referring to the Emperor Group?

"Are you sure?"

"I have no evidence, but I'm sure."

Ye Li's mind went blank again.

She's not someone who hasn't met Su Cheng's father before.

His father gave him the impression of being... a very common type of middle-aged man from a small town who lives in his own fantasy world.

You can find them in any county town.

Now you're telling me that the person you're so loyal to, the Emperor Group, is just like this?

Ye Li felt that her worldview had shattered and collapsed.

The impact was no less than if Su Cheng had hit her head hard with a hammer.

Although I knew that Su Cheng's father was acting during the Chinese New Year, the impact was still very strong.

It's so heartbreaking.

In Ye Li's mind, the founder of the Emperor Group should be an exceptional man with a tall, imposing figure and a calm and composed demeanor.

Ye Li had felt a deep respect for the group's founder countless times.

But now, whenever she mentions the Emperor Group, she immediately thinks of that greasy middle-aged man.

Although Su Tianyan's image to her wasn't as greasy as other middle-aged men, it was still far from the image she had imagined.

Ye Li was very disappointed.

After revealing her secret, Su Cheng did not feel relieved; instead, she felt even more terrified.

He was unsure about Ye Li's next emotional changes and attitude.

Su Cheng continued to explain: "Back in Macau, it wasn't because the Ma family offended Zhang Yangwen's family that Old Zhang mobilized his forces to besiege the Ma family."

"It's because the Ma family set me up and did something bad to me."

Su Cheng felt there was no need to explain such a complicated matter to Ye Li for the time being; he wanted to clarify Zhang Yangwen's situation first.

"That's why the Emperor Group took action; the whole thing has nothing to do with the Zhang family."

Ye Li sorted out the matter.

So that means it was because Su Cheng was set up, not because of Zhang Yangwen?
“My case is much more serious than Zhang Yangwen’s two million issue.”

"Who would wipe out the Ma family for two million? Anyone who looks at it rationally knows that this logic is actually untenable."

As for the specifics of the situation, Su Cheng did not tell Ye Li for the time being.

All she needed to know was that the group acted on his behalf, not because of Zhang Yangwen.

The Ma family has been a local power in Australia for decades. Although the Jin Hong Group is also known as a super-large company, it is impossible for them to swallow up and drive out the Ma family overnight.

The Zhang family doesn't have that kind of power.

"I feel that what they said was actually an attempt to sow discord between me and Xiao Zhang, so that Xiao Zhang wouldn't use his power in Jin Hong Group to help me after taking over."

"Could you just talk to Xiao Zhang and tell him about this?"

"No, I've thought about it, it's no use."

Does Zhang Yangwen have any power now?

No.

Xiao Zhang has only just been brought back from a "foreign country" and certainly doesn't have much real power; he has merely been confirmed as the legitimate crown prince.

If he were Zhang, he would gradually transfer power to Zhang Yangwen over the years, instead of letting Zhang Yangwen take control of such a large factory as Jin Hong all at once.

A crisis of trust has arisen between Su Cheng and Zhang Yangwen; no matter how eloquently Su Cheng speaks, Zhang Yangwen will no longer believe him.

"By the way, there's one more thing."

"What's the matter?"

"My dad likes you a lot."

Ye Li: ???
"What the hell?"

I said, "My dad really likes you."

"You're not trying to say that all the extra money I received from the 'Progressor Program' was approved by him, are you?"

Su Cheng didn't know the specifics, but he felt there must be some connection: "It's not out of the question."

Ye Li said firmly, "But I don't like him!"

Ye Li emphasized the word "he".

How can a father treat his son like this?

This is not education at all, but physical and mental abuse of children!

Su Cheng's father is a monster with heretical ideas!

A strong, righteous anger erupted in Ye Li's heart.

As an "outsider," she was not bound by the complex father-son emotional ties that most people have, so her moral judgments were very clear and direct.

In Ye Li's view, Su Tianyan's behavior was an unforgivable betrayal and mental manipulation!

Su Cheng saw in Ye Li's anger a direct expression of her protectiveness towards her.

After the anger subsided.

All of Ye Li's emotions turned into immense heartache for Su Cheng.

She immediately put herself in Su Cheng's shoes, imagining all the unspeakable pain Su Cheng had endured over the past 26 years.

This wasn't pity or sympathy, but a strong, stinging feeling of injustice and hurt for Su Cheng.

"You seem so calm. Aren't you angry about what happened to you?"

Ye Li felt that Su Cheng's emotions should be ten thousand times higher than Zhang Yangwen's.

Because what Su Cheng went through was far more painful than what Zhang Yangwen went through.

Su Cheng was naturally angry.

But getting angry won't help.

Emotions cannot solve problems.

"Didn't you ever think about resisting?"

Ye Li asked the question she most wanted to ask.

If she were to experience something like that, who cares? I'd just slash her twice and make her bleed first.

Su Cheng had been trying to find a way to resist; he had been resisting from the very beginning.

If Ye Li hadn't come that day, he really would have burned charcoal.

However, since I told Ye Li that I "only recently found out," there's no need to bring up the beginning again.

But Ye Li remembered it herself.

"Also, about your previous bout of depression."

"If I hadn't gone that day, would your dad have just let you die in that rented room? Would he have done nothing?"

"I think he'll intervene, but maybe he'll have to wait until the last minute?"

"What do you mean by the final moment? Is it carbon monoxide poisoning, where you're just a few breaths away from dying? Is that what you call the final moment?"

"According to my dad's logic, I guess so."

(End of this chapter)